SEALs Love Curves Book 1: Freedom - Book cover

SEALs Love Curves Book 1: Freedom

Mary E Thompson

Broken Arms

Lily

Lily finally took a deep breath when Archer left the kitchen. When she walked out earlier to show him the email and found the apartment empty, she had a minor panic attack. She was convinced for a few seconds that someone had taken Archer right out from under her nose.

Then she ran to the door and saw him bent over searching Jaymes’s truck and she felt better. Hotter, but better.

The man could fill out a pair of jeans like no one she’d ever seen.

Cooking dinner kept her mind off how attracted to him she was. It wasn’t like her to get so hot and bothered over a guy. She preferred her men the same way she liked her chocolate. Momentary pleasure, with lots of variety.

Not that she’d sampled much of the male variety lately. Casual sex had lost some of its appeal, and she was not interested in a relationship. Relationships were overrated.

She knew enough about Archer to know he didn’t do relationships any more than she did. As a career SEAL, he probably didn’t have time to commit to anyone, but Jaymes implied it was more than that. He said Archer had never had many relationships at all. As brothers, they barely had one, so Lily wasn’t surprised by that admission.

It was one of the few things the brothers had in common. Jaymes dated infrequently, but he and his brother seemed to be polar opposites in every other way. Where Jaymes was all brains, Archer was clearly the brawn. Jaymes was emotional and flew off the handle when he got frustrated, but Archer seemed to be in complete control of every aspect of himself. She could always read when Jaymes was frustrated, but Archer looked like he was ready for the beach at any given time with his laid back, almost vacant expression.

Lily’s sex tingled at the thought of taking Archer to a beach. It was likely the only way she’d get to see him in something other than his jeans and black t-shirt. Not that she was complaining about those, but she wouldn’t mind spending a few hours tracing the fine lines of his muscles with her eyes.

Or her fingers.

Or her tongue.

Damn. Her thighs arched with the effort to clamp them closed. Those muscles didn’t get much exercise. She wasn’t one of those women who exercised so she could eat whatever she wanted. She was one who ate whatever she wanted and said she really should take up exercising one day.

Jaymes constantly tried to get her to go with him to the gym, but despite the membership she paid for, she’d only stepped foot inside a handful of times. She could think of plenty of things she’d rather be doing than going to the gym.

At the moment, Archer topped that list.

Lily groaned at herself and closed her eyes. That didn’t do anything except play her fantasy of dressing up in a chef’s coat and hat, leaving the buttons open down the front, and having a sexy guy make use of everything in the kitchen in ways she could only imagine.

Of course, the guy took the shape of Archer, giving a whole new level of hotness to her fantasy. Not that she’d ever act it out.

Lily opened her eyes and pulled in a deep breath. Getting lost in the guy who was there to save her best friend was the worst kind of stupid. Talk about hero worship. She knew better. She’d seen her mom fall for one too many guys after they’d saved her from one disaster after another. It never worked, and Lily knew enough not to think it ever would.

“Do you always cook like this?” Archer asked, walking back into the kitchen.

Lily nodded. “I try to. I like to cook. Jaymes likes to eat. It works for both of us.”

“What are we having? Assuming you’re willing to share.”

She smiled at him and noted how much more attractive he was with a teasing glint in his eyes. As if he needed to be more attractive. “Garlic parmesan chicken with green beans and corn casserole.”

Archer nodded. “Sounds good. Can I help with anything?”

Lily wasn’t sure what to make of his offer, but she enjoyed cooking with other people. Jaymes usually sat in his office while she cooked. Once in a while, her friend, Stephanie, would cook with her, but she hadn’t seen Stephanie in a few weeks.

“I’m just working on the green beans now. Everything else is in the oven.”

“How about I open a bottle of wine? Or do you prefer beer?”

Lily shook her head. “I drink it all.”

Archer barked a laugh that drew Lily’s attention. She smiled in return and felt normal for the first time all day.

“I’m grabbing a beer. It looks like Jaymes drinks the same kind I do.”

“Actually,” Lily said, “those are mine. Jaymes prefers wine or whiskey.”

Archer shook his head. “I feel like I should have known that.” He was quiet for a few minutes. When he spoke again, he asked, “How much has Jaymes told you about me?”

Lily peeked back at him over her shoulder. “I don’t know. As much as any guy would talk about his brother. He thinks you’re great, and he regrets that you two aren’t closer. He wanted to be like you, you know? He adores you, although he’d kill me if he found out I admitted that to you. He said you were always more than a big brother to him, you were like an idol. Someone he could watch but not touch. Someone who was there, but wasn’t there. It bothered him when you left, but he got it. He would have gone after you if your parents weren’t so adamant that he go to college. He followed you after that, but—”

“Followed me? What are you talking about?”

