A SEAL's Surrender (Alpha SEALs Book 3) (3 page)

It was like the world stopped for everything but them.

The destructive crash landing of their relationship cut deep.  Christopher turning his back on her when she’d been scared and helpless was not something she’d ever forgive or forget.

Good riddance.

She climbed out of the SUV, one of the valets rushing over to offer his assistance.  She directed him to the suitcase in her trunk and grabbed her briefcase from the front seat.  Her laptop and tablet were safely tucked inside, her briefings and notes from earlier stored on the hard drive.  All of the classified information remained on the DoD computers, but the information she carried with her was still sensitive. Important.  She’d lock her electronics in the safe in her room before she went out later tonight.

The valet directed her to a bellhop waiting to assist her.  She followed him to the front doors of the massive hotel, noticing a man in dark sunglasses and a designer suit smoking a cigar at the far edge of the hotel’s driveway.  He seemed out of place amongst the casual tourists, but then again, she was in a business suit as well.

He watched her from afar, seeming to silently appraise her.  His slicked back hair didn’t have a strand out of place, and she could practically smell his strong cologne from thirty feet away.  He was likely just some creep checking her out—what else was new?  She was around men all day long in her field, and some respected women more than others.  She wasn’t going to stand around worrying about some slimy dude in a slick suit.  She felt his eyes burning into her as she strode inside.  It took everything in her not to turn around and flip him off.  Just to let him know that she knew exactly what he was thinking.

Five minutes later, she was following the bellhop into the elevator, keycard in hand.  In ten minutes, she planned to have her toes in the sand, drink in hand.  There was no sense in letting regrets from the past ruin her evening.  Maybe a few of the memories were nostalgic, but most of them were more bitter than sweet.  She’d get the job done, and get on with her life.  Just like she always had.  All she had to do was make it through the week around all those damn SEALs.

Christopher parked his truck in a garage near the beach an hour later and sauntered down the sidewalk to Anchors, a popular Virginia Beach bar that his SEAL team frequented.  The bustling hangout was always filled with single military guys and local women alike, making it the perfect place to carouse.  He and his buddies usually grabbed drinks there every week, chasing after the pretty ladies and more often than not taking one home for the night.  Their team of six single men was now down to four, but hell.  He could spend a few hours unwinding with them after the day he’d had.

He’d changed after work into well-worn jeans and a tee shirt, but that didn’t lessen the stares of the women as he stepped inside.  They loved a man in a uniform, but with his short, military-style cropped hair and build of a SEAL, he didn’t exactly blend in even while wearing civilian clothes.  His muscular frame filled out anything he wore.  Normally he loved the attention, but tonight he just needed a drink to clear his damn head.

Christopher and his buddies had met their fair share of women at Anchors over the years, but lately, he’d only spend a night or two with a woman before moving on to the next.  No sense in leading anyone on when he knew he wasn’t going to be around for the long haul.  He’d be upfront with his intentions, saving both him and the woman he took home a helluva lot of grief.  He was ashamed to admit it, but many of those women didn’t care one way or another.  They wanted the allure of spending the night in the bed of a SEAL, and who was he to turn down an attractive lady’s offer?  He sure wasn’t looking for a relationship.  His one bitter breakup years ago had left him enough heartache for a lifetime.  Not that he’d fucking admit that to anyone.  Ever.

He was running late in meeting the guys, his mind a jumbled mess ever since leaving base earlier.  The woman from the parking lot haunted him.  What the hell was that about anyway?  He’d gone damn near ten years without seeing or hearing from Lexi.  He thought about her, sure.  What red-blooded male wouldn’t?  Her jet black hair, violet eyes, and smoking hot body were the stuff wet dreams were made of.  And she’d been
his
.  Not some fantasy woman.  A real flesh-and-blood woman who’d let him make her his own, take her to bed every night, and teach her just how pleasurable sex could be.

Christ.  She was a fucking virgin when he’d met her.  No wonder no other woman ever seemed as sweet, innocent, and genuine.  He’d been her first—her first serious boyfriend, first lover, first everything.  Not to mention the first asshole that had broken her heart.

