Protect Her (Aussie Military Romance Book 2)

by Kenna Shaw Reed

  No! She was not going to sleep with this man tonight, not a chance in hell. No matter what lines he spun, she had to be smarter than that. Flirt a little, play a little and then go home and fantasize. No harm could come in dreaming about him, could it?

  “Does the lady have a name? After all, if we are going to do this thing, he’s going to have to hear how sweetly I say your name.” So close were his lips to her ears that he didn’t even have to speak louder than a whisper.

  “Xanthe, spelled with an ‘X’ but pronounced with a ‘Zan’.” With more curiosity than concern, she asked, “What are you going to do?”

  “I assume you can video chat with him?”

  “Yes, but why would I want to.”

  “Are you ever going to go back to him.” Those eyes had her mesmerized, completely willing to be caught up in whatever game he wanted to play. “I need to know because after we make this call, ‘A’, he’ll be pissed at you, and ‘B’, I get jealous really quick.”

  She might not sleep with him, at least not tonight, but if he didn’t stop looking at her like that, she was going to enjoy hours upon hours of kissing.

  “I …” How could she tell Mack that he ex was history and her future could be standing in front of her? She stuttered, “He … no … I.”

  Mack knew. His large hand almost covered her waist, effortlessly pulling her up and towards him so their lips melded of their own volition. Xanthe felt the touch down to her groin, his tongue not having to work at all for her to open and savor the moment.

  It should be illegal to kiss that good, her feet barely on the ground, Xanthe tried to catch her breath.

  “How many panties have you removed with one kiss?”

  “Xanthe, I don’t want to talk about any other woman and after we make this call, I never want to hear you talk about another man. Deal?”

  No one would ever believe she could be rendered speechless, but she could only nod until rewarded with another kiss that answered the question, at least for her own panties.

  Mack

  His men were all happy, the booze was flowing and the vibe was upbeat yet chill. Always the soldier, he saw the body language of a large group of local boys start to get antsi, especially when two more girls joined his table.

  If there was going to be a bar fight, his boys would finish on their feet, but it would only make things harder on Dougie who lived here and cross another bar of the list of places that would welcome them back.

  “Boys,” he strode into enemy camp after having a quick word with the barman. “I just wanted to thank you for your hospitality.”

  “It’s a free country, thanks to you. You guys are Defence, right?” Once the first guy spoke, Mack knew he found the leader to win over.

  “We are at that, Army, CER here visiting Doug Greenwood while we’re on a short leave.” He stressed the short leave. “We’ve only got a couple of nights of freedom left, and figured we’d come here and have a few quiet drinks.”

  “Don’t look quiet from where we’re standing,” there it was, the resentment and slow build anger that they’d come across more than once before. He’d been right to come over but now he had to close it down before it got out of control.

  “Boys, we don’t mean no disrespect to you or your ladies. If you see my men acting in anyway that causes disrespect, I want you to come to me and we can sort it out like gentlemen.”

  “What do you mean, disrespect.”

  He almost had them, “I mean, we’re all young and enjoy a good night out. Now if any lady has forgotten that she’s already spoken for or in a relationship, I want you to let me know so I can make sure my men understand.

  “We don’t want any trouble and we both know that trouble usually starts over a woman or a misunderstanding,” Mack pressed home his point.

  “Usually over a woman,” their leader joked. When the rest of the table laughed, Mack knew the night wouldn’t end in police statements.

  “To show you boys how sincere we are,” he nodded over to the bar. “The barman agreed to allow me to buy you all a couple of rounds. A token of my gratitude for your hospitality and I’d personally like to invite you all back when we take this party on the road after last drinks.”

  The only single woman who hadn’t tried to talk to him was the brunette with the long ponytail and large pale eyes. He couldn’t tell if they were soft blue or green, but he wanted to get close enough to describe the color, and to find out for himself if his hand could span her tiny waist.

