Reminding The SEAL (Navy SEAL Military Romance) (3 page)

Chapter Three

Jacob took her to the airport and made sure that she went through the boarding gate before leaving. As she found her seat near the window of the airplane, she felt her heart start to beat heavily. A man took the aisle seat, but she barely noticed hm. It was strange. She couldn’t tell why her heart was thudding like that. She thought that perhaps it had to do with her anticipation of her brother’s business deal.

Caroline was barely able to concentrate on the demonstration and hardly heard the pilot’s signal for takeoff. She had around twelve hours in the air so she decided to spend most of that time relaxing so that she would not be tired for her meeting in the morning. She found it wasn’t easy as thoughts of Demetri filled her mind. She hoped that Jacob hadn’t set her up with a blind date on the island, because she knew him well and knew what he was capable of doing.

“Miss Sutherland,” a woman’s voice interrupted her thoughts. Her eyes flicked open to look into the pale blue eyes of a flight attendant. “Can I get you anything?”

“Coffee would be nice,” she smiled at the young woman who was around her age.

The stewardess was back within five minutes with her coffee and a complementary croissant.  She smiled and thanked her. She was surprised that two hours had gone since the plane lifted off and they were already over the Pacific. As she looked down over the blue-green waters of the ocean, a heady sensation overtook her. The memory of her fiancé’s demise came rushing back and her throat constricted painfully.

After she had regained some semblance of composure, and went downstairs the day after the Navy Officers’ visit, Madelyn filled her in on what they had to say. They were dropped somewhere over the pacific on a covert mission of which they could not give details. They were supposed to board the submarine waiting for them at the bottom of the ocean. All special watches were synchronized to meet at a designated time; however, Navy SEAL Demetri McFadden never arrived. The black box from the aircraft, of which they could also give no details about, showed that he alighted the craft and hit the water. According to their report, there was nothing amiss with his parachute so he should have been fine.

After a thorough search within a hundred mile radius in shark infested waters that are thousands of meters in depth, his parachute and a tattered diving suit were recovered. There were also fragments of his goggles and his special service wrist watch found on the ocean floor. It was determined that he could not have survived.

Caroline finished her coffee with croissant and beckoned to the stewardess to bring her another coffee. She needed the caffeine in order to settle her nerves. Passing over the ocean where her fiancé died was nerve-racking. Though it was not in the same area, just looking at the water below gave her a sense of trepidation.

Bile rose to her throat and she winced, closing her eyes and trying to relax.

“Are you okay?” a man’s voice deep voice penetrated her thoughts.

It was her neighbor. He had the palest blue eyes she’d seen on a man and a lock of his brown hair fell carelessly on his forehead. His smile was warm and his eyes softened as they observed her.

“Yes, thank you,” she smiled back at him.

“Holiday?” he asked.

“No, business,” she replied.

“Too bad. I hope you get a chance to enjoy the island. It’s beautiful,” he informed her. His voice was warm too.

“You go there a lot?” she was only trying to make small talk since he was so polite.

“I live there,” he replied. Just about then, someone from the seat across the aisle handed him a folder. “Excuse me.” He looked so disappointed when he said it that she was sure he wanted to talk more.

She was thankful for the interruption and took the opportunity to close her eyes again. She spent the rest of the journey dozing or thinking about her meeting. There were a few things to take care of before closing off on the deal. Jacob should be there by the time she made her decision about the acquisition; however, she was still nervous about it.

When she arrived at the airport, a car was waiting for her to take her to the InterContinental Resort. It was breathtaking. She’d never seen anything like it in the United States. The resort was amazing. The air was crisp and clean, just what she needed to clear her head.

The only thing that was off was the time difference. She left Washington DC at seven on Tuesday morning, and even though it was a twelve hour journey, she arrived in Fiji on Wednesday at eleven. It seemed she skipped an entire day when in fact Fiji was sixteen hours ahead. Luckily, she slept on the plane, so she may not experience jet lag. Caroline decided to wait and see.

Jacob had gone ahead and booked a one bedroom suite for her. One with a beachfront view. It was breathtaking, and for a moment, her stress was lessened. She walked through the living space which opened up to what appeared to be a terrace and watched the gentle waves roll in. But not long after, she felt a sense of dread as the memory of her lost fiancé surfaced. The ocean took him and anger slowly grew within her.

