ROMANCE: Military: SEALED BY APACHE (Military Soldier Navy SEAL Romance) (Alpha Male Billionaire Bad Boy Romance Short Stories) (26 page)

CHAPTER TWELVE

Cal sat back in the comfortable chair, his right hand and wrist ached from signing his name so many times but his agent said it would boost sales of his book and help him connect with fans. He was still amazed that people wanted to read what it was like as a Navy SEAL, but apparently he had a way with words, managing to make people feel what it had actually been like to pull his friends out under enemy fire, one-by-one, until collapsing, yet still never forgetting, the one remaining who he never got out.

              Tessa appeared with Trigger, their constant companion.

              “Hi babe.” He greeted her, the dog wagged as soon as he heard Cal's voice, “And you, puppy face.” He added.

              “Hey. You just about done?” Cal looked around the bookstore, noting the lack of people.

              “Think so.” He told her, “I'll just make sure I let the manager know I'm going and we can leave.” Cal stood and was about to make his way to the staff area when he heard a voice calling his name.

              “Mr. Hughes?” He looked over to see a middle aged woman with graying hair; she wore a lavender blouse and cream slacks and had a familiar look about her although Cal hadn't met her before, “Calvin Hughes?”

              “That's me,” Cal smiled, grabbing his pen for another autograph.

              Tessa watched as the woman reached towards Cal, hesitating for some reason and she looked down at Trigger to see if he thought anything was off about her. The dog just looked to both sides of them, searching for food as usual.

              “My name is...Jean Greenwood,” The woman said and Cal froze, his hand a fraction of an inch from the pen. Tessa watched as the color drained from his face and he slowly turned to stare, with something like horror, at her. She moved a little closer and Cal flinched as if she was going to hurt him in some way. Tessa started forward as Cal sat heavily in the chair he'd been sitting in all day; she could see his hands shaking and tried to reach for him.

              “Cal, what...?” Tessa began but the woman spoke again.

              “I thought I should come down here and thank you.” Cal looked horrified.

              “Thank me!” He managed to choke out. The woman moved forward again and actually knelt, taking Cal's hands in her own. Tessa watched in fascination as she looked into Cal's eyes with tears building in her own.

              “Yes Calvin, to thank you for bringing my boy home.” Cal coughed up tears which sprung from his eyes.

              “But I let him die.” He wailed and Tessa's heart broke to hear the pain in his voice.

              “You brought him home!” Mrs. Greenwood declared hotly, “You risked your own life to make sure my boy could be properly buried. Not left in some God-forsaken hole.” Cal was sobbing.

              “I let him die,” Cal shouted, “I let him die and it should have been me, I’m so sorry.” Tessa felt shock jolt through her and Mrs. Greenwood sat back on her haunches.

              “Don't ever say that!” She snapped at him, “Never! I don’t blame you for Nicky dying, the Lord knows it’s not your fault so should you, you should be thankful for the miracle you managed for the others. You didn't kill my Nicky, the war did, she insisted. But you did make sure I could say goodbye to him properly and for that I thank you and I will always remember you in my prayers.” She looked over at Tessa, “Hang on to this one,” she told her, wiping her tears. “He's a hero.”

The End

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UNSEALED

DESCEPTION

A Navy Seal Erotic Romance

By

Jasmine Jensen

CHAPTER ONE

Jenna finished the final touches of her makeup and stared at her reflection admiringly. She almost forgot herself as she noticed the beautiful silver frame around her antique mirror.

It was a gift from her beloved, Chase, who had brought it for her while he was away in Japan. That he thought to buy her a gift during one of his many business trips, especially one that was so exquisite, made her heart fill with warmth.

However, Jenna had on and off doubts about Chase. He had deeply hurt her in the past, but promised to be a changed man, and only
hers
. He was the richest man in the small but elegant town of Horvath, which was filled with ancient Victorian buildings that would take any architectural enthusiast’s breath away. Chase’s five-star Hotel, Glaico, was by far the most imposing and exquisite building in town. Right next to it was the Pacific Ocean which purred gently, as it pushed wave after wave of sky blue water on shore.

Jenna felt a warm breeze from an open window caress the nape of her neck and gently blow her beautiful, long golden brown wavy hair backwards. She tried to suppress her doubts and think of the good times, hoping they would last forever. It was his thoughtful gifts that made her believe in her man again.

She held on tightly to that belief and refused to let it go. After all, tonight was a special night between her and Chase. It was their one year anniversary, and she was anxious to finish getting ready so that she could rush into his arms and celebrate the special event with him on his luxury yacht, where he lived beside the hotel.

Straightening her naturally curly hair had taken her quite some time. Chase liked her hair this way, and every time she would go see him, she took the time to carefully prepare and make sure there were no curls in sight. She stared at her reflection until she was completely satisfied with her hair and makeup.

Jenna untied her silk bathrobe and slipped into a sexy red figure forming gown with nothing underneath, in anticipation of a passion-filled night ahead. She fumbled, while putting on a stunning diamond-drop necklace, another generous gift from her beau, and finished quickly with a pair of elegant, strappy black heals.

