Stronger (The Unit Book 2)

by Greyson, Sarah

  Chapter 16

  After a peaceful meal enjoying each other’s company, Lola got up and started to clear the table. Rob stood immediately to help her. He cleared his own place setting and brought the dish and glass into her kitchen and placed them in the dishwasher.

  “I’ll clean up the pots and pans. You go rest. You must be exhausted after all of this.”

  “No way. I’m helping. You wash, I’ll dry and put away. Deal?”

  He smiled a real smile at her insistence and moved aside to allow her room to work. They finished the dishes in silence.

  “Do you want to share a glass of wine with me?” she asked as she peeled the covering from the top of the wine bottle.

  “Here. Let me,” he insisted grabbing the corkscrew from her hand. Once she relinquished the wine bottle to his control, he opened it with minimal effort and poured two helpings of wine into the glasses she had retrieved. Her plan was to get him a little tipsy so he would open up to her. He was helping her cause by pouring an extra-large serving of the white liquid.

  Glasses in hands, they retreated to the plush furniture of her living room. Before she sat, she placed her glass on the coffee table, and although it was the dead of summer, she pressed the button to ignite the gas fireplace. She was trying to create a mood. She had to get to him somehow. Her instincts, which had only been wrong once with the man who had initially kidnapped her, were not wrong now. He felt something for her. But for whatever reason, he was fighting himself. She had to get to the bottom of the mystery that was Rob. She didn’t even know his last name.

  He left her right hand side of the couch open and sat on the left hand side opposite her. This would never do. She had the need, the desire to be close to him, to be touching him. She picked up her glass and moved to the middle of the couch. She sat cross-legged facing his body so her knee was up against his leg. She slowly sipped her wine while she watched him gulp his. Thank God they bought several bottles at the store.

  “What is your last name? Here you are risking your life for me and I don’t even know your full name,” she asked smiling as seductively as possible. She looked up to meet his eyes through hooded lashes. She blinked several times. She was sending all of the right signals to this man. She might as well paint a sign on her head that read, “Take me. I’m yours.”

  Rob took another gulp of his wine. He was drinking two glasses to her one. Getting him to open up should be easy. Rob stood and walked back into the kitchen returning with another opened bottle of wine. “My last name is Fabik,” he said as he poured himself another full glass. She could tell he was uncomfortable. But surely he had to feel the sexual energy palpitating between them.

  Rob had to get his urges, his craving for Lola under control. He took another large gulp of wine hoping to dull the sensation of being near her. But the more he drank, the more he thought about touching her body in ways no man had ever touched her before. That thought alone caused a longing deep within his soul. He wanted her desperately to give herself to him.

  “So. I want to talk about your fiancée,” Lola said unashamed about prying into a practical stranger’s life. She sipped her wine.

  “Let’s not go there. It still hurts.”

  She was making progress. If it still hurt that meant he still felt something for the woman. Did she still possess his heart? That was Lola’s real question. Could he ever be hers?

  “Which is all the more reason you need to talk about her. I’m interested. I want to know what the woman who won your heart was like.” She continued under her breath, “To see if I have a chance.”

  Did he just hear her right? A chance? She wants a chance?

  Rob felt the sting of tears at the thought of his dead fiancée. He would not break down in front of Lola. He blinked back the tears. He was a trained warrior for God’s sake.

  Lola reached under his chin, raised his head, and turned it so he was facing her. What he saw amazed and humbled him. She was crying. She felt for him. Maybe he could share this pain with another person. Maybe if he did, it wouldn’t be so hard to carry. He downed the last of his wine and poured himself and Lola another glass. Lola wiped at her tears with the back of her hand.

  “It hurts me that you’re hurting. Please let me shoulder some of your pain. I promise not to judge or even comment.”

  Unable to keep the truth from this woman, he confessed, “They raped her to death. They raped her while I was on the phone with her captors, and I could hear her in the background. I could hear her cries, her grunts, her moans, as she begged them to stop. But they didn’t. They raped her so badly and so many times, they caused internal hemorrhaging and she bled to death.” He exhaled feeling lighter than he had felt in years. Lola reached for him, but he pulled away.

