Blown Away

One look at the curvy little librarian and this Navy Seal is Blown Away.

Seth

I’m minding my own business trying to adjust to life after retirement when I find a lost animal. He’s the ugliest dog I’ve ever seen, but I realize someone is missing him. Meeting the little dog’s owner blows me away. Who knew my good deed would lead to me finding my soulmate?

Quin

Don’t get me wrong. I’m happy the big jerk saved Mr. Pickles, but his grumpy attitude leaves a lot to be desired. When the big lug flirts with me, I shut that mess down real quick. I don’t have time to deal with the surly ex-Navy Seal. Even if he makes my palms sweaty and heart beat out of rhythm. Nope. Not going to give him a chance.

The newly retired military man has his work cut out for him, but he’ll do whatever it takes to make this curvy librarian his. For life.

If you like over-the-top, insta-love romance with a little bit of humor, and tiny amount of drama this short story is perfect for you. Like all Loni Ree books, the drama is light and the romance is fast.

Welcome to SEAL Team Romeo, where this brotherhood fights hard and loves harder. The men of SEAL Team Romeo have given their blood, sweat, and tears defending their country. At work, these warriors serve their country, protect the innocent, and generally kick ass. No matter the challenge, or the danger, they always have each other’s six. They’ve been too busy saving the world to find love. Until now. While on leave, each of them is about to meet their match. These SEALs fight hard...and love harder. Whether she's the girl next door or the one that got away, when the right girl captures a Romeo's heart, she's his for life.

I’m driving along 5th Avenue when a poof of white darting down the sidewalk catches my eye. What the fuck? I blink several times, wondering if I’m imagining shit now. A small, ugly ass dog—at least, I think it’s canine—runs across the road ahead of me. Doing my good deed for the day, I pull over and hop out. “Here, boy,” I call to the animal and hear scurrying behind a dumpster. Motherfucker. This little shit is going to force me to chase it. He darts past me, and I take off and follow him down the alley. When the damn animal realizes he’s cornered, the little asshole turns and growls. I scratch the back of my neck, wondering if this dog was in some crazy accident. Surely, dogs this ugly don’t exist naturally. The bright blue collar with a blue plaid bow tie tells me it’s a boy. At least, I hope it is.
Stooping down, I let him sniff my hand then reach to pick up the scared animal. He has a white poof of hair on the top of his head while smooth pink and gray skin covers his entire body. Then he has a white fluffy tail and little sprigs of hair on three of its feet. I shudder, wondering what happened to the poor guy. It had to be a chemical spill or hideous waxing accident. I can’t think of any other explanation for his condition. After reaching for his tags, I breathe a sigh of relief when I see the phone number. I’ll do my good deed and return him, then get back to my day.
I place the rescued animal on the front seat of my truck before pulling out my cellphone to dial the dog’s owner. “Hello.” When her captivating voice reaches my ears, my cock turns to steel behind my zipper.
“I have your dog,” I manage to mutter past the lump in my throat.
“You kidnapped Mr. Pickles!” she screeches, causing my ears to ring.
“No!” I shout, and the little animal yips and huddles closer to the door. I pet his hairless back to soothe him while trying to reassure his owner. “I found him running down 5th Avenue.”
“He’s supposed to be at home,” she mutters almost to herself. “Wait a second.” This nut puts me on hold. Sitting back, I listen to the elevator music, hoping the crazy woman gets back to me soon. There’s a clicking sound before she admits, “I checked my doggy cam, and sure enough, Mr. Pickles escaped from my yard.”
Goddammit, I need to return this little shit and get far away before the crazy town and its occupants wear off on me. “Look, lady.” I ignore the effect her voice has on my body. “I don’t have all day to fuck around. Where can we meet?”
“You want to meet?” Good God. My back teeth slam together as I count to ten before answering.
“If you want your animal back, I need to meet you somewhere.” It sounds perfectly reasonable to me.
“Oh.” There’s a long pause. “I work at the Silver Spoon Falls Library. Can you bring him here?”
As I agree, a little voice in the back of my mind yells for me to run hard and fast, but I ignore it and head to the library.