This navy SEAL is on a top-secret mission of seduction…

David Holloway is used to hard assignments. Now he faces his most difficult yet: cozying up to the soft curves of Swan Jamison. He wants to know the island beauty…in every way. But romancing Swan as part of his SEAL team’s mission tests his honor, even as his feelings become increasingly real. Soon he must make a choice: duty…or desire?

A Westmoreland Legacy Novel

About the Author

BRENDA JACKSON is a New York Times bestselling author of more than one hundred romance titles. Brenda lives in Jacksonville, Florida, and divides her time between family, writing and travelling. Email Brenda at authorbrendajackson@gmail.com or visit her on her website at brendajackson.net

An Honourable Seduction

Brenda Jackson

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-07641-8

AN HONOURABLE SEDUCTION

© 2018 Brenda Jackson

Published in Great Britain 2020

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Title Page

Copyright

Note to Readers

Dedication

Prologue

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Sixteen

Epilogue

About the Publisher

To the man who will forever be the love of my life,

Gerald Jackson, Sr.

To all of my readers who asked for Flipper’s story.

This one is for you!

To the Brenda Jackson Book Club/Facebook fans.

Over 4,000 strong and after fourteen years, you guys still rock!

Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away.

—Song of Solomon 8:7

Prologue

The Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, San Diego, California

“What kind of trouble have you gotten into?”

David Holloway, known to his Navy SEAL teammates as Flipper, glanced at the four men surrounding him. They were like brothers to him. More than once they’d risked their lives for each other and they would continue to have each other’s backs, on duty or off. That bond was what accounted for the concerned looks on their faces. He wondered how they’d known he’d been summoned to the admiral’s office.

“Let’s hope I’m not in any trouble, Mac,” Flipper said, rubbing a hand down his face.

He had to admit he was wondering what was going on, just like they were. Usually, you were only summoned to a meeting with the admiral when you were getting reprimanded for some reason, and he never got into trouble. At least he rarely did. As the son of a retired SEALs commanding officer and the youngest of five brothers—all Navy SEALs—he knew better.

“Maybe there’s an event on the base and he wants you to escort his daughter now that you’re the single one among us,” Coop said, grinning.

Flipper didn’t grin back. They’d seen Georgianna Martin, the admiral’s twenty-three-year-old daughter. She was beautiful, but they’d heard the horror stories from other teammates who’d been ordered to take her out on dates. According to them, those evenings had been the dates from hell. The young woman was spoiled rotten, selfish as sin and had an attitude that sucked. That’s why Flipper didn’t find Coop’s comment at all amusing. He hoped that wasn’t why the admiral wanted to see him.

It didn’t surprise Flipper that it was Mac who’d asked if Flipper had gotten into trouble. Thurston McRoy—code name Mac—was older than the other four men on the team, who had all started their careers as SEALs around the same time. Mac had been a SEAL five years before the rest of them. Mac seemed to like to think he was the big brother looking out for them, almost like he figured they couldn’t take care of themselves. He was forever giving them advice—even when they didn’t ask for it.

In addition to Mac and Flipper, their SEAL team included Brisbane Westmoreland, code name Bane; Gavin Blake, whose code name was Viper; and Laramie Cooper, whose code name was Coop.

Flipper checked his watch. “Since I have a couple of hours to spare before meeting with the admiral, let’s grab something to eat,” he suggested.

“Sounds good to me,” Bane said.

Less than an hour later, Flipper and his four teammates shared burgers, fries and milkshakes at one of the most popular eating places on base. They decided to sit outside at one of the café tables in the front instead of inside where it was crowded since it was such a beautiful May day.

No one brought up his meeting with the admiral again or the notion of him taking the admiral’s daughter on a date. He was glad. Instead, the guys had more important things to talk about, namely their families.

Bane’s wife, Crystal, had given birth to triplets last year and he had new photos to share, so they passed Bane’s cell phone around.

Viper’s wife, Layla, was expecting with only a few months to go before Gavin Blake IV would be born. Viper was excited about becoming a father, of course.

Like Bane, Mac had plenty of photos to share; he was married and the father of four.

And Coop had a two-year-old son he hadn’t known about until he’d run into his old girlfriend about six months ago. They’d reconnected, gotten married and were now a happy family.

Earlier in the week, the teammates had gotten word from their commanding officer that next week was the start of a four-month leave. For Flipper, that meant heading home to Dallas and he couldn’t wait. His mother had a birthday coming up and he was glad he would be home to celebrate.

“I don’t care what plans you all are making for your leave, just as long as you remember my mom’s birthday celebration. I understand you not showing up, Viper, with a baby on the way. The rest of you guys, no excuses.”

“We hear you,” Bane said, grinning. “And we will be there.”

When Viper ordered another hamburger, everyone teased him about being the one to eat for two instead of his wife. And then everyone talked about what they planned to do with their four months off.

It was two hours later when Flipper walked into the admiral’s office. He was surprised to find Commanding Officer Shields there as well. Flipper saluted both men.

“At ease. Please have a seat, Lieutenant Holloway.”

“Thank you, sir,” he said, sitting down. He was used to being under his commanding officer’s intense scrutiny, but there was something in the sharp green eyes of Admiral Norris Martin that was making him feel uncomfortable.

“You come highly recommended by your commanding officer here, Lieutenant Holloway. And the reason I asked to meet with you is that we need you. Your country needs you.”

Flipper was happy to step up. He was a Navy SEAL, and the reason he’d enlisted, like his father and brothers, was to protect his country. “And what am I needed to do, sir?” he asked.

“Our investigators have provided intelligence and a preliminary report that says acts of espionage are happening in Key West. Someone is trading valuable government secrets to China.”

Flipper didn’t respond immediately.