Lily clamped her mouth shut. Rambling had gotten her into more trouble than it’d gotten her out of. She did not need to tell Archer just how much Jaymes idolized him. To the point of trying to become a SEAL, and failing. He never wanted Archer to know that part. He promised her he’d tell his brother he was a SEAL after he made it. When he rang out two weeks in, he felt like an even bigger failure and swore her to secrecy.

Secrecy she’d kept all of twelve hours after meeting the one person Jaymes never wanted to tell.

“He, um, he moved to California after college. He said you went there, and he wanted to be closer to you.”

Archer held her gaze for a beat too long, but Lily kept her lips closed up tight. Just as she was about to fold, he said, “I never knew that. But I’m realizing there’s a lot about my brother I never knew.”

Lily breathed a sigh of relief and removed the green beans from the heat. She turned off the oven and pulled out the chicken and corn casserole. Everything smelled good enough to make her stomach rumble loudly.

“Guess I’m not the only one who’s hungry,” Archer said.

Lily slapped her palm over her belly and nodded. “Yeah, sorry.”

Archer shook his head. “Nothing to apologize for. I love a woman who enjoys her food.”

Lily snorted. “I enjoy food a little too much.”

Archer’s gaze slid down her figure, lighting sparks up all over her skin. She’d traded Jaymes’s sweatshirt for a pair of cotton shorts and a comfortable top when she got out of the shower, but he looked at her like she was wearing lingerie. And looked good in it.

“From where I’m standing, and the view I got this morning, there isn’t too much of anything on you.”

Lily’s thighs clenched at the heavy, lust-filled tone of his deep voice. It skittered down her spine and settled in her sex. She should have grabbed one of her vibrators when she packed a bag to stay with him for a few days. The man was a walking orgasm waiting to happen.

Lily smiled faintly at him and ducked her head. She didn’t do compliments. She could dish them out without a second thought, and she meant them, but accepting them was almost impossible.

“I don’t say things I don’t mean, Lily. You’re a beautiful woman.”

“Thank you,” she whispered. Her cheeks heated at the sincerity in his tone. She focused on filling two plates with food and brought them to the table.

“Thank you for cooking. Again. This looks great. I haven’t had a lot of home-cooked food.”

“How long have you been out of the Navy?”

“A week,” Archer answered.

Lily’s eyebrows shot up. “Wow. Jaymes didn’t mention it.”

Archer shook his head. “That’s because he didn’t know.”

“Oh.”

Silence filled the space between them as they both ate. Lily wanted to ask Archer why he kept his distance from Jaymes, why he never called his brother, why the two of them seemed little more than strangers.

But she kept silent.

“Did Jaymes ever tell you he broke his arm when we were kids?”

Lily looked up in shock and nodded. Jaymes complained about his arm being sore if he didn’t take a break once in a while or if he slept on it wrong. All she knew was that he broke it, but Archer made it sound like there was more to the story.

“Did he tell you what happened?”

“Um, no. It bothers him sometimes, but he’s never said much about it. He was pretty young, I thought.”

Archer nodded and pushed away his empty plate. “He was six. Our mom was at the grocery store, and Dad was in the garage working on something. I don’t remember. A car or building something. It doesn’t matter. Anyway, we were playing soccer. Jaymes just started playing, but I’d been playing for a while. He was good. I thought I was better.”

Archer paused, giving Lily a chance to appraise him. He looked tortured, which made her want to comfort him. A funny thought for a guy who she assumed never needed another person his whole life.

“Jaymes beat me. He… I got mad. I didn’t think my little brother should be able to score a goal on me, so I was pissed off. I was angry and shoved him. He landed wrong on his arm, and it broke.”

“You were a kid,” Lily argued.

“I was stupid. I was bigger than him. Stronger. He was only six. I never should have done what I did. Our dad blamed me, which he should have. Every day I’ve regretted what I did. I’ve kept my distance from Jaymes because of it.”

Lily wanted to reach for him, but she knew it wasn’t her place. He looked so tortured, like it really had eaten at him for years that he hurt his brother when they were young. Jaymes never admitted what happened, even through school when other people would pick on him in class. The favorite joke was that Jaymes couldn’t get a date and the only way he got laid was with himself. They were ruthless when his arm would bother him, but Jaymes never once said his brother broke his arm. As far as he was concerned, Archer was perfect.

