Hope Falls: Kissed by a SEAL (Kindle Worlds Novella) Read online

  Text copyright ©2016 by the Author.

  This work was made possible by a special license through the Kindle Worlds publishing program and has not necessarily been reviewed by Melanie Shawn. All characters, scenes, events, plots and related elements appearing in the original Hope Falls remain the exclusive copyrighted and/or trademarked property of Melanie Shawn, or their affiliates or licensors.

  For more information on Kindle Worlds: http://www.amazon.com/kindleworlds

  Contents

  Title Page

  About this Book

  Acknowledgements

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  7

  8

  9

  10

  11

  12

  More Books By Zoe York

  About the Author

  KISSED BY A SEAL

  by

  ZOE YORK

  ABOUT THIS BOOK

  KISSED BY A SEAL

  Julie Collins is done with men, and their super slimy ways.

  Lt. Jason Steyner has given up on finding the right woman—at least until he gets out of the military.

  But when the curvy flight attendant and the hunky Navy SEAL meet late one night, the attraction is immediate. And complicated. Can they find a way to keep each other in their lives? Will they realize what they have before it’s too late?

  — —

  Kissed by a SEAL is a standalone novella in the Hope Falls Kindle World. It connects to Snowed In, a Hope Falls novel by Melanie Shawn (where you first meet Julie), and Fall Away and Fall Fast, two SEALs Undone novellas by Zoe York (where you first meet Jason). It can be read on its own.

  ZOE YORK

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  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  I’ve been a long time fan of Melanie Shawn’s Hope Falls series. When the writing duo asked me to write a standalone romance in their world, and gave me the chance to bring a sexy Navy SEAL to the party, I couldn’t say no! And being able to give Jason a HEA ending with a gorgeous, kind, generous woman like Julie was a real treat.

  Hope Falls readers will recognize Julie as a flight attendant they first met in Snowed In. Readers familiar with my SEALs Undone series will know Jason as the private, professional leader of a section of SEAL Team 11. Now it’s time for the straight laced officer to loosen up and let love in.

  I really enjoyed writing in this world, with the support of Melanie and Shawna, but also the other authors who penned Hope Falls Kindle World stories as well. Thank you, ladies, for making this such a fun, painless ride!

  *** If you are a new to me reader, please visit my website and join my mailing list to be the first to hear about new books! All subscribers get three free reads right away! ***

  CHAPTER ONE

  Everyone on the plane had a drink. Everyone had a newspaper, or a pillow, or whatever their blessed little hearts wanted.

  Everyone, that was, except for Julie Collins.

  Okay, so she wasn’t alone in having to work today, but it certainly felt like she was alone in her suffering. She was the only one with a wounded heart, after all.

  The curtain between the galley and the passenger section of the plane brushed open, and her fellow flight attendant Nikki Maguire stepped into view—and promptly burst into gentle laughter.

  “What?” Julie asked, not trying to hide her misery.

  “You look like you really want to steal someone’s gin and tonic,” Nikki said kindly.

  Julie looked at the bottle of gin on the service cart.

  “Or maybe just pour yourself your own?”

  Julie laughed. It was funny because neither of them would actually do it…or so Nikki probably thought.

  A few days ago, Julie would have thought the same thing.

  A few days ago, Julie hadn’t been dumped for the eighth time in a row.

  When you were staring thirty right in the face, eight break-ups were hard to swallow.

  Eight break-ups, none of them her choice, were enough to make a girl think about drinking—just a little—on the job.

  The fact that she liked her job, and very much wanted to keep it, kept her on the right side of that decision.

  Nikki handed her a chocolate bar instead. “I’m sorry you’re stuck working today.”

  The chocolate definitely helped. “It’s fine.”

  “It’s not. You worked non-stop last week, and this weekend was supposed to be a romantic getaway, and now…” Her friend trailed off.

  And now it wasn’t. Julie sighed. She should have seen it coming. She hadn’t even liked this guy that much, but…there comes a point in a girl’s life where she starts to worry that it might not happen.

  True love. Happiness. A solid partnership with a healthy dose of passion. In-jokes and a comfortable shoulder to lean on.

  A nice, tight ass to ogle freely, forever and ever.

  All the important things in life.

  “And he dumped you by text message?” Nikki shook her head. “That’s cold.”

  Okay, so Ron from Napa wasn’t a good guy after all. Julie needed to shake it off. She reached for the most recent edition of Vanity Fair and snapped it open to an article about…she wasn’t sure what. Her fingers itched to put it down and pick up a celebrity gossip magazine instead, but wasn’t that part of her problem to begin in? Envying the shiny people’s lives? That wasn’t real. And those people had ups and downs on their way to love, too.

  She shot a quick look across at Nikki, who’d found her own happy ever after. And with one of the shiny people. Okay, so Senator Mike Gowan was also a super nice guy.

  Which is the point, remember? Nice guys. That’s who Julie needed to focus on. Tell the universe that she was done with players and show-offs.