The one thing he hated was a traitor, but he’d discovered that for the right price, a number of American citizens would perform acts of treason. He understood that. However, what he didn’t understand was why he’d been singled out for this meeting. He was part of a SEAL team. He didn’t work in naval intelligence.

Confusion must have shown on his face because Admiral Martin continued, “The report was given to me, but I don’t believe it.”

Flipper raised a brow. “You don’t believe a report that classified documents are being traded in Key West, sir?”

“Oh, I believe all that, but what I refuse to believe is that this suspect is guilty of anything.”

“Is there a reason why, sir?”

“Here is the information,” said Commanding Officer Shields, speaking for the first time as he handed Flipper a folder.

Flipper opened it to find a picture of a very beautiful woman. She looked to be around twenty-four, with dark, sultry eyes and full, shapely lips. Then there was her mass of copper-brown spiral curls that flowed to her shoulders, crowning a cocoa-colored face. A pair of dangling gold earrings hung from her ears and a golden pendant necklace hung around her neck.

He knew he was spending too much time studying her features, but it couldn’t be helped. The woman was strikingly beautiful.

Reluctantly he moved his gaze away from her face to check out the background of the photo. From the tropical vegetation captured by the photographer, she seemed to be on an island somewhere. She stood near a body of water that showed in the corner of the eight-by-ten photo. Scribbled across the bottom were the words:

Miss you, Godpop 1

Love, Swan

Swan? It was an unusual name, but it fit.

He moved to the next document in the file. Attached to it was a small family photo that showed a tall Caucasian man with sandy-brown hair and brown eyes standing beside a beautiful woman who closely resembled Swan. Her mother. In front of the couple was a beautiful little girl who looked to be around eight.

Flipper studied the child’s face and knew that child had grown up to be the gorgeous woman in the first photo. The shape of her face was the same, as were her eyes. Even as a child, she’d had long curly hair.

The family photo was clipped to a profile of the young woman. As he’d guessed, she was twenty-four. Her name was Swan Jamison. She was an American, born in Key West. Presently, she owned a jewelry store on the island. That was all the information the document provided.

Flipper lifted his gaze to find his commanding officer and the admiral staring at him. “I assume this is the person naval intelligence believes is the traitor.”

“Yes,” Admiral Martin said. “She’s my goddaughter. I am Godpop 1.”

“She’s my goddaughter as well,” added Commanding Officer Shields. “I am Godpop 2.”

Flipper’s gaze moved from one man to the other. “I see, sirs.”

Admiral Martin nodded. “Her father was part of our SEAL team and our best friend. His name was Andrew Jamison.”

Flipper had heard that Commanding Officer Shields and Admiral Martin were part of the same SEAL team a number of years ago.

“Andrew was the best. He lost his life saving ours,” said Commanding Officer Shields. “He didn’t die immediately, and before he died, he made us promise to look after his wife, Leigh, and his daughter, Swan.” The man paused and then said, “Over twenty-eight years ago, when we were taking some R & R in Jamaica, Andrew met Leigh, who was a Jamaican model. They married a year later, and he moved her to Key West, where our team was stationed. After Andrew was killed, Leigh returned to Jamaica. When Swan graduated from high school, she returned to the Keys and moved into her parents’ home.”

“How old was she when her father was killed?” Flipper asked.

“She was fifteen,” Admiral Martin said. “Swan was close to her dad. Leigh was so broken up over Andrew’s death that she didn’t want to live in the States without him, which was why she returned to Jamaica. She passed away two years ago.”

Flipper’s commanding officer then took up the tale. “Leigh sent for us before she died of stomach cancer, asking us to look out for Swan after she was gone. We would have done that anyway, since we always kept in touch with both Leigh and Swan. In fact, Swan rotated summers with us and our families even after Leigh returned to Jamaica. We took our roles as godfathers seriously. We were even there when Swan graduated from high school and college.”

“Did Swan have any American grandparents?” Flipper asked.

He saw both men’s lips tighten into frowns. “Yes. However, her paternal grandparents didn’t approve of their son’s marriage to Leigh,” said Commanding Officer Shields.

“So they never accepted their granddaughter.” It was more of a statement than a question.

“No, they never did,” Admiral Martin confirmed. As if it was a topic he’d rather change, the man added, “We’ve been given some time to find out the truth, but not much. Luckily, Swan’s Godpop 3 has a high-level position at naval intelligence. Otherwise, we wouldn’t know about the investigation. We have thirty days to prove Swan is not a traitor and identify the person who is. That’s where we need your help. Instead of releasing you to go home as we’re doing for the other members of your team, we are assigning you to a special mission, Lieutenant Holloway. You are being sent to Key West.”

One

Key West, Florida

Swan Jamison was beside herself with excitement as she opened the huge box on her desk. Although it contained only her jewelry-making supplies, the package served as affirmation that while rebuilding was still taking place in certain areas, the majority of the island had recovered from the hurricane that had hit eight months ago.

“Anything for me?” Rafe asked, sticking his head through the office door.

Her shop was in a very trendy area so she could capitalize on the tourists visiting the island. To help with high operating costs, she leased out one of the large rooms in the back. Rafe was her tenant, who’d converted the back room into a tattoo shop. On some days, he got more customers than she did.

“Nothing for you, Rafe, just supplies for me.” She checked her watch. “You’re early today.” Usually he didn’t open up until noon.

“I have a special appointment at ten thirty and I need to ready my ink.” And then he was gone. Rafe didn’t say a whole lot except to his customers.

The door chime alerted her that she had a customer. Jamila, who worked part-time and usually only in the mornings, had taken time off for a day of beauty—hair, nails, pedicure, bikini wax, the works. Her boyfriend worked on a cruise ship that was due in port tomorrow. Swan was happy for Jamila and happy for herself as well. The cruise ships always brought in tourists who wanted to purchase authentic handmade jewelry.

