MILITARY ROMANCE: The War Within Himself (Alpha Bad Boy Marine Army Seal) (Contemporary Military Suspense & Thriller Romance)

by Claire Branson

  Neither one ready yet for the grand finale ending, they switched positions. Charlotte lowered herself down onto his manhood and he let out a low moan. She leaned over and kissed him as she moved herself up and down, starting slowly then getting faster and faster. Then something happened that had never happened to either of them before. They climaxed at the exact same time. The intense orgasms seemed to last for an eternity, as Charlotte continued to ride him. Moans of pleasure escaped both of their lips as the feeling of ecstasy ran through their bodies.

  Charlotte finally collapsed on top of Hunter and they both took a minute to catch their breath. And then they started laughing. Uncontrollably laughing. When they eventually calmed down, Hunter drew her close to him and kissed the side of her head. They passed out in each other’s arms, exhausted not only from the intense sex, but also the powerful emotional connection they shared.

  ***

  When Charlotte finally opened her eyes, she was surprised to see that Hunter was gone. And disappointed. Her worries started to subside when she spotted a hand written note laying on her dresser. When she read what he had written, her heart fell into her stomach. He explained that he was a SEAL, and that he hadn’t told her because he didn’t want her to think that she was just going to be a one night stand. He was adamant in the letter that she was more to him than that. He left his phone number and asked her to call him if she wasn’t too upset with him. He wanted to see her again, and as soon as possible.

  Charlotte wasn’t sure how to feel. She felt a bit betrayed that he hadn’t been honest with her about being a SEAL. But, she also understood. She believed that he was being sincere and that he truly wanted to see her again. And she wanted to see him again. In fact, she had to stop herself from calling him right then. And then she started to questions if she should even get more involved with him.

  She happened to know that one of the platoons was looking at deployment in the near future. That would surely complicate things. By the time she had gotten dressed for the day, she had talked herself out of calling him. In fact, she had decided that it would be for the best if she never saw him again. That thought left a bad feeling in her stomach and a nagging at her heart, but she kept telling herself it was the right thing to do.

  Charlotte was out all day running errands so by time she pulled her car into her space at the apartment, she was starving. She was thinking about that pizza she had in the freezer as she walked up the stairs searching for her keys in her purse. When she found them and finally looked up towards her apartment door, she saw him standing there. Right in front of her door stood Hunter, holding a box of pizza.

  She couldn’t help but smile as she said, “I am starving! And you brought just what I was craving!”

  Hunter laughed and replied, “I hope it’s ok that I just showed up. I didn’t have your phone number, so I took a chance that you would be home and hungry. I just got here about 15 minutes ago, so the pizza is still hot. You can have the pizza under one condition, though. You have to share! I’m starving, too!”

  Charlotte laughed as she opened the door and they both went in. As they shared the pizza and a bottle of wine, they talked. He apologized again for not telling her about being a SEAL. She accepted his apology and asked him about deployment. He was as honest with her as he could be without breaking any confidentiality rules.

  He explained to her that yes, his Platoon was going to be deployed soon. He told her that he didn’t know when or how long he would be gone. He also told her how much he had enjoyed their time spent together and how he hoped they would be able to continue to get to know each other even though he would be leaving soon. He didn’t know what kind of future they had, but he wasn’t ready to just say goodbye.

  And as hard as she tried, she couldn’t tell him to leave her alone. She didn’t explain to him that things were more complicated than his deployment. She kept it all inside because she didn’t want to say goodbye. She felt a special connection with Hunter and she wasn’t ready for that to end. So, selfishly, she sat with him and ate her pizza, not mentioning anything about her current situation.

  When they finished eating, Hunter told her that he had to get back to base. This time he asked for her phone number, and she gave it to him. And then she gave him a strange request. “Please don’t talk about me to your buddies on base.” She explained that she was a private person and just didn’t want everyone to know their business.

  Hunter agreed, even though he didn’t completely understand. He was over the moon and wanted to tell everyone about this beautiful, amazing, sexy woman he had met. But he also wanted to honor her request.

