Page 79 of The Soldier

I want to kiss him again and wake up in the morning with his arm under me. That hand of his on my hip, subtly staking a claim and keeping me right there with him.

Then I remember his wound. Where the bullet grazed his skin. It could have gone a few inches in the other direction, and we’d be at his funeral this weekend instead.

I can’t do this.

I have to put a stop to this relationship, even though I know it will hurt him. Hell, if he turned up to Briar and Aidan’s party with another woman tomorrow I’d be furious.

If Roger messages I’ll invite him.

If I go on my own I will end up in Marshall’s arms again. In his bed. With him taking a bigger piece of my heart this time.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

MARSHALL

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Despite doing a lot of sleeping, I’ve been bored as fuck this week. I’m not good at doing nothing. I tried doing a workout, but it just hurt my arm and I ended up cursing a lot, loudly. Then I walked around the BHS offices and annoyed a few of the guys who were trying to work so got told to fuck off at home.

Lovely.

Tonight is Aidan’s BBQ, so at least that’ll get me out of the house and break the boredom.

Plus, I can corner my little wolf and find out what is going on in her pretty little head. She’s ignored my messages, which didn’t surprise me.

With all my spare time, I’ve done a lot of thinking—overthinking—and I might’ve done a little digging online.

It turns out Trina has a few secrets. Her father was a lieutenant in the military. He died in combat when she was younger.

No fucking wonder she’s opposed to getting involved with anyone in the forces.

That would’ve been hard as hell.

I can’t even use the excuse that I’ve left the Army because I just went back into the field, and she figured it out. I spoke to a few of the guys who were at the office whenTrina lost her ever-loving mind, as Josh put it, and while it gave my ego a bit ofa burst hearing how much she was affected, now I fucking hate that she was so scared.

But it speaks to what I mean to her.

Even if she won’t admit it.

Knowing she felt like that while I was over there makes me fucking angry, and it’s another confirmation that I’ve made the right decision to bow out of any future black ops missions.

Trina doesn’t know that though.

Knowing she cares, and that her feelings were strong even before we slept together, tells me she is probably struggling right now.

I don’t know if space was the right thing to give her this week, or she’s run farther away. She might have. Heck, I’m still wrapping my head around what is happening between us. On some primal level I believe she belongs to me.

That she’s mine to protect.

And goddamn, I want to possess every inch of her sexy body. Lick by lick.

Thrust by thrust.

I just hadn’t caught my breath enough to ask if I want a girlfriend. Do I? There’s never been an urgency to settle down, but that’s not what this is.

It’s about not letting her get away.

We need to talk.

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