She walked out of her office as a man perused her jewelry display case near the door. That was good. While he checked out her jewelry, she would check him out.

He had a nice profile. Tall, broad shoulders that looked good in a T-shirt and a pair of muscular thighs that fit well in his jeans. He had diamond-blond hair that was neatly trimmed and his hands were the right size for his body.

There was something about the way he stood, straight and tall, that all but spelled out military man. And the way his legs were braced apart, as if he had to maintain his balance even on land, spelled out navy.

Too bad. She didn’t do military men. In all honesty, lately she hadn’t done men at all. Too busy.

And then there was the issue of Candy’s divorce. Swan knew she shouldn’t let what had happened to her best friend darken her own view, but Swan was known to claim whatever excuse suited her and that one did at the moment.

And speaking of the moment, she had looked her fill. She needed to make her first sale of the day. “May I help you?”

He turned and looked at her, and every cell in her body jolted to attention.

Wow! She’d seen blue eyes before, but his were a shade she’d never seen. They were laser blue; the intense sharpness of the pupils captured her within their scope. And his features… Lordy! The man had such gorgeous bone structure! There was no way a woman had ever passed by him and not taken a second look. Even a third, while wiping away drool.

“Yes, you can help me.”

And why did he have to sound so good, too? The sound of his voice—a deep, husky tone—made her throat go dry.

“All right,” she said, walking over to him. She knew she had to get a grip. Her store had been closed for two months due to the hurricane, and now that the tourists were returning, she needed to catch up on sales.

“And how can I help you?” She didn’t miss the way he was looking at her. She saw interest in his eyes. There was nothing wrong with that. She took pride in her appearance because she had been raised to do so. Leigh Rutledge Jamison, who’d been a Jamaican model, had taught her daughter that your appearance was everything.

Pain settled in Swan’s heart. She missed her mom so much.

“I’m looking for a gift for someone.”

Swan nodded as she came to stand beside him. Not only did he look good and sound good, but he smelled good as well. She glanced down at his hand and didn’t see a wedding ring. He was probably buying a gift for his girlfriend or soon-to-be fiancée.

“What do you have in mind?”

“What do you suggest?” he asked her.

“Well, it depends,” she said, looking into those gorgeous eyes.

“On what?”

“What the person likes. I make jewelry from stones, but as you can see, there are a number of them, in various shades, colors and styles.”

He smiled and Swan felt a tingling in the pit of her stomach when a dimple appeared in one of his cheeks. “I honestly don’t know what she likes. Her tastes change from year to year. It’s hard to keep up.”

Swan nodded. “Oh. Sounds like the two of you have known each other for a while.”

His smile widened even more. “We have. I would have to say I’ve known Mom all my life.”

“Your mom?”

“Yes. Her birthday is next month. I was passing by your shop and thought I would drop in to see what you had.”

A racing heart for starters, Swan thought. So the woman he was thinking about buying jewelry for was his mother. “Well, I’m glad you came in. Let me show you what I have.”

“All right. There looks to be a lot of nice pieces.”

She appreciated the compliment. “Thanks. I made most of them myself.”

“Really? Which ones?”

She led him to the area set aside for Swan Exclusives. “These. Most of the stones come from India, Argentina and Africa.”

He leaned in to look. “You did an excellent job.”

Whoever said flattery, especially coming from a good-looking man, would get you anywhere knew just what they were talking about. “Thank you.”

“I’m David, by the way. David Holloway.” He offered her his hand.

She took it and tried to ignore the sensations that suddenly flowed through her from the contact. “Nice to meet you, David.” She quickly released his hand. “And I’m Swan.”

“The name of the shop.”

“Yes.”

“It’s a unique name.”

“Yes, my parents thought so. On their first date, my father flew Mom from Jamaica to New York to see Swan Lake.”

“Some date.”

“Yes, he was trying to impress her.”

“I take it he did.”

Swan chuckled. “Yes, because he actually flew them there. He had his pilot’s license.”

“Now I’m impressed.”

She didn’t like bragging about her father but there were times when she just couldn’t help it. “He served in the air force—that’s where he learned to fly. And then he went into the navy after deciding he wanted to be a SEAL. That’s when he met Mom, while he was a SEAL. She hadn’t known about his stint in the air force until the night he rented a plane to fly them to New York.”

Why was she telling him all this? Usually she wasn’t chatty. “What about this one?” she asked as they moved to another glass case. “I call this piece Enchantment.”

“Why?”

“Look at it,” she suggested, leaning closer to the glass. He followed suit. “This is one of my favorite pieces because the teardrop gemstone necklace is pretty similar to my very first piece.” No need to tell him that she’d made that one for her own mother.

“It is beautiful.”

Something in his tone made her glance over at him, and she found him staring at her and not at the jewelry in the case. His eyes held her captive and their gazes met for a minute too long before she broke eye contact with him.

She swallowed. “So are you interested…in this piece?” She wanted to ignore the way her stomach seemed to be filled with all kinds of sensations, but she could not.

“I’m interested in a lot of pieces, Swan, but I’ll start with this one.”

Swan Jamison was even more beautiful than the photograph he’d seen last week.

The photographer hadn’t fully captured the rich creaminess of her skin. And the shade of red lipstick she wore today seemed to make her lips plumper, more well-defined. Luscious.

He had read the dossier on her. He knew his commanding officer and Admiral Martin were operating based on a personal connection with her. He was not. If Miss Jamison was guilty of any wrongdoing, he would find out. And if she wasn’t the one handing out classified data to China, then he would discover who was.

“So you want to buy this particular piece?”

Her question brought his thoughts back to the present. “Yes.”

“Wonderful. I think your mother will like it.”

“I’m sure she will. What about earrings?”

She lifted a brow. “Earrings?”