  Charlotte thanked him again for the pizza and leaned in for a kiss. He grabbed her, pushed her up against the door and gave her a kiss that left her completely breathless. They were both smiling as he reluctantly left and she closed the door and locked it.

  As Charlotte lay in bed that night, all she could think about was Hunter. She could still feel his lips on hers. She had never met a sweeter man in all her life. And he could make her laugh like no one else could. As much as she was afraid to admit it she was falling in love with him. However, she had a decision to make, and it wasn’t going to be easy.

  A few miles away, Hunter lay in bed thinking about Charlotte. He knew he was falling in love with her and it was scary. She was everything he could ever dream of in a woman. She was beautiful, intelligent, sexy, and had a great sense of humor. He truly enjoyed the time they had spent together and he couldn’t wait to see her again. He thought she felt the same way, but had no idea of the complications that were about to come their way.

  He called her the next evening and just assumed that she was busy when she didn’t answer and didn’t return his call. He didn’t start to worry until he called again the next night with the same results. The next day, he put his full concentration into his training to take his mind off of Charlotte. He was hurt, but didn’t want to show it. And there wasn’t really anyone he could talk to about it.

  He waited a few days, then decided to call her one last time. He decided that if she didn’t answer this time, he could only assume that it was over. As hard as it would be to accept, he was going to try to forget about her and move on with his life. Charlotte answered on the third ring and Hunter was overjoyed.

  “I’m sorry I haven’t returned your calls. I have been so busy with work,” she quickly explained.

  “It’s ok. I was just hoping I could see you again.” Hunter replied.

  She told him about a Mexican restaurant about 20 miles out of town and asked if he would meet her there that evening for dinner. He thought it was strange that they were meeting so far away when there were so many restaurants nearby. But, he didn’t question her because he was too excited that he was going to finally see her again.

  The evening went as perfectly as their previous encounters. The conversation got a little more personal this time at the beginning of the meal. They shared some not so pleasant stories from their life experiences. Charlotte told him about growing up as an only child and he told her about his life after his sisters left. They felt even closer to each other after sharing more of their lives.

  Changing pace to a lighter tone, Hunter started telling her about the time his sisters talked him into digging a hole to China. He was only six years old, so the more they encouraged him, the more he believed it was possible. It ended with him getting a whooping from his mother and being washed down with the garden hose by his sisters.

  Hunter wasn’t expecting Charlotte to turn so serious towards the end of the meal. “Hunter, this is really hard for me to say,” she paused for a moment as if to think of the right words. “I don’t think we should see each other anymore. I’ve really enjoyed our time together. But, things aren’t always as they seem. I think we should say goodbye.” As she said the last sentence, her voice broke. She was trying to be as emotionless as possible, but her heart was burning with pain.

  Hunter looked surprised as he asked her, “Why? I don
’t understand. Did I do something wrong?”

  The hurt in his voice almost brought Charlotte to tears. She wasn’t sure how to answer so she spoke carefully, “I just don’t think we should get any more involved with your deployment coming up. As much as I care about you, we have no future. You will be leaving soon and it would be much more painful to say goodbye then. I’m so sorry, Hunter.” A single tear ran down her face.

  As if by instinct, Hunter gently brushed away her tear and said to her, “I understand.” He didn’t know what else to say, so he paid the bill and stood up. He reached for her hand and she didn’t resist. They walked outside and she put her arms around him. They held each other for a long time, before she finally pulled away. She didn’t say a word when he pulled her back in again for one last kiss. It was the sweetest kiss either one of them had ever known. Not wanting to ruin the moment, they went their separate ways without saying anything else.

  Charlotte cried herself to sleep that night. She knew she was doing the right thing. Or was she? Her heart fought with her brain until she finally fell into a restless sleep. Hunter was the first thing on her mind when she woke up the next morning. She wondered how he was doing.

