Protecting Her: A Romance Bundle

by Mia Ford

  I’d read a lot of erotic books since ending things with Lance, realizing that sex was supposed to be enjoyed, even revered. It probably wasn’t always like the authors presented it, but sometimes it could be. I saw that in the couples that came through the cafe, younger and older. The Smiths wouldn’t be celebrating their seventieth wedding anniversary and be so crazy about one another without some spark.

  He spread me open further and sucked my clit into his mouth. I jerked as he wrapped his hands tightly around my thighs to hold me still and feasted on me aggressively, but without the pain that Lance had caused me. I wondered if he wanted me to try to hold my release, even if it felt like it was close.

  My hands cupped my breasts, feeling the sticky sugar still on the skin as I squeezed. “Yes, Molly. Keep doing that.” His voice was a low hum of approval as I kept cupping them and then pinching the nipple, finding all of it to be a heady combination. “Don’t come yet.”

  “Ugh…okay,” I said grumpily before he started to suck on me again, even using his teeth. “Rob…yes!” This should hurt me but it didn’t. It stirred me deep inside and I cried out as he kept going. I plucked at myself and pulled hard, adding to all the sensations.

  This was moving so fast but I wanted him. I wanted him to keep taking me to the moon with the orgasms, feeling like there would never be enough. It was so foreign yet so welcome and I felt a part of me that had been hiding for so long clawing her way out.

  “Now,” he said before sucking on me again, sliding a finger in as I pinched my nipples hard. I screamed this time, feeling the way I jerked and went black for a few seconds.

  I remained still, catching my breath as he moved beside me, kicking off his jeans. I felt numb and closed my eyes as I breathed, feeling him kiss my hair. “You taste like honey, Molly. You taste like the sweetest honey there is.”

  We drank some more water and finished the cake that was soggy with ice cream before he pulled the blankets over us. “Do you want to do anything before you go to sleep?”

  “I should wash up. Brush my teeth. All of that cake,” I murmured even though I didn’t want to move. I knew that I needed my phone to wake up as well.

  “Me, too. I want to wash you off, anyway.” He said softly and I opened my eyes wearily.

  We made our way up and I went to get my backpack, pulling out my toiletries. I washed my face, brushed my teeth, and watched as he got a damp washcloth. He cleaned off my breasts gently with warm water and then between my legs before offering me a shirt from his closet.

  I shrugged into it and brought my phone and charger to the bed, plugging it all in before we snuggled under the covers together. I knew that Robert was in his boxer briefs since I’d been drooling at him for the past several minutes and I realized that he had no release of his own yet. “Are you okay? Do you want me to help you?”

  “I’ll be fine, Molly.” He pulled me against him and I smiled in the dim light of the room, loving the feel of his body pressed against mine. He’d agreed to take me to work and I tossed around the idea of getting my own car. I had a little money saved and Keith was good friends with the owner of the car lot in the next town over. I had just been sharing the Jeep with Noel since I didn’t have too many places I went on my own.

  That might be changing.

  We fell asleep tangled together as I thought about my new comfort with intimacy. It was a huge change but one that I felt ready for as I closed my eyes and pressed closer to Robert.

  The alarm chimed too early in the dark room and I groaned as I reached to hit the snooze. I didn’t love getting up early anyway but to do it here and leave this warm bed sounded terrible, making me sigh as he pulled me closer to him. “Are you sure you want to take me? I can send Noel a text and she can come by.”

  “It’s fine. If you want to shower, there’s clean towels and everything that you need in the bathroom,” his voice was soft with sleep as I felt him press his lips against my hair. “I’ll dress for a run when it’s time to take you in.”

  “You’re insane,” I smiled as I kissed him before walking into the bathroom to shower. I made it fast and braided my hair that was still damp. I put on enough makeup to give my pale skin some definition and tugged on my work clothes. It felt so foreign to be here with him and I glanced around the cozy bachelor bathroom as I lined my lips with some stain. When I walked back into the dim bedroom, Rob was just pulling on a t-shirt as I stopped and stared at him. He was gorgeous and I licked my lips and he smiled at me.