“Yes. Do earrings come with the necklace?”

“No, but I can make you some.”

He’d been hoping she’d say that. “When?”

“It will take me a couple of days. The cruise ship docks tomorrow, so the shop will be busy. Two days from now will work for me, unless you need them sooner.”

“No, I can wait. My mother’s birthday is next month.”

He would have an excuse to return to her shop.

Flipper watched her open the case and pull out the necklace. He knew his mother was going to love it.

“If you don’t mind, please complete this ticket,” she said. “And I will need full payment for the earrings before I make them.”

“That’s no problem,” he said, taking the document from her.

After he completed the form, he handed it back to her. She glanced at it. “So you’re from Texas?”

“Yes. Dallas. Ever been there?”

“Yes, once. I thought it was a nice city.”

“It is. I was born and raised there.”

“And what brought you to Key West?” she asked him.

“Work, at least for the next thirty days.” That wasn’t a total lie.

“Hurricane relief?”

“Something like that.”

“You’re military?”

“At one point but not now.” He would let her think he was no longer military.

“I knew immediately.”

He lifted a brow. “How?”

She shrugged. “Military men are easily recognized, at least by me.”

“Because your dad is military?”

“He was military. Dad died years ago in the line of duty.”

“I’m sorry.” Flipper was always sorry whenever a fellow soldier lost their life.

“Thank you. Your package will be ready in two days, David. Your mobile number is on the form you completed. If I get to it sooner, I will call you.”

“Two days is fine. I’ll be back.”

“’Bye, David.”

“’Bye, Swan.” He then turned and walked out of the shop.

As much as he wanted to invite her out to lunch today, he knew he couldn’t rush things. He needed to earn her trust, even though he had less than thirty days to prove her innocence and determine who had no qualms about making her look guilty.

Swan was cheerful that night as she let herself into her home. Sales today had been better than normal. A tour group from New York had converged on the island and they’d come to spend money. She’d been happy to oblige.

Opening a jewelry shop had been a risky business move, but one that had paid off. She’d earned a degree in business management from the University of Miami and returned to the island after college to work as a manager at one of the elite hotels on the island. She’d enjoyed her job but had felt something was missing in her life. She hadn’t been using her jewelry-making talent.

She’d promised her mother on her deathbed that she would find a way to use that talent.

Even after taking care of all her mother’s funeral expenses, there had been more than enough money left to buy a little storefront. It had been a good investment because of its location. Some days were busier than others. This had been one of those busy days.

Now she was ready to wind down for the evening. She pulled her hair back in a ponytail and eased her feet into her favorite flats before heading to the kitchen for a glass of wine. As she did so, she couldn’t help but think about her first customer of the day.

David Holloway.

He was a cutie, she had to give him that. And the memory of those eyes had stayed with her most of the day.

David Holloway had come into her shop to buy a birthday gift for his mother. How sweet. His mother was lucky. A lot of men didn’t even remember their mothers’ birthdays. She’d dated quite a few of those men and never developed lasting relationships with any of them. She figured if a man didn’t treat his mother right, then there was no hope for a girlfriend.

As she opened the French doors to step out on the patio, she again remembered those blue eyes and how she’d felt whenever she’d looked into them. No man’s eyes had ever made her feel that way before.

The effect was unsettling.

Okay, so what was wrong with her? Cutie or no cutie, she normally didn’t get caught up over a man. She dated when it suited her, but she would admit that no one had suited her lately. At least not since her best friend, Candy, had left Key West to go live in Boston. Candy had refused to live on the island with her ex and his new wife—the one he’d married before the ink had even dried on the divorce papers.

Refusing to dwell on how shabbily Donald Knoll had treated Candy, Swan looked out at the water. It was calm tonight. When she had evacuated due to the hurricane, she hadn’t known what to expect when she returned. Between her home and her shop, there had been some damage, but not as much as she’d feared.

The thought of losing her home had been devastating. This was where her father had brought her mom after they’d married. This home held so many childhood memories—of her father leaving on his missions as a Navy SEAL, of how happy she and her mother would be whenever he returned.

But then he hadn’t returned.

Swan felt a knot in her throat as she recalled that day. She’d never seen that sparkle in her mother’s eyes again. Swan recalled her mother telling her once that when you met a man who could put that sparkle in your eyes, then you knew he was a keeper.

Swan often wondered if she would ever find her keeper.

She had plenty of time. Besides, she needed to rethink her opinion about men first. If what Don had done to Candy wasn’t enough to keep her single, all Swan had to do was remember William Connors, the businessman she had met while working at the hotel.

At the time, he had convinced her he was a bachelor without a care in the world but claimed that he wanted to make her Mrs. William Connors one day.

For some reason, Candy hadn’t trusted him. She had a friend who worked for a private investigator check him out. Swan had been devastated when the investigation revealed there was already a Mrs. William Connors, along with three Connors children.

William had been playing her. He had been a lesson well learned. Her only regret was that she’d shared her body with him. She’d been young, naive and impressionable. He had been her first and he should not have been.

She was not naive now and she went into relationships with caution and even a little mistrust. Her mother once told her that being mistrustful wasn’t a good thing. Swan knew she would have to learn how to trust again.

She took another sip of wine. Unfortunately, she hadn’t gotten there yet.

“So how did things go, Flipper?”

“Have you met her yet?”

“Does she have a traitorous face or just a pretty one?”

“Do you think you’ll be able to prove she’s innocent?”

Flipper heard the questions coming at him nearly all at once. While unpacking, he had placed his mobile call on speaker to engage in a five-way conversation with his SEAL teammates.

“I think things went rather well, Mac. And yes, I met Swan Jamison today, Viper. I went into her jewelry store to purchase Mom a birthday gift.”