  He was doing just about as bad as she was. He couldn’t cry himself to sleep for fear of his bunkmates hearing, so he held it in that night, and let it all out at the gym the next day. He trained until he could barely walk. He was completely exhausted when he crawled into bed that night, but his dreams were filled with Charlotte and his rest was uneasy.

  A few weeks later, Hunter still could not get Charlotte off of his mind. He wondered how she was doing. He hoped she was thinking of him as much as he was of her. He wanted so badly to call her, but he didn’t want to make her upset. He was so distracted one day after dinner, his bunkmate Nick finally asked him what was wrong.

  “It’s nothing. I’m fine,” Hunter replied.

  Nick called his bluff, “Bullshit, Fish Boy! You have been depressed and distracted for weeks now! Something is up and you are going to tell me about it right now.”

  Hunter knew he had made a promise to Charlotte not to talk about her to his buddies. However, he didn’t think it mattered anymore since it was over between them. Besides, maybe it would help to talk about it. “Do you remember that girl at the bar? Amy’s friend.”

  “Of course! I should have known it had to do with a woman,” Nick said jokingly. “Yes, I remember her. I didn’t know you two were still in touch.” He looked surprised.

  “Well, we aren’t anymore. To be honest, we had an amazing night after the bar. And we have seen each other a few times since. I thought I was in love with her. Actually I know I am in love with her. Everything was going great. Then, out of the blue, she said she couldn’t see me anymore. She blamed it on deployment, but I don’t know. I feel like it was something else.”

  Nick cleared his throat and looked away. “Man, I don’t know how to tell you this……I thought it was just a one night stand with you two. If I had known……”

  That caught Hunter’s attention. “Wait! What do you mean? What are you talking about? What do you know that I don’t?”

  Nick finally looked at him and said, “Hunter, Charlotte is engaged to the Commander. I didn’t find out until the next day. I figured you would never see her again so I decided not to tell you. I swear, man. If I had known……”

  Hunter looked at Nick with wild eyes, “Commander Munster?! Our Commander? This is a joke, right? Oh my God! No wonder she broke it off! He doesn’t know, does he? What am I supposed to do now?”

  “Calm down, man. It still isn’t a big deal. I highly doubt she told Monster. And assuming she didn’t, he never needs to know about it. You just need to pretend it never happened. Now need to work on getting you to forget about her.”

  “Shit! I have to tell him. I will never be able to look him in the eye again if I don’t. And honestly, I don’t want to forget about her,” Hunter said with a bit of panic in his voice.

  “Are you crazy? You can’t tell Commander Monster that you slept with his fiancé! He will kill you! He will get you discharged!”

  “He can’t do that, can he?” Hunter asked with dread. “I mean, get me discharged.”

  Nick answered in a serious tone, “He’s the Commander. He knows a lot of people and has a lot of pull. I wouldn’t put it past him. I’m pretty sure he can find a way.”

  “Fine. I won’t tell him. But, it isn’t going to be easy now that I know. This sucks!” Hunter almost yelled.

  “Wise choice, my man. Don’t let a woman ruin your life. And you know telling him would do just that. Just forget about her, and forget about that night,” Nick said reassuringly.

  Hunter didn’t know what to think as he lay in bed that night. He knew keeping this from the Commander was wrong. But, he also knew that Commander Munster could make his life a living Hell if he knew the truth. After all, they didn’t give him the secret nickname Commander Monster for no reason. Hunter had seen him mad before and it wasn’t pretty. Besides, he would also be messing with Charlotte’s life if he told the Commander. Hunter wondered if she had ever seen his temper. He truly hoped not.

  And then Hunter got mad. Charlotte never even told him she was engaged! What a fool he had been! Why wasn’t she at least wearing a ring? He would have seen it and maybe backed off. Then he wouldn’t be in this messed up situation!

  But, the more he thought about it, the closer he came to realizing that it wouldn’t have made a difference if he had known she was spoken for. The connection was too strong. She was too beautiful and they had gotten along so well. He had never met someone like her before. In reality, unless he had known it was Commander Munster, the engagement wouldn’t have changed a thing that night.