  There was a lot about this situation that made Julie take stock of what she had—and didn’t have—in her life. What she wanted, and more importantly, what she truly needed.

  “Hey, I know what we can do to make up for your lost weekend!” Nikki snapped her fingers. “Let’s go visit Emme in Monterey.”

  Emme Ryan was a fellow flight attendant, who’d moved to the area on her own at first, from Chicago. But then her fiancé—a Navy SEAL—had moved from San Diego to Monterey for a year, so she’d moved in with him and put her room up for sublet on a private flight attendant message board they all frequented.

  Julie had been the first to respond, and the rest was history. The two redheads hit it off like they were old friends, and with Nathan often busy with his intensive studies, and Emme not knowing many people in the Bay area, they’d slipped into a routine of spontaneous day trips and drinks in the city. When Nikki’s husband was in Washington, she joined them.

  Julie grinned. A girls weekend was exactly what she needed. “I’m in.”

  — —

  Lt. Jason Steyner got out of his brand-new Mustang Shelby GT350 and shook his head at his best friend, Nathan Meyers, who’d been sitting waiting for him on the front porch of a little bungalow, and was now approaching with a ridiculous grin on his face. “Don’t even say it, asshole. I know you’re just jealous.”

  “Of your racing stripes? Oh hell no, I’m not jealous. Just how small are you afraid your dick is, man? Because I’ve seen you in the shower, and there’s no way this is necessary.”

  “And double no to talking about my junk, thank you very much.” He grinned. “Isn’t she beautiful?”

  “You’ve named her, haven’t you?”

  “Be nice to Betty.”

&
nbsp; “Good Lord.”

  “It’s good to see you, too, man.” Jason laughed as Nathan gave him a bear hug. “Monterey treating you okay? I’d forgotten how gorgeous it is here. My hotel has the most amazing view.”

  “I bet. Gotta say, I like it here. There are worse places to be sent.”

  That was an understatement. Jason nodded at the small house. “How’s married life?”

  “Not technically married yet. If I were, you’d remember standing up at the altar with me.”

  He was touched by the reminder. They hadn’t talked enough in the last few months. “What’s the hold up?”

  Nathan shrugged. “This course is kicking my ass a bit. We’ll do it when we move back to San Diego.”

  “Can’t wait to have you back. The team isn’t the same without you.” Jason was a team leader, and Nathan had been his 2IC, his second-in-command, until he’d come up to Monterey for a year of professional development.

  “You know you’ll only have me for a bit.”

  “Yeah.” And that would be a good thing for Meyers. He’d move on to being a BUD/S Instructor, and get to go home to his wife and kids most nights.

  That wasn’t the life for Jason, though. It was something he’d always wanted, despite his career choice as a Navy SEAL, but over time he’d come to learn that there weren’t many women who shared his values and could live with him coming and going.

  So now he had Betty. She didn’t keep him warm at night, but she made a road trip pretty awesome. And he could worry about finding someone special in a few years, when, like Meyers, he’d move on up out of the teams, and into the navy leadership.

  “What’s the plan for the weekend, then?” Nathan clapped him on the shoulder. “Want to head into San Francisco?”

  “I’m easy.”

  “That’ll go over well in the city.” His friend winked as he held open the front door.

  Jason recognized Nathan’s fiancee, Emme, who was standing in the middle of a cozy living room space, talking on the phone. She made an apologetic face and moved into what looked like the kitchen. Jason looked around the room. Nathan’s guitars hung on the wall, and music magazines decorated the square coffee table. It looked like his friend had always lived here.

  “Sorry about that,” Emme said, hurrying back in. She rushed right into Jason’s arms and gave him a surprisingly tight squeeze for such a petite woman. “It’s good to see you again, welcome to our home!”

  “No worries. Good to see you, too.”

  She stepped back and gave him a big smile. “How does a surprise visit from two of my girlfriends sound?”

  From behind her, Nathan laughed. “Like maybe Jase and I should head into the city. Unless they’re single?”

  She rolled her eyes, then winked. “One of them is, although she might be more than you can handle.”

  Jason laughed. “More than a SEAL can handle? That sounds like a challenge, but I’m not going to swoop in and steal you friend for the night. I’m dying for a steak. How about we go out for dinner, and catch up with you guys later? Unless you think they want to hit up a steakhouse, too?”

  She made a face. “Wine is totally overpriced at a steakhouse. I think we’ll be good with cheese and wine here. But don’t stay away on our account. Who knows? Maybe you and Julie will hit it off.”

  — —

  By the time they landed back in San Francisco and headed south to Monterey, Julie was in a terrible mood. “We should call Emme and cancel,” she moaned, knowing she sounded whiny and not really caring. If anyone understood her pain, it was Nikki. “The weekend is nearly over.”

