Page 17 of Hold On Through The Pain

As they stepped from the restaurant, she asked if he wanted to go somewhere they could walk and talk. He nodded, happy she wasn’t ready to have the night end. She directed him close to the Citadel where he’d worked out a few times in the pastweek. He parked at a small park where there were picnic tables next to the water.

The moon had risen a quarter way up in the sky, illuminating the river, making undulating silver streaks of reflections on the surface as the black water flowed past on its way to the ocean. He guided her to the path where they walked up the bank beside the flowing water. All the while he thought this place was amazing beautiful, almost magical. After a few minutes, she started talking.

“I won’t be finished with school for almost two months. I don’t want you to forget about me.”

He stopped walking, and she turned her to face him. The world would stop without this woman, and she had no clue he felt that way. He gripped her upper arms not too tightly, but enough to keep her in place before he leaned in and brushed their mouths together.

He stood tall, his mind racing. “I’d never forget about you.”

“I’m really nothing special.”

“But you are.” He pulled her close and waited a few seconds before brushing his lips over hers. Perfection! She was honey and sweetness all rolled together, tempting him to take more. A moan he meant to keep hidden escaped his lips.

She pulled back, her brows bunched. “I don’t want you to be disappointed once you figure out how basic I am.”

He shook his head as he cupped her cheeks. His heart sped up as excitement built. He could be with her all the time. They may not have known each other for a long, but she took his breath away. He had little doubt his attachment would grow deeper the more he knew about her.

“So in two weeks, when you’re home and wanting to go blow off some steam, what will you do?” she asked.

He ran his thumb over her cheek, thinking he needed to get them naked soon. “Are you asking if I’m going to go have sex with anyone else?”

Her slight nod was the only confirmation she gave. She looked so sad and small. Striker led her to a bench and sat down, turning so he was staring at her. She took his breath away. Her beauty was unlike anyone he’d ever known. He knew it was more than what was on the surface. Hell, some people might call her plain, but she was anything but plain. Her heart and soul, her personality all combined and made her the most beautiful person on the planet. With her in his life, he could be a king—well, maybe not a king, but he’d feel like one.

“I want you to understand, and I’m stating this here and now: I don’t want anyone else. You’re it for me. You’re the one who I want forever. I don’t want to have sex with someone else. In two weeks’ time, I’ll be jacking off to memories of you. My hand has been with me when I’ve been horny andlonely, and it will be with me in the next few months. I don’t need another woman to take your place, because no one else could measure up to you.”

She giggled, and he pulled her close. She sobered as his gaze held hers.

“I’m not joking.”

She shook her head. “But I’m plain.”

“No, you’re not.” Their lips pressed together, and he tugged her even closer. Spending his life with this woman was paramount.

“Don’t you get it, Shannon. I’m hooked.”

She huffed out a breath, and her eyes grew bright with moisture. “I want to be yours alone.”

“I belong to you,” he whispered in her hair as he held her close.

“And I belong to you.”

He would spend his life making sure she knew how much he cared. War was hard, but every part of life was hard, and he wanted to be strong for her. He would be leaving soon, and he prayed she didn’t forget their promise to be together. He wished forever would start now, because she was too good to leave alone.

8

Shannon tookStriker’s hand and led him to the truck. He opened the door for her, and she slid in, amazed at how well he’d treated her. She’d never been with anyone this kind. It made her heart ache that their time together would come to an end so soon.

What would he think about her in two months? Would he even want her?

The desire to go with him and leave everything behind hit hard, but she couldn’t leave. Not yet. She had to stay and finish her classes. She hadseven short weeks that were beginning to seem too long.

Once at the hotel, Striker led her inside and undressed her slowly. She returned the favor and undid each of the buttons on his shirt, kissing his chest, taking time to savor his skin, the dusting of hair over his pecs, the muscles that bulged under her touch, all of it she treasured.

The first time she’d seen him in that dirty bar restroom, she’d been intimidated. He’d overwhelmed her then, and that was before she got to know him. Then he’d done all he could to help her. She’d been impressed with how he’d stood up for her. The gratitude she’d experienced at first had shifted into admiration, then something deeper. Striker was the real deal. A man who she could look up to, even when she was angry with him.

With his shirt removed, she turned her attention to the cut across his forearm. It looked better, like it was almost healed.

She glanced up and met his gaze. “What will your commanding officer say when you get back?”

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