Her first meeting was set for two in the afternoon, so she had time to freshen up and have lunch. She took a well needed shower, pulled her hair back and secured it with a claw clip at her nape. She donned a pale blue skirt suit with a beige blouse, giving her an approachable look.

She opted for a scallop dish with a glass of Chardonnay. It was a safe choice given that she had no clue what most of the dishes on the menu consisted of. Of course, the boiled bat dish left a lot to the imagination, and she was afraid that perhaps the dish really consisted of a bat. With her lunch completed, she waited diligently for her meeting, but as they say, ‘the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.’

“Mizz Sutherland,” a waiter with an accent that sounded more like a western drawl approached her. “A message for you.” He handed her a piece of paper.
Meeting postponed for Friday at 10 AM. Sincere apologies. Mike Satturby.

“Thank you,” she smiled and he walked away. “Hmm, not a good sign,” she murmured, wondering why Mike Satturby postponed the meeting. Was there something wrong?

Caroline went back to her room and put through a call to Jacob. He already knew about the meeting being postponed.

“What happened?” she asked.

“Apparently, something happened when he was away on business. He said a bum broke into the factory and stole some of his equipment, and the worst part is, when approached by his men, they got beat up.”

“What? I hope the guy’s in jail,” she commented.

“No, it turns out the medicine man who lives in the bushes bailed him out,” there was amusement in Jacob’s voice.

“This isn’t funny Jacob. This isn’t a movie you know,” she scolded.

“But it’s funny as hell. Well, Mike thought that he should take care of his men before the meeting. He doesn’t want you visiting the factory while it’s in chaos.”

She had to agree, “That’s a good move on his part.”

“Goldie,” Jacob sounded serious all of a sudden.

“What now?”

“You may have to stay there two or three weeks,” he informed her.

“What? Oh no, that’s not the deal. You said a few days, tops!”

There was a bit of silence over the phone before he answered, “Don’t worry. I’m joining you soon, remember? Enjoy the sun, take a stroll, have some fun in the meantime, ciao!” and there was a click.

“Jacob?” she said into the phone, knowing full well he’d hung up. “You turd!” It just came out, the name she called him as a kid. She hit the bed with the receiver several times while repeating, “Turd, turd, turd!”

After sulking in her room for about an hour, Caroline got bored. She’d changed into shorts and tank top, and she slipped on a pair of flip flops and headed down the beach. A few minutes later, she wished she hadn’t, because looking at the beach brought back both good and bad memories.

She was about to return to the hotel when something or someone caught her eye about a quarter of a mile down the stretch of the beach. It wasn’t anything significant, just the way the man walked. Coming out of the sea was a man, she couldn’t see his face and he soon turned his back. His hair was shoulder length, but it was the way he lifted his left hand and ran it over his wet hair that stopped Caroline in her tracks.

Could someone be so familiar? The man turned and walked a few meters down the beach before disappearing into the trees. The impression was left in her mind. His wet shorts clinging to his powerful thighs…Demetri’s thighs. The way his muscles rippled as he walked, just the way her fiancé did. His bare back was broad and sinewy, just like her fiancé’s. Everything about the man was just like Demetri.

Her heart thudded wildly and she got the urge to run after the man, but he was gone. What good would it have done anyway? She was probably going through her usual phase of missing him. Feeling a bit crazed for thinking that she’d seen a ghost, Caroline trotted back to the hotel and without knowing it, went straight to the hotel bar.

“What can I get you, ma’am?” the barkeep was tall with dark hair, dark brown eyes, and olive skin. His English was impeccable.

“A glass of wine…red,” she informed him. Her pulse was still racing as the picture of the man coming from the sea hovered before her.

She finished her wine in two gulps, and asked for a refill. After about four glasses, she felt her head start to spin. She barely managed to stumble to her room and dropped herself on the bed. There, she fell asleep promptly. In her drunken sleep, she saw Demetri rise up from the ocean like a god. His wide grin made her heart flutter. Then, he floated towards her and enveloped her in his arms. Then, they kissed and he laid her down on the sand and ran his fingers along the length of her neck.

