by Susan Stoker
Worry, excitement, and dread welled up inside TJ. He leaned over and picked up his fiancée, making her squeal in surprise as he strode toward the door.
“What are you doing? Put me down, TJ!”
Ignoring her, TJ called out to Missy and Bob. “You guys okay with keeping JT for the night?”
They smiled back, and Missy nodded and waved him toward the door.
“TJ!” Milena said again. “Stop!”
He ignored her and continued walking. Ignoring the catcalls and jibes from their friends, TJ pushed open the door to the bar and strode out into the cool night. He walked straight to his Mustang before finally putting her back on her feet.
He took her head in his hands and tilted her face up. “How far?”
He was having a hard time forming words, but luckily, she understood him.
“Only eight weeks.”
“I’m going to take good care of you,” TJ vowed. “You won’t be alone this time.”
She put a hand on his cheek, and TJ tilted his head, trapping her hand between his cheek and his shoulder. “I know I won’t.”
“You’re really pregnant?”
“Yeah. I’m really pregnant.”
“I fucking love you so much,” TJ said.
“I love you too.”
He kissed her then, a short, sweet kiss that he had trouble keeping short or sweet. He helped her into his car and shut the door behind her. When he was settled behind the wheel, he turned to her.
“Spread your legs and pull off your panties.”
Milena didn’t protest. Didn’t complain. Simply did as he’d requested.
They’d done this before, and even though she’d been flustered and embarrassed at first, she’d come harder than ever before when he’d finally gotten her home. He’d made her play with herself throughout the ride home from wherever they’d been, and the second they were inside his apartment, she’d attacked him.
“Pull up your skirt.”
She didn’t say a word, just did as he ordered.
“Play with yourself.” When she moved a hand between her legs, he stopped her. “No, with your left hand. I want to see my ring on your finger as you touch yourself.”
Milena groaned then, but did as he asked. She wasn’t left handed, and her movements were jerky and awkward, but she did it.
TJ swallowed hard and started the engine. He reached over and placed his hand over her flat tummy and closed his eyes for a moment. Pregnant. Milena carried their child in her body. He’d thought he was overwhelmed when he’d met JT for the first time, but this was so much more. More frightening. More exciting. Just more.
“I love you.”
At Milena’s whispered words, TJ opened his eyes and sat up in the seat. He needed to be inside her. Needed to have her taste on his tongue. Needed to feel her hot mouth around his cock. He needed all of her. Every way he could have her. The hard fucking he’d fantasized about giving her earlier faded from his mind. He wouldn’t ever do anything that might hurt the child she carried.
“Don’t stop,” he warned as her hand slowed. He pulled out of the parking lot and headed for his apartment complex, her arousal mixing in the air with her soft lemon scent. A combination that never failed to make him hard as nails.
For the thousandth time, TJ thought about what a lucky bastard he was as he looked over at the woman he still couldn’t believe was his in every sense of the word. He’d let Milena choose their wedding date, but he’d do everything in his power to get his wedding ring on her finger sooner rather than later.
* * *
On the other side of the city, Blythe Coopman huddled behind a Dumpster, hiding from the group of men she’d sensed were following her earlier. She was tired. Fucking exhausted. She hated living on the streets. Not knowing where her next meal would come from. Not knowing who was friend and who was foe.
Feeling melancholy and lonely, she pulled Squirrel’s cell phone out of her pocket. She’d been to the library and charged it so it would last another couple of days. She wrote a short text to the only person she talked to on a regular basis these days.
* * *
Blythe: Hey.
* * *
It took a minute or two, but when he texted back, Blythe sighed in relief.
She’d been completely confused when she’d first started texting him, since both phones were registered to “Squirrel,” but eventually figured out how to change the name on the phone to her own.
* * *
Squirrel: Hey, pretty lady. What’s up?
Blythe: That’s what I was going to ask you. Working?
Squirrel: No. TJ proposed to Milena tonight. He took off with her, but since he’s paying, we’re all partying at the bar. :)
* * *
Blythe knew he didn’t mean the text to be anything other than what he’d written. A breakdown of where he was and what he was doing. But his words stabbed her in the heart anyway. She’d seen how worried TJ had been about Milena.
