Page 23 of Wild Return
They shake their heads, but interest flickers in Rio’s eyes.
“This brewery is run by veterans. The military gives you discipline, purpose, and a steady paycheck. It saved me when I came out of foster care.”
“Don’t you have to go to war?” Marcus asks, wiping mayonnaise from his mouth.
I chuckle at his concern. “Sure, if there’s a war on. You sign up to protect your country. It’s a noble cause.”
“I’ve heard training’s really hard,” Rio says, leaning in.
“It’s tough, probably the toughest thing you’ll ever do, but it’s worth it. You learn what you can endure and take pride in yourself. The military saved my life; it could save yours.”
I glance up and find Sydney leaning against the doorframe watching us. The smile on her lips makes me forget what I was saying.
I push back my chair and stand.
“Think you can find your own way back to the loading dock?”
They nod. I clap Rio’s shoulder, then Marcus’s.
“Show up every day, earn trust.”
I stride over to Sydney and step right up close so I can smell her perfume. Memories of two nights ago against the barrel flashthrough my mind. My eyes drop to her lips, and I twirl a strand of her hair in my fingers.
“You must be due for a few hours off. Come for a ride with me.”
Ten minutes later, I am on my bike with Sydney on the back heading up the mountain. A stillness settles over the peaks. You’d never know a storm ripped through only a few days ago.
With Sydney’s hands clasped around my waist, I can’t help the grin on my face: fresh mountain air, my bike between my thighs, and my woman at my back. I have a second chance at life—at this life—and I won’t let it go.
We ride for twenty minutes up the mountain, enjoying the wind on my face, with no destination in mind. A fire road leads off the main road and I take it, searching for a secluded spot. The path narrows, but the bike handles it. We weave through the trees and stop in a hidden glade. Leaves carpet the ground, and sun glints through the canopy.
I keep the engine running, enjoying the soft hum of the bike. Sliding off, I unhook our helmets and dangle them over the handlebars. My hands stay on Sydney’s hips, unable to let her go now that I have her in my grasp again. My hand slides down her back, over her perfect ass.
“I can’t stop thinking about the other night,” I murmur. “About you.”
“Neither can I.”
My mouth captures hers as I press her against the warm seat. Insects hum in the trees as I unzip her skirt, peeling it down thick thighs, and kneel in the dirt before her.
“You’re so beautiful, Sydney.”
I nudge her legs apart and kiss her stomach. She gasps when the engine’s vibration reaches her.
“Viking, the bike’s still on.”
I give her a wicked grin. “I know.”
My lips caress her thighs, and I gently pull her panties aside. Her scent floods me, and I breathe deeply. The deep purr of the engine makes her vibrate under my tongue. Hands tangle in my hair as she throws her legs over my shoulders, the leather of her boots sliding against my neck.
She giggles until my mouth covers her sweet pussy, and laughter turns to a gasp. Her leg goes wide, and the heel of her boot presses into my clavicle. Pain shoots through me, heating my blood. My tongue laps faster as her heel digs deeper, and I bury my face in her until she cries my name, her moans echoing through the forest.
I don’t wait for her tremors to fade. I unzip and free my cock. Her wild eyes meet mine before our lips crash together.
She guides me inside and wraps her legs tight around me. One hand grips the handlebar, the other the back of the bike, while I thrust. Heat envelops me, but it is not enough, will never be enough with Sydney.
I clasp her thighs and pull her legs over my shoulders so the leather of her boots skims my neck, and I drive in deeper.
“Sydney.” Her name is a prayer on my lips.
