A SEAL's Duty (Novella) (SEAL Team Alpha Book 3) Read online

  A SEAL’s Duty

  By Jennifer Lowery

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  Table of Contents

  Free Book Offer

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Acknowledgements

  Author’s Note

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  About the Author

  Other Books by Jennifer Lowery

  A SEAL’s Duty

  By Jennifer Lowery

  Copyright ©2015 by Jennifer Kamptner

  All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  License Notes

  This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.

  Cover design by The Killion Group, Inc.

  Editing by Piper Denna

  Author photograph by Trent Anderson of GreatScotMan Photography https://www.facebook.com/GreatScotManPhotography

  This book is dedicated to sister, Melissa. Thanks for always standing beside me, sis! Love ya.

  There are many people who helped me finish A SEAL’s Duty. For me, I never would have reached the end without the loving support of my family. My hubby, Mike, I owe for taking on the burden of supporting the family while I followed my dream. I love you, honey! And my children, Hunter and Jenna, for helping keep the house clean so I could write! My sisters, Abby and Melissa, for their support and humor and fun times when we got together for coffee and great conversation. My mom for always being my biggest fan. My dad for being my biggest supporter. I still have the cards and kind notes, Dad! Thanks, guys, for being there for me. Love ya!

  A special thank you goes out to my critique partners, authors extraordinaire and dear friends, D’Ann Lindun and Daryl Devore. They were there when I needed them and dropped everything to help me get this manuscript in shape in time to meet my deadline. Without them I never would have made it. So, thank you, ladies! You are the best!!

  To the most fabulous editor in the world, Piper Denna, who makes me a better writer! Thank you, Piper, for your humor and encouragement, and guidance. My books wouldn’t be complete without you!

  To the fabulous authors of the SEALs of Winter-thank you for welcoming me into the group and making me feel like part of the team. It was an honor to be part of the lineup with all of you.

  A special thank you goes out to my JTTs who helped me find a name for my heroine and support me more than I deserve! Your friendship and help making me a better author is greatly appreciated! You are the best Street Team ever!

  And, to anyone I may have accidentally overlooked please know you are not forgotten. I appreciate each and every one of you who helped me get through the writing of this book.

  Last, but not least, I just want to send out a big THANK YOU to all my readers out there! Without you I wouldn’t be here. My wish is to one day meet each and every one of you so I can personally thank you for your generosity and support.

  All my best,

  Jennifer

  Dear Reader,

  Hello and thank you so much for purchasing my book! I hope you enjoy the third installment in my SEAL Team Alpha series with Grey and Reganne’s story. When I first started writing their story I thought I knew where they wanted me to go with it, but I quickly learned Grey had other ideas, and so did Reganne. LOL. So, on the second attempt I believe I got it right. Well, we’ll see what Grey and Reganne have to say J And, you, my fabulous readers. Please enjoy Grey and Reganne’s story and don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter and receive your FREE copy of my short story, Taking Chances.

  Happy Reading,

  Jennifer

  Chapter One

  Popping the top off his beer, Grey Stone leaned back in his lawn chair, letting the warm breeze cool his heated skin. Why he’d let his buddies talk him into a brutal game of beach volleyball, he didn’t know. Although he and Michael ‘Mikey’ Kreegan had won against Donovan ‘Deuce’ Demarco and Jack ‘Tag’ Taggart, now he was sweaty and longing for a dip in the ocean. Put four SEALs together and the sport turned into a friendly competition where one or all of them bled.

  Mikey had elbowed him in the nose going for a spike. It had bled all over his t-shirt so Grey had taken it off to finish the game. By the end of the game all four of them had removed their shirts and used them to stop a wound from bleeding.

  Tag strode past him, tossing a t-shirt at him. Grey caught it with his free hand. “Thanks, man.”

  Taggart gave him a two-finger salute and continued on to hand out shirts to the other three SEALs. Grey set his beer on the ground before tugging the shirt over his head. It fit a bit snug, but covered the blood that had dried on his chest.

  He stretched his legs out and picked up the bottle. SEAL Team 5 was one day back from deployment. Downtime felt damn good. Beer tasted even better. The steaks Tag had thrown on the grill made his stomach rumble.

  The sliding door to the small Victorian cottage opened and three women walked out. The team still hassled Tag about his house and how girly it was. Even more so now that he was married.

  The three women stopped at the table set up on the deck and deposited the bowls of food they carried. A slender brunette, petite blonde and an auburn-haired beauty he hadn’t seen before. The brunette was Jack’s wife, Darci. The blonde belonged to Demarco. The redhead didn’t appear to be with anyone as Darci and Cloe’s gazes searched out their husbands immediately. The redhead simply sipped her beer.

  No fruity pink drinks with little umbrellas for her. He liked a woman who drank from the bottle. Beer, no less.