She drove over the speed limit toward the Marina, realizing she had lost track of time and did not want to be the late for her date, knowing Chase was to have her favorite meal catered this special evening, on the yacht.

CHAPTER TWO

Colt got off the bus at the main bus terminal in Horvath. He was fully clad in his Navy SEAL uniform, and got a lot of admiring stares which he assumed were citizens who appreciated his patriotism. However, he was too deep in thought to notice that most of those stares were from young women who were admiring his striking facial features, and rock-solid physique.

Colt is an exceedingly good looking man, with striking, masculine features, dirty blond hair, a God-like statue of six feet, five inches. He has broad shoulders, with perfectly sculptured arms which were followed by strong, muscular hands and an effortless perfect posture, worthy of a Navy SEAL Commander.

Colt never considered his looks to be anything extraordinary, even more so, barely noticed the many female admirers who were left cold by his apparent aloofness, at their non-verbal sexual cues. Though he had a few weaknesses, which he managed to hide under his military exterior, vanity was not one of them.

The only thing on Colt Jacob’s mind was the warm summer breeze and how odd it was to be on leave. He needed some time to unwind after the recent tragedy, losing his best friend from his SEAL 8 Team, and to be back in Horvath to collect some of the items left for him by his Uncle. He enjoyed being in the SEALs, and more so being a respected commander. His SEAL brothers were his life and his family now, ever since his is parents died, now over a dozen years ago when he was just a young teen.

Colt lived with the constant painful realization that his childhood memories were no longer intact and little more than dark shadows that faded before revealing the full story of his experiences. Yet his heart somehow remembered the love and support from parents that he was fortunate to have had, until the accident took them away from him so abruptly.

He was determined to recall his past, despite being told by the latest ‘specialist’, he likely never would. Uncle John offered up stories, but he insisted he would remember on his own,
some-day
.  Unfortunately, his favorite uncle passed away just a few months ago, and Colt felt a deep regret not allowing him to fill in the gaps to earlier childhood memories he may never recall on his own.

Colt was thinking about his uncle and current predicament when he saw her, a woman rushing off Chase’s yacht. She was upset and anxious to leave as fast as possible. He noticed she was a natural beauty, stunning in fact, and although elegantly dressed she seemed to be trying a little too hard to please, even uncomfortable in her attire. Funny, he thought, why he would think that, without having ever met her.

His mouth arched slightly, as he smiled to himself. He had seen this scenario too many times and knew exactly what was going on. His friend Chase, a sharp and ruthless businessman, was a hopeless womanizer. This lovely lady was probably the latest victim to fall for his irresistible charm, only to sadly realize that Chase never remained loyal to any woman. Even so, she seemed different from the type he usually went for.

Colt watched her fidgeting frantically in her purse, trying to retrieve her keys. She had parked at the edge of the Marina and her frantic efforts, coupled with her apparent agitation, made her drop her recently clutched keys that made an unfortunate bounce straight into the deep blue drink. He saw the frustration on her face and her posture collapse, and immediately rushed to her rescue.

Jenna was surprised to see him, as she hadn’t noticed him watching her fumble with her car keys for fast escape. He swiftly dropped his backpack, and unlocked her car door with a neat trick he had learned during his military training. Before she could so much as protest, he had already ripped off some wires below the steering wheel, connected them together, and had the engine running for her in what seemed an instant.

He ushered her into the car, closed the door gently but firmly behind her, retrieved his back pack, and headed towards Chase’s yacht without a backward glance. Jenna knew somehow, that this tall stranger, who had been gentlemanly enough to rescue her but was too discourteous to allow her to give him a proper thank you, or learn how to undo what he had just MacGyvered together, was none other than Colt Jacob.

She never had the pleasure of meeting him, but Chase fondly talked of him often. After tales of his heroism, she secretly hoped Chase would introduce her someday. But now that she finally met him, she wished she never had, the circumstances playing on her like a bad joke.

From Jenna’s brief encounter with Colt, she had a strong feeling he was not the type of man to appreciate being kept waiting, even by a billionaire like Chase Sinclair. Colt had an air of confident elegance that was beyond anything she had ever seen in a man. She wondered why he was approaching the yacht, as Chase hadn’t mentioned anything about him coming by.

She pictured both of them in his office, laughing and cracking jokes about her, and suddenly felt conscientious and humiliated. Warm tears flowed down her delicate face, she vowed never put herself through this again. She would not forgive Chase or give him another chance, this time for sure! Her thoughts rang hollow through her body, as she had made the same vow before.

CHAPTER THREE

Colt walked into Chase’s office just as his pretty secretary, who was wearing an outfit that was entirely too revealing, walked out, a couple buttons lower than standard operating procedure. Chase rose up steadily from his black leather chair, and was thrilled to see Colt arrive.

“Welcome back,” he told his good friend, after giving him a big bear-hug.

“I see you’d rather have a rendezvous with your secretary than meet me at the bus-station an hour ago, as planned.” Chase said, in a manner which had an edge to it, indicating he wasn’t impressed.

