Reminding The SEAL (Navy SEAL Military Romance) (2 page)

“I have a client I want you to meet with,” he replied.

“Why me?” she asked. She’d worked with him before in an acquisition, being that she was a Business Consultant. “Are you expanding?”

“Why not you? You are the best and I’d rather you do it than someone else,” he stated succinctly. “And yes, I’m considering a merger.”

Caroline sighed. She wasn’t in the mood to meet some client and discuss business. Her heart was still broken from the death of her fiancé and everyone around acted as if life went on as usual.
Life didn’t go on as usual! The sun should not be shining
, she wanted to scream.
Why did the sun have to come out today
? She almost blurted out.

“I really need you Goldie,” her brother reached a hand and placed it on hers, squeezing it slightly.

Caroline raised her eyes and connected with his. She relaxed her shoulders and her rising frustration melted. How could she refuse her brother when he needed her help? He had always been there for her, so it was her turn. Still, she wasn’t ready to face anyone just yet, let alone a client.

“I don’t know Jacob,” she winced. “I don’t think I can.”

“You owe me,” he said. “This is for me kissing your Barbie’s butt, and we call it even.”

Her eyes widened, “Are you still upset about that?”

“She made you what?” Adam’s raucous laugh filled the dining room. Even their parents burst out laughing as well. Caroline could not help giggling at the memory and the look on Jacob’s face at that moment.

“It’s not funny,” he protested, but she could see him trying to suppress his own laughter.

“Okay,” she relented. “I’ll meet your associate.”

“Promise me you won’t back out,” Jacob warned. “Come, let’s spit promise.” he opened his palm as if to spit on it.

“You’re gross. We’re not kids anymore,” she shoved him playfully with her shoulders.

“Okay, maybe no spit, but let’s shake on it,” he stretched his hand out and she took it. As she did, she could see a glint in his eyes. He was hiding something, she knew him well.

“When is this meeting?” she inquired, still holding his gaze, trying to figure out what Jacob was up to.

“In two days,” he informed her. She dropped his hand and picked up her orange juice. “In Viti Levu, Fiji,” he added.

Caroline almost choked, “What? You never said…,” she started but he interrupted her.

“You promised! Didn’t she promise?” he looked around the table at the others. “Didn’t she?”

“Yes, she did,” everyone chorused.

“You tricked me, you scoundrel!” she made after Jacob, but he quickly pulled his chair back and bolted from the table.

Caroline felt the blood began to circulate through her as she chased her brother around the room. She felt like a child again having fun with her siblings. A rush of adrenaline flooded her veins as laughter emanated from her for the first time in a month.

Out of breath, she leaned against the wall and twisted her lips in mock anger, “I’ll get you for this.”

Chapter Two

For the first time in a month, Caroline didn’t feel like she was going to die. She didn’t feel quite normal just yet, but what she felt wasn’t despair either. Everything seemed strange to her, but she was communicating with her family and it felt right. Going on this business trip may just be the thing she needed, she thought. She had a feeling that this short business trip was going to turn out to be something special. She could not put her finger on it as to why, but she was anxious to get to Fiji.

After breakfast, Jacob discussed with her the details of the deal merger. He was acquiring a small centrifuge manufacturer to expand Golden Medical Equipment. Yes, he’d named the company after his sister’s nickname. She had insisted he used Golden instead of Goldie. He handed her the file and told her to do as she saw fit with the information.

She spent the rest of the morning going through the company file and making notes. She skipped lunch, after having a hearty breakfast, and made her way up to her room to pack since she was leaving the following morning. According to Jacob, she would be there no longer than a week, so she packed accordingly.

“I hope this deal closes quickly,” she muttered to herself.

Caroline made mental notes of what she needed to add to her itinerary. She’d have to visit the factory to see how they handled their facility and assess the company. Maybe work would take her mind off things for a while. She recalled her conversation with Jacob in their little meeting after breakfast.

“Demetri would not want you doing this to yourself, Goldie,” Jacob took both her hands and looked into her eyes. “You know that, right?” A lump had risen to her throat and she swallowed hard, unable to answer. She nodded instead. “Now, you need to start taking care of yourself for his sake; moreover, there’re still a chance he may be out there somewhere.”

“You think so, Jacob?” a flicker of hope registered in her eyes. “His body was never found.”