  What was she thinking wearing that nude tinted dress with a plunging neck line? The soft folds hanging loosely across her body couldn’t hide the shape of her hips. The length tantalized and teased every one of his senses, long enough to be classy but short enough for him to want more of those thighs. Pale dress against her dark hair and olive tan, what a powerful turn on.

  Dressed to kill.

  The fact that she had ignored him all night didn’t help him forget her. In fact every time he started to edge towards her side of the table, she moved away which only made him want her more. When her friend left, he thought for a moment that he lost his chance to make his move, and he tried to ignore his unfamiliar relief when she stayed and then his joy watching her give any guy stupid enough to think he had a chance, a short burst of flirting before a graceful exit.

  He liked her style.

  He liked her look.

  He didn’t like the look on her face when she kept looking down at her phone. Whoever it was, there was nothing good about any of the messages.

  Seizing his opportunity, he was at her side looking over at the phone before she could react.

  Ass-hole ex-boyfriend shoving his new sex life in her face. What sort of low-life scum-bag would do such a thing.

  As soon as their eyes met, Mack knew two things, her eyes were the palest of green and he could bet his heart that they changed color when aroused. Secondly, she hadn’t been avoiding him by accident or because she wasn’t interested.

  Mack found it easy to protect his country. Self-sacrifice and leading the charge came more naturally than breathing. Protecting his men even easier, he’d willingly lay down his life to bring them home safely to the families who loved them.

  The stuff on her phone was something else, the guy was a complete piece of work and needed to be dealt with.

  Thinking quickly, he came up with a plan to get the creep out of her life, if she’d let him. Wanting to protect a woman he’d never met before, a completely new experience. Bed them, yes, he had more than enough women in his past. But having a primal urge to protect Xanthe was unfamiliar and powerful.

  Xanthe trusted him enough to hand over her phone.

  “Quickly, tell me something that only a lover would know.”

  “What?”

  “He’s gonna push back and say I’m some random hook up.”

  “Well, aren’t you?”

  “Not yet, I’m not but if you want to teach him a lesson, we’ve gotta make it seem real.”

  Every muscle flexed as those gorgeous eyes took their time looking him up and down, taking in the body he knew she had already examined. When she licked her lips, it took all his self-control not to show her other lessons he had in store for her, if she was willing.

  “Tell him, you didn’t need to be told what to do with my …” Oh, the girl could blush as well as banter. Fuck, he couldn’t wait to see what else she had in store.

  “You can tell me, I promise that whatever it is, I won’t be shocked and if I had the chance I wouldn’t need an instruction manual. But Xanthe,” he loved the sound of her name on his lips, “You need to tell me.”

  She tossed back her hair, challenging him to judge her, “Tell him you didn’t need to be told how to use my nipple rings.”

  “Fuck me.” Of all the things he expected to hear, that didn’t even come close, and as hard as he looked, he couldn’t see any rings through the dress.

  Now there was the smile he would cross more than a room to see, “I don
’t wear them all the time, they make me too horny and I stop thinking straight, especially around men like you.”

  “Xanthe, just so we are clear … I would give you a thin chain that you would wear around your neck during the day, and then at night when it’s play time, I’d thread it through those rings and see if we could have some fun. Does it seem like I need an instruction manual?”

  “Make the call.”

  Xanthe

  What on earth would she tell Krys? That she had verbally fucked a soldier in the middle of a crowded bar? That after one kiss, he knew exactly how she liked it in bed and had some ideas of his own to try.

  It only took a couple of rings before her ex picked up. Still in bed, but alone this time.

  “You don’t know me, but I’m only gonna say this once. Xanthe has moved on. She doesn’t want your texts, your calls or your small-time dick picks. They embarrass you and offend her.” Mack’s low voice showed all the authority she could imagine he commanded in the field. Not needing to raise his voice, but full of confidence in himself and in Xanthe.

