Cruisin’ For A Seal
(SEAL Brotherhood #5)
By Sharon Hamilton
Blurb:
Marc Beale and several of his brothers from SEAL Team 3 board a cruise ship to bury a fallen buddy’s aches at sea. A risky affair with a beautiful Italian the night before they leave begins to ease his survivor’s guilt.
Sophia Negri, suffering jitters over her engagement, falls for the handsome SEAL and pretends she speaks no English, letting their bodies do the talking. When Marc finds her on the ship and learns Sophia is half American, he is angry at first, but falls for her all over again as they set sail.
Terrorists take over the ship and hold the passengers for ransom, Marc and the other SEALs are the only ones who can stop the plot. Will Marc’s actions be enough to save Sophia or will he have to sacrifice himself to save the woman he loves?
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Excerpt
Marc started to
stand, but she stopped him with her hand on his forearm. He did sit back down, but he crossed his
massive arms in front of his chest, leaning back into the couch and looking the
opposite direction, away from her.
stand, but she stopped him with her hand on his forearm. He did sit back down, but he crossed his
massive arms in front of his chest, leaning back into the couch and looking the
opposite direction, away from her.
“I
know none of this makes sense. Not sure I do either. I thought that—well I just
thought a little night of anonymous sex with no strings would be something—and
this is a totally selfish thing here, I admit it—I thought I could just have…”
This was going to be much more difficult than she’d planned. Everything she
wanted to say wasn’t right. “I just wanted one more night being single, being
free to choose, being with someone without it being complicated. And I’m sorry.
I realize now that that was a huge mistake.”
know none of this makes sense. Not sure I do either. I thought that—well I just
thought a little night of anonymous sex with no strings would be something—and
this is a totally selfish thing here, I admit it—I thought I could just have…”
This was going to be much more difficult than she’d planned. Everything she
wanted to say wasn’t right. “I just wanted one more night being single, being
free to choose, being with someone without it being complicated. And I’m sorry.
I realize now that that was a huge mistake.”
His
passive, hulking frame and dispassionate stare into the distance broke her
heart.
passive, hulking frame and dispassionate stare into the distance broke her
heart.
“Please
Marc, look at me.” He did, but his eyebrows were raised, his eyes contained the
look of someone who thought she was full of crap. She mustered her courage and
added, looking into his sky blue eyes, those eyes she’d gotten lost in, eyes
she would remember forever, “I am truly sorry. I am not a good person at all. I
did this without any regard for your feelings.”
Marc, look at me.” He did, but his eyebrows were raised, his eyes contained the
look of someone who thought she was full of crap. She mustered her courage and
added, looking into his sky blue eyes, those eyes she’d gotten lost in, eyes
she would remember forever, “I am truly sorry. I am not a good person at all. I
did this without any regard for your feelings.”
Their
eyes did connect, and for a second she could see the hurt there, a little dream
in his heart that was dying too, just as hers was. Instinct told her to reach
over and kiss him, hug him, tell him how sorry she was for her behavior, but
she knew that was the wrong way to handle it. As much as she wanted to touch
him and let him know how awful she felt, she needed to keep her distance.
eyes did connect, and for a second she could see the hurt there, a little dream
in his heart that was dying too, just as hers was. Instinct told her to reach
over and kiss him, hug him, tell him how sorry she was for her behavior, but
she knew that was the wrong way to handle it. As much as she wanted to touch
him and let him know how awful she felt, she needed to keep her distance.
Just tell him the truth and get out.
Marc hadn’t dropped his eyes. He
was searching for something in her face she hoped didn’t show up. He was
looking for evidence she cared for him. Wouldn’t it be wiser to show coldness?
Let him understand there was no future between them?
was searching for something in her face she hoped didn’t show up. He was
looking for evidence she cared for him. Wouldn’t it be wiser to show coldness?
Let him understand there was no future between them?
But was that the truth? Really the truth? Did
all this happen because of her niggling doubts about Ricardo and the life she
would have with him in Brazil? If she were certain of her decision to marry
him, would the night with Marc have happened? She honestly didn’t know the
answer to that.
all this happen because of her niggling doubts about Ricardo and the life she
would have with him in Brazil? If she were certain of her decision to marry
him, would the night with Marc have happened? She honestly didn’t know the
answer to that.
“It
was the most beautiful afternoon I’ve spent in my entire life. I will never
forget it. Never, Marc,” she said.
was the most beautiful afternoon I’ve spent in my entire life. I will never
forget it. Never, Marc,” she said.
