Love Me Last: A Military Man Romance (New Dawn Book 2)

by Rhea Wilde

  His hands wrapped around the small of my back and pulled me closer. His hips started to buck up and into me. We moved out of rhythm before finding the right pace. Our bodies slammed against each other in a hard and fast dance that was louder than anything we had done so far. The mattress squeaked underneath us. The whole room was shaking.

  I pulled his head closer to me and kissed him deeper before pulling away. I pressed my nose to his. I stared at him, his auburn eyes looking right back at me. Intense focus and desire. I could see it burning inside of him. His soul was staring into me. The whole time, we managed to grind against each other in perfect rhythm.

  “Derek…”

  I moaned his name against his lips.

  “Eva… I love you.”

  “I love you.”

  Hearing it from him sent me so close to the edge that all I needed was the slightest push.

  “Come with me,” he whispered softly, our bodies continuing to writhe together. “Come with me.”

  “I want you to come inside of me. I want you to come inside of me. I love you, Derek… I… I love you…”

  I rode his cock as best I could. I didn’t care about how much I was sweating or what I smelled like or looked like. All I wanted was him inside of me and for every drop to spill into me.

  “Eva…”

  His eyes narrowed. His grip tightened on the small of my back, pulling me close. I stared right into his eyes as his hips started to buck violently. Hard contractions nearly bounced me off of him completely as he came. Thick spurts of his cum filled me up.

  Every hard throb. Every wet pulse. Every deep contraction. It all pushed me into an orgasm.

  My nails scratched into the back of his neck as I came. I kept my eyes open, staring at his beautiful face. My orgasm slammed into me, ending the beautiful rhythm we had created together. Involuntary spasms made me feel like electricity was flowing through my veins. The wonderful feeling spread from my core and pulsed through the rest of me. From the tips of my hair to my curled toes, I lost control of my body completely.

  I was a mess when we both finished. Sweat dripped from every inch of my skin and from the dog tag between my breasts. A wetness built up underneath my ass and dripped out of me. His length softened but was still throbbing inside of me. I loosened my grip on his neck and rested comfortably in his embrace.

  I moved my face forward and kissed him. His mouth tasted wonderful on my tongue.

  I pushed my nose to his and looked him right in the eye. The intensity I just had was slowly beginning to dissipate. Overcome with a joyous pleasure, I couldn’t help a grin that formed on my lips. Derek smiled back at me looking like the same orgasmic mess that I looked like to him.

  I stayed in his embrace, enjoying the feeling of his sweat and warmth. He leaned in close to me, his face right next to mine. I whispered to him, breathing deep but soft.

  “I never thought I’d see you again. I never thought we would be like this. I never thought this would happen.”

  “When I left you that night, I thought we were saying goodbye for a long time. I thought you would forget about me while I was away.”

  “Never… I love you.”

  “I love you, Eva. And I won’t ever take you for granted.”

  I was exhausted but full of energy at the same time. The night had only just begun. Cradled in his arms, I knew we had to make up for lost time no matter what. Tonight was about us.

  Epilogue: A New Dawn

  EVA

  Summer in New Gardens was endless. The high temperatures continued, forcing everybody to endure the hottest weather on record. I never imagined I would want winter to come sooner.

  Today was not an exception. When I got to my apartment building, I couldn’t wait to get inside. It was just my luck there was no parking and I had to park a mile away.

  “Hurry up!” I shouted. “I can’t take it out here.”

  Derek casually walked up to me. A box with all of my belongings occupied his swollen arms.

  “Did you enjoy your leisurely stroll?” I asked when he finally arrived.

  “What’s the hurry?”

  “Are you kidding me? It’s hot! Can’t you tell?”

  “It’s not that hot. I’ve been through hotter—”

  “Sudan. Yeah, I remember.”

  “I don’t know why you’re complaining,” he teased me with a laugh. “I’m the one who has to carry all of your things. Why couldn’t you just leave it at Mya’s place?”

  “I already left stuff at her place. I can’t take up all her space. Besides, you’re a big strong man. You can handle it.”

  “You don’t give yourself enough credit.”

  “Stop with the pointless flattery. Come on.”

  I motioned for him to follow me into my apartment building. The rush of air-conditioning forced a sigh out of me. I stomped my way up the stairs with Derek just behind me. When I arrived at the fifth floor where my apartment was, Mr. Chen was there to greet me.

  “Eva. So good to see you.”

  “Hello, Mr. Chen. What do you want? I’m all caught up on my rent.”

  “I know you are. That’s why it’s so good to see you. A tenant who pays their rent when they’re not even staying at the place. You’re the perfect tenant.”

  “Not anymore. I’ve decided to come back.”

  “Oh, have you? Well, as long as you pay your rent. I’ll see you at the end of the month.”

  “Yeah, yeah. I know how it works.”

  My landlord winked at me then went on his way. Derek caught up to me after finishing his journey up the stairs. I looked at him and saw a tinge of sweat on his forehead.

  “Are you all right?” I asked. “You need a break?”

  “Very funny. I haven’t had proper training in a month. I really need to get back to it.”

  “Sure. Get back to it. But don’t bother trying to bring me into it. We’re not partners anymore.”

