Tempted by the Soldier

Chapter Seven


Rain pounded furiously against the truck roof and lightning streaked across the dark-gray Virginia sky. He thought they might be close to Cedar Springs, but the heavy rain and lack of light were making it hard to recognize anything out there. He remembered this old highway went straight through town at some point, but right now it just looked like they were in the middle of nowhere. Nate ground his teeth to the rhythm of the windshield wipers. Between the jackknifed semi that had turned their one-hour detour into a three-hour detour, and the sexy-as-f*ck little sounds Lilly made in her sleep, he was completely on edge. Every moan and whimper did nothing but remind him how badly he wanted her. And the fact that the storm had intensified and the sun had set didn’t help matters, either.

“Nate…” Lilly’s soft moan pulled him from his thoughts. She was sleeping, face pressed against the truck window. Little puffs of breath fogged the glass around her lips. Her hair, all tousled honey curls, hid half of her face. He liked seeing her like this. So quiet and vulnerable. He liked it way too much.

An image of her curled into his side, lips pressed against his bare chest instead of that frigid window, flashed through his mind, making his chest ache. He clenched his fingers, resisting the urge to reach over and brush the hair away from her pretty face.

What the hell was wrong with him? He’d never entertained fantasies like that before. He knew better. Knew that letting a woman get so close would never work in his world. So, why couldn’t he get his shit under control now?

Her thighs rubbed together as she whimpered his name again, and he had his answer. Motherf*cker. What the hell was she dreaming about? His cock had plenty of ideas. He rubbed the heel of his palm down his erection before forcing his hand back to the wheel.

Shit. He was never going to make it to Vermont without touching her again. The attraction was too strong, overriding the last shred of common sense that hadn’t already flown south for the winter.

Suddenly, the thoughts were jarred from his head when the truck hit something hard. The cab and its contents lurched forward as the tires squealed and spun out of control. He cursed, and shot his arm across the seat instinctively to protect Lilly. He lifted his foot off the brake, grabbed the wheel tight, and rode it out until the truck jerked to a halt halfway down the muddy ditch on the side of the road.

Lilly woke with a gasp, clutching at his hand on her chest. His vision pinwheeled and his heart pounded against his ribs, making it hard to breathe. Shoving aside the instant panic, he blinked away the sound of helicopter blades spinning and stalling in his mind.

They were okay. They were okay.

“What happened?”

He pulled his hand from her death grip and gritted his teeth. What had happened?

His inability to show even an ounce of self-control around her, that’s what had f*cking happened.

He could have gotten them killed because he couldn’t stop thinking with his dick.

“We hit something,” he said, popping open his door and leaning out to get a look at a mammoth-size tree branch embedded in the front bumper. “A big f*cking tree. It must have come down in the storm.”

He pulled himself back in, shook off the rain, and slammed the door shut again.

“A tree fell across the road, and you didn’t see it?” she asked incredulously. “What the hell were you doing?”

Thinking of all of the things I could do to make you moan like that while you’re awake.

Pain spiked through his right temple and he sank back in his seat, consternation clouding his thoughts. There was no way they were getting out of that ditch without a tow. Hell, he’d be lucky if he hadn’t broken the damn axle.

Which left him stranded in the one place he’d been avoiding for nearly ten years.

He grabbed his cell out of the cupholder. No service. Perfect.

“What’s wrong?” She sat up, worry creasing her brows as she pushed her sleep-mussed hair out of her eyes.

Heart sinking, he stared at the dark truck gauges that had been lit up just moments before. “Please tell me you have cell service.”

“You’re messing with me, right?” Her gaze frantically inspected the dashboard. “Tell me we’re not stranded out here.”

“We’re not stranded out here.”

“You’re lying, aren’t you?”

“Yes. Now could you check your phone? Please.”

She dug her phone out of her bag and frowned. “Nothing.”

He cursed under his breath and leaned across her to grab a flashlight from the glove compartment. “Stay in the car.”

“Wait! You can’t go out there.” She grasped his arm, eyes wide as they darted to the windshield and back to his face. Her delicate fingers pressed into his skin.

