I Never Asked You To Save Me: Book 3 The Wakefield Romance Series

by Hewitt, Theresa Marguerite

  “Your cousin, your friend, is not only a stripper and a whore, but she’s a baby killer too.” Oh it’ll break her little heart, just like she did mine.

  “Come on man,” he whines again and I chuck my sunglasses at him, nailing him right between the eyes and he reels back, smacking his head on the closed window, causing me to burst out in laughter.

  “You’re a fuckin’ asshole,” he growls, throwing the glasses back at me which I catch with little effort before they smash against the window. Tom and I have been friends since the academy and we’re cut from the same cloth. We were raised in the true Southern way where the man works and the woman cleans, cooks and takes care of the kids. Tom and his wife have three boys, all younger than four. I wouldn’t want another partner even if they doubled my salary.

  He has helped me stake out her trailer park and that nasty club she strips at, taking photos and just watching her when I’m busy. Tom has been an awesome friend.

  I’m reluctant to leave my stakeout, but hearing him grumble in his seat some more, I crank the engine to life pulling the cruiser hesitantly to the edge of the road to make sure none of these Wakefield trash crash into me. Little Ellie is lucky all of her neighbors are home right now or I’d be paying her a nice little visit.

  “I’ll be back sweet thang,” I whisper and blow a kiss, pushing my aviators into place before spinning and squealing the tires heading the hell out of here. I’m not giving up that easy on her. My daddy didn’t raise no quitter with that belt of his.

  She’s my wife, even if those papers sitting on my coffee table at home say she doesn’t want to be anymore. We said ‘till death do us part’ and God damn it, I mean it.

  When I get my hands on her I’ll show her why she should’ve never left me in the first place, laying her in a world of hurt she never thought was possible. If she thought I was a ‘wife-beater’ before she’s in for a little treat.

  Even her little Navy boyfriend can’t keep her safe; I’ll make sure of that.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Bobby

  ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR.

  ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR.

  Chief’s rapid counting keeps the sweat flowing as I pound out the flutter kicks to his rhythm. It feels awesome to be working out with him again, even if it is just in his makeshift gym out in the garage. Just being around a fellow SEAL makes it real.

  “Now pushups,” he yells, flipping over on his stomach right beside me as I match his movement smiling the entire time. I’m enjoying it because there is little pain in my leg. I’ve been fitted with three new prosthetics and I’m putting one of them through the wringer right now.

  I replaced that normal old metal one with a curved spring leg for running and working out, taking a lot of the impact away from my leg and absorbing it. I also ordered two regular prosthetics, one just a plain black stainless steel and the other, hand painted by a buddy, with the American flag and eagle, because I have to be badass somehow right?

  My therapist says I should be using my cane less and less now, so I’m trying to stick by that. We’ll see after this workout how well that plan sticks as I get to my feet to do some squat thrusts. Chief’s been doing a lot of his NCIS work from home so it’s been nice having him around to talk to and mess around with. You know the usual, normal guy shenanigans.

  I’ve also been getting closer to Ellie with every passing day. We’ve snuck out of the house like Romeo and Juliet more than once, making our way to the back of the property to roll around in the tall grass. And I swear that girl’s lips can stop my heart. She’s almost got me tied around her pretty little finger and right now I wouldn’t mind.

  I’ll admit, I am falling pretty hard for the girl and I take the ridicule and ribbing from Chad and Reno for it every night. They just don’t believe that a notorious playboy like me is going to try and settle down with a down to earth girl like Ellie, but right now it seems to be true. We seem to be heading in a great direction and it makes me feel awesome.

  In the last week I haven’t had one nightmare. No waking up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat and shaking from the sound of the grenade. No shaking from the fear that stays in my mind long after I’m awakened. I know the pain is still lingering there, but it’s nice to not have to fight it right now. I feel somewhat normal. I feel like Bobby again.

  “Alright Bobby,” Chief pauses, bending over and breathing hard enough to make me laugh at him. Granted I’m sweating like a pig, but I’ve been in the hospital, I have a good reason. “I need a water break.”

