Rediscovering Peace (Military Love Book 1)

by Rogers, Steffy

  Rediscovering Peace

  Military Love Vol.1

  By

  Steffy Rogers

  CopyRight

  Rediscovering Peace – Military Love Vol.1

  First edition, May 2015

  Copyright © 2015 by Steffy Rogers

  Photographer: S.M. Talkington Photography

  Editing: Kathy Krick

  Cover Design by: Kari Ayasha, Cover to Cover Design

  Formatting: Rebel Edit & Design

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used factiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locals is entirely coincidental.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Epilogue

  Afterword

  About the author

  Acknowledgments

  Playlist

  Dedication

  Opa,

  I miss you so much it hurts.

  But I know you are always with me wherever I go.

  Thank you for encouraging me to always follow my dreams.

  I wouldn’t be here without you.

  Until we meet again.

  Mama,

  I can’t even start to tell you how much you truly mean to me.

  You are my best friend and my rock.

  If you didn’t always believe in me, I don’t know what I would do.

  I will always love you the mostest!

  Military abbreviations used in Rediscovering Peace

  PFC = Private First Class

  SPC = Specialist

  SSG = Staff Sergeant

  ETS = Estimated Time of Separation

  Off post = Off base

  FOB = Forward operating base is any secured forward military position, commonly a military base, that is used to support tactical operations

  AIT = Advanced Individual Training. After you complete Basic Combat Training, you’re ready for your next step. AIT is where you learn the skills to perform your army job.

  Chapter 1

  Skye

  “Hurry up, Caige! I can’t be late for this flight!” I yelled through the apartment where I lived with my best friends, Caige O’Donnell and Faith Livingston. Faith just laughed at both of us “Anxious much, Skye?” Today was the day I would finally get to see my fiancé, Oliver, again. Of course I was anxious. We hadn’t seen each other in four months.

  Oliver and I had been a couple for a little over a year. I remember it like it was yesterday when I first laid eyes on him. I was out dancing at a country bar in town with Caige and Faith when all of a sudden a deep, sexy voice behind me asked if he could have the next dance. I turned around and was met with the brightest green eyes I had ever seen. Speechless, I started checking him out. His blond hair was in the same short military cut that I have come so used to in this area. I lived in Fort Stewart, Georgia so I was rather familiar with the military. His black V-neck shirt defined the abs underneath it, and I wanted to rip his shirt off and have my wicked way with him. He was about six feet tall and was gorgeous, especially with all the tattoos he was sporting on his arm. I’ve always had a thing for guys with tattoos.

  “So is that a yes?” he asked trying to hide his smile from me. He had totally caught me checking him out.

  Snapping out of it I answered him, “If you know how to two step!”

  “Challenge accepted.” He grinned, grabbed my hand and led me to the center of the dance floor. Luke Bryan’s “I Don’t Want This Night to End” came on and I squealed with excitement. “This is my favorite song!” We started dancing and damn, did he have moves. After we had danced until we couldn’t catch our breath, he led me over to the bar to get a drink.

  “So, what’s your name gorgeous?”

  “Skye. And you are?”

  “My name is Oliver. What would you like to drink, sweetheart?”

  “A beer will do just fine.”

  He flagged down the bartender and ordered two beers. After getting our drinks he led me to a quiet corner. I glanced around trying to locate my friends. I found them on the dance floor. Faith caught my glance and gave me a thumbs up. She knew I usually didn’t like to talk to strangers. But for some reason, Oliver had me intrigued. I wasn’t sure if it was his looks or the bad boy image he was sporting so well.

  “I have to say you really got some moves,” I started the conversation trying to break the ice between us.

  “My mom used to force me to take dancing lessons. I hated it. But they sure did come in handy tonight.” He smiled a panty melting smile at me that caused me to feel a tingling sensation going through my body. I hadn’t been affected like this by a man in a while. Of course I have had my share of relationships and dated, but nothing serious ever came out of it. The only serious relationship I have ever had was with Braden Parker whom I had met in Germany. We had been inseparable at the time. Unfortunately, when my dad got stationed to Hawaii eight years ago, we ended our relationship. Braden was my first love. He would always hold a big part of my heart. It’s been eight years and I haven’t been able to open up to anyone else ever since, but I had a feeling Oliver would change that.

  Whoa, I needed to slow down. I didn’t even know this guy.

  We talked all night. I found out that he was twenty-seven, in the U.S. Army and had been stationed in Fort Stewart for almost three years now. He kept showering me with compliments and I felt the butterflies everyone always talked about. After a while I saw Faith and Caige approaching, apparently danced out for the night. I smiled. My two best friends were definitely catching some looks from the people in the bar. Faith with her long blonde hair and legs I would kill for always got attention. Caige was broody, but his tall lean body and gorgeous face was every woman’s dream come true. He had always been like the big brother I never had and I valued our friendship a lot. He had a no bullshit attitude and always told you the truth. They finally made their way over to our table and sat down.

