Being photographed in some of the most exclusive spots in Miami was such an amazing opportunity. Kelli was right—the contract was solid. I didn’t need to wait to ask Sawyer. I’d already made up my mind.
I picked up the phone and called Kelli.
“The assignment looks great. I’m in.”
“Good girl, Sol. I knew you’d make the right choice. Okay, you leave next Friday.”
“Next Friday?”
“Yup.”
“Okay, I’ll be there.”
Friday. That meant I had less than two weeks left with Sawyer before I went. But that should be fine because I was sure he’d be busy with the air show this weekend.
I needed to tell him tonight.
Chapter 17
Sawyer
The second my plane touched down after practice, I grabbed my phone to text Sol. I was dying to kiss her again. I’d told her we should wait to have sex, but after last night, I didn’t know how much longer I could resist her. Maybe I was overthinking things. Wasn’t it enough that we were dating? If we slept together, it wouldn’t be a one-night stand.
I gathered my gear and changed out of my flight suit into jeans and a T-shirt. My phone’s notification light blinked, indicating I had a message.
Sol: I just got back to the hotel room. I’m going shower and can meet you wherever.
I didn’t want to go to another Instagram-worthy place. Between getting ready for the gala and wearing a suit at the Chinese restaurant, I was over getting dressed up. I just wanted to grab a beer, shoot some pool, chow down on a burger, and hang out with Sol. I thought for a second about what to say to her.
Me: Cool. There’s a great dive bar across the street from the hotel. I can pick you up.
Sol: Let me get ready. I’ll just meet you there.
Me: Sounds good.
Awesome. I sent her a link to the place. Tonight, I wanted to see if she could kick it and just be real.
Declan stood in front of me. “Where you heading?”
“To the bar across from our hotel. Sol will be joining me later. Want to come?”
“Yeah, I’ll hang out for a bit.”
Cool. We drove to the hotel, left the car with the valet, and then walked across the street to the bar. I texted Sol to let her know we’d arrived. She texted back that she’d be joining us in a bit.
A thick haze of smoke and the scent of stale liquor and grease wafted over us as we entered. Yup, just my kind of place. A place to drink and unwind. To dissolve into the crowd. To blend in, not stand out.
Damn, Sol would hate it here.
Declan and I sat at the bar and ordered beers and burgers. The bartender poured our drafts, and I sank into the pleather stool.
Declan punched my arm. “So, what’s happening, Romeo? I’ve never seen you so hung up on a chick.”
I took a swig. “Yeah, I don’t know. Sol’s beautiful, no doubt, but we have nothing in common.”
He laughed. “That’s never mattered before. Remember Miss Cherry? That chick was a goddamn mess. What’s different this time?”
Damn, Miss Cherry was a trip. But I didn’t want to think about her, all I could think about was Sol.
I needed to tell Declan about how I felt about Sol. In all truth, I had no one else who really understood me. Beck was too judgy, too perfect.
“Sol’s a virgin.”
Declan spat out his beer. “Shut the fuck up.”
“No, seriously. I was shocked, too. But she swears she is, and I believe her. And I know it shouldn’t matter, but it does. She wanted to sleep with me, lose her virginity to me, and I told her no.”
“You turned her down? You? Fuck me, Huck? Mr. girl in every city? Love them and leave them? See you next year? Don’t call me, I’ll call you? Are you feeling okay? Too many aerial loops gone to your head?”
Hearing Declan call me out on my bullshit rattled me. He was right. That was who I was, who I’d always been. But I had my reasons. Beck and Declan grew up in stable families and had loving parents. I’d told them both bits and pieces of my past, but I’d always omitted one dark secret. One I’d never share with anyone. Not Beck. Not Declan. And definitely not Sol.
Some secrets were meant to be taken to the grave.
“Yeah me. And, I’m fine. Never better. She’s beautiful and smart. Classy—I find her fascinating. And she stands up to me. Also, if she’s been a virgin this long, I bet she’ll stay faithful to me when I deployed. I know I just met her, but I’ve never felt like this about any woman.”
