“Did she fuck you with it?” Ghost teased and laughed. “That would probably explain why you’re limping today.”
“Shut the hell up, bastard. I told you I twisted my ankle,” Joker retorted, elbowing Ghost in the ribs. “She wanted to use it on me though, said something about a prostate orgasm or something like that. There was no way in hell I was letting her anywhere near my ass with that thing. Anyway, she jumps on me and starts pulling my clothes off…”
Savage’s phone vibrated in his pocket as Joker went on with his story. He pulled it out, raising his eyebrow at the unknown number.
Unknown: Missing you already. Can’t wait to see you tonight. -Nat
“She’s on the table near the bed and fucking jumps on top of me like we’re in a fucking WWE match. I had to make sure my intestines weren’t on the floor because I was sure they were going to come out of my mouth,” Joker continued.
Savage shook his head and laughed. “Well, if your intestines came out, at least you’re covered by Tricare.”
“Ha, very funny, you dick. I like kink, but I’m pretty sure that woman was Hulk Hogan in another life. My whole damn body hurts,” Joker complained.
“But did you at least get one off after all that?”
“Best I ever had in my damn life,” he admitted and laughed. Ghost chuckled and stood to his feet.
“I’ll be back in a sec. Gotta drain the snake,” he said and excused himself. When he was out of view, Joker narrowed his eyes at Savage.
“What’s going on?” he asked, his demeanor changing from playful to serious. Savage raised a brow.
“What do you mean?”
“You’re quiet. You’re only quiet when something’s bothering you. Is it about the girl?”
He shrugged and turned his eyes to his untouched food. “It’s complicated.”
“Tell her,” he said.
Savage met his eyes. “Tell her what?”
“Come on, Savage. It’s obvious to everybody that you’re still in love with that girl. I could see that when you two were at the club last night.” He paused for a moment. “I used to have a Natalie. Danielle’s her name. High school sweetheart and an overall good girl. I was dumb enough to let her go chasing after stupid shit and now she’s happily married with kids while I’m still searching for someone remotely close to her.” His intense cobalt blue eyes bore into Savage’s. “You haven’t seen this girl in ten years and she shows up at the same nightclub you’re at, happens to be newly single, and you’re sitting here twiddling your dick about what to do. Tell her. The worst that could happen is that she tells you to fuck off and leave.”
Savage leaned back in his chair and sighed. Joker was right. No was the worst answer he could get, but never knowing would be even worse. He just hoped telling her wouldn’t blow up in his face.
Chapter Six
Natalie tried her best to relax in her massage chair, but a million different thoughts raced through her mind. She attempted to focus on the rest of her to-do list instead of thinking about Cameron and the drama she knew would be waiting back at home with Ted. He’d been calling her all morning and she hadn’t gathered the courage to talk to him yet. Now that the emotional high had worn off, guilt started to settle into her spirit and was eating her alive.
“Nat,” Missy called. Natalie blinked and turned to her best friend.
“Yeah?”
“What is up with you? You’ve been out of it all morning,” she said.
“Sorry, I guess I’m just a little tired,” she said, just as her phone rang again. Missy rolled her eyes.
“Oh my God, is that Ted again? I wish he’d get a life,” she mumbled, turning her attention to the magazine on her lap. Natalie hit ignore on the call once again and switched her phone to silent. She’d deal with him when she was ready to.
“Are you ready to become Mrs. Keebler?” Natalie asked, changing the subject. Her heart fluttered when her best friend’s face lit up at the mention of her upcoming nuptials.
“Yes! It still doesn’t feel real. I’m so anxious to see him and touch him and kiss him and—”
“Okay, okay, I get it,” Natalie said with a giggle. She was almost envious of her friend’s happiness, but she wanted nothing more for her. She remembered all the shitty boyfriends she’d had throughout college and all the pints of ice cream they’d gone through on her couch when Missy was going through yet another breakup after being cheated on or dumped. When Lennon finally came into the picture, everything changed. Missy became more responsible, she took better care of herself, and she realized her self-worth. Her newfound happiness brought a glow to her that Natalie prayed would never disappear. She could only hope she found that kind of happiness one day.
But last night.
So much happened last night and her mind still reeled from it. At first she thought all the emotions she felt were simply an emotional high from sexual tension, but she still felt them even now. Even though sleeping with Cameron awakened dormant feelings, she knew that what they had was in the past. She didn’t know who he was now. He was familiar, yet still a stranger. She had her own life in Philadelphia; she couldn’t just throw all of that away after a weekend of great sex.
“How was last night anyway? You haven’t said a word about that guy since he left,” Missy asked, cutting into her thoughts.
Natalie cleared her throat and focused on the nail tech scrubbing her feet. “It was fine,” she said.
“Fine?” Missy put down her magazine and smirked. “You do realize I was in the room next to you, right? It sure sounded like it was a lot more than fine,” she said and laughed.
Natalie’s cheeks burned as a grin pulled at her lips. “Well, if you heard, why’d you ask?”
“Because you’re a terrible best friend who likes to leave me in suspense! So what’s going to happen now?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, it’s obvious that you like him. You like him, don’t you?”
