Read Online THE KISS OF A SEAL by Anne Elizabeth - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Anne Elizabeth
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making him glad that he was there.
She tapped his arm, bringing attention back to her. She smiled. No, she beamed at him. “Yes. Yes! YES!”
He pulled her to him and kissed her. Then he whispered in her ear. “This is going to be the greatest experience of our life.”
She pressed her lips against his neck. “Only with you, Lincoln Tyler.”
“I love you, Miss Jessa Grainger. Soon-to-be Mrs. Jessa Grainger Tyler.” He set her gently back onto her feet and took her hand. “Let’s get started. I have a full day planned for us.”
Jessa took the bouquet of flowers from one of Link’s Teammates and stood alongside her fiancé—this time the right man—as the Chaplain began. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of this man and this woman in holy wedded matrimony…”
His eyes were glued to her as the ceremony zipped by.
Her joy was like an inner light that shone through every part of her. It was the kind of energy he could warm himself on after a long day or feed with his own love when she needed it. Did she know that it made her more beautiful than any other woman on the planet? That he’d lay down his life for her in an instant if it was required, and that he was dearly thrilled to have her as his wife.
If Jessa didn’t know these things now, she would. He looked forward to a lifetime of showing her how much he cared.
Chapter Ten
‡
B undling her into his car and driving them to Glorietta Bay Inn, he could barely get two words out to her. His adrenaline was pumping his heart so hard he thought it might explode in the car. He took a couple deep breaths to calm himself down. He didn’t need to act like some wet-behind-the-ears kid about to have his first kiss.
Jessa was sitting in the passenger seat and appeared equally tongue-tied. She kept staring at herself and then looking at him, like shock was still holding her in the moment.
Within minutes, he was pulling into a parking lot. Running to the other side of the car, he opened the door and escorted her to the ancient elevator. They went up to a mansion room, the penthouse. The key was snuggly in his pocket.
God forbid she had said, no, he would have stood on that balcony all by himself smoking a cigar and drinking brandy with his roommate. He was grateful that wasn’t going to happen. He wouldn’t have relished a snoring seaman mumbling all night long.
As the elevator doors closed behind them, they stood in the lavish room.
“Wait here.” He took several steps to the bedside table, placed his phone in the speaker/charging holder and turned it on. Then he walked to the small table where champagne and glasses waited.
The bottle was sweating and it was slick as he picked it up. He managed to hold onto it as he popped the cork and poured two glasses of bubbly.
He brought a glass over to her and they silently saluted each other. He downed the glass and set it aside.
Unbuttoning his dress jacket, he slung it over a chair, placed his cover on the seat, and then he stood in front of her waiting. Nerves, an odd sensation for a man that has jumped from airplanes, swum with sharks, and faced down the enemy on more occasions than he wanted to admit frisson through his body. Link had to face it: this was uncharted territory for him. Here he was with Jessa, his wife, and they were beginning a life together. Marriage. Forever.
He gulped, the emotion sticking in his throat. “Wife,” he managed to say.
“Husband,” she said in a stoic manner back and then she burst into laughter. “This is a riot. We’re both completely terrified.”
“I’m not.”
She elbowed him. “Okay, maybe terrified is the wrong word.”
He kissed her. “How about appreciative? Awe-struck? Amazed? Or, deeply honored?”
She nodded her head.
His fingers toyed with the blue diamond engagement ring and the platinum band underneath it. Jessa’s hands were soft and delicate. Incredible to think that she could bench-press a hundred twenty
She tapped his arm, bringing attention back to her. She smiled. No, she beamed at him. “Yes. Yes! YES!”
He pulled her to him and kissed her. Then he whispered in her ear. “This is going to be the greatest experience of our life.”
She pressed her lips against his neck. “Only with you, Lincoln Tyler.”
“I love you, Miss Jessa Grainger. Soon-to-be Mrs. Jessa Grainger Tyler.” He set her gently back onto her feet and took her hand. “Let’s get started. I have a full day planned for us.”
Jessa took the bouquet of flowers from one of Link’s Teammates and stood alongside her fiancé—this time the right man—as the Chaplain began. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of this man and this woman in holy wedded matrimony…”
His eyes were glued to her as the ceremony zipped by.
Her joy was like an inner light that shone through every part of her. It was the kind of energy he could warm himself on after a long day or feed with his own love when she needed it. Did she know that it made her more beautiful than any other woman on the planet? That he’d lay down his life for her in an instant if it was required, and that he was dearly thrilled to have her as his wife.
If Jessa didn’t know these things now, she would. He looked forward to a lifetime of showing her how much he cared.
Chapter Ten
‡
B undling her into his car and driving them to Glorietta Bay Inn, he could barely get two words out to her. His adrenaline was pumping his heart so hard he thought it might explode in the car. He took a couple deep breaths to calm himself down. He didn’t need to act like some wet-behind-the-ears kid about to have his first kiss.
Jessa was sitting in the passenger seat and appeared equally tongue-tied. She kept staring at herself and then looking at him, like shock was still holding her in the moment.
Within minutes, he was pulling into a parking lot. Running to the other side of the car, he opened the door and escorted her to the ancient elevator. They went up to a mansion room, the penthouse. The key was snuggly in his pocket.
God forbid she had said, no, he would have stood on that balcony all by himself smoking a cigar and drinking brandy with his roommate. He was grateful that wasn’t going to happen. He wouldn’t have relished a snoring seaman mumbling all night long.
As the elevator doors closed behind them, they stood in the lavish room.
“Wait here.” He took several steps to the bedside table, placed his phone in the speaker/charging holder and turned it on. Then he walked to the small table where champagne and glasses waited.
The bottle was sweating and it was slick as he picked it up. He managed to hold onto it as he popped the cork and poured two glasses of bubbly.
He brought a glass over to her and they silently saluted each other. He downed the glass and set it aside.
Unbuttoning his dress jacket, he slung it over a chair, placed his cover on the seat, and then he stood in front of her waiting. Nerves, an odd sensation for a man that has jumped from airplanes, swum with sharks, and faced down the enemy on more occasions than he wanted to admit frisson through his body. Link had to face it: this was uncharted territory for him. Here he was with Jessa, his wife, and they were beginning a life together. Marriage. Forever.
He gulped, the emotion sticking in his throat. “Wife,” he managed to say.
“Husband,” she said in a stoic manner back and then she burst into laughter. “This is a riot. We’re both completely terrified.”
“I’m not.”
She elbowed him. “Okay, maybe terrified is the wrong word.”
He kissed her. “How about appreciative? Awe-struck? Amazed? Or, deeply honored?”
She nodded her head.
His fingers toyed with the blue diamond engagement ring and the platinum band underneath it. Jessa’s hands were soft and delicate. Incredible to think that she could bench-press a hundred twenty
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