Free SEAL of Approval by Jack Silkstone Page B

his gaze back to hers he caught the smile on her lips. With a grunt he picked up the dog and lowered him into the spa. “Your call. But, he’s not going to like it.”
    Growling, Axe laid his ears flat and struggled.
    Mike stepped back from the water and put him down on the grass. “See. I told you.”
    Ali folded her arms and arched an eyebrow, her lips pressed firmly together.
    “Mike, he’s a dog. He doesn’t get to decide what’s good for him, that’s your job.”
    “Fine.”
    He lifted Axe over the lip of the spa and placed him in the warm water. The dog’s legs cycled as they broke the surface, his ears flat against his skull as he paddled frantically.
    Ali held him as he attempted to swim for the edge of the pool. “It’s OK, Axe.”
    Mike leant against the tub. “So what’s this supposed to achieve?”
    “He’s guarding his damaged muscles resulting in atrophy. This will let him exercise them to their full potential, without weight.”
    “Making them stronger?”
    “Yes.”
    Axe looked anything but strong as he panicked and tried to hook his legs over the side of the tub.
    “I think he would be more comfortable if you held him.” Ali struggled to keep him inside the hydro bath.
    “I told you.”
    With a scowl, she snapped, “Michael, get in the tub.”
    “Yes ma’am.” He stripped off his shirt.
    It was Ali’s turn to gawk. She knew SEALs trained hard but this was ridiculous. Every inch of his bronzed body looked like it had been chiseled from rock.
    Climbing into the tub in his shorts, he stood alongside Ali in the warm water. Grasping Axe’s vest, Mike pulled him back from the lip of the spa, forcing him to float. “Hey bud, it’s OK.”
    Axe fought the water for a moment then adopted a powerful swimming stroke. Mike struggled to keep him in the middle of the tub.
    Ali gave him a pat. “Not so bad, is it handsome.’
    “Yeah, it’s alright.”
    She glared sideways at him. “I wasn’t talking to you.”
    He grinned. “Oh, my bad.”
    They stood side by side in the water as Axe continued to swim powerfully. It took the two of them to stop him reaching the side of the tub.
    “Damn, he’s strong,” Mike grunted.
    “This will make him even stronger.”
    Together they held the dog as he paddled at a steady pace.
    “Is Axe your first military dog?” she asked.
    “No, I had a dog before him…”
    “And?”
    “He was an explosives-detection dog. We were on a mission in Afghanistan. When we made entry on a Taliban stronghold he sniffed out an IED. He saved a lot of lives that day.” Mike swallowed. “Most of us got clear, but when the bomb went off, Captain was on top of it.”
    “I’m so sorry,” whispered Ali.
    A tear ran down his cheek. “Two dogs have saved my life, Ali. I couldn’t save Captain, but I can save Axe.”
    The compassion in her face was not something he’d ever seen in any of the women he had dated, certainly not in Stacey. Leaning over he kissed her gently on the lips. She responded tenderly, their mouths pressed softly together.
    Mike’s anguish was washed away in a sea of passion as her mouth opened slightly and he nibbled gently on her full, lower lip. He released Axe and slid his hand behind her head as the kiss gained in intensity. Their tongues touched and everything outside the kiss ceased to exist.
    A bark quelled their passion. They broke apart, laughing as Axe barked again.
    Mike turned his attention back to the dog. He ruffled Axe’s ears. “I guess he thinks he should be the center of attention.”
    She smiled. “He seems to be pretty comfortable in the water.”
    “Well, technically he’s a SEAL.”
    “Look, Mike,” she said softly. “I’ve been hurt before–”
    Mike grasped her around the waist and pulled her close. Pushing a strand of hair from her face, he kissed her again. There was no warm up this time. For a precious few minutes, he felt like he was a teenager. Then, Axe once more, voiced his displeasure.
    Mike pulled back