Chapter 14

Rory had little doubt she was being watched. Whoever had come to her place and broken in would still want the information she’d copied from those drives. Did they know what she’d done, or were they just hedging their bets?

The break-in could be unrelated. Maybe some jerk came by and decided to rob her. She didn’t believe that for one moment. They were on to her, and now she had to figure out how to react.

After settling in at the hotel used by visiting military personnel, she went out on foot to grab something to eat. She’d made a decision and took the burner phone and the thumb drives with her. Something had to be done. The threat to her was serious. She stopped in a store and bought three padded envelopes and enough stamps to send the drives elsewhere.

She found the address for a news station, the FBI, and the last one she decided she needed to hide somewhere. She thought about leaving it at the hotel but decided against hiding the drive somewhere there. After eating dinner, she stopped by a mail drop, her hand sweaty. Was she doing the right thing? Could she trust someone to figure out what she’d sent?

The break-in at her place was a warning. She was in danger. Eventually, she would have to pay for putting her nose where it didn’t belong. Dropping the thumb drives in the mail put her at risk, but she had to do the right thing. Hopefully, someone would figure out the information, and they would be able to do something to stop the human trafficking ring.

Rory tossed and turned for most of the night. Long before her alarm rang, she was out of bed and ready to run with Harry. Though mailing those drives would put her at risk and end any hope for a normal life, she didn’t want to let Harry go. She needed to see him at least a few more times before it was discovered that she had released information to the press.

Her stomach hurt on the drive over and hadn’t abated by the time she arrived at the trailhead. Harry was there, so she pushed the worry away. She could deal with her troubles later.

The hug she got from Harry felt good and almost made her cry. She was thankful for the cloud cover and low lighting, so he couldn’t see how upset she was.

They didn’t chat as much on this run. She felt off with everything happening. After they finished, Harry suggested they go back to his place to eat breakfast.

“Sure, that sounds good. I’ll follow you over.”

Harry’s smile made her melt a little. If only she’d met him before. She would still try to expose the information she’d found, but she would have had a chance to be with Harry before hell came down on her.

She had the drive with her, and when she arrived at Harry’s place, she grabbed the envelope containing the drive and took it upstairs. They worked together to make breakfast, which was fun. Doing things with Harry, even the mundane, was nice.

She could see them in a relationship long term. But first, she had to figure out where to hide the thumb drive. She could mail it to herself to buy herself some time. But then it would be back in her possession. She wished she’d never gotten involved in this.

“So, have you thought more about leaving the Marines?” Harry asked as they finished their breakfast.

She shrugged. “I have. I’m going to set up interviews, eventually. I need to wait until it’s closer, but I’m ready. I think I’ll turn in the first part of my paperwork this week. I don’t know what the paperwork will trigger, though.”

Harry nodded. “I bet it’s weird leaving.”

She shrugged. She’d seen too much bad stuff now. She couldn’t turn a blind eye to the injustice she’d found. She didn’t think the thumb drives were traceable back to her, but she didn’t know for sure. Maybe some random camera picked her up. All of it was too much. She didn’t want to think about the people trafficked or how she’d betrayed rules the military depended on. She had tried to bring the information to the attention of her superiors back in Virginia, but they’d blown her off. Now, with even more proof, she couldn’t afford to ignore the obvious.

Harry’s buzzer sounded, and he grabbed his phone. “Oh shoot, I have a package being delivered. I’m going to run down and grab it.”

“Sure,” Rory said as Harry left the condo.

A thought flashed in her mind. She could hide the drive here. She needed to explain what it was, so she grabbed a pen and a piece of paper, scrawling quickly that the drive held information about a human trafficking ring and that if she disappeared, Toovey and Laelyn were involved. She sealed the envelope with the piece of paper inside and stuffed the envelope between the cushions of the couch just before the door opened, and Harry came in carrying a huge package.

“Hey, what’s in the box?” Rory asked, trying to cover her unease with curiosity about the package.

“I bought some new pans. I know, boring, but I needed something new for cooking.”

“That’s not boring. That’s great. I go overboard on buying kitchen stuff. There are so many gadgets. It’s hard not to want new stuff.”

“True. When I first moved in, I bought some cheap pots and pans. These aren’t cheap.”

“Want to unpack them?”

The smile he shot her made her insides heat up. This man could make her feel things she didn’t know she had the right to feel. She imagined if they actually developed a relationship, it would be so wonderful she might burst.

After they unpacked the box and washed the new pans, she knew it was time to leave. Staying longer would only cause problems. “I should go.”

“You know you don’t have to.”

She nodded. “I know, but what would we do next?”

He shrugged and stepped closer. He was only inches away, and she felt desire flowing between them. She glanced up, staring into his soulful blue eyes. It would be easy to get lost in his eyes.