  “Who the fuck is this and watcha doin’ with my girlfriend’s phone? Put the bitch on.”

  Xanthe flinched, what on earth had she seen in him for so long? Unseen on the camera, Mack’s fingers found the small of her back and traced down until he felt the elastic of her panties. A silent message that he would handle this.

  “Mate, you’re not listening to me, Xanthe is not single. She’s very happily with me. So do yourself a solid and back off and pretend you never knew her.”

  “Prove it. Xanthe loves me and we’ll sort things out as soon as she knows that I’m like a wild lion that can’t be tamed.”

  “Hi, it’s me,” Xanthe adjusted the phone so she and Mack were in the picture. She knew her lipstick would be smeared from kissing and the blush of her cheeks would give away what else she had planned. “Thanks for sending me the video, I’m really glad you found someone else, too. I was worried that you hadn’t moved on or gotten over me.”

  “Bullshit, you love me. You said you’d always love me.”

  Mack pecked her cheek, lowering his voice to a sexy growl, “Sorry mate, now I don’t want to sound like a tool, but I’m a very jealous man and apparently, I’m not nice when I’m jealous. Leave the lady alone and you and me won’t have a problem. Understand?”

  “Xanthe, I need to hear it from Xanthe. Babe, c’mon you know you love me, what’s he got that I don’t?”

  “It’s not what he’s got, it just that he doesn’t need Google to know how to use it.”

  “Fuck me, hang up on this loser and let’s get out of here and go home,” Mack kissed her and made sure her moans were the last thing her ex heard.

  “Well, that was unexpected, and you didn’t need to know about my … nipple rings after all.” Once again, she needed to catch her breath and if he let her go she knew her knees hadn’t decided to start working again.

  “Most of the others have already gone to the party, I hope you’re coming?”

  “As your date or was this a one phone call kind of fling?”

  “I already told you, I’m a jealous guy and if you turned up and another guy hit on you, well …”

  Laughing, she gave him a light kiss, “All you had to say was ‘yes’, it’s a simple word.”

  “Not so simple when it means a night of commitment.”

  “Then just commit to not being boring.”

  “Yes,” this time it was a real, panties don’t want to stay up, kind of kiss.

  Mack

  They walked in when the party was already in full swing. Automatically, he checked the mood of the groups. The local guys still seemed chill, his guys were over at the make shift bar seeing who could tell the biggest stories. There were some from his unit missing and he presumed off to get some action.

  All in all, the best night.

  “So, you’ve met The Mack!” Reith was obnoxious when sober, but when drunk he needed handling.

  “The Mack? Not just Mack?” Xanthe asked as he squeezed her hand.

  “Named by every woman who’s ridden on his Mack truck. Or are we calling it a monkey, now,” when Mack gently pushed him onto the lounge, Reith was smart enough to stay down and let the alcohol lull him to sleep. Still, Xanthe’s hand had already loosened it’s grip and he knew she was moments from ditching the party and him, and not necessarily in that order.

  “How about I get us a couple of sodas and you tell me something about yourself other than your nipple rings,” she didn’t smile but at least nodded and allowed him to kiss her shoulder.

  The party hadn’t progressed outside and he tried not to sigh with relief when she joined him on the sun lounge.

  “That crack about women …” he started.

  How could he explain that while men all around him could put themselves out there and find love and families, he knew that dream would always be out of reach. His parents showed him time and time again he was undeserving. It’s why he’d put his life on the line to save others, and if he came home, it might never be to an empty bed but always an empty heart.

  “You said you didn’t want to talk about other women.”

  “That was before some friend decided to tell you that I’m no virgin.”

  “You kind of gave that away with your ideas of using a chain.”

  “I’m no saint but I’m clean and I’ve never had a woman who wasn’t completely willing or understanding that I’m already married.”

  “What!” he caught her as she started to run off. “You bastard!”