Natalie sighed and leaned back in her chair. “It’s not as simple as liking him. We have very different lives right now. He’s a soldier that’ll probably always be gone and I’ve finally gotten into a groove in Philly and Ted—”
“You’re still on him? Don’t worry about Ted; think about you and your happiness for once. You could always find a job. You’re a lawyer; I’m pretty sure you can find work here on the west coast,” she said.
Natalie rolled her eyes. “Missy, it’s really not as easy as you’re trying to make it seem. What if I uproot my entire life, move here, and he’s not the guy he was ten years ago? People grow up and change; one weekend isn’t long enough to know whether I want to rip my life apart and start over.” She jumped when the nail tech scrubbed the bottom of her feet. “Look, I only came here for your wedding. Rekindling a ten-year-old flame isn’t something I have the energy or desire for. Hell, I just got dumped. I’m not even looking for a relationship.”
Missy shook her head. “You can keep telling yourself that, Nat. If you saw how you looked last night with him, you’d understand why I’m so adamant about him. You’re only lying to yourself to say you aren’t the least bit curious in seeing where things go,” she said and picked her magazine back up.
Maybe she was lying to herself about how she felt, but she logically knew she and Cameron wouldn’t work right now. They hadn’t talked about anything important, like their life goals or their plans. She wasn’t even sure if she would be able to handle the distance and stress and worry that came with his job. A weekend wasn’t long enough to talk about all of this and it was much too soon to make any major decisions. She only wanted to take it at face value for what it was, which was just an emotional roll in the sack.
She clenched her jaw. It was more than that and she knew it. Trying to diminish it to less than that just to justify her reasons for running away wouldn’t change the truth. Her phone vibrated on her lap, displaying a text message from him.
Cam: Miss you too. Already counting down the minutes u
ntil I get to see you again.
Her heart fluttered at the message as a small grin pulled at her lips. “I hope that’s the guy from last night and not Ted,” Missy said.
“Yeah, it’s Cam,” she said idly.
“Invite him to the reception.”
“I can’t—”
“Invite him to the reception,” she repeated, flipping to the next page in the magazine. Natalie bit the inside of her cheek and hit reply on the message.
Natalie: I need a date tonight to the reception…can you come?
No sooner than she blacked out her screen, it lit back up with his response.
Cam: Sure. Just tell me where, when and what to wear.
She sent him the address, time and dress code and leaned back in her chair with a content sigh.
“That wasn’t so hard, now was it?” Missy said behind her magazine.
Natalie giggled. Asking him wasn’t the hard part. Figuring out her feelings and what to do with them was.
Chapter Seven
Warm, salty air caressed Savage’s heated skin as he walked across the outdoor ballroom floor, white string lanterns hung above him, and sheer curtains danced softly in the wind. Round tables filled the space, covered with white tablecloths and beautiful floral centerpieces. Soft jazz music played from speakers set up on the corners of the floor, setting a relaxing, romantic vibe. He felt slightly underdressed in his white linen summer shirt and khaki shorts while everyone around him was clad in fancy suits and beautiful dresses. He saw a couple of the girls from the club, but still no Natalie. Where the hell is she?
Joker’s words from earlier bounced around in his head. He wasn’t sure if the sweat beading up along the back of his neck was from the humid night air or the nerves of telling Natalie how he really felt. It’d been ten years; what if she wasn’t the person he remembered? Time and experiences changed people. He definitely knew he wasn’t the same kid she left behind all that time ago. The military changed him and he wasn’t sure it would be something she’d easily accept. He didn’t want to end up like Joker, constantly searching for something he’d lost. He’d lost her once; he couldn’t let her get away this time.
“There you are,” a voice said behind him. He turned and his mouth went dry. She smiled at him, her short, strapless purple dress blowing around her lean legs. Her hair fell in curly waves down her shoulders, a few stray tendrils cradling her baby doll face. “I almost thought you changed your mind.”
“Why would I pass up an opportunity to see you again?” he asked, closing the space between them and taking her hands into his.
“Well, I’m glad you could make it,” she said, giving him a full lookover. “You look handsome.”
“You think so? I’ve never been to a beach wedding, so I hoped this was acceptable,” he said and smiled. “You look beautiful.”
She blushed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, turning her eyes away. “Thank you.”
“Do you want to take a walk? I’d like to talk to you about something,” he said, gesturing toward the beach. She glanced back nervously before turning back to him with a small sigh.
“Um sure. That’s fine,” she said, walking ahead of him. He took a deep breath and followed behind her. Well, here goes nothing.
They walked along the beach, the crashing waves the only sound around them as they moved further away from the wedding party.
“It’s beautiful out tonight,” she said, breaking the silence between them.
He nodded and gently took her hand into his. “Yeah, it is.”
“I wish I could live on the beach. It’s so peaceful here compared to the city.”
“Moving here doesn’t sound like a bad idea,” Savage said with a smirk. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze as she grinned up at him.
“If only it were that easy,” she said.
“What makes it hard?” he asked, genuinely curious.