  “I am Faith, Skye’s BFF. This is Caige. He claims to be her BFF too, but I think she’s just keeping him around for his looks.”

  I busted out laughing. Faith had a bubbly, open attitude and Caige and her loved picking at each other.

  “I am Oliver. It’s nice to meet you guys.” He shook their hands with a smile.

  Caige stayed quiet most of the night, just observing. I didn’t think anything of it – it was just how he was. We understood each other without words. When it came time to go we made our way over to the cabs that were waiting outside the bar. Faith and Caige got in the cab while I said my goodbyes to Oliver. I hated that our night already had come to an end.

  “Can I take you out to dinner tomorrow night?” He looked at me expectantly.

  “I would love that. I work till five p.m. but after that I am free.”

  He took out his phone and I gave him my number. With a kiss on my cheek, he opened
the cab door for me.

  “I will see you tomorrow, sweetheart. Have a good night.”

  I smiled and got in the cab. When we finally got home I hopped in the shower to get ready for bed. I went to the kitchen and found Caige sitting there.

  “I don’t have a good feeling about him, Skye. Something seems off.”

  I turned from the fridge glaring at him.

  “What do you mean, Caige? You don’t even know him. Hell, you didn’t even make an effort to talk to him tonight.”

  Caige shrugged. “I don’t know, babygirl. I can’t put my finger on it. Please be careful.”

  “Caige, I like him. I know I just met him, but I have a feeling that he will be around in the future. I want to get to know him. And I want you to be part of that. You’re my best friend and I value your opinion, but please don’t ruin this for me. Give him a chance. For me.”

  “Okay, babygirl, whatever you want. But if he hurts you, I will beat his ass. Goodnight.” He hugged me and went to his room turning in for the night. I made my way to my room. As I lay in bed I heard my phone go off. It was a text from an unknown number.

  Hey beautiful. I had a great night. Thank you! I can’t wait to see your pretty face tomorrow night. Sleep well and sweet dreams. Oliver

  I had lots of fun, too. :) See you tomorrow. Xoxo Skye

  I was excited to see what tomorrow would bring. With a smile on my face, I fell asleep.

  I was barely able concentrate at work the next day. I just wanted to get the day over and see Oliver. He was the only thing on my mind all day. I was surprised. I wasn’t usually like this. It took me a long time to agree to go on a date with guys. Yet Oliver had somehow managed to invade my thoughts and actually had me excited to go on one. All day I was thinking about what I would wear. I called Faith.

  “Any plans for lunch?” I asked when she answered.

  “No not really. What do you have in mind?”

  “I need something to wear for tonight. Let’s use the hour and go to the mall.”

  Faith agreed to meet me for some lunch time shopping. I knew she would, that girl breathed for shopping. As lunch rolled around I informed my boss I was going to head out. He just waved at me, deep into his presentation. I met Faith in front of my office building and we made our way to the mall.

  “An hour is really not enough for shopping,” she complained as I was trying on outfit after outfit. We finally decided on a blue sundress with silver sandals. I felt pretty.

  Once I made it back to the office I flew through meetings, with my thoughts on the evening ahead. Oliver had texted me earlier. After I gave him my address, we had agreed to meet at seven p.m. I was giddy with excitement. When five p.m. came around I darted out of my office eager to get home and ready. I put my hair in a loose ponytail and let some strands hang out. I put some attention on my makeup. I wasn’t a girl who wore a lot of makeup but tonight I decided to put some on. Once I was ready I headed into the living room where I found Caige and Faith lounging on the sofa watching a movie. “Wow! You look great, babygirl! What are the plans?” Caige was looking me up and down approving of my dress.

  “Oh, Oliver is just taking me out for dinner at that new swanky restaurant that opened not far from here.”

  “The Boulevard? Nice. Have fun but not too much,” Caige told me.

  Caige was acting the part of my big brother again. At 6:45, the doorbell rang. Oliver was early. Grabbing my purse, I headed down the stairs of our apartment building. I stopped in my tracks when I saw him standing there waiting for me. He was wearing a washed out pair of jeans that hung low on his hips, a blue dress shirt and cowboy boots. He looked amazing. I smiled thinking about how his shirt matched my dress.

  “You look stunning, Skye.” He greeted me with a kiss on my cheek. He opened the door to his Ford 150 and helped me get up in the truck. We drove the short drive to the restaurant in silence. I was too nervous to say anything.

  “Get a grip, Skye. It’s not your first date,” I thought to myself.

  “Why how many dates have you been on?” Oliver asked. Shit, did I say that out loud?

  “Not that many, really. I don’t usually date.”

  “Well, I am glad you decided to go on a date with me. I haven’t stopped thinking about you all day. I have never met anyone like you, Skye.”