Harry reached up and fingered a lock of hair that had fallen loose from her ponytail. “I don’t want to wait. I know it’s selfish, and I should just keep my desires to myself, but I really like you, Rory.”

She placed her palm on his chest, unsure if she should push him away or pull him closer. Neither of them moved as her desire grew deeper. The wise thing to do would be to push away and leave, but she didn’t want to be wise. She wanted the heat his body promised.

Their gazes met again, and that set off a firestorm of passion. Harry moved a few inches closer, and Rory didn’t back up. Her fingers pressed against his chest, feeling the tightness of his muscles. His other hand brushed over her side, and she stepped closer, moving so their legs were brushing together.

All the doubt, fear, longing, and need from not loving anyone for years crashed against her. Desire and want almost overwhelmed her, making it hard to catch her breath. She reached behind his neck and pulled him down. Harry offered no resistance. His lips brushed gently over hers at first, and then they were hungrily kissing. His hands went from drifting over her sides to pulling her closer in a desperate attempt to eliminate any air between them.

Desperation won out, and they were tugging off their clothes, needing to get as close as possible. She shoved her shorts low and kicked off her shoes. He stepped back, his gaze fixed on her like he was worshiping her.

She took him in, loving every single muscle and bulge. He looked like a work of art, nearly perfect in every way.

“We should shower first. I stink,” Rory said.

He held out his hand, and she took it, following him to the bathroom. He took her hair from her ponytail and ran his fingers through the strands.

“Your hair is amazing.”

“Thank you. You’re amazing. You’re so fit.”

“It’s part of the job. Without that I wouldn’t be much to look at. But you would be gorgeous no matter what you did. You’re so freaking sexy.”

He kissed her as he backed her into the shower. When he turned on the water, the cold made her yelp. His chuckle warmed her, and then his hands were on her, spreading soap over her arms and back, then her breasts. He teased her nipples, pinching and tugging gently. Heat spread through her body. Her head dropped back, and she moaned as his fingers slid down the front of her body, increasing in pressure until his hand cupped her pussy. He held her, his hands possessing her like he intended to give and not just take. Then he adjusted and found her clit with his forefinger.

She moaned as he touched and rubbed, gently bringing her closer to orgasm. She needed to feel all of him, but he wasn’t rushing and trying to slide his fingers inside her. He knew to give her pleasure first and take her higher.

She was on edge, about to blow, when he took one nipple into his mouth, driving her crazy. She rocked her hips, and he chuckled. That was all it took to push her over the edge. She cried out his name as she pulled him closer, needing to feel him.

He finished washing off his body quickly, and she washed her hair. Luckily, he had conditioner so her hair wouldn’t be too big of a mess when it dried. After they were done with the shower, Harry dried her body and watched as she combed her hair.

“You’re so freaking beautiful,” Harry said when she was almost done with her hair.

She turned, facing him. He was still hard, his cock jutting up proudly. She set the comb down and moved to him, dropping to her knees and looking up. “I could worship your body for days.”

She didn’t give him a chance to give a response before she wrapped her lips around his cock, sucking down on him. He moaned as he cupped the back of her head, encouraging her to take him deeper.

She reached up and teased his balls, eliciting another moan from him. Her tongue circled around the tip before she licked up his length and then sucked down on him. His hips cocked forward fast as he pumped down her throat.

He pulled back far enough that she was no longer sucking him. “Come to bed. I need to be in you.”

In one fluid motion she stood, and he picked her up, carrying her to his bed. When he tossed her onto the bed, she laughed as she bounced. He didn’t waste any time and was on her, kissing her breasts, sucking on her nipples, then kissing lower until he was licking her clit. Her body arched up, her muscles tightening as he sucked on her, bringing her closer to another orgasm.

Her hands grabbed hold of him, and she squeezed as she gasped for air. Her heart sped up, and her muscles clenched. Then relief hit with her orgasm, and she melted into a puddle.

Harry grabbed a condom and rolled it on, his gaze locked with hers as he moved between her legs. “You good with this?” he asked.

She nodded. “Please. I need you.”

She’d waited for a long time for a lover like this. He was a good lover, making sure she felt satisfied before taking his pleasure. He also was a good man. With everything bad going on in her life, she needed someone good on her side.

He slid in, and she gasped as he filled her. He slowed but didn’t stop as he pushed deeper. When his cock was in all the way, he rocked his hips, and the base of his dick brushed against her sensitive clit. She moaned as she pulled him closer. Everything felt so good with Harry.

He set a rhythm, rocking into her, taking them both higher. She kissed his chest and neck, hoping he knew how special he was. She never wanted him to doubt how she felt about him. He brought her hope and love, and that was amazing.