  As Hunter tried to get back to normal, Nick encouraged him and made sure to tell him at least twice that he was doing the right thing. He tried to get him to go out with him one weekend night, but Hunter wasn’t ready for that just yet. He told Nick he didn’t want to be hung over the next day. But in reality, he was still nursing his broken heart. He almost didn’t believe it when his phone started ringing that night and Charlotte’s number showed up on his caller i.d.

  Before Hunter could even say hello, Charlotte’s panicked voice came through the phone, “Hunter, we need to talk. Can we meet somewhere, please?”

  Even though Hunter’s heart smiled hearing her voice, he was mad. “I know about you and Commander Munster! I don’t think there is anything else we need to talk about, Charlotte!” He tried to keep his voice down, but he was so upset. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were engaged! And to my Commander, of all people!”

  Charlotte started crying. He could hear it over the phone, and it broke his heart all over again. Even though he knew he had a right to be angry, he felt terrible for making her cry. He didn’t know what else to say, so he sat silent for a moment and gave her a chance to speak.

  He wasn’t at all prepared for her next words. “I’m pregnant, Hunter. And the baby is yours,” Charlotte blurted out.

  As the words sunk in, Hunter sat in disbelief. Finally he spoke, “How do you know it’s mine?”

  At this point Charlotte’s emotions took a hold of her and she yelled at him, “How do I know it’s yours? Because your Commander, my fiancé, doesn’t touch me! He is a cold heartless man, and I don’t know how I got myself involved with him! And I don’t know how to get out! That’s how I know the baby is yours!”

  “Does he hurt you, Charlotte?” Hunter asked feeling his body fill with anger.

  “Not physically,” she answered. “He has never hit me. I am so scared, Hunter. I don’t know what to do. I’m so sorry I never told you about him.”

  “Let me come to you. We can figure it all out together. Everything will be ok. I promise, my love. Just let me come to you,” Hunter pleaded with her.

  As if suddenly coming to her senses, Charlotte’s whole demeanor changed. “No, don’t come here. I’m sorry! I never should have tol
d you. It’s not your problem. I have to deal with this myself. Please Hunter. Just leave me alone. I will call you when I’m ready to talk. Please.”

  “What do you mean ‘deal with it’?” Hunter asked. “Please, let me help you, Charlotte.”

  “I’m not going to have an abortion, if that’s what you think!” she said angrily. “I just mean I shouldn’t have gotten you involved in all of this. When I figure out how to fix everything, I will let you know. I mean it, Hunter. Leave me alone for now! Give me my space! I’m sorry I even called.”

  Before Hunter could reply, Charlotte hung up the phone. His head was spinning. What was he supposed to do now? He couldn’t let her deal with all of this by herself. But her words kept running through his head. She wanted him to leave her alone. Leaving her alone right now was the last thing he wanted to do. But, he also wanted to respect her wishes. By the next morning, he knew what he had to do to make everything right.

  It was a Sunday morning, so he knew where he would find Commander Munster. As Hunter walked to the building that housed the pool, he tried to figure out exactly what he was going to say. How do you tell someone, let alone your boss, that you got his fiancé pregnant?

  Hunter was a bundle of nerves by time he entered the building and saw his Commander getting ready to take a swim. Hunter took a deep breath to calm himself and then cleared his throat to make his presence known. He tried to hold it together as he walked closer to Commander Munster.

  “Sir, can I talk to you?” Hunter asked politely.

  “What’s up, Smith?” the Commander asked, obviously annoyed that his swim had been interrupted.

  Hunter started, “It’s about Charlotte.”

  The Commander looked at him and started walking towards him until they were almost touching. “What about her?” he asked gruffly.

  Hunter started out shaky, then found his courage about halfway through the story. He explained how he had met Charlotte, leaving out the details of their night together. He told him that they had seen each other a few times after. And finally, he told him that he was in love with her.