  “Oh, you’re so cruel.”

  “You’re on your own, babe.”

  I giggled at him then made my way back to my office. It felt strange to walk over the same spot Derek had killed somebody. But I shook the thoughts out of my head, remembering it wasn’t my fault or his.

  “Here we are,” I sighed as I got to my door. “Back home.”

  I took a moment to read the label on the door.

  Eva Lynch

  Private Investigator

  After all this time, it was still there. I gazed at it before regaining my senses. I opened the lock and stepped inside. Derek followed in behind me and placed my things on my desk.

  “Are you all right?” he asked.

  “Yeah,” I said with a laugh. “I was just thinking. The last time we were here, we were running down the fire escape.”

  “I remember. Did you find anything missing when you came back?”

  “No,” I said, examining all of the things on my desk. “Police came here quick and sealed the place off thankfully. Mr. Chen wasn’t about to have my apartment and his building turn into a crime scene for very long.”

  “Are you sure you’re all right?”

  Derek’s hand was on my shoulder. I stopped what I was doing and turned to look at him.

  “You can tell me,” he said.

  “It’s nothing,” I sighed.

  “Eva…”

  “It just feels weird, that’s all. I… I almost died. I don’t like thinking about it. I don’t like thinking about what would have happened if you weren’t here.”

  “But I was here. You can’t let that bother you.”

  “That’s not it. I just…”

  I looked away from him, turning my attention to the floor.

  It was no secret how we felt about each other. There was no mistaking it. But there was something holding me back from being completely honest with him.

  I shook my head, trying to make the feeling go away but it wouldn’t.

  “Eva…”

  I heard his voice and sighed.

&
nbsp; “When you were gone…”

  I looked back up at him and ran my hand along his cheek. Feeling his stubble underneath my palm reminded me he was real.

  “…I felt so lost. It was like there was a hole in my heart. I moved on. I tried to replace you but I couldn’t.”

  “Eva—”

  “Wait. Let me finish… I hate that I feel so vulnerable without you. I hate that I need you so much.”

  There was a warmth in my cheeks. I swallowed to avoid letting my emotions get the best of me.

  Derek stared back at me, the right side of his lips curling subtly into a smile.

  “What’s so funny?” I asked.

  “I know how you feel,” he said with a nod. “When I was behind bars… locked up… alone… I thought about you every day. It felt like a piece of me was missing. When I knew I was going to see you again, it was like my life suddenly had meaning.

  “You’re not alone, Eva. You never will be. Not if I have any say in it.”

  He wrapped his arms around me and held me close. I buried myself into his chest as the emotions finally came out of me. My tears spilled into the fabric of his shirt and the wetness rubbed against my face.

  “I’m not going anywhere.”

  I’d never felt so vulnerable. At the same time, nothing was more reassuring than having Derek here with me.

  “Don’t ever leave me again,” I mumbled, my face pressed against him.

  “I won’t. I promise you. I’ll always be here.”

  Hearing his words gave me enough sense to regain my composure. I pulled away from him and looked up into his eyes. He smiled back at me, his thumb near my cheek as he wiped away a tear.

  “Don’t ever tell anybody about this,” I said to him. “I’ll kill you myself if you do.”

  “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you.”

  He chuckled at me and I finally smiled back at him. He released me from his grip and I turned around, my attention back on my desk.

  “Does that mean you’ve decided to stay in New Gardens?” I asked.

  “I said I wasn’t going anywhere. And I can prove it to you.”

  “What?”

  I turned back around and tilted my head up, raising an eyebrow at him.

  “The court took mercy on me. I’m no longer in active service but I still have some benefits, thanks to some kind words from Neville. They left me with a decent pension, too. I wouldn’t have had it otherwise if not for him. It wasn’t much but it was something. Just enough, actually…”

  “Derek?”

  I watched him as he dug into his pocket. He pulled something out and held it in his palm.

  “I thought I would take you somewhere nice,” he said. “Maybe a fancy restaurant but that’s not your style. I figure now is as good a time as any.”

  “Derek, what the hell are you doing?”

  He suddenly fell to one knee and held it out to me.

  A black box.

  I blinked as I looked at it. My mind couldn’t process what I was looking at. Confusion made my eyebrows twist. My mouth was half-open but nothing came out.

  “The case is closed but I want to be partners for life. Eva Lynch, will you marry me?”

  He opened the box and I saw the small silver ring inside of it. A beam of sunlight came in through my blinds and shined off of it.

  I thought he was joking. I thought none of this was real. But I knew him well enough at this point. The seriousness in his eyes couldn’t be fake.

  “Just say yes.”

  “…Yes… Yes… Yes…”

  I nodded to him, making sure I made it clear to him. He popped up from the ground and took my hand. I watched as he put the ring on my finger, struggling to take it all in.

  “Are you sure?” I asked.

  “I’ve never been so sure about anything in my life. You and Brandon are the only ones who matter to me. I have no reason to go anywhere else. Not unless you plan on going somewhere.”

  “No,” I said, shaking my head. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Then I’ll be right here with you. We’ll be here together. For Brandon. For John. For us.”

