Chapter 3

Emersyn adjusted the thin, scratchy blanket over her hospital gown, shifting on the small bed. Her damp hair hung in clumpy strands around her, and her skin was covered in salt and sand from the ocean. She was hooked up to countless monitors, but at least she was awake. Alive. She'd never ridden in an ambulance before and hadn't planned on her first time to be in Hawaii—or ever, for that matter. The medics had carefully tended to her on the ride over, readying to transfer Emersyn to the ER staff. Layton had been asking a million different questions, but Emersyn's mind had been stuck on the muscled sailor who'd rescued her.

Aaron.

She shook her head. Was she just imagining her crazy attraction to him? When she'd awoken on the beach and looked up into his dark eyes, it was like she'd been hit by a bolt of lightning. She didn't even know a thing about the man, aside from the fact that he was in the military and had rescued her from drowning. But when he'd hovered over her so protectively on the beach, she'd had this weird feeling that she was meant to be with him. Which was absolutely insane. Emersyn had her own life. Her own career. She couldn't ever seriously date a military man, because then her own job would end up on the back burner as he PCS'd around the country. Deployed to God knows where. Servicemembers went where the military ordered them, and she couldn't imagine that type of life for herself. Not when she'd worked so hard to advance her own career.

"Whew! I'm finally out of my bikini," Layton declared, walking into the curtained area in her own clothes, her flip flops making a thwack thwack noise as she crossed the room. "I never thought I'd roll into an ER in a swimsuit and towel, but I'm sure you never did either. Your things are in here," she added, setting the oversized tote bag onto the floor. "Whenever we bust you out of here, you'll have real clothes to wear back to the hotel, too."

"Thanks for grabbing the bag," Emersyn said. "What about the kayaks and rental car?" she asked.

"I'll have to figure out the car situation. One of the guys—Wyatt—said he'd return the kayaks for us. Guess I'll just have to trust that he'll take care of it, because I wasn't about to let you ride over in the ambulance alone."

"The group he was with had their own kayaking gear," Emersyn pointed out. "I doubt they'd steal rental kayaks. They're all in the Navy, right? And now I'm even more mortified that I nearly drowned in front of all of them."

Layton flashed her a grin as she sank down into the chair beside her. "Let me just say that first of all, I was terrified out of my mind and thankful as hell that they saved you. But second," she added, shooting Emersyn a knowing look, "those were the hottest guys I've ever seen."

Emersyn burst into laughter, wincing as it made her head hurt. "Agreed," she said, lifting her hand to the bump.

"Are you okay?" Layton asked with a frown.

"Yep. This is nothing."

"Only you could meet a man that way," Layton joked. "I might have half a mind to stay here on the island myself and get me a military guy. Forget my clients back in Virginia. I could sell homes here."

"That you could," Emersyn agreed. "You'd make a killer commission since real estate prices are so high."

"True that," Layton said, her laughter filling the air as she twisted her own blonde hair up into a messy bun. "But you shouldn't be embarrassed—well, maybe for not wearing a life vest," she said pointedly.

"I was going to put it on!" Emersyn protested. "I was just really excited to get out on the water. And incredibly stupid. But that's not the worst part. Before I was put in the ambulance, I may have accidentally admitted that I liked Aaron's lips on mine."

"What?" Layton shrieked. She glanced toward the open door and quieted. "You did not," she said, amusement dancing across her features.

"Yep. I didn't mean to say it out loud, obviously, but he definitely heard." Emersyn's cheeks heated as she recalled him murmuring to her before she'd been whisked away in the ambulance. God, she hoped he didn't have a wife or girlfriend. Then he'd be an absolute pig for saying he'd enjoyed it, too. She was still in shock that he'd carried her over to the EMTs at all. They were already headed right toward her with a stretcher, but Aaron had lifted her into his arms like she was his.

"Nice," Layton teased. "And was this before or after he carried you across the sand in his big, strong arms?"

Emersyn rolled her eyes. "It doesn't matter. Sure, he's hot, but I doubt I'll run into him again. There are over forty thousand active duty servicemembers in Hawaii. And it's not like I know his last name to look him up even if I wanted to."

Layton's gaze shifted to the door, then landed back on Emersyn. "Uh-huh. But you definitely think he's hot."

"Um, yeah? But like I said, it doesn't matter because—"

"Knock-knock!" a female voice said. Emersyn looked up as the doctor breezed into her hospital room just then, coming to once again check her vitals. There was a shuffling sound in the hallway and then a man walked past in scrubs, Emersyn's gaze briefly trailing after him. He had broad shoulders but wasn't as big as the man who'd rescued her. Aaron. Goodness. Maybe she should've asked Aaron for his number. Too late for that now.

