Page 4 of Allison

He is hopeful his mom is getting herself together, but he will believe it when he sees it. He can’t keep from worrying. Worm had been very concerned in the days and weeks after his dad’s funeral. At first, she’d been in denial, but once she’d accepted dad was gone, he had feared she would do something to hurt herself. More than once she’d made the comment she wanted to join his dad.

She’d been a zombie for months, just going through the motions, on the days she’d actually get up. Most of the time, though, she’d laid in her bed, lost in her grief. Worm had sat and held her while she cried for hours. Seeing his mom’s devastation at losing his dad had taken a toll on him. He’d felt so helpless. It had been the hardest thing he’d ever had to do, which is saying a lot considering his job on the team. He never wanted to feel that way.

Eventually, he’d gotten his mom in to see a therapist, and she’d made small improvements to the point it had been safe for him to return to active duty. He hadn’t been sure he could continue on the team if things had kept going like they had been. He has used every day of his leave time since his father’s passing to take care of them, but it hasn’t felt like he is doing enough.

Leigh has taken on much of the burden of keeping the family together in his absence, which doesn’t seem fair to him. She might be eighteen, but she’s just a kid. She should be worrying about her prom dress, not picking up Amber from basketball practice and Sadie from band rehearsal while worrying about cooking dinner for everyone.

A woman squeals in delight next to him, startling him. He moves into a defensive stance, before noticing the woman rushing forward to embrace an older couple who have just exited the airport. A breath escapes him, and he relaxes his tense muscles only to have them tighten up again when he spies the woman he’s supposed to be picking up.

Despite looking a bit rumpled from her long flight, Allison Simpson is even more beautiful in person. His heart races at the sight of her. The picture Emma had texted him didn’t do her justice. Her brown hair is in a messy bun, which is drooping to one side showing off the column of her neck. His lips twitch wondering if her skin is as delectable as it looks.

Her large breasts bounce with each step drawing Worm’s eyes to her chest. The woman is definitely built in the tits department. He’s always been a boob man. His eyes travel over the length of her. She isn’t very tall, but would likely be the perfect height to fit under his chin perfectly. His brow creases.Where did that thought come from?

In an attempt to push unwanted thoughts from his mind, he continues to assess her. She walks with purpose, her head up, taking in her surroundings. She pauses, looking at her phone briefly before looking side to side and behind before glancing back down at her device. He’s glad she has situational awareness, but it also causes him concern.Has something happened that caused her to be so alert?

He thinks back to his conversation with Emma and Wallace about Allison, but nothing comes to mind. In his experience most women don’t pay attention to their surroundings which makes them vulnerable to assault. He’s worked hard to teach situational awareness to his little sisters, even though they roll their eyes and argue with him about it.

Suddenly remembering the sign in his hand, he lifts it to catch Allison’s attention. She is looking up again. Her eyes move over him, then pop back. Her eyes narrow, then widen with shock. Her hips sway as she fast walks closer to him, dragging a large, hot pink suitcase behind her.

4

ALLISON

Their eyes meet, recognition crossing over his features. She moves toward him.

“Allison?” The man’s deep baritone voice sends a shiver down her spine. Her steps falter when her nipples suddenly peak and goosebumps erupt on her skin.Why is her body reacting so strongly to a complete stranger saying her name?

It’s been too long since she’s had a good tumble between the sheets or even taken care of herself. Yep, that’s definitely why. “Allison Simpson?”

“Yes, I’m Allison. Who are you?” Allison gives the man a hard appraisal. Her eyes raking over him, head to toes. He is taller than her. He must be about six foot with sandy blond hair that is cut in a military style. Bulging biceps ripple when he lowers the sign. Broad chest muscles strain against his t-shirt, and his cargo pants cling nicely to very thick thighs.

An image of them flexing and contracting as he fucks her pops into her head.Say what??Pushing that thought from her mind, her eyes drift lower noticing he is wearing combat boots. Obviously, he is one of Emma’s fiancé’s friends. She lifts her eyes to find him smiling like the cat that just caught the canary.

“You like what you see, sugar?” His voice again sends shivers to inappropriate places.

“You wish, ogre,” she sasses. “Are you going to answer my question?” She cocks her hip to one side, planting her feet. She has never had an instant attraction to a man before. It’s a whole new experience for her, and she can’t decide if she likes it or not. “Well?” she demands again. The man has just been staring without saying a word.

“I’m Worm. I work with Wallace, Emma’s man,” he replies at last, still grinning like a fool. He knows how he is affecting her. It’s infuriating as hell, grating on her last nerve. She wants to say, ‘go fuck yourself’, but that would let him in on the highly inappropriate ideas that have been running through her mind since first she laid eyes on him.

“Worm? Seriously? What kind of name is that?” Allison asks with more disdain in her tone than she intended. His smile disappears, a frown forming on his face. Instantly, she feels guilty. Her snarky side, not her best feature, has emerged from the combined shock of meeting him and lack of sleep.

“My name is Russell Chapman. Worm’s my nickname,” he says, testily. “Look, I’m here to take you to the resort. We need to get a move on. It’s a long drive and Emma is expecting us for dinner. I’m sure you would like some time to recoup from your trip before it starts.” Russell grabs the bag she has thrown over her shoulder and turns away placing it in the back of a large, black SUV.

The irritation in his voice stabs her in the heart. She isn’t a total bitch. At least she doesn’t want to be. He is just doing what was asked of him. It isn’t like he got to pick his nickname. She doesn’t know a lot about the military, but she does know that much. She needs to fix this. For some insane reason, she doesn’t want him to be upset with her.

“Hey, Russell, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be such a bitch,” Allison says, walking to the back of the vehicle. “It’s no excuse, but I’m pushing thirty-something hours since I’ve slept. I intended to sleep on the plane, but some kid kept kicking my seat. Then, there’s the fact I absolutely hate weddings, but I couldn’t let Emma down. She and I are like sisters. Plus, Emma didn’t tell me someone would be meeting me. I was caught off guard. Forgive me?” Allison paints on her sweetest smile, fluttering her lashes.

Russell turns, appraising her. His eyes bore into her for so long Allison begins to think he isn’t going to forgive her. Then, he gives her a thousand-watt smile, setting her body ablaze again.

“All right, sugar. I’ll forgive you this time. You can make it up to me later,” he says suggestively, waggling his eyebrows. Allison laughs and rolls her eyes. This guy is going to be serious trouble. He is arrogant as hell, but there’s a sweetness to him at the same time. In Allison’s experience that spells a special kind of disaster.

“Is that yours?” Allison looks to see him pointing at her hot pink suitcase sitting next to her on the ground. She nods. Russell raises an eyebrow.

“What? You got a problem with my suitcase?” She snarks.

Russell laughs, shaking his head. “No problem, sugar. It’s just…bright.” His laugh does delicious things to her lady parts. A dampness forms between her thighs. Her clit throbbing. She shifts on her feet, effectively rubbing her thighs together in an effort to calm the raging desire.

She is definitely in trouble with this guy. Hopefully, once they reach the resort, she won’t have to be around him too much. She doesn’t have time for a distraction. She takes in her suitcase. It does kind of glow, but she likes that about it. Makes it easy to find in baggage claim.

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