  The blonde headed in the Demarco’s direction and to Grey’s discomfort, Darci and the redhead started toward him. Ah, hell. He scanned the small crowd for Tag, hoping for rescue. At the grill, Jack met his gaze, grinned when Grey sent him an SOS look and went back to cooking. Grey scowled at him as the two women approached. Darci liked to play match-maker for the guys on the team. Looks like today was his turn. Where the hell were Steele and Malloy? They were both single. Or Mikey? He was the player.

  Damn.

  He wasn’t looking for a relationship. Not now, not ever. He’d seen what military life did to a marriage. Having spent years picking his mom up off the floor every time his dad left for deployment; it wasn’t something he’d ever do to a woman. W
atching his mother slowly kill herself with prescription pills to dull the pain of being alone so often had made him vow at a young age to never ask a woman to wait in the wings while he went off to save the world. And he sure as hell wouldn’t bring a child into the world to watch his mother go through the strain of his career’s demands. It had almost destroyed him.

  Tag and Deuce were making their marriages work so far, but Grey saw the stress it caused their wives, and them. He wanted nothing to do with that mess.

  The women approached. Darci leaned down to kiss his cheek. “I have someone I’d like you to meet.”

  Stifling a groan, he rose to his feet. No sense trying to dissuade Darci; she could be a bulldog when she wanted something. The redhead stood a head shorter than him, so he looked down into her light green eyes. Pretty eyes. Sexy mouth.

  “Grey Stone, this is my friend, Dr. Reganne McCain. She’s a pediatrician. Reganne, this is Senior Chief Petty Officer Grey Stone.”

  He stretched out a hand. “Grey.”

  Reganne’s hand slipped into his. Small and delicate with long fingers and soft skin. Pampered skin. Not like his, rough with callouses.

  “Reganne.”

  “Well, I’ll just leave you two alone to talk.” With a Cheshire grin, Darci bounced off to join her husband at the grill.

  “She’s not very subtle, is she?” A smile crossed Reganne’s face.

  “No.” Grey motioned toward the lawn chairs behind him. “Would you like to sit?”

  God, he should have gone for a swim before coming back to the party. He must smell awful. What was Darci thinking trying to set him up when he’d just finished a good workout?

  Reganne sat down in one of the chairs; he sat in the other. At least he sat downwind of her. Having her catch a whiff of him would be embarrassing.

  “So, how do you know Darci?”

  “We met at my office. Darci was looking for a pediatrician for—” At his raised brow she broke off, taking a long sip of her drink. “And, I’ve said too much already. Damn beer. Loosens my tongue every time.”

  Mentally, Grey put the pieces together. Pediatrician. Met Darci at her office. Holy Christ, was Darci—

  His gaze flew to Tag’s wife, who chatted with Malloy—sure, now he showed up—a tall glass of iced tea in her hand. No fruity drink. No beer. He dropped his gaze to her stomach, where the tiniest little bump protruded beneath her blouse. Barely noticeable unless you were looking for it.

  Son of a bitch. Tag hadn’t said a word.

  A brief bout of panic washed over him. The thought of Tag raising kids in this environment gave him palpitations. What was his buddy thinking?

  “You didn’t hear that from me.” Reganne grinned. “The official story is we met at the beach, since I live a few houses down.”

  Grey took a long pull of his beer. “My lips are sealed.”

  “Thank you. Darci doesn’t want anyone to know until they make the announcement. Damn it, there I go again.” She thrust the bottle at him. “Please, save me from myself. I don’t get out often.”

  Shaking himself out of his stupor, Grey took the nearly empty bottle from her and set it on the ground beside him.

  “So, you’re a Navy SEAL, too. Did you always want to be in the Navy?”

  He hadn’t planned on following in his father’s footsteps, but the Navy fit him better than he’d expected. Becoming a SEAL began as a one-up on his dad but had quickly become a calling.

  “Can’t imagine myself being anything else.” He shrugged. “What about you? Did you always want to be a doctor?”

  She crossed her legs. Long, tanned, smooth. So smooth he wanted to touch just to see if her skin was as soft there as her hands.

  “I love kids. Always have. Guess I can’t imagine myself being anything else either.”

  That was a deal breaker. She loved kids. Probably wanted a horde of her own. He didn’t want any. Darci’s attempt at matchmaker had failed this time. Too bad, too. He liked talking to Reganne. Actually felt comfortable with her. Not to mention she was drop-dead gorgeous.

  “You have your own office, then?” So much for making an excuse and taking off.

  The wind lifted a piece of hair off her shoulder. Absently, she tucked it behind her ear. “I share it with two other pediatricians. Makes those building rental payments much easier to make.”

  “I imagine. Your office is nearby?”

  “Downtown. We’re in the cluster of medical buildings on B Avenue. Keeps me busy.”

  Her voice eased away any qualms he had. He’d bet she had a great bedside manner. Nothing about her set him on edge. Not like some women, who pushed hard and made it clear they wanted to spend the night with a SEAL. Sometimes that made for damn good sex. No strings, no expectations. Just what he liked.