Her gaze moved to the doctor as she realized she'd missed what she was saying.

"How long does Em need to stay in the hospital before she can be discharged?" Layton asked, watching as the doctor looked over Emersyn's chart.

"We'd like to monitor her for twenty-four hours. Assuming everything is okay after that, she should be able to be discharged tomorrow. You'll still have to watch for any signs of a concussion, and I'd advise that you take things easy for several days."

"Oh geez," Emersyn murmured. "I'm supposed to start a new job next week. We're in a hotel right now, but I was planning to get my apartment set up."

The doctor raised her eyebrows.

"I just moved to Honolulu for the next six months. TDY," Emersyn explained.

"You're in the military?"

Emersyn shook her head. "Government. My sister flew out here with me so we could enjoy a week's vacation first. Then I get down to business."

"Plus, I was going to help you get everything moved into your place before I fly home," Layton added.

"You shouldn't be doing anything strenuous," the doctor advised. "Perhaps hiring movers for your boxes or furniture would be prudent. I don't recommend that you two do it alone."

"I'll help." Aaron's deep voice filled the room, and Emersyn did a double-take, taking in the man standing in the curtained doorway. He'd put on a tee shirt that did little to hide his muscles or bulk and still wore the board shorts he'd had on to rescue her. Her gaze trailed from his face down his abdomen to his muscled thighs. The man probably didn't have an ounce of fat on him. Whatever military training he did clearly kept him in peak physical condition.

And he was literally standing here in her doorway, like her thoughts alone had conjured him.

Suddenly, embarrassment washed over her as she realized he'd no doubt heard part of the conversation. "How long have you been standing there?" she asked.

"Well—"

"Did you just walk by a minute ago?" she continued, her cheeks flaming.

"He sure did!" Layton said with a grin as she stood up. "I'll let you catch up with your hottie. Be back in a few!"

***

Aaron's lips quirked as he looked at Emersyn blushing in the hospital bed. She was beautiful but seemed so damn flustered at the moment that his immediate reaction was to soothe her. "Don't worry. I didn't hear a thing," he said, trying to hold back his smile. "Is it okay if I come in?"

"Um, okay. I mean, yes, of course." Her cheeks were growing pinker by the moment as the doctor excused herself to tend to other patients, leaving him alone with Emersyn.

"Sounds good," he said with an easy smile. "I'd hate to have tracked you down in the ER just to have you throw me out."

"I think I might kill my sister," she muttered, covering her face with her hands.

Aaron couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face. God, she was cute. Her blonde hair was damp and still tangled, but even in the hospital gown, she was gorgeous. Emersyn had slender arms and delicate wrists and hands. He couldn't see her curves beneath the gown but recalled her svelte, toned body. Remembered the feel of her beneath him.

She finally removed her hands, meeting his eyes, and Aaron felt his heart pound as he looked into her baby blues. His buddies would never let him hear the end of it if he admitted shit like that, but damn. She was the prettiest thing he'd ever seen.

He sank down into the chair beside her bed, affection for this woman he barely knew already coursing through him. "Please don't kill your sister. I already saved your life today. Not sure I want to try my luck on saving her, too."

"She knew you were out in the hallway," Emersyn said, flapping her hands around as she gestured to the door.

"That she did." He couldn't bite back his smile this time. "But for the record? I think you're beautiful. Guess we're both already head-over-heels."

She blushed prettily, brushing some of her blonde hair back behind one ear. Aaron noticed three tiny earrings in her lobe. He'd never considered a woman's earlobes sexy before, but damn. Everything about Emersyn seemed to intrigue him. "Yeah. I'm sure drowning really showed off my best side. Just what all the guys want to see," she protested.

He shook his head, growing more serious. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Thank you," she suddenly said. "I don't think I ever thanked you on the beach, but I literally owe you my life. I'm not sure I could ever repay for that."

Aaron looked at her carefully, not wanting her to feel like she owed him anything. They'd carried out numerous missions over the years, rescuing civilians among them. Rescuing one woman from drowning had been rather simple in comparison, albeit terrifying in its own way. He'd almost lost her before they'd even met. "Well, you can always name your firstborn son after me," he joked.

Her smile brightened her entire face. "Maybe I'll save your life sometime," she offered. "I'm a planner, so just let me know ahead of time when you'll need me."

Aaron burst into laughter. "Will do, honey."

She licked her lips, flushing again, and he realized his slip of the tongue. "So, what's this about you moving to Hawaii?" he asked. "I figured you were here on vacation and thought I'd come by to check up on you."

