“Yes, please rest.” He’s still not moving.
“I think you should leave.” I work myself up to let those words escape. I want to cry and have a motherfucking moment where I can actually deal with what I've done, and he's being difficult.
“I'm not leaving you, Jade.” He moves his chair closer and grabs my hand. I both hate it and love it. I want to be alone, but I want to be with someone who understands the shit I've done. I can't think with him this close, and the chaos is taking over my head.
“Please, just let me be alone.” I can't hold back the tears any longer. “Please, Kaleb. Please go.” I roll to the shoulder opposite of him and let the tears run into the pillow. I feel him moving away before I hear the latch on the door. His footsteps return just before he slides behind me on the bed.
He wraps his giant arm over mine and pulls me into his body. His face settles against my cheek, and I listen as he speaks to me.
“Jade. I'm not leaving you, because I know you're hurting. You saved my fucking life out there, and I know it's eating you alive. You can't talk about it, so you won't, but I refuse to let it kill the beautiful Jade inside I'm fucking dying to get to know in person. I'm staying with you. I'm going home with you, and I'm fucking making you stay the goddamned night with me because you owe me a night even though I owe you for saving my life. You will not let this eat you alive. You will accept the brutality of this nightmare as doing what you had to do to save your team, and you will move forward from this mission to do great shit. I know you will, because I'm never wrong.” His arm tightens and the weight of his face against my cheek becomes heavier as he relaxes against me. The tears don't stop falling, and I let him hold me, because frankly, it feels good being in his arms when I'm hurting. I feel like in this moment, I’m safe from all the nightmares and danger this fucked-up job causes.
KALEB
I can't stand knowing I've let this happen to her. I should've seen the kid. I should've pulled the fucking trigger and spared her from this, but I didn't. I know she’ll come back from being this trigger-shy when it comes to the same scenario. I’ve seen it before. Soldiers often lock up after something like this. She needs to know she did not do this. The fucked-up nation training babies to kill did this.
I hold her against me with the only purpose of consoling her. I want her to know I'm not just after her for a great fuck, because shit if it isn't the best with her. She's beautiful, and right now she's broken. It's my job to make sure she's able to put the pieces back together.
I need to take her back to my compound in Missouri. She can work with me there to put this behind her and ensure she won't let it hinder her reaction time in the future.
Her skin is soft, but I'm not feeling that. Her ass is against my cock, but I'm not feeling that, either. She's curled into my arms for a while before I feel her relax. Her breaths slow, and I know she's asleep in my arms. This is exactly what I've been dying to feel. I love every moment she's able to be with me like this. I only wish it wasn’t under her duress. The anguish she’s holding in is fucking killing me.
The door rattles and the nurse begins to knock obsessively. I'm left with only one option. I have to get up and open the door. Jade doesn't turn to me, nor does she wake when I get up to open it, and she keeps her back to me once I sit back down.
“Looks like the bird will be here in the morning to move your team, Commander. It's been a pleasure treating your crew.” She moves over Jade, who has woken up, her eyes sleep-deprived even though she’s been out for a day. She begins checking her once again, then stands at attention, waiting for my final dismissal. We’re going home. It hasn't been long for me, but it's still a great feeling coming off of a mission like that.
It's time to return to the land of the free and this time, I'm going home with someone I look forward to spending time with. One mission down, now it's time to successfully complete the mission where I make her mine. She has no idea how hard I've fallen for her. Hell, I thought I had it bad before I hit that desert? but now that I've had her in my arms and around my dick, there's no chance I won’t go all in to try to make her mine. I want her to crave me and to beg for me to touch her like I do when I'm near her. I want to consume her like she does me.
She needs to live a little. There’s so much more to life than she realizes. I desperately want to hear her laugh, to see her eyes light up from the simplest touch. To have her kiss me hungrily, to ravage every part of her body, not fuck her, but love her. I’m going to break her shell she has herself cocooned in and crack that fucker wide open. There’s beauty inside there, and it’s all mine to explore.
~~~~~