Diamond Soldiers

by Pinki Parks

  Then the slow burn suddenly became a bonfire and pleasure struck her brain.

  “I-I’m about t-to cum,” She groaned eyes shut tight, “…hard Hunter, I’m comm- ahhh!”

  Head falling back Keisha’s body went rigid as white-hot heat ran through her whole body and Hunter’s fingers dug into her skin as he came too.

  Suspended in temporary reality, Keisha felt sparks run over her nerves and then all the muscles went loose like a rag doll.

  As she laid there just living the residual high, Hunter leaned forward and kissed her softly. Accepting the kiss Keisha felt light, happy and contented. The tension was gone, but by the look in his eyes, it wouldn’t stay that way for much longer.

  Hunter carefully took off the condom, tied it off then looked at her, lust still in his eyes. “Care to share a shower, baby?

  She leveled sated eyes at him, “You’re not done with me, are you?”

  Hunter laughed, "Not in the least; not now and not for the near future."

  The End

  One More Thing…

  If you liked this book, kindly leave us a review on Amazon! We truly appreciate your honest opinion. Please write a short or long review or leave a video review!

  Sign up to Join our Angel Heart Book Club where you will receive out newsletter on books deals and our latest releases. (Enter https://forms.aweber.com/form/32/970778232.htm into your browser.)

  Join us on Facebook at @angelheartpublishing or go to Angel Heart Publishing Facebook page. Click on the Groups tab to join our Pick-of-the-Week Ebook discussions!

  BONUS STORY 2

  Touched by A Colonel

  An Alpha Bad Boy Military Romance

  By Pinki Parks

  Synopsis

  “Can two people overcome the dangers that their past laid out for them?”

  Gail

  I had my fair share of having my heart strings pulled. I wasn’t expecting to feel anything. He had this way about him. I was hooked.

  Chase was a complicated man. A Colonel who bled red, white and blue for his country. He carried the burden on his shoulders.

  I was always a sucker for a man in uniform. I wanted him. He was mysterious. Secrets were his stock and trade.

  I was never easily swayed. His body was made for sinful exploration. It was I who was being explored. His phenomenal touch kept me coming back for more.

  Will his secrets unravel the mysteries behind my brother’s death?

  Chase

  Gail was a combination of femininity and confidence. I liked it.

  I was damaged. I was living in the shadow of my past mistakes. The past has this funny way of haunting the present.

  She understood me better than others. She made me feel like a man. There was nothing complicated.

  I feel the eyes watching me. I know someone is out there. It’s not safe for anyone to be around me. I can’t take the risk of hurting her. I can’t seem to move on.

  What happens when we let the fire burn for each other? Am I putting her in harms way?

  Chapter One

  Gail

  It was a never-ending cycle of normalcy. I woke up every day at the same time and found myself trudging through life with the other sheep. There was no challenging adventure on the horizon. The fire had been extinguished from my soul leaving me vacant and alone.

  I woke up in the morning to reach out only to feel a cold and empty spot on the other side of the bed. I was tired of seeing loving couples walking hand in hand showing public displays of affection.

  “Cheer up…it’s your birthday.” I spun my head around the office to see if anybody had overheard the words coming out of his mouth.

  “Keep it down and nobody else knows. I would like to keep it that way.” Henry was a computer geek that worked in the cubicle near mine making him less likely to be a potential conquest in the bedroom.

  “It’s not every day you turn 30. You should be screaming it from the rooftops for everyone to hear.” He sounded like the squawking reminder of my mother with her upbeat attitude and optimistic outlook on life.

  “I don’t see anything to be happy about. My love life is a dismal disappointment. This job is sucking the life out of me one day at a time.” I looked around at the sterile white walls and felt like screaming at the lack of color and personality.

  “You have to live for yourself and not for others. This is the perfect time for you to take stock of your life.” I did have to admit, for my age, I was in pretty good shape. My sessions after work with the private trainer had truly paid off.

  “Do you know how annoying it is to hear you with a chipper tone in your voice? I have no idea why we are even friends.” Henry was my secret weapon against the opposite sex.

  I was able to pick his brain. I learned those little things to make me aware of the fact a man was going to say anything and do anything to get into my pants. Henry was good at dispensing advice, but he wasn’t good at taking his own. He was always drawn to the bad boy with very little chance they were going to change their ways.

  “Gail, I wake up every morning with a smile on my face. I thank God for everything I have. A friend like you is found once in a lifetime. I am envious of your progress and I should stop by more often to see your personal trainer.” My body was toned where it mattered. I had a shapely butt that only seemed to drive men even more wild.

  My weight had fluctuated over the years, but I achieved 140 pounds, which was perfectly proportioned to my 5’6” frame. I had lightened my hair color and had it cut just above my shoulders. I always went through phases where I wanted to reinvent myself. It did make me feel better for a short while before the weight of the world came crashing down on my shoulders.

