by Milly Taiden
“I can’t believe tonight worked out so perfectly. I guess I am ready to move on and date after all.”
She frowned. Was he already thinking of seeing other women right after they’d had sex? “I guess you are. Your family will be happy.”
“You have no idea. I bet they’ll try to set me up on a bunch of dates again.” He chuckled. “But I think I’ll set up my own dates from now on.”
His words had been like a slap in the face. Her plans had been to leave in the morning, but with her instant attachment to Ryan, she thought it best to leave sooner. In fact, it sounded to her like he was ready to go take on the dating world by storm.
Kayla bit her lip and thought about asking if they could continue seeing each other. In the end, she decided she’d just look needy and desperate. She wasn’t normally this insecure, but he’d not only rocked her world with amazing sex, he’d also made her feel for him. He was a nice guy. She could tell. She wanted to show him that just because he lost his leg it didn’t make him less of a man. He was a guy that she could see herself wanting to see on a long-term basis, but only god knew what he wanted. Her stomach clenched with each soft caress of his hand up and down her back. This was it. She couldn’t stay there until morning or she might do something stupid.
While he was in the shower, she arranged for the helicopter to pick her up earlier than scheduled. He finished showering and joined her in the bed. This situation was much harder than she’d imagined. She hadn’t thought she’d like him this much. It was a while before the hands holding her slackened and his breathing deepened. He’d fallen asleep.
Snuggling into him, she dreamed of starting something longer, enduring and committed with Ryan. If only. A sad sigh escaped her. Careful not to wake him, she slipped out from between the covers and his arms. Then she stood there like a fool and watched him sleep. Strands of his sexy blond hair fell across his forehead, and a delicious five-o’clock shadow covered his jaw. Her pussy throbbed again. No man had ever made her this hot in her life.
Since she’d arranged her clothes on a sofa while he showered, she was able to dress quietly. Once all was as it should be, she grabbed her sandals and her bag and reached for the bedroom door. One final glance at the man who’d rocked her world for the night and she walked out. Emotions she’d never felt on a first date coursed through her. Loss, sadness, and the urge to go back twisted her stomach in knots. She bit her lip and struggled with the emotions in her chest as she headed toward the lobby. Just like her to get attached to a man she just met. She was going to need her own therapist soon. Stupid woman.
SIX
Ryan woke to a sense of loss. Where was she? He knew before he even looked around that she’d left. The sun peeked through the shades covering the balcony door. After everything they’d shared and done, she’d still left? Insecurity wormed its way into his thoughts. Had she left because she didn’t want to go out with him again? Of course she doesn’t want to see him again. He’s a gimp. She wants a man, not a piece of one. No woman wants to spend the rest of her life being nursemaid to a needy soldier with post-traumatic stress disorder. He needed to know, and the only way to do that was to see her. Now. Right now.
Unwilling to waste any time moping, he dressed, grabbed his smart phone, and placed a call to the lobby. After that he made the one call he wished he didn’t have to.
“Yo. What’s up, bro?” Calvin could sleep well into the morning.
“I need you to do me a favor.”
“Sure. What’s up?” Suddenly his brother’s voice was alert, ready to assist in whatever way necessary. It was what made him a top-notch federal agent.
“Can you find out some information on a woman? I need to know about a private island property her family owns not far from where I’m staying.”
Cal was quiet for a moment. “What did you say to piss her off?”
Ryan knew he’d have to answer if he wanted Cal’s help.
“I didn’t say anything. We hit it off, but she left before I could ask to see her again. I already tried the lobby, but they said all guest information is confidential and could not be shared. I need this now.”
“I got you, bro.”
After giving his brother Kayla’s name, he waited in quiet tension while Cal went on his laptop. “Damn! That is one hot piece of—”
“Cal! Don’t make me kill you when I get home,” he bellowed.
“Fine. Here are the details,” he said, passing along the information and telling Ryan how to get to the island. “By the way,” his brother sighed. “Good luck. Call me if you need anything else.”