Flipper eased open the dresser drawers to place his T-shirts inside. “She doesn’t have a traitorous face or just a pretty one, Coop. The woman is simply gorgeous. Beautiful beyond belief. And yes, I hope to prove she’s innocent, Bane, because Commanding Officer Shields and Admiral Martin truly believe she is.”

“What do you believe?” Viper asked.

Flipper leaned against the dresser for a minute and thought about Viper’s question. “Too early to tell.”

“Did you ask her out on a date?” Coop wanted to know. They could hear Coop’s two-year-old son, Laramie, chattering in the background.

“No, not yet.” Flipper’s attraction to her had been instant. He’d felt it the moment he looked into her face. Discussing her now wasn’t helping matters. All it did was force him to recall what a beautiful woman she was—a woman he would have to spend time with in order to discover the truth.

“Then how do you plan to see her again if you don’t ask her out?” Mac wanted to know, interrupting Flipper’s thoughts.

“I ordered a pair of earrings to go with the necklace I bought for Mom. She has to make the earrings and I’ll make my move when I pick up my purchases in two days.”

“And if she turns you down?” Viper asked.

“Not an option. I now have less than thirty days to get this all straightened out.”

“We should be there with you, watching your back,” Bane said.

“No, you guys are just where you need to be, which is home with your families. I’ve got this.”

“Well, some of our families don’t appreciate us being home,” Mac grumbled.

Flipper rolled his eyes. They’d all heard the complaints from Mac before. After every extended mission, their teammate went home to an adjustment period, where he would have to get to know his wife all over again and reclaim his position as head of the house. Sometimes the adjustment didn’t go over well. Mac had a strong personality and so did Mac’s wife, Teri. “Do we have to send both you and Teri into the time-out corners?”

“Hell, I didn’t do anything,” Mac exclaimed.

Flipper chuckled. “Yeah, right. You better get your act together, Mac. No other woman is going to put up with your BS.”

“Whatever. So what did you notice about the place today?”

Mac was changing the subject and Flipper decided to let him. “Everything matched the architectural report I was given. Even with the repairs due to the hurricane, there were no major changes. Front door. Back door. High windows. Glass storefront. No video cameras outside. There are several rooms in back. One is being used as a tattoo parlor. I didn’t see the person who runs it. I think I’ll go out tonight and do a little more investigating,” he said, sliding into a black T-shirt.

“Be careful, Flipper,” Viper said. “Although you might not have seen any video cameras, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any.”

“I know. That’s why I’m wearing my Pilf gear.”

Everybody knew how much Flipper liked digital technology. In addition to all the futuristic developments the military used, Flipper had created a few of his own high-tech gadgets behind the scenes. Some had been so impressive the federal government had patented them as Pilf gear to be used by the military. Pilf was the name Flip spelled backward. On more than one occasion, Flipper had been offered a position with the Department of Defense’s Research and Development Department and had turned down each offer, saying he loved being a Navy SEAL more.

“We don’t give a damn if you plan to parade around naked tonight, Flipper. Be careful.”

He knew Mac was in his big-brother mode. “Okay, Mac. I hear you and I will be careful.”

“Call to check in when you get back to the hotel tonight,” Bane said.

“It will be late and I wouldn’t want to wake up any babies, kids or a pregnant woman. I’ll text everyone.”

A short while later, wearing undetectable military gear under his clothing, Flipper left his hotel using the stairs.

Two

Two days later, Swan didn’t leave the shop for lunch. Instead she accepted Jamila’s offer to bring her something back from the sandwich shop on the corner. Although she’d tried convincing herself her decision to hang around had nothing to do with the fact that David Holloway would be returning today to pick up his items, she knew it did.

And her anticipation was so bad that every time the door chimed, her heartbeat would kick up a notch, only to slow back down when someone other than him walked in. She checked her watch. The shop would be closing in an hour. What if he didn’t make it before closing time? What if…?

The door chimed, and her heart nearly stopped when David Holloway walked in.

She’d told herself the man hadn’t really looked as good as she remembered from that first day, but now she saw that he did. In fact, today he looked even better than she remembered. Maybe it had something to do with the unshaven look. Men with a day-old beard had sex appeal. But it could also be his tan, which indicated he’d probably spent the last couple of days lying in the sun.

If he’d been at the beach, there was a good chance he hadn’t been there alone. But didn’t he say he was in the Keys working?

Why did she care?

She quickly dismissed all those questions from her mind as she continued to watch him walk toward her in a strut that had blood rushing through her veins. His blond hair and blue eyes seemed brighter against his tanned skin. He was deliciousness with a capital D.

But then that capital D could also stand for dangerous if she wasn’t careful. Or it could stand for delusional if she didn’t get control of her senses. Right now, she would play it safe and claim the capital D stood for David. She couldn’t allow herself to think any other way for now, no matter how tempting.

She smiled. “Hello, David.”

“Hi, Swan.”

“Your tan looks nice.”

He chuckled. “So does yours.”

She grinned. “Yes, but mine’s permanent.”

“I know and I like it.”

She didn’t say anything to that because she understood what he was implying. He was letting her know he had no problem with interracial dating. She didn’t have a problem with it either. Neither had her father, although his family had had conniptions about his marriage to Swan’s mother. She pushed that thought to the back of her mind, refusing to dwell on an extended family that had never accepted her or her mother.

She reached behind the counter and retrieved a box. “I hope you like the way the earrings came out.” She opened it to show him the final earrings.

“Wow!” He ran his finger over the stone that came closest to matching the color of his eyes. “You’re very gifted.”

“Thank you, and I believe your mother will love them.”

“I’m sure she will. I think I’ve outdone my brothers this time.”

She closed the box and placed it, along with the one containing the necklace, into a shopping bag. “You have brothers?”

“Yes, four of them. I’m the youngest.”

“My goodness. Any sisters?”

