Page 31 of SEAL's Promise
“You won’t need a gym membership,” Jesse said.
“Why not?”
“Fortress has a gym on site for employees.”
She stared at the medic. Was he nuts? She couldn’t go in there. “The operatives use that gym.”
“So?”
“I’m not an athlete. I refuse to embarrass myself on a treadmill beside men and women who run 5 miles without breaking a sweat.” The thought of Cal watching her stagger through a mile or two made her flinch. She hated to run, and it showed.
Jackson smiled. “Operatives won’t notice. When Eli runs us through PT, we’re focused on survival.”
Amy tilted her head. “He seems like a southern charmer, not a drill sergeant.”
“Eli is a southern gentleman except in training when he’s tough as nails and a hundred times meaner than a drill sergeant.”
Surprised, Rachelle looked at Jesse for confirmation. From her observations of Eli and Jon, Eli was the gentler of the two men. Ice seemed to run through Jon’s veins instead of blood. Even his face didn’t show much emotion, unlike Eli. Wolf Pack’s leader possessed a great sense of humor.
Jesse grunted. “He’s right. Don’t let Wolfe fool you. He’s just as dangerous as Jon, maybe more so, because you don’t expect him to pull the trigger.”
Wow. Good to know. She turned to Amy. “Do you need anything? Water, soft drink, snack?”
“I’m fine.” Her friend smiled, mischief temporarily displacing the worry for Eric in her eyes. “I’m sure your handsome friend misses you.”
Rachelle’s cheeks burned. “He and the others are working on safety plans. I doubt Cal noticed I’m not in the main cabin.”
Jackson snorted. “He knows.”
Although she didn’t argue the point, Rachelle didn’t believe him. Cal appeared engrossed in the security planning.
Jesse inclined his head toward the door. “If you don’t return soon, he’ll look for you.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t think so.”
The medic’s lips curved. “Haven’t you noticed the protective streak of Fortress operatives? Cal Taylor is a protector at heart. He notices everything about you.”
“We’re friends.” Although her heart said otherwise. “We get coffee together when he’s in town.” Not as often as she wanted. Once Cal signed on full-time with Fortress and trained at PSI for a few weeks, Brent had frequently assigned him to missions.
“Open your eyes, lady. Based on what I’ve seen on this mission, the connection goes deeper than infrequent coffee dates.” He opened the door to the main cabin and nudged Rachelle into the aisle.
Her gaze sought out Cal. Were Jackson and Jesse right? She’d been crazy about the Navy SEAL since she met him.
The operative rose in the middle of the discussion and walked to her. “Everything okay?” he murmured as he reached for her hand and threaded his fingers through hers.
“Eric is sleeping.”
He studied her expression a moment. “Are the medics worried?”
She shook her head.
“If Eric’s not worrying you, what is?”
She grimaced. “I’m that transparent?”
“We’re friends.”
Her heart sank. Friends? She didn’t want a friends-only relationship with Cal. After squeezing his fingers, Rachelle released him. “Go back to your meeting. I hear Eli is a hard taskmaster.”