by Stark, Cindy
He’d changed, too, and not for the better. “Maybe we both have.” But she was still there talking to him, so maybe they had a chance. “You’re freezing,” he said as he unbuttoned his shirt and removed it.
Her gaze slipped to his bare chest, warming him against the chill of the approaching evening. She allowed him to slip the shirt around her, and it took all of his restraint not to crush her against him and tell her how much he missed her.
“Can I drive you home? I’d feel much better talking if you weren’t shivering.” Even if their time as a couple had passed, they both had things that needed to be said before they could move on.
He was relieved, if still nervous, when she nodded her consent.
* * *
Kimber’s house was in shadows when Jerry pulled in front of it. He opened the car door for her and held out a hand. When she latched onto his fingers, her touch warmed a cold and lonely spot he’d held inside for far too long. He kept hold of her hand as he walked her to her door, unwilling to let go of her so soon. The ember of anger simmering inside him faded with each passing second. Despite everything, he wanted to forgive her.
“I always liked seeing you in my shirt,” he said as they climbed the porch stairs.
She laughed, and it was a balm to his wounded heart. “Do you want to come in while I change?”
He wanted to say he’d help her remove her clothes, but they were still on tender ground, and she might not appreciate his joke. “Sure.”
She flipped on the lights and let him enter before she shut the door. The house looked much as it had before he’d left. He wished he could say the same for him.
“I’ll be right back.”
It only took her a few minutes to switch from her soaked clothes, to another pair of cutoff jeans and a light pink sweater that hugged her curves like he wanted to. She’d pulled her wet hair back into a ponytail and removed the black smudges from beneath her eyes.
As she approached, he noticed she carried two shirts in her hands. “I always liked seeing you out of your shirt, you know.” She smiled after delivering a comeback to his previous comment.
His heart melted a little more.
“I’m sorry I got your shirt all wet, but I do have another you could borrow.” She held out a folded dark blue t-shirt, and he took it.
He shook it open, revealing the numbers of his favorite racecar driver. It appeared more worn from use than when he’d let her take it. “This is my shirt.”
“Not anymore. If I let you borrow it, you have to promise to give it back.”
Oh hell. He was in deep shit. He thought of her wearing it with nothing but a pair of panties, the soft cotton rubbing against her bare breasts. Had she thought of him much while he’d been gone? The wear and tear of his shirt hinted she had.
He slipped it over his head, catching a whiff of her perfume. “It smells like a girl.” And he loved that.
“That’s because it belongs to a girl.” Her lips turned up in the sassy smile he’d first fallen in love with. “Take it or leave it.”
He met her gaze and held it. “I’ll take it.”
The laughter in her eyes turned serious. Then she blinked and looked away as though to avoid his discerning gaze.
Could he trust her again? His heart pleaded yes, but something in his head still held him back.
“Do you want to talk in here?” She indicated the couch.
He looked at his watch. “I was kind of hoping we could drive up to the ridge and watch the fireworks, if that won’t complicate things too much. We can talk on the way, and it’s been far too long since I’ve watched fireworks burst over American soil. I’ve missed it.”
“Of course.” She snagged a folded blanket off the back of the couch. “We can sit on this.”
Chapter Eleven
They hardly spoke a word on the drive. Jerry wasn’t quite sure where to start and apparently Kimber wasn’t either.
When they reached their destination, he pulled his Camaro off the side of the road. “I hope you don’t mind walking a little bit. This car’s not up for much four-wheeling.”
“I don’t mind.” She grabbed her blanket as he helped her exit the car. He took a chance and reached for her hand again. His heart warmed another notch when she didn’t pull away.
They walked through a thin copse of trees to the edge of the ridge, moonlight illuminating their way. The first explosion echoed over the valley just as they spread out the blanket.
“Good timing,” she said as she sat cross-legged on the blanket.
He filled the space next to her, choosing to recline instead of sitting with his head cranked upward. “It’s better if you lay down.”
She didn’t argue as she dropped back next to him. A brilliant display of red, white and blue burst across the sky followed by another loud boom. “I think they’re better up here, don’t you?”
“Yep.” He tried to concentrate on the patriotic colors filling the sky, but each thought and awareness was centered on the woman lying next to him.
He startled when she took his hand. He squeezed it.
“I’m sorry I let you down.” Her voice reached deep into his soul.
It more or less scared the shit out of him how easy it was for her to affect him.
She rolled onto her elbows, facing him. “I’ll regret it for the rest of my days.”
He shifted his gaze to her face, a sparkling burst of red haloing her head.
“I just wanted you to know that.” She looked at him a moment longer before laying down again.
Damn. He couldn’t stand how bad he wanted to pull her in his arms. This time he rolled. The sky lit again, giving him a flash of wide green eyes that burned with longing.
He didn’t know what to say to her. Too many things crowded his mind, and nothing singly stood out.
Instead, he lowered his lips to hers, instant heat bursting like the fireworks overhead. The kiss he’d purchased earlier hadn’t quenched his thirst for her in the slightest.