Had seen how much Chief had worried about Sophie when she’d been inside that burning building.
She’d been on the streets for a while now, but she was tired of it all.
She wanted to be at the bar with Squirrel and Sophie.
She wanted to see her friends, Tadd and Louise.
She wanted to live again.
Not knowing how to answer Squirrel, Blythe put the phone back in her pocket and rested her head on her knees.
She had some thinking to do. She could either feel sorry for herself and continue to push away the people who said they cared about her—or she could pull her head out of her ass, accept their help, and figure out how to start living again. Really living.
* * *
“This is ridiculous, Chase. I’ll be fine up in Dallas. Uncle Sean and Uncle Ian will make sure I’m safe,” Sadie told the man in front of her. She was frustrated she was missing TJ’s proposal to Milena. She missed having a normal life. Living in Chase’s small apartment and being watched every minute of every day had gotten old really fast.
They were standing just inside his apartment arguing about whether or not she should go back to her life in Dallas. Chase had his arms crossed and was glaring down at her. “I don’t want you to go. I realize you’re an adult and I’m not holding you hostage, but I truly believe you’re safer here with me.”
Sadie sighed. “I’m putting you out. I’m in the way. Let me go home.”
His countenance gentled, but he still shook his head. “Jonathan was going to rape you. Had one of your hands tied to that fucking bedpost. You told the Feds yourself that he was obsessed with getting you pregnant and taking your babies for himself. Do you honestly think he’s going to just give up and run away with his tail between his legs?”
She bit her lip and looked away from Chase’s intense brown eyes. He wasn’t. She knew it and Chase knew it. But that didn’t mean she wanted or needed a babysitter.
Back in San Antonio, she’d only put up with TJ following her around because it had meant Milena would be safe. She never considered that she would be in danger.
“I can take care of myself,” she protested.
“Let me do this,” Chase said in a low tone that Sadie couldn’t interpret.
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why are you insisting on this? It’s not necessary, and you and I both know it.”
“I don’t think you’re ready to know why,” Chase said.
That got Sadie’s hackles up. “I might be younger than you and not an officer in the Army, but I’m not a baby. And I’m not a victim either. I’m not going to cower, cry, and wait for that asshole to find me. What aren’t you telling me?”
She’d expected Chase to be discomfited and look away from her. Expected him to apologize for treating her like a little kid and not wanting to tell her some of the horrible things Jonathan likely wanted to do with and to her. She could’ve handled that.
But when he spoke, his words shocked her to the core.
; “You want to know why it’s not a good idea to go back up to your badass uncles? Back up to Dallas, where they have an entire team of men who can keep you safe? Because yeah, I know they could.”
He paused as if he was waiting for confirmation.
Sadie couldn’t stop herself from nodding silently. She wanted to act stronger, but couldn’t do anything but stare up at the alpha man standing before her. She’d been surrounded by them much of her adult life, but for some reason, around Chase, she melted.
He leaned down, and one hand went to the left side of her neck, holding her still. His head lowered until his lips brushed against her right ear. Then he rocked her world.
“Because you’re mine. And I’m personally going to make sure that asshole is wiped off the face of this earth so he can’t look at what’s mine anymore. So he can’t touch what’s mine. So he can’t even think about what’s mine. Then, when he’s dead, I’m going to marry you—and spend the rest of my life making sure no other asshole thinks he has a chance in hell of taking you from me.”
Sadie gulped. Her nipples had tightened and she shifted in his grasp, trying to ignore the way her pussy immediately began to leak at his overbearing, controlling words.
This wasn’t like her. She was Sadie Jennings. She wasn’t submissive like her aunt Grace. Not at all. And when Jonathan claimed she was his, she hadn’t liked it one bit.
So why had Chase’s words turned her on so much?
She couldn’t do anything but stare up at him as he pulled back. His hand still rested on the side of her neck, and she knew her pulse was hammering in her throat. Chase’s eyes roamed down her body—taking in her peaked nipples and the way she shifted her feet, trying to assuage the lust in her loins—and he grinned.
