Chapter 6
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T WO DAY LATER, AVERY laughed, watching as Ryan came toward her balancing two huge cups of shave ice. He looked good in a dark green tee shirt and shorts, the color of his shirt setting off his light green eyes and suntan. His dark sunglasses were propped atop his head, and his muscles stood out in a way that made her stomach flip. The man was hot. Ryan was sweet, funny, and protective as well, but she’d be lying if she said her heart didn’t flutter every time she saw him.
Ryan had managed to get the afternoon off, which Avery knew was rare for him and his teammates. The men trained hard, but with her leaving Hawaii soon and then moving out of the country, Ryan must’ve sweet-talked their commander into allowing it. Or agreed to do a million push-ups or something. Despite having a brother on Ryan’s SEAL team, Avery knew little about how the Navy worked. She’d only met Commander Harrison “Harley” Madden once. In the military, you didn’t fraternize with your superiors, so it was only by chance that she’d met him when she was out with her brother one day months ago.
Their commander was a good-looking, fit man. She’d peg him to be in his early-to-mid forties. He was slightly intimidating, although fair, judging from what Aaron and Ryan had said. At the moment, however, she only had eyes for the guy heading straight toward her.
Ryan had a huge grin on his face as he sank down onto the bench beside Avery, and she breathed in his clean, masculine scent. “Here you go, Av. One passion fruit shave ice, just for you.”
“It looks so good.” She shivered as she took the cold cup from him, and he chuckled, giving her thigh a quick squeeze. Avery’s pulse spiked every time he touched her that way. Ryan’s big hands on her bare skin were all too appealing, and he seemed to know exactly the effect he had on her.
“Thanks,” she said, trying to ignore the heat now licking through her. His hand remained on her thigh for a beat, and she swore she felt the imprint from it burning into her skin. “I’m impressed you carried both cups without spilling anything along the way.”
His eyes sparkled with amusement. “How do you know I don’t train for this daily?”
She laughed. “Because you’re in way too good of shape to be indulging in a treat like this every single day.”
“Touche.” He caught her eye, leaning over for a brief kiss. Avery’s heart swelled. Ryan tasted of mint and man. Of something dark and deliciously male. He was clean-shaven today, no doubt because he’d gone into base this morning for a briefing before swinging by her hotel to get her. While he looked good with or without stubble across his strong jaw, she missed the feel of his whiskers against her skin.
“You changed clothes,” she said when he broke off the kiss.
His lips quirked. “Yep. Can’t be seen around town kissing you while in uniform.”
“Wait, seriously?”
“Well, it’s considered unprofessional. Obviously, when sailors return from deployment there are plenty of hugs, kisses, and whatnot.”
“Whatnot,” she teased.
He shrugged, his eyes dancing with amusement. “But, if I was sitting here with you in uniform and enjoying the afternoon, I’d have to keep my hands to myself. And where’s the fun in that?” he asked.
“Thank goodness you changed then,” she said.
“Damn straight,” he agreed, but she didn’t miss the heated look her gave her. His eyes briefly ran over the sundress she had on, and she swore that she could feel his gaze almost like a caress. She’d taken her time to get ready today, wanting to look good for their date. They planned to walk around and sightsee a little bit in Waikiki, then have dinner at Ryan’s place. She was excited to see his home for the first time. He’d sworn he wasn’t much of a cook but was planning to grill them steaks for dinner.
Avery was thrilled. It had been harder and harder to contain her feelings each time she saw him, and to know they were on the same page? Life couldn’t get any sweeter.
Things had been getting more and more heated between them over the past few days, too. They’d spent all weekend together, ending up in Avery’s hotel room watching a movie together Sunday evening. Ryan hadn’t stayed over, and they’d kept their hands to themselves. Mostly.
She could tell he was trying to be respectful. It’s not like they could watch TV in her living room given all she had in the small hotel room was a dresser and bed. He’d offered to bring her back to his place, but since they’d been out sightseeing on Sunday afternoon and her hotel was closer, it just made sense. He’d have to drive her back anyway. She hadn’t felt uncomfortable with him there. Far from it. Avery had snuggled up beside him, and Ryan had seemed content to wrap his arm around her shoulders and sneak in a few kisses.