  “More than nine-to-five, huh?” He drained his beer.

  “Most days, yes. Between office calls and rotations at the hospital I have very little social life.”

  Ditto for him. Being a SEAL didn’t allow for much socializing. Not that he socialized much. He’d much rather head up to his grandparents’ cabin in the mountains for a few days of fishing. Team 5 was his family, but he still preferred his time alone to decompress.

  The team tried to get together during their downtime. Usually here at Tag’s, since he was on the beach. And Darci loved throwing parties. He planned on staying for the party then heading to the cabin for the rest of the weekend. It had been awhile since he’d been up there. Cabin probably needed to be aired out, dusted. He tried to get up there in the spring but hadn’t found the time yet this year.

  “Chow’s ready.” Tag called out and everyone moved toward the deck where Darci had quite the spread laid out. Thanks also to Deuce, whose Irish/Italian family owned a restaurant downtown and always sent over tons of food. Since Grey didn’t cook, he’d brought a couple six-packs.

  “Shall we?” he asked Reganne as he rose to his feet.

  “Sure.” She stood and together they walked to the deck. Grey handed her a paper plate and plastic silverware wrapped in a napkin.

  “This is quite the spread,” Reganne commented as she scooped some spaghetti carbonara onto her plate.

  A woman who wasn’t afraid to eat. He liked that. Nothing like taking a woman to dinner and having her order a salad because she didn’t want her date to know she actually ate real food.

  Grey helped himself to a steak, grilled to perfection, his mouth already watering. Tag knew his way around a grill. He noticed Reganne biting her lip as she debated whether to have a burger or steak.

  “Darci puts her own seasoning in the burgers,” he told her. “She won’t tell anyone what it is and you won’t be sorry for trying one.”

  “That settles it, then.” Reganne chose one of the burgers and proceeded to top it with condiments.

  Darci breezed by, saying over her shoulder, “Don’t forget to try the Chocolate Sheet Cake. Reganne made it herself.”

  This sexy pediatrician baked, too? Although she didn’t seem too happy about Darci sharing that little tidbit. She tossed Tag’s wife an exasperated look before glancing at him. Grey quirked an eyebrow.

  “I like cake.” He grinned.

  She returned the smile and his world turned on its axis. Their gazes held for a few seconds before someone nudged him from behind.

  “You gonna move or stand there all day?” Mikey asked, reaching around Grey for a roll.

  Moment broken, Grey elbowed Mikey, who huffed out a breath on impact, then laughed. Good-natured Mikey. He didn’t think he’d ever seen the man down.

  Reganne moved to the end of the table, where she put a slice of watermelon on her plate. Grey finished filling his, making sure he didn’t miss the sheet cake, then walked with her back to their chairs.

  “Would you like to move closer to the others?” He’d moved his chair into the shade after the game and now realized how secluded they were.

  “No, this is fine.” Reganne sat down, balancing her plate on her knees.
>
  They ate in silence, not uncomfortable, as he’d expected. He wasn’t one for small talk, never had been, and that usually led to uncomfortable pauses in conversation. Part of the reason he didn’t go on many dates.

  Everything on his plate tasted amazing. And not only because he’d just got back from deployment. His friends knew how to cook. Cutting his fork through the chocolate cake, he lifted it to his mouth and tasted a bite. Rich chocolate burst on his tongue. Moist, delicious, perfect. Reganne the pediatrician was one hell of a baker.

  “This is the best cake I’ve ever tasted.”

  Reganne glanced up from her plate, delight shining on her face. “Really? The recipe was given to me by the grandmother of one of my patients. I’ve never made it before today.”

  A woman who took risks. He liked that, too. In fact, he liked many things about Dr. Reganne McCain. He hadn’t felt this comfortable with a woman in…well, ever. Her laid-back manner made her incredibly easy to talk to. He’d bet her patients loved her.

  “Well, it’s a keeper.”

  She smiled. Soft and pretty. “Thank you. I took a big risk bringing an untried recipe to a party.”

  A gentle breeze brushed past, lifting a strand of her auburn hair and blowing it across her cheek. Grey stopped himself from reaching over and tucking it behind her ear just so he could touch her.

  “Let me take that for you.” He rose and held out a hand for her plate.

  “Thank you.”

  “Want another beer?”

  She laughed. “I don’t think I should. Might tell you my social security number and code to my security system.”

  Grey chuckled. When had he smiled or even laughed so easily? “Your secrets would be safe with me. How about iced tea or soda?”

  Something crossed her face before she masked it. Regret? No, he must have read it wrong. She seemed very well-rounded. Regret didn’t suit her.

  “Iced tea sounds good.”

  “Be right back.”

  He tossed their plates in the trash and poured a cup full of freshly made sun tea. Deuce grabbed a beer out of the cooler, quirking a brow at him. Grey nodded and he tossed him a bottle.