A SEAL's Courage (Military Match #1)(8)

Before she could do much more than react, Trent grabbed her hand and headed for the Starbucks entrance. “Come on. Let’s go get some coffee. We’re here. Might as well enjoy the evening.”

Too stunned by the feel of his hand in hers, all rough and work-worn and so damned warm, Lauren stumbled after him like a lovesick puppy.

Several minutes later, they sat inside at a small, round table by the front window. A little after six p.m., the sun was dipping below the horizon, darkening the already dreary day. The sidewalk around them teemed with people, coming and going about their evenings.

Across from her, Trent sat back in his seat, his gaze set on her. He’d been studying her for a good minute now but had yet to say anything. She could see the wheels of his mind turning in the way those intense eyes searched hers. It drove her nuts, because she’d kill to know what he thought. She’d admitted to having a crush, but somewhere over the last few minutes, while standing in line and ordering coffee, Trent had retreated into his head. As usual.

Finally, he set his coffee cup on the table. “Can I ask you a question?”

She plunked her chin in her hand. Hell, at this rate, she really would be a virgin until she died. “Oh, yeah, sure. Ask away.”

“Why do you even need a dating service, anyway?”

Lauren rolled her eyes. “Yeah, like I’m the catch of the county. See the men waiting in line behind me?”

Trent blinked at her. “I’m serious. You’re warm, and you have a great sense of humor.”

Lauren laughed. “Trent, that’s what you tell a woman you find ugly. You lie, to spare her feelings, and tell her what a great person she is.”

Trent dropped his gaze to his cup. “You’d be surprised how many men I served with who just wanted a nice girl to come home to.”

She waved a hand at him and sipped at her coffee. “Being nice is highly overrated. I’d rather be drop-dead gorgeous. Like Skylar. Now, there’s a woman with a perfect figure, and she’s forty-two.”

Trent’s twin brother, Will, was engaged to a woman five years older. Skylar was smart, the CFO of the telecommunications company the two worked for. She was a perfect size six, with curves where they were supposed to be. She was sweet as Southern iced tea, but Lauren always felt about as attractive as a light pole next to her.

Trent lifted a brow. “Who says you aren’t drop-dead gorgeous?”

Lauren scoffed. “Oh, I don’t know. Every man currently not beating down my door. Every date I never heard from again.”

His coffee cup paused halfway to his mouth. Trent blinked at her like she glowed toxic green.

Lauren narrowed her gaze at him. Despite the chill in the air, she sweltered beneath her sweater and coat. “And if you tease me, I’m going to beat you over the head with my purse.”

This whole conversation was nudging her insecurities. The geeky virgin nobody seemed to want. The owner of a bakery renowned for its beautiful wedding cakes who had yet to find a love of her own.

His stunned facade finally broke, a grin easing across his face. He sat forward, resting his elbows on the table. “Sorry. I just have a hard time believing that.”

“Oh, believe it. I could ask you the same thing, you know. Why the need for a dating service? Surely you of all people don’t need help in that area.” To cover the sudden flush rising in her cheeks, she winked at him. “SEALs are a hot commodity, according to Mandy and Steph.”

Trent shrugged. “I needed a date for Will and Skylar’s wedding. If I bring a plus one, Mandy won’t try to fix me up, and believe me, she’s looking forward to it. She seems to have taken it upon herself to find me a new wife.” He rolled his eyes, one corner of his mouth hitching.

Lauren laughed. “Well, at least I’m not her only victim.”

Trent chuckled and sipped at his coffee. “Forgive me if I’m not honored to be in the club. The dating service was a friend’s idea. Will is the only one who knows I’m here, which is how I know Mandy didn’t set this up.”

She sighed. All she could be at this point was honest. What the hell did she have to lose? Her humiliation was already complete. “I chose that particular service because the woman who runs it has a good reputation for the kind of clients she accepts.”

Trent nodded. “Karen makes sure her clients are all decent people. Yeah. That’s why I used it as well. Even though it’s a more serious dating site, not one of those apps for casual hookups, I’m not ready for a full-out relationship. Wendy…kind of took it out of me.”

The mention of his ex-wife had the green-eyed monster rearing its ugly head. Funny how her growing crush on him had the ugly feelings cropping up. She’d never felt this way back when they were married. Now she couldn’t deny she was jealous of all the things Wendy had had with him. Had and given up. Lauren dropped her gaze, muttering half to herself.

“Wendy was a bitch.” When Trent laughed, she flashed him an apologetic smile. “Sorry, but she was.”

Trent held up his hands and laughed again. “You won’t get any arguments out of me. That’s another reason why I used this particular service. I have far too much shit going on in my head right now. With my PTSD, I can barely take care of myself, so I’m not looking for something serious, which is what I told Karen.”

His casual mention of his disorder had her mind shifting gears. Trent had come a long way in the last year, but he still tended to avoid crowds and public places. Which was why it surprised her he was here at all.