Chapter 1

Navy SEAL Aaron "Anchor" Nielsen ran to the water, his heart pounding as a woman's screams filled the air. The kayak that had flipped over was getting tossed around in the Pacific like a toy, a woman trapped beneath. The kayakers had launched in the surf zone, a place where inexperienced kayakers had no business being. They were most likely tourists, out for an afternoon of fun. Regardless, the woman's life was at stake, and every second counted.

He cursed as an orange life vest floated past the kayak. Had the woman not even strapped it on properly?

"Damn it," he muttered, his feet splashing through the surf. The warm Hawaiian sun beat down on him, but he barely registered the sand beneath his feet or waves lapping at his legs. Aaron's eyes focused solely on his target.

"Please help my sister!" a woman yelled, frantically trying to paddle to the upside-down kayak. "She can't swim!"

Aaron heard his friends' shouts of alarm behind him, but he was already diving into the waves, his years of SEAL training and expertise kicking in. Aaron neatly resurfaced, scanning the area, and then kicked hard to get to the woman in time, sluicing through the water with even strokes.

"Almost to you, buddy!" Austin "Storm" Eckhart shouted, his voice carrying over the waves. Aaron pushed harder, kicking faster to reach the scene. He lifted the bright yellow kayak off the woman, rendered unconscious beneath. Shock washed over him as he took in her fine, delicate facial features. Pretty eyelashes. A small nose. Pouty lips. And shimmering blonde hair that floated in the water around her. She looked like a damn mermaid or something. Except she couldn't swim or survive without air.

Treading water, Aaron slid his arm under her head, resting two fingers on her slender neck to feel for a pulse. He lowered his lips to hers as he tilted her head back, blowing air into her lungs. He couldn't exactly start chest compressions while treading water. He needed to get her to shore.

Austin surfaced beside him, treading water as well as they bobbed in the Pacific.

"I got her," Aaron said, an edge to his voice that he didn't recognize. He wanted to be the one to haul the blonde woman to shore. To breathe life into her lungs. Austin had just gotten engaged and certainly had zero interest in this woman romantically, so Aaron's possessiveness made zero sense. In that split second when he'd lifted the kayak off of her, however, something primal in him had declared she was his.

Sawyer "Saint" Collins was at their side next, water dripping down his face as he surfaced. "Hudson called 911. Let's get her to the beach and start CPR."

The woman in the other kayak was now wailing as she failed to get closer to them, fighting against the current.

"Shit. I'll go save the sister," Sawyer said. "You two bring her in."

Aaron kept hold of the woman, keeping her head above water. "Roger that. Let's roll." He swam toward the shoreline where his friends stood, Austin helping to keep the blonde woman afloat. Sawyer had commandeered the second kayak and was paddling toward the sister. It felt like too much time was passing, but soon, Aaron's feet reached the sandy ground. He hefted the lifeless woman into his arms, his chest heaving from his quick swim there and back, and began carrying her through the water, trudging in the surf.

She was too pale and cold, her bikini clinging to her slight curves. Aaron barely registered her pert breasts and lithe body. They needed to get her breathing ASAP.

His SEAL team leader Wyatt "Wildcard" Miller was already jogging toward them through the breaking waves, lifting the unconscious woman from his arms. Aaron wanted to protest but knew Wyatt could get her on solid ground sooner. Aaron might be a trained Navy SEAL, but Wyatt had remained on the beach while Aaron swam there and back in record time.

Hudson was on the phone, notifying emergency personnel as to their location. And then Aaron was rushing out of the water and sinking to his knees in the sand, pushing Wyatt's hands away. Aaron positioned his hands on the woman's chest, his mind briefly registering her breasts concealed by the pale yellow triangles of her bikini top. She had on string bikini bottoms, too, showing off her flat stomach and narrow hips. Her smooth thighs. Her skin was soft and supple and cold. Too damn cold. Aaron began doing chest compressions as Wyatt counted out loud.

Aaron paused, tilted the woman's head back, then leaned further over her slender frame, blowing breath into her lungs. She tasted sweet. So fucking sweet. And he shouldn't even be thinking that as he rendered life-saving aid.

