Warrior (First to Fight #1)(6)

“Well you were a bit of an ass at the time,” she laughs. “But I had the biggest crush on you for years.”

“Okay, I lied. I definitely remember saying that you were hot. And it wasn’t only because I wanted to piss off Jack, though that was a bonus. I was expecting a kid, you know? Lanky, braces, freckles…and I don’t know if anyone has told you, but you were—are—f*cking gorgeous.”

She looks up at me, her face serious. At first I think she’s pissed off for pretty much hitting on her when she was thirteen. Granted the four year age difference doesn’t mean shit now, but I didn’t want to freak her out, either. Not when I was this close to finally getting my hands on her.

“Then why didn’t you say anything to me? Even after you kissed me at the fair.”

“And have your brother murder me? When you were sixteen, he used to threaten every guy that even thought of coming near you. Plus, I was leaving for boot camp. I didn’t want to lead you on.”

“What about now? You’re leaving now, aren’t you?” she asks, looking down at her hands.

I put a finger under her chin and lift her gaze back up to mine. “I’m not afraid of your brother, Liv. We’re all adults and I’m tired of seeing you and pretending that there isn’t anything between us.”

I use the hand on her chin to bring her lips to mine. I throw out an arm and in a moment, I have her in the passenger seat with me, her body just where I want it beneath mine. The scent of leather and earth mixes with her perfume. She drags a hand down my chest so slowly I ache with the need to have her touch me without any barrier.

“Livvie,” I murmur against the press of her lips. “Baby, are you sure?”

She nods and her eyes catch mine as she sucks my lower lip into her mouth and bites gently. Sliding her palm underneath my shirt, my entire body stills at the simple touch of her skin against mine. I press my forehead into the curve of her shoulder where the scent of her is especially strong. I taste it with my tongue, and little nibbles with my teeth, until both of her hands are grasping at the muscles on my back. Needy. Wanting me. Finally.

“The things I want to do to you,” I growl.

“Do them,” she whispers.

Her hips arch, pressing against my erection, and I can’t resist grinding forward just to watch the glow of pleasure ripple over her face. It goes slack, her mouth falls open and she moistens her lip with the dart of her pink tongue. She mewls in the back of her throat, and I seize the sound with my lips. The skin on her arms is hot to the touch, probably from too much sun, so instead of gripping her hard like I want to—like my body needs to—I force myself to be gentle and brush the backs of my knuckles down the outside of her arm.

I try to move back and put some breathing room between us, but she winds her legs around my hips to hold me close. My muscles clench and unclench in an effort to maintain my composure.

I groan as she moves against me. “What are you doing here? With me?"

She deserves more. She deserves better. And I want to be the man to give it to her.

Her gaze meets mine. “Because I want you. I’ve wanted you for a long time. No one makes me feel the way you do. I saw you today, and I couldn’t let you leave again without seeing if you’re still as good of a kisser as you were at nineteen.” Her arms tighten around me until I can feel the thunder of her heart against my own. “Be with me for a while, Ben. Please.”

I decide to give in, just once, just a little. Just one time. To have a memory that will last through the blood and loss. Loneliness and regret. One perfect night to help me make it through the next year of empty ones.

“I can give you one night, Oliva.” I pull back enough so that she can see my face. “One f*cking great night, but that’s it. I’m not the kind of guy who can give you the white picket fence, but I can promise you that it’s a night you’ll never forget.”

“As if I could ever forget you,” she whispers, just before my mouth closes over hers.

She gives in with a sound of pleasure that goes straight to my dick. Fuck if it isn’t already better than I remember. She plasters herself against me as my tongue strokes hers into submission. I shift backward until she’s sitting on my lap with her arms wrapped around my neck.

It starts to rain, the sound of the raindrops hitting the top of the truck become the peaceful soundtrack to our stolen moments together. A sound that blocks out everything else. For a moment in time, nothing can touch what we have. For a moment, we’re locked inside a perfect bubble where nothing matters but the feel of her pressed against me.

Everything I don’t have the balls to say is translated into this moment. I want to tell her how much being away from her is going to kill me. God, I’m going to miss her. My girl. A fierce possessiveness burns through my chest and I growl into her mouth, one arm wrapping around her little waist to press her even more firmly down on my lap. She breaks apart with a gasp and her hips jerk instinctively against me.

“I’ve wanted to do this for a long time,” I tell her.

“How long?” Her voice is barely a whisper.

“So long that your brother would kill me if he ever found out.”

She shakes her head. “What does that mean?”

“It means if he knew the things I’ve thought about you, he’d find a way to get me permanently stationed overseas.”