The SEAL's Instant Family - Leslie North Page 0,2

the shadows. The figure was not what he’d expected. Tall and curvy, the dip of her waist a defined valley between bust and hips. And he caught the faint whiff of perfume, fresh violet.

A woman? The realization made him hesitate. He’d have had a man on the floor in no time, but…

“What are you doing here?” The voice was feminine, pitched low and threatening. Kenton would be impressed with her bravery if he weren’t so damn annoyed to find someone in his house.

“This is my house,” he ground out. The dog retreated from him and went to her. “What the hell are you doing here?”

No answer came, but a blast of light from overhead illuminated the space. She’d flipped on the old fluorescent bulb that hung above them.

“Holy hell,” he said under his breath when he caught sight of her.

She was gorgeous. Gold streaked her dark blonde hair, and her eyes were green like summertime leaves. A smattering of freckles covered her nose and cheekbones. And her mouth was a lush, deep pink, inviting and teasing his imagination. He hadn’t been wrong about the curves, either. The swell of her chest beneath her tight-fitting shirt sparked a thirst within him that only seemed to grow as his eyes slid over her hips and down her long legs. The black leggings she wore hid nothing.

She wasn’t eye level with him—few women were—but she was taller than average. The fleeting thought that she’d fit just right against his large frame came and went in his brain in the split second they evaluated each other.

Her chin came up, a look of challenge on her face, and she continued to hold the bat clutched in front of her, long lashes blinking over her eyes. He needed to speak, but he was still drowning in the sight of her.

Her lips parted, and before she could speak, the sharp cry of a child came from overhead. A kid? There was an unknown woman, a dog, and a kid in his house? What alternate universe had he walked into?

“Oh, damn,” she muttered.

2

“Sorry,” Mia said.

She had recognized his face as soon as the light came on. Kenton Fitzpatrick, the home’s owner. Pictures of him with his family or other men dressed in uniform lined the mantel. She’d studied those pictures, adored those pictures, and dreamed of having his tall, built frame around hers on more than one occasion. And the photos hadn’t lied, he was all muscle with high cheekbones and a sharp jaw.

Dark hair, intense eyes, tanned skin, and the shadow of stubble—the man was a heartbreaker. No doubt about it.

His imposing attitude didn’t detract, even a little bit, from his sensual, masculine persona. Except he looked confounded and pissed at the moment, since he was probably completely unaware that she was… well… living in his house.

She lowered the baseball bat, no longer worried about defending herself and her nieces, and grabbed for Eliot’s collar. Tension still coiled through the dog, making it hard for her to drag him away from Kenton.

“Come on, Eliot. Be a good boy,” Mia pleaded. The chocolate lab mix was usually the perfect family pet. Lovable and happy. But he didn’t like anyone he perceived as a threat to her or the girls. An unknown man entering the house after dark was definitely more than he could handle. Mia gave another yank on his collar. “Down, Eliot. It’s okay.”

“I’m glad you think it’s okay,” Kenton said, his hands going to his hips. “From where I’m standing, someone has invaded my house.”

“Right. About that…” She trailed off as she struggled with Eliot and with how to explain her presence in Kenton’s beautiful home. Another piercing cry from upstairs cut through the air. Most likely Emma. She’d been unsettled all evening, so much so that Mia had been reluctant to put her in the room she shared with Ava, who was the quiet, calm twin. Emma, bless her little heart, was more demanding of attention. But Mia had thought she was tired enough to sleep. Eliot’s barking must have woken her.

Mia felt torn between dealing with the dog, explaining her presence to her unexpected visitor, and racing up the stairs to comfort Emma before she woke her sister. She was on the verge of sprinting away when Kenton barked out a sharp command. She didn’t recognize the language it was given in, but it had the immediate effect of making Eliot sit down and Emma stop crying.

What kind of wonder was this? Even Mia