Chapter 8

8

Shannon took Striker’s hand and led him to the truck. He opened the door for her, and she slid in, amazed at how well he’d treated her. She’d never been with anyone this kind. It made her heart ache that their time together would come to an end so soon.

What would he think about her in two months? Would he even want her?

The desire to go with him and leave everything behind hit hard, but she couldn’t leave. Not yet. She had to stay and finish her classes. She had seven short weeks that were beginning to seem too long.

Once at the hotel, Striker led her inside and undressed her slowly. She returned the favor and undid each of the buttons on his shirt, kissing his chest, taking time to savor his skin, the dusting of hair over his pecs, the muscles that bulged under her touch, all of it she treasured.

The first time she’d seen him in that dirty bar restroom, she’d been intimidated. He’d overwhelmed her then, and that was before she got to know him. Then he’d done all he could to help her. She’d been impressed with how he’d stood up for her. The gratitude she’d experienced at first had shifted into admiration, then something deeper. Striker was the real deal. A man who she could look up to, even when she was angry with him.

With his shirt removed, she turned her attention to the cut across his forearm. It looked better, like it was almost healed.

She glanced up and met his gaze. “What will your commanding officer say when you get back?”

He shrugged. “I had to phone in and tell him the day after it happened. He was pissed until I explained the situation.”

“What exactly did you tell him?”

“That a guy had beat up a woman and I stepped in. When I told him two guys had joined in the fight, he asked why no one else stepped in. ”

“So what did he say about it all.”

“Told me to be careful. Wants me to keep a low profile. I’ve been checking in with him every day.”

“So are you going to be in trouble?”

“Trouble, no. I’ll probably have to attend some BS training. They might tell me how to stay safe and de-escalate a situation instead of fighting, but no, I’m not in trouble.”

Worry filled her. She placed her hand on Striker’s chest. “I don’t want to cause you any problems.”

“You didn’t. When I told him about your busted eye and lip, he congratulated me on taking them down. Officially he couldn’t, but privately he said he understood why I’d stood up for you.”

She was about to say more when Striker leaned in and kissed her, blanking her mind. She was lost in a haze of passion in minutes. He knew exactly how to touch her to bring her pleasure. He undressed her slowly, kissing his way lower, paying attention to each breast, loving on her like she was the most precious person in existence.

When he licked over her pussy, she cried out with pleasure. He took her higher and higher, twisting her up in need she hadn’t realized she had. She came hard, and he moved fast, rolling on a condom before sliding in.

Her gasps filled the room and mixed with his moans. He moved slowly, not rushing her second orgasm. This was pure bliss, and she enjoyed every second being with him.

“Tell me, Shannon, are you mine?” Striker asked as he slid in and ground against her.

She gasped, then moaned at the motion. “Yes.”

He growled and then lowered, sucking on her neck, surely leaving a mark. Heat expanded through her, and she threw back her head. He took advantage of her position and licked up her neck. He knew exactly what she needed when she needed it.

The passion between them built, and then he pulled almost all the way out before slamming in. His moves took her breath away. She cried out as he pounded in, taking her closer to the edge of reason.

His lips were by her ear, his breath hot on her neck as he grunted and plunged in, holding her tight. His muscles jerked, and he came. His orgasm set her off, leaving her breathless.

After he pulled out, she lay wrapped in his arms, dreaming of them being together. Somehow, they had to last. If she never saw him again, the stars would dim, the sun wouldn’t be as bright, and she knew the wind wouldn’t feel as sweet.

The last thing in the world she wanted was to wake up in the morning and find him gone. He said he would stick around until eleven, but he’d have to head out before noon. That made her sad .

She fought sleep as long as she could but eventually drifted off. When she cracked her eyes open, the sun streamed in. Striker stepped close and smiled down at her.

“You’re awake?” she mumbled as she stretched.

“Yeah, I got up early and packed. You slept hard.”

“Oh.” She stared around at his bags, and sadness started an ache inside her she didn’t think she’d ever get over. Her heart kick-started, and she sat up. He had to leave, just like she had to stay.

“I have coffee,” Striker said.

