Page 19 of Relentless Surrender

“How about a movie?” she offered to distract both herself and Melissa from their own thoughts.

“Sounds good. Just no romance.”

“Horror?”

“Perfect.”

* * *

The gentle buzz of the fuzzy white screen on the television had long ago lulled both girls to sleep when the quiet was broken by the sound of heavy footfalls just outside Sage’s apartment door.

Sage wrinkled her brow, fighting the drowsy effect of sleep and wine. There was a loud pounding sound invading her dreams.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Rolling her shoulder, she adjusted her position, trying to ignore the annoying sound.

Then, the sickening crunch of splintering wood pierced the stillness.

Both Sage and Melissa bolted up with a scream.

Ricardo stood in the doorway. The shattered remains of the doorjamb littering the floor.

“You’re a hard bitch to track down,” he spat out before stepping inside.

CHAPTER 5

The ice-cold water felt almost painful as it slid down is overheated throat. Still Conner chugged the whole bottle, crushing the flimsy plastic in his hand before reaching into the fridge for another. Pulling off his shirt, he used it to wipe away the sweat as he headed to the shower.

After dropping Sage off, he had headed to the gym for a punishing work-out.

The whole thing was crazy! Absolute lunacy! He must be out of his mind. All of this was unlike him. He had been forced to endure entire tours, six month stretches, without getting laid…hell without even setting eyes on a woman. He had discipline, restraint. He wasn’t some god damn school boy getting his first taste of pussy. Taking Sage twice last night and again this morning, burying his cock into that sweetly tight passage of her should have at the very least taken the edge of for him. If anything, all it did was stoke him hotter.

There was just something about that sassy, little Spitfire with the pink-streaked hair that did it for him. Her smart mouth, that body, her sweet nature, her obvious loyalty to her friend. All that and intelligent to boot. Man, she was the whole package. She had passion and spirit. The kind of woman who had what it took to be with a Marine. It wasn’t an easy tour when your man was a soldier. Any woman who signed up for that deserved her own medal. For the first time since he signed on with Uncle Sam, she had him thinking it might be possible to have it all, a military career and a good woman by his side.

Just thinking about her made him want to hear her voice. There he was, acting like a god damn school boy again he thought. Not caring, he reached for his phone, dialing her number as he kicked off his sneakers and shorts. His shaft rose with anticipation. Damn, the woman wasn’t even in the room!

Voicemail.

He would try again after his shower.

Conner stepped into the hot stream of water, letting it sooth his strained muscles. Reaching for the soap, he worked up a rich lather before reaching for his cock. Pulling on it in long, slow strokes, he thought of Sage.

* * *

The illuminated screen dimmed. Sage closed her eyes in relief. Her phone had fallen out of her purse when she tossed it on the sofa earlier. Thank god she had turned the ringer off when she was at the museum earlier. Sage spared a hesitant glance towards Ricardo. He hadn’t seen. It had been Conner. He would call back, of that she was certain, and when he did, she would be ready.

Swallowing hard, Sage once again tried to reason with the unreasonable man. “Ricardo, you haven’t done anything that you can’t walk away from yet. We have no intentions of calling the police. Do we, Melissa?”

Melissa shook her head vehemently. While Ricardo was looking in her direction, Sage shimmied slightly to the left, just enough for her hand to close over her phone.

“See? My door can be fixed. It’s all good. Just turn around and leave.”

“Shut up! Just shut up!” yelled Ricardo. “This is all your fault. Why didn’t you just give me the fucking bear?”

Both women exchanged an anxious look, unsure what the obviously inebriated man would do once he learned they had found the camera in the bear and destroyed it. Melissa mouthed an emotional, I’m so sorry. Sage squeezed her knee in a show of support.

Ricardo began to pace the apartment like a caged animal, muttering to himself. It was only a matter of time before he got a glimpse of the bear on the kitchen counter just a few feet away.

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