Declan shook his head. “Well, you’re a mess, but you’ve always known that. And not all women cheat—Beck’s wife never cheated.”
“Right. She didn’t. Catherine was perfect. Then she died.”
“Huck, that’s not the point. Life is messy. People die. But they loved each other. If you asked Beck, he would tell you he didn’t regret a second of loving her and would do it again, even knowing how it would end. And they had Sky together, so Catherine lives on through their daughter. Plus, now he’s engaged to a wonderful woman who loves Sky like she’s her own daughter. He never lost faith.”
I hung on the word faith. That was where Declan and Beck had me. Faith. I didn’t have any faith. Like at all. I wasn’t religious. I didn’t believe in anything.
“Well, for now, I’m just happy she came to Seattle with me. It can’t last anyway—I already put in for unaccompanied orders to Okinawa next year. It is what it is.”
Declan knocked back his drink. “We both know orders can be changed. Especially for an Angel.”
“But that’s the point, man. I don’t want my orders changed. I just want to live my life. I want to live overseas. I want to travel without being tied down to a woman or putting down roots. I mean, Sol’s great and all, but I really don’t see this going far.”
Declan nodded. Unlike Beck, he knew when to push me and when to back off.
The bartender served us our food. I could always count on Declan to come out with me to grab a greasy burger with some crisp fries. One bite soothed my soul. This was exactly what I needed—comfort, familiarity, satisfaction.
I checked my phone. Still no word from Sol. Where was she?
Declan opened his mouth like he was going to ask me another question. I didn’t want to talk about my feelings anymore, so I spoke first.
“Are you excited to get back to Pensacola?”
“Definitely. My parents live there.”
Parents. Good excuse, but I knew why he wanted to go home so badly. Declan was hoping to see his ex, but every time we went there, he never found her. An ex from ten years ago. I didn’t understand why he couldn’t forget her, but then again, I’d never been in love.
Would I feel the same way when Sol left me?
I guessed some people never moved on—glad I wasn’t one of them.
“Be real, dude. You’re just hoping to find your ex.”
“Well, she moved away. No one’s heard from her for years. But yeah, man, I do wish I could see her again. You don’t get it. You’ve never been in love, so you don’t know what it’s like. The whole world melts away, and there’s only you and her.”
“Well, if it’s so great, how did you fuck it up?”
“You’re such a dick, man. I didn’t fuck it up. She dumped me when I got into Annapolis. I would’ve stayed in Pensacola for her, but she made me promise to go.”
“If you were so in love, why didn’t you date long distance like Beck and Catherine had? Which, by the way, I think is a stupid idea. Out of sight, out of mind.”
When I said those cruel words, Declan’s face tightened. But maybe it wasn’t that easy to forget someone. Since I had met Sol, I couldn’t stop thinking about her. Maybe if I ever fell in love, I would think about my woman all the time also.
“I wanted to, but she didn’t. She said it would be too hard for both of us, so she dumped me. And then she moved away. I don’t even know where she is.”
“That’s brutal.” I looked toward the doo
r right as Sol sauntered in. I expected her to look out of place, but instead, she was wearing a skintight tank top with a black bra peeking out from underneath, tight jeans, and red high heels. It reminded of that scene in that movie Grease where Sandy turned into a bad girl for Danny.
Maybe Sol wanted to be bad.
I dashed over to her before one of the dickheads in this bar got his paws on her. I pulled her in for a kiss and squeezed her incredible ass.
“You look sexy as fuck.”
“Thanks, babe.”
Her eyes danced over the bar, and she tried her best to hide her disgust, but I could sense her discomfort. But to her credit, she didn’t complain.
I walked her over to Declan, and she flashed him a bright smile.
“Hi, Declan.”
“Hey, Sol. Sawyer’s been talking about you nonstop.”
She smiled, and I glared at Declan.
I put my hand on her hip from behind to get her attention. “What do you want to drink, babe?”
