Read A SEAL's Pleasure for Free Online

to a single element, Gabriel figured.
    â€œWe should rescue him,” Mitch said, starting to rise.
    â€œNah.” Gabriel shook his head before Mitch could get to his feet. “It’ll be good for him. A guy needs to push his comfort zone now and then.”
    â€œShe might suck the comfort right out of him,” Mitch muttered with a worried frown.
    â€œSome women do that,” Gabriel mused, his gaze cutting across the room to lock on Tessa again.
    She was so damned sexy, her smile wide and bright in a way it never was when she looked at him.
    Time to change the game, he decided.
    He’d played it with amused distance already, and all that’d done was let her get a hold somewhere in the back of his mind.
    As he listened with half an ear to Mitch talking, he realized that since Tessa was like no woman he’d ever known before, he’d have to take a different approach in dealing with her.
    He was simply going to have to pursue her. That he’d have her went without question, since it was obviously the only way he’d get her out of his system.
    He was a man who knew how to strategize, how to plan and how to win.
    And he never, ever gave up.
    Since Tessa wasn’t on board with his plan, he’d see her as a mission.
    A target to be assessed, evaluated and overcome.
    He’d figure her out.
    He’d have her—on his terms.
    Then he’d do what he always did.
    Walk away, leaving both of them satisfied.

3
    T ESSA DIDN ’ T CHECK to see if Gabriel was looking her way. She didn’t have to. She knew his eyes were locked on her. She felt the heat of his interest all the way to her belly, where desire curled, unwanted, in a tightly coiled fire just waiting to explode.
    Ignoring the edgy call of desire, she smiled and dished out friendly greetings and easy small talk as she worked the room. This was what she did. Socialized, flitted and fluttered, leaving a trail of lust and smiles behind. And if she did it with a little stress still weighing her down, well, hey, nobody else had to know that.
    Not that anyone would. Nobody ever looked deep enough to see more than the outer package anyway.
    Except Livi.
    Still, Tessa gave it her best shot by amping up her smile and focusing on keeping her body at ease as she slid into the chair next to her best friend.
    â€œHey, you,” Livi greeted. “I was starting to wonder where you were. Pauline was talking about sending out a search party but I convinced her to wait until appetizers.”
    â€œThanks for saving me that.” Tessa pulled a face at the idea of Livi’s über–control freak of a mother coming in search of her. She wasn’t sure if that would have been better or worse than Romeo.
    â€œChampagne?” a waiter offered.
    After a quick glance at the glass, Tessa gestured to Livi’s flute of sparkling cider.
    â€œI’ll have what she’s having,” she decided, giving him a warm smile that almost made him fumble the tray.
    â€œWhat’s wrong?” Livi asked, her brows drawing together.
    â€œWrong? Why is it wrong that I’m keeping my pregnant friend company in her drinking choices?” Tessa said with a shrug.
    That sounded much better than admitting that she couldn’t quite bring herself to celebrate what she was sure was going to be a painful mistake on Livi’s part. Marriage itself was bad enough. But marriage because she was pregnant? To a military guy?
    â€œSince when do you drink the same thing I do? You’re upset. I can tell,” Livi said with a worried frown. Then her gaze slid past Tessa, the striking blonde’s eyes sharpening a little. Tessa didn’t need to turn around to know that her friend had just spotted the reason for her irritation.
    â€œAre you and Gabriel at it again?” Livi asked, her frown deepening as she shook her head. “I don’t get it. I’ve never seen anyone argue with Gabriel except