  “Don’t you get it? I couldn’t save her. The one person above all others who I should have been able to protect, to save, and I failed. I’m broke. I’m no good to anyone.” The despair he felt was rising up again, threatening to consume him. He knew he needed to forgive himself, but he didn’t know how.

  “Have you tried talking to her?” Lola asked as she gently caressed his shoulder and then his arms. She ran her fingers lightly over his taut skin, tickling him with her long nails.

  “What do you mean?” he asked.

  “Have you been to her gravesite and really talked to her? Told her how you feel?”

  What was it about the simplicity of her suggestion that made so much sense to him?

  “Who did you lose?” he inquired knowing she knew the pain of losing someone.

  “My mother. It wasn’t as awful as losing your fiancée; she overdosed, so it was her own fault, her choice, but I felt the pain all the same.”

  “Don’t do that. Don’t discount your loss just because your mother could have prevented her death.”

  “That’s just it. My mother, were she a stronger person, could have prevented her death. Your fiancée couldn’t have. And although we both lost someone, I am sure your loss is much harder on you because of the way it happened.”

  “This isn’t a contest. We both lost someone we loved and cared for. Did you visit your mom’s gravesite to talk to her? Did it help?”

  “When it first happened, I couldn’t even think about talking to her; I was so mad at her for what she had done. But after a while, I realized the only person being harmed by my anger was me. So, I went to her one day and laid it all out there. I told her exactly how I felt about her and why I was so angry. I told her how I would only forgive her for myself, but would never forget what she did to me by overdosing. And it did help. I got it all off of my chest, and I told it to the one person who could take the pain away.”

  “You do that, you know.”

  “Do what?”

  “Make the pain go away. When I’m around you, I don’t think about her as much.”

  Lola’s cheeks blushed. She never, in her wildest fantasies, and she had some wild ones, imagined a tough, warrior, her protector, confessing his feelings so freely to her. She rationalized he must want her to know.

  “You still need to talk to her. Say we can go tomorrow. Say you will talk to her and tell her everything you just told me. She needs to hear it, and you need to say it to her.”

  He had hidden behind the pain for the last year and a half. What would it be like to lessen that pain? What if talking to Lizzie gave him the strength to forgive himself? Could he start something with Lola? Would she want him? He knew he had to put Lizzie behind him to have any chance with Lola.

  “Will you come with me? I don’t want to go alone. And I can’t leave you by yourself,” he said behind a cough trying to minimize his vulnerability around her. He was a warrior for Christ’s sake. He had killed men. He had saved men. Yet he couldn’t save his Lizzie. Would talking to her really ease his pain? He looked up through his dark lashes and caught the cool blue pools of someone who understood. She wasn’t trying to fix him; she was just trying to give him some closure. He felt himself being drawn to her. He couldn�
��t stop his approach as he came within a hair’s breadth of Lola’s lips. The gentlest of touches, the barest of whispers, her soft lips pressed gently to his. His head began to swim with desire. He felt Lola’s being to the depth of his soul. He knew with her by his side he could do anything, even forgive himself and move on. Because he wanted so desperately to move on with Lola.

  Lola felt his firm lips start to gentle against hers. She felt tingles spread into her stomach and pull between her legs. Just one kiss and she felt her panties dampen. She had heard about it but had never experienced it. His lips melted to hers as he turned his head slightly using his tongue to lick her bottom lip. The heat inside her turned up a notch, as if that were even possible. She slowly parted her lips to allow his tongue access to her mouth. He took his time, gently exploring her lips and mouth with his tongue. She closed her lips around his tongue and mimicked a slight suckling. He groaned into her mouth and moved his hand into the back of her hair bringing her mouth closer to his. She released his tongue and met it with her own. Their tongues touched and tangled in each other’s mouth. She felt the pressure on the back of her head pulling her closer and became dripping wet. No one had ever affected her this way. She wanted him with everything she was and all that she could ever be. He loosened his hold on the back of her head and wrapped her long hair around his hand. He lightly pulled her head back breaking their connection. He knew she was a virgin. He also knew she would give her greatest gift to him, if he only asked. But he couldn’t ask, not until he was ready to give himself to her fully. She met his eyes and smiled a bright, white tooth grin at him. He returned in kind showing her the dimples she loved so much. Tonight was going to be a long night indeed.