“I’ll have a rum and coke.”
At least she got the hint that there were no pretty picture-worthy drinks in here with glass rims dipped in crushed candy canes.
She turned to Declan. “Your show the other day was amazing. I’m so impressed.”
“Thanks.”
“Are you a Marine, too?”
“No, I’m in the Navy. Your boyfriend is the only Marine on the squad.”
I wanted to kick him in the balls for his boyfriend comment, though it was accurate. The title just seemed foreign to me. And who knew how long we would last?
“You hungry, babe?”
She shook her head. “No thanks, I already ate.” She paused and glanced at the bar seat, which was slashed; probably by a knife. “So why do you like this place?”
I smirked. She was cute when she was uncomfortable. “Because it’s real. No pretense. Just hard liquor and real food. What you see is what you get.”
She licked her bottom lip. “So, kind of like you?”
“Exactly like me.” I wrapped my arms around her little waist and rested them on her wide hips. She wasn’t even wearing much makeup. Her dark eyes glowed. Her fans might worship the face she presented to social media with all her filters, but I was certain she’d never looked so beautiful in her life than she did staring at me in this smoky bar.
“Is this the kind of place you hung out at back in Iowa?”
“Yup. I’ve never felt comfortable in nice places—even at the academy. I always felt judged.”
She tilted her head and winced. “Did you feel like I was judging you at that restaurant?”
“No, of course not. But I just want to get to know you. The real you. Not Miss Solana San Francisco.”
She laughed, and I noticed the freckles on her cheeks. I’d never seen them before. They must’ve been hidden under her makeup. “You think I can’t hang out in a bar?”
“I don’t know—prove it to me.”
She signaled to the bartender and ordered a shot of tequila. When he delivered it, she downed it without hesitation.
“That’s my girl. Let’s go shoot some pool.” I led her over to the lone pool table at the back of the bar.
“I’m going to put a song on.”
She walked over to the jukebox nearby and flipped through the music selections.
She finally chose a song, and a few minutes later, “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling” started playing.
Ha!
I grabbed her in my arms. “Do you like playing games, little girl?”
“Only with you. You promised to serenade me.”
“I have to be in my uniform for that.”
I pressed her back against the edge of the pool table and kissed her. I wanted to throw her down and take her then and there. How hot would that be?
Deep breath, Sawyer. I was in for a world of hurt tonight with no relief.
I released her and knocked back a drink, then racked the balls while she grabbed a cue stick. I laughed knowing that she also had my balls in the palm of her hands.
“I call stripes. Watch this.” She bent over the table and broke, two balls dropping in each of the farthest corners.
Damn. “Ah, I get it now. You’ve been hustling me all along. So, are you some kind of pool shark?”
“No. But my dad had a table in his garage. My friends and I would always play. Are you up for a wager?”
Fuck yeah, I wanted to make a wager. My heart raced. She was so confident and sexy, comfortable in her own skin. And she had transformed from an uptight beauty queen into my perfect naughty girl, not just with her clothes, but also with her attitude.
“What do you want to bet?”
She wrapped her arms around my neck. “If I win, you’ll make love to me tonight.”
“Then I’ll make sure to lose.” I kissed her. “Babe, you don’t need to make a bet with me for that. I’ll fuck your brains out right now. I just thought you would want to wait.”
“And I appreciate that. You were right, it would’ve been a mistake in San Francisco because you were about to leave, and I would’ve been crushed. But you are now my boyfriend, and I’m here with you now. I like you. We don’t need to make promises for the future. I’m just happy to know that it won’t be a one-night stand. And that you’re open to seeing where this relationship goes.”
I cupped her face in my hands and kissed her again. She was so wonderful. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. Positive. I just want you to make me feel as good as I felt last night.”
“I can guarantee that. I’ll make you feel even better, babe. Let’s get out of here.”
I put my arm around her, said goodbye to Declan who was still drinking at the bar and had to fight the urge to throw Sol over my shoulder and sprint back to the hotel.