“Thank you.” She hopped out of bed and headed to the bathroom, wanting to rush through getting ready just so she could spend more time with him.

After using the restroom and brushing her teeth, she stepped out into the main room, shocked that his bags were already gone. The twisting knife of pain to her heart made her knees shake.

Her gaze met his as desperation filled her. “You’re really leaving.”

“I have to.”

She reached out, and he took her hand. She would miss little things like this. He was the only man she’d ever met who made her feel like life had meaning. Before Striker, she’d been adrift, now she knew what she was living for.

Her sadness grew, and she had to fight the urge to cry. She wanted to pull him close and never let go. “I know you have to go, but I didn’t want this day to come.”

“I understand. I didn’t either. But after you graduate, would you be willing to move to Georgia?”

She nodded as excitement pinged through her. “I’d have to come back to take my license test, but I’d move there with you.”

“Good. I want you to live with me. I’ll find a way to have you close.”

He pulled her to him, and she rested her head on his chest. Time needed to stop or speed up so she could be with him.

The few hours they had left weren’t enough. Too soon he was dropping her off near her dad’s house. He asked to walk her to the door, but she said no since the cameras were still there.

After he drove away, her heart ached like it would break. Alone, she made her way to the front door, glad her dad wasn’t home when she arrived. After starting a load of clothes, she cleaned the kitchen and the bathrooms, knowing her dad would be pissed she hadn’t been around during the last week to clean for him.

After she had the bathrooms sparkling and the kitchen spotless, the rumble of her father’s truck coming down the street filled the house. Worry hit. He would ask where she’d been. Lying to her father was difficult, but there was no way she would ever tell him about Striker. If he knew she’d spent the week with a man and wasn’t married to him, he’d kick her out. She needed to stay here until she graduated and could get a job earning real money to afford rent.

Before her dad came in, she headed to the laundry room and pulled her clothes from the dryer. They weren’t too damp and would dry overnight. If she made the mistake of leaving her clothes in the dryer after it finished, he would throw them away. He’d done that once. Now, she pulled them out slightly damp if he was around.

He banged into the house, his voice booming as he griped about his issues with his phone. His voice carried to her room, but she ignored him, not even trying to seek him out. Her tactic only worked for a few minutes before he came looking for her.

“So you came home. Where were you?”

“I was staying with Ashley. She’s in my class.”

His lips curled, and for a second, she imagined he would spit on the floor. “You should invite her over.”

Any excuse she made would be met with him guessing correctly she hadn’t been with Ashley, so she nodded and smiled.

“Are you home this week?” he barked out before he stepped into the hall.

“I may have to stay over at Ashley’s during the week. We’re towards the end of the class, and we have a lot of tasks to complete.”

“You can do it here. I need you to keep the house clean for me. I can’t have the place messy.”

She nodded, acting like he’d won when really, she wouldn’t have known what to do if he wanted her gone to Ashley’s place. If her father knew she’d been with a man who didn’t even live in the city, she’d be kicked to the curb.

Her dad left her alone for the rest of the evening, and she caught up on homework, studying for her biology test. Focusing on her work was hard when memories of Striker kept popping up.

She’d turned her phone to silent before sitting down for dinner. Her dad hated interruptions and really hated when her phone rang. Later, when she found a text from Striker, excitement pinged, but disappointment flared when she realized he’d sent it almost an hour before.

They exchanged a few texts before Striker said he had to go to sleep. Her dad wasn’t making noise, but that didn’t mean he’d turned in for the evening. He could just be drunk and watching TV. She didn’t want to chance bumping into him again, so she went to bed.

The next week was full for her, so missing Striker wasn’t so bad. The week after was when the real blues started. They talked when they could, and she sent him texts each morning and evening, but the connection was off like they’d lost a little something.

At some point in the weeks following him leaving, she either caught a bug or got food poisoning. She couldn’t afford to miss class, so she hoped for the best as she took off to head to school.

When she had two weeks left at the end of school, Striker said he would be unreachable for a few weeks. Her mind twisted into overdrive about what he’d meant. Fear filled her. Had Striker given her the brush-off? What if he never wanted to see her again?