“The ankle has no movement.”
“So, take it off,” she told him as her hand stroked the rough skin of his chest making him suck in a breath.
“I remembered that too,” he told her, eyes closing in pleasure. Heavy lids lifting, he held her pinned in the dark depths of his gaze, the usually pale blue of his irises now nearly black. “You slept with your head on my chest, your fingers moving over the scars.”
“I did, I found it comforting.”
“How?”
“The scarring is a reminder to me that you are still here,” she told him. A groan leaving her throat as he took her lips, leaning on his elbows, his prosthetic foot hanging off the end of the sofa bed. “I’d like to take this slow, but I don’t think I can,” he admitted.
“I don’t need slow.”
With that, she shoved at his shoulder until he landed on his back with an ‘oomph.’
“How does this come off?” she asked, shuffling down the mattress and kneeling up at his side, her hand on his prosthetic.
“Just tug,” he told her and she did, placing it on the floor with their clothing. She then leaned over him, her tongue stroking over the scars on his thighs. “Okay, playtime is over,” Adam ground out, grabbing her under her arms and dragging her up his body. He then rolled, putting her beneath him as he settled between her thighs. Again, he kissed her, his weight held off by leaning on his elbows.
“I can’t wait,” Adam gritted out, his body raging at him.
“Then don’t,” Hannah whispered against his lips, her hand running between them and freeing him from his boxers.
Groaning, Adam pushed into her questing, stroking hand, then leaning sideways, ran his knuckles over her panties. Finding them damp, he tugged on the material, pushing them to one side.
Rolling back over, he took himself in hand and positioned himself at her entrance, then pushed forward, sliding into her body with a shudder.
He thanked god that he still had his knee as he pushed upwards onto them, from there he had the leverage to go deeper as he moved in and out of her body.
“Shit, no condom,” he gritted out, desperate to keep moving but forcing himself to hold still. Mentally berating himself for not thinking. Then again, he’d not slept with anyone since Hannah, so hadn’t needed to buy any.
“Still on the pill,” Hannah told him as her legs hooked over his thighs. From there she could use his body to move her own, arching herself up and onto him.
“Thank fuck,” Adam replied, as he again began to move, his hands holding the tops of her thighs as he pounded into her body.
Within what felt like minutes, he was gritting his teeth as he felt Hannah tighten around him, movement nearly impossible as her release hit. Her breath whooshed out as she stiffened beneath him, his name leaving her on a breathy moan as she shook.
Adam let go.
With each pump of his hips, his body emptying into Hannah’s until he was done, nothing left but little aftershocks. He collapsed over her, boneless as he lay there, breath sawing in and out of his oxygen starved lungs.
“Shit, I’m sorry, I must be crushing you.”
“No, I like it,” she sighed, her hands stroking up and down his sweat soaked back as her shaky legs fell either side of his hips.
“Give me a minute and we’ll…” Adam’s words broke off, head turning towards the doorway as he heard footsteps.
Chapter 14
“Oh, my god, I need eye bleach. My sister, Adam, really. Fucking hell,” Phil growled from the living room doorway, frozen, face like thunder.
“Can you give us a minute?”
“Adam, seriously, I’m about to rip you a new one.”
“Oh, do shut up, I’m not scared of you. Plus, you’re going to be my brother-in-law, and family shouldn’t fight.”
“What?”
“You heard me, I’d like to marry your sister.”
“Finally, yes,” Phil breathed, his scowl morphing into a grin.
“Excuse me?” Hannah asked, peeking from beneath Adam at her brother.
“It took you both long enough. I’ve been throwing you together for years. I’d begun to give up hope.”
“But you hated everyone I dated. You…”
“They weren’t for you, Han, I’ve seen the way you look at Adam and it hasn’t changed since the first time I brought him home. Why would I allow you to settle? My job as your big brother is to protect you, to make sure you get what you want, and you wanted him.” He bobbed his chin in Adam’s direction. “Luckily, I also saw the way he watched you too, so it’s all good. Well, this, not so much,” he shuddered, angry eyes raking over Adam’s nakedness and his sister lay beneath him.
“Turn your god, damn, back,” Adam growled.
“So are you ready to come back to the land of the living?” Phil asked conversationally as he leaned against the door frame, back to them. “I won’t lie, it’s not easy, but I have a great therapist I can give you the details of. Haneran is seeing her too, she specialises in EMDR.”
“What’s EMDR?” Adam asked as he gently pulled out of Hannah and tucked himself away. Then, leaning sideways, he grabbed their clothes, passing Hannah hers before tugging his lightweight jumper over his head. He then sat up, his body shielding hers as he dressed.
“Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing, it helps with flashbacks and other trauma or stress related issues. I use it. Well, that and kick boxing. Hey, maybe once you have a decent prosthetic, you can come along and join in. I’m also pretty sure I can find work for you too.”
“Really, you can help me with employment?” Adam asked, sliding his prosthetic over his stump and checking it was secure before stepping into his jeans.
“Yes, they need more security staff at the hotel April manages.”