She breathed in deeply as a ripple of excitement ran through her. Caroline awakened in the middle of the night with her nipples hard and wetness betwixt her thighs. She groaned and pushed the light white sheet from her. It was too warm for covers anyway.

“This is crazy…I must be going crazy!” she said aloud into the darkness.

She closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep but all she could think of were Demetri’s hands on her, caressing her smooth, silky skin. With great effort, she tried to push him from her mind but he was stuck there and her body was tingling from her dream.

He was trailing kisses along her cheek and neck as he cupped her breasts with his large hands. Caroline took in a shaky breath and arched her body as his lips closed around her taut nipples. Methodically, he captured them one at a time while his hands danced up and down her belly, making her tremble with desire.

“Demetri,” she breathed, wanting to feel him close to her.

As if he was reading her mind, he lifted his head from assaulting her breasts and pulled her close to him. She could feel the heat of his body warm her skin. She tangled her legs with his and pushed her breast into his chest. Then, he reached between them and pushed his hard cock into her awaiting flesh. With one smooth movement, he slid into her and covered her lips with his.

“Oh God!”

In the darkness of her hotel room, Caroline made love to the memory of her man. Involuntarily, she reached between her thighs and touched her middle finger to her clit. She plunged her finger into her folds and pulled them out, then plunged it back in. As she pictured her man’s cock sliding in and out of her, she did the same with her finger.

Her body wiggled with the intensity of her need. Waves of pleasure washed over her as she felt her insides melt. His thrusts became urgent and so did her finger. She let out a loud groan, her body stiffened and her vaginal walls closed around his cock. Her orgasm rocked her body and she convulsed violently as a volcano erupted inside her.

It took a few minutes for her body to stop its spasmic movements. Then, all she could do was breathe deeply as tears rolled from the corner of her eyes when she realized she was alone and that it was all in her head.

Caroline fell asleep promptly and didn’t wake until morning. As sleep overtook her, she curled up in a fetal position, but her tears continued to push through her eyelids, staining her pillow.

Chapter Four

Friday morning found Caroline somewhat out of sorts. She didn’t leave the room all day Thursday and would have stayed in had it not been for the meeting with Mike Satturby. When she got to the hotel dining room, the attendant told her that her guest was already waiting. He guided her to a table where a man was seated. As she approached, she noticed how familiar he was. He was the man sitting beside her on the plane. He stood as she approached.

“Hello, we meet again,” he greeted with a little surprise. “Had I known it was you, I’d have made it sooner.”

“Hi, I’m Caroline Sutherland, you must be Mike Satturby.”

They shook hands and Mike offered her a seat. She smiled, remembering their brief encounter on the plane. A waiter asked for their order and they both asked for coffee.

“I’m sorry about your factory and your employees,” Caroline eyes never left his face.

“My employees?” Mike seemed confused.

“That’s why you postponed isn’t it? Some bum beat up your men?”

“Ha ha, no. That happened weeks ago. The guy washed up ashore some time ago, and apparently, he was trying to find parts to make a radio…,” Mike was saying.

“But you postponed the meeting,” she interrupted.

“No, Jacob did. He said something about you not feeling well and needed time to rest.  Hope you’re feeling better,” he seemed sincere as she looked at her.

“Yes, much better, thank you,” she bit down on her bottom lip, all the while thinking what she would do to Jacob when she next saw him.

Jacob lied to her about the meeting, telling her to relax and enjoy herself. Caroline expelled a breath. Perhaps, he was right. Maybe she did need a break. The truth is, she was more relaxed now than when she arrived, so maybe it was for the best. Still, she would get back at Jacob for his deception, even if he meant well.

“Shall we get started?” she smiled broadly. Mikes eyes softened and held hers for a few minutes.

He cleared his throat, “Sure.”

She noticed throughout the meeting that he kept gazing at her. Sometimes, his eyes lingered on her lips and strayed to her neck. This made her flush a few times. It’s been a while since a man paid her any attention.

