SEAL Protected (7 page)

Epilogue

The early morning sun shone brightly, reflecting off the ocean as it brushed against the white sandy beach. I leaned against the balcony railing, staring down at the beach not a two-minute walk from the hotel. My housecoat – the only clothing I wore – fluttered in the morning breeze. But I was alone outside, so I didn’t worry if I accidentally flashed the ocean.

“Michelle?” The low, grumbling sound of morning voice roused me from my staring. I turned and cracked a smile at Tom, who was half sitting up in the lush bed in our hotel room. The sheets slid down his shoulders and bare chest, revealing a patchwork of scars. The newest was the scar on his left shoulder, where a bullet had struck him and then been dug out by paramedics. He smiled when he saw me smiling and rubbed one eye. The beginnings of a beard marked his face, aging him in a rough, outdoorsy sort-of way.

“Good morning,” I said. My voice was gentle and just loud enough for him to hear.

“Good morning,” he replied. A yawn escaped him and he stretched upward, shaking off the sleep that no doubt still clung to his skin and his mind. “How long have you been up?”

“Long enough to know you drool in your sleep,” I replied.

Reflexively, he wiped off the side of his mouth with his right arm. “You already knew that, though.”

I leaned against the door frame, folding my arms loosely beneath my chest. “Yeah, I did. Never gets old though.” I didn’t bother to keep the fondness from my voice. Even now, several months after Tom had been shot, I still couldn’t shake the feeling that I could lose him any day sometimes. It wasn’t a constant, nagging thing though, but it was there from time to time. That feeling had made me realize a few things. First, that I loved Tom, though I had admitted that to him back at the hospital. Second, that I didn’t want to spend my life without Tom. And third, that so long as Tom was around, I didn’t have to worry about my father constantly nagging me. Without that nagging, we’d grown closer. He’d even sprang for this lovely vacation so that Tom and I could spend some time away from the paparazzi who were so intent on discovering the secrets behind the senator’s daughter and her new beau.

“What are you thinking about?” asked Tom, no doubt seeing the faraway look in my eyes.

“Just… what brought us here, I suppose,” I replied.

He laughed. “Yeah? Are you thinking about when we first met and you snapped at me? Or when you snuck off on your own?”

“No, more like the first time we went running and how you couldn’t keep up,” I teased.

A snort. “You would focus on the one time I couldn’t keep pace with you.”

“Yeah, I would.” We smiled at one another.

“Why don’t you come join me?” he asked. I crossed the room, letting my housecoat pool on the floor as I did. Tom wrapped me up in his warm, strong arms as I curled back up in bed with him. It was still early, and though I wanted to do a lot of things today, for the moment I was content to remain curled up in this comfy bed. Even now, wrapped up in his arms, I took note of the way Tom was healing. His physical therapy had done wonders, but I could feel how his left hand had a looser grip than his right. I shook off my cataloging and went back to enjoying the moment.

“We should go scuba diving today, or maybe even windsurfing,” I said into Tom’s neck. “Or we could go fishing, or take a long walk down the beach and eat some of the local cuisine.”

He chuckled against my head, the sound reverberating through my entire body in a soothing way. “Or maybe we could stay in bed all day and do nothing.”

I lifted myself off of Tom’s body and eyed him carefully. My lips pulled into a teasing smirk as he looked up at me questioningly. “If we’re going to stay in bed all day, we’re doing
something,
” I said. Tom grinned and slid a hand between my legs, pressing his palm against me. I hissed - my back arching.

“Something like this?” he asked in a low, husky voice. I nodded and climbed on top of him. Pressing my lips to his, I couldn’t help a small, internal smile. Half a year ago, this man was the bane of my existence. I had hated him and all that he stood for. Now, I couldn’t imagine life without Tom or his easy chuckles and his knack for getting me to relax. Frankly, I didn’t want to imagine life any other way. This life was mine and Tom’s to share. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

The End

BUT....

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