She sighed and looked out at the water. “Well, my life is in Philly. Things are finally going right, aside from the drama with Ted. I guess I’ve finally gotten into a good groove and life is good right now. It would be hard to just uproot and start all over when it seems like things are finally falling into place,” she said.
His confidence in his earlier words dissolved into the wave crashing against the shore and floated out to sea. Even if he told her how he felt, she’d basically let him know that she couldn’t come here. His selfish ways and thinking was the reason he’d lost her in the first place and making that same mistake could cause him to lose her for good.
Things happened for a reason. Maybe their ship had already sailed, leaving him with no choice but to move on. There was no doubt that he loved her, but her happiness meant more to him than his own. If her staying on the east coast was what made her happy, he’d just have to accept that.
“I don’t know though,” she finally said with a sigh. “No one knows what the future holds. But for now, I’m pretty content with life at the moment.”
He nodded without a word and turned his attention to the sun setting on the horizon. The beautiful burnt orange, purple and pink hues in the sky set a romantic vibe on the beach, but his heart was heavy. Natalie looked at him with thoughtful eyes.
“But enough about me. You said you wanted to talk about something?” she asked.
He pulled her into his arms and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. “It wasn’t important.”
“You sure? You know you can talk to me about anything, right?” she asked. Although he nodded, he knew it was anything but true. Of course he could tell her, but he didn’t want to change their vibe by making her feel guilty if she didn’t feel the same way he did. The old Cameron would’ve done that, probably even thrown it in her face to drive the guilt home. He couldn’t do that to her now.
“Yeah, I’m sure,” he finally said, forcing a sly grin. “I’m kind of already thinking about what I want to do to you when we get back to your hotel room.”
She bit her lip and smiled, pressing her body tighter against him. “Oh yeah? What’s on that mind of yours, Mr. Garrett?”
“Just how anxious I am to see if you taste as sweet as I remember,” he murmured, kissing her neck.
She shivered against him. “Yeah?”
“Oh yeah. I want to see how loud I can make you scream when you come on my tongue.”
“You keep talking like that and I’m going to have to ditch my maid of honor duties and bail out on this reception early,” she said.
He chuckled and kissed her. She sighed against his lips, wrapping her arms around his neck as she pulled him closer. He savored her subtle honeysuckle perfume, wanting to embed the fragrance in his memory to remember long after she left him. He wanted to remember her touch, her taste, and her warmth, simply to remind him that she’d been there. That she’d once been his even though she wouldn’t be after tomorrow.
Natalie slowly pulled away and gazed up at him. “We should probably head back to the party,” she said. Savage nodded without a word and took her hand, trudging through the sand toward the wedding party. The only thing he could do was spend this remaining time with her, and he’d make sure to cherish every last minute.
Chapter Eight
Natalie could sense something was wrong as they drove back to the hotel. She saw it in his eyes and behind his forced smiles when he joked with her. Cameron hadn’t expressed anything verbally, but she could feel the sadness radiating off of him in waves.
Her eyes drifted over to him. The passing streetlights illuminated his face as he drove under them. His mouth was in a hard line, his face an array of emotions ranging from confused to sad. She couldn’t help but wonder if he was worried about her leaving tomorrow.
“You’re quiet,” she finally said.
“Sorry. Just a little distracted.”
“You want to talk about it?” she asked, reaching over to caress the back of his hand.
“Nah, I’m good,” he said, glancing at her before turning his attention back to the ro
ad. When she didn’t look away from him, he gave her a small, reassuring smile. “Really, it’s nothing.”
She leaned back against the leather seat with a soft sigh, gazing out the window. Her eyes wandered past the tall buildings and stray pedestrians on the street. When they stopped at a stop light, she noticed a couple standing on the corner, whispering and giggling to each other as new couples did. She imagined what it would be like to take evening strolls on the beach with Cameron, making love to him after a long day in court to ease her stress, and simply not having to worry about whether or not he was plowing his assistant instead of working.
But then she remembered that Cameron was in the military, which would mean a lot of time alone and more stress and worry added to her plate when he was deployed. As good as the thought of a relationship with him seemed, he wasn’t safe. Her life in Philadelphia was safe. Her relationship with Ted, or the one she had, was safe. She didn’t have to worry about the love of her life leaving her with the possibility of coming back a changed man or not even coming back at all.
She swallowed the lump forming in her throat and pushed the negative thoughts away. For now, she’d enjoy him and deal with the rest as it came.
*
They walked hand in hand to her hotel room, nothing like the way they’d entered the night before. Cameron still hadn’t said much since they’d left the reception, which started to worry her. Natalie took off her jewelry and kicked her shoes off while he sat on the edge of the bed in silence, his mouth still in a hard line with his gaze fixed on the floor.
She walked over to him and turned her back to him. “Can you unzip me please?”
A shiver passed down her spine as his fingers moved down her back to pull down her zipper. His cool lips touched the back of her neck as her dress pooled at her feet. She turned to face him, her heart aching at the sadness etched across his furrowed brow.
“Talk to me, Cam,” she whispered, cradling his face in her hands. His honey eyes gazed into hers.
Special Forces: Operation Alpha: Surviving Savage (Kindle Worlds Novella) (SEALed Brotherhood Book 1) Page 3