“Thanks, bro.”
Ryan arranged for a chopper to Isla Dorada through a military connection in the area. An hour and a half later he was getting off the helicopter on Kayla’s family’s private pad.
As he marched in the mansion’s direction, he noticed a woman headed toward him—clearly Kayla’s mother. She wore an expression of curiosity.
“May I help you?” She asked in a thick Spanish accent.
He went straight to the point. “Yes, I need to see your daughter.”
“You do?” Her brows flew up. “And you are?”
“Ryan?” Kayla’s soft voice drifted from behind him. He turned toward the sound. She was staring at him with so much vulnerability in her gaze that it made his heart clench. “What are you doing here?”
“Yes. What are you doing here?” Her mother asked him with a smile. He had a feeling she knew just what he was doing there.
Purposeful strides brought him to Kayla. He didn’t know what to say. Fuck.
“Look…” He grabbed hold of her small hands and twined his fingers with hers. “I know the last thing you want is to date someone like me.”
She frowned. “Like you?”
“With a physical disability, the need for therapy, and PTSD. But I—”
“Ryan, stop.” She stared at him for a moment. “You’re an idiot.”
His brows rose. That was certainly not what he’d been expecting.
“Your disability has no bearing on whether or not I want to date you.”
“It doesn’t?”
She smiled. “No.”
Hope unfurled in his chest. “I know you were looking for last night to be a clean slate. A good experience to erase the bad ones,” he said, ignoring her mother at his back. “But what if… if we could make it a longer experience? Last night was more than what I could have hoped for and…”
He didn’t know how to word it.
“And?”
“I don’t…” He took another deep breath and continued, “I don’t want to stop seeing where this—we—could go.”
It was the first time since the loss of his leg, when his entire life had changed, that he’d asked a woman for more than one date. He wanted a relationship with Kayla, but his nerves were getting the best of him.
“Are you sure that’s what you want?”
The knot in his throat thickened, and he swallowed. “Yes. I want you. I want to see where a relationship can take us.”
Her smile widened, her eyes bright with tears, and she launched herself into his arms. “I want that too. I want you too.”
THE END
A HERO SCARRED
WOUNDED SOLDIER 2
ONE
Jessica Tavarez stared at her wine glass. If only it could solve all her problems. It didn’t even distract her enough to make her forget the hell she’d been living.
“Come on, Jessie. A getaway will be fun for you.” Kayla watched her from her seat on the other side of Jessie’s living room.
“I have to admit that she’s right.” Larissa nodded. “You need a vacation. And a nap. You’re cranky as hell.”
Jessie glared at her friends. “I’m not cranky. I’m just tired of the bullshit. I can’t believe I’m done with Dan. It feels like some other shit is gonna pop up at any moment.”
Larissa twisted a long, brown curl through her fingers. “Are there any other outstanding or pending it
ems on the case?”
“No.”
“And all property is coming back to you.”
“Yeah.”
“So you’re done.” Larissa grinned. “I know with this hell you’ve been going through it feels like it’s too good to be true, but all evil, rotten things must come to an end.”
Maybe for others. It felt like she’d been dealing with this divorce way too long. “He has to move out of my house, and then it will sink in.”
“Yeah and then you won’t have to live in a rental when you own your own damn house.” Kayla tipped her wineglass and gulped down the rest of her drink.
Rissa nodded. “Now back to Kayla’s idea of a vacation.”
Jessie sighed. “I told you all I’m too busy.”
Kayla raised her brows. “You work with me. I already had some days scheduled for the new house. Come down with me again. We’ve been at the hospital a lot lately and I think you really need a break. Seeing patients day in and day out takes a toll on me as their therapist, I know it takes one on you as a volunteer.”
“The psychologist has spoken.” Rissa said.
“Fine. But no hooking me up.”
Kayla’s eyes went wide. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Rissa burst into giggles. “Oh, yes you do!”
