Target: A Military Romance (Unwanted Soldiers Book 1)

by Aden Lowe

  With a plan in place, the men seemed satisfied to finish eating in silence. As soon as Flag and X-Man pushed their bowls back, they rose, said goodnight, and disappeared into the kids' bedroom.

  Alone with Trick, I hid behind a flurry of activity, standing and clearing the table. In only a few hours, I would be truly alone with him for the first time. Anticipation mixed with apprehension to bring a slight tremor to my hands. I had next to no experience with men. A man like him must be used to sophisticated women who knew how to please him. Maybe this was a mistake.

  Chapter twenty-one

  Captivated by the faint blush on Lauren's cheeks, I sat and watched as she limped around, cleaning up. It was probably a jerk thing to do, but even though her foot hurt, I couldn't give up watching her.

  With Flag and X in the house, I might have held off on my plan to possess her, out of consideration for her. She wasn't the kind of woman you fucked loudly at night, and expected her to face your friends the next day. Not to mention, she deserved more respect than that.

  But now, since they were leaving at dark, my mind refused to stop conjuring up fantasies of how I would make love to her. I wanted it to be special, so I needed to make some preparations. In the interest of getting her settled before I went outside, I helped with the rest of the cleanup.

  "I'm going to go out and get some firewood ready for tonight. It could get chilly. Can I get you anything before I go?"

  She looked a little apprehensive for a moment and my heart skipped a beat. "No, I think I'll take advantage of the hot water and get a quick shower and some clean clothes."

  The thought of her naked and wet made me want to put off my preparations. "You're sure you can manage? With the foot?"

  She glanced down. "Yes. They said I can unwrap it long enough for showers, and just to be careful."

  A wolfish grin crossed my face. "Because I'd be more than happy to help out."

  Surprised laughter rang out. "How about if I promise to call if I need help?"

  I chuckled. "Deal." I grabbed the bag I put together for her while we waited for Flag and X at the hotel. "Come on, I'll make sure you have everything you need before I go outside." The small bathroom had a nice big vanity counter, so I put the bag there. "I'll grab towels." I'd already found the linen closet, situated between the bedroom doors.

  Lauren folded a change of clothes on top of the bag, and placed her shower things on the side of the bathtub. "Thank you, Trick. For everything." Her eyes, wide with nervousness, drew me in.

  I leaned down to taste her lips again, unable to resist the temptation. Damn, I could get lost in her. "Let me help get your foot unwrapped?" I wanted a reason to stay with her longer, but I also worried. That foot could present serious problems if we weren't very careful. I needed to keep an eye on it.

  She shook her head. "You could help me get it wrapped again after? I can manage this part, but I'm afraid I'll make a mess of getting it back on."

  "You got it." I teased her lower lip with my teeth, then drew back. If Flag and X didn't leave soon, all my good intentions would fly out the window. This intense need felt foreign and familiar at the same time. I touched my forehead to hers, already missing her. "Be careful, Lauren."

  The flush in her cheeks had darkened. Desire? I sure as hell hoped so. "I will."

  I forced myself to turn the lock and closed the door behind me as I left the bathroom. Otherwise, I would be entirely too tempted to let myself back in, and join her in that shower. If she had trouble, I could easily force the door, even locked. A deep breath gave me the fortitude to leave the house.

  Outside, I found the woodpile easily, and picked up an armload of wood, already split, and took it in to the rack by the fireplace. I paused outside the bathroom door long enough to hear the shower running, then went on to the pantry, which, I discovered, also held emergency supplies for storms. Like candles.

  In a flash of inspiration, I grabbed a handful and put them on a shelf where I could reach them easily. Further searching turned up several bottles of wine. One went to the fridge to chill. Now, what to make her for dinner? A jar of homemade marinara sauce and vacuum sealed pasta would work for a start.