“Anything is possible, Caroline. I’m not saying you should start a search, all I’m saying is that you can’t allow yourself to wither away like this. Demetri wouldn’t want that.”

“Okay, you’re right. It would be impossible for him to survive in the middle of the South Pacific for so long with no food, water, or vessel. Moreover, if the Navy can’t find him, there is no way I can.”

She recalled the day she got the news. Being that his parents were deceased, she was the one he’d given as his next of kin. It was a Tuesday afternoon in late May, almost five weeks ago. She was finalizing the venue for the reception and was on her way out to make the down payment when the doorbell rang. Thinking it was the wedding planner, she rushed to open it.

Standing on the portico were four uniformed officers. Though they showed no signs of emotions on their faces, she knew that something was terribly wrong. She’d heard stories of this kind of visit and had dreaded the day that this would happen to her.

“Can I help you?” she managed to keep her voice steady.

“Hello ma’am,” the Naval Officer greeted. “I have been asked to inform you….,” the one in front started to speak.

“Please come in,” she interrupted, her voice shook a little.

She stepped aside and allowed them to pass. The officer who had started speaking looked at the others who nodded their agreement. They filed in one behind the other and waited for her to guide them into the drawing room where she offered them a seat. By this time, she was feeling weak to the knees and she needed to do something to gather her wits.

“May I offer you some coffee,
please
?”

The tall man with the dark hair and brown eyes may have seen her plea. “Thank you ma’am.”

She left them for a few minutes to get the coffee on. While in the kitchen, she took a deep breath. The maid, Rosa, was preparing lunch and was surprised to see her.

“Miss Caroline, let me get that,” she offered to do the coffee but Caroline stopped her. She needed to gather her strength for whatever was to come.

“No Rosa, it’s fine. Gracias,” she smiled at the petit olive-complexioned woman.

With the coffee ready, she went back to the drawing room. They were all standing, waiting for her return. She knew it was inevitable. They had to deliver the news, but she wasn’t ready.

“Is there anyone home with you ma’am?” the primary officer asked.

“I…my mother should be back at any moment,” she croaked. Her head had started to spin and she felt like she was sinking in a whirlpool.

A moment later, she heard the front door open and close, and her mother’s voice. “Caroline, is that…?” Madelyn’s question was cut off in midsentence when she entered the room. She rushed to her daughter’s side and looked from one uniformed navy man to the other. “What’s happening?”

“Ma’am, I am here to inform you that you fiancé,” he was looking directly at Caroline, “has been reported dead…,” everything went black from that moment for Caroline.

She awoke to find her mother hovering over her and Adam checking her pulse. The uniformed men were standing to the side, looking on sympathetically. It took a moment for her to remember who they were and why they were there.

“We’re fine now officers. Thank you,” Madelyn’s voice seemed far away as she spoke to the men who made their exit.

Silently, Caroline lifted her weak limbs from the sofa. Like a zombie, she walked to the stairs and climbed them. Her body felt numb and her mind went blank. A sort of exhaustion overtook her, and all she wanted to do was lie down. She awoke sometime later and bounded down the stairs. Madelyn was in the drawing room with their father.

“Oh my God, what time is it?” she shrieked.

“What’s the matter dear?” her mother moved towards her, concern etched on her face.

“The ballroom, I have to make the down payment today. Where are my car keys?”

“Honey, you don’t’ remember?”

“Remember? Yes, I booked the hall. Demetri is going to love it!”

“Caroline,” Madelyn took her hand and tried to lead her to the sofa.

“No Mom, I’ve got to get to the hotel and finalize this, or I lose the date,” she pulled away. “I can’t lose the date now. There are no other venues for that date!”

“Caroline, there’ll be no wedding,” her mother said sadly.

“What are you talking about?” her voice raised notch.

“Honey, the officers from today, remember they said that Demetri is dead?”

“No, that’s not true. How can you say that mom?” she backed away.

Madelyn looked at her husband with a worried expression. She took Caroline’s hand and tried to reason with her. “Honey, come sit a while. Your father will take care of the venue. He will make the call for you,” she cajoled.

