HOSTILE: A Military Romance Novel (Military Men Book 1) (15 page)

     ҉     ҉     ҉     ҉     ҉     ҉

Ariana had the most gorgeous expression on her face as she slept. I could have watched her for hours while I cradled a cup of coffee. I was used to the early mornings, but she wasn’t.

It was nice having those few moments to myself so I could think about things. I got to see her as nobody else did, so relaxed and peaceful. She never slept like that when we were in Afghanistan.

The thought of telling her about my past was daunting. I knew I would have to sooner or later, but I didn’t want to see the disappointment in her eyes when she knew I had been a drug addict.

Maybe I would wait, save that for a time when she really knew the current me. Maybe she would see that I’d changed, enough to continue loving me while knowing about my past.

I could have watched her all day, but she stirred awake, catching me staring at her like a creeper. She smiled and stretched before she pulled the sheet up to her shoulders. Having an unobstructed view of her naked body had been more than nice, too.

“Good morning,” she said lazily. “What time is it?”

“Ten to seven. Do you want a coffee?”

She shook her head no. “Have you been up for long? You should have woken me.”

“I’ve been entertaining myself, it’s okay,” I joked. I was treated to one of her sexy-as-hell smiles. “You can sleep for longer if you want to.”

She pulled herself up to a sitting position, the pesky sheet still covering those magnificent tits. Just looking at her made my cock spring to life. It was going to be hours before I let her get out of that bed.

“If I sleep, I lose precious time with you,” she said, taking my coffee mug and having a sip before returning it. “I’m guessing you’re not here to stay permanently.”

I hated the look of disappointment that was now reflected in her eyes. Last night had been incredible, but there was no way to avoid the obvious. “I’m on leave, between tours.”

“How long until you have to return for duty?”

“We ship out on New Year’s.”

One eyebrow arched over her doe-brown eyes. “They couldn’t even wait one more day?”

“No rest for the wicked.” My attempt at humor didn’t make any difference. There was no way around the fact that I had to leave her. Again. “I want to make this work, Ariana. I really, really do.”

She sighed and picked at her fingernail for a few moments while my heart was on the line and waiting for an answer. This woman could destroy me with a handful of words. It was the scariest shit I’d ever experienced.

And that was saying a lot.

Her pink little lips finally started moving, putting me out of my misery. “I want it to work, too. You’re going to be gone a lot, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I am.”

“I’m going to be spending a lot of time missing you, worrying about you, and so scared you aren’t going to return to me.”

I took her hands so she couldn’t damage them, holding them in mine so she would know I was deadly serious about what I was about to say. “I promise you there will be one more
hello
than there are
goodbyes
. I promise I will do everything I can to return to you. It’s not always going to be like this.”

“I’ve seen how dangerous it is over there.”

“You also know I have my troop brothers to watch my back.”

“That didn’t help Marshall,” she pointed out. Every time I thought about him, I felt sick to my stomach. The last time I spoke with my comrade, he was still trying to deal with the loss of his leg. He was on permanent leave until further notice.

“It’s a risk we all take to protect our nation,” I replied. There was no use skirting around the issue. The harsh reality was that I could die in service to my country. It was a risk I was willing to take for the greater good. I hoped Ariana could understand that, even just a little bit.

She sprung over and hugged me to her tightly. I could feel her tits as they crushed against my chest and only felt slightly like a dick for noticing.

When she pulled back, I focused on her eyes. “Let’s not think about it. Let’s spend the rest of the year pretending you don’t have to leave.”

“I like the sound of that.”

I pressed my lips to hers and kissed her deeply. I already knew it was going to be the best Christmas I ever had.

We would make it work.

Any way we could.

There’s lots more where this came from! If you enjoy steamy romance, why not spend a few minutes browsing over
Leila's entire catalog
?

Join
thousands
of other erotic romance lovers on the
Smutpire Press mailing list
!


    
Never
miss a new release from Leila.
Hear about the next MILITARY MEN book when it’s released!


    
Never
miss a limited time offer.


    
Get a
free book
from ALL of our authors just for joining!

Special Thanks

     ҉     ҉     ҉     ҉     ҉

First off, I'd like to thank you for reading! I truly hope you enjoyed this story and I look forward to hearing any feedback you have on it by way of review, email, or on my website.

Special thanks goes out to everyone who has been in contact with me about my previous stories. I wouldn't have continued writing if it wasn't for the awesome feedback/reviews from you! :)

About The Author

     ҉     ҉     ҉     ҉     ҉

If you’re interested in short erotica, check out Leila’s other pen name,
Kenzie Haven
!