But he’d moved on.  Learned to live with his regret.  The past was in the past.  Now some babe he’d spotted for only an instant had his heart skittering to a stop and his mind replaying movie reels of what had happened a lifetime ago.  What he needed was a couple of beers and some harmless flirting to keep the memories from churning through his mind.  To keep the ghosts from his past at bay.  That shit would haunt anyone.

In the far corner of Anchors, he finally spotted some of the guys on his team: Brent “Cobra” Rollins was nursing a beer, his eyes flicking with interest around the crowded bar.  Mike “Patch” Hunter was chatting with two young co-eds, and Evan was sitting with his girlfriend, Alison, his arm slung casually over the strawberry blonde’s shoulder.  Alison was a sweet little thing, a nurse at the local hospital.  Although Christopher sure as shit wasn’t the settling down type, he could see why Evan would be interested in her.  That guy had a stable family background and wanted a wife and kids.  He was the youngest guy on the team, and although he’d seen a lot in his years as a SEAL, he wasn’t jaded about life the way the rest of them were.

After a serious injury in the field just over a month ago, Evan looked happier and healthier than ever.  With the pretty nurse on his arm, it made complete and total sense.  Those two had a bit of a slow start, with Evan constantly chasing after her.  Or was it Alison chasing him, secretly wanting to be caught?  Christopher smirked.  The explosion that had blown up the vehicle Evan was driving while on their last mission had been brutal, but if Evan’s injuries were what had been needed to finally bring him and Alison together, Christopher supposed that it had worked out for the best.  Those two seemed meant for one another.

But as for Christopher needing a wife or a family?  Not a fucking chance.

The door opened behind him, and he realized he’d been standing there lost in thought.  First the parking lot, now this?  He was going to have to turn in his man card after tonight.

Hell.

Matthew “Gator” Murphy walked into Anchors, slapping him on the back.  “What’s up, Blade?” he asked, calling Christopher by his nickname.

“Just got here, bro.”

“And we got here just in time,” Matthew crooned.

Christopher barely got a word out before Matthew drawled hello to a group of women, sauntering off and leaving him standing there alone.  The dude sure knew how to lay on the southern charm.  One of the women glanced Christopher’s way and pouted, but he wasn’t in the mood to flirt with some chick he’d likely never see again.  Especially one acting like a sullen teenager.

Hell.  When did he turn into such an old man?

Christopher scowled and headed over to where the other guys were.  The only man missing from their team was Patrick.  He had a young son and had just started a relationship with Rebecca a few months ago, so he was usually absent from their guys’ nights at Anchors.  Patrick and Rebecca each had a kid, so that didn’t really allow them to spend their nights hanging out in bars.  Not that Patrick needed to nowadays anyway since he had a woman of his own. That guy was completely smitten with her.  The guys liked to rib him about it, since Patrick’s nickname was Ice.  Rebecca had broken through that ice-cold persona, and after an incident earlier in the summer where a stalker had been after her, the two of them were inseparable.

With the ways things were going lately, Christopher felt like he’d be the last man standing.  Scratch that.  No way was Brent going to end up in a relationship.

Christopher gestured to the waitress for a beer as he joined the other guys.  Her eyes sparked with interest as her gaze trailed over his muscular physique, but he gave her a brief nod and moved toward his friends.

“What’d the CO need you for?” Brent asked, eyebrows raised, as Christopher sank down into an empty chair at their table.

“I’ve got to attend some damn meeting tomorrow morning about network security on base.”

“And miss the drills out on the water?”

Christopher shrugged, taking a swig from his beer. “Guess so.  We have plenty of IT staff, but they wanted me to weigh in on a few things.  Some hotshot from the Pentagon is down here this week.  Apparently someone’s been trying to hack into the secure systems.”

“And they needed your sorry ass?” Brent asked.

Mike chuffed out a laugh.  “Sic Christopher and his computer voodoo on them, and they’ll be chasing their tails around trying to figure out what hit them.”

“Damn straight,” Evan laughed.