  The dress I was wearing was an early birthday gift on my credit card. It made my excitement more than a little obvious. The material of the black and white dress shaped my body in all the right ways.

  “I would gladly take a run at you if I wasn’t interested in something more masculine. I’m going to take you out tonight and paint the town red. The drinks are on me. Celebrate your birthday with me and I promise I won’t tell a soul.” It was emotional blackmail, but it wasn’t like I had a leg to stand on.

  “For a private security company, this place is boring. It might be time to shake things up by getting wasted and taking home the first available piece of ass I find.” I talked a big game, but my follow-through wasn’t exactly strong.

  “I will find you something gorgeous to sink your teeth into tonight. I will be your wingman. Who better than a gay man to find you someone worthy of your affection? Hum…oh that’s right, the hunk of a man that came from the army, um…what’s his name? Chase Adams.” Chase was a tall and imposing figure with a brooding demeanor to make him catnip to the ladies.

  “We don’t even know much about him other than he came here right after his tour of duty with the Marines. He’s not very talkative, but when he does say something it means more.” He carried himself with distinction and there were moments I fantasized about how to alleviate him of his clothes.

  “Rumor had it he was disgraced and thrown out of the Marines.” Others were more adamant about his heroic status and how he carried the burden of battle with him like a black cloud. He was out of my league, but my athletic reflection in the mirror said differently.

  I was still dealing with insecurity hoping that my outlook would change when my body was sculpted into the ideal woman. I had been working on the exterior me, but underneath my lack of self-esteem was holding me prisoner. I was a little shy and being in his gravity made me blush two different shades of red.

  “I would rather hear it from the horse’s mouth. He’s been with us for about a month, but he has only been in the office for a couple of days.” The injury he got working his first overseas assignment had made it necessary to get physiotherapy on the company’s dime. “I would’ve been happy to be his angel of mercy with a bedside manner to put a smile on his face.�
�

  I saw him limping toward me and he gave me a smile to melt the panties right off of my body. He probably didn’t even notice I was alive, but I couldn’t say the same. He was in obvious discomfort, but he was refraining from using the crutches. It was his macho male pride getting in the way. I wanted to shake him and tell him to follow doctor’s orders.

  His aftershave knocked me back in my seat with my hand fanning myself. It was ripe with a high dose of testosterone which exuded from every pore of his body. This man stood head and shoulders above the rest.

  “That man has clearly gotten you wrapped around his little finger. I have a good mind to invite him to have a few drinks with us. A little socializing doesn’t hurt anyone. He’s probably embarrassed and doesn’t want sympathy. I think I can use some male persuasion to get him to have one drink with us. Wish me luck. I’m going in without a flak jacket.” He was a whiz kid on the computers, but Henry was barely able to lift his own body weight.

  My parents were retired living the high life in Las Vegas spending what was my college tuition. They had my permission after my father had a health scare of a heart attack. It landed him in the hospital for almost two months with complications. I felt a little cheated, but my job paid quite handsomely. It didn’t make me happy.

  “I would be very careful about poking the wounded bear. He might not feel kindly about being ambushed.” I didn’t think he had a hope in hell of getting him to join us. I gave him credit for having the courage to step into the Lions’ den.

  “I’m sure he’s a teddy bear once you get to know him.” Henry was wearing a bow tie and I’d heard through the office grapevine that he was a sought-after commodity by the gay community.

  “Henry, I took a look at his file and most of it is redacted.” I watched him approach, sidestepping the Christmas tree in the middle of the hallway.

  The whole office was decorated for the holidays. It was a little gaudy and made me feel like Christmas had thrown up all over the place. I wasn’t much for festive celebrations. There was a lot of hype for one day. It was a little sickening to see decorations already up right after Halloween. It was still three weeks away and there was no sign of snow in the forecast. It was unseasonably warm, but I wasn’t about to complain.

  “I have some good news and some bad news.” I looked up to see Henry smiling smugly like he had done the impossible. “The good news is he’s going to join us for a drink across the street after work. The bad news is I thought I saw a wedding ring on his finger.” In one breath he managed to burst my bubble.

  Unfortunately, it meant that I was going to have to make small talk with a man that was off limits. It was the story of my life.

  Chapter Two

  Chase

  “I don’t know what you’re complaining about. You took a bit of shrapnel in your knee. The doctors are optimistic you will get the full mobility of your leg back. You’re better off than I am.” Mason Dane stood from his desk and lifted his pant leg to show me the composite steel of his left leg. He started the security company immediately after he left the army.

  “I know it could have been worse, but you have to understand I hate having to be relegated to desk duty. Being the support for those in the field is for somebody else. I need to have my boots on the ground.” I was kicking myself for not grabbing the crutches on the way out of my office.

  I found they were an unnecessary reminder of how I wasn’t bulletproof. I was hitting my stride at 42. I was able to keep up with the young bucks who thought I was too old to make a difference. I had proven myself to be a leader amongst little boys trying to be men.