“Now, are you going to let me keep you safe, or do you want to run away and hide behind your uncles?”
His words managed to douse the passion coursing through her body a bit…as she suspected he meant them to. Chase Jackson could read her better than any man ever had before. He seemed to know when she needed tenderness and when she needed him to pick a fight. It should’ve annoyed her, but over the last month or so, all it had done was intrigue and attract her to him more.
“I’ll stay.” Her response was more of a croak than actual words. She’d wanted them to come out belligerently, but she knew she’d failed.
His smile grew. Not a smirk, and not in a conceited way. She thought he actually looked relieved. “Good.” He stepped back. “Now…are you hungry?”
And just like that, the tension between them disappeared as if it hadn’t ever been there. Chase was back to being the impersonal protector he’d done his best to be since he’d dragged her up to Fort Hood.
She was disappointed, but also relieved. Chase might only be two years older than her, but the more she was around him, the more he reminded her of her much older uncles.
Taking a deep breath, Sadie nodded, and tried not to squeal like a little girl when Chase took her hand in his and led the way out of this apartment toward his car. Maybe not so impersonal after all.
* * *
As you noticed, there were all sorts of lead-ins at the end of this one…
Rescuing Sadie will be out next month and you can read “the rest of the story” in her book.
Also coming up is Shelter for Blythe…she might not want help, but you can bet she’ll get it from Squirrel anyway!
You can preorder both books now!
* * *
JOIN my Newsletter and find out about sales, free books, contests and new releases before anyone else!! Click HERE
* * *
Want to know when my books go on sale? Follow me on Bookbub HERE!
Also by Susan Stoker
* * *
Badge of Honor: Texas Heroes Series
Justice for Mackenzie
Justice for Mickie
Justice for Corrie
Justice for Laine (novella)
Shelter for Elizabeth
Justice for Boone
Shelter for Adeline
Shelter for Sophie
Justice for Erin
Justice for Milena
Shelter for Blythe (June 2018)
Justice for Hope (Sept 2018)
Shelter for Quinn (TBA)
Shelter for Koren (TBA)
Shelter for Penelope (TBA)
* * *
Delta Force Heroes Series
Rescuing Rayne
Assisting Aimee - Loosely related to DF
Rescuing Emily
Rescuing Harley
Marrying Emily
Rescuing Kassie
Rescuing Bryn
Rescuing Casey
Rescuing Sadie (April 2018)
Rescuing Wendy (May 2018)
Rescuing Mary (Oct 2018)
* * *
Ace Security Series
Claiming Grace
Claiming Alexis
Claiming Bailey
Claiming Felicity
* * *
Mountain Mercenaries Series
Defending Allye (Aug 2018)
Defending Chloe (Dec 2018)
more to come!
* * *
SEAL of Protection Series
Protecting Caroline
Protecting Alabama
Protecting Fiona
Marrying Caroline (novella)
Protecting Summer
Protecting Cheyenne
Protecting Jessyka
Protecting Julie (novella)
Protecting Melody
Protecting the Future
Protecting Alabama’s Kids (novella)
Protecting Kiera (novella)
Protecting Dakota
* * *
Stand Alone
The Guardian Mist
Nature’s Rift
A Princess for Cale
A Moment in Time- A Collection of Short Stories
Lambert’s Lady
* * *
Special Operations Fan Fiction
http://www.stokeraces.com/kindle-worlds.html
Beyond Reality Series
Outback Hearts
Flaming Hearts
Frozen Hearts
Writing as Annie George:
Stepbrother Virgin (erotic novella)
About the Author
New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author Susan Stoker has a heart as big as the state of Texas where she lives, but this all American girl has also spent the last fourteen years living in Missouri, California, Colorado, and Indiana. She’s married to a retired Army man who now gets to follow her around the country.
She debuted her first series in 2014 and quickly followed that up with the SEAL of Protection Series, which solidified her love of writing and creating stories readers can get lost in.
If you enjoyed this book, or any book, please consider leaving a review. It’s appreciated by authors more than you’ll know.
www.stokeraces.com
[email protected]