“Bye Flounder. Mommy will be home in a few hours.” I rubbed my beagle’s ears, threw him a toy, and locked my rented beach cottage.

Flounder was my right-hand companion. He was now in his twilight years, and my heart ached thinking about the day when I would have to endure my life without him. That dog had been through everything with me. Homeschooling, attending Stanford, training for the Olympics, and ultimately winning the gold in synchronized swimming. When I’d discovered him at a shelter with an ear tumor, a skin infection, and droopy eyes, I knew I had to rescue him. I’d named him Flounder as a joke. After all, my nickname was America’s Little Mermaid.

Sure, the redheaded synchronized swimming champion named Aria would draw comparisons to the beloved fable. But my journey had been more than a coincidence. It was almost as if my fairy tale had been predestined. My teenaged mother had been a synchro competitor but had to quit training when she had become pregnant with me. The second she found out that I was a girl, she had planned my entire life. I started swim lessons when I was an infant, began synchro classes with the world-renowned Marin Mermaids when I was four, was recruited to compete for Stanford at eighteen, and was selected for the Olympic team when I turned twenty-one.

After I had won the gold last summer, reporters constantly asked me if I planned to take a break. Travel. Relax. Go on Dancing under the Stars. Experience life, fall in love.

But I didn’t know the meaning of the word break.

I was only twenty-three. I wasn’t done achieving my goals.

In fact, I had just joined the Navy.

I had considered many positions in the military. A linguist, due to my love of foreign tongues and travel, an intel officer, due to my desire to discover secrets, and a diver, due to my love of the water. But ultimately, I kept focusing on one job.

A United States Navy SEAL—the first female in Naval Special Warfare. Why? All the usual reasons. Serve my country, save lives, free hostages, defend freedom. Competing around the world as an American had filled me with such pride. Standing at the podium hearing the national anthem when I was awarded a gold medal was one of the few times in my life that I had been brought to tears. I knew that none of my accomplishments would’ve been possible if I had been born in a totalitarian regime. At that moment, I vowed to give back to the country which had given me so much.

But the true reason for my desire to fight terrorists went deeper. So deep, I dared not utter it to a soul. Not to my own mother, not to my friends. Only Flounder knew my truth, and luckily for me, he would remain silent.

I just knew I could pass BUD/S. I would have no problem during Second Phase diving instruction since I was an excellent swimmer and could hold my breath. And I was physically fit and had spent my entire life training for competitions.

But another element drove me. So many people thought it was impossible for a woman to pass BUD/S.

I was determined to prove them wrong.

My own mother scoffed at me when I suggested it. “Who would marry you?” she asked. As if marrying a man should be a career goal. Her statement was even more irksome because she had cut my father out of my life, and had chosen to be a single mom. While I resented her for alienating my father, I did appreciate all the sacrifices she had made for me. But for the life of me, I couldn’t understand why she would then turn around and think that I should give up a goal of mine for a man I hadn’t even met. Marriage was the furthest possible thing from my mind.

But my mom wouldn’t let up with her nagging. “No real man wants to date a female warrior.”

That may be true, but I didn’t care. Her statement was even more infuriating since she had always been so independent and was constantly saying that she didn’t need a man. Either way, it didn’t matter. I didn’t need to earn the title of Mrs.

The only title I cared about was Naval Special Warfare Officer.

Today I was taking my first step toward that journey.

I walked along the shore of the stunning Coronado beach. After residing in woodsy Northern California my entire life, I was thrilled to be living so close to the ocean. My rental was only for a month, but with any luck, I’d be moving here after boot camp. And with hard work, I’d be stationed here, or in Virginia Beach, for the foreseeable future.

I located the office at the Hotel Del Coronado and checked in. A stunningly gorgeous girl with long black hair framing her heart-shaped face greeted me.

“Aria? I’m Isa. I’m happy to meet you. Oh my god . . . you’re so talented! I saw you win the Olympics and was blown away by your routine. I’m beyond thrilled to have you as the celebrity mermaid fitness instructor!”

Isa handed me my bright green sparkly tail and a purple bikini top. Yup, the hotel was milking The Little Mermaid connection for all it was worth. My hand stroked the scaly and shiny material. It would take a while to get used to swimming with my legs bound in a tail, especially since I was known for my leg work.

“Thank you. Nice to meet you too, Isa. I’m happy to be here. Are you a synchro swimmer also?”

Isa shook her head. “No, I’m a former professional ballroom dancer. Normally, I teach barre and Pilates. But I’m a decent swimmer, so I thought teaching mermaid fitness would be a great way to switch up my routine, though my husband isn’t very happy with me working so close to the SEAL base. He’s a Marine . . . he’s not a fan of SEALs.”

Husband? She looked to be around my age. I couldn’t even fathom being married.

I smiled. “Oh really? Why?”