“Not a one. Three of my four brothers are married, so I have sisters-in-law. They are the best.”

“And the fourth brother is still single?”

“He’s divorced but has a beautiful little girl. And she’s my parents’ only granddaughter. They have six grandsons.”

“Sounds like a nice family. Is your father still alive?”

“Yes, Dad is still alive. He and Mom own a medical supply store.”

She nodded as she offered him the bag. “Here you are, David. Thanks again for your business.”

He accepted the bag. “Thanks. Now that this is taken care of, there’s something I want to ask you, Swan.”

She lifted a brow. “What?”

“Would you go out to dinner with me tonight?”

Normally Flipper was good at reading people, but he was having a hard time reading Swan. He definitely needed to remedy that. Although both Commanding Officer Shields and Admiral Martin were convinced of her innocence, the jury was still out for him. He had to remain impartial and deal with the facts, not speculations.

For two nights, he’d searched the area around her shop. Getting inside without triggering her alarm hadn’t been easy, but he’d done it. Once he’d picked up the location of the interior security cameras, it was a small matter to make sure he stayed out of their range and within a certain perimeter until he could deactivate them and do what he needed to.

“Go to dinner with you?”

“Yes.”

She was apparently mulling over his invitation in her mind and he would give her time to do that. He had no problems studying her while he waited for her answer. Today she looked even prettier than the other day. He figured it had to be the lighting in this place.

“Yes, David. I’ll go to dinner with you. You name the restaurant and I’ll meet you there.”

She wasn’t going to give him her address and he had no problem with her being cautious. Little did she know he already knew where she lived and had visited yesterday while she’d been here at her shop. She had a beautiful home on the ocean. Inside it was as neat as a pin with no clutter. She’d even made up her bed before leaving.

“I noticed a restaurant off the pier. Summer Moon. I’ve heard only good things about it since I’ve been here.” And he knew the place was within walking distance from her home.

“Everything you’ve heard is true. Summer Moon is fabulous and one of my favorite eating places. I’d love to join you there. What time?”

“What about seven? Will that be a good time for you?” He figured since it didn’t get dark until close to nine, he wouldn’t have to worry about her walking to the restaurant in the dark. After dinner, he would walk her home or put her in a cab regardless of the fact that she lived only a few blocks away.

“Seven is perfect.”

“Good. I’ll see you then.”

Swan watched him walk out of the shop.

David had the kind of tush that made a woman want to squeeze it…after doing all kinds of other things with it.

She jumped when fingers snapped in her face. Frowning, she looked at Jamila. “What did you do that for?”

“To keep you from having an orgasm in the middle of your shop.”

Swan rolled her eyes. Jamila, the attractive twenty-two-year-old green-eyed blonde, evidently thought reaching a climactic state was that easy. “It would take more than ogling a man for that to happen, Jamila.”

“I don’t know. Your eyes were about to pop out of their sockets and your breathing sounded funny.”

“You’re imagining things.”

“Denial can be good for the soul, I guess. So who is he?”

Swan and Jamila had more than an employer-and-employee relationship. Their friendship had started when Jamila first moved to the island a couple of years ago and patronized Swan’s. It didn’t take long to discover that Jamila liked nice things and decided Swan’s was one of her favorite places to shop. Last year, Jamila had been looking for work after she lost her job as a day cruise ship captain.

As far as Swan was concerned, it hadn’t been Jamila’s fault when an intoxicated customer had tried coming on to her and she’d kicked him in the balls. Surgery had to be performed and the man had sued the ship company. They’d settled out of court but not before firing Jamila for all the trouble she’d caused.

Jamila had gotten an attorney herself so she could not only sue her former employer for an unfair firing but also sue the intoxicated customer. To avoid negative publicity, her former employer wanted to settle out of court with her as well. The intoxicated customer was also trying to settle since the woman he’d been with on the ship hadn’t been his wife. If things worked out in Jamila’s favor, she wouldn’t need a job at Swan’s much longer.

“He is a customer who came into the shop a couple of days ago to buy a gift for his mother.”

“His mother and not his wife?”

“He says his mother.”

Jamila snorted. “Men lie all the time.”

How well she knew, Swan thought. Then she wondered why Jamila was men-bashing today. This wasn’t the first comment of that type she’d made since arriving to work. Her boyfriend had come to town a couple of days ago with the cruise ship, right? So what was going on?

Swan decided not to ask. She didn’t want to hear another sad story about a man that would ruin her date tonight with David. It was a date she was definitely looking forward to. She figured going out to dinner with him wouldn’t be risky as long as she kept things in perspective.

She knew what could happen if she let her guard down when it came to a man.

Flipper deliberately arrived at Summer Moon early so he could see when Swan arrived. His stomach felt floaty the moment she turned the corner from the street where she lived.

Be still, my…everything.

She was wearing a printed sundress and a pair of high-heeled sandals, but what caught his attention—and was still holding it tight—were her long shapely legs that seemed to go on forever. He would love to see where they stopped under that dress. He forced that thought to the back of his mind.

But the closer she got, the more that thought wiggled back to the forefront. He shouldn’t let it. He was on assignment and she was the subject of an investigation. He shouldn’t see her as temptation. Letting his guard down around her could be a dangerous and costly mistake. He had to keep his head screwed on straight, no matter how innocent she seemed and how beautiful she was, and she was definitely one gorgeous woman.

Men, even some with female companions, were giving Swan second looks, and Flipper tried to downplay his anger. He had no right to be upset about other men checking her out when he was checking her out himself. The best thing to do to control his crazy reaction was to stop looking at her, so he glanced down at his bottle of beer and thought about the reports he’d finished reading a short while ago on her employee and her tenant.