Christopher smirked.  He could hack into damn near anything.  That’s how he earned his nickname, “Blade.” Some woman he’d met fresh out of BUD/S didn’t know what a hacker was and thought he literally hacked into shit with a knife or something.  The men in his class never let him live it down, and the name “Blade” had stuck.

He’d helped Patrick track down the man stalking Rebecca earlier in the summer, hacking into credit card databases to glean info on the suspect.  No one had been the wiser that he’d been there, but the team had secured a plan to track the sick bastard down.  He didn’t feel the slightest bit of remorse when what he did was for the greater good.  No way would he let a man harm a woman or child, and their entire team had helped Patrick guard Rebecca and track down her stalker.

Mike turned his attention back to them, the two women he was chatting with wandering off, giggling.  “I think I saw her.”

“Her?” Christopher asked in confusion.  His eyes drifted to the women who’d just left.

“The hotshot from DC.  Hotter than hell was more like it.  I usually prefer blondes, but I wouldn’t turn her down if she came knocking.”

Brent guffawed and nearly spit out his beer.  “What the fuck did she look like?”

“You would’ve liked her,” Mike said, his shit-eating grin spreading across his face.

“Killer tits?” Brent asked, a wicked gleam in his eye.

“Easy, guys,” Evan chuckled.  “Ali’s not going to want to hang out with me here anymore.”

“Aw, hell.  She knows you only have eyes for her,” Mike said.  He looked sheepishly at Alison.  “Sorry.”

Alison laughed at his obvious discomfort. “I’m sure some of my nurse friends at the hospital would love to meet a Navy SEAL if you’re looking for a date, Mike.  Maybe I could invite them along next time?”

“I could let a nurse tend to my wounds,” Brent agreed.  “How’s that working out for you, Evan?”

Alison turned about ten different shades of red.  Christopher apologized to her for Brent’s behavior as Brent winked and excused himself, chasing after a blonde in a tight red dress that had just walked by their table.  For the love of God.

“He’s terrible,” Evan muttered.

“He was just teasing me,” Alison said, still looking rather embarrassed.  “I don’t think I’d set up my friends with him though.  How about you guys?” she asked, glancing between Christopher and Mike.  “I could introduce you to someone.”

“Hell yeah,” Mike agreed.  “Tell me about these slutty nurses.”

“Who said they were slutty?” Alison asked, laughing as Evan pulled her closer.  He lightly kissed the top of her head.

“In my mind, they totally are.  You in?” he asked, glancing over at Christopher

“Nah,” Christopher muttered.  “I’m going to grab another drink.”

He stood, leaving Mike quizzing Alison about the single women she worked with.  That’s all he needed—one more man tied down.  The next thing he knew, Matthew, Brent, and him would be the only single guys left.  The rest of them would be off playing house with their girlfriends, dicks in their hands.  Like he fucking needed that.

Christopher ground his teeth together as a drunk guy bumped into him, nearly spilling his beer all over Christopher’s tee shirt.  Christopher neatly sidestepped him and continued on his path toward the bar.  Man, he was getting too old for this.  What had been fun years ago was seeming a helluva lot more like work these days—drunk guys chasing after scantily clad women.  Young college girls hitting on him.  Crowds of people looking only to hook-up for the night.

Jesus.  The next thing he knew, he’d be settling down into domestic bliss like Patrick and Evan with their women, happy to avoid this scene altogether.

Right.

He worked his way through the crowd at the bar, trying to decide if he wanted another long neck or something a little stronger.  The burn of some liquor wouldn’t be a bad thing tonight.  Might even chase all those ghosts away.  He finally decided that maybe a shot or two would calm his frayed nerves, when the scent of lavender hit him like a bolt of lightning.  He stiffened, his entire body jolting to high alert.  What in the hell?

It was sweet.  Fragrant. Intoxicating.

Unforgettable.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” a sweet, feminine voice said.  The steely undercurrent of the tone wasn’t lost on him.

His heart nearly stuttered to a halt, tension coursing through his muscular frame as he clenched his jaw.  He was frozen in place, save for his dick, which was suddenly rising to attention.  That fucking voice that haunted his dreams.  That scent.  That woman.

He turned, already lost in a pair of violet eyes.

Lexi.

And she looked madder than hell.