Free Navy SEAL Surrender by Angi Morgan Page A

Promise.”
    “Time to get moving.” He’d given her time to catch her breath, and neither of the police officers had doubled back. He’d been careless enough with her safety today.
    From this point forward, he’d treat her as he would any other civilian he was ordered to escort to safety. No more distractions. No more emotion. No more holding. And definitely no more kissing.

Chapter Ten
    SEAL versus SEAL. There had been nothing but an overabundance of testosterone since John had met his contact. The man obviously wasn’t the stranger who John had earlier explained they’d be meeting at the lake. They clearly knew each other, and John was furious.
    “Nice to see you, too,” the young man said as John grabbed the younger man’s shirtfront.
    John released him, but neither man backed away. “What are you doing here? I told you not to come.”
    If either of the men puffed out their chests again, she would push them both in the water to cool off. She watched, sitting at the end of the walk where she’d been tempted to pull her shoes off and dip her feet in the lake. Right until John reminded her they might have to climb another tree—referring to their narrow escape from the police chief.
    “You need my help,” the stranger shouted, staying nose to nose.
    Good thing they’d rendezvoused on a deserted boat dock on Lake Ray Roberts. If she hadn’t been worried about being discovered, their classic posturing might even be comical.
    “I asked for a favor, Dev. You weren’t supposed to hitch a ride with a pilot and bring the gear personally,” John answered tersely. “You said you understood that.”
    So his name was Dev, and her assumption about him being part of John’s unit was correct. They were similar in height and haircut, but nothing else except perhaps some navy SEAL arm muscles.
    The water looked very inviting. Jeans weren’t the best thing to be wearing in this heat, and being this near the water made her sticky from the humidity. But it was nothing compared to the images that kept playing through her head of where her daughter might be. She wanted her back.
    These two needed to do more and argue less. Or not at all.
    “The equipment stays with me. It’s my personal gear. I’m here and that’s the end of it.”
    “Excuse me.” She hesitantly approached them, attempting to interrupt. Both men ignored her. “John? Dev?”
    Two sets of SEAL jaws were visibly clenched in determination. Neither one seemed about to flinch. John’s hands were fisted. Dev’s legs were braced to take a shove or a punch. She had to stop this before it came to blows and someone reported them to the police.
    “I thought you guys were friends,” she said, laying a hand on John’s arm.
    He turned toward her so fast that she jerked backward. Her feet tangled under her and sent her flying. She watched John’s eyes grow large and his mouth open. He said something as she fell. She was grimacing at the punishment her bottom would endure when she hit that solid wood, so she couldn’t comprehend his words.
    She kept falling. No wooden dock. She was headed for the water. She inhaled deeply, but too late. The splash caught her at the same time her mouth was open and she sucked lake water. She kicked hard, ready for air, and popped her head above water.
    Coughing, sputtering, floundering.
    “You okay, Alicia?” John asked.
    Hands grabbed her shirt and hauled her to sit on the edge. Strong hands patted her back. Her hair was plastered to her face, so she couldn’t see. Her wet shoes tugged at her legs with their weight.
    “You okay, sweetheart?” Comforting hands were at her elbow, trying to help her stand.
    She twisted some of the water from her hair and began to smile at the endearment. Wait. That voice, sounding so Texas, was the other SEAL.
    “Back off, Dev.” John sounded just as angry as before.
    “I was just asking.” Dev’s hands held firm.
    “Shut up. The both of—” cough “—you just shut up.” She