Destined for the Dom(33)
If only he could tell her how much he loved her, too.
* * * *
The heavy putt, putt, putt of enemy fire kept Hunter firmly on the deck. He looked around at his buddies. As always, Josh, Marty, and Jimmy were right there with him. The insurgents were large in number and holed up in the small village just ahead. He gave the signal to his buddies, and they silently made their way, crawling through the long grass. It was such a beautiful day, the birds were singing, and the sun warmed his back, burning the exposed flesh of his neck.
Suddenly, a brilliant white light blinded his eyes, and a powerful blast of air flattened him to the ground. Silence. Total fucking silence. Then all he heard was screaming…
* * * *
Hunter woke with a start, and sat bolt upright, desperately trying to catch his breath. His naked body was covered with sweat. Every night he’d have the same Goddamn dream. Fuck, he hated the way it just wouldn’t quit. In his nightmare, he was back in Afghanistan, witnessing the death of his band of brothers. In the four years since the tragedy, the dream had barely changed, but just recently he’d been unable to visualize the faces of his dead buddies. Why was that? Josh and Marty had died right in front of him, their bodies ripped apart by the improvised explosive device. Jimmy, his best buddy, had clung to life for a further two months, before finally succumbing to his horrific injuries. Being the only survivor, he guessed he felt guilty. What had been so special about him? Why did he survive when the other guys didn’t?
Feeling irritated and unsettled, Hunter dragged a hand through his hair. He needed to stretch his legs. He glanced at Zoë. In the soft moonlight streaming through the window, he could just make her out, sleeping soundly. How he envied her peace and tranquility. Her breathing was calm and rhythmic, and he reckoned her sleep was beautifully dreamless.
Carefully, so as not to wake her, he slid from the bed, and tenderly pulled the covers around her. Zoë meant the world to him. She’d given him exactly what he desired. In fact, she’d given him far more than mere sexual satisfaction. She’d given him an anchor to hold on to. Like a lost soul, he’d been searching for a missing part, and now he’d finally found it. He knew now that Zoë was that missing part. She was the only person who connected his past, present, and future together. He dragged a hand through his hair again. Just why the fuck didn’t he tell her he loved her, when she’d opened her heart up to him? Hunter, I love you. Was it the fear of losing her? He couldn’t bear that.
Everyone he’d ever loved had either died, or left him. His mother had died when he was just nine, and when his father had been unable to cope with the loss, the authorities had sent Hunter to St. Mark’s. It was supposed to be a temporary measure, until his father got his head together. But it just didn’t happen and Dad never came back for him. Two years later, he learned that he’d married again, but after that the trail went cold. He guessed a boy of eleven just didn’t fit in with his father’s plans.
Hunter moved across to the window and sat in the easy chair, staring out into the darkness. The full moon cast a silvery light, and he could just make out the yard and his land beyond.
In two days he would be back on Air Marshal duty, flying the skies, looking for terrorists who were determined to bring this great country of his down. He glanced across at Zoë again. He should make the best of what he had, because he never knew when it might end.
The tightness in his groin intensified, and he slipped back into the bed. He guessed Zoë wouldn’t mind him waking her up like this. He crawled on top of her and stroked his erect cock over her pussy. “Wakey, wakey,” he growled in her ear as he held his weight from her naked body. A smile drifted to her lips and she opened her eyes.
Any worries he had simply disappeared when he looked into her beautiful face. He groaned as he sunk his cock inside her welcoming warmth.
Chapter Fifteen
Three months later
Zoë took a step back and stared at her reflection in the full-length mirror. Goddamn it, she needed to tone up. Since moving in with Hunter, she hadn’t taken any exercise. She smiled to herself. Well maybe just a bit, if she included having sex of Olympic proportions. She smoothed a hand over her belly, and did that before-and-after bullshit she’d seen on the TV. She let her stomach hang naturally. “Before.” She drew in a sharp breath. “After.” She let it out. “Before.” She laughed, dismissing such foolishness with a wave of her hand.
“I’ve gotta hand it to you, girl. You may have put on a pound or two, but you still managed to knock ’em dead at the interview.”