  Prater's wife believed in being prepared for anything, apparently. I found neatly labeled blocks of various cheeses, all sealed in a thick wax coating. And pouches of bread mixes, labeled with instructions, a variety of home-canned fruits and vegetables, along with several cases of MREs. It appeared this cabin was also an emergency shelter, fully supplied for occupants to be safe and comfortable for several weeks.

  With my dinner plans figured out, I looked around some more. Surely they had more than a quirky TV for entertainment in the place. I had to find a way to hold off until evening, and without some sort of distraction, that would not happen. Jackpot! There was a DVD player, and an assortment of movies, and CDs. A low cupboard which doubled as a window seat held board games. A little alcove, created by the big stone fireplace, housed three packed bookshelves. It wasn't like boredom would be an issue, with Lauren there to occupy my every thought, but the options might keep me from jumping her right away.

  The water in the bathroom shut off, signaling the end of Lauren's shower, tempting me to go and lick the water drops from her skin. Instead, I made sure all my supplies for dinner were within easy reach, but out of sight. The last thing I needed was for Flag and X-Man to decide they were going to hang out long enough to eat with us. They could make do with more beef stew, or chili, or whatever.

  The bathroom door opened, releasing a cloud of fragrant steam, and Lauren stood at the door, braced against the frame. "Trick? Could you maybe help me to the sofa?"

  "Sure thing." I scooped her into my arms, pleased when she wrapped hers around my neck. She smelled like fucking paradise, and my dick reacted accordingly. I couldn't resist the opportunity to taste her, and lowered my head to nuzzle the tender skin of her throat.

  The first swipe of my tongue over her wildly fluttering pulse brought a delicious moan from her. "You were supposed to just help me walk, you know."

  "And give up the chance to have you in my arms? I don't think so." I explored the hollow of her collar bone, before setting her gently on the sofa. I drew back with a groan. "Let me see your foot." I had to get my mind off the taste and texture of her skin, or I wouldn't be able to wait for Flag and X to be gone.

  She complied, lifting her foot so I could inspect it. The bruising had started to turn colors as it healed, and some of the swelling had gone down.

  "Let's get it wrapped back up before something else happens to it." I found the bandages in the bathroom, and then sat down with her foot in my lap. Careful to avoid hurting her more than necessary, I re-wrapped her foot and ankle. I couldn't stop at that, though. I let my fingers trail upward, along the taut muscles of her calf. Shit. I had to back off, get some distance. "What kind of movies do you like?"

  Her lips parted in surprise. "Movies?"

  "Yeah, I thought maybe we could watch something. Prater has a pretty good assortment stashed here." This constant need to touch, taste, her was driving me mad. I couldn't rush her, no matter how badly I wanted to.

  "Oh. Okay. You should choose. I'm not picky." Was that disappointment in her eyes?

  I ignored it, reminding myself she wasn't the kind of woman I normally hooked up with. She deserved to be courted, treated special, not like a cheap one-night stand.

  A lot of the movies were for kids, but I found a more adult comedy, and figured it would be suitably neutral. Except the damn thing refused to hold my attention. So I spent an hour and a half tormented with thoughts of what I could be doing to Lauren instead of just sitting beside her, watching mindless drivel on a screen.

  At least she allowed me to hold her. She hadn't seemed all that comfortable with being touched frequently at first. But now, she relaxed into me, accustomed to my presence. How could any man, even Richardson, be in a relationship with her, and not touch her all the time? If she were mine, I wouldn't be able to kee
p my hands off her for longer than it took to get her undressed.

  Looking back, I didn't remember any shows of true affection between her and Richardson. Of course, I came in at the end, when she had already created emotional distance. That was probably a good thing, since I may not have managed to restrain myself.

  My damn conscience showed up again. She had just broken up with a man she expected to spend her future with. I had no business moving in on her so quickly. She needed time to get her emotions sorted out. Women were especially vulnerable after a break-up, right? If she formed some sort of attachment to me, and then I walked away from her, what sort of impact would that have on her? Particularly now, as she made such a big change.