  “Okay ol’ man,” I say with a smile, getting a sharp look as he chugs a bottle of water. Taking a long drink from mine I take a look at my phone and see that I missed a call from Ellie about forty-five minutes ago.

  “Hey what would Ellie be doin’ up so early?” I ask turning the face of my phone towards the Chief and letting him see that she had called. It’s only eight after eight and I know she worked at the bar last night so I would think she’d still be in bed.

  “Prolly taking her morning run,” he breathes out, chucking the crushed and empty bottle into a bin in the corner and throwing his arms up above his head stretching.

  Looking at my screen I’m not sure if I should call her back or not. Is there something wrong? Should I text her? I can see Chad still watching me out of the corner of my eye as I set the phone down, still staring at it as if it will do a trick.

  “If there was somethin’ wrong she woulda called Rhea,” he says patting my shoulder. “Now let’s get back to it.” He smiles and I can’t help but laugh at my former teammate. As he cranks up the radio, currently playing Volbeat’s “Cape of our Hero”, I look back at my phone once more before taking the pull up bar.

  Should I call her back? Maybe Chad is right.

  I’m sure Chad is right, she would’ve called Rhea if something was wrong or she would’ve called more than once. Yeah, he’s right and I fall into the set of pull-ups he’s counting off, matching him move for move and also trying to show off. I might have lost part of my leg but my cocky attitude is firmly intact.

  That attitude got me through BUD/S training and earned me my SEAL trident when everyone told me it was a stupid goal, one that I would never achieve because I wasn’t the right kind of guy. Well I showed those assholes. I received my Trident on a Friday morning standing out on a beach in California during morning roll call. The SEALs that were there proceeded to chase me down the beach, even at my best effort to outrun them, and toss me in the Pacific as per tradition. Then, standing soaked and caked with sand, I endured another SEAL tradition; the pounding of the Trident. One by one the SEALs came up to me and slapped my Trident into my chest as hard as they could, piercing my skin just above my heart over and over and it felt good. It felt good because after that I was part of a bigger family; a badass family.

  About an hour later Chief and I are done with our workout and horsing around as we stumble into the kitchen, tripping over each other as we push and shove. Right off I see Ellie sitting with Rhea at the kitchen table. Her dark hair is still wet and she’s looking as cute as ever when she smiles at me.

  “Well good mornin’ beautiful,” I smile making my way over to her and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. She even smells enticing as a fruity scent flows over me, making me want to scoop her up and take her away right here and now.

  “Mornin’ Bobby,” she smiles laying her hand gently on my cheek as her blue-green eyes run over my sweaty body. I nod to Rhea and she rolls her eyes at me, smiling at what she calls silly flirting between Ellie and me.

  “I hope my husband didn’t kick your ass too much Timmons,” she laughs as Chad leans in and kisses her wildly, taking her face in his hands and rubbing his sweaty cheeks on her as she squirms and yells as him.

  “Oh I think your husband is the one who got his ass kicked,” I laugh as Ellie and Rhea both complain to Chad about how gross his actions were. I just laugh some more as he gives me a shit eating grin, wiping his shirt across his face and leani
ng down to kiss her hard one more time.

  “Don’t talk too much shit boy,” he warns turning his back to me to fix a cup of coffee. “I might have to put you in your place like I did in Afghanistan.”

  “Oh, low blow Chief,” I fake a punch to the gut and plop down in the chair next to Ellie, flinging my arm over the back of hers while lightly running my hand over her back, making her shiver slightly.

  I love how I affect her. I can give her goose-bumps with the slightest touch or make her blush with the silliest comment. It’s like her body is on edge waiting for me to make her tip over.

  All the way through breakfast Chief and I recount stories of our missions, well at least parts that we can tell the girls while still keeping our oath of secrecy, no doubt boring the girls and baby Charlie but they sit and laugh along with us nonetheless. By the time Ellie and Rhea stand to do the dishes, my hand is entwined with hers resting on the side of her leg just underneath the table. It feels right and I give her a squeeze before letting her follow her cousin to the sink.