  When we got to the restaurant we were led into a quiet corner. I glanced around the restaurant. It was rather fancy. The interior was modern, yet romantic. I loved the feel of it. Oliver had made reservations for a candlelight dinner. He really did think of everything. The waitress came to our table and was looking Oliver up and down, clearly liking what she saw.

  “What can I bring you today, handsome?” she asked totally ignoring me.

  “My girl and I would like some of your best red wine. And for our entrée, we would like the shrimp platter,” he answered without taking his eyes off of me.

  “I hope you like seafood? I am sorry I shouldn’t have assumed.”

  “Like? I love seafood.”

  He grinned at me. “A girl after my own heart. I knew there was a reason I liked you.”

  The food arrived and the waitress smiled a dazzling smile at Oliver, which he completely ignored. His sole focus was on me and I enjoyed it.

  “So, why did you decide to join the army?” I inquired wanting to know more about him.

  “I grew up in a small town in Colorado. Though I loved it there I always longed to see more of the world. My dad was in the military, so it was a no brainer that I would join one day too. It’s hard sometimes, but I get to see things. I think I am getting out after my contract runs out though. I want to go back to school and become a teacher. I love kids. I want to be able to educate them. Make the world a better place, one child at a time.”

  “Good looking and he loves kids. Could you be any more perfect?” I smiled at him. “My dad was in the army too. I am an army brat. I grew up around military all my life. I used to hate the traveling as a child. I always had to say goodbye to friends when it came time to go to a new duty station. As I got older, I realized that I am luckier than most kids. I got to travel and see places. We lived in Germany for three years. Not a lot of people can say they actually left the country. Of course I hated deployments. I hated when my dad had to leave me for long periods at a time. I would drive my mom crazy asking when he would finally be back. My dad finally retired two years ago and decided he wanted to stay here in Savannah. I love it here so I was very thankful. My two best friends, Caige and Faith, live here. You met them the other night, remember? We share an apartment. I don’t know what I would do without them.”

  We lost track of time while we got lost in conversation. Oliver was great company and I felt comfortable around him. After he paid for our check, he led me back to the truck. He had his hand on the small of my back and I could feel the tingling sensation again. I never slept with a guy on the first date, but something about Oliver made me want to throw myself at him. I felt like he could take me places I hadn’t been before.

  “You want to drive to the beach and walk around for a bit? I am not ready for the night to end just yet.”

  With a slow nod I answered, “Sure, I don’t have to go into work till lunch tomorrow.”

  We drove the thirty minute ride to Tybee Beach. I left my shoes in the car and enjoyed the feel of the cool sand on my feet. After ten minutes of walking in silence, Oliver swung me around to face him.

  “I am going to kiss you, Skye. I promised myself I wouldn’t kiss you tonight and take things slow, but I just can’t help myself.”

  “Yes, please,” I whispered as he lowered his soft lips to mine. He tugged on my lip a bit and a quiet moan escaped me. I opened my mouth allowing him to explore. He kissed me oh so slowly, but soon the kiss became more passionate. I ran my hands through his hair and found myself wanting to climb all over him savoring the sensation of him kissing me senseless. I never thought I could have an orgasm from a kiss, but I was very close with Oliver’s k
isses. He pulled away from me and I instantly mourned the loss of his lips.

  “Skye, what are you doing to me? I have never felt anything like this before. That kiss...it was more than amazing. I have to stop though, or I will rip your clothes off. I don’t want our first time to be in public on a beach. I want to savor you and make you come so hard, you won’t know your own name anymore.”

  I melted at his words. How could he be so perfect? We sat on the beach arm in arm for a while listening to the waves of the ocean crashing against the shore. The beach always made me feel at peace. It was my favorite place in the world.

  “You ready to head home, sweetheart?”

  “Not really, but I guess we have to. It’s getting late.” Oliver parked his car in front of my apartment building and walked me to the door.

  “You want to come inside?”

  “I would love to, sweetheart, but I want to do this right. How about I pick you up tomorrow after work? Have you ever been shooting?”

  “I will kick your ass in shooting,” I challenged him with a huge grin. It was on.

  “It’s a date then.” He kissed me goodnight and waited for me to get in the building. Faith and Caige were still up when I opened the door to my apartment.

  “Spill, bitch, how was it? Did he kiss you? Did you guys have sex?” Faith was about as excited as I was about this date, since it was such a rarity to see me going on a date.

  “Calm down, crazy. No, we didn’t have sex though I can’t say I didn’t want to. I had an amazing time. He is a true gentleman. Even when the waitress flirted with him he only had eyes for me. After dinner he took me to the beach and boy, can he kiss. I have never been kissed like that before.”

  “Skye is falling in love. Who would’ve thought?”

  “I am not. I barely know him. But I want to get to know him because I have never met anyone like him. I am headed to bed. Love you guys.”

  “Love you too, bitch.”

  Caige didn’t say anything. Our conversation from the night before still in mind I knew he wasn’t happy. I would have to have a talk with him. He was being the overprotective brother again.