Hot Alpha Seals
Night With a Seal
By Cat Johnson
When Ali’s life is threatened and military rules won’t allow him to intervene, Jon decides it’s time to take back control.
A team of sexy SEALs, a terrorist threat, and an attraction that can’t be denied . . . it all comes together in this launch of the Hot SEALs romantic suspense New York Times & USA Today bestselling contemporary romance author Cat Johnson. And look for Saved by a SEAL (Hot SEALs, Book 2)!
Jon’s stare caught hers. Ali held it for longer than was proper for accidental eye
contact. Feeling her cheeks heat, she yanked her gaze away.
contact. Feeling her cheeks heat, she yanked her gaze away.
“Holy shit. Look at the time. It’s almost midnight.” Rick’s announcement pulled Ali
out of wallowing in her embarrassment.
out of wallowing in her embarrassment.
She glanced at the screen on the muted television and saw the countdown had begun.
The numbers on the screen said it was thirty seconds to midnight.
The numbers on the screen said it was thirty seconds to midnight.
“I’m ready to toast to the end of this shitty year.” Thom raised his glass.
“Your divorce. My knee surgery. I’m right there with you, man. It was a shit year.” Rick held up his own short glass of liquor and Ali realized all the guys had abandoned drinking beer and settled on just the hard stuff.
“We’re all on the right side of the dirt, aren’t we?” Chris asked. He raised his glass to Thom and then to Rick. “Divorce and knee surgery aside, we’re all standing here together, safe and whole. If this was a shit year, I hope next year is just as shitty.”
“Amen to that.” Darci’s soft declaration came from closer to Ali than she’d expected.
Unexpectedly choked up at the words and the meaning behind them, Ali turned and clinked her
glass to Darci’s. “Amen.”
glass to Darci’s. “Amen.”
The giant numbers had continued flashing on the television during Chris’s speech until the guests echoed the countdown aloud.
“... three, two, one.” The room resonated with a deep, loud, “Happy New Year” that could only be produced by a team of men used to working together. She laughed when she got a look at the coordinated toast made by the circle of guys, shoulder to shoulder, glasses raised high as they all met in the middle.
“... three, two, one.” The room resonated with a deep, loud, “Happy New Year” that could only be produced by a team of men used to working together. She laughed when she got a look at the coordinated toast made by the circle of guys, shoulder to shoulder, glasses raised high as they all met in the middle.
Then the moment passed. The circle broke and there was back slapping and hand shakes
for everyone.
for everyone.
Chris broke off from the revelry and made a beeline for Darci.
“I’m not getting screwed out of a New Year’s kiss.” He tipped his head toward the guys. “They’re all too ugly, so it’s gotta be you, darlin’.”
Grinning wide, Chris reeled in Darci with one arm, dipped her deep and gave her a kiss
worthy of one of those corny old black and white movies.
worthy of one of those corny old black and white movies.
Ali watched, wide-eyed, from not a foot away. There was quite a lot of intrigue surrounding her. If she wasn’t mistaken, Chris liked Darci, while Darci was interested in Zane. And Zane apparently wanted any girl in his phone willing to text him back for a booty call. It all felt very high school, especially when Ali’s own crush stepped into her line of vision and her heart began to pound like she was a teenager again.
Jon put his glass down on the counter. “Happy New Year.”
She turned to fully face him. “Happy New Year.”
Not sure exactly what to do—shake his hand, kiss him on the cheek, kiss him on the lips—she waited for him to make the first move. And oh, boy, did he make one hell of a move as he palmed her face, leaned in and crashed his lips against hers.
Jon planted one hell of a kiss, dead on her mouth, while she stood there with a glass in one hand and uncertain what to do with the other. As the kiss went on for far longer than a peck, she reached blindly for him and looped the fingers of her free hand into his waistband.
Drawing in a breath through his nose, Jon moved one leg forward to nestle his thigh between hers. Pressing closer, he thrust his tongue between her lips.
