Top Dog

She looked at me and a smile spread across her face. “I don’t need it Reed, I have you and Jr. That’s enough for me.”

I knew that I was the luckiest man in the world; luckier than I deserved to be.

“I have a surprise for you,” I told her, reaching into the drawer of the night stand and pulling out some legal papers. I handed them to her and watched her face as she read them.

“Are these real?” she asked, tears springing to her eyes.

“They’re real,” I assured her.

I had purchased a gallery just for Bella to showcase her work and set aside a hefty sum of money for scholarships for local kids to be able to attend art schoo, and I’d put it all in her name.

“No one besides my mother has ever believed in me like this,” she said, wiping at her tears.

“Well, I do. I love you, Bella.”

And just like that, all was right in my world.

The End

ROCK HARD SEAL

A Navy Seal & A Virgin Romance

CHAPTER ONE –ABIGAIL

“Hold on to your panties! This trip will be one to remember, and if all goes as planned you’re going to come back a whole new woman, Abigail Carter. I can promise you that. Heck you’ll probably have a hard time even walking straight after Madrid is through with you.”

“Stop it, Libby.” A blush stained my cheeks when I looked over my shoulder to make sure no one around us had overheard. Luckily, the lunch crowd was loud enough to drown out most of our conversation. I turned back to look at Libby who shrugged her tanned shoulders. “What is wrong with you? Don’t say things like that out loud. You never know who's listening to us.”

Libby rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Chillax’ girl! I think your Dad has made you a bit too paranoid and sheltered from all those bodyguards with sticks up their you know what. I’m just saying I want you to prepare yourself to let loose for once in y

our life and what better time than this trip to Madrid with your best friend?” Libby asked. She grinned at me. “Think of it this way. This trip is your first real trip unsupervised. We are going to have a damn good time, Abi. I’m telling you.”

“I have no doubts that we will,” I replied with a grin. Excitement bubbled inside of me just thinking of it. Ever since I was five, I could remember a bodyguard always walking alongside me. Having a Dad who prosecuted terrorists on behalf of the United States government had a tendency to attract threats. Being the protective man my had always been, he took no chances when it came to the safety of my Mom and I. The bodyguards were always there.

It wasn’t until I hit college that I realized, with aggravation, that most of these guards had a tendency to relay information about every small detail of my life back to my Dad. It made dating a bit complicated, since most of the male population at Harvard knew exactly who my Dad was. From day one, guys were terrified to even go anywhere near me. The burly and big muscled bodyguards didn’t exactly make for attractive accessories for a petite gal like myself to flaunt around. All I’ve ever wanted was to be normal for a change.

Don’t get me wrong. I was always grateful for the hard work my Dad put into his career and constant efforts to ensure the safety and security of Mom and me; though, I would have given anything to just breathe a little. Growing up, that never really happened for me.

Not this time though. A jittery feeling filled me thinking of it. This time, I was on my own finally. It was liberating.

“Our postponed spring break,” Libby said, taking a sip of water. “At least we can do this before our jobs start up here in Manhattan.”

“Thankfully,” I said. “I know my Dad too. He’ll give me cases that keep me too occupied to think of anything else.”

“That’s why I’m telling you we are going to find a sexy Spanish man to please you over the next three months.” Libby sighed dreamily as she twirled a golden curl around her finger. “Three months in Spain is terribly romantic. Maybe I’ll find a Spanish lover too. Oh… what if we found brothers? How cool would that be?”

“You will, but who knows about me. We know I’m not exactly a natural,” I said and gave Libby an envious look. She had killer tanned legs, long blonde curls, and looked fresh and put together no matter what time of the day it was. “You won’t have any problems attracting a Spanish man or any man for that matter. You don’t have problems in that department at all.”

“Neither do you,” Libby said. “You’re gorgeous, Abi. They are going to eat you up over there. Literally!!” Her laugh was contagious, but it was lost on me. My thought threatened to consume me.

I played with the ends of my hair nervously. I was the only one out of my circle of friends who had zero experience when it came to men. The last guy I had kissed was after a study session for my English Lit sophomore final. Naturally, the bodyguard at the time who followed me around reported that back to my parents. It was the awkward lecture afterward that deterred me from ever trying something again, though I thought about it all of the time.

And now, at twenty-two years old, I was still a virgin and fucking terrified of sex. The only things I’d been exposed to came from living vicariously through Libby who gladly filled me in on tricks and such.

I longed for it though— desperately. I was such a romantic nerd when it came to imagining my first time. Maybe on a bed covered in rose petals? I shook my head at the ridiculous thought. That wasn’t real. Most men, according to Libby, would do it anywhere you offered it. A bathroom? A closet? The back of a movie theater? Done.

I smirked at the thought. What would it be like to give myself over to the heat of passion? Not giving two shits about where we were because I absolutely had to have him and he wasn’t willing to take no for an answer? My pulse sped up at the very thought.