Free A SEAL's Secret by Tawny Weber

leading against a drug kingpin in Guatemala. The other two didn’t need to know.
    “DEVGRU? Isn’t that another name for SEAL Team Six?” Charity asked in her delicate southern accent. “You’re serving with Team Two right now, aren’t you, Mitchell? Will your aviation training help you qualify, do you think?”
    The silence in response to Charity’s comment was as shocked as it would have been had she offered to perform crude sexual acts on the turkey.
    Mitch and Romeo exchanged surprised looks.
    Not at her comments. Charity was a congressman’s aide and had obviously been well informed about the unsecured goings-on of the military. And she was clearly an intelligent woman.
    But she evidently wasn’t in the know when it came to social etiquette in the house of Admiral Donovan. You’d have thought that’d be one of the first things the Admiral’s daughter-in-law would have schooled her protégé on.
    “So,” Denise said brightly before her guest could make another faux pas. “Would anyone like their drinks refreshed?”
    And that’s how things were handled in the Donovan house.
    Mitch watched confusion, then frustration crease the brunette’s face and realized this was one of the reasons he couldn’t see himself getting married.
    Because as much as he appreciated the family’s rules on communication, he readily acknowledged that a few of them were so archaic they had chisel marks on the stone they were etched on. It wouldn’t have been a big deal to say Mitch and Gabriel were assigned to one of the SEAL teams in Coronado for the next six months, or that they were currently preparing for a mission. And, hell, information on DEVGRU was readily available on the internet.
    But the Admiral had strict views on the role of the support team in questioning and/or interfering with key military personnel. In other words, he expected anyone who ranked lower than O2, or lieutenant junior grade, to maintain the position of eyes down, mouth shut when it came to military matters.
    “Irish can’t go too far or I’ll lose my excuse to come visit,” Romeo told the table at large. “And we all know Mrs. D would miss me like crazy. Isn’t that right, Mrs. D?”
    Denise offered Romeo a smile that was equal parts gratitude and indulgence.
    “Of course I’d miss you, Gabriel. But you know you’re always welcome, with or without Mitchell.” She shook her head in amusement at Romeo’s exaggerated sigh of relief. “You are incorrigible, aren’t you? How do you get better-looking each visit?”
    “After all you’ve done to make me welcome here, the least I can do is look good for you, Mrs. D.” His wink made the words a joke, but Mitch knew how serious he actually was. “What do you say we ditch these guys later and go dancing? You can teach me the real meaning of boogie nights.”
    Denise gave a delighted laugh and even the Admiral smiled. Nobody was immune to Gabriel’s charm.
    “That’s enough, Romeo. Quit flirting with my wife and eat more turkey. If you don’t, I’ll be stuck eating leftovers for the next week.”
    “Aye aye, Captain.”
    “Mitch, aren’t you going to have more?” Still smiling, his mother lifted the bowl of yams. “Charity made the yam casserole. It’s your favorite, isn’t it?”
    “I’m still working on my first helping,” Mitch admitted.
    “You’ve got to excuse your son’s poor appetite. He’s developed a taste for Twinkies, Mrs. D.” His face perfectly straight, Romeo gave Charity the most innocent smile he had in his repertoire. “I think the cravings might be causing him some problems today.”
    Mitch knew hundreds, if not thousands of creative ways to kill a man. He looked at his best friend, debating which one he’d use if Romeo didn’t shut up.
    “Oh, Mitchell. Twinkies are so bad for you,” his mother protested. “How could you let yourself develop a taste for them?”
    “Sometimes it just takes one taste,” he murmured. Then he leaned forward, pitching