  The bigger question stared me in the face, but I tried to avoid looking at it. Damn thing refused to take no for answer. Could I actually walk away from Lauren? Even at this point, she felt necessary to me. Would that decrease after I made love to her? After I knew her better? Surely she must have some annoying trait that would make it easier to leave. With those doubts slightly mollified, I put them out of my mind.

  I needed to concentrate on how to keep Lauren safe, and how to get her back to her family in one piece. Beyond that, I had to keep myself and my men alive. With the possibility of a massive manhunt for us, I didn't have time for anything else. Richardson's position would allow him to use local, state, and federal law enforcement, not to mention his own private thugs, to hunt us. Evading one, or even two, of those might not be too difficult, but with all of them, the odds were simply not in our favor.

  Someone had still tried to hurt Lauren, too. Assuming Richardson wasn't behind that, I needed to figure out who was. If someone had a grudge against her personally, not as an extension of Richardson, they wouldn't stop simply because she was no longer involved with him.

  The movie finally ended, and Lauren stretched. "If you think it's okay, I'm going to take a book and sit outside for a little bit. I could use some fresh air."

  "That's a good idea. While you're doing that, I can check out the cellar and see what kind of supplies are in there. That way, I'll be within shouting distance, but not in your hair." I needed a little fresh air, too. Keeping control might be a little easier if her scent faded a little.

  She relaxed in a swing suspended between two trees, the slight breeze stirring her hair. Need pounded through me. Need to lay her down on the soft-looking grass by the swing, and taste every inch of her, and then bury myself in her.

  Instead, I forced myself to open the cellar and go inside. We needed to know what resources were available so we could decide how best to protect Lauren and ourselves. Her safety had to take priority over my dick. To the left, inside the door, deep shelves held hundreds of jars of canned foods, all arranged by content and date. Beyond, stacked bins of vacuum sealed dry foods waited for an emergency. The place was more like a stockpile against Armageddon.

  I finished exploring there, checked out the shed where the four-wheelers waited, and then went inside. I'd worked up a thirst in the heat of the late afternoon, so I figured Lauren could use a drink, too. I brought her a glass of the sweet tea she prepared earlier.

  She looked up with a smile as I approached. "Thanks. I was starting to think I should go in for something to drink." Her fingers brushed mine as she took the glass.

  Just like that, any ability I might have possessed to leave her alone evaporated. At the moment, I needed to be near her more than I needed my next breath. I sat beside her on the swing, my arm along the back of the seat. "Good book?"

  "Not really." Her eyes sparkled with mirth. "Or maybe it is, but I couldn't concentrate on it." She leaned a little into my side, probably without even realizing it.

  Fuck, I hoped that meant she wanted me just as badly as I wanted her. My fingers slid into her hair of their own volition, measuring the weight and texture of the strands. "Yeah, you have a lot on your mind." In that moment, I hated Richardson so blindly I would have happily killed him if I could get my hands on him. He did not deserve to occupy one moment of her time, let alone be the subject of thought and worry for her.

  "I wasn't thinking about any of that." She turned to look up at me.

  "Yeah? What were you thinking?"

  Her eyes darkened. "How it feels when you touch me."

  Lord, help me. My throat felt thick. "How does it feel?"

  "Like something I want more of." She reached up to brush her mouth across mine.

  I slipped my hand into her hair and angled her head just right for an excruciatingly slow kiss. By the time I pulled back, we were both breathing hard, and my need for her had grown exponentially.

  "Fuck, I want you so bad." I teased her mouth again. "But we have to wait. I don't want any interruptions."

  Lauren nodded and lay her head back on my shoulder. We sat there in silence for a long time, while the sun dipped to the horizon, and the sky darkened with the coming night. Reluctant to break the peace of the moment, I continued to play with her hair.

  Finally, though, I could put it off no longer. "We should head inside. Flag and X-Man need to get moving." At her nod of agreement, I helped her stand, and supported her as she limped for the house.

  I would have preferred to carry her, but if I did, I might not be able to delay taking her to that double bed and ravaging her.

