| |
Noah muttered a curse as he walked away, trying to get the image of Bailey on the boardwalk out of his mind. Standing there in the moonlight, her hair pulled back, her eyes wide and innocent as she looked up at him?
Hell.
He was a goner, and he barely even knew the woman.
He’d seen her moving around the bar earlier, comfortable in her own skin, at ease with all of the patrons seated there. She was pouring drinks, collecting tips, and bantering with them like she was everyone’s best friend.
With her long, flowing blonde hair and silver eyebrow ring, she was a study in contrasts. Feminine yet with a bit of sass that he loved. Sweet with a touch of spice.
She’d looked almost vulnerable out there tonight on the beach with him though, which was ironic. She seemed like the type of woman who didn’t put up with shit from anyone. Then again, she probably hadn’t expected him—or any man—to come chasing after her on her break.
Not that he was chasing her. Just saying goodbye.
That pink tank top she’d had on had hugged her breasts nicely. Although she was petite, her breasts were full and gorgeous. A perfect handful. Her nipples had pebbled beneath the tank top in the cool night air, and he’d hardened instantly as he’d looked at her.
As he’d imagined what she looked like beneath those form-fitting clothes. The tight jeans she had on did wonders for her ass. Hugged her slim hips and curved over her rounded bottom.
The woman was just tempting as hell all over.
He’d had to back away before he did something foolish. Before he stepped even closer and ducked down for a kiss. He shouldn’t have been brushing her hair back, touching the delicate skin of her neck. Hell, he shouldn’t have been touching her at all.
Bailey was at work, about ready to head back inside and finish her shift. And as much as he loved chasing after a beautiful woman, even he wasn’t dumb enough to try to get the friend of his buddy’s woman into bed.
Not when his teammate would’ve been pissed as hell at him.
All of the single guys on his Delta SEAL team enjoyed a gorgeous woman, but the ones who’d met a woman of their own? Who were serious about their girlfriends? They wouldn’t let anything happen to their woman—or her friends.
And as tempting as Bailey was, that would’ve been playing with fire.
He crossed Atlantic Avenue, walking over to the parking garage on the corner. Anchors was on the other end of the beach, so he climbed into his Jeep, expertly backing out of the spot and pulling onto the road.
A few minutes later, he was sauntering into the popular bar, glancing toward the back where he and his SEAL team usually sat. Three of his teammates were seated at a table there tonight: Jacob “Joker” Olson, Ryker “Bulls-Eye” Fletcher, and Hunter “Hook” Murdock.
Jacob had a woman sitting close to him, his arm slung around her shoulders. Ryker was talking with two young blondes, facing away from the other guys, and Hunter was watching the entire scene, looking amused.
“Viper,” he said with a nod as Noah walked up. “Did you meet up with your old friend earlier?”
“Yep,” Noah said, pulling back a chair. He sank down into the seat, stretching out his long legs. “I had a shot of whiskey and a beer,” he said with a chuckle. “Those guys are doing a bar crawl along the strand. Hell, maybe they’ll end up here later on. They’re going to have a hell of a hangover tomorrow.”
“Can’t say I miss that feeling,” Hunter said with a smirk. “Hangovers are brutal.”
The Delta team was at Uncle Sam’s beck and call 24/7. Although the men all enjoyed grabbing a beer or two at Anchors, the SEALs didn’t get wasted like some of the younger guys in the military. Or the tourists in town. They had to remain vigilant, in top shape in case they were called up on a last-minute mission.
“Hell, I haven’t done that much drinking since I was an eighteen-year-old kid,” Noah said. “And Owen’s wedding is tomorrow night. It’s going to be a hell of a day for him.”
Hunter let out a low whistle. “Sounds stupid as hell.”
“Yep,” Noah agreed, ordering a beer when the waitress came over. “Is Taylor working tonight?”
“Do you see Mason here?” Hunter countered, his eyes gleaming with amusement.
“Guess that answers my question,” Noah said with a chuckle. “Those two are inseparable now.”
“Can’t say I blame them after what happened,” Hunter said. “Hell, when those assholes were after Emma, it was all I could do not to kill them with my bare hands. Completely rip them to shreds.”
Jacob glanced over at them as the woman he was with excused herself to go to the ladies’ room.
“Don’t be long, sweetheart,” he said with an easy grin.
She blew him a kiss, and Jacob leaned in closer as she walked away. “I think I’m about to get lucky.”
“Me too,” Hunter said. “Emma’s waiting at home.”
Jacob waved him off. “That doesn’t count. She’s your girlfriend. It’s a lot more work being single.”
Hunter guffawed. “Easy to say when you don’t have a woman.”
“Emma didn’t want to come out tonight?” Noah asked, taking a pull of his beer. “And I’m with Hunter on this—women are a hell of a lot of work. Which is why I’m single myself.”
“Negative,” Hunter said, answering his question. “Emma got home late and didn’t want to deal with the crowds here. But tomorrow is Saturday, so I’ve got all weekend to spend with her.”
Noah crossed his arms, glancing around the crowded bar. Waitresses were weaving back and forth between the tables, loud laughter erupted from time to time, and glasses clinked together. His mind drifted back to Bailey over at the bar where she worked.
Normally he loved hanging out at Anchors with his buddies, but at the moment, it was hard to get the blonde bartender out of his mind.
“Yo, Earth to Viper,” Jacob joked.
He glanced back at his buddy, frowning. Ryker turned back around to face them as the two blondes he was chatting with walked away.
“Where are they off to?” Noah asked, nodding in their direction.
“They’re seventeen,” Ryker said with a shake of his head. “I sent them on their merry-fucking way.”
“Hell,” Hunter said, letting out a low whistle. “How’d they get in here?”
Ryker shrugged, taking a pull of his beer. “Fake IDs? Who knows. I told them to come look for me here when they turned eighteen.”
Noah chuckled. “There’s plenty of other women around, man.”
“Amen to that,” Ryker said.
“You fellas want to hit up the beach tomorrow?” Jacob asked. “It’s supposed to be a hell of a hot day for late fall.”
“I’m game,” Noah said. “We won’t get many more chances until the spring. We can toss a football around, grab some food from a spot on the boardwalk.”
“Not me. I plan to spend a relaxing morning in bed with my girl,” Hunter said.
Ryker cleared his throat. “I might. Text me in the morning.”
“What? You got better plans?” Jacob asked. “We’re talking sunshine, sand, and women in bikinis.”
“There’s something I might have to do,” he said.
“That’s vague as hell. Whatever, we’ll have the ladies to ourselves,” Noah said.
“Speaking of ladies, I see the one I was with heading back my way. Gentlemen,” Jacob said, rising from his seat with a smirk. He pulled out his wallet and tossed some cash down on the table.
“Gentlemen?” Ryker asked in disbelief.
“He was talking about me,” Hunter quipped. “Just ask Emma.”
Jacob said hello to the woman and then wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close as they walked to the front door. Noah shook his head, turning back to his buddies. “And then there were three.”
“I’ll drink to that,” Hunter said, tipping his bottle at Noah and Ryker.
Noah chuckled, taking a swig of his beer. His gaze drifted across Anchors, and he thought again about Bailey. He wondered what she was doing and if his buddy Owen and those other guys were still there.
Probably not given they were out on a Bachelor’s party bar crawl. And he had no reason to go back there to see her again. He rejoined the conversation with his friends, trying to relax and forget about standing there on the beach with her.
This town was full of single, beautiful women. There was no need for him to get hung up on her.
