Free Daring Her SEAL by Anne Marsh Page A

image of Levi spanking her. Her bare butt. His big hand rising and falling in a series of erotic slaps. Nope. No way. Kink was not her thing. She liked to be in control. So it was a big-time problem that, around Levi, she was out of control.
    â€œLater?” He actually sounded hopeful.
    His optimism should be illegal. She gave him a look. He could infer when hell freezes over for himself.
    â€œIf you’re saving yourself for marriage, it’s your lucky day,” he said brightly.
    â€œYou’d make a terrible husband,” she mumbled into her pillow.
    There was a moment of blissful, wonderful, Levi-free silence. Since she didn’t think she’d actually managed to hurt his feelings—the only sensations Levi seemed to entertain centered around his cock and his guns—she lifted her head. He stared back at her. Mr. Inscrutable had replaced Mr. Playful.
    â€œThe worst,” he agreed, a shadow crossing his face. “I’d be awful.”
    For once, he didn’t sound like he was joking.
    â€œI’m not sure I’d be good at marriage, either,” she admitted quietly. “My parents got divorced, and I’m really fond of my career. Maybe too fond. I mean, I’m not a commitmentphobe like you, but I’m in no rush to settle down either.”
    Levi made a rough noise, a sound she hadn’t heard from him before. “I’m not afraid of commitment.”
    Apparently she could drive him crazy just by talking to him. Good to know. If the marriage turned out to be real and they couldn’t score an easy divorce, maybe she could have him declared insane.
    â€œGive me a for example of this much-vaunted commitment of yours.”
    He glared at her. “I’m a US Navy SEAL, babe. That takes commitment right there.”
    â€œNot to a relationship,” she scoffed.
    â€œThe guys on my team are family,” he said, and she believed him. He might not be into dating women long term, or marriage, but he’d made promises to the SEALs and he intended to deliver. If she hadn’t been trapped in a fake marriage with him—a fake marriage she needed to undo ASAP before she jeopardized her own commitment to her career—she would have taken a moment to appreciate what he’d said. Her big, bad, playful SEAL had a soft spot. For his team .
    â€œMaybe I’ve used up all my commitment being a SEAL,” Levi continued. Apparently he was determined to hammer his point home. “So maybe that means I’ve got nothing left to give when I’m off the field. Most of the guys who try BUD/S drop off. That’s not a slam on them, because it’s a hard thing. You don’t get in just by asking. You have to earn your spot in the training class, and then you have to earn it every single day thereafter. There’s no easy pass, no shortcut.”
    â€œSo you’re married to the SEALs,” she said. It made sense. He wasn’t wearing a wedding ring, but he’d committed body and soul and he wasn’t the kind of guy who shirked on a responsibility.
    â€œWe started out with a hundred and twenty guys in our class and six months later there were less than thirty of us. You have to be the right guy and it has to be the right job. I won’t make a promise I can’t keep, and I can’t promise to be the guy who comes home after work, who hugs his wife and his kids, and who they can count on to be there. Because I’m busy being a SEAL.”
    Who had replaced devil-may-care Levi with this passionate, earnest soldier? Sometimes a strategic retreat was a girl’s best bet.
    â€œI call dibs on the bathroom,” she announced and ran for the shower.
    The faster they got their divorce, the better.
    * * *
    S HARING A BED with Ashley shouldn’t have been any big deal, even after their awkward conversation the night before. Levi had bunked down in plenty of strange places, and with more than one team member. Limited