Free Night with a Seal (Hot SEALs #1) by Cat Johnson

and refill it, if you need.”
    “Thank you. See? I knew a woman would understand.” Darci shook her head. “Men.”
    Men, indeed. Ali wished she had a man to be exasperated about. Even if he were a brother. Especially if he was a brother who came with a posse of hot best friends like Rick did.
    Standing on the other side of the island where Darci had the bar set up, Ali glanced across the kitchen at the clock on the microwave. “What time are you expecting . . . everyone else?”
    “We told people around seven-thirty. Rick invited a couple of guys from the power plant too, so it wouldn’t be a pitifully small party if our surprise guests somehow didn’t make it. But last reports looked pretty good they’ll be here.” Darci grinned.
    Ali processed that information. She’d arrived a little early in case Darci and Rick had needed help setting up. It wasn’t lost on her she’d yet to offer any help as she noticed one host seemed to be missing. “Where’s Rick?”
    “Out buying more ice.” Darci handed Ali the glass she’d just poured, and grabbed the second. “It’s not like we could ask the guys to stop at the store on the way over and get us ice after they only stepped foot on US soil less than twenty-four hours ago.”
    That comment brought Ali’s attention back to the subject of Jon, and her mixed feelings over seeing him. “So it’s certain then? They’re definitely coming tonight?”
    “Yeah, I think so. I heard Rick talking on the phone this morning and it sounded like the guys were boarding a plane up north somewhere to get back here. Unless something happened that they couldn’t take off, they should be back by now. The single guys like Zane and Jon, should all be here, but I’m not sure about the guys with families. I’m sure Grant’s wife has plans. And Thom might want to go straight to see his kids.” Darci shrugged.
    Ali tried to process that she would indeed be seeing her one-night stand again. Fresh from deployment. Her heart thundered as she wondered if a second one-night encounter six months after the first still counted as a one-night stand or not.
    Would it be for only one night this time? Jon wasn’t going to be on his way out of the country like last time. Would he want something more?
    Ali knew from being friends with Darci that even when not deployed, Rick had traveled a lot. He said it was for training, but they suspected that sometimes it was for missions. Missions the general public wasn’t meant to know about. On those occasions, even close family members were kept in the dark.
    That secrecy and uncertainty would make it tough to have a relationship, but some guys in the teams managed to do it. Have wives and kids, even.
    Funny how back in July Ali had told Darci she wasn’t interested in any relationship with any SEAL, and here she was trying to figure out how to have one with Jon. What a difference one hour of incredible sex could make, especially when blown out of proportion by six months of fantasies about it.
    The front door opening startled Ali. She spun to see Rick standing in the doorway. He bent to grab a plastic bag full of ice in each hand, and then shouldered the door closed behind him. “Wasn’t easy getting this. The first place I went to was sold out. Frigging insane you can’t find ice this time of year. It’s not like it’s beach weather.”
    “No, but it is probably the biggest party night of the year.” Darci moved forward and took the bags from him. “I’ll throw these on the back deck. It’s cold enough that they should keep fine.”
    Rick nodded and walked to where Ali stood. “Hey, girl. You look nice.”
    “Thanks.” She’d gone with basic black herself, but unlike Darci’s dress, Ali’s covered a bit more skin. Of course, that was because Ali had more skin to cover than Darci did.
    Rick dropped a kiss on her cheek and Ali had to think how convenient it would be if she could just have feelings for Rick, or him for her. He was nice