“That would be great, or maybe we could look into starting our own security firm,” Adam mumbled as he zipped up and waited for Hannah to finish dressing. A tap on his shoulder, and he looked around, grinning to find Hannah kneeling up on the bed, sadly, fully clothed. Sighing, he leaned down and kissed her lips one last time before returning his attention to Phil as he stood up. “Okay, you can look now.”
“Good,” Phil replied, pushing off from the doorframe, then turning, he came into the room. He strolled right up to Adam, pulled back his fist and punched him in the jaw, the force of the hit snapping his head back.
“Son of a bitch,” Adam growled, shaking his head as his hand came up and rubbed over his jaw, waggling it from side to side, checking it wasn’t dislocated.
“Phil,” Hannah growled, clambering off the sofa bed and trying to push past Adam to get to her brother. Adam grabbed onto her arm to hold her back.
“It’s okay, I deserved that.”
“For what?”
“Come on baby, he found me with you. Think about it, he’s your brother.”
“It doesn’t make it right for him to hit you.”
“He’s protecting you.”
“I don’t care,” Hannah told him, scowling at Phil, before turning her attention back to Adam. Standing on tiptoe, she stroked her fingers over his jaw, and Adam stood still under her inspection until she was finally happy he wasn’t permanently damaged. Brushing a kiss over the red mark, she stepped back her eyes on his as she crossed her arms.
“See, I’m okay, honestly. Plus, he hits like a girl,” Adam told her with a wink, giving her a smacking kiss on her pouting lips. “As for you,” Adam looked at Phil as he spoke. “That’s the only free shot you get. Next time, I hit back,” he glowered at him.
“Fair enough,” Phil grinned. “Now come on, I need to get you back to rehab.
“Why?” Hannah asked.
“They rang me to find out where he was. I only came here as I knew you were meant to be driving him. Obviously, with him not turning up, and you not answering your phone, I got worried.
“Yeah, I was….”
“Busy,” Phil supplied dryly. “Yes, I know, I walked in on you,” he
scowled again then shuddered.
“I left my phone in my treatment room,” Hannah scowled back. “Why does he have to go back to rehab?”
“Because I must finish my rehabilitation, but I’ll be out soon, I promise,” Adam assured her before hugging her and giving her a last lingering kiss.
“I’ll take your car squirt, his chairs already in the back I take it?” At her nod, Phil gave her a quick hug, brushed a kiss across her cheek and left with Adam.
Hannah closed the door on them with a sigh before locking up and tiredly heading to bed. Phil would post her keys before taking his own car home.
Epilogue
A month later: -
“So how does it feel?”
Adam stood, stretching up and bouncing on the balls of his feet, feeling the give in the prosthetic’s ankle joint as he balanced his weight. He then lifted his own leg, putting all his weight on the prosthetic and felt it adjust and absorb the impact and extra weight. Shaking his head in wonder, he picked up his jeans.
“It feels great,” he chuckled at the technician, turning a shit eating grin on Hannah as she sat smiling at him from her seat beside the desk.
“Just take it easy until you get used to it, Sergeant Jones,” the technician told Adam.
“I’m no longer in service, so I’d say my fiancé outranks me now,” Adam grinned.
“You better believe it,” Hannah chuckled, flashing her solitaire ring.
“I get to walk down the aisle,” Adam told the technician.
“That’s wonderful news, congratulations.”
“Thank you, and this, this is wonderful,” he turned his leg this way and that staring at his shiny new leg. “Hey baby, maybe I can take you dancing now.”
“I look forward to it,” she told him with a smile.
“Are we done?”
“Yes, Sir, you’re free to leave, just ring if you have any problems.”
“I will, thank you,” Adam told him as he pulled on his jeans and fastened them before slipping his feet back into his trainers.
“Are you ready to go home?” Hannah asked
“I am. I’m ready for anything now. Let’s go look for a venue for our wedding,” Adam told her, shrugging back into his jacket. Then, holding out a hand, Hannah rose from the chair and took his offering, twining her fingers with his as they left the office.
“Are you sure you’re ready for marriage?”
“Honey, I’ve been waiting for you all my life. You are my next adventure, my last one.”
“Good answer,” Hannah told Adam, her other hand holding onto his arm as she hugged him.
“So, do I get laid for being a good patient?”
“Oh, I think you do,” she laughed as he held the door open for her as they left the building.
The End.
Or should I say, their beginning.
About the author: -
J F Holland is a stay at home wife and mum with six children and a menagerie of animals. She still lives in her small home town of Partington, in Manchester (UK), where she was born, raised and attended school. She’s always had a love of romance books and spent a lot of time as a child re-writing the fairy stories she read. She also confused the hell out her children as they grew and learned to read themselves. The stories read to them growing up never matched the books she'd read from. Now as a member of The Romance Novelists Association, she writes and publishes her own stories to share.
She can be contacted through her Facebook page at: -
http://www.facebook.com/JFHollandRomanceWriter
http://www.twitter.com/JFHollandwriter
Website http://jf-holland-romance-author/
Or
You can e-mail her at: [email protected]
I also write Paranormal Romance: -
Read on for the first chapter of Book 1 in Eternal Mates “Immortal Flame’ Vampire Romance.