  We walked into the living room as I pulled on a coat and he slipped a running jacket on. “You’re really going to jog now?” I asked in disbelief as he nodded with a smirk.

  “Yes. It’s quiet out and I have to work early. Being in the military has made me an early riser by nature.” He gazed at me as I shook my head, longing to be able to stay in bed longer. We went into the garage and he backed out into the dark morning as I leaned my head back and breathed him in.

  “I had a great time last night. I think that Marta would welcome you for dinner every night, you know.” I smiled at him.

  “If you’re up to it, I’d like to cook for you some night. I don’t want to demand that you sleep in my bed every night but I’d love that.” Robert pulled in front of the cafe to see Noel talking to Dennis as she waited for me. I looked at him and blushed as he pressed a soft kiss to my lips before pulling away. “I’ll come in for coffee when I’m done with the run.”

  I nodded and slid out of the vehicle to walk in with Noel. She gave me a knowing smile as she unlocked the door, leading the way inside as I grinned. “Shut up.”

  “I think we’re going to have to get some help here so you can sleep in with your man sometimes,” Noel mused as I laughed. “He cares for you, you know.”

  “Maybe,” I replied as she turned on the lights in the kitchen while I found something to listen to. She started mixing the usual batters and I made coffee, going to help her with two cups.

  There was something about this morning that felt good. We sang along to the music playing as we prepared the muffins for baking, making me smile as I slid Robert’s chocolate ones into the hot oven. “So where do you think this might go?” Noel asked as I glanced at her, nibbling my lip.

  “He seems to want to spend time with me. I know that he wants me, too. I think that I’m considering that,” I smiled at her as she walked over and hugged me. “How do you know when it’s right?” Noel had long since lost her virginity but she had to remember the uncertainty of it all.

  “He’s not pushing you, is he?” She asked me as I shook my head. “Good. I know he’s older and probably has a lot of experience with the way that he looks, but that can also be a good thing. He knows how to treat a woman and from what I’ve seen, he’s great to you. It’s the little things about him that I notice the most, you know? Mom, too.”

  “What little things do you mean?” I asked before I looked at the clock. “I have to head out there and get ready to open. We’ll talk later.” I managed to get everything done and let Mike in with a soft giggle as he looked me over. I met him at the counter and got his stuff ready as he asked me why I was so cheerful this morning. Noel was bringing stuff out to stock the case and told him that I had a new boyfriend and hadn’t stopped smiling in a few days. I glared at her as the door opened back up and a few people walked inside, one of whom was Robert. I grinned just like she’d mentioned and Mike turned around to see what I was looking at.

  “Told you,” Noel chirped as she turned to head to the back for more goodies, setting aside a muffin for Robert with a wink. I shook my head as Mike seemed to size him up before going to his usual table. I helped the customers in front of him as I tried to focus on what they were saying to me. I knew that I failed and narrowed my eyes at him, taking in his damp shirt that clung to his muscles as I took a deep breath.

  This was dangerous.

  He ordered and I refused his money this time, sliding his order across the counter as he shook his head at me. I was thinking
about the ways that I would like to thank him for his continued business as heat washed over my skin, something that made his eyes gleam as he took it all in. I noticed that he went to his usual table, only to be joined by Mike as my eyes widened. What was he saying to Robert?

  A woman came in wearing a skimpy jogging outfit and I recognized her as the woman that was flirting with Robert in the past. She stepped up to the counter and ordered some tea, and as I took her money I realized that she was close to Robert’s age. She was also gorgeous and I started wondering if I was enough for him since I didn’t feel like I had her confidence. Between that and Mike being caught up in a conversation with Robert, my mind started to race and the good mood that I’d had this morning faded away.

  Of course, the woman looked over at Robert before taking a seat at the couch by the fire. She smiled as she picked up one of my favorite books and started to read it, leaning back as she crossed her tight runner’s legs.