Her soft lips parted for him with the slightest pressure, his tongue finding hers like it hadn’t been forever since they’d kissed. She tasted of mint and a lifetime full of desire. A powerful ache claimed him, making it hard for him to not ravage her on the spot.
He trailed his middle finger up the valley of her breasts, remembering the feel of her sweet, tender skin. She gasped beneath his kiss, but he didn’t give her time to breathe.
He followed the delicate column of her throat and then splayed his fingers into her hair at the base of her neck, cupping her head, holding her so she couldn’t get away. If his kisses were too rough, she didn’t complain. She took all he had and matched the potency of his desire.
He slipped a thigh between her knees, and she opened for him. “I want you, Kimber,” he whispered in her ear as he settled more fully on top of her.
“Yes. Please take me, Jerry.”
He lifted, staring into her eyes, hoping what he saw burning there wasn’t an illusion of the nighttime.
“Please.” She grasped his head, pulling him to her.
He kissed her again until they were both breathless. As he sucked in a breath, he ran a hand up her rib cage, cupping her breast from beneath. The tantalizing mound filled his hand, making his already hard erection throb. The soft knit of her sweater did little to hide the hardened nipple beneath.
She hissed in a breath.
Damn. He’d dreamed of this moment so many nights, believed he’d never hold her again, and now here they were. He intended to enjoy every moment. One thing combat duty had taught him—enjoy each second because it might be the last.
He flicked open the first button of her sweater, and she inhaled a ragged breath. “Your skin is always so soft.”
“Jerry,” she whispered, her voice pleading with him.
He leaned forward and kissed the succulent skin between her breasts, trailing his tongue up her neck. He nibbled on her earlobe while his fingers worked the second button on her sweater.
He undid the rest of the buttons, and she inhaled a deep breath when he opened her sweater to the warm evening air. He was grateful for the overhead explosions that allowed him to view her black lace bra with greedy eyes.
Shit. “God, Kimber. You’re beautiful.” They’d been apart a long time, but it hadn’t diminished his memory. There was nothing like the sight of his woman, hot and bothered, and half naked beneath him. Her bra had plumped up her breasts, urging them toward him as though they were ripe fruit waiting to be tasted. Hell if he’d waste any more time.
He swallowed as he slipped a finger beneath the clasp on the front of her bra, freeing her breasts for him and the heavens to see.
She arched as though she needed to encourage him.
“Give me a second, baby. I just…damn.” He lowered his head, sucking a puckered nipple into his mouth, the sweet taste of her adding to the intense pounding in his cock. He sucked hard, manipulating her other breast with a greedy hand.
This was moving too fast, but he couldn’t seem to slow down. He pulled from her, dragging her nipple with him until he had to release it.
Her sighs filled the night air.
He trailed his fingers down her stomach until he reached the waistband of her cutoffs. He had to know. She stilled as he undid the button and slid down her zipper. He didn’t bother removing her clothes. He needed to feel her now. Needed physical proof of how much she wanted him.
Her body couldn’t lie.
He slid his hand beneath the lace that covered her, and she opened, allowing him access to her secrets. His breath whooshed out of him as his fingers found her heated core. Ah, God. She was so hot and wet for him, he nearly came right then.
She bucked as he delved inside her.
“Shit,” he whispered.
“Take me, Jerry. I can’t wait any more.” Her extreme need echoed his.
He wanted so much to savor this moment, but it seemed their bodies had been too long parted.
He jerked her shorts and panties from her legs and rid himself of his jeans just as quickly. “I don’t have a condom,” he said as he hovered over her.
“I don’t care,” she whispered. “I haven’t been with anyone but you.”
His heart swelled. Not Eric, he wanted to ask, but he wouldn’t let that bastard ruin their moment. “Me, either.” He wasn’t about to bring up pregnancy. As desperate as it may seem, if they created a baby tonight, she’d have a much harder time leaving him.
He needed this woman in his life.
He locked his gaze with hers and buried himself into her welcoming depths. She gripped his biceps, her nails digging into him. They both moaned at the same time. Then laughed.
He slid out and then slammed back into her. She arched and sighed with pleasure. “Again,” she whispered breathlessly.
He pounded himself into her with an unmatched intensity. It was as though he’d waited his whole life for this moment, and he couldn’t get enough. She wrapped her legs around him, encouraging him as she held on.
She cried his name as she stiffened and shuddered beneath him. The sound of her voice and the feel of her nails digging into him cost him his control. His muscles tightened as he spent himself inside her, the feeling owning him for a few glorious moments.
He rolled off her, pulling her into his arms. At some point, the fireworks had ended, and now they were left in the darkness with the quiet chirping of crickets. “God, I’ve missed this.” There was no doubt in his mind, he was home.
“I’ve missed you,” she whispered as she stroked his chest.
He crushed her to him, so afraid he might lose her again. “You know we belong together.”
She nodded, bumping his chin. “I know.”
“How did we get so off course?”
