Desert Alpha: A Lady Boss Press Navy SEAL Novella Bethany Lopez (brene brown rising strong TXT) 📖

stare. “Who knows if we’ll get this opportunity again. They could be gone tomorrow and then there’ll be no more Top Gun-style volleyball.”

“You’re showing your age with that reference,” I joked.

“Shut up and turn your butt around.”

I did as she asked, hoping no one noticed we were already walking by again.

Unable to help myself, I looked over at the court again, but this time one of the guys were looking our way.

He was tall, probably the tallest guy there, with dark hair that was a bit long and curling at the nape of his neck. He had a full beard, which looked in need of a trim. I couldn’t see him perfectly, but what I saw had heat curling low in my belly.

When he noticed me staring, he grinned, then winked, and I felt my cheeks heat at the knowledge that he knew we were walking back and forth to get an eyeful of them.

“Oh my God, we’ve been busted, let’s get out of here,” I told Lori under my breath, hooking my arm in hers and hurrying off toward the exit of the track.

Chapter 4

Rip

“You coming, King?” I called out as I gave myself one last glance in the small mirror I kept in my toiletry bag.

After volleyball I’d treated myself to another shower … heaven … then got out my scissors and trimmed my beard. Now I looked less like a hairy beast and more like a dapper gentleman.

“Yeah, just getting my shoes on,” he replied.

The other guys were already at the Cantina. Hummer and Scotty were more the “throw on some basketball shorts and a tank” type, whereas King and I took a little care with our appearance. At least, during R & R when we were in a position to have drinks and flirt with the opposite sex.

Our Master Chief was the only one of us on this deployed team who was married, but he’d be out there getting his three drinks in and hanging out, at least for a little while. Then he’d leave to go get a call in to his family.

“Ready,” King said as he joined me at the front of our tent.

His cologne preceded him. He was decked out in jeans, a Supreme T-shirt, and a pair of red Jordans to match.

“Where you been hidin’ those shoes?” I asked, wishing I had more than my raggedy-ass Nikes.

“I’d tell you, but I’d have to kill you.”

I shook my head, not bothering to reply to that generic-ass statement, and walked outside.

“God, it’s still hot as hell,” I muttered, momentarily wishing for my gym shorts instead of the jeans I had on. Then I remembered how many women had told me my ass looked hot in jeans and decided to suck it up.

It would be worth it if the brunette with the luscious lips was at the Cantina.

I wished for a cool breeze that would never come as we walked over the gravel. I could hear the raised voices of a group of people talking and the faint strains of hip-hop as we got closer to the makeshift bar.

“It’s nice to be around people like this,” King said as we walked under the lights and headed to scan our cards and get a drink.

“Yeah, I know what you mean. I love you guys like brothers, but sometimes it’s nice to see something other than your ugly mug.”

“You wish you looked as good as me,” he retorted, a grin on his face as he scanned the crowd.

I snorted and turned to the Airman waiting at the counter.

“I’ll have one of those,” I said, pointing to the twenty-four-ounce beer to the left with the highest alcohol content.

The way we got around the three-drink rule, was by drinking the biggest can of beer with the highest content possible.

The sad thing was, it had been so long since I’d had a drink, my tolerance was going to be shit, so I’d probably get a good buzz off of three beers.

“I’ll have the same,” King said.

Once we had our cans in hand, we moved to the back left table where the Chief was sitting, along with Hummer and Scotty, who were chatting up some ladies.

“Took you long enough, pretty boy,” Scotty joked as we sat.

“Wanted to look good for ya, man,” I shot back, enjoying the hissing sound that came from opening the can.

The first taste was cold and crisp and felt just like drinking heaven.

I was so caught up in the moment it took a second for it to register that King was trying to get my attention.

“Sorry, what was that?” I asked.

King lifted his hand and gestured to the right.

“There’s your girl.”

I turned to see where he’d pointed and saw the brunette sitting with a group a couple tables away, including the woman I’d seen her on the track with.

“You goin’ in with me?” I asked him.

“Sure, I’ll be your wingman.”

“We’ll be back,” I said, even though Hummer and Scotty’s attention had resumed elsewhere.

I moved toward the table as if I didn’t have a care in the world and sat in the empty seat next to my target as if I had a longstanding invitation to do so.

“Hey,” I said as King sat across from me next to her friend.

She shifted, and when her gaze landed on me her mouth dropped open in surprise.

I bit back a grin.

Oh yeah, she’d noticed me just like I’d noticed her.

“Uh, hi,” she replied once she got over her initial surprise. “How are you enjoying our base?”

Her voice was low and throaty … sexy.

“It’s great, but I know tomorrow it’ll be even better.”

“Why’s that?” she asked, her lips turning up a bit.

“Because we’ll have slept a full night on the mattresses you so kindly gave us. It’ll be the first good night’s sleep we’ve had in months.”

Her lips turned down at that, as if what I’d said made her sad, which was the opposite of how I wanted to make her feel.

“I’m Rip.”

“Rip? That’s an interesting name.”

“Well, it’s a