  I didn’t run. It showed in the curves that Robert promised me that he liked but I looked down at myself and nibbled on my lip. I reminded myself that he wouldn’t be spending any time with me, much less doing the intimate things that I loved if he didn’t want to. People had choices in life and I wasn’t the aggressor in this situation.

  I focused on tidying up in between orders, sipping from a cup of coffee that was perched against the back wall. Robert spoke with Mike for about an hour before clapping him on the back and standing to leave, and I watched as the blonde woman smoothed her perfect ponytail and smiled his way, but Robert didn’t give her a second look. He walked over to me and leaned in as I walked up to the counter. “I think I’ll take some muffins in tomorrow to base. Can you guys make two dozen and mix up the flavors for me?” I nodded as his eyes swept over my body. “I’ll call you later, Molly.”

  “I’d like that, Rob.” I heard myself and frowned. “Do you mind me calling you that? I just realized that I was.”

  “No. It’s informal and I love it for that reason alone.” He smiled and pushed back from the counter as he stared at my lips for a moment. I knew that he wanted to kiss me and my legs were shaking with the need to crawl across the counter as I twitched. “Take care of yourself. I’ll talk to you soon.” There was a note of regret in his voice as he walked away and I almost reached out to stop him, but for what reason? What would I say?

  The door closed and he was gone, along with the electricity in the air that I felt whenever he was around. I sighed and wiped at a tiny drop of coffee on the counter for a moment before looking over the dining room. Some of the tables had cleared and I happened to notice the jogger was gone as well. Oddly enough, it was close to Robert’s exit and I looked through the glass to see her talking to him by his car as insecurity struck me all over again. When I went out there to clean up tables, I noticed Mike smiling at me from his usual table. I remembered that he was talking to Robert and frowned as I considered asking him what they were discussing. “I like him,” he told me as I looked back out the window to see that blonde watching him back up. “You girls are like my own granddaughters and I needed him to know that as well. I look out for people that I care about.”

  All the warm feelings from living in a small town flooded me as I looked at the floor. “Thank you.”

  “I think that he has good intentions with you, Molly.” I nodded and sniffled as he patted my arm, slowly making my way around the room to clean. I had a few hours left of my shift but I felt good right now in this moment.

  I’d decided to take a nap by the time we were leaving, and that was when I realized I left my backpack over at Robert’s house. I knew that I had everything that I needed at home for the night, but I smiled as I thought about going over to get it later tonight. When my eyes dropped closed in the car, I pushed that thought to the back of my mind.

  17

  Robert

  I went to sit outside for lunch, needing some fresh air. I packed a sandwich from home and looked over the pretty mountains as I ate, thinking about the night and morning. Holding Molly had felt incredible last night and waking up with her was one of the most addicting things I’d ever experienced.

  Not that watching her come from between her legs wasn’t intense. The way that she looked when she gave all of herself to me overwhelmed me at times, and I felt like a kid in high school with his first crush. It was insane. I’d done a lot of things with a lot of women and couldn’t recall too many of the details now, and I had yet to have sex with Molly. It was everything about her that I liked and the intimacy was just a bonus. That was something that I’d never done with a woman before Molly and it caught me off guard so much of the time.

  I glanced up as I heard voices and watched as Olivia came out with one of my colleagues. “Robert, hello. Getting some fresh air?”

  “There’s nothing like it in a place like this,” I replied as they sat down with food. Olivia gave me a curious look as she unwrapped a sandwich and I sensed that she was wondering if I’d looked into her date.

  I hadn’t. I was happy with my own life and stepping back as the hard ass that I was known as. I knew that might get me into trouble later down the road but for now, I was happy. I was incredibly happy.

  “Did you have a good time the other night?” Olivia asked me as Michael looked between us. She was digging a hole for herself here but I merely nodded. I saw the curiosity of who I was with more than concern for her own job.

