Coming Undone

Granted, it was a trick she’d be more than happy to learn.

“I’ll pour the coffee. Come help me, Carl,” her mother urged with a smile on her face. A smile. Hunt definitely had to have some kind of special superpowers, which didn’t bode well for her.

When her parents were a safe distance away, she whispered, “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Apparently, helping you out of a jam,” he said with an innocent shrug. It would have worked, too, except the man was far from innocent. There was something so commanding about his presence that she’d been ready to spill everything, until common sense had taken over.

Hunt was in the military, and all the guys probably gave off that air. Still, she’d known him for less than five minutes and she already knew he was nothing like any man she’d ever met. What were the chances…

“Wait a minute. I thought SEALs were stationed in California and Virginia?”

“We pop up in a lot of unexpected places,” he said.

“I’ll bet you do. And how will you pull this off?” she asked.

“How will we pull this off, is the bigger question? Because your parents think I’m your significant other, and you didn’t tell them I’m not.”

“You went along with it.”

“You seemed a little desperate.”

“Why are you doing this?” Why wasn’t he letting go of her hand?

“I want to know what happens at the end.”

He obviously wasn’t aware that the fantasy was always better than the reality. The problem was that the two had, moments ago, collided head-on, and she was caught inside the wave, while he’d aced her with a total 360, leaving her nowhere to bail.

In a surfer’s world that signaled a potential wipe-out. It was definitely time to kick out of this man’s wave. “You go home, and I have to tell my parents you’re not my boyfriend.” She took her hand back from his and immediately missed the contact.

“I’m nobody’s boyfriend, Carly. But I wasn’t talking about after dessert. I was talking about the end of this fantasy.” Hunt smiled a wide, wicked grin and winked, then he sauntered past her into the house. “I hope you made my favorite, honey,” he said loudly. “Because I’m in the mood for some sugar.”

3

SUGAR HAD BEEN THE first thing on his mind, too. Maybe that could finally put some of the pieces of this puzzle together.

Maybe he could get Carly to reveal more of her fantasy, although he’d finished it off a dozen different ways in his mind already.

It had been a long drive, and the steady hum of the bike vibrating between his legs made the highway one long pre-orgasmic stretch.

Now, he forced himself to tamp down the enthusiastic buzz as he sat across the table from Sheila and Carl Winters. He’d recognized their names immediately when he’d seen them on the list. They were upper high society in the small Vero Beach community, always making the papers for one thing or another.

Carly Winters was one interesting lady even without the fax. And, from the strained look on her face, he had to guess that the erotic fax thing wouldn’t go over well with this set.

How he’d suddenly become the long-lost boyfriend was anybody’s guess.

“So Hunt, are you a Marine?”

He fought the urge to yell, hell no, and instead said calmly, “No, ma’am. I’m a Navy SEAL.”

“Would you mind my asking what a SEAL is?”

He smiled at Sheila Winters, because at least that answer was easy. “We’re part of the Special Operations division. SEAL is an acronym for sea, air and land. Although we’re primarily known for our water ability we can pretty much handle any assignment, regardless of the terrain. We’re Navy and we work in small teams.”

“So you’ve probably traveled all over the world.”

To crapholes you haven’t even dreamed of visiting. “Yes, ma’am, although I can’t say much more than that. All of our missions are classified.”

“Well, is how you and Carly met classified information?” Sheila asked him, a tiny smile on her face. From behind her parents, Carly smirked at him as she brought the coconut cake to the table in the center of the large kitchen.

He raised his eyebrows and she jumped in hurriedly. “At the beach. We met at the beach.”

Safe enough answer. Safer than the truth, and he could work with it.

“Was it at one of her competitions?” Carl Winters asked.

“Oh, Carl, please. Do we have to discuss that? I’m so happy she’s not doing that surfing thing anymore. I was always so worried about her.”

He’d seen two longboards propped up outside the house. And suddenly, he remembered where he’d seen Carly Winters. The local paper had run a lengthy article on her a few months back when he’d been in town for training and when she’d retired her pro-surfing status.

Wow. “Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see her in action,” he said, watching the blush spread across her cheeks again. He could think of a lot better ways to make her blush.

“She had a good career,” Carl said. “I have some old tapes I could lend you that show her competing.”

“That’d be great. From what I hear, she was amazing to watch.”

Carly threw him a strange look, somewhere between appreciation and pain. He pictured her in a bikini, riding the hell out of a wave along the swells of the ocean. Had to be a thing of beauty.

A SEAL and a surfer. There were worse combinations, and this particular one could prove to be a hell of a ride.

“She was a wonderful surfer,” Carl agreed.

Sheila changed the subject with a wave of her hand to her husband. “So, how long have you two been seeing each other?”

“Six months,” Hunt answered, figuring a nice, even number was the way to go. Besides, if he’d guessed wrong, it would be okay. Guys were supposed to screw up stuff like anniversaries and birthdays.

“So you met before she moved back here, then.”

Ah, screwed that one up. Still, he nodded, mind firmly set in interrogation mode. They didn’t need to know he wasn’t permanently stationed around here.

“Yes. He was training in Hawaii,” Carly said. And that made sense. Surfing. Hawaii.

“And you’ve been traveling, Carolyn tells us,” Sheila Winters continued.

Sounds about right…. “Yes. I’ve been overseas, so I’m looking forward to spending more time with Carly.” Where was this stuff coming from? Maybe he had an acting career after his SEAL stint?

“And he’s back just in time for the wedding,” Carly added.

Whoa. Wedding? Hell, he’d do anything for his country, and obviously a lot to help out and help himself to a beautiful stranger, but no how, no way was he getting roped into marriage. Suddenly, the kitchen shrank to the size of a cell and a strong survival urge kicked in. He was telling himself to get out, hit the open road and rock on.