Read Online A SEAL's Vow (SEALs of Chance Creek Book 2) by Cora Seton - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Cora Seton
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between them, took back the tablet and stood up awkwardly. “Sorry. Guess you didn’t really need to see that.”
“They’re just a bunch of idiots,” Clay told Nora when he walked away. “Who gives a shit what these people think?”
Nora set her plate down on the log with a thud. “I do. I’m a teacher, for God’s sake. Have you thought about that? And now people are talking about my personal business on the Internet. Anyone can look in and make a judgement.”
“They’re talking about whether or not we should marry. You know my answer.”
“That’s never going to happen.” Nora turned away.
“Why not?” He glanced up, became aware that one of the camera crews had approached them during their conversation and wondered how much of that last bit they’d captured. The boom dangled over Nora’s head. The cameraman, standing behind Nora, kept his camera focused on Clay. Clay knew he should warn Nora. Knew, too, if he did he’d be up to his ears in hot water with Renata and Fulsom.
Besides, he wanted to hear Nora’s answer. He held still and waited.
“I don’t know you well enough to marry you,” she said, finally meeting his gaze. “And you have a deadline to marry someone , so I’ll never know if you really want me, or just a random body to fit the bill.” She stood. The crewman yanked the boom higher so she didn’t hit her head.
Clay stood, too. “You know I want you. And if you don’t know that, I’ll gladly prove it any time, day or night—”
“Stop it,” she hissed.
Had she noticed the cameras? No, not yet. She was concerned with the people around them. Clay continued. “I can’t make it any more clear how I feel about you.” He reached for her hand.
She pulled hers back. “Why me?” she said.
“Why do I want to marry you?” He chuckled. “Hell, women talk about romance, but I’m starting to think they don’t know anything about it. You all pick and choose when it’s the right time to fall in love, you decide how much time has to pass before you know if you’ve met the right man. You think about how much your potential husband will earn. You consider whether he’ll be a good father, and on and on. Men just see a woman and—” he snapped his fingers “—that’s that.”
For the first time she hesitated. “So you saw me. And now you want to marry me. It’s that simple?”
“That about sums it up.” He willed her to understand. Sometimes you just knew, and that’s how he’d felt the first time he’d seen her. She was the woman he’d been searching for without even knowing he was looking.
“That’s… crazy. You know that, right?”
“No, it’s not. It’s just a fact. It’s how I feel.”
Nora was quiet for a long time. “I don’t buy it.” The bleakness in her voice said she wished she could, though.
Clay grabbed onto the possibility that opened. “I know you don’t,” he said. He reached out and this time succeeded in taking her hand. He wished he could do more, but first he needed to earn her trust—and her love. “That’s why I’m going to prove it to you.”
Why was she letting Clay hold her hand?
Nora wasn’t sure. She’d been furious with him—and Fulsom—and herself—all day, but in these last few minutes he’d reminded her of the man she’d fallen for when she’d first arrived at Westfield. In those first moments of knowing Clay she’d felt like he understood her almost better than she did herself, and now she couldn’t help wondering how their relationship would have progressed if it wasn’t for Fulsom’s interference—and her past. Suddenly she wondered if she could even be with a man given the way her fears kept flaring up.
She refused to think that way, though. She wouldn’t let a teenager with a sick, twisted imagination affect her so deeply. After all, the touch of Clay’s hand didn’t frighten her now. Instead, it awakened a trace of the desire she’d felt last night. For one second she remembered a
“They’re just a bunch of idiots,” Clay told Nora when he walked away. “Who gives a shit what these people think?”
Nora set her plate down on the log with a thud. “I do. I’m a teacher, for God’s sake. Have you thought about that? And now people are talking about my personal business on the Internet. Anyone can look in and make a judgement.”
“They’re talking about whether or not we should marry. You know my answer.”
“That’s never going to happen.” Nora turned away.
“Why not?” He glanced up, became aware that one of the camera crews had approached them during their conversation and wondered how much of that last bit they’d captured. The boom dangled over Nora’s head. The cameraman, standing behind Nora, kept his camera focused on Clay. Clay knew he should warn Nora. Knew, too, if he did he’d be up to his ears in hot water with Renata and Fulsom.
Besides, he wanted to hear Nora’s answer. He held still and waited.
“I don’t know you well enough to marry you,” she said, finally meeting his gaze. “And you have a deadline to marry someone , so I’ll never know if you really want me, or just a random body to fit the bill.” She stood. The crewman yanked the boom higher so she didn’t hit her head.
Clay stood, too. “You know I want you. And if you don’t know that, I’ll gladly prove it any time, day or night—”
“Stop it,” she hissed.
Had she noticed the cameras? No, not yet. She was concerned with the people around them. Clay continued. “I can’t make it any more clear how I feel about you.” He reached for her hand.
She pulled hers back. “Why me?” she said.
“Why do I want to marry you?” He chuckled. “Hell, women talk about romance, but I’m starting to think they don’t know anything about it. You all pick and choose when it’s the right time to fall in love, you decide how much time has to pass before you know if you’ve met the right man. You think about how much your potential husband will earn. You consider whether he’ll be a good father, and on and on. Men just see a woman and—” he snapped his fingers “—that’s that.”
For the first time she hesitated. “So you saw me. And now you want to marry me. It’s that simple?”
“That about sums it up.” He willed her to understand. Sometimes you just knew, and that’s how he’d felt the first time he’d seen her. She was the woman he’d been searching for without even knowing he was looking.
“That’s… crazy. You know that, right?”
“No, it’s not. It’s just a fact. It’s how I feel.”
Nora was quiet for a long time. “I don’t buy it.” The bleakness in her voice said she wished she could, though.
Clay grabbed onto the possibility that opened. “I know you don’t,” he said. He reached out and this time succeeded in taking her hand. He wished he could do more, but first he needed to earn her trust—and her love. “That’s why I’m going to prove it to you.”
Why was she letting Clay hold her hand?
Nora wasn’t sure. She’d been furious with him—and Fulsom—and herself—all day, but in these last few minutes he’d reminded her of the man she’d fallen for when she’d first arrived at Westfield. In those first moments of knowing Clay she’d felt like he understood her almost better than she did herself, and now she couldn’t help wondering how their relationship would have progressed if it wasn’t for Fulsom’s interference—and her past. Suddenly she wondered if she could even be with a man given the way her fears kept flaring up.
She refused to think that way, though. She wouldn’t let a teenager with a sick, twisted imagination affect her so deeply. After all, the touch of Clay’s hand didn’t frighten her now. Instead, it awakened a trace of the desire she’d felt last night. For one second she remembered a
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