Page 3 of Rush

He watched her leave, her sweet ass swaying in his face. When he started to stand, he realized that for the first time in years, his dick had taken control of his brain. He went through the series of thoughts in his brain.

I love my mother. Mama Irene cooking for me. Baseball is a game played with balls and… nope. Dogs. I love the dogs. Caroline loves the dogs. Shit!

He felt like a child picking out the right shorts and shirt for the evening. When he looked out to see the others dressed in cargo shorts and t-shirts, he followed suit. Meeting them all at the dock, he nearly fell overboard when Caroline stepped aboard in a little sundress.

“I’m so glad you decided to join us,” she smiled, sitting next to him.

“How could I resist? So, tell me about school.”

For the entire ride, she spoke about what she was doing and how much she enjoyed vet school. Rush didn’t hear a word of it. He focused on her mouth and those beautiful lips.

When she pulled him to the dance floor, he didn’t remember any of the steps. When they shared a basket of fries, he wanted to lick the ketchup from her lips.

“Hey, are you okay?” she asked, seeing his flushed face. They were dancing to a slow song, and she took his arm, pulling him around to the back porch where it was quieter. No one else was there, and he was relieved and worried.

“Yea. Yea, I’m fine,” he said, shaking his head. Turning, he looked down at her.

“Rush. I’m so glad you came out with us. With me. I don’t know if you know this, but I’ve liked you for so long,” she whispered.

Standing on her toes, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his head downward. The moment his lips touched hers, Rush knew he was damned.

The soft flesh molded to his own, her sweet tongue sliding into his mouth, tasting the beer and barbecue. His arms wrapped around her waist, intuitively pulling her against his body. It was the throaty, need-filled moan that brought him back.

“Caroline,” he whispered. “Honey, we have to stop.”

“Stop?” she asked, bleary-eyed. “Why?”

“We just do. It’s not right.”

“Not right?” she repeated with pain in her eyes. “I see. Right. Of course. The big bad Delta warrior probably has someone in every port.”

“That’s not fair. I didn’t say that.”

“No. You said more than enough,” she said, pushing back from him. He tried to reach for her, but she just shook her head, wiping away the tears. “Take care of yourself, Rush. I’ll see you soon.”

Rush couldn’t find his words. Hell, he could barely breathe after that kiss. How could she possibly think he wasn’t interested. Didn’t she feel his cock pressing against her body? Didn’t she feel the heat searing her skin?

“Breathe,” he said calmly. “Breathe.”

“Rush?” called Jak. He looked up at his friend, who was home on leave as well. “Brother, are you okay?”

“No. I’m not.” He wanted to cry. He was a grown man. An elite Delta operative and he wanted to cry over a woman.

“What happened? Caroline just asked Tobias to take her back home, and she looked upset by something.”

“Fuck. Not him.” He shook his head, feeling his cock immediately deflate. “It was a misunderstanding. I’ll make it right.”

But he never had a chance to make it right. The next morning, she was gone back to school, and he was flying back to base. He thought about talking to Sniff but never felt the time was right.

Now, he found himself deployed once again in the middle of nowhere, given a one-man mission that would either kill him or earn him a medal.

None of it mattered when all he could think about was a blue-eyed, auburn-haired siren who was back home, hopefully not dating anyone he might have to kill.

CHAPTER TWO

Caroline Willa Mullins was the perfect combination of her parents. She had a love of animals. A compassion for mankind. Her mother’s auburn hair, blue eyes, and curves. Her father’s humility, height, and humor. She was the perfect package.

Unfortunately, BJ, Tobias, JB, and Rush didn’t think so. She was trying to play baseball with them, and they weren’t letting her. All a few years older, they just thought she was an annoying girl. But when she threw the baseball to them, the sound of it hitting the leather glove echoed in the grove. With a look of smug satisfaction, she turned and walked away.

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