Eternal Mates is a dating site for Immortals.
Thank you
Thank you to all the authors that have been involved in this military anthology, without your hard work this wouldn’t have been possible. Thank you just doesn’t seem enough you have all been amazing.
I’d also like to say a big thank you to JC Clarke for designing the covers.
And most importantly thank you to you the READERS for buying this book and supporting these two worthy charities. I hope you have enjoyed reading it and found some new must-read authors along the way.
We will be back with a different themed charity anthology early in 2019.
Keep reading for a bonus real life true story.
**WARNING**
It is a true story and some might find it upsetting.
An Army Brats Hero
As I look back on being an army brat, as people call us, I remember all the fun, heartache, nerves and excitement. I have been an army brat since birth! Yes, my dad was a TA solider but hey, who cares? It’s still the army.
13 years old Flash back
“Daddy please don’t go.” I hear myself say to him and he is dressed in his combats. It’s hard knowing that this will be two weeks without my dad, and who know what will happen.
“Sweetie it is only the two-week camp. I will be back before you know it and you will be too busy at school”
As I hear his words, I roll my eyes and pull a face. His laugh brings me back to the here and now. “Dad I don’t like it though, please.”
“You will be good for your mum, and help with your brothers?” I look at him and nod. He sees my hazel brown eyes shining up at him as my head moves up and down.
Being the eldest stinks sometimes. Yes, my brothers and I fight like all siblings do, and whoever says they don’t are lying—it’s natural.
I run into the room to play with my things, and when my dad shrugs his combat jacket on I run in with my little monkey teddy to keep him safe. “Thank you. I will look after him and think of you all. I will miss each of you, but I have to go as I am needed, and granddad Eddy is waiting for me.”
My eyes light up knowing Granddad Eddy is there, because that means plenty of ration sweets.
“Yummy!” The thought of Boiled sweets and chocolate bars had my brothers and I jumping up and down for joy, and just then my mum comes in.
“Kids, go play” She says.
With it being a sunny day my Brother Andrew shouts, “Let’s play football. Come on!” I laugh as I run after him with my youngest brother Paul following close behind. I hear my mum saying good bye to him as he leaves the house.
My dad would be away sometimes, just for the weekends, or the main two weeks annual camp, and I hated these with a passion. My dad would be picked up and that would be the last image of him for two weeks. Being an army brat can be hard, but some rewards come with it too.
I would arrive home from school and before I was even let out to play, I had to change out of my uniform.
The first thing mum would say was, “Change and then homework. Then you can play” Damn, we would know if we didn’t do as we were told. We would have our things taken off us, and we’d be sent to our rooms with no toys.
Snapping myself back to the here and now, I look around the dull drab classroom and carry on with my English work. As I finish the last piece of work I was completing, the school bell rings for lunch. I grab my school bag and pack my text books away before going to meet Claire—my best friend.
I greet her with my trade mark smile. Okay, I was always smiling. Well, apart from when I was being bullied. “Hi, girl.” I call out, as I look at this beautiful, slim and stunning girl who always looked amazing in our school uniform of black pants, white shirt teamed with a snotty green jumper. Yes, I said snotty. Well, it was disgusting.
Claire smiles back at me. We became best friends the first day of upper school. She was trying to find the swipe machine to put money on her card for lunch when she walked up to me, and a shy voice came out “Excuse me? But do you know where the swipe machines are?”
I nodded back
and looked at her before replying, “Sure, I can show you if you would like?”
She gave me a small nod, “Thank you. I am Claire. We are in Mr Smith’s class.”
I couldn’t help but smile at her shyness “I am Ann. It’s nice to meet you.” I shake her hand, and I give her another smile as we make our way to the machine, talking and laughing as if we had been friends since first school, and not just that day.
She turned and asked me, “Ann, do you fancy going to get fish and chips from the chip shop at the bottom of the road tomorrow?” I turn to look at her, my face a little glum. I had already put my dinner money on my card, which left me with no spare cash. Claire knew my parents didn’t have a lot of money, what with them being on benefits.
Yes, they were looking for work, but it was hard. Not that I cared—I had two parents who loved me and my two brothers, and we had a roof over our heads, with food in our bellies.
Yes, I had pass me down clothes. I didn’t have any top of the range gadgets, or the latest brands. I remember giving her a sad smile. “Sorry Claire, I had put all my money on my lunch card”
At my words, she smiled over to me as If she didn’t care. Not one little bit. “Hey don’t worry. It is on me.” My eyes snap to hers. I didn’t feel comfortable about this, but all I saw was a dear friend looking back at me expectantly. “You don’t need to, Claire.”
When the bell rings, we make our way to our next class after our lunch.
The weekend went fast, as always. From playing out, visiting my nana and granddad, and my cousins would always play on the streets with us.
I run in to check the time, and I run towards my mum. “Mum, when will daddy be home?” I ask her, then she turns to smile at me as she finished up cooking our tea of sausage, mash and beans,
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