  What the fuck was wrong with me? Sure, I liked women, a lot. But I'd never experienced a need for one specific woman that superseded everything else. With Lauren, the mission, safety, my men, and anything else, came secondary. That was not a good thing for a man like me. I needed my wits about me, all the time. Yet even with that awareness, I couldn't get her out of my head.

  Chapter twenty-two

  At Trick's insistence, I sat at the table to keep him company while he prepared dinner. Flag and X-Man had left a short time ago, leaving us alone. Whatever I might have expected from Trick after they left, I wished for him to take me into his arms again. Several times during the afternoon, he had, even kissing me. But whenever it seemed like he might go further, he drew back.

  Maybe he sensed my anxiety and thought to try and put me at ease. Or maybe I just wasn't quite up to his standards for female companionship. Logically, I knew he wasn't the sort of man to behave as if he wanted a woman he wasn't attracted to, and he certainly gave every indication of wanting me, but my insecurities insisted on having their say, too.

  As soon as the others left, he went to the kitchen, saying I needed fuel for what he had planned. The deep tone of his voice as he said that practically made me tremble with anticipation. I was more than ready, fuel or no. The kitchen heated up quickly from the stove, and he peeled his shirt off to reveal rippling muscles.

  Despite my resolve to move forward and take what I wanted, doubt assailed me once more. I already liked him way more than I should, especially since I barely knew him. Was I just falling for the first handsome man to show me a little kindness? And how would I feel when he left, as he undoubtedly would? My attachment to Jared early on, which I'd mistaken for love, seemed trivial in comparison for what I felt for Trick. I knew better than to open up and fall for a man I'd just met, and it wasn't as if I hadn't had my share of male attention before Jared. But keeping them at arms' length had never been difficult for me before. So why couldn't I resist Trick?

  The muscles of his shoulders drew my attention again as he drew a loaf of fresh bread from the oven. "I hope this worked. Prater's wife had everything labeled with directions, so we'll see."

  The yeasty aroma reached me, and I still didn't care about the bread. "Well, it smells great, at least." I left for a quick visit to the bathroom. When I came out, I paused, at a loss for words. A dozen candles provided the only light. Soft music played. "Wow."

  He flashed a quick smile. "Ready?"

  I caught my breath. "Why…?"

  He came close and took my hands, lifting them to his mouth to press small kisses over my knuckles. "Because you deserve the best. I want to take you somewhere nice for dinner, and
then spend all night making love to you. But this is the best I can offer at the moment."

  My heart melted. "This is incredible. Thank you."

  The delicious meal, complete with wine, was the most romantic thing I had ever experienced. That fact that he prepared it himself made it even more so. We ate, and talked and laughed, for a long time.

  The wine relaxed me to the point of drowsiness, and I was not ready for the evening to end. In the interest of staying awake, I stood and began to clear the table.

  Trick caught my hand as I limped past him. "Leave it for morning?"

  I started to object, but he stood and drew me into his arms. "I've waited all day, Lauren. The dishes can wait now." He bent to brush his lips over mine, sweet and gentle. "If you have any doubts, if you don't want this, want me, it's time to say so."

  I took a deep breath. I could back out now. And forever wonder what I missed. No. I wasn't going to be that woman. "What are you waiting for?"

  His eyes went almost black in the dim light, and a low growl rumbled through him as he crushed his mouth to mine. The blinding passion of his kiss surprised me, consumed me. No man in my limited experience had ever touched me with such desperate need. Trick clutched me to him as if he might die without closer contact.

  And I met his kiss, stroke for stroke, licking, nipping, stroking, allowing it to become the center of the universe. His short beard prickled against my face, adding another sensation to an already overwhelming moment. My hands, already resting on his shoulders, stroked up the sides of his neck, exploring his jaw line, and then back, to slide into his silky hair. He groaned as my nails raked his scalp.

  He drew back a little, breathing hard. "Are you sure?"