  He leaned forward and kissed me. I closed my eyes and sighed into his mouth. His lips had never tasted so sweet.

  I pulled away from him, my eyes still closed, letting the kiss linger. When I opened my eyes again, he was looking down at me with a smile.

  I moved away from him and looked down at the new ring on my finger. It all happened so fast that only now did it hit me. I was going to be his wife.

  “Is something wrong?” he asked.

  “No,” I said as I shook my head. “Nothing is wrong. I have everything I could ask for. I’ve got enough money for us to relax for a long time. We don’t have to do anything. We can just be together.”

  “That reminds me…”

  I turned to him as he walked toward me, his hands behind his back.

  “It’s been awhile since you’ve taken a case,” he said. “You don’t have to retire.”

  “I don’t know. I don’t think I could. After the last case…”

  “I don’t think you’ll ever run into a case like that again. You’re a private investigator, Eva. It’s in your blood. You can’t quit now. I won’t let you.”

  He always had a way of making me feel special. I couldn’t fight the smile on my face.

  “If I do this, I can’t do it alone,” I said.

  “I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

  “I suppose a Green Beret will be useful. Then again, all I do is track people down and take photos. Does that sound interesting to you?”

  “I can’t think of anything else I would rather do.”

  He leaned forward and kissed me softly on the lips then put his arm around my shoulder.

  “No more drug dealers or murderers or shoot outs or explosions,” I said. “I can’t take it.”

  “It doesn’t have to be dramatic,” he responded. “We don’t have to risk our lives to help people.”

  “I like the sound of that.”

  We shared a laugh together and he hugged me. Right when he did, there was a knock at the door. We both turned and looked toward it. There was a small figure standing on the other side of the stained glass. I looked at Derek before making my way to the door. I opened it and breathed a sigh of relief.

  A young, teenage girl stood in front of me.

  “Kimmy,” I said. “What are you doing here?”

  She had a worried look on her face that made me feel uneasy.

  “Eva. I was just coming to see you and say hello. With all of the news, I was kind of worried about you.”

  “I’m fine,” I said with a laugh. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

  “I wanted to show you the new cat I got. It was a stray I found on the street and I was taking care of it.”

  “Where is it?”

  “I don’t know. I walked into your building and it jumped out of my arms. Now I can’t find him anywhere.”

  “It’s all right,” I said with a chuckle. “If he’s in the building, we’ll find him. Won’t we?”

  I turned back to Derek. He slowly walked up to the door next to me.

  “Our first case?”

  “Our first case,” I replied.

  Derek turned to the young girl from the shelter and put his hand on her shoulder.

  “The best private investigator in town,” he said to Kimmy. “At your service.”

  Kimmy looked up at him, her brow furrowed in slight confusion.

  “Who are you?”

  “That’s Derek,” I said, laughing softly to myself. “He’s… He’s my boyfriend.”

  “Are you gonna help me find my cat?” she asked him.

  “We’ll find your cat. That’s what we’re here for. Come on. He has to be around here somewhere. We’ll do it together. Isn’t that right, partner?”

  Derek turned to me and winked. I gave him a quick nod and smiled back at him.

  �
��That’s right, partner. Let’s go.”

  Derek and I walked with Kimmy to the stairs, heading toward the ground floor.

  “I wonder if he fell,” Kimmy muttered to herself.

  “It’s all right,” I said. “Cats always land on their feet.”

  “Oh… Good…”

  “Don’t worry. It’s not that big of a building. He couldn’t have gone far.”

  Kimmy seemed less worried than when I first saw her. Reassuring her made me feel better than I had in a long time. Having Derek by my side made it that much easier to comfort her.

  The sun continued to shine in the sky. A warm breeze blew through the air. Children played in the parks. The people marching on the sidewalks went about their day. Traffic flowed through the streets.

  New Gardens was alive and well.

  Author’s Note

  Thank you so much for reading Love Me Last!

  If you want to read more New Dawn titles or any of my older works, look for me on Amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/author/rheawilde

  If you liked what you read, you can sign-up for my mailing list at

  https://goo.gl/PLWCNd

  for special offers and all of the latest news right to your e-mail.

  Web site: http://www.rheawilde.com

  Blog: https://rheawilde.blogspot.com

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rheawilde

  Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/rheawilde

  Booksprout: https://booksprout.co/author/1419/rheawilde

  Special Offers

  Interested in becoming an ARC reader? Receive advanced copies of my upcoming books, for FREE, before they’re released!

  Just sign-up for my mailing list at https://goo.gl/PLWCNd for more details.

  Other New Dawn Titles

  If you enjoyed this story, check out some of the other New Dawn titles. All New Dawn titles are standalone novels that take place at the same time in New Gardens.

  http://www.amazon.com/author/rheawilde

  TRUE DESIRES

  “It’s been a long time since I’ve been home. I came here because I wanted to help. But all I’ve found is trouble. Drug dealers at every corner. Muggers lurking in the alleys. The police have their hands full and don’t seem to be making a difference.

  And then there’s him… Noah… Maybe he’s the man who’s going to save me from all my troubles. Or maybe he’s going to cause me the most trouble of all…”