  “Come on lover boy,” Chad laughs slapping me slightly on the side of the head while grabbing Charlie up and out of his highchair. “You could use a shower. You smell like shit.”

  “Why thanks Chief,” I say while flipping him off, heading into my bedroom while he disappears up the stairs with his squirming son. Pulling a pair of jeans and a plaid button down from my drawers I fling my towel over my shoulder and head for the bathroom.

  Winking at Ellie as she talks away with Rhea, I nod for her to join me and she blushes slightly turning her eyes back to drying the plates and making me laugh behind the shut door. I’m happy that I haven’t hurried to have sex with her and I know that sounds strange coming from a man, especially a self-pronounced man whore like me, but it’s true. With Ellie things are going to be different.

  Chad was right; I do smell like shit so the shower feels great. Drying off I decided I’m going to try out my new black metal prosthetic and slide it on over the suspension sleeve, testing it out before pulling my jeans on. It feels like there is nothing there; no pain, no sleeve, no hard plastic or metal parts and it’s great.

  Letting a cloud of steam out when I open the door I turn to see Ellie standing by the glass door, a cup of coffee moving slowly to her lips. Her perfect, plump, sin inducing lips and I immediately feel a need for her. She’s like a drug and I don’t think I’ll ever want to kick it.

  “What are ya doin’ by your lonesome, pretty girl?” I ask, rubbing my towel through my hair and tossing it down the basement stairs to land on the washer. She doesn’t turn to face me; but a heart stopping smile creeps onto her lips as they rest on the rim of the mug.

  “Nothin’ much. Just thinkin’ how nice the pond out back must be right now.” Oh man, the combination of her smile and thinking about her in a bathing suit make naughty little thoughts race through my mind and I can’t fight the smile from coming to my lips.

  “It’s gonna get hot real quick today.” She grins again, this time turning to face me with the mug covering her lips. She takes a quick sip but her eyes never leave mine. Does she know what she’s doing to me?

  “Oh yeah?” is all I can say, trying not to sound too excited even though I feel like a teenager after his girlfriend offers him a quickie under the bleachers. Is it just me, or is she sending me a signal?

  “Yeah,” she smiles again, setting the mug down on the island and pulling the sliding glass door open. “Ya wanna come with me?”

  “Hell yeah,” I try not to yell it as I scramble to button my shirt and find my baseball cap. In less than a minute I have my boots and shirt on, even if half the buttons are crooked, and I’m following Ellie’s fine little butt out into the back yard. She’s got on these little denim shorts and it is hard not to stare as she leads me out onto the trimmed trail leading out back.

  “You remember that horse I was tellin’ ya about,” she says over her shoulder while weaving her way over the tire tracks, picking at the tall grass and twirling it between her fingers.

  “Lady, right?” I ask, remembering only the snippets she has told me about the horse she liked to stop and see on her runs when she lived in Waverly. She has a soft spot for animals, like her cousin does, and she’s said a few times how she’d like to maybe own a few horses one day. That would be fine with me.

  “Yeah.” She replies, but her tone turns sad and clipped and as I watch her walk her shoulders sag and her head tilts to watch her feet. She looks somewhat defeated so I take the few strides between us and wrap my arms around her waist, sinking my face into her hair as she gasps in surprise.

  She laughs and swats at my arms, telling me I’m crazy and silently I agree with her. I am crazy. Crazy about her.

  I put a halt to our slow walk and spin her around, pulling her to me and wrapping my arms around her shoulders as she tucks her face into my chest and encases my waist with her tiny pale arms. The feeling of her held tight to me is enough to drive any warm blooded human mad.

  “They sold her,” she sighs out, turning her face to rest her chin on my chest looking directly up at me. There are tears on the edges of her lashes and it hurts my heart to see her sad. She shouldn’t ever be sad. I run the pad of my thumb just under her lashes and sweep away the moisture as it slowly seeps out, never moving my stare from hers and she sniffles slightly.

  “Well did you get to say goodbye?” I know letting things go is hard, trust me I’m going through it right now, but sometimes when you get to say goodbye to it, it makes it a little easier. I know it would have made losing my parents at least a little easier.

