Page 119 of The Soldier

“You’re right. I should have. This is my fault.” I say knowing she is right. Iamto blame, just as I’ve been telling everyone.

Trina wraps her arms around herself, and as her anger begins to dissolve she starts to shake.

Fuck, I hate everything about this. I had her in my arms for thirty seconds and I want to feel her again so desperately. I’m not giving up like I did last time so she can fight me as hard as she wants.

First, I need to tell her everything.

“Let me explain.”

Trina storms off and then walks back glaring at me. “Fine, speak.”

I know I have one chance. I’m not going to fuck this one up. At least I hope I don’t.

“After looking into your childhood, learning about your dad and how you grew up on army bases, I figured you knew him. Knew Roger.” I explain. “I thought you had known each other as kids.”

Trina shrugs, and I relax a tiny bit now that I have her attention.

“At first I thought he was a friend. I mean, you and I had only been in bed just days before. And no, do not say it, Trina. I don’tthink you’re a slut. The opposite. Hence thinking he was a guy friend. I thought you brought him along to play games with me.”

“Fair.” She lifts a shoulder and relaxes her stance.

I’m still sure I am right about that and as her eyes drop, I take that as guilt.

Then my gaze drifts over her neck and cheeks where yellow bruises stain her pretty skin, and I have to push back my anger and stay focused.

“For the record, I wasn’t planning to sleep with him,” she says, and that makes me happier than I could ever express.

It doesn’t explain why she went back to his hotel room. I want to ask, but I’m not that fucking stupid. I might not know Trina well, but I do know she isn’t a liar.

Not about this.

My lips press into a tiny smile.

“Don’t look so happy.” She growls with little fire.

Happy? I’m far from fucking happy. My intention to stay calm flies out the window.

“Iamfucking happy that you didn’t want to fuck him. So, sue me. Jesus, I’d just been inside your body hours before and I told you. Itold you,Trina. You are mine!”

My heart slams inside my chest as I pant, staring at her, hoping for once she will fucking listen.

Trina fish mouths it for a moment but then softly says, “You don’t mean that. You just feel guilty.”

I tilt my head at her change of tone. Then take a step forward and grab her hips. She keeps her eyes away from mine.

So damn stubborn.

“Let me finish,” I say gently. “I had top level clearance for the mission I went on. I couldn’t share anything including who was there. But I knew Roger Miller well before then. He’s always been competitive with me and others.”

Her eyes drift to mine.

“I also can’t tell you what happened last week, but he fucked up. Big time. Nearly got a lot of good men killed.”

Trina’s mouth falls open, and she grabs my upper arms. Whether she’s aware she’s doing it I don’t know, but I soak up her warmth.

“None of that mattered when I saw his hand on your ass,” I admit. “Or that you appeared interested and not in me.”

“I wasn’t,” she replies. “In him.”

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