Sirens wailed in the distance, and he was vaguely aware of his friends moving around him.

"We're over here!" Callie yelled, waving her arms as she ran to the parking lot. "Over here! This way!"

"Oh my God, is she going to be okay?" Alexa asked, clinging to Austin. "This is bringing back bad memories."

"The EMTs are almost here," he assured her.

Hudson and Ryan were entering the surf, trying to help Sawyer with the second kayaker.

Aaron began another set of chest compressions and then breathed into her mouth again, watching her chest rise. The woman began to sputter, and sweet relief coursed through him. She was too fucking pretty to be lying pale and lifeless on the beach like that. Too young to have this be the end. He brushed back some of her wet hair, unable to stop himself from touching her. Satisfaction roiled through him at the knowledge that he'd saved her. She was beautiful and helpless and fucking breathing air again because of him.

"She's coming to," Wyatt said. "Thank God."

The woman's eyes opened, and suddenly Aaron's heart stuttered as he was looking into the brightest blue eyes he'd ever seen.

***

Emersyn gasped for breath as she felt warm lips on hers, precious air suddenly filling her lungs. Someone gave her another breath, and she felt those full lips once more and the hint of a man's stubble rubbing over her skin. She sputtered out saltwater, squeezing her eyes shut against the bright sun above. Waves crashed on the shore, the sound somehow soothing, but she thought she heard her sister crying in the background.

Big hands cupped her face, turning her head to the side. Emersyn coughed out more water as a deep voice assured her that she was okay. She sputtered again, wondering if she was dreaming, before finally straightening her head. Blinking, Emersyn looked up into deep brown eyes, water still clinging to her lashes. She blinked as the man's face came into focus. He had short dark hair, a broad nose, and sexy stubble covering his strong jaw. As he pulled back slightly to assess her, she swore her mouth watered. The guy was ripped with muscles upon muscles. He was nothing but tanned, masculine flesh over broad shoulders and rock-hard pecs and abs.

Had he carried her out of the water? One moment, she'd been attempting to kayak with her sister, and the next, she accidentally flipped over and was hit in the head by the kayak itself, darkness closing in.

This guy must've been one of the local surfers here on Oahu. The man wasn't as scruffy looking as the ones she'd seen earlier, but he'd hauled her out of the ocean, hadn't he?

Gingerly, she lifted one hand to where her head throbbed, taking shallow breaths. There was already a lump forming, and she felt somewhat dazed. Sluggish.

"Are you okay?" the man asked, his own big hand coming to rest atop her own.

She stared at him in surprise as warmth washed over her. And then he was gently moving her hand, his fingers feeling around the area of her head where her kayak had smacked her. "You might have a concussion," he murmured. "You've got a large bump. Your eyes are dilated, and you swallowed a lot of saltwater."

"Who are you?" she murmured.

His lips quirked slightly. Full lips, she noted. And his deep, sexy voice was like something out of a movie. "My name is Aaron. You're lucky I got to you in time"

"Emersyn!" her sister shrieked, rushing over to kneel at her side.

"What happened?" Emersyn asked, letting her sister clutch one hand. It almost made no sense that one moment, she'd been kayaking, and the next, she was shivering on the sand while this gorgeous man hovered over her.

"Your kayak flipped over," Aaron said, his voice no-nonsense as he gently examined her head for other contusions. "You should've been wearing a life vest. You could've been killed."

"He's right, Em! I was trying to paddle over to you and couldn't against the current. I was so scared!"

Tears filled Emersyn's eyes. "I'm sorry," she murmured. The kayaking had been impulsive, and she'd meant to put her vest on before they got into deeper water. She could barely swim, and maneuvering the kayak through the waves had been more challenging than she'd anticipated. Before she'd strapped it on, she'd flipped over and been knocked unconscious.

"You're too headstrong!" Layton said.

Emersyn's eyes shifted to Aaron as he let out a low chuckle. "Maybe you should stick to tamer activities," he advised, his voice low and smooth like warm caramel. But there was a slight twinkle in his brown eyes, mixed in with concern. "Have you kayaked before?"

"No."