  “I’m married to the Army. Wherever she wants me to go, I’m already there. Whatever she asks of me, I’m already committed. Not all women understand and some might think they can but this is who I am. Now tell me, who is Xanthe?”

  He waited until she finished her soda. “Want another one?” She nodded. “Will you still be here when I get back? I mean, if you want to leave, you can go out the front door and I won’t stop you. I mean, I’ll follow at a discrete distance to make sure you get home safe, but I won’t stop you.”

  “I’m still thirsty.”

  The subtle catch in her voice pinned him to the lounge. It wasn’t that he couldn’t help himself, hell, he could have stopped but unless she protested, he never wanted to stop. Leaning over, he brushed his lips against hers. When she opened up to more kisses, he gently lay her back on the lounge, feeling his hips push against her parting legs. Her skirt offering his hands no resistance and her eyes, softened at least a shade lighter, as he knew they would.

  Her body was a warm bath he wanted to drown in.

  He wanted to lay her in a bed of rose petals. The softest cream of her dress and the deep pink of her lips. He would personally strip every stem of all thorns before gracing her with a bouquet every time he returned from duty.

  Damn it! He was a soldier, not a bloody poet.

  A fighter.

  A lover.

  Who had never been and never planned to be in love.

  “Xanthe,” he forced himself up. “I’m going inside to get those sodas, and a blanket or two if I can find some.”

  She nodded, not knowing how with the sweet, innocent passion of her kisses, he had become putty in her hands. Completely at her mercy.

  “I would very much like to sleep out here, with you tonight, but not necessarily sleep with you.”

  “What’s in it for me?” thankfully she teased and lightened the mood.

  “If you’re a good girl, one day I’ll show you my monkey.”

  “And if I’m a bad girl?” Oh, fuck he hoped she would be.

  “Then,” he leaned over for one final kiss, “I’ll show you why they call me ‘The Mack’.”

  Xanthe

  “So, why become an OT? I mean, it’s a noble profession and all, but wouldn’t there be more money as a gym instructor or more glamour as a physio?”

  Not only had Mack found a couple of blankets, but a box of crackers, soft cheeses and a six-pack of sodas that n
o one would miss. He climbed over the lounge until his legs were wrapped around hers, resting the food in her lap in easy reach. The way he had dealt with her ex, and claimed her body as his own, In no way did it feel like they had just met.

  Xanthe leaned back into his arms as he fed her a piece of creamy camembert. She resisted the urge to lick it off his fingers, but mentally added it to all the things she hoped to one day do, on her way to meet his mythical monkey that everyone seemed to know about.

  “With my marks, I couldn’t get into medicine. The best I could get was become a certified massage therapist.”

  She laughed as Mack gave her the same look she had suffered for years. “That’s exactly why I went back and did more study to become an occupational therapist. I was sick of guys like you asking me to give them massage relief.”

  “So, when did you make the decision?”

  “I was treating a burns victim, this guy who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Each few days he needed the scars to be massaged with creams. It was as much pain relief as it was an opportunity for him to open up and talk about the difference the accident had on him, and how he wished he had gotten better medical advice sooner. I don’t know, I wanted to be the first person that people could go to and make a difference.”

  “Your parents must be proud.”

  Xanthe hesitated, she never talked about her parents, not with friends and definitely not with strangers. Even Krys knew it was a subject not to be broached. Every Christmas, Xanthe volunteered so others could hang with families. She used the excuse that she needed the overtime when the truth was she needed the reason not to think or wallow into self pity for the family life she lacked.

  “Xanth, your parents.”

  “I don’t talk about them.”

  “Don’t or don’t want to?”

  “Does it matter?” She wished he would stop asking in case she gave into the moment and told him everything.

  Mack wrapped his legs and arms tighter, “It’s a beautiful night out here and only the stars can hear us. Tomorrow, you can choose never to see me again or we can see how it goes. What’s the worse thing that can happen if you tell me about your parents.”