Page 54 of The Marine

He stills my hand. “Not if you do that.”

I giggle.

“I’m sorry,” I say after a few minutes.

“Don’t be sorry. I just want you. I want you with me every minute of every day.”

My face heats with joy.

God, this man. I love him so much.

We pull up outside my house and I see the living room lights on. A bad feeling rushes through me, and my instincts are screaming to tell Aidan to drive us both away.

I turn to Aidan as he goes to open his door.

“Do you mind saying goodbye here?” I ask, grabbing his arm.

His brows lift.

“My mother would kick my ass. She taught me to walk a girl to her door. I’m a southern boy, darlin’.”

Don’t I know it.

I smile softly, even while panic thrums inside me.

“Just this once.” I lay a hand on his cheek. “I’ll see you on Wednesday at lunch.”

He reaches out and pulls half my body across the console between us and kisses me like it’s the last time we ever will.

I’ll look back at that kiss a million times, but I don’t know it yet.

“Go, you crazy man.” I slap his solid chest as I laugh and climb out of the car.

I run along the path and up the steps and turn back to see Aidan watching me. Protecting me. Making sure I get inside safely. Little does he know, inside is where the danger lies.

When I turn and open the front door, I hear his car drive away.

The screen door shuts, and before I have time to close the front door, Dad steps out of the living room.

“Got yourself a big boyfriend, did you?” he snarls, and I notice the bottle hanging in his hand by his side.

“Yes. You met him tonight, remember?” I say carefully.

Is he so drunk that he’s forgotten?

“Did you tell him about our family? Is that why he shook my hand so tightly? A threat?”

What?

Oh god.Aidan, why didn’t you just let him have that one thing?

“No. I haven’t told anyone. No one,” I reply and start shaking. “Dad, just go to bed.”

I try to walk around him.

Sometimes this works and he lets me go. Not often, but it’s always a good idea to leave the room and try to escape.

“Don’t you talk to me like that, young lady. You come here. I don’t want you seeing that man anymore. He’s too old for you.” He reaches for my arm as he had a few days before and the pain is more than normal.

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