Friday rolled around again, and it had been a week since my first date with Aria. I’d done my best to not think about her, but every morning when I swam in the ocean, I remembered how incredible it had felt to fuck her out in the water. She was wild and uninhibited.

But she had surprisingly meant more to me than just great sex. On the surface, she portrayed herself as strong and confident. A badass woman. And she was definitely had all of those qualities. But beneath her poised exterior, I’d seen a glimpse of her true self. She had an aching vulnerability that hid her shocking insecurities below her calm surface. These aspects of her character didn’t turn me off. If anything, they drew me more to her. I felt that being with her would make me a better man—more driven, more focused. And I could help her too—teach her to have fun and stop being so hard on herself.

I wanted another chance with her.

I hit my workout hard and kept my eye on the time.

At eight thirty, I decided to take a run on the beach.

I ran up to the pool and watched Aria finish teaching her class with Isa, who was a cool woman, too. Her husband, Grady, was a legend—a Medal of Honor recipient. That badass has jumped on a bomb to save his fellow Marines. Now he was disfigured. But beautiful Isa, who had met and married him after his injuries, loved him anyway. One of the biggest fears for men in the Teams was that their wives would either cheat on them or leave them if they were injured. It was refreshing to meet a woman like Isa who loved her husband despite his appearance.

Aria smiled and cautiously waved when she saw me. She gathered and put away the equipment after her class, then emerged from the pool.

“I’m going to change really quick. I’ll be right back.”

I nodded, and she vanished with Isa. Ten minutes later, she walked over to me dressed in a tank top and shorts. Her hair hung in her face and she rubbed the back of her neck as she gave me a cautious, “Hi.”

“Hey. Can I buy you a coffee?”

She nodded yes, and we walked over to the coffee cart outside the Del. She ordered a black coffee which surprised me because I was used to women ordering fancy lattes with foam art or those colorful, blended frozen concoctions for the sole purpose of memorializing the drink on Instagram. Another reminder of how unique she was.

I paid, and we sat at a small little table overlooking the ocean.

“I’m really sorry for walking out of your place the other night,” she blurted. “It wasn’t fair … to either of us. I got upset and should have stayed so we could talk things through.”

She looked down at her feet, but I reached out to her and tilted her chin, forcing her to meet my eyes.

“Don’t apologize. I get worked up when I talk about the Teams. It’s my world. I’ve sacrificed so much of my life to become a SEAL, and I’m not allowed to talk about my job to anyone who is not in the Teams. There is so much I can’t share with you, even if I wanted to.” I blew out a breath, trying to keep my emotions in check. “I don’t want to start a debate again, but no one has a clue what we go through in combat. Also, we brutalize each other in training. We spar, fight, and choke each other to learn how to protect ourselves from the enemy. I love women so much, and I can’t imagine being so rough with a woman. Just trust me, allowing women on the Teams is really complicated.”

She gave me a thoughtful glance. “I didn’t know about the fighting during training. I’ve watched the full BUD/S documentary. I never saw that.”

“Well, there is a whole bunch of training and hazing that goes on that we don’t share with the world. I really can’t talk about it.”

She pursed her lips and seemed to understand. I decided to change the subject.

“Anyway, I hear you are working with my sister. She’s really excited about it.”

“Oh, it’s my pleasure. Holly’s really talented and very sweet. And I can tell she looks up to you.” She cleared her throat, and it was evident she was struggling to get the words out. “Listen, Erik, I . . . I had such a great time with you. I think you’re awesome, gorgeous, and smart. I really hope we can still be friends.”

I took her hand and felt her fingers tremble in mine. I couldn’t remember ever having these strong feelings for a girl who I barely knew. “I don’t want to be your friend.”

She nodded and gulped. “I get it.”

I squeezed her thigh under the table. “No, Aria, you don’t. That’s not what I meant. I like you. You’re beautiful and smart and honest . . . and you intrigue me. I love that you say what’s on your mind and not what you think I want to hear. You challenge me. I’ve always wanted to date someone who is as dedicated to a goal as I am dedicated to being a SEAL.”

“Well, I definitely share your drive. And your goals.”

What did she mean by that? I didn’t ask. “Many women want to have sex with a SEAL, but most women won’t even consider being in a relationship with one. I’m gone all the time. We may only have a month together, but honestly, that’s more time than I ever have had to get to know someone.”

She gulped. I could tell she had something on her mind.

“Well, let’s just have fun while we can. Who knows what the future holds.”

I stroked my thumb back and forth over her knuckles. “Where are you going when you leave here?”

“Back east. Just some more training.”

Her vagueness annoyed me. “Are you trying to compete for another Olympics?”

“Not sure. I’m going to see how this training goes.”

“Well after this deployment, I may be around in San Diego for a while. Non-deployable.”

Her brows raised. “Really? Doing what?”

“Can’t say. But there are many different positions in the Teams.” I reached over and gave her a kiss. “I get off in an hour.”

“In an hour? That’s like ten a.m. I thought you SEALs worked so hard.”

“Yeah. When we are in country, we mostly train.”

“Okay. Text me when you get off.”

She leaned into me, and I touched her face, planting a sensual kiss on her lips. I relished her sweet taste and the heat of our breaths mingling together. A long moment later, I reluctantly let her go. “See you later, Aria.”

I started to walk back to base but couldn’t help but glance back at her. She flashed a shy smile that did a funny thing to my insides.

I strode back to her. “Hey, do you want to come to work with me? I can show you around.”

Her hands clapped together. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah. We always welcome Olympians. Though I have to warn you—my commander might force you to give a speech though on why ‘it pays to be a winner.’”

“Ha. I’d love to. Let’s race.”

And with that, she ran off in front of me, making a hard left out of the hotel. I sprinted after her, and when I reached her, I grabbed her from behind and threw her down into the sand. As we rolled on the beach, I pinned her under me and kissed my girl.