“Kayla, please,” Jessie groaned. “I am not looking to get married when I just got rid of the slug I was with.”
Kayla had been actively hooking up all her friends on blind dates—or trying to anyway. Whether they wanted to or not didn’t seem important to their bossy friend.
She watched Kayla refill her wineglass. “Who said anything about marriage? It took me and Ryan almost two years before we went that far. But meeting a nice guy never killed anybody.”
“Maybe not other women, but it’s likely to send Jessie into cardiac arrest.” Larissa snickered.
“You’re looking to get your ass kicked, Rissa.” Jessie didn’t care if Larissa was her sister. She’d still smack her upside the head when necessary. Being oldest had its perks. “I’ll come down to your house for a few days.” She gave in. Her system had taken a beating with the stress of her divorce and she loved Isla Dorada. “But no set ups.”
Kayla glanced down at the finger food Larissa had brought with the wine. She took her time picking a small beef patty before glancing up. Her smile was pure innocence. “I understand.”
That angelic grin put Jessie on defcon-five alert. “You do?”
She nodded. “I understand you don’t want the chance to meet a nice guy who may turn out to be a great person.”
“Kayla—”
“Matt is a sweetheart,” she added in a rush. “He’s nothing like your ex. But I get it. You aren’t ready.”
Larissa stared at Kayla, her glass midway to her lips. She studied Kayla with surprise. “Really?”
“Oh yes.” Kayla nodded. “I’ve been there. I know what that’s like.”
Guilt assailed Jessie. She wasn’t trying to be mean to her friend. Kayla only wanted to see her happy. “I know you know, K. I just… I don’t think I can handle that right now.”
“I don’t know why you have to see everything as getting set up for marriage,” Rissa threw in. “We meet people all the time. Maybe that’s what you need. New people that will bring some happiness or even a breath of fresh air into your life.”
“It’s not that simple.” Not anymore. She didn’t trust men not to screw her. Emotionally or financially.
“You’re thinking too much.” Kayla leaned into the sky blue, plush sofa and sighed.
“I always think too much,” Jessie agreed.
“Come down to the house. We’ll have a few quiet days in the sun and on the beach.”
It sounded so good. Incredible, in fact, but the over thinker inside continued to hesitate. Jessie scrunched her face. “Won’t I interfere with your time alone with Ryan?”
Kayla grinned. “Nah. We’re good.”
“Well…”
Rissa threw a balled napkin at her face. “Just go already. Dios. You’re going to make me paranoid.”
She laughed. Her sister was a free spirit. As far from paranoid as one could get. It drove Jessie insane most of the time. Where Jessie needed to plan and organize ahead of time, Rissa would rather do spontaneous things. Nothing got to her. Nothing worried her. Hell. Her whole relaxed personality stressed Jessie most days.
“Why don’t you come with me?”
Rissa grinned, her dark eyes twinkling. “I plan on coming down there in a few months. Right now things are too busy at the shelter.”
She nodded. Rissa’s work at the abused women’s shelter was never over. She’d rather not take a break than leave someone who needed her help.
“It’s settled then.” Kayla piped in.
“I guess. But I have to go through my schedule and ensure somebody can cover me for the time I’m away. Make sure all your appointments have been taken care of and then we can go.”
“This is why I love you,” Kayla sassed. “You never leave anything up to chance.”
“I’m your office manager. Besides, you’re way too busy to be left to take care of your office stuff,” Jessie said. “And in case you didn’t notice I’m the best at my job. And you know it.”
“True. This is why I want to find the perfect man for you.”
“Kayla!”
Rissa chuckled. “She’s not going to stop.”
Jessie threw the same balled napkin to Kayla, who was smiling into her wine. “I know. She’s incorrigible.”
“That I am.” Kayla winked. “I won’t stop until you find the right man for you.”
“Oh, brother.”