“Hubby’s a war hero—jumped on a grenade. He hates to talk about his deployments—was asked to write a book but declined.” Isa bit her lip. “He’s very private and just doesn’t like that some SEALs brag about their missions.”

I tilted my head to the side. I’d met plenty of disabled vets at the Paralympics. I’d always found their stories so inspiring, and their successes seemed to evoke more emotion in them than I had seen in the competitors in my own events. “I’d love to meet him. He sounds like a great guy.”

“He is. I’m lucky.” Her face glowed when she talked about him—clearly, she was head over heels in love with the guy. I’d never been in love or even had a serious boyfriend. No time for romance since I had devoted my life to my sport. My personal life had consisted of drunken celebratory hookups after competitions. “Hey, we’re having a party next week if you want to come.”

I pursed my lips. I wasn’t much of a party girl—I always felt so awkward with groups of people I didn’t know. But Isa seemed so nice, so I was willing to try to attempt to come out of my shell. “I’d love that. You’re the only person I know in San Diego.”

“Oh. Well, I’m happy to show you around. Let start by giving you a tour of the resort.”

The sight of the beautiful hotel wowed me. Like me, the Del was a redhead, and she was known as The Grand Lady of the Sea. Her glorious Victorian architecture was world famous. The crimson steeply pitched roof contrasted with the white wooden shingles. Set on the backdrop of one of the best beaches in the world, the Del was simply breathtaking.

Isa led me down the steps to the pool which overlooked the beach bordering the Naval Special Warfare base. My eyes scanned the miles of sand, towering palm trees, brick beach paths, and the ocean break, hoping to glimpse some BUD/S recruits training, but I was out of luck. I made a silent wish to see some SEALs today. I figured if I spent some time studying their training regiment, it would give me an advantage. Instead, my view consisted of classy tourists with wide brimmed hats, dark sunglasses, and couture swimwear. I definitely didn’t fit in here.

Isa caught my gaze, forcing me to focus. “So, mermaid fitness is taught every Friday and Saturday at eight a.m., but the guests arrive at seven thirty. Basically, it’s water aerobics and Pilates with tails and pool noodles. I used to teach Aqua Zumba, so it’s a bit like that, but we can’t use our legs obviously. Have you swum with a tail before?”

“I did an exhibition years ago with a tail, and sometimes my coach would bind my legs to focus on my arm movements.”

“Awesome. Let’s hop in, and I’ll go through the routine.” Isa flashed a smile and then changed out of her sweat clothes into a cute bikini, revealing her enviable swimsuit body—tan skin, huge breasts, wide hips, round booty, and a flat tummy. Sure, I was in shape, but my physique was more athletic and less bombshell. I was as pale as the San Francisco fog, had a flat chest, narrow hips, a muscular bottom, and a six-pack. As much as I had always tried to view my body as a tool to my craft and not as eye-candy, I couldn’t help but be jealous of her curves. I’d love to say that I didn’t care if men found me attractive or not, but that would be a lie. After years of being teased as the freckled-faced sporty redhead, I’d taken myself out of the dating game to focus on my career.

I slipped off my own pants, kept my solid black one-piece swimsuit on, stepped into the tail and pulled it up over my waist. Then I dove deep into the pool. The tight fabric constricted my legs which felt odd, but I knew I’d adjust. I could hold my breath for up to three minutes, so I glided around underwater, doing butterfly kicks. Then I hoisted my torso above the water and did a bit of my Olympic routine, not to show off, but just because I missed performing.

When I finished, Isa was clapping. “Wow, you are amazing! I could watch you all day. Maybe you could do a show at the end of class for our guests?”

“I’d love that.” This would be the first summer of my life that I wouldn’t be training in the pool eight hours a day. The water was my home and being paid to be a mermaid was the perfect summer job.

“Ok. We check in the guests at quarter ‘til eight. Then we issue them each a tail, a pool noodle and a towel. Once the guests put on their tails, they swim around the pool. This is much harder than it seems and the fins make big splashes, so everyone gets drenched.” She splashed her own tail, creating a huge wave.

I splashed her back. “I can’t wait. It sounds so much fun.”

“It is. Everyone loves it. We then stand in a line and do arm exercises before we get everyone out of the pool to do ab work. We keep the music blasting to distract the students from the hard work they are doing.”

I laughed. “Good strategy.”

She smiled. “Then we have free swim. Of course, most of the guests use this time to take selfies or post Instagram videos. I’m sure they will want to pose with you, too. So that’s about it. Do you have any questions?”

Yes. Do you know what time the SEALs train on the beach? “No. But I’m sure some will come up tomorrow.”

“Cool.” She squinted at the sun. “Just let me know. You will be great. Can you show me some synchro moves?”

“Sure.”

We took off our tails, and I showed her some underwater split techniques. When we came up for air, I saw two bearded, ripped men in the distance run toward us dressed in cammies and tight shirts. But they weren’t just any men . . . I could tell a mile away they were SEALs, storming up the beach. My wish had come true!