Avery knew if she’d so much as given him the signal, he’d have pounced. They were attracted to one another, but she wasn’t about to rush things. He’d promised they’d take things at her pace, and clearly, Ryan was a man of his word.
Her mind whirled, recalling all the time they’d spent together these past few months. It was never enough, given she always had to fly home, but hearing his deep, sexy voice in her ear most nights gave her an absolute thrill. The distance had posed a problem—until it hadn’t. Everything had changed between them. Even today, the afternoon felt ripe with possibilities. She’d be leaving soon, and this was probably the last afternoon they’d have some quiet time alone together. The team had training during the week, so she’d see Ryan in the evenings, but after that?
Next weekend she’d be gone.
“So, what are you gonna do with your stuff when you move?” he asked after finishing a bite of his shave ice. “You’ve got an apartment, right?”
“Yep, but I was able to break the lease. I’m putting everything in storage. I’ll bring what I need to Panama, but let’s be real—it won’t be much. I’ll have a roommate, most likely, and I won’t get to see exactly how small the space is until I’m there.”
Ryan looked concerned. “I’ll worry about you, Av.”
“I know,” she said, reaching over and taking his hand. His thick fingers immediately wove between hers, and her body heated. They’d been friendly for so long, it felt incredible to actually be able to reach out and touch him. Kiss him. Giddy excitement coursed through her.
Ryan brought their joined hands up to his mouth, his lips brushing over the back of hers. She shivered, and he flashed her a knowing look. “Imagine if I kissed you like that everywhere.” His voice was low and husky, meant for her alone.
“Maybe I don’t want to just imagine it.”
He let out a groan. “I’m trying to be good.”
She licked her lips, “I know.” Their eyes locked for a beat, and then a laughing child caught their attention, interrupting the moment. They resumed having their frozen treat, Ryan mock-teasing her for making him look like a tourist by eating shave ice near the crowded beach.
“I am a tourist,” she protested.
“Yep. But I’m already looking forward to your being here permanently.” He was quiet for a second, and Avery searched his face.
“You still think I’m making a mistake.”
Ryan cleared his throat. “I’d never tell you what to do Av, but yeah. It’s dangerous as hell there. You might not get good cell reception, so we probably won’t be able to talk very often. I won’t be able to check on you how I’d want. They’ll be times when I’m unavailable, too. We get the word, and I have to go wheels up. No choice in the matter.”
She nodded, swallowing back her worry.
“If anything happened—” His voice cut off, and he jabbed his spoon into his cold treat.
“I’m excited for this job, Ry,” she said softly.
He looked over at her again, his gaze softening. “I know, and I know you’ll do great things there. Doesn’t mean I won’t worry though. Promise me that you’ll be careful and not take any unnecessary risks.”
“Of course. I know I’m not a trained Navy SEAL.”
“I’m not invincible either, Av.”
She swallowed, knowing it was true. Ryan put himself in risky situations all the time. He could just as easily be hurt as her.
“Hey,” he said softly, clearly trying to lighten the mood. “Risks are a part of life. Like, you agreeing to let me cook you dinner tonight, for example,” he joked.
“Oh stop,” she said, playfully pushing his arm. “You’ve managed to survive all this time, presumably cooking somewhere along the way. I know you’re not eating mess hall food every night. How old are you anyway? Thirty?”
“Thirty-one,” he said, those full lips quirking in amusement.
“I’m twenty-eight,” she told him.
“Already knew that.”
She playfully pouted at him. “So, what didn’t you ask my brother about me?”
Ryan’s laughter filled the space around them. “A whole bunch of things. Many of which I plan to discover myself,” he said huskily, and Avery felt herself blushing again. He stared at her for a moment, another smile playing about his lips. “What time do you want to head over to my place? I figure we can do the tourist thing for a bit, soak up some of the Waikiki scene, but I have to admit, the idea of being alone sounds good, too.”
“Being alone sounds perfect,” she agreed.