“He never blamed you. I hope you know that. Obviously you blame yourself, but he never did.”

Archer laughed mirthlessly. “He should have. I’ve done a lot of stupid shit in my life. Jaymes was just the first of many victims who got too close to me.”

Archer pushed away from the table and walked away. A door closed a few seconds later, shutting Lily out of his world.

“Just as well,” she told herself.

* * *

Archer

Archer’s phone rang just as he closed the door to the office. He felt more lost than he had in years. He had a purpose, a mission, a goal for his life. Every day was scripted by someone who knew what the bigger picture looked like.

And he was lost in a sea of nothingness that had him going slowly insane.

“Ford,” he answered the phone.

“Why the fuck didn’t you call me?”

Archer couldn’t help the smile that curled his lips, even if he didn’t appreciate the tone of the voice. “Mr. President.”

“Cut the shit. Why didn’t you call me?”

Archer sighed and ran a hand over his hair. Daniel Dunn was Archer’s XO and would have been a CO if he hadn’t turned in his papers with the rest of them. Too much shit went down during their last tour, and they were all done. Archer never thought Dunn would leave, but he said he couldn’t handle the same shit every day without knowing what he was fighting for anymore.

Dunn could talk any of them into anything with a smile. He earned his nickname for his skills in diplomacy and coercion. He would have been a great president if he ever had the interest. “We’re free men. That means I shouldn’t be bugging you with this shit.”

“But you can bug English? Fuck you, dude. I’m on my way. So’s everyone else.”

“No, you guys don’t need to come.”

“Too late. You don’t get to vote on this one. Shit hits the fan, we have your back. Get some sleep. We’ll be there early.”

Archer stared at the phone for a full minute before the conversation registered. He didn’t deserve their kindness, but for his brother, he’d take all the help he could get.

He had his hand on the door to tell Lily his team was coming when he remembered his confession to her. He was lucky she didn’t throw him out on his ass. She had every right to. Jaymes would be less than thrilled to see him, and any best friend of his likely knew it.

He didn’t know what possessed him to tell her about breaking Jaymes’s arm. He’d never told anyone, even Rodney. Before that day, he thought of his brother as his best friend. After that day, Archer stayed away. When Jaymes got his cast off, he wanted to play with Archer, but the glare he got from their father had Archer sulking off to his room instead of going outside with his brother. It wasn’t long before Archer had better things to do than play with his little brother. Girls and sports and friends became more important than anything else when he was in high school. Then he enlisted and disappeared, only returning when he had to. Joining the SEALs was a great way to ensure he had a ready excuse at all times.

Jaymes went on with his life, and Archer disappeared into his. They were never close again, like Archer wanted. That was the only reason he’d driven from DC to Niagara Falls when Lily called. He knew he wasn’t to blame for Jaymes’s disappearance.

Archer killed time in the office, checking his email and making sure all his bills were paid. He admitted to himself he was stalling before he had to tell Lily they were expecting company, but it didn’t change the fact that he was.

When he heard her in the bathroom, Archer finally convinced himself he couldn’t delay any longer. It had been a long day, and they were both exhausted. Without anywhere else to go, they had to find a way to share Jaymes’s apartment.

With only one bed.

Archer’s cock rose at the thought of sharing the bed with Lily. He could make good use of a soft, horizontal surface with her buried beneath him. It would do his psyche a helluva lot of good to have her scream for him all night. Especially since he knew his team wasn’t showing up empty-handed in the morning. They were going to have equipment Archer couldn’t begin to figure out how to find. They’d jump head-first into finding Jaymes. It was why they were coming, but Archer knew it would put a serious block in his way.

No. It was for the best. Lily deserved more than he had to offer a woman. She was a forever type, and he knew better than to fuck with women like her.

The bathroom door opened, and she stepped out. Archer watched her for a few seconds before she realized he was there and jumped.

“I didn’t mean to scare you.”

She shook her head. “It’s fine. I wasn’t expecting you.”

She was wearing those tiny little pajamas again. Her nipples pressed against the thin fabric, teasing him. His eyes were glued to her chest with no help of removing them. It wasn’t like he’d never seen a beautiful woman before, but it had been far too long since he’d seen one who made him forget his own name.

“Archer?”

Yeah, that was it.

“Hmm?”

“Are you okay?”

His eyes snapped to hers. He should be embarrassed that he was staring at her, but he couldn’t muster it up. She was beautiful, and he was hard just looking at her. Hell, he was hard just thinking about her.

He wasn’t sure he could keep his hands to himself.

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