Take a Chance on Me: SEALs at Camp Firefly Falls, #2

By Zoe York

Navy SEAL Grady Mills has returned to summer camp intent on winning back a certain sexy news producer with whom he shared a secret one night stand—and then a single scorching phone call that ended with a promise to stay in touch. A promise he promptly broke.

Priya Mattu knows better than to trust Grady's significant charms. But when he shows up on her cabin doorstep, crashing her solo week at Camp Firefly Falls' Back to Nature retreat, she can't help but remember how good it had been between them. Plus she'd be silly to turn away big, strong, backpack-carrying company on the long daily hikes—and the hot summer nights, too.

This lighthearted, sexy romance is a standalone story in the Camp Firefly Falls world. Readers previously met Grady and Priya in Skinny Dipping Dare (Wyatt and Tegan's book).

• Language: English
• Publisher: Zoe York
• Release date: Oct 13, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386860952

Zoe York

Zoe York lives in London, Ontario with her young family. She has an English degree and works at a university, so it was probably a foregone conclusion that she’d write a romance novel one day. What Once Was Perfect is her debut novel.  

Book preview

Chapter 1

Grady knew there was a solid chance Priya would slam the door in his face when he arrived at Camp Firefly Falls unannounced.

He was not wrong.

The feisty news producer took one look at him—wind-burned, with three days of facial hair and a filthy gleam in his eye—and let go of the wood frame with a healthy amount of hell-no enthusiasm.

Unfortunately for her, it was just a screen door and he could still see her.

You cut your hair, he said gruffly.

She crossed her arms and glowered at him.

"It looks great. You look great." He meant it. It had been nearly a year since he’d seen her in person, here at camp. Where they’d met and bonded and fought and fucked.

He watched her on TV every chance he got, though.

And they’d had that one late-night phone call.

He regularly enjoyed a mental replay of that.

I bet you’re wondering what I’m doing here, he said, giving her a winning smile.

Not in the least, she said frostily, pulling the door open again. But instead of letting him enter her—their—cabin, she came out to stand on the porch. You’re camp alumni. I bet you’ll come back every year to relive your glory days.

That wasn’t the reason at all, and she knew it. I’m here for you.

She laughed and stepped around him. Nice try, Grady.

Then she walked away.

Oh, hell no.

But Grady’s internal protest didn’t stop him from checking her out as she stormed off. Dark, glossy hair, now chopped to her shoulders. Slim arms, churning in outrage. A curvy bottom he could still feel in his hands, a year later.

She really did look great.

He had a lot of work to do to get back into her good graces.

Priya’s heart pounded in her chest as she marched down the path toward the main lodge.

No, seriously, what was he doing here? She’d double-checked with Tegan that…

She slowed to a stop, then twisted around, her leading hand thumping into the Navy SEAL’s hard, unyielding chest. Of course he was right behind her.

She jerked her chin up—way up—and glared at him in all his handsome, unabashed glory. You set this up.

I’m afraid so.

I’m going to kill her.

Nah, don’t do that. I’ll sleep on the porch if you insist.

The porch— Grady, tell me you have your own bunk in a boys’ cabin somewhere.

Camp’s full up, I’m afraid. He grinned. But I hear you’ve got a cabin all to yourself this week. What’s that all about?

None of your business.

Mental health break?

More like a physical health break. I’m on vacation.

And you came back to where we met.

She laughed. Also known as a fun resort where I had a good time with two of my girlfriends last year.

And an even better time with a certain sexy sailor… He flashed her a rakish smile. He wasn’t wrong. Their secret hook-up had been spectacular. But it had also been a mistake, one she had no intention of making again.

I remember splinters? She screwed up her face in thought. And it was over pretty fast, too.

I made you whimper my name for hours, he said, lowering his voice to a threatening burr. "Hours."

She ignored the thrill that danced through her at the private tone. Minutes. And it was more of a giving instructions situation.

"Like, ‘more, Grady, yes, Grady, oh my God—‘"

Grady! She clapped her hand over his mouth.

He licked her.

She squealed and pulled her hand back.

Yeah, I remember that sound, too. He leaned right in. Not touching her, but…close. And I want to hear it again.

No.

Why not?

Because it’s been a year. And that’s too long. So…no. Unexpected heat prickled behind her eyelids and she spun around again. Nope. Not crying over a one-night-stand that wouldn’t be repeated.

Did phone sex count as a repeat? Okay, a one-night-stand and a follow-up-phone-call, neither of which would be repeated.

I missed you, he said from behind her. I know that’s not enough, but—

She nodded definitively, feeling his eyes boring into the back of her head. It’s not. So…I don’t know what you and Tegan thought would happen, but I’m going in search of a Lake Waawaatesi Iced Tea, and I’d prefer you not follow me.

She didn’t get far before he called out to her. You didn’t tell her about us.

Tegan? No, she hadn’t told her best friend that Tegan wasn’t the only person to hook-up with a Navy SEAL last summer. Because Tegan’s fling had turned into the real deal and Priya’s had fizzled before it had really gotten started.

It wasn’t any of her business, she tossed back over her shoulder.

I’m not following you, he hollered, his voice getting louder as she put distance between them. But I’ll be sitting on the porch when you get back. Bring me a drink.

Chapter 2

Grady stretched out on the porch, his head on his backpack, his legs crossed in front of him. He tried to read for a bit, but his mind kept wandering back to that night. Their night, as he’d thought of it over the last year. His one night with Priya that had changed everything.

They’d drifted away from the crowd, and she’d been drinking a Lake Waawaatesi Iced Tea then, too.

What do you think is in this? Priya asked, taking a nervous sip.

I swear it’s just all the bar contents at the end of the week, Grady said. They were sitting at a picnic table overlooking the boathouse and the dock. Behind them, the rest of camp was celebrating.

He wasn’t exactly sure how they’d ended up out here, in the quiet darkness, but he liked it.

He liked Priya. A lot, even though she’d spent most of the week teasing him and using her feminine wiles to help her friend Tegan win a bizarre series of dares against his friend Wyatt.

Grady didn’t care. For one thing, Wyatt didn’t seem to mind the games. And for another, Grady liked Priya’s feminine wiles.

Yeah, her feminine wiles. He’d liked those a lot. But she was also the smartest woman he’d ever talked to. He’d met some whip-smart officers in the navy, translators who spoke six languages in the special forces, and diplomats galore.

None of them held a candle to Priya’s sharpness. She had a way of reading people, of instantly gauging where they were at, and how that affected whatever was going on. He could see how that would help her at her job. And he’d loved how she talked about her work, too. That they were both in intense careers appealed to him. He’d known what he was getting with her, and she could say the same about him.

No expectations of white picket fences. Just a good time.

That had been their agreement as he’d stripped her down behind the boathouse. Between breathy little sighs, she’d made it clear she wouldn’t be chasing him all over the country, and he agreed.

One night. Get their mutual attraction out of their systems.

Famous last words. He swallowed hard as he lay on the cabin porch and thought about how it had done the exact opposite.

He’d given in to his urge and called her.

Once.

That had lasted for hours, too. She’d been so wary at the start. Why was he calling? What did he want?

Jesus H. Christ, he just wanted to hear her come apart again. And again.

He’d wrung two orgasms from her before he even let himself open his fly.

But it hadn’t helped with the