His crooked smile
with the dimple on the right side of his full lips was sexy as hell, and
changed the mask of his face.
with the dimple on the right side of his full lips was sexy as hell, and
changed the mask of his face.
“It
was a pretty incredible afternoon, but hey, no worries, Sophia. I’m not looking
to get hooked up with anyone. I’m getting ready to deploy. This is just a
little R and R before we go. It kind of worked, in a sick sense of the word.”
He looked at his palms.
was a pretty incredible afternoon, but hey, no worries, Sophia. I’m not looking
to get hooked up with anyone. I’m getting ready to deploy. This is just a
little R and R before we go. It kind of worked, in a sick sense of the word.”
He looked at his palms.
She
hadn’t expected that.
hadn’t expected that.
“You
aren’t angry?”
aren’t angry?”
“For
an afternoon of the best sex of my life? Fuck no.”
an afternoon of the best sex of my life? Fuck no.”
It
was a nice thing to say, but she felt the blunt force of a verbal slap. “I
think it was more than that, is what I’m trying to say,” she said, her voice
low and husky.
was a nice thing to say, but she felt the blunt force of a verbal slap. “I
think it was more than that, is what I’m trying to say,” she said, her voice
low and husky.
Marc
shot up, put his hands in his cargo shorts. “I’m glad. While you’re working
your way through the cruise ship males, I’ll be having beers with my buds and
probably swearing off Italian girls for awhile.” He began to walk out of the
bar.
shot up, put his hands in his cargo shorts. “I’m glad. While you’re working
your way through the cruise ship males, I’ll be having beers with my buds and
probably swearing off Italian girls for awhile.” He began to walk out of the
bar.
She
had to do something. She ran and stood in front of him, to stop him.
had to do something. She ran and stood in front of him, to stop him.
“Wait
a minute. What I want to say is that it wasn’t just a hookup. I mean it started
that way, but it became more, I guess is what I’m saying.”
a minute. What I want to say is that it wasn’t just a hookup. I mean it started
that way, but it became more, I guess is what I’m saying.”
“Well,
that’s fine, honey. And if you get that itch again, I’ll scratch it. No
worries. I’m not going to get pissed off and ruin another good time.” His
brilliant white teeth and blue eyes melted her bones.
that’s fine, honey. And if you get that itch again, I’ll scratch it. No
worries. I’m not going to get pissed off and ruin another good time.” His
brilliant white teeth and blue eyes melted her bones.
“So
it wasn’t—“
it wasn’t—“
“You
don’t have the right to that privileged information, honey. You’re engaged to
someone else. I don’t gotta tell you anything about me or how I feel about
anything, remember? But if you want another anonymous hookup, I’m not going
anywhere. We’ve got like twenty days together. We’ve already proven we can let
our bodies do the talking since the words seem to get in the way.”
don’t have the right to that privileged information, honey. You’re engaged to
someone else. I don’t gotta tell you anything about me or how I feel about
anything, remember? But if you want another anonymous hookup, I’m not going
anywhere. We’ve got like twenty days together. We’ve already proven we can let
our bodies do the talking since the words seem to get in the way.”
He
left the bar. She felt her stomach drop to her ankles.
left the bar. She felt her stomach drop to her ankles.
It
wasn’t easy to put it out of her mind, the look on his face as he turned, bowed
slightly and walked out of her life. She’d already cried for him once as she
was walking away from him in the Piazza. She’d left a part of her with him that
day, and now today he took away another piece as he walked down the marble
foyer, pushed the up button and left in the elevator.
wasn’t easy to put it out of her mind, the look on his face as he turned, bowed
slightly and walked out of her life. She’d already cried for him once as she
was walking away from him in the Piazza. She’d left a part of her with him that
day, and now today he took away another piece as he walked down the marble
foyer, pushed the up button and left in the elevator.
Book Trailer:
Audio Book Narration Sample:
About the Author
NYT and USA/Today Bestselling Author Sharon Hamilton’s SEAL Brotherhood series have earned her Amazon author rankings of #1 in Romantic Suspense, Military Romance and Contemporary Romance. Her characters follow a sometimes rocky road to redemption through passion and true love. Her Golden Vampires of Tuscany earned her a #1 Amazon author ranking in Gothic Romance.
A lifelong organic vegetable and flower gardener, Sharon and her husband live in the Wine Country of Northern California, where most of her stories take place.
You can find Sharon at
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