  “No can do,” her friend said, clearly not understanding her pain. So much for that. “She’s all excited. Went out and bought fancy cheese and everything. She says she’s got the house to herself for the night. And it’s Saturday night. So what if we don’t have an entire weekend? We’ve got the best night of the entire week, hands-down. Drinks and talking tonight, brunch in the morning, and we can do some shopping on our way home.”

  That did sound good. Better than going home and drowning her sorrows in a glass of wine there. “Maybe.”

  “Turn that frown upside down, my friend! This is going to be just what you need.”

  She didn’t quite share her friend’s confidence. But what did she know? Her first instinct was to go out and find a cute guy to flirt with. Rebounds were how Julie survived break-ups.

  But clearly, her own judgement couldn’t be trusted. “If I try to kiss anyone,” she blurted out. “You’re under orders to stop me.”

  “Like Emme?” Nikki laughed. “Okay.”

  “No.” Julie groaned and tipped her head back against the passenger seat headrest. “I have a way of searching out a rebound guy. Maybe that’s not wise.”

  “So you want me to…what’s the girl version of cock-block?”

  A few bad words and even worse rhymes rolled around in Julie’s head. “I don’t know. I don’t think we’re normally this mean to each other.”

  “Well, I will do my best to ruin any making out you try to do with Emme’s pillow or the mailman or our waiter at brunch tomorrow.”

  “You’re the best,” Julie whispered. But what she was really thinking was, I’m the worst. And she hated that feeling. It was time for Julie to move into the grown-up stage of her life.

  No more mistakes.

  No more men.

  Not until she got her head on straight.

  CHAPTER TWO

  After dinner, Nathan had convinced Jason to hit up a sports bar.

  “One of the few sucky things about the new house is that we only have a TV in the main room,” Nathan gripped good-naturedly. “And I’m assuming you don’t want to cuddle up on my bed and watch the game on my laptop.”

  “Well you are getting a bit soft and cuddly up here. They not making you guys do PT every morning?”

  “Shut up. I’m going to kick your ass on a ten mile run tomorrow. And then we’re going to cuddle as your punishment.”

  Jason snorted and ordered another round of beers. If he got the guy drunk enough, he might have a chance of winning that race.

  Two hours later, as they piled out of Jason’s car—driven home by a handy service the bartender had recommended—Nathan was still talking shit about running.

  But the second they stepped inside, his buddy’s attitude fell away, because Emme was bent over on the couch, her head between her knees.

  “What’s going on?” Nathan asked, one-hundred-percent concerned partner. As he should be.

  Jason hung back and tried not to get in the way as his friend knelt in front of Emme, whispering with her for a minute before they stood up and moved through the living room to the bedrooms at the back of the house.

  The blonde woman on the couch stood up. “I’m Nikki, by the way. A friend of Emme’s. She just got hit by a wave of nausea. I’m sure she’s going to be fine…”

  He nodded. Should he stick around? He couldn’t drive, but he could cab it back to the hotel.

  From the kitchen, another female voice rang out. “I don’t see any ginger ale. Or ginger tea, or ginger root…”

  Nikki moved past him and headed for the kitchen, so he followed.

  “Not sure it matters, honey. Emme might be down for the count. Nathan’s back and has taken over,” Nikki said.

  She might have said a bit more, but Jason had stopped listening. In front of him was a pair of legs that went on for miles.

  Bare feet, pressed up on tip-toe, as the woman the legs were attached to looked for something in the cupboard. Tea, right. Or ginger ale, which was no longer needed. He was catching up, but he kept getting distracted by the bare skin. Bare legs, curvy and smooth, and long. So long, his eyes were still dragging up them when they started to turn.

  He got to her hands just in time for them to stop their animated wave and get propped on what looked like soft, squeezable hips.

  And then she cleared her throat.

  — —

  Julie w
as ready to give this random guy a piece of her mind—but when he looked up at her, and she got her first full look at his chiseled jaw and piercing grey eyes, she forgot what she was going to say. Because when he was finally looking at her, those eyes finally where they belonged—not on her ass—she realized he had a solid six inches on her. And he was gorgeous. And still looking at her.

  But the height thing was extra impressive, and didn’t hurt in softening her bite, either.

  Nobody had six inches on her.

  Hello.

  So it was kind of shallow to let him eye her legs.

  Really shallow.

  Whatever.

  This guy was hot.

  And she was about to do something about that lucky fact when Nikki leapt in front of him, blocking Julie’s view. “Hey, friend, can I talk to you for a second?”

  Julie squinted at her. Was she crazy? “Now?”

  “Yes. Now. Because I have a mandate, remember?”

  Mandate…nope, that wasn’t ringing any bells. She peeked around her friend and winked at the cute guy. He blinked, then gave her a max-relax grin right back when he realized she wasn’t going to snap at him. Hello, Rebound Guy—oh. Right.

  She sighed and closed her eyes. “You’re cock-blocking me,” she whispered to Nikki.

  “Afraid so, yes.”

  “Because I asked you to.”

  “Mmm-hmm.”

  “That was a terrible plan.”

  “Why?”

  “Because he’s tall.”