  “Tomorrow,” he promised.

  Chapter 17

  The sleeping arrangements were hard for Lola to handle. She wanted nothing more than to be wrapped in Rob’s strong, muscular arms after their earth shattering kiss. Rob walked her upstairs and double checked the alarm sensors on her windows. Once he was sure she would be protected, he walked down her hallway to the spare bedroom. Lola stood at the door making sure he had everything he needed.

  “I am going to grab a shower before turning in. Do you need anything else?” Lola asked in a soft, charming voice.

  “Nope. I’m all set.”

  Lola padded down the hallway to her bathroom. It wasn’t a spacious room, but it did have enough room for a shower and a separate tub. She opted for a bath after the ordeals she had been through. She got out the lavender liquid and poured some into the water. She lit a few candles and turned off the lights. A nice, relaxing bubble bath was exactly what she needed.

  She cupped her hands in the water and poured water over her breasts making her nipples hard. She blew on them as she liked to watch them peak. She liked to watch the water run down her body to be rejoined with the bathwater. She played with the bubbles, pushing them up over her breasts making a makeshift bra for her to wear while in the bath. While playing with the bubbles, her hand brushed against one of her erect nipples and her mind instantly thought it was Rob’s hand. She rolled her nipple between her thumb and forefinger slightly pinching it. Imagining Rob, she slid her hand under the bubbles, into the water, to touch her swollen nub. She applied pressure while she moved her fingers in a circular motion over and around her clit. Her back arched as she slid one finger inside of herself. She pictured Rob’s hands on her body as she moved her hand in and out of her body. She used two fingers now, bringing herself nearer to climax. She pictured Rob’s body, naked and standing in front of her. In her mind she could see his ripped abs and muscular arms. She increased her speed taking care to hit her clit with her palm each time she slid her fingers inside. She imagined his stormy grey eyes delighting in the sight of her touching herself. She was warm and wet and her two fingers stretched her out. She took herself back to the kiss. She felt the way his lips pressed against hers. The memory sparked her assent into bliss. She moaned his name out loud as she came hard around her fingers.

  When she came back into herself, she washed her body and her hair. She stepped out of the tub and towel dried her hair. Finally, she wrapped the towel firmly around her body tucking it tightly against her before she opened the door. To her surprise, Rob was waiting outside. Had he heard her call his name? If he did he wasn’t trying to save her the embarrassment as both dimples were showing as he smiled at her.

  “Have a nice shower?” he asked smiling like he just ate the cat.

  “Yes, thank you,” she replied breathing more heavily than she wanted to. She felt her cheeks flame at his knowing smile. She moved past him to her bedroom, but he reached out and grabbed her arm. He pushed her roughly into the wall next to the bathroom door. He brought his arms up and placed each one next to her head, caging in her body in with his. Slowly, methodically, like a hunter stalks his prey, he stepped into her until she felt his tight body pressed firmly against hers. With torturous slowness, he moved in for their second kiss. He crept closer to her mouth drawing out the anticipation. Once he reached her, he placed his hot mouth over her parted lips. He devoured her in a soul-altering kiss. He wrapped her wet hair firmly around his hand and roughly angled her head to accept his demands. She could feel his erection pressed against her lower abdomen.

  He broke the kiss and growled, “I heard you say my name.” He didn’t say it to embarrass her. He just wanted her to know he was thinking about her as much as she was thinking about him.

  “You did?” she whispered ashamed and looked down to where their bodies joined.

  “I did,” he said. “And I liked how it sounded coming from your mouth.” He smiled that dazzling, panty-dropping smile complete with double dimples.