Isa rolled her eyes. “Ignore them. They run by here every day since they train just down the beach. Occasionally they will come over at the end of class and make the guests swoon.”

Swooning activated. My mouth became dry. I was minutes from seeing my first SEAL in the flesh, but I wasn’t another frog hog. I wanted to be just like them.

A drop dead gorgeous man with jet black hair which skimmed his forehead, electric blue eyes, and arms decorated with tattoos beelined straight towards us. His equally hot blond-haired buddy with a cocky grin stood beside him. The blonde looked familiar, but I couldn’t place where I’d seen him.

I melted into the water.

“Hey, Isa. Who’s your new friend?” Sexy dark-haired SEAL yelled out as he knelt next to the pool. His voice was deep and low and virile.

“This is our newest instructor. Aria—”

But before Isa could introduce me, the SEAL interrupted her, his eyes widening. “Clements. You’re Aria Clements—America’s Little Mermaid. The Olympic gold medalist. I’d recognize you anywhere.”

He knew who I was? Most people didn’t recognize me, but between my red hair and the glimpse of the routine he probably saw, I could get how someone could put it together. “Yup. That’s me. What’s your name?”

“Erik.”

Erik? Did he say his name was Erik? Like The Little Mermaid’s prince? I couldn’t help but smile at the coincidence.

Or maybe he was messing with me.

“Nice to meet you, Erik.”

“You’re incredible. My little sister is a huge fan.” Even though a stunningly beautiful Isa was right beside me, Erik’s eyes were locked completely on mine. “I am too, by the way. So, do you live here?”

“No, just teaching here at the resort for a month.” Because I’d joined the Navy and was heading to Officer Candidate School in Rhode Island and then back here on a BUD/S contract. But I kept my plans to myself. The last person I wanted to confess my desire to become a SEAL to was an active duty Frogman. From everything I’d read, the Team guys were violently opposed to integrating the Teams.

They could choke on their opinions. The defense secretary said that the Pentagon would open all combat jobs to women. Including SEALs. So these men didn’t have a choice.

“Cool. Hey, I’m at work, but when I get off let me take you to dinner.”

Wait what? Forward much? I’d never, and I meant never, been asked out on a date like that. Sure, I’d had a few internet proposals. But this guy had just met me.

My face must’ve shown my shock.

“I get off at six. I’ll pick you up where you are staying, or we can meet here. There’s this great place down the street.”

Isa let out a laugh as she nudged me.

I was speechless. Did this guy want me or was he just interested in meeting an Olympian? He probably would’ve acted the same if he met any champion, male or female. I mean he was a SEAL. One of their mottos was “it pays to be a winner.”

I wanted to be a SEAL, not be fucked by one. Well, that could be fun too. But that wasn’t the point. My eyes raked him up and down, drinking in his big, muscular physique. Nope . . . not happening. There was no way I could go out with this super-hot man and risk being distracted from my dream. I vowed to watch these SEALs from afar for a month, go to Officer Candidate School, and then finish BUD/S. There was no room for romance in my world.

“I’m not interested,” I said as convincingly as I could.

Erik’s mouth curved into an amused grin. “I’m not going to give up that easily, sweetheart. I always go after what I want.”

Great, I had just challenged a SEAL, a man who would never quit.

“Well, good luck with that. As I said, I’m only in town for a month, so there’s no point to start something we can’t finish.”

His eyes twinkled, and he licked his lips. Man, he was gorgeous. Maybe I had made a mistake. This could be a win-win. A hot summer romance with a sexy SEAL and I could glean some intel on the Teams. What could go wrong?

“Who said I wouldn’t finish? I’m known to finish strong. I’ll stop by tomorrow. Nice to meet you, Aria.”

And with that, sexy SEAL turned and ran down the beach. His friend slapped him on the back and seemed to be joking with him.

“Oh my god . . . how cocky was that guy?” I muttered, turning my attention back to Isa. “Do you even know that dude?”

“Yeah, he comes around all the time. He’s gorgeous, don’t you think?”

“Uh yeah, girl. He’s probably the hottest man I’ve ever seen.”

She laughed. “Welcome to San Diego. Anyway, Erik seems nicer than the rest of them. You should just go have fun.”

Fun. I didn’t know the meaning of the word fun. My entire life consisted of setting goals and working hard to achieve them. But maybe Isa was right, and I should learn how to let my hair down.

We climbed out of the pool and headed toward the locker room to shower. Afterward, Isa and I exchanged numbers, we parted ways, and I walked back home. I hadn’t even taught my first class, and I had already begun to lose focus. Erik was ridiculously sexy, but it didn’t matter. It would be unethical to use him to gain an advantage in training, though I needed any help I could get. Honestly, winning a gold medal seemed almost easy compared to becoming the first woman to graduate from BUD/S. But I refused to let anything—or anyone—distract me.

Even if that distraction was an over six foot, fine as hell Navy SEAL.