Read Online The Navy SEAL's Bride by Soraya Lane - Free Book Online

felt so compelled to ask her out even, but what he did know was that he wanted to see her. That something was pounding away at him, telling him to let her in, to be in her company, and he wasn’t strong enough to say no.
    No, he was strong enough. He just didn’t want to say no, not yet. As much as he didn’t want to get close to anyone, didn’t want to hurt anyone, especially not a woman, he wasn’t quite ready to back off.
    * * *
    The music was starting to pound a little too loud for Tom’s liking. His right ear was taking the brunt of it, and for once he was pleased not to hear through his left properly, if at all. He took another swig of beer and leaned back deeper into the seat. It wasn’t that he hadn’t had a good time—he had, but nothing seemed the same anymore. He was used to enjoying his down time because he never knew when he’d be off overseas again, loved being home before the adrenaline of a new mission.
    Now he didn’t have that edge any longer. Wasn’t waiting for the hit of excitement the way he used to. Right now, all he wanted to do was kick back and relax; he wasn’t in the mood for a big night out.
    “Check her out,” Sam said, whooping and slapping him on the back. “Now that’s what I’m talking ’bout!”
    Tom grinned at him and downed the rest of his beer, turning so he could hear his friend. Even if he hadn’t been able to hear, it wasn’t exactly difficult to figure it out. He was usually the first to spot beautiful girls, would have been the first to go over and say hi to a single woman in a bar, weaving together a story about what he did to avoid admitting he was a SEAL.
    “Where’re we looking, boys?” he asked.
    His buddy pointed, not bothering to be discreet. “The one dancing. I reckon she’ll be up on the bar next. Wow!”
    Tom laughed…but it died in his throat like a final, choking gurgle. He slammed his beer down on the table. No way.
    Caitlin?
    She was gyrating as though she didn’t have a care in the world, as though she had no problem with every hot-blooded male in the room watching as she sashayed back and forth, around and around.
    Tom saw red, blurs of color flashing fast before his eyes. He squeezed his beer bottle, in danger of smashing it between his palm and fingers.
    “Hot or what?” Sam asked, laughing with the other guys.
    “Off-limits,” Tom forced out through gritted teeth. “Way off-limits.”
    “But hot!” he faintly heard someone else call out.
    He didn’t care who it was checking her out, he only cared about stopping anyone else from leering at her. Tom pushed past the guys and tried to calm down, focus on his breathing. He knew better than to let his emotions show, but staying sane over the way she was moving right now was a real struggle. What the hell would have happened to her if he hadn’t been here to protect her?
    He fought not to glare at Caitlin as he approached. She was meant to be a ballet teacher, not a stripper!
    A guy with a cheesy grin stepped out, eyes on Caitlin.
    “Back off,” Tom ordered, ready to thump the guy if he so much as looked at her like that again.
    The guy went to open his mouth then thought better of it, holding his hands up and walking backward.
    “Hey, handsome.”
    Tom almost ran smack-bang into a pretty blonde when he spun back around. The girl was laughing as she watched Caitlin. He didn’t reply, stormed past her and grabbed hold of Caitlin’s arm, harder than he meant to.
    “Ouch!” He heard her squeal even over the loud music. “Tom?” Now she looked confused, but even drunk she was gorgeous. Annoyingly, irritatingly gorgeous.
    Tom fought not to tell her off. He needed to get control of the situation now. He could tell her what he thought of her antics later when he’d calmed down. And when she wasn’t so annoyingly drunk, so she could comprehend what he was saying.
    “Come on,” he commanded.
    She shook her head, grabbing hold of the blonde, who was now standing, very seriously,