  “I know exactly how you feel and I live with my shortcomings every day. You’re lucky to be alive.” His words were harsh, but I could count on him for the unvarnished truth.

  “I have to thank you for giving me a chance.” I was getting older, but with age came wisdom.

  “We recruited you after your last tour of duty overseas because of your record. I’m a little biased. You are my best friend.” We had enlisted together at the ripe age of 18 and stationed in Guam for the first 4 years.

  “I sometimes think my time has come and gone.” I was understandably depressed, but I was able to hide it with a stoic expression.

  “If you weren’t in the trenches there would have been more casualties. There were no fatalities.” I had recognized the danger and acted accordingly with the rank of colonel following me into battle.

  I had to put in double the effort, but it was worth it to give the next generation a look at a real hero. I was down to 190 pounds perfectly proportioned with my 6-foot frame. I might have been part of civil life, but my hairstyle was still trapped in the Marines. The buzz cut made me feel like I was still doing something important. Soldiers still looked to me to have the answers.

  “We were lucky this time. I almost missed it.” I remembered the day like it was yesterday and it still haunted my nightmares with the sounds of screaming in my head. It reminded me of the one time I lost anybody on my watch. His memory wasn’t the only face I saw.

  “Chase, nobody could have done any better under the circumstances. We will always second guess ourselves. This is not the time to show weakness in front of the others. They need a steady hand at the helm.”

  “You’ve always been there for me. You’re the brother I never had growing up. My parents did their best, but they were always busy putting out one fire after another. I never had a grounded childhood. I kept moving around from one base to another with my father. I didn’t even know what civilian life was.” I was born to serve and to wave the flag of independence with a gun in one hand and a knife in the other.

  “Chase, you can’t pick your family, but you can pick your friends.” I didn’t feel I had anything to be upset about, not after everything Mason had gone through.

  He was my benchmark, the one I measured myself against. He was the total package. He was not only fearless, but he could think outside the box. Mason was never one to tow the line. Where most of us were duty bound to follow orders, he would always question whether or not we were doing the right thing. It wasn’t long before he realized his place wasn’t in the military. He still wanted to serve his country, but doing it with restrictions had left him with a bad taste in his mouth.

  Unfortunately, he lost his leg the last day before he was set to ship out back home. Most people would have lost a part of their soul, but he managed to stand on the one good leg he had. I was amazed by how resilient he could be.

  His company had grown to a major success and I had seen several of his recruits while on active duty in the military.

  “Family comes with it many pitfalls and hurdles to overcome. I’m old enough to have my own family and yet I still feel I need to make my father proud.” I grunted standing on my feet. I moved to where I could see the landscape unfolding in front of me.

  “I’ve always said Washington is beautiful this time of year. The changing colors take a moment to get used to. I know this isn’t the position you wanted, but it’s not forever. Keep doing your physiotherapy on schedule. This is your chance to show those young ones how you bounce back from adversity.” His encouragement helped me to realize life was about changes and nothing stayed the same.

  “I came here to make a difference and to use my unique skill set. If I can’t be in the field, then you should at least give me a license to train. I can adapt by showing them some of my expertise to keep them from getting killed.” I’d seen too many die as a result of their ignorance and inexperience.

  The training in the military was extensive, but it wasn’t enough. Conditioning was the key and finding that muscle memory to follow your gut instinct was paramount.

  “Do you have any idea why I decided Washington, DC was going to be my base of operations? People thought I was crazy, but I wanted to be near where I could look them in the eye. I need to be up close and personal with those who make the big decisions. We both know some behind the lines have ne
ver seen active duty.” He was always a little strange and most people were shocked by his stark white hair at the age of 18.

  “I had a feeling it was something like that. You’ve never been one to hide unless it was in plain sight. Then again, how can you hide when your mane of white hair follows you wherever you go? A lot of the other recruits called you father time until they saw you in action.” He was my age, but he looked a little grizzled and weathered around the eyes.

  He wore those scars he had received in battle physically and emotionally like badges of honor. The things that didn’t kill us made us stronger. It was all a matter of perspective and how quickly you could get back up on your feet after being knocked down.

  “I’ve never shied away from doing what wasn’t expected. I can be unpredictable and that usually works in my favor. Procedures are necessary, but you have to know when to do what comes naturally. I only recruit those that show the potential of a true warrior. It’s always in their eyes.” In the years preceding our first meeting when we were 18, life continued to move forward and there was no point in looking back.

  “Mason, I’ve always had an eye for talent and you know that better than anyone. I like to think of myself as someone that flies by the seat of their pants when necessary.” There was a silent respect. We only had to look at each other to know the reality of war.

  “I’m inclined to give the recruits a few hours of your undivided time in the classroom, to begin with. If things go well, then I will certainly consider moving you up to a more on hands approach. I’m fair and hard when I need to be. They will be lucky to have your tutelage.” It was better than pushing papers and I wouldn’t have to frustratingly watch people do what I couldn’t for the time being.