  She raised her eyes to meet his. In his eyes all the desire and passion was reflected back to her. Tentatively, she moved in to kiss him this time. She was soft and gentle. She brushed her lips over his and it was he that moaned. Mimicking him from earlier, she licked his bottom lip and then sucked it into her mouth and gently nipped at it. She was rewarded with his hard body pressing firmly into hers. Her breasts molded to his hard chest. He ran his hand up her thigh. He stopped just short of her center, making lazy circles with his fingers. He trailed his trim cut nails down her leg and back up, each time sending sparks through her body. She curled her toes and deepened the kiss. She gave him back control as he sucked both of her lips into his mouth. She ran her hands down his sides to the hem of his shirt. She wanted to feel his skin pressed against hers. As she tugged at the hem, he stepped away from her breaking the connection. He lifted the shirt over his head. She took in all that he was: his beautiful, well defined upper body, each sinew like chiseled marble. He stalked closer to her and reached for her towel. He wanted her naked and under him. She was all he could think of at that moment. She hesitated. No man had ever seen her naked. No man other than the ones who had kidnapped her. She shook her head. She wanted this, wanted this man who stood gloriously in front of her, pressed against her. Yet, she wrapped both arms firmly around the towel at her chest. She wanted him – that was for certain, but was she ready for this? She knew he had to have control. It came through in the way he kissed her; in the way he controlled her body with his. He was playing her body to a song only he could hear. He met her defiant gaze. Her chin protruding outward like she was going to fight him. He smiled and she was lost to him.

  Slowly, her arms came down to her sides. He reached for the towel and removed the tightly tucked corner. Before it could drop, he held it and dropped it onto the floor next to his feet. He took a step back to admire the perfection that was her body. Although she didn’t have a six-pack, the skin across her stomach was stretched taut. The definition in her arms showed even as they hung at the side of her body. And her breasts. They were perfect, a little more than a handful and he had big hands. They were perky and ripe. He had never gazed at anyone or anything so beautiful in his life.

  “You’re fucking beautiful,” he said with reverence in his voice. She knew she wa
s pretty, but the way he said it made her believe it for the first time in forever. She never felt more beautiful than she did with Rob caressing her with his eyes. He lingered on her breasts before moving his eyes down to the apex between her legs. He loved the gap between her legs. Perfect for his hand to fit and she wouldn’t have to move. And her legs were as equally toned as her arms. She was perfection. He moved quickly, pressing his chest against her ample bosom. He felt the jolt, an electric current pass down over his spine. He felt it again in his groin as his sac pulled against his cock. He was painfully erect. To make Lola aware of exactly what she could do to him, he pressed his erection into her lower abdomen. She moaned at the feel of his shirtless body against hers. She knew, in that moment, he was the one. He was the one she would give herself to. He was worthy of her gift. She started to move her hips trying to create friction with his body. She wanted him to want her like she wanted him – with his entire being, body and soul.

  “Patience, Lola. Anticipation is one of the best parts.” He kissed her fiercely with all of his pent-up desire he had been feeling since first lying eyes on her in that white negligee. He reached around and grabbed her ass pulling her body closer to him. She wrapped a leg around his body resting her foot on his ass and pulled him into her. With his right hand he traced the leg that was wrapped around him from knee to thigh to her center. In contrast to how he was kissing her, he gently touched the core of her being. He could feel her slickness, her desire running down her thigh. She was so responsive to him.

  He growled. “I will never let anything happen you to. You have to believe me. I know what I told you, but please, believe me. I will die before anyone harms you,” he swore to her in a low, breathy voice.

  “I know,” was all she said. It was enough. He slid one finger inside her and marveled at how tight she was. He imagined what it would be like to take her for the first time as he removed his finger and ran it up and down over her clit. She was still sensitive from her orgasm in the bathtub, so she tried to stop him. She pushed against his hand to move it away. He wouldn’t allow it. From now on, he would be the one bringing her pleasure. He would see to it that she was taken care of in all ways. She didn’t know it yet, but she was his. He slid his finger back into her as she arched her back pressing her breasts into his chest. Each time he would remove his finger and run it up and down the length of her clit, she moved closer to climax.