"This isn't the safest spot for a beginner."

"Not you, too," she moaned, closing her eyes again.

The sirens wailing in the distance were getting louder, and suddenly, Emersyn just wanted to get out of here. A crowd was gathered around them, and she hated being the center of attention like this, lying helplessly on the sand. "I want to sit up."

A warm, muscled arm slid beneath her, and then Emersyn was sitting on the beach, shivering. Her wet, pale yellow bikini clung to her, and she trembled, wrapping her arms around her body. Aaron stared at her for a beat then called for a towel, another guy tossing one in their direction. Emersyn slowly took in the group of men and a couple of women surrounding them. None of the men actually looked like surfers, come to think of it. They were all muscular and fit but had short, military style haircuts. They must've been stationed here in Honolulu.

Embarrassment washed over her. They'd probably all watched her make a fool of herself out there. Who got hit in the head by their own damn kayak? She realized their kayaks and gear were scattered around the beach.

Aaron wrapped the towel around her carefully, a frown on his face as she shuddered again. "We need more towels. She's too cold! I need to get her warmed up."

His friends were already moving, and then her guy was wrapping more towels and beach blankets around her, his big hands gentle. Not that Aaron was "hers," per se, but she almost didn't know what to make of his attentiveness. Many of the men she worked with were arrogant assholes. They were quick to mansplain everything and advise her to stand back while they did their job. While this man seemed to have no problem taking charge, there was a certain watchfulness about him. He hadn't leered at her in her bikini. Hadn't made any inappropriate comments. He'd told her she should've been wearing a life vest, and he wasn't exactly wrong.

And holy hell. His warm lips were the ones that had been on hers. She'd been crazy to attempt to learn how to kayak in the Pacific Ocean.

"Hi there," a friendly guy said, crouching down beside her in the sand. "I'm Wyatt, and these guys are my teammates. The ambulance just arrived, and the EMTs will get you to the hospital. You swallowed a lot of water out there."

"This is Emersyn," her sister said. "I'm Layton," she added.

"It's nice to meet you both," Wyatt said. "You've already met Aaron. He's a hell of a swimmer," Wyatt added.

"Are you in the military?" Layton asked. Clearly, she noticed the same thing Emersyn had. They were all muscular and fit, with a certain take-charge attitude about them.

"We are," Wyatt said, exchanging a glance with Aaron. "We're in the Navy."

"They're coming!" a blonde woman called out, rushing up to Wyatt's side and clasping his arm. Emersyn looked over to see several men and a woman carrying a stretcher and medic bag toward them, the ambulance in the parking lot with lights flashing.

"We just got here late last night," Layton told the others. She frowned, glancing toward the yellow kayaks and gear on the beach. "Do you think if I call the rental place, they'll come pick up the kayaks? I want to go in the ambulance with Em. We can get our rental car later, but I'm worried about leaving everything here on the beach."

"We'll take care of it," Wyatt assured her. He gestured to two of the men he was with, who came over to speak with Wyatt.

"Time to go," Aaron said as the EMTs got closer, and then he was carefully rising with Emersyn in his arms. She clung to him in surprise, but he strode across the sand like she weighed nothing, meeting the medics and quickly giving them an update. "No more kayaking practice in the Pacific, all right?" he asked, those dark eyes on hers as they secured her to the gurney. "It's not great for beginners."

She looked at him curiously. Had she just said she was learning how to kayak out loud?

"Her pulse is weak," one of the EMTs noted. "Let's get an oxygen mask on her and hook up some fluids. Ma'am, we need to get you to the hospital."

She nodded, suddenly feeling lightheaded. Her gaze landed on Aaron, and she suddenly felt sad that she wouldn't see him again. It was a surprising thought given she didn't even know him. He could be married or have a girlfriend. Be a total jerk. Have slept with every woman on the island.

Emersyn didn't get that vibe at all from him though. He was protective and watchful, but she didn't miss the spark of interest in his dark eyes as he looked at her.

Aaron ducked down, speaking in a low voice so only she could hear him as the EMTs began to take her pulse and blood pressure. "And while I wish the circumstances had been different, I rather enjoyed my lips on yours."