Page 57 of Training His Pet

“My father’s last tour was in Afghanistan. He was deployed twice in a row with only a few months home between, so basically gone for three years.” She moved her gaze away from him, settling it off somewhere in the distance. “When he came home, he was... different.”

Dax’s jaw set firm, prepared to hear what came next.

“He said we were different. He said we weren’t cut out for civilian life.” She took a deep breath. “He took my mom on a trip; said they were going up to Wisconsin for a romantic weekend.” She dragged her eyes to meet his again. “He shot her. Then himself.”

Dax’s hand gripped her thigh.

“Shit.”

“They said it was PTSD. I should have seen it, the signs. All his talk about civilian life not for him or Mom. He’d ramble sometimes about our family not being able to survive outside the army, not having a place to hide, shelter from the enemies. He’d go on and on, but Mom just said he needed time to adjust.”

“You were a kid still. You said you were eighteen,” Dax said softly.

“Yeah.” She nodded. “He left a note. Mercy, he said. It was a mercy. But what I didn’t get—and what is really fucked up... why not me? Why didn’t he take me too?”

Dax’s heart sank into his chest, hearing the pain leaking into her words. Abandoned by her father, her mother ripped away from her, and she was left wondering where she fit into the world.

“Maybe he figured you were young enough to find your way.” He grasped at whatever thought popped in.

She gave a soft laugh. “Huh. Maybe, I don’t know. But I don’t need another two years of therapy to remind me to stop trying to figure it out. He didn’t leave me an answer, and I won’t find one without him.” She lifted a shoulder and sucked in a long shuddering breath.

Dax wrapped his arm around her shoulders again, pulling her against him. He rested his chin on her head.

“How is it a woman as intelligent, beautiful, and strong as you is not attached to someone?” he asked with a sigh.

“You’ve seen me in action. I’m not exactly the easiest woman to be around.” She laughed, resting her hand on his leg.

“I don’t know, maybe they just didn’t know which buttons to push.” He trailed his fingers over her bare shoulder.

She pulled away from him, looking up at him with warm eyes. “Maybe so.”

“Thank you for telling me all of that.” He leaned down and pressed a warm kiss to her lips, wrapping his hand around the back of her neck and deepening the kiss. Her hands came up to rest against his chest. The touch ignited a flame he wasn’t strong enough to put out.

When he broke the kiss and looked down at her, both of them slightly breathless, he took note of her large pupils, her sharp breaths. She reacted to his touch in the same manner he did hers.

“You’re too easy to talk to.” She pulled back. “I usually don’t mention my murdering father until the tenth date or longer.”

“There are other things we could do besides talk, if you’re rested enough.” He brushed a loose hair from her face.

She bit down on her lip. “I’m rested enough for whatever you have planned,” she assured him with a sparkle lighting up her eyes.

“Hmm, we’ll see.” He hooked his finger through the ring on her collar and jumped to his feet, dragging her up with him.

Arousal flashed in her eyes, her nipples hardened before his gaze, and her lips twisted into a seductive grin.

“Because I’m not planning on being gentle right now, pet.”

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