Jamila Fairchild had worked for Swan for a year. He knew all about her former job as a captain of a day cruise ship, why she’d gotten fired and her litigation against not only her former employer but also the man who’d caused the ruckus in the first place. Naval intelligence hadn’t left any stone unturned in Ms. Fairchild’s report and she’d come up clean. Flipper would verify that she was.

Then there was Rafe Duggers, the tattoo artist. Although his parlor was located inside Swan’s shop, there was a back door for his customers to use without entering through the jewelry shop. Flipper hadn’t gotten a chance to look around the tattoo parlor and he intended to do another visit in a few days. Rafe was too squeaky-clean to be true.

No wonder naval intelligence was trying to point the finger at Swan. After all, it was her shop and they had somehow traced activity as originating there. But how? When? He hadn’t found anything.

He had searched Swan’s office, the small kitchen in the back, the bathrooms and another room that she used as a workshop where she made her jewelry. He’d come up with nothing, even after checking out her computer. So what were the grounds for accusing her?

Flipper’s mind flicked back to Swan and he stood when the waiter escorted her to his table. “Hello, Swan. You look nice.”

“Thanks and so do you. I was trying to be early and you still beat me here,” she said, sitting down across from him.

“I was thirsty,” he said, sitting back down and indicating the beer. Now that she was here and sitting directly across from him, he was more than thirsty. If he wasn’t careful, he could have a full-fledged attack of desire. She had a pair of beautiful shoulders and her skin appeared soft and smooth to the touch.

Then his mind drifted to wanting her and he quickly snatched it back. “You walked here. Does that mean you live close by?” he asked, deciding it was best to keep the conversation moving.

“Yes, not too far,” she said. He knew she was deliberately being evasive.

The waiter handed him another beer and gave them both menus. “What would like to drink, miss?” the waiter asked her.

“A glass of Moscato please.”

When the waiter left, she glanced over at Flipper before picking up her menu. “You’re not working so hard that you’re not enjoying the Keys, are you?”

“I’m doing a bit of both. I admit the ocean is beautiful tonight.”

She smiled. “I think it’s beautiful every night.”

He nodded as he took another sip of his beer, straight from the bottle. “So are you a native or a transplant?”

“A native. I was born and raised right here on the island in the same house I live in now. My mother never made it to the hospital before I was born.”

He raised a brow. “She didn’t?”

“No. Mom came from a part of Jamaica where the belief was that when it comes to delivering a baby, a midwife is better than a medical doctor. My father promised to find her a midwife here. Otherwise she would have insisted that I be born in Jamaica and he didn’t want that. He wanted me born in America.”

“So he was able to find a midwife?”

“Yes, but I was born a few weeks early and the midwife wasn’t here.”

“So who delivered you?”

“My dad, with the help of three of his closest military friends. They were stationed at the base here and were visiting, watching a football game at the time. Needless to say, over the years I’ve gotten four different versions of what happened that night. My mother didn’t remember a thing other than it took four men to deliver me. Although Godpop 1 claims my father passed out trying to cut the umbilical cord.”

Flipper laughed. He then asked, “Godpop 1?”

“Yes, my father’s three closest friends, the ones who assisted that night, became my godfathers. That’s how I distinguish them. Godpop 1, Godpop 2 and Godpop 3.”

Flipper nodded. No wonder the three men felt such strong ties to her. “You’re lucky to have three godfathers. I don’t have a one.”

“Yes, I’m lucky,” she said, after the waiter set the glass of wine in front of her. “They were my and Mom’s rocks after we lost Dad, especially when my grandparents showed up at the funeral trying to cause problems.”

Then, as if she realized she might have shared too much, she asked, “So what do you plan to order?”

Swan thought David had picked the right place for them to have dinner. When he asked for recommendations on what to order, she suggested Summer Moon’s crab cakes and, as usual, they were delicious. The mango salad was superb, and after dinner they enjoyed listening to the live band.

When the band played their last song, she glanced over at David to discover him staring at her. The intensity in his gaze nearly scorched her and she took a sip of her wine. “Thanks for dinner, David.”

“Thank you for accepting my invitation. The place is about to close. Are you ready to go?” he asked her.

“Yes.” Because she knew he would suggest that he walk her home, she added, “If you still have a little bit of energy, I’d like to treat you to something.”

He lifted a brow. “What?”

“A laser show that officially kicks off the summer season. It’s a short walk from here.” Since it was in the opposite direction from where she lived, she would have no problem catching a cab back later—alone.

He smiled as he beckoned for the waiter to bring their check. “Then by all means, let’s go.”

Once the show began, it didn’t take Swan long to decide that David was wonderful company. She could tell he was enjoying the laser lights as much as she was.

She attended the event every year and it seemed the displays only got better and better. Each year, they honored a different state and tonight that state was New York. The New Yorkers in the crowd showed their happiness with whistles and shouting. And when a huge display of the Statue of Liberty flashed across the sky in a brilliant variety of colors, Swan caught her breath.

After that, the showrunners took the time to honor the servicemen in attendance with a flag salute. She couldn’t hold back her tears as she remembered how much her father had loved his country and how, in the end, he’d given his life for it and for her.

David must have detected her weepy state. He pulled her closer to his side.

“Sorry,” she said. “I get all emotional about our servicemen and servicewomen, especially those who sacrifice their lives.”

“You sound very patriotic.”

She pulled back and looked up at him. “Of course I’m patriotic. Aren’t you? You did say you used to be in the military, right?”

“Yes, I’m very patriotic,” he said, wrapping his arms around her. She wished she didn’t think the arms around her felt so strong and powerful.

“I thought you would be, but you said I sounded patriotic as if you thought that perhaps I wasn’t.”

“I apologize. I didn’t mean it that way. I’m glad you’re so patriotic.”

She nodded, accepting his apology. Scanning the area around them, she said, “They are serving complimentary wine coolers over there. Let’s go grab a couple.”