  She skirts her eyes to the side as my arms still hold her to me and she sucks her bottom lip in, biting it and looking so damn sexy that I have to restrain myself from pulling her up and covering her mouth with mine. I brush my fingertips along her cheek and push a stray lock of hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. Her eyes close for a second and I can feel her relax in my arms, the slight action making a smile break out on my face.

  “The boy was so broken hearted,” she whispers, resting her cheek on my sternum and tightening her grip around my waist. I can just about feel the pain flowing through her; her breathing shallow and quick, fighting the tears that still linger on her lashes. Hugging her tighter still, I lean down and kiss her hair letting my lips linger to let her know I’m here. I feel a few tears hit my forearm as we stand there but I say nothing, not because I don’t have anything to say but because I know she just wants to be held right now.

  A light breeze seems to surround us as we stand there in the knee high grass, just holding each other. Her fingers start to move along my forearm and I can see her tracing the lines of my tattoo, her eyes trained on the black and grey pirate ship. I’ve had it since my first tour of duty in the Middle East.

  “Why a pirate ship Bobby?” she asks, turning her beautifully pale face up to me while wiping the moisture from her cheeks with her fingertips. Her mascara is starting to run but it doesn’t matter to me. She’s just as beautiful with it smeared and smudged as she is without it at all.

  Taking my eyes off of her for only a second, I look at my tattoo. The shades of black and grey tangled together in an angry high seas scene. The beaten and battered pirate ship with its tattered Jolly Roger flying high, being tossed around by raging waves with the words ‘Refuse to Sink’ displayed front and center on the bow. It represented a hell of a lot more right now at this point in my life than it had when I had gotten it inked on my skin in Norfolk.

  “Like, I know why you have this,” she says pushing up my right sleeve and running her fingers along the tribal frog design with the number ten woven into it. The frog paid homage to the history of the SEALs and the number ten is my Team. As her fingers run along my warming skin my breathing speeds up, needing to get my heart beating to move the blood alone before I pass out from the excitement.

  “The ship is just a reminder to me that when things get rough, there is always a break in the storm or a sunny port t
o look forward to.” Her eyes look into mine as one of her eyebrows rise in question. The look on her face makes me laugh and I lean down and kiss her lightly on the lips.

  “See,” I say pointing to the inside of my arm and the only color in the entire tattoo. A peek at a clear blue sky and green grass on land through the raging storm is my pirate ships savior.

  “Hmmm,” I can hear her mumble, “I never noticed the color before.” Her look moves up my chest and back into my eyes as a sleek smile plays across those pink lips of hers. I lean in ever so slowly, hoping to get a kiss from those delivery devices of pleasure but her palms on my chest stop me.

  “What other surprises do you have?” she questions, giving me a flirty smile chuck full of attitude as she steps back and places her hand on her cocked hip. Oh the dirty things I could say to her right now that would knock that attitude down to blushing in no time, but no, I’ll keep those thoughts inside. For now at least.

  As a grin starts to play across my face, Ellie surprises me as she turns and runs through the grass in the direction of the pond, giggling the entire way. “Oh don’t run from me little girl,” I yell after her as I take off, bounding through the tall grass and brush after her fleeting figure. I run and laugh, feeling no pain or soreness at all in my left leg as my new prosthetic does its job absorbing the shock and weight and my Timberland boots crunch through the fallen branches.

  Rounding a curve in the trail I come to a dead stop, spotting something lying in the grass. Bending over I pick up a blue and white flip flop, turning it over like it’s something foreign to me. Is this for real? Am I seeing what I think I’m seeing? Is this a skinny dipping walk?

  “Come on Bobby,” I hear her yell my name and it sends shocks right up through my spine.

  Taking the flip flop with me I pause again to pick up its companion and break the tree line, heading for the pond. Inside the darker tree cover the humidity kicks up a level and tucking her shoes into the pocket of my jeans I start to unbutton my shirt, hearing Ellie still in front of me making her way through the weeds.