A Seal's Touch

“Any last-minute instructions?” she asked once she’d put it on and mounted the bike.

“Be yourself. Have fun. And—” he yanked on his helmet and swung his leg over the bike “—pretend we’re dating.”

Emphasis on “pretend.”

Taylor kick-started the engine. He’d figured he’d have to play it up a little. But now all he’d have to do was show up with Cat looking the way she did and the ladies would fill in all of those “pretend” details.

And he’d be off the matchmaking hook.

She wrapped herself around his back, her thighs hugging his and her body pressed in temptation against him.

He’d just have to make sure he didn’t end up on any other hooks.

Especially not hooks that could ruin a lifelong friendship.

4 (#ulink_4daddec6-8e17-5718-93b6-2aaef1f9f76a)

AN HOUR LATER Taylor kicked it on the beach. The sun warmed his body, slowly seeping through layer after layer of tension. He welcomed the heat, letting it burn away the weird edginess that’d been dogging him.

He wanted to blame the edginess on his reaction to Cat. She’d fit right in with the couple dozen people at the beach party. His SEAL teammates, their ladies, the support crew, everyone who’d met Cat had welcomed her like one of their own.

Even as Hope Goodwin and Cameron Drake, the new SEAL they all called Daffy, were greeted with a loud welcome, Taylor narrowed his eyes against the sun, staring across the sand toward the water. A half-dozen figures were riding waves, but he easily picked her out of the pack.