“Sure thing.” He placed his hand on the small of her back.

The contact sent a rush of desire through her that was so strong she had to force herself to breathe. Swan quickly glanced up at him and noticed he’d been affected by the feeling as well. However, he hadn’t removed his hand.

Instead, he pressed his hand more firmly into her back and she felt him urging her away from the crowd and toward a cluster of low-hanging palm trees. Once they stood in the shadows, he turned her in his arms, stared down at her for a long moment and then lowered his mouth to hers.

The moment their lips touched, he slid his tongue inside her mouth, and she recalled her thoughts from earlier that day. He was delicious—and dangerous—with a capital D. And it wasn’t just because he tasted of the beer he’d consumed at Summer Moon, but because he tasted like a hot-blooded man. All the sexiness she’d seen in him was reflected in his kiss.

When she began kissing him back, he wrapped his arms around her and deepened the exchange by crushing his mouth to hers.

She didn’t mind his eagerness. In fact, she welcomed the pleasure of his hunger, his taste, which was getting more provocative with every stroke of his tongue. It had been a while since she’d been kissed, and certain parts of her were reminding her of just how long it had been. Not only that, those certain parts were goading her to keep up with the forceful demands of his mouth. She hadn’t been kissed so thoroughly or possessively before in her life. Or so passionately.

Swan wasn’t sure how long they stood there kissing. It wasn’t until they heard the sound of fireworks that they disengaged their mouths. She glanced up as more fireworks exploded in the sky. Instead of looking up, David trailed his tongue along her neck and collarbone with wet licks.

“Say you’ll go out with me again, Swan.”

There was no way she wouldn’t say it. She looked at him and saw deep desire in the eyes looking back at her. “Yes, I’ll go out with you again.”

“Good.”

And then he lowered his head and kissed her again.

Flipper had tried everything possible to get to sleep. He’d counted sheep, counted backward, rolled his eyes for a full thirty minutes and had even tried hypnotizing himself. None of those things helped.

He couldn’t remember ever feeling this tight with need. So here he was, close to four in the morning, and still wide awake. Nothing he did could erase the taste of Swan from his mouth and the act of kissing her from his mind.

The kiss would complicate his mission, but it hadn’t been an act. It had been the most real thing he’d done in a long time. He had wanted that kiss. Needed it. It had been inevitable.

Sitting across from her at dinner and watching the movement of her mouth had caused a throbbing need to erupt in his gut, making him rock hard. There had been no way to ignore the delicious heat of carnal attraction spiking between them.

And the patriotism he’d seen in her eyes when she’d gotten teary-eyed in support of servicemen, and then when she’d told him about her work with the city to find lodging for homeless vets, hadn’t helped. Neither had the fact that she’d looked stunning and had smelled irresistibly hot tonight.

Kissing her had made his entire body feel alive. Had revved up his passion to a degree that his libido had him tied in knots and had his pulse tripping. He could feel himself riding the fine edge of intense desire heightened by more sexual energy than he’d felt in a long time.

While kissing her, he hadn’t cared that they could have been seen in spite of the low-hanging trees. He’d been beyond the point of caring. He’d been tempted to drag her to the ground right there.

Damn. How was he going to clear her of anything when the only thing he’d wanted to clear her of was her clothes?

He had access to women whenever he needed them. There were always women who went bonkers for men in uniform and he had no problem engaging in one-night stands. Those types of relationships had always been the way to go for him. He liked being single, coming and going as he pleased, with no one to worry about but himself.

It had been a long time since any woman had kept him up at night and that wasn’t cool.

Grabbing his phone he texted the message: If anyone is awake. Call me.

Within seconds, his phone rang. It was Bane. “What’s going on, Flipper?”

“Why are you up?” Flipper asked his friend.

“Feeding time. Crystal and I rotate.”

“Oh? You’re breastfeeding now?”

“No, smart-ass. The trio are on bottles now. What are you doing up?”

Flipper stretched out across the bed. “I couldn’t sleep. I tried everything. I even tried to hypnotize myself.”

Bane chuckled. “I guess it didn’t work.”

“No, it didn’t work.”

“So why can’t you sleep, Flip?”

He wasn’t one to kiss and tell, no matter who the listener was, so he said, “I still haven’t figured out anything about the situation down here and the CO and the admiral are depending on me.”

“Maybe they’re going to have to accept naval intelligence’s report that she’s guilty.”

“I don’t think so.” Flipper paused. “She cried tonight.”

“What do you mean, she cried?”

“Today was the first day of summer and there’s an annual laser show to commemorate the change in season. One of the laser displays was a salute to New York, where they did an awesome light replica of the Statue of Liberty and American soldiers. She got emotional and cried. Dammit, Bane, a person who is betraying their country doesn’t cry for those in the service. Call me a sucker for tears but I don’t believe she has a traitorous bone in her body.”

“Then it’s up to you to prove it. What about those two people who hang around her shop?”

“The woman who works for her and the tattoo guy? Both seem clean. But I will dig further. I have to.”

“Okay, but make sure while you’re digging for answers that you’re not burrowing yourself into something you can’t handle.”

“What do you mean?”

“I think you know what I mean, Flip. You were sent there to prove her innocence—not to prove she has a passionate side. Remember that. Good night.”

Flipper clicked off the phone and rubbed a hand down his face. Little did Bane know that after the kiss with Swan tonight, Flipper was driven to do more than prove her innocence, or her passion.

He wanted to possess Swan completely.

And he had a feeling the desire wasn’t one-sided. He’d seen the look in her eyes during dinner. He’d felt how her body had responded to his touch. He was certain the same sensations that rushed through him had affected her, too. Kissing her had been inevitable, something they both wanted and needed.

The genie called desire was out of the bottle and Flipper honestly didn’t know how to get it back inside.

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