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One month later
EMILY SMILED AS SHE listened to the playful banter at their table in Anchors, a popular bar down in Virginia Beach. Good grief, these guys were relentless. They ribbed and joked with one another like brothers or something.
Ryker looked happy as hell though, his arm slung around her shoulders and a wide smile on his face. She nestled further against him, loving his clean, masculine scent and the feeling of his hard body against hers.
“What did we tell you?” Jacob asked, shooting Ryker a knowing look.
“Yeah, yeah,” Ryker said, shaking his head.
“What did they tell you?” Emily asked, glancing up at him. Dark gray eyes met hers, and his lips quirked.
“Ryker claimed he’d be single forever,” Hunter said, leaning back in his seat with a smug look on his face. “Just a month ago he said something like this would never happen.”
“Now, now,” Emma chastised in her British accent. “He couldn’t have known he’d get his balls busted by a beautiful woman he met on foreign soil, now could he?”
The rest of the team whooped and hollered, and Hunter muttered a curse. “She loves pointing out the fact that I claimed I’d never settle down either.”
“And I love busting your balls,” she joked, tossing her red hair over her shoulder.
“Easy princess,” Hunter said. “No need to tell them all of our bedroom secrets.”
The men guffawed as Emma turned red. “Oh, just ignore them,” Bailey said, her eyebrow ring gleaming in the light. “The guys I get in my bar are far worse than this crew.”
Noah grunted, shaking his head. “Guess I need to come by more often and put them in their place.” Bailey shot him a knowing look, taking a sip of her margarita.
“What’s that look?” Hunter asked, not missing the exchange between them.
Ryker shifted beside Emily, his fingers grazing her upper arm. “I know. This goes back to brunch last month at Jessica’s place, am I right? Time to make Bailey ‘Mrs. Viper’?” he joked.
Noah cleared his throat. “Actually, yes it is.” He suddenly dropped down on one knee as Bailey gasped, and a minute later, he was sliding an engagement ring on her finger as everyone at the table clapped and cheered.
“Hoorah!” Jacob shouted. “A round of drinks for Noah and Bailey!”
Everyone congratulated them as Emily nestled even closer to Ryker. His lips grazed the top of her head, and she smiled. “So are you really considering moving down here?” Ryker asked in a low voice.
“Yeah, I am,” she said quietly. “I’ve been on extended leave for a month, but I think I’m ready for a change. It just doesn’t feel right living in the city anymore, and I’m not sure I want the same gigs I had before at State. I can find a position and a place down here.”
“I’ve got plenty of room at my place,” Ryker said.
“Are you asking me to move in with you?” Emily asked.
“Hell yeah I am.” He ducked lower as the celebration continued on around them. “I want you in my bed every night and in my arms every morning. I want to kiss you and make love to you and listen to you cry out my name.”
Emily’s heart beat faster as she flushed.
“And I want you to blush just like that,” he said, his voice gruff. “Actually, that reminds me. I never gave you back your necklace either.”
“Yeah, well, I wasn’t planning on getting kidnapped a second time.”
Ryker growled beside her. “And it’ll damn right never happen again.”
He pulled the gold necklace from his pocket, and Emily’s eyes watered. “I can’t believe you had it all this time, or that you, of all people, found it on the ground.”
“Here, let me put it on you” he said. She pulled her hair aside and let Ryker clasp the delicate necklace behind her neck.
“Hey, wait, is that—?” Mason asked, raising his eyebrows.
“Yep,” Ryker said with a chuckle. “I’ve had it all along. Is everything all right?” he asked, glancing over at Hunter, who was frowning at his phone.
“Yeah. Just a text from the CO. It sounds like Ice’s team is leaving for an op down in Mexico.”
The waitress brought over another round and began passing out drinks. “What are we toasting?” Ryker asked. “To Noah and Bailey?”
“To you and Emily,” Jacob said.
“No way,” Hunter said. “Let’s toast to all of us having a woman now.”
“And surprise! I’m moving in with Ryker,” Emily said as everyone else began another round of congratulations. She looked around the group, amazed at how well she fit in with Ryker and his friends. It felt right, like she was supposed to be here all along. “To us!” Emily said with a laugh, holding her glass high.
“To the Delta team!” one of the men shouted.
She glanced up at Ryker, and he ducked down and kissed her. This wasn’t the end of her old life. This was only the beginning.
♦ ♦ ♦
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR reading Ryker and Emily’s story! If you enjoyed this book, you’ll love SEAL Ever After. Find out what happens on the next Alpha SEALs mission down in Mexico!
A Navy SEAL commander will risk it all to save the woman he loves...
Sarah Foster’s dreams are about to come true. She’s engaged to the man she loves, moving to Virginia Beach, and planning her wedding. Just when it seems life can’t get any better, she puts her trust in the wrong person. Kidnapped and sold to a sex-trafficking ring in Mexico by men intent to get revenge on her fiancé, she’s never been so frightened and alone.
Navy SEAL Captain Ryan Mitchell is ready to make free-spirited Sarah his wife. The SEAL teams he commands are there to celebrate their wedding day, but the one person missing is the bride herself. Although she’s exactly the type to be late to her own wedding, Ryan immediately knows something is wrong.
When the men begin retracing her steps, they discover sinister clues that she hasn’t been dealing with who she thought.
Ryan will stop at nothing to track her down. He’ll risk his career to join his men on a dangerous operation to save her. But will he make it in time for their own happily-ever-after?
One-Click SEAL EVER AFTER now!
And don’t miss the new Alpha SEALs Coronado team. Read about Blake “Raptor” Reynolds in SEAL’S DESIRE.
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