“I don’t know. You’d been gone so long, and I hadn’t heard from you in forever. I know it’s not a good excuse, but I found myself in a dark and lonely place, and I let others influence me.”
“Eric.”
She nodded again. “I only dated him once. Then I heard what happened to you, and my world fell apart. I knew I could never love anyone like I love you.”
He squeezed her to him, emotion thickening his throat. “I’m sorry I didn’t call.”
She slid her fingers along his jawline, her thumb playing with his stubble. “It was so hard not hearing from you. I’ve spent my whole life wondering if my dad would come home at night, worrying some bad guy might do him in. As a child, that’s pretty tough to take, knowing the only person you have left in the world might not come home. Not hearing from you was ten times worse.”
“I’m sorry.” He wanted to tell her why, but that was the tough part. That was why he’d backed off in the first place.
“I understand that you couldn’t call all the time, but even an email, something, anything to let me know you were alive.” Her voice cracked, and he hated himself for what he’d put her through. “The not knowing was the worst.”
He had to tell her. If he wanted to give this thing between them the best chance to work, she needed to know what she was getting into. He cleared his throat. “I didn’t know what to say to you. It was a tough time for me.” He took a deep breath. “I killed people. Men.”
A quiet descended upon them, and he feared the thoughts that might be going through her head.
“Did you think I didn’t know that?” she said in a low voice. “Or at least expected it? You were in a war zone.”
“I didn’t know how to tell you. It haunts me. It changed me. And I didn’t know if it would change your feelings for me.”
“Jerry.” She lifted, cradling his face in her hands. “I love you. I know you wouldn’t choose to kill someone. But I also know you’re doing what you’re doing because you’re trying to make the world a better place. You’re in the army. If you find yourself in combat, you have to fight back. It’s that or die. Do I like it? Not any more than you do. Do I wish there was a way around it? Of course. But you have to do what your commanding officers tell you to do.” She kissed him, her words and touch soothing to his soul. “It doesn’t make me love you less. I’m so proud of who you are. You’re amazing to me. Every part of you.”
Her words humbled him and filled the reservoir of his heart to the brim. He rolled her over, trapping her beneath him. “I love you, Kimber. I’ve always loved you.”
She tugged his head to hers. “I love you, too, Jerry.” Then she giggled. “I think there’s another part of you that loves me, too.”
He’d grown hard again, his erection pressing against her thigh. “You think?”
“I do. And it doesn’t seem to want to be ignored.”
He shifted so that his penis sat against her opening. “What do you think we should do about it?”
“I don’t think you need to ask that question, soldier. You’re an expert with that weapon, and I’m certain you know how to use it.”
A laugh rumbled from deep inside him, and he realized the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders. He nipped at her neck. “What if I don’t want to use it?”
She wiggled beneath him. “Then I may have to take you prisoner. I could tie you up and—”
He cut off her words with a kiss. “I don’t think that will be necessary.”
She started to laugh, but he silenced her as he shoved inside her, making her gasp instead.
Chapter Twelve
Kimber had no idea how much time had passed before she and Jerry made their way to his Camaro.
“I have to go back, Kimber,” he said as he climbed inside the car and shut the driver’s side door.
They both knew he didn’t mean Aspen. “I know.” His words pierced her heart, but she refused to let him see it. “But not for long. I’ve been crossing off the days on my calendar.”
“Are we going to be okay?”
“Yes,” she said, finding strength in the fact that he loved her. He needed her to be strong. “I won’t let you down again. I have my foundation to focu
s on, plus my job at City Hall, and I have a group of friends that meets regularly. We help each other when times get tough.”
“That’s pretty cool. I’m sure their husbands appreciate it, too, knowing things are okay back home.”
It felt so good to actually be talking about everything after all her months of waiting and wondering.
Another question burned on her tongue. She had to ask, even though she didn’t want to hear the answer. “Did you really get shot the same day I broke up with you?”
He stayed quiet for a moment, then sighed. “Can we just leave that in the past?”
“You did.” Her voice cracked. God, she was a horrible person. “How can you forgive me for that?”
“Because it’s not your fault. There were many things that came into play that day that led to the attack. For a long time, I wanted to blame it on you because I was hurt and angry, but it’s not your fault or mine. It happened. I lost some good friends that day, but there’s nothing I can do to bring them back. I’d really like to try to move past it, live a good life in their honor. It’s what they’d want.”
“I agree.”
She nodded, and he started his engine just as her phone rang.
They exchanged glances as she pulled the phone from her purse. “It’s Noelle.” She noted the time was well past midnight as she pushed the answer button. “Hello?”
“Where the hell are you?” The panic echoing from her friend’s voice sent her into fight-or-flight mode.
“With Jerry. What’s wrong?”
“It’s your dad. He’s been shot.”
* * *
Lights in the emergency section of the Mt. Uintah Medical Center glared down on Jerry and Kimber, stark and sterile. They’d been sitting in the waiting room for hours, learning bits and pieces of the domestic dispute in town that had taken place after the fireworks and had ended with her dad getting shot.
