Jill Monroe - SEALed with a Kiss

She looked like the best thing he’d ever seen …

Riley found himself wanting to lose himself in those green eyes of hers. Beautiful green eyes that were, for the first time, warm and inviting. The coldly reserved Rachel Sutherland who ran the speed-dating parties with a watch and a whistle was gone.

Something deep and elemental punched him in the gut. This was what it was like to have someone waiting for him. His return.

His feet ate those last steps that separated them.

“Hi,” she said, her voice a little breathless. She thrust something towards him. “I brought you cookies.” Riley had never seen Rachel more gorgeous. And the woman always looked hot. Her gaze lowered to his lips, and he was lost.

His duffel bag hit the pavement and his fingers sunk into her hair. Riley saw the desire in her eyes before her lids lowered. She rose on tiptoe to meet him halfway. Rachel’s mouth was everything he’d fantasized about. Her lips parted with a soft moan that sent a shaft of heat straight through his body.

Rachel wrapped her arms around his neck, her elbow snagging on the pins of his uniform. There were kisses and then there were kisses, and this was a kiss to remember.

“Welcome home, Riley,” Rachel whispered.

They were the best damn words he’d ever heard …

Dear Reader,

I admit I’m a news junkie. Where other people play music in the background, I prefer the twenty-four-hour news channel. So when a heart-wrenching story of sailors coming home from a long deployment flashed on the screen, I had to stop what I was doing and watch. I was touched by these incredible scenes of men and women being reunited with their loved ones, while the newscaster explained the protocol of how each sailor left the ship—new parents first, newly married, etc. Of course there were tears of joy, hugs and lots and lots of kissing—everything to make a romantic like me sigh dreamily.

But I couldn’t help wondering about the men and women on board who didn’t have anyone waiting for them on the pier below, and it made me a little sad. I wanted to rewrite their stories and give them somebody anxiously waiting for them.

And that’s how Riley Wilkes came to be!

It was so much fun revisiting the world of navy SEALs. This is the first time I’ve ever written about characters from a previous book, but I’ve had a lot of requests from those who’ve read SEALed and Delivered to write Rachel Sutherland’s story, and I couldn’t think of a better man to pair her with than sexy Riley.

I love to hear from readers. You can visit me on the web at www.jillmonroe.com.

Happy reading!

Jill

JILL MONROEmakes her home in Oklahoma with her family. When not writing, she spends way too much time on the internet completing “research” or updating her blog. Even when writing, she’s thinking of ways to avoid cooking.

SEALed with a Kiss

Jill Monroe

www.millsandboon.co.uk

This book is dedicated to Donnell Epperson—

I will miss you forever.

Special thanks to Pink, my awesome daughters and my family, whose support is immeasurable.

A book dedication cannot be written without mentioning Gena Showalter. Wind beneath wings does not begin to describe her.

Again thanks to HelenKay Dimon and James Miyazawa who helped with the geography of San Diego and other details.

Kassia Krozser, Shelia Fields and Betty Sanders all gave me invaluable feedback and I thank you.

A shout out to every amazing lady of the Day Camp Team but especially Scout, Taxi and Misty, and to my wonderful friends Jennifer, Karen, Maggie and Traci.

And thanks to Kathryn Lye who suggested SEALs, titles and loads of sage editorial wisdom, and Deidre Knight, who makes it all happen.

RACHEL SUTHERLAND imagined the six inches of air between her sister’s feet and the ground and realized she would always be miserable. Okay, the new Mrs. Nathaniel Peterson wasn’t really floating above the floor, but she might as well be.

“Do you have to flaunt your happiness?” Rachel asked, teasing.

Her sister, Hailey, practically glowed, and it wasn’t from the heat of the oven where she’d spent the morning baking her man’s favorite kind of cookies. All six batches of them.

Hailey just smiled and tugged the lacy apron over her head and hung it on a hook in the kitchen of their family bed & breakfast, “uniquely” named, The Sutherland. She draped an arm around Rachel’s shoulders and kissed her on the cheek. “As delightful as your sour mood is, you won’t be bringing me down today.”

Rachel gave her sister a light hug. “I wouldn’t want to.”

Hailey’s Navy SEAL husband was returning to San Diego this afternoon after a six-month deployment. In fact, Rachel should probably take advantage of these last few hours alone with her sister. After Nate’s ship landed, or docked, or whatever it was a ship did, she doubted she’d see Hailey for days. Newlyweds were bad enough. Separated newlyweds had to be even worse. And she’d gotten used to having her sister all to herself.

“You’re welcome to come with me. From what I understand the Navy does it big with banners and music. Families carry signs. The works.”

Nate was a good guy, and Rachel really liked him. But she doubted even his good nature would extend to his sister-in-law butting in on the much-anticipated reunion with his wife. That had been a long stretch at sea.

“I’ll do you a favor and pass. Although you could leave a few cookies in the kitchen for me. I think the seventy or so you’re taking is more than enough.”