“Meeting up with you at the station would have been a waste of time, since you always prefer to walk anyway,” Chase insisted in his apparent defense, with his standard ‘get-out-of-jail’ card charm. Colt kept a steady, cold, unimpressed gaze. “Okay, I got a little distracted, you got me on this one”, he chided.

“How’s Navy life treating you?” he diverted quickly. “Are you ready to retire and learn the ways of the wealthy?” he continued.

“Not a chance,” Colt countered. Changing the subject Colt inquired, “by the way, I saw a striking woman leaving the Marina, crying. Do you know anything about that?” he asked Chase, knowing full well he did.

Chase pondered Colt’s words momentarily, as the realization quickly occurred to him. He surmised it must have been Jenna arriving for their anniversary dinner plans. She must have seen his brief, lip-on-lip, and fondling action with his secretary. Most times, ‘brief’ wouldn’t be the appropriate term for it.

If the realization he had been caught fooling around with another woman upset Chase, he sure didn’t show it. In fact, Colt figured she was getting an extra special offering of his manipulative ways. This made him angry, and he wondered why he remained friends with someone so unfaithful. He and his SEAL brothers depended on loyalty for their very lives. He was used to Chase’s escapades, but somehow it felt that this time he really crossed the line. He said nothing, as he knew better than to try and change him. Maybe it was time to rethink this friendship, he pondered.

Colt and Chase, though good friends, were entirely different. Chase was aggressive and ruthless, and a cunning businessman who always got his way. He managed his personal life in the same manner he did his work life, with a masterful charm and smoke screen that kept you from seeing behind the veil, into his real character. 

Women usually clung to him for the wrong reasons, and of course ended up disappointed. He knew it, and justified his bad boy billionaire behavior by it. He was tall, dark, and unnervingly handsome, with enticing lips that boasted a smirk, indicating juicy secrets to tell, if you could entice him into revealing anything honest about himself.

He had outstanding business acumen, yet trusted no one. He was reckless, and chased after deals and women without a care in the world of the potential consequences to anyone other than himself. He was in it to win it, all the time, in every way, others’ feelings be damned. Chase took gambles that colleagues and competitors would never dream of, yet interestingly most often paid off, and in spades. His devilish charm could make anyone feel special, in a most insincere way.

Colt was just as clever, yet in
his
own way. He could create instant solutions to dangerous situations as if by magic, this was why his troupes counted on him so faithfully. He too was fearless, risking life and limb in a way that even Chase admired. Other than that, they had little else in common. He was much more patient than Chase and took steady, calculated steps. He swiftly considered consequences and potential outcomes before he made a single move. He could care less about the superficial aspects so many men longed for, the money, booze, and steady flow of women.

Colt preferred a different kind of action, which is why he had chosen a life with the Navy SEALs. It kept him sharp, in the moment, and real. It was almost like living life in slow motion, paying hyper-vigilant attention to every detail of life, and he loved that. He was a protector at heart, of family, friends and the country, and very well respected, not to mention well decorated for it. His SEAL squad’s rare ‘Golden SEAL’ status was due to his leadership, and an honor bestowed only once to an entire team.

It was in rare moments of quiet reflection that he found the most clarity and meaning to his life, which didn’t include reckless ‘escapism’ behavior like his buddy’s, or so he thought. At this point in his life, after losing both his parents and so many friends during his service with the SEALs, the thing he wished for the most he didn’t have. Closure.

He hadn’t properly grieved the loss of both parents. It was too hard to fathom and he wasn’t prepared to go there. Danger was more appealing than feeling, and he ran toward it as fast as possible in order to remain unencumbered with painful memories. It was in this type of repressed escapism that Colt participated in. His broken memory was the price. He didn’t realize it kept him emotionally paralyzed, and locked into an unseen prison keeping intimacy and love at bay.

Colt and Chase had met in an exclusive college in Chicago where they were both pursuing undergraduate courses. Colt was a scholarship kid, and recognized Chase as the silver spoon type almost immediately. The two had started off disliking each other, and exceedingly so. They were rivals, both in academics and sports. Even so, their unlikely friendship formed after they were paired up for a project and found that when they rose above their egos, they worked very well together. Thus, they grew to respect each other and forge an unlikely bond.

Colt had been pursuing a degree in Environmental studies, and despite excelling and even getting further sponsorships to study law, he had, to everyone’s surprise, decided to join the Navy instead. Chase recognized that his friend was brilliant and his strategic way of thinking could be useful, not only in the Navy, but also in the business world. This was why he made Colt an offer to work for him, and become a board member of his hotel empire.

“So how about it old friend? Care for one of the finest whiskeys and Cuban cigars in a VIP booth in the newest gentleman’s club in town?” Chase offered up an invitation, realizing his anniversary plans had come to a hasty halt.

Colt’s thoughts were interrupted by his friend’s voice. He quickly and firmly declined, but promised to accompany him some other time. After their brief visit, and promising to consider Chase’s job offer, he left the Marina and headed home to his cabin, located on the quiet side of town, alongside the forest. Colt decided he needed to carefully contemplate his next move. Leaving the SEALs for his enormous paying job offer felt off.