Rissa turned to her. “Well. I think your trip should be fun. Dodging all kinds of single men through the beach.” She giggled. “I hope they don’t try to hit on you while nude sunbathing. That would be epic.”
Yeah. An epic fail. She could only hope Kayla didn’t set her up with a bunch of guys. She was starting to act like her mom playing cupid. It was okay when it was directed at others. But when Kayla focused her efforts on Jessie, it wasn’t much fun.
TWO
“Tell me this is a joke?” Matt groaned. He ran his hand through his hair, tugging at the strands. Frustration ate at his stomach.
“Matthew Payne! Quit being so dramatic.” Kayla giggled. “This isn’t a joke.”
Why did all women think that just because they were happily married he needed to be in the same situation? Kayla was such a sweetheart. He hated to be rude to her, but Ryan’s wife was getting way too involved in this setting up all Ryan’s friends project.
“Kayla…” He didn’t know how to explain to her that he didn’t want to date. There was a reason he didn’t date. His issues went beyond normal PTSD.
“Oh, shush.” She pouted, her eyes sparkling with laughter. “I happen to know this woman is very nice.”
He snorted. Yeah, they were all nice. Until they got to talking to him, that is. Then it was “oh you poor thing” or “they have surgery for that.” Like that’s what he wanted to hear on a date. Those kinds of comments were what kept his ass out of the dating zone.
“Matt, she’s not gonna let it go.” Ryan grimaced as he took a seat next to his wife. He stretched the leg with the prosthetic out in front of him. “You may as well say yes.”
Kayla moved a hand to his knee, massaging Ryan’s leg without even realizing it. Her impish smile grew wide. “Come on, Matthew. Don’t be such a baby.”
A cool afternoon breeze swept over the backyard. Two years ago, Ryan and Kayla had been set up on a blind date; the last date either had gone on. That one night had turned into a strong long-term relationship that led to marriage a few months back.
“Hey, I’m not a baby.” Well, not quite. Though his mother and sisters loved calling him spoiled. He knew he wasn’t. He was just tired. There was no blaming him either. He was tired of everyone feeling sorry for him. All the fucking time. Like he wasn’t t
he same person from before—before his life had turned to shit.
“What do you say, pretty boy?” Ryan used the nickname he’d been given years ago when he’d joined the special ops team.
Pretty boy. There lay his problem. His stomach tightened. If only he could erase that name out of his existence. Maybe then he’d stop feeling so goddamned insecure. He watched the other couple. They were so in tune with each other. So real. If, and that was a very big if, he were going to start a relationship with a woman, that’s what he wanted.
Kayla knew exactly how to deal with his friend and former team member. She hadn’t cared that he was missing a limb. Knew that the real man inside was whole. But Matt didn’t seem to be able to find women like that. Most of them were so stuck on his face and how “pretty” he was. Once they realized what he’d been through in Afghanistan, they couldn’t seem to find what to say. Which in turn led him into the shit-this-is-uncomfortable zone.
“I don’t do blind dates, Kayla.” He sipped the iced tea, listening to the sounds of the waves crashing over rocks. Kayla’s parents had gifted her with a house on the other side of their private island retreat as a wedding gift. A few of their friends had already visited the island, but this was Matt’s first time.
“I didn’t either.” Ryan chuckled. “I won’t lie to you. I’m damn glad I allowed Cal to talk me into it. But don’t tell him that.”
“Listen, guys. You’re probably one of the few successful blind dates in history.” Regular dates spelled disaster for him. He couldn’t imagine how a blind one would turn out. “I mean, how often does one find someone who isn’t all kinds of strange on a blind date?” He leaned back on the wicker sofa and glanced up at the clear sky, sighing. Not a single cloud marred the blue expanse above. It was like looking at a painting. He inhaled the sweet scents of wild flowers and salty breeze.
“Oh. My. God,” Kayla squeaked.
He glanced down from the sky at her. She had folded her arms over her chest. Uh-oh. “What?”