Heat sparked under her touch, awakening an overwhelmingly intense need that overshadowed the ache in his skull. “Why not?”


“What if you get struck by lightning or something?”

The ache settled deep in his belly. “Are you worried about me, Lil?” He shone the light on her, letting the beam coast down her body, highlighting all of the spots that would mold perfectly into the palms of his hands.

She huffed out a breath, grabbed it out of his hand, and clicked it off. “Not hardly. I just don’t want to be left alone out here in hillbilly hell.” She folded her arms across her chest and peered out the window. “I’m pretty sure this how every Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie begins.”

He snatched the flashlight back. “I used to fly six-ton helicopters in conditions worse than this for a living, Princess. I think I can handle a little rain.”

“But—”

He cut off her response by throwing his door open again and stepping out into the rain. Seeing the concern shining from her eyes for him, together with her tender touch, was a dangerous combination. One he didn’t think he’d be able to resist much longer. He only hoped the rain would be enough to get rid of the hard-on he’d been sporting for the better part of the day. How she could set off this kind of lust with nothing more than brushing the hair off her neck or moaning in her sleep was completely beyond him. It was time for him to get his shit together. Giving in to this lunacy wasn’t an option.

She deserved better than him. Besides, he was leaving the country in a matter of days. Nothing and no one was going to change that.

He rounded the front of the truck and kicked the big-ass branch that was wedged under the front end.

“Son of a bitch!” He kicked it once more for good measure, and raked the wet hair back from his forehead. How the hell had he let this happen? One weak moment, and he’d managed to not only f*ck his truck beyond immediate repair, but he’d put Lilly in danger.

Jace had only asked him for two simple things: bring the necklace and the photographer safely to Vermont, and he was screwing it up royally.

A clap of thunder split the sky and he clutched the hood, taking deep, steady breaths to calm himself. He’d fix this. They weren’t far from town. He’d find a tow truck and a mechanic and be good to go. He would not miss this wedding. He would not let Jace down again.

He couldn’t. Not when he was on the verge of telling him he was abandoning him all over again. He had to get at least this one thing right.

“Nate?”

The soothing touch on his arm yanked him from his depressing thoughts. On pure reflex, he jerked away, and opened his eyes to see Lilly watching him warily. Rain slipped over every inch of her, soaking her white sundress to the point of being translucent. He could make out every damn detail of the lacy bra she wore underneath. Wet strands of hair stuck to her collarbone and neck. The woman was drenched.

Jesus…how long had she been standing there?

“Are you okay?” she asked, her eyes filled with concern.

Shit. He tore his gaze away and slammed the hood shut. “I thought I told you to stay in the truck.”

“I wanted to help.”

“You can help by listening to me for once.” He stalked away but she followed.

“I could help if you would stop being an a*shole for five minutes,” she shouted over the pelting rain.

They were insane for standing out here when there was a dry cab five feet away. No. Scratch that. She was crazy, and she was driving him crazy by association.

“Regardless of what you might think, I’m good for things other than sex,” she informed him through a clenched jaw. “I helped my brother work on cars for an entire summer. I even took a class in auto mechanics. I’m not a moron.”

He narrowed his eyes, his anger spiking. She was breathing hard, the movement pressing her breasts against the wet white fabric of her dress. Rain pooled in the groove of her collarbone before cascading down the smooth expanse of her chest. She took a step closer and blinked up at him, the challenge clear in her gaze.

Desire prowled beneath his skin as if his insides were a cage. Desire that demanded to be let free. That quickly, anger morphed into white-hot lust that had his cock hardening all over again in his jeans.

“I know you aren’t a moron,” he ground out. He also knew there was more to her than her beauty. Knew there was an interesting, funny, caring person beneath the surface and snarkiness. But didn’t she f*cking understand? He didn’t want to see it! He didn’t want to want her.

“Then don’t—”

His fingers curled into fists at his sides and he forced his feet to stay planted in the mud. “Don’t push me, Lil.” He gritted his teeth, his resolve cracking as he raked his gaze over her shivering body. “Don’t push me unless you’re ready for me to push back.”