  “Yeah,” I told her vaguely, offering nothing. She frowned and picked up the sub as Michael raised an eyebrow. I knew the look in his eyes. He was wondering if there was something between us and I would set him straight about that as soon as I could, even though there was nothing technically wrong with the thought. I could date but I made a point not to at work. Olivia was attractive and it was known that she didn’t consider work a place to not hook up. I reminded myself why I transferred here in the first place all over again. I was cleaning up the mess from another scandal. I needed to keep things strict on the base and letting Michael assume anything was foolish, given my reputation. I took a sip of my water and pictured Molly’s face in my mind, feeling a calm come over me.

  Molly was everything that I didn’t look for in a woman, yet here I was dating her. Not only dating her, but I was waiting for her.

  Lunch ended and we went back in to wait for the class, with Michael taking a seat beside me in the back of the room as Olivia headed to the front. She was beautiful, confident, and oozed that she was submissive but Olivia did nothing for me.

  “So, what was she getting at back there?” Michael asked me, reminding me of a teenager in high school before class, gossiping in the hallway.

  “I’m dating a woman in town and she ran into us the other night. That’s all,” I responded as the guys filed back into the room. I still left out the part about who she was with, but I looked closely at every student that walked into the room. He’d been dark-haired and I frowned as everyone looked alike to me. I hadn’t expected to see Olivia that night and I was so caught up in Molly. My tactic changed and I watched Olivia for a moment as she let her eyes linger a bit too long on someone in the front, her face flushing as she smiled.

  Bingo.

  I sat back and smiled as she glanced back my way. Olivia’s face went pale when she saw the smug expression on my face, her voice shaking as she started the lesson. Today, I was flying along with Michael against them and adrenaline raced through my veins.

  I noted the face of the student as we made our way out to the planes though it wasn’t intentional to knock him out first. I was on fire and I landed with a grin and an erection that made me long for Molly. Nothing was better than taking a woman after a moment like this, buried so deep inside of her as I released all my stress.

  After class, I asked Olivia to join me in my office. She nodded and followed me as I led the way, thinking of what to say through my adrenaline. “Take a seat.” I watched as she complied and crossed her legs in the pencil skirt that she wore. The look she gave me told me that
she was ready and willing for anything I asked of her, smoldering and full of heat. That student was one lucky man with a woman like this, but I reminded myself that it was unprofessional.

  “Are you dating a student, Olivia?” I asked her directly as she grimaced slightly. “You do know why I was brought here, don’t you? There was a pile of shit left over from the last scandal on this base.”

  “There was a marriage involved in that,” she defended herself as I dropped into my chair and stared at her.

  “It doesn’t fucking matter,” my voice was low as the rage rose inside of me. I hated sloppy behavior on a base, always had. I’d done my share of messing around with women in my younger days, but Dad always told me that I needed to keep it away from work. “He’s a student and you’re his teacher. I don’t even have to remind you how many things are wrong with that.”

  “You could go out with me,” she suggested seductively as I narrowed my eyes. I couldn’t even with the lack of rules attached to the situation because I was falling for Molly.

  “No, I can’t. I’m involved with someone,” I reminded her as Olivia raised a perfect dark eyebrow.

  “She’s so young. What does she even do for you?” I crossed my arms over my chest.

  “That is none of your business. Regardless of my personal life, you are not allowed to date a student. You need to end it immediately or else your job is on the line.” She stared at me with wide eyes. That was what I was here for and Olivia blinked at me.

  “My job is on the line? I went to the movies with him one time and slept with him just a few times. Tell me you haven’t done that in your years with the force.” Her face was indignant and I glared at her.

  “He is a student. He can’t have an edge on the others because of a relationship with you. Fuck someone off the base, Olivia. Keep it separate, for fuck’s sake.” She leaned back and pressed her full breasts out as if it was going to change my mind. “You don’t want to go down because of this. The last couple that did lost everything.” They were discharged after all, starting over after they pledged their life to the force.