Chapter 18
Sol
“Babe, I’m crazy about you.”
Sawyer shoved me against the side of the bar’s exterior, the rough bricks scraping against my back. His lips attacked mine, and this kiss was different than any of the kisses I’d had before. He was rough yet sweet, and his hands gripped my thighs.
“Me too.”
I was dying to feel him inside me. No more teasing. Based on how he made me feel last night, I was sure I was in for the best night of my life.
We crossed the street back to our hotel, dashed inside, made out in the elevator, and all but sprinted to our suite.
Sawyer opened the hotel door and then picked me up like a bride and carried me into the room. But our romantic moment came crashing down the second the bed came into focus.
There was a naked platinum-blonde woman spread eagle on the bed with whipped cream and cherries over her breasts and bikini line.
What the fuck? I climbed out of Sawyer’s arms. A sudden chill replaced the heat that had just been in my core.
Sawyer’s eyes bulged.
“Veronica, what are you doing here? I told you I couldn’t see you while I was in town.”
Veronica? You know her name? I turned to face Sawyer, hoping for answers to my silent questions, but his blank stare gave me nothing, so I focused back on Veronica.
She pointed a perfectly manicured, electric purple fingernail at me. “Oh, so she’s the reason you didn’t want to see me? She doesn’t look like your type, Huck. She doesn’t even have a tramp stamp.”
How did she know whether or not I had a lower back tattoo? I looked down at my tank top and saw it riding up my back. And I had briefly turned toward Sawyer. Ah, well, at least she was observant.
Veronica stood up, buck naked except for the whipped cream, and walked over to Sawyer. Wow, she had a great body. And clearly, she was wild in bed. I understood perfectly why Sawyer would rather sleep with a sex kitten than a chaste virgin. I should just run out of this room and leave them alone.
Sawyer’s eyes blazed with fury. “How’d you get in my room?”
“I work here, remember? Don’t worry. I’ll leave.”
Veronica
went into the bathroom.
Sawyer turned me toward him. “Babe, I’m sorry. I didn’t know—”
I looked straight into his eyes and did my best to keep my voice calm and steady. “We can talk when she leaves.”
A few minutes later, Veronica emerged from the bathroom, dressed in a short jean skirt and a white tank top. She was effortlessly beautiful, and as much as I wanted to hate this woman for giving me a glimpse into Sawyer’s past, I couldn’t. I was in awe of her confidence.
She touched my hair, and I jerked away. “Sweetheart, enjoy this one while you can. He fucks like a rockstar but has a girl in every city.”
My throat burned. I wanted to draw myself a bath and cry in the tub.
Then, Veronica placed her hand on Sawyer’s chest. He quickly moved it off of him and stepped back, which caused her to laugh. “Bye, Huck. Call me next year.”
And then she walked out the door, shutting it behind her.
Once she was gone, Sawyer and I just stood there in silence.
Finally, he spoke. “Sol, I can explain.”
I shook my head. “No, it’s fine. You don’t have to. I get it. She’s your Seattle girl.” My voice cracked. “Sorry I ruined your plans by tagging along. I can fly home. I’ll get my own room tonight, and you can call her to come back. No need to wait until next year.”
He shook his head. “Babe, stop. You’re right—I don’t have to tell you, but I want to tell you. Sol, please, listen.”
I blinked back tears. To think that I was about to lose my virginity to this man, and he had a backup waiting in his room. I was such a fool. I just wanted to go home.
But then I looked at him again. And although I was the one who had just been humiliated, he was the one who looked broken. It wasn’t like he’d cheated on me. I needed to hear him out.
“Fine, speak.”
“Sol, I’ve never lied about who I am. I’m a womanizer. Like Veronica said, I have a woman in every city. When I come back to each city, sometimes I see the same woman again. I saw Veronica last year. She’d texted me the other night after I met you, and I told her that I didn’t want to see her. But she came anyway. I really had no idea she would show up. I’m sorry. It was just sex. I never cared about her.”
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