She took a step closer to him, erasing the distance between them. Something more electric than the storm raging above crackled in the air between them. Without breaking her gaze she reached out and placed her hand against his chest…

And pushed him.

…

Before Nate’s brain could remind him of all the reasons this was a really, really bad idea, his body reacted. He grabbed her wrist and swallowed her gasp as he crushed his mouth against hers. His tongue parted her lips, demanding entrance, and when she melted into him with a whimper, he was lost.

F*ck good intentions.

He kissed her hard, hungry for the taste of her. He dug his fingers into her waist, starving for the feel of her. She fisted the wet fabric of his T-shirt, twisting and tugging at the front. Shock nearly numbed him to the fact that she was responding to his touch like this.

He walked her backward until the back of her legs slammed into the truck, and slipped his hands under the hem of her dress to hoist her up to sit on the fender. Her legs immediately wrapped around him and he groaned at that first touch of heaven. F*ck… Even through his jeans he could feel the heat of her.

He pressed his hips forward in a slow grind that had her moaning into his mouth, pulling his bottom lip between her teeth. He felt that sharp bite of pleasure-pain all the way down to the tip of his cock.

“You like doing this to me, don’t you?” he said against her lips. “Making me f*cking crazy for you.”

He dragged a hand from the warmth of her hips up to cup her breast, and slid his lips along the skin just below her jaw. Damn, if touching her like this didn’t feel like coming home. Her head fell back and she moaned, arching into his touch, and he had to keep his other hand planted on her hip to keep her from slipping off the wet metal.

“Nate…,” she whimpered, working her hands under his soaked T-shirt, tracing every dip and ridge of his flesh as if she were memorizing them.

That little bit of skin-on-skin contact had his cock throbbing like mad. He thrust against her, unable to stop himself. Rain beat against his back and flavored their frenzied kisses. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew this needed to stop. He couldn’t f*ck her out here on the side of the road. Hell, he shouldn’t be touching her at all.

Lilly didn’t deserve to be another casualty in his life. She deserved more. Much more, of things he could never give her.

He grappled for a single scrap of self-control, just enough to pull away, but it wasn’t there. She f*cking owned him.

“Tell me to stop,” he pleaded against her mouth. Even as the words left his lips, his hand inched its way under her dress, slipping inside the silk panties to find her wet and ready. “F*ck, Lil…please tell me to stop.”


“Why?” she nearly sobbed. She moved her hips, searching for that perfect friction until his fingers slid through her slick folds.

He tore his mouth away and pressed his forehead against hers, shuddering. Why? Because he was leaving. And if he let himself sink into the sweet heat his fingers were getting a taste of, he wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to walk away from her again.

He was too f*cked up to give her what she really needed. And there wasn’t a doubt in his mind—he was going to hurt her.

The last thought was enough to summon his wits. He broke contact and took a step back from her, peeling her legs from his waist, then plowing his fingers through his hair. Fighting for control.

She straightened, clinging to the edge of the truck fender, eyes wide. “W-what’s wrong?” Rain sluiced down her face, sheeted off the truck, and bounced off the pavement.

He raked his teeth across his bottom lip, feeling the loss of her taste far deeper than he should. “I can’t do this, Lil. I’m sorry.”

She stared at him for a split second, then slid off the bumper and jerked her dress back down into place. She was shaking. “Are you trying to humiliate me, Nate? Do you really hate me that much?”

His gaze snapped to meet hers. “Don’t you ever f*cking say that. I don’t hate you. I would never want to humiliate you. That’s not what this is about.”

“Then what is it about?” she asked, her voice breaking. “What was it about a year ago?”

“What happened between us that night was—”

Amazing. Terrifying. Like nothing he’d ever felt with another woman, and it had only been one night. A night that had pulled him under deep enough to scare the shit out of him and make him run like a hail of bullets were at his heels.

“A mistake,” she finished for him, moisture glinting from her eyes that had nothing to do with the shitty weather. “Just say it, Nate. I was a mistake.”