Aside from his obvious attraction to her, he was an astute business man. If she wasn’t in love with her dead fiancé, she would have been flattered by his interest. He was tall, about six feet. Quite a handsome face, one you would see as a lead role in a romantic movie. His brown hair was still worrying his forehead and her hand twitched to brush it away. This bothered her. She didn’t know what it was, whether it was the hair or his baby blue eyes that made her feel comfortable with him, but when the meeting ended, she felt disappointed.

“We’ll meet tomorrow and I’ll take you to my small factory. It’s not far from here,” he stretched his hand out and she placed hers in it. His large hand enveloped hers warmly. There was no tingling, no chemistry, just warmth and comfort. “Wear something comfortable,” he added.

“See you tomorrow,” she replied but he was still holding her hand. “My hand back, please?” she chortled.

Inwardly, she cringed at the weird sound that emitted from her. It was closer to a cackle that a normal laugh. The sound was meant to be elegant, if there was such a thing as an elegant laugh; however, she sounded like she was high on something. She hoped Mike didn’t notice, but it didn’t seem that way.

As he left the hotel, she sat in her chair and breathed a heavy sigh. “Oh God, why did I react to him that way?” she lifted a slim hand and raked it through her shimmering golden hair. “Waiter,” she beckoned to the nearest one who quickly came to her rescue. “A glass of red wine please.”

Within a few minutes, she was sipping the smooth, rich, red liquid, the fruity flavor lingering on her tongue. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the mellow flavor of the wine which was like medicine for her mind. Soon, Mike Satturby and her embarrassing laugh flittered away.

After having another glass of wine, she went back to her room which overlooked the beach. Looking at the calm waters, she silently cursed it for being so deceptive. How can something so beautiful be so dangerous?

“How can you take my love away?” she mumbled at the ocean. “How?’

Without thinking, she stepped off the verandah and unto a grassy area that was a small garden, then followed a path towards the sand. As she neared the beach, her heart thudded heavily and fear gripped her, but she continued. On her way there, she passed a man tending the garden a few meters away from her room.

“Ni sa bula”
(hello),
she greeted.

The man, around aged sixty or so, grinned and replied, “Bula.”

She could see far stretches of beach to her left and right, beyond the resort. She picked up a handful of sand and hurled it at the ocean but the breeze brought it back to her face and she closed her eyes.

“I hate you ocean,” she yelled. “I really hate you!” a sob escaped her along with a shot of pain in her chest.

Caroline brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them, resting her chin and closing her eyes. She made a soft groan as another bout of pain pierced her chest. She knew it wasn’t physical, but it was there nonetheless. Every time she thought of her fiancé, she felt it.

Without provocation, all of a sudden, her heart started racing as well as her pulse. This scared her into thinking that something was really wrong with her. She pushed herself up from the sand and was about to turn around when she saw him coming up the beach, the sea breeze whipped his shoulder length hair which glistened in the afternoon sun. He was wearing cutoff jeans and a tattered sleeveless shirt which opened at the front.

She shaded her eyes and tried to get a look at his face but the glare of the sun was too much. Plus, the wind coming off the ocean whipped his hair around his face, obscuring any chance of her seeing it. The wind picked up the shirt and flapped it away from his body. Then, she saw it. The tattoo. Just below his shoulder blade on the flat of his pectoral muscle. There was no mistaking the bright colors of the sun he’d tattooed on himself as the actual sun reflected its bright colors.

“No…no…it can’t be,” a giddy sensation came over her and everything before her started to swim. She felt herself sinking, while the man slowly faded as her eyelids slammed shut.

Caroline awoke with the hotel manager and a man with a stethoscope around his neck looking down at her. The man was seated beside her and holding her wrists. She was back in the hotel room lying on the bed. She tried to get up but the man who appeared to be a doctor urged her to keep still.

“You fainted,” he said. “Please rest some more. Your blood pressure is a little high and your pulse is somewhat erratic.”

“That man…on the beach, who is he?” her voice was hoarse.

“What man?” the manager asked. He walked to the terrace and looked out. The gardener she’d passed was standing a few feet away. “Isa, did you see anyone on the beach?”

“Sega,” (no), he replied. “I didn’t see no one.”

The manager walked back to the bedside, “Was it the gardener you saw?”

Caroline cleared her throat, “No, he was coming towards me. He had long hair and a tattoo.”

