Saved by the SEAL by Diana Gardin

a strange sensation for me, feeling disappointed to see one of my best friends. But I know that Grisham used to have feelings for her, and the thought makes me feel territorial. My stomach clenches almost painfully tight as the oily emotion takes root...I’m still frowning as Kyle comes to stand beside me. He hands me a beer, which I gratefully put to my lips.
    “You have a good group of friends here,” he remarks.
    “Yeah. I do. You having a good time?”
    He nods, looking at me sideways. “Thanks for inviting me.”
    “You’re welcome, Kyle. Anytime.”
    My eyes lock with Grisham’s from where he stands at the grill. One corner of his mouth tilts up in a half-smile, and I can’t look away. He’s a vision of hot male perfection, standing there in a pair of board shorts and a plain white T-shirt. The tattoos that stretch across his chest and shoulders peek out from below the cuffs of his sleeves like colorful wisps of smoke. His jaw is covered in a fine layer of two-day scruff, and his messy hair is sticking up in a million different directions.
    Gah. He’s gorgeous.
    Gorgeous doesn’t even begin to cover Grisham’s manly beauty. He’s strong, and he’s a leader. He’s kind to his friends, yet he wears a distinct air of “don’t mess with me or you’ll regret it.” When he speaks to me, he looks at me like he’s listening, really listening. Like everything I say is a matter of severe importance to him. And now, with Berkeley sitting at the same cookout, his eyes are on me, not her. He makes me feel special.
    And all I want to do is figure out a way I can spend more time with him.
      
    “Do you want me to come back later and get you?”
    Mea stands at the front door with my car keys dangling from her fingers. Kyle is already standing beside the car, waiting patiently for Mea to drive him home.
    I glance at Grisham, who shakes his head.
    “I can drive you home, Grits. Thanks for staying to help me clean up.”
    I look back at Mea. “Guess I’m all good.”
    Mea grins. “ Yeah you are.”
    I sigh and push the door until it’s only open a crack with her on the other side. “Shut up and get going!”
    All I can hear is her giggle as I shut the front door.
    Grisham and I start cleaning up debris from the cookout, grabbing bowls and stray red Solo cups from the deck and putting all discarded plates into a big, black trash bag. Then I get to work filling the dishwasher with dirty dishes while Grisham takes out the trash and recycling.
    When he comes back inside, he joins me at the sink, rinsing dishes.
    “So, how’re you feeling about your dad’s offer?”
    I sigh, finding it hard to turn my tumultuous feelings into proper sentences. As I try and explain, Grisham listens carefully and silently, giving the occasional head nod as I release all of the mixed emotions that have been tumbling around in my brain since the meeting.
    “And so I kind of want to do it, you know? It’ll definitely help us become closer. But at the same time, I’m scared. My dad has disappointed me a lot over the years.”
    I look down at the counter I’ve been repeatedly scrubbing with a sponge for the past five minutes. It’s gleaming. I swallow around the ball of feelings lodged in my throat.
    Grisham’s quiet voice makes me bring my head up to look at him. “I know it’s scary. But I think you already know what you’re going to do, don’t you? Or else we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
    Sighing, I nod. “I can’t say no to this.”
    Grisham gives me his small, rakish grin. “Then this is a good thing. You have a new job. At a private security firm. Fancy.”
    I swat him with the dish towel playfully. “It’s not fancy. It’s just for my dad.”
    “Ohhhh, the boss’s daughter,” he teases, grabbing the towel out of my hand. “Even better.”
    Giggling, I back away from him. “Don’t snap that at me. It’ll hurt.”
    His eyes darken as he stares at me, and I stop moving. He licks his lips, and