When he didn’t respond she spun around and headed for the passenger side of the truck, where she grabbed her purse and slung it over her shoulder. Then she whirled and stalked down the road.

Panic gripped his chest. That’s how badly she wanted to get away from him. She’d put herself in danger just to do it.

This was what you wanted. Right, a*shole?

Hell, no.

“Lilly, wait!” He took off after her. “Will you stop for a minute and talk to me?”

“I don’t see the benefit for me in that,” she snapped. “I’ve made a fool of myself enough for one night. And I think you’ve made it perfectly clear what you want from me.”

“Lil—”

“So let me be clear.” She stopped to face him, and the hurt in her eyes made Nate’s chest twist with a sharp pain. “I don’t want anything from you either. Including this damn ride.”

She spun and started walking again, her heels sloshing through the water running across the road.

He rubbed a hand over his jaw and went after her. “Princess. You’re going the wrong way.”

“If it’s away from you, it’s the right way,” she muttered. “Stop following me. And don’t call me princess.”

“You’re acting like a child. Damn it, Lil! Can you not come back here and let me explain?”

That stopped her. She turned, the gritty pavement scraping beneath her ridiculously high heels. Her eyes narrowed to angry green slits. “Child? Have you ever heard the expression ‘You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar’?”

“No,” he lied, irritated.

She threw her hands up and started marching down the road again. “Google it!”

“This is your last warning, Princess.” He strode forward, tension banding his chest. “You’re not going to like what happens if I have to chase you down.”

She didn’t stop. Without turning or breaking stride, she lifted a hand and flipped him off, putting a little extra swing into her hips.

He took off after her, his feet pounding the wet pavement. When he reached her, he caught her around the waist, swung her up, and tossed her over his shoulder.

She screamed and beat on his back with her fists, but he just turned back toward the truck and started to whistle. Not because he was feeling especially jovial, but because he knew it would piss her off. And right now, pushing her buttons the way she pushed his felt too f*cking good to resist. He was vibrating with a dangerous combination of anger and lust. If she wasn’t careful, she was going to feel the brunt of both.

“Is this you actually trying to get away from me?” He caught her calf just before she kneed him in the chin. “It’s cute. In fact, now that I think about, the nickname Princess might not be so fitting. I should call you something more appropriate. Like Tinker Bell.”

She gasped, and swung her purse at him. So he snatched it away from her and tossed it into the cab. Then he beeped the doors locked, shoved his keys into his pocket, and started walking.

He was getting her off the side of this damn highway and out of the storm if he had to carry her the whole damn way to Vermont.

“Put me down you…you…Neanderthal!” She pushed at his back and kicked her legs, but he held her firm. “You are so going to regret this. You have to sleep sometime. And when you do, you’re going to wish you’d never closed your eyes—”

He slapped her hard on the ass, just once, silencing her. She was lucky he hadn’t bitten it instead. The way that perfect curve of delectable flesh was swaying right in front of his eyes made him want to sink his teeth into her, then kiss the sting away.

“Did you just…spank me?” Outrage colored her voice.

Even now his palm ached and his cock twitched, daring him to do it again. “Words weren’t working,” he said, trying to judge by the light in the distance how far the next road was. A mile. Two maybe. Definitely too far to be walking in this kind of storm, but he didn’t see another option. If he had to get back into that truck with her, he only saw it ending one way. With him between her thighs.

“That’s because I have absolutely no interest in what you have to say!”

“Well, maybe when you see my handprint on your ass tonight, it will serve as a reminder to pay better attention.”

He bounced her on his shoulder to get a better grip, and a gentle oomph rushed from her lips. “To what? To the fact that you’re an a*shole? FYI, I don’t need a reminder of that. The giant chip on your shoulder kind of gives you away.”

He gritted his teeth and tightened his grip around her thighs. “Then make it a reminder not to piss me the hell off. Because if you keep up with the lip…”

“You’ll do what, Nate? Spank me some more? Retaliate again?”

Tempting. All too tempting.

“Keep talking, Princess, and you’ll find out.”