“Ma’am, we’ll check into it. In the meantime, you take rest,” the manager said with a sympathetic look.

They think I’m crazy, she thought. She knew what she saw…didn’t she? Was she imagining him? Did she miss Demetri that much that she was seeing things?

“Miss Sutherland, I took the liberty of calling your brother,” the manager was saying.

“What? Why would you do that?” she sat up abruptly and glared at the man who winced at her sudden movement.

“Ma’am, Mr. Jacob is a VIP guest here, and he left specific instructions to keep him informed should anything happen with you.”

“Okay, I’m tired,” she lay back on the pillows and expelled a breath. She closed her eyes, trying to figure out if what she saw was real or just a figment of her imagination.

“I’ll check in on you later,” the doctor informed her and handed her a small white tablet. “This is a mild sedative, it should calm you.”

“Thank you doctor,” she looked at the manager as well. “Thank you.”

She swallowed the pill with some water and closed her eyes once more. The man hovered behind her eyelids for some time. She tried to get a look at his face but could not; however, the tattoo was there, just like the one on her fiancé.

She fell asleep with him etched in her subconscious. In her dreams, the man came closer but his face was still obscured by a bright light. When she tried to talk to him, he ignored her.

“Hello,” she said when he was within a few feet of her. “Hello, who are you?”

The man came closer still, not heeding her question. As he closed the gap to within inches of her, she reached out to touch the tattoo, but he faded in a puff of smoke like magic. Caroline awoke with beads of sweat on her neck and face.

Her dream was even more confusing to her. Was it Demetri, or some other man? Was she seeing things because she’d been thinking of him? She took a bath and was about to order dinner when a knock came at the door.

“Who is it?”

“It’s Mike,” the man’s voice returned.

When she opened the door, he was standing there dressed in beige slacks and a short sleeve brown shirt. He was a welcome sight, being the only one she was acquainted with on the island.

“I heard you weren’t feeling well, so here I am,” he grinned.

“It was nothing. I may have over reacted,” she managed a smile.

“Hungry?” his eyebrows shot up.

“Yes,” she stepped out into the hall and closed the door behind her. “How did you…?” she started to ask but it occurred to her that her brother was the culprit. “Jacob, right?”

“Yes, he called and asked me to check in on his beautiful sister. How could I refuse?”

“This is a set up, isn’t it?” she asked.

“Is it that obvious?” Mike joked.

Somehow, she didn’t feel uncomfortable with Mike. They had dinner together in the garden where there was entertainment. The sun had only just began to set when they sat down at their table. The beautiful hues of bright orange and yellow reflected off the blue-green ocean creating a prismed effect.

As night fell, natives dressed in grass skirts with warrior paint on their faces and brown glistening bodies were the highlight of the evening as they performed what was called a fire lighting ceremony. Caroline’s mouth opened in awe and her eyes were glued to the performances the entire time.

She was grateful for the company of a friend, for that was what Mike felt like to her. When he suggested they take a walk on the beach, she was at first hesitant, but she decided she would not let what happened ruin her evening.

For the first few minutes, she felt weird, but gradually, she began to enjoy the sea breeze. She even allowed herself to walk to the water’s edge and wet her feet. The ocean didn’t seem so bad after all. Mike watched her as she ran back and forth trying to avoid the larger waves. His smile was infectious and she found herself laughing.

“Thank you,” she said to Mike with a smile as she ran from another wave and stopped beside him. “This is what I needed.”

“Then, maybe we should do it again tomorrow,” he suggested, taking her hand.

It felt warm, like when they shook hands before. It felt safe and comfortable. She let him walk with her hand in his and silently thanked her brother for sending Mike to cheer her up.  He said goodnight at her door and she thanked him once more for making her evening special. She knew he wanted to kiss her, but she wasn’t ready for that.

“Let’s do the factory some other time,” he said to her.

“Why, is something wrong?” she asked, concerned. The plan was for her to visit the factory to do an assessment the following day.

“No, everything is fine. I just need to take care of a shipment and I’ll see you in the evening,” he reached a hand up and stroked her hair, much like the way her fiancé used to.

“Okay, goodnight,” she said quietly.

“Goodnight,” he replied in a low tone and walked away.