She felt ridiculous still holding her glass, but couldn’t see to put it down. It didn’t matter anyway. The sounds in the room permeated the private bubble Jon’s kiss put her in and reminded her they were by no means alone. Feeling the erection pressing against her, she wished they were alone. But the taste of the
scotch he’d been drinking was a reminder that unlike in July, tonight Jon wasn’t sober.
scotch he’d been drinking was a reminder that unlike in July, tonight Jon wasn’t sober.
He’d been polite and pleasant but definitely aloof all night, but now, many drinks later, he was all over her. There was nothing like some straight alcohol to make a man horny.
Ali pulled back, breaking the kiss as her mind spun for something to say.
Jon took a step back and dropped his hold on her. “I’m sorry. That was . . .”
“The holiday? The scotch? The fact you’re happy to be home and alive.” She smiled.
“Really, Jon, it’s all right.”
“Really, Jon, it’s all right.”
He laughed and shook his head. “Inappropriate was the word I was going for, but yeah, the rest of those all apply too.”
She waited. For him to ask her out. For him to suggest they go somewhere more private.
For basically anything.
For basically anything.
Jon hooked a thumb toward Rick’s bedroom door. “I’m gonna go hit the head.”
That was the last thing she’d expected, but she nodded. “Okay.”
RED HOT CHICKEN SALAD in honor of author Cat Johnson’s RED HOT SEALs!
What many people don’t know about me is that I put myself through college working in food service. I’ve worked for country clubs doing banquet waitressing and tending bar and I’ve worked for gourmet caterers doing on site events.
During that time, I always had my nose in the kitchen. First, because that’s where the food was and on a 15-hour shift, you’re always looking to shove some food in your face when you have a chance. Also because I
was fascinated in the cooking process. I’ve learned from some of the best, from pastry chefs, to German-chefs, to a French-trained American chefs. But I probably learned the most from Paco, the Mexican chef who spent winters in Mexico and summers at the where I worked country club here in the states.
was fascinated in the cooking process. I’ve learned from some of the best, from pastry chefs, to German-chefs, to a French-trained American chefs. But I probably learned the most from Paco, the Mexican chef who spent winters in Mexico and summers at the where I worked country club here in the states.
From Paco I learned how to make homemade refried beans, pico de gayo, guacamole, and the best damn (and hottest) tomato salad I’ve ever had. I also learned a valuable lesson--how to take yesterday’s leftovers and create something fabulous and totally different to serve to the staff for family meal. I take it as a challenge to make my leftovers at home resemble nothing like what they started life as, and below is one of those recipes I created to do exactly that. It transforms boring leftover chicken, and with a nod toward one of my favorite bar foods—Buffalo chicken wings—makes a plain tossed salad something tantalizing and spicy.
Enjoy!
Cat Johnson
RED HOT CHICKEN SALAD
FOR THE CHICKEN
1 cup leftover cooked chicken, sliced to bite-sized pieces
1 Tb Butter
2 Tb Hot Sauce (such as Frank’s Red Hot)
FOR THE SALAD
Lettuce
Carrots, chopped
Celery, chopped
Grape Tomatoes, whole
DRESSING
Your favorite prepared Blue Cheese dressing
1- In a small saucepan melt butter. Add hot sauce. When blended, add chicken and heat just until warm.
2- With the remaining ingredients, assemble your salad (in either individual serving bowls for each person or one large bowl for serving family style).
3- Place warm chicken pieces on top and serve immediately.
Cat Johnson is a NY Times & USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance. A self-proclaimed promo ‘ho, she is known for her creative marketing and research practices. Consequently, Cat has sponsored bull riding rodeo cowboys, owns an entire collection of cowboy boots and camouflage shoes for book signings and a fair number of her consultants wear combat or cowboy boots for a living.
As a hybrid author, she writes both full length and shorter works and is currently contracted for series with publishers Kensington and Samhain.
Website http://catjohnson.net/
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