It took a few minutes to get Caroline calm enough to follow her to the sofa. Madelyn called Rosa to bring some chamomile tea and it took another great effort for Madelyn to get her to have it.  After two cups of the herbal tea, Caroline excused herself and went to her room. At dinner time, when her mother checked on her, she was fast asleep.

She shook her head to get rid of that day from her mind, but no matter how hard she tried, it kept coming back to her. It was a day she could not forget. It was the worse day of her life. She went back to packing for her trip. Briefly, she wondered if her father had really booked the hall.

“No, he must have cancelled it,” she muttered. A wave of anger flushed her skin. “How could they stop everything just like that? No, they’re right.”

Deep down, she wanted everything to be as it was before that day. She wanted to continue planning her wedding. She wanted Demetri to walk through the door and envelop her in his strong muscular arms the way he usually does. He was over six feet and he would lift her small five feet, five inches frame so easily, and twirl her around. Then, he would cup her face and press his full sensuous lips to her soft ones.

A ripple of excitement coursed through her at the thought of his lips on hers. She couldn’t help thinking of his hard body against hers, especially the first time they made love. It was her first time, and he, for such a huge guy, was surprisingly gentle.

He’d come home for a one week break before going off again on some covert mission. They’d been dating for two years and never passed second base. She was determined to make it happen that week, so she planned a trip to Las Vegas and then to San Jose.  They spent only one night in Las Vegas before going to a beach resort in San Jose where they spent most of their time taking strolls or sunbathing.

It was a cool night in late October when they decided to have a private picnic on a secluded beach. They built a fire and made smores, had wine coolers and counted the stars. When she began peeling off her tank top and shorts, Demetri looked at her with eyes wide.

“I want to take a swim,” she informed him, looking at him with smoky eyes.

He’d never seen her fully naked before and she was nervous about how she may appear before him. Her breasts were not as big as she wished them to be. She’d been often told that blonds have big boobs, but that wasn’t true for her. She had a slender waist and a slight outward curve to her hips. Her slender legs were toned and her belly as flat as a pancake.

Demetri joined her in the water. “You’re crazy,” he chuckled.

“Aren’t we all?” she laughed and splashed him. They swam for about fifteen minutes when he caught her and pulled her close.

“You’re driving
me
crazy,” his voice was hoarse as he said it.

His hazel eyes had a weird glint in them. She moved closer to him, and in the water, she could feel his manhood sticking out. She ran her soft hands along his shoulders and down his chest. That’s when she noticed his tattoo. Before she could ask him about it, he pulled her up against him, the cool water lapping against them. He crushed her lips in an ardent kiss and held her tightly. That’s when she knew he truly desired her. She heard him growl deep in his throat as her breasts rubbed against his smooth chest and her pelvis pressed into him. She had no idea what she was doing, but from his reaction, she figured she was doing something right.

A knock at her bedroom door brought her out of her reverie. Caroline couldn’t believe how vivid the memory was. Her whole body tingled as she moved to open the door. Her brother Jacob was standing there, grinning from ear to ear with one hand behind his back.

“What’s so funny?” she asked.

With a sly grin, Jacob pulled his hand from behind and held up an old Barbie with a naked butt. “This!” he declared.

“Oh God, Jacob, you’re bringing that up again?” she groaned.

He stepped into the room. “Just in case you forget you owe me,” he looked at her packed suitcase. “Are you ready?”

“Yes, I’m all set,” she replied, though she wasn’t feeling very confident.

“Okay, I’ll just leave this here,” he placed the doll on the bureau. “Seriously, are you alright?”

“I really miss him,” her voice was quiet.

Jacob engulfed her in a bear hug, “I’m sorry I could not be here when you got the news. I really wanted to be here. I’m sorry I had to spring this deal on you now, but it might do you some good to get your mind off of things.”

“I know,” she reassured him.

“I’ll join you in a few days in Fiji, and we can spend some quality time together after the deal,” he told her. “How about that?”

“That would be great.”

“Your plane leaves at seven in the morning. I’ll drop you at the airport,” they pulled apart and he walked to the door. “If you need anything more, let me know.”

After Jacob left, Caroline finished packing and spent the next few hours studying the company files more closely. She was rusty, not having worked for over a month. She didn’t want to go into the meeting unprepared and looking like an amateur. She took only a salad with chicken breast for dinner and went to bed around nine. Truth be told, she was nervous about this trip.