“Some of them are for Riley, and the other soldiers who don’t have families to come home to.”

A little thrill landed straight in the middle of her stomach. Just as it always did at the mention of that man’s name. Riley. The image of the tall, handsome SEAL with the cocky lopsided grin filled her mind. Which she immediately tried to erase. Only where Riley was concerned, it didn’t always work. Usually Rachel was quite good at avoiding the little things in life she didn’t want to think about, like bills or a dead-end job. But Riley’s image was persistent.

She would however lay money on the fact that she’d never registered on his radar. The man hadn’t even so much as flirted with her. It was all the more insulting because he seemed to have a more-than-easy smile for every other woman who’d attended SEAL Night—a speed dating event arranged to bring extra revenue to the B&B and hopefully introduce their single female friends to these seriously hot military men. Riley was the most popular SEAL, with the highest level of follow-up date requests on the sheets the women returned at the end of the night.

Why she was so intrigued by the man was anyone’s guess. Although a rugged, sexy male with a stomach so solid that the term six-pack didn’t describe it properly was worth a second, third and even a fourth look from any woman with a hint of estrogen in her body. But Riley was not Rachel’s type. She’d seen him in action with the ladies, and knew what lay behind those amazing gray eyes, and that was a man looking for his next good time.

She liked having a good time as much as the next person, but she wanted more with a man than just a little fun between the sheets. Rachel wanted a connection outside as well as inside the bedroom. Something meaningful. Which easily explained why she was dateless. For the past six months.

“Actually, Riley was the reason I asked you to come along,” Hailey said, as she began sliding cookies into the boxes she’d take with her to the homecoming.

Rachel’s throat tightened. “Did he, uh, ask about me?” she questioned, trying to sound casual while feeling something that resembled hope. She knew Hailey and Nate emailed each other when they could. Maybe he had mentioned that Riley had mentioned her … and what was she, in seventh grade?

Her sister shook her head, not looking up. “No, I just thought it would be a good idea. Seeing a familiar face.”

Pathetic. Man, she was pathetic. When had she picked up this fascination with a man who’d never glanced her way?

“I think I’ll pass,” she told her sister, as she busied herself returning the butter and eggs to the commercial refrigerator. Rachel loved this kitchen, had spent great nights here talking with her mom and sister about everything from future careers to boys.

Although she and her sister didn’t have the same longing to run the family B&B that had spanned several Sutherland generations, they weren’t able to give up the place either after their parents’ death. Hiring a management company to take over the running of the business freed them up to finish college and pursue their careers.

Two years ago though, falling revenues and several poor reviews online had Rachel booking a quick flight to her hometown. As a marketing exec, she understood reviews were the lifeblood of the small business. She’d found her childhood home in hopeless disrepair. Seeing the upholstery—chosen specially by her mother—now stained and ripped, sent Rachel back to Missouri to make the riskiest move of her life. Riskiest? Who was she kidding? Her actions were the only true chance she’d ever taken in her life.

She quit her job, cashed out her 401k and liquidated the CDs covering six months’ salary just in case. Rachel Sutherland was a woman who believed in saving for “just in case” moments in life. A lot of them. Then she blew it all on upgrading the kitchen. Merely the first step in their goal to return The Sutherland Bed & Breakfast to its former glory.

Her sister glanced up from the red, white and blue bow she was tying to the box. “Just think about how sad it is to come home after six months and not have anyone waiting for your return. He’s got to be lonely.”

“Ha,” Rachel said with a scoffing little laugh. “That man is a dog. You remember those SEAL Night speed dating parties we hosted? Riley never missed one. I personally witnessed him score phone numbers with at least three women per night. Trust me, he will not be lonely this evening. In fact, there might be half a dozen women waiting for him to debark. Talk about awkward.”

“Disembark,” Hailey corrected. “And what if you’re wrong? It’s dinner. What’s one dinner out of your life to make a man feel he’s glad to be back home?”

“When did this become dinner? I thought I’d simply be meeting him and handing over a box of cookies.”

Hailey smiled. Sweetly.

And Rachel felt herself cave. Although she didn’t have far to fall into the cavern of curiosity she had where that man was concerned.

“Okay, but the first hint of another woman, I bolt.”

RILEY SPOTTED the Welcome Home signs from deck. The music and cheers would be next. He’d done this drill before. Dress uniforms, manning the rails.

The pier below was dotted with families; excited children, women holding up babies, anxious girlfriends. Riley turned away.

No one would be waiting for him with a warm smile, a hug or promise in her eyes for an all-night welcome reception. He believed in clean breaks and no loose ends, and that’s how he’d left San Diego six months ago.

He’d volunteered to disembark last. Men with wives, new babies … they should have first shot at their women. As they approached the pier, the anticipatory mood on board was growing. None more ready to get on that pier and into the arms of the woman he’d left behind than his best friend, Nate Peterson. Riley watched as Nate scanned the crowd, saw the tension evaporate and a smile spread across his face when the man obviously spotted his wife.