Protecting Alabama (SEAL of Protection Book 2) by Susan Stoker Page A
Authors: Susan Stoker
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nod, he held her eyes for a moment then leaned forward and brushed his lips over her eyebrows, then her nose, then finally her lips. He didn’t linger, but nipped her bottom lip gently once, and drew back. “You’re the bravest person I’ve ever met. Come on; let’s go in before you have a heart attack.”
Alabama could feel her heart beating double time in her chest. She was nervous, but having Christopher there helped. She wanted his friends to like her, but she didn’t really know how to make friends. She wasn’t good at it.
They walked toward a large table in the back of the room. There were a group of people already seated and laughing together.
There was a pretty waitress standing at the table taking drink orders. She was about normal height and was wearing a pair of sneakers, unlike the other waitresses who were all wearing high heels. She also stood out from the other servers in the bar because she was wearing a modest tank top and a pair of jeans, instead of a skimpy shirt and a mini-skirt. Her attire did nothing to distract from how pretty she was.
She had long black hair which was pulled back into a braid that ended midway down her back. She finished up taking everyone’s drink order as they arrived at the table.
“Hey! You got here just in time, what can I get you from the bar?”
The nametag on the waitress’ tag read, ‘Jess.’
Abe turned to Alabama and gestured for her to order.
“Coke please,” Alabama said softly.
Christopher squeezed her hand to reassure her and Alabama tried to relax. “Hey, Jess. I’ll take whatever you have on tap tonight.” It was obvious Christopher knew the waitress, probably because the group of friends came to the bar frequently.
“No problem. I’ll be back soon,” Jess said in a confident voice.
Alabama watched as the waitress limped away from the table. She had just a second to wonder what was wrong with the pretty waitress before Christopher put his hand on the small of her back and turned her to the table.
Alabama looked up to see that everyone was looking at them. She gripped Christopher’s hand as if it was the only thing keeping her above water.
“Hey guys,” Abe said easily. “This is Alabama. She’s nervous to meet all of you, so go easy all right?” He said it lightly, but there was steel running through his words.
He’d had a talk with his team that day and they all knew how shy Alabama was, just as they knew how important she was to Abe. Abe had also told them a little of her childhood and they’d all been taken aback. They all knew such abuses happened all the time, but they hated it’d happened to someone who was so obviously important to their teammate.
Finding a good woman was new to the team. They’d all been there when Caroline had almost died at the hands of terrorists and had seen how hard Wolf had struggled to finally get the nerve to claim her.
None of them would admit it, but they were all a bit jealous. Seeing the close relationship they shared had finally brought home to them all how meaningless their one night stands were. They were all itching to find someone for their own, and it looked like Abe just might be the next in line to find a woman for himself.
Tamping down the impulse to look around the room, Alabama gripped Christopher’s hand so hard she knew he’d have indentations from her fingernails, and simply said, “Hi.”
“Hey, Alabama, glad you could make it,” said a gorgeous man who’d stood as they’d arrived. The other men also added their greetings and Christopher led her to a seat at the end of the table against the wall. He waited until she was seated and then settled next to her. He put his arm on the back of her chair and leaned in.
“Okay, sweet?”
Alabama looked at Christopher and nodded. He really was a good guy. She vaguely noticed how all the men were seated in such a way that they could see the rest of the room. Obviously they all felt the same way Christopher did about putting
Alabama could feel her heart beating double time in her chest. She was nervous, but having Christopher there helped. She wanted his friends to like her, but she didn’t really know how to make friends. She wasn’t good at it.
They walked toward a large table in the back of the room. There were a group of people already seated and laughing together.
There was a pretty waitress standing at the table taking drink orders. She was about normal height and was wearing a pair of sneakers, unlike the other waitresses who were all wearing high heels. She also stood out from the other servers in the bar because she was wearing a modest tank top and a pair of jeans, instead of a skimpy shirt and a mini-skirt. Her attire did nothing to distract from how pretty she was.
She had long black hair which was pulled back into a braid that ended midway down her back. She finished up taking everyone’s drink order as they arrived at the table.
“Hey! You got here just in time, what can I get you from the bar?”
The nametag on the waitress’ tag read, ‘Jess.’
Abe turned to Alabama and gestured for her to order.
“Coke please,” Alabama said softly.
Christopher squeezed her hand to reassure her and Alabama tried to relax. “Hey, Jess. I’ll take whatever you have on tap tonight.” It was obvious Christopher knew the waitress, probably because the group of friends came to the bar frequently.
“No problem. I’ll be back soon,” Jess said in a confident voice.
Alabama watched as the waitress limped away from the table. She had just a second to wonder what was wrong with the pretty waitress before Christopher put his hand on the small of her back and turned her to the table.
Alabama looked up to see that everyone was looking at them. She gripped Christopher’s hand as if it was the only thing keeping her above water.
“Hey guys,” Abe said easily. “This is Alabama. She’s nervous to meet all of you, so go easy all right?” He said it lightly, but there was steel running through his words.
He’d had a talk with his team that day and they all knew how shy Alabama was, just as they knew how important she was to Abe. Abe had also told them a little of her childhood and they’d all been taken aback. They all knew such abuses happened all the time, but they hated it’d happened to someone who was so obviously important to their teammate.
Finding a good woman was new to the team. They’d all been there when Caroline had almost died at the hands of terrorists and had seen how hard Wolf had struggled to finally get the nerve to claim her.
None of them would admit it, but they were all a bit jealous. Seeing the close relationship they shared had finally brought home to them all how meaningless their one night stands were. They were all itching to find someone for their own, and it looked like Abe just might be the next in line to find a woman for himself.
Tamping down the impulse to look around the room, Alabama gripped Christopher’s hand so hard she knew he’d have indentations from her fingernails, and simply said, “Hi.”
“Hey, Alabama, glad you could make it,” said a gorgeous man who’d stood as they’d arrived. The other men also added their greetings and Christopher led her to a seat at the end of the table against the wall. He waited until she was seated and then settled next to her. He put his arm on the back of her chair and leaned in.
“Okay, sweet?”
Alabama looked at Christopher and nodded. He really was a good guy. She vaguely noticed how all the men were seated in such a way that they could see the rest of the room. Obviously they all felt the same way Christopher did about putting
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