"Nope, I'm here for six months actually."

"Perfect," he quipped.

"How's that?" she asked, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Well, it would've been a bummer to only take you out on one date. I figured that I'd ask you to have dinner and drinks one night, but finding out you're here for six months changes things."

"Go on," she urged, nodding at him.

Aaron smiled. "We'll get a chance to do the touristy stuff on our other dates. Snorkeling, hiking, maybe kayaking if we're both feeling reckless."

"Ha ha."

"I'm thinking six months gives us plenty of time to date and for you to fall in love with me."

Her gentle huff of laughter made him grin. "Cocky, aren't we?" she asked. But she licked her lips again, not protesting any of it.

Aaron lifted a shoulder, and he didn't miss as Emersyn's gaze slid to his biceps, lingering. Aaron kept in good shape and was thrilled at the way she looked at him. "I didn't hear you complaining on the beach earlier," he teased. "I can be a perfect gentleman, but hell, when the time is right? I definitely want you beneath me again in the sand, my lips on yours."

Her jaw dropped, and he chuckled. "When the time is right," he repeated. "We don't need to rush anything. In the meantime, I would love to take you out to dinner. The guys and I can help you move into your new place, too. We'll just have to coordinate a time with our CO to make sure it doesn't interfere with our training. Do you have things in storage?"

"Yes. They were shipped over. The government paid to relocate me to Honolulu."

He nodded, wondering what she did for work. He'd met plenty of giggling women out at the local bars who wanted a vacation fling with a military guy. A story to tell back home. While he hadn't minded casual when he was younger, Aaron was thirty-three now. He wanted to settle down, buy a house, have kids. Two of his buddies already had women, but he'd had zero luck in the relationship department. Emersyn was clearly successful and driven to move across an ocean for her career. Hawaii was a sweet location, but the government wouldn't exactly pay to relocate someone they didn't want in a position. She had to be qualified for the job.

"All right. We'll get the boxes and furniture to your place and get you moved in."

Emersyn was studying him, her eyes full of questions. "Dinner and drinks sound like fun, but why do you want to help me move?" she finally asked.

"Because I'd feel like a dick if I didn't," he admitted. "You really should take it easy, give your body a chance to recover. And spending some time getting to know each other doesn't feel wrong."

"I just landed here last night," she said, suddenly looking worried. "I'm starting a new job next week. I don't even know how to get to my apartment from the hotel yet or where the nearest grocery store is."

"Hey." He reached out, took her slender hand in his own, lightly running his thumb over her knuckles. "You've had a hell of a day. The time change, the pending move, the near drowning. I don't even know where you flew in from, but I want to get to know you, Emersyn. This sounds crazy, but I kind of feel like I was in the right place at the right time today."

She searched his eyes, nodding. "Me too."

Aaron stood, brushing back some of her blonde hair with his other hand. "So we'll get to know each other, starting where I help you haul boxes and do manly shit." Her giggle made him feel about ten feet tall, and it took everything in him not to bend over and kiss her right then. "My teammates won't mind helping either, because they're like my brothers. We look out for each other. They were all there today, too," he pointed out.

"God, don't remind me."

His gaze softened. "They're all glad that you're okay. And seriously, if you do need directions to the grocery store, best spot for bagels, or any other insider info, I'm happy to fill you in."

"You don't know what you're getting into," she joked.

"Or maybe I do," he countered. "Right now, I should probably let you get some rest. Do you have your cell phone with you?"

"It's somewhere around here, but Layton grabbed all our things. We kind of left the beach in a rush," she added with a wry smile.

"Tell me your number. I'll program it in then text you so that you have mine. Maybe I'll give it to your sister, too, since she's listening out in the hall," he joked.

"Hey!" Layton shouted. "I'm very patiently waiting out here."

"Oh my gosh," Emersyn murmured, looking mortified.

Aaron kept hold of her hand as she tried to pull away. "She's worried about you. I get it. I've got a younger sister myself, and I'm pretty much an overprotective type of guy."

"I still can't believe you came and found me in the hospital."

"I couldn't manage to stay away," he admitted. "I'm happy as hell that you're okay, Emersyn. Like I said earlier, while I wish it was under different circumstances, I'm not upset that we met today."

"Me either."

"I'll be in touch." Their eyes locked for a beat, and Aaron felt his heart thud. He finally said goodbye after programming her number into his phone and shooting her a quick text.

"Aaron?" she asked as he walked away.

He glanced back over his shoulder, pausing.

"I didn't get a chance to ask, but what do you do in the Navy?"

He looked her directly in the eye, knowing without hesitation that he wanted to tell her the truth. "I'm a Navy SEAL."