CHAPTERONE
Ryder
“Are you sure you can’t stay just a little longer?” The woman, whose name is already long forgotten, drops the blanket wrapped around her, exposing her breasts.
“Tempted as I am, I have a meeting.” God, I’m tempted. It had been a while—a long while—and this woman certainly scratched that itch with a vengeance. My fingers fasten the button on my jeans before reaching for my shirt on the bed. Her hand reaches for it at the same time.
“What if I say please?”
As great as the night was, I’m growing impatient with the woman and close my eyes to calm my temper. I knew this was a mistake. She was a mistake. When it comes to women, that’s all I seem to make.
I arrived in Virginia Beach last night, and the last thing I wanted to do was step foot in my house. Despite the long drive, I wasn’t yet prepared to face the memories I knew would hit me the minute I did. So, I went to a bar, met the now topless woman, and took her home. Her home, not mine. Sex and a strange bed, that’s all I was looking for.
What I hadn’t planned on was the long, drawn-out conversation we had to have before I could get her into bed. Or the look in her eyes that screamed she wanted more than a one-nighter. She was looking for forever, and I’m fresh out of that. It’s not my thing. The minute I realized, I should have walked away. Unfortunately, that realization came at the same time she allowed her dress to fall to the floor.
Dick - 1, Brain - 0
Now, my great escape isn’t going as planned. Meaning I had planned to slip out in the middle of the night and sleep in my car. Only, I hadn’t realized how tired I was, and I slept way later than anticipated. And she… well, she is a much earlier riser than I realized.
With both of us holding a piece of my shirt, I give it a forceful yank and pull it from her hands.
“It’s been fun, but I really have to go.”
“Give me your phone.”
I don’t have the slightest clue why she’s continuing her little game. Could I somehow appear less interested? I sure as fuck don’t think I’m acting interested in the slightest. Haven’t been since the moment I slipped out of her, rolled over, and fell asleep without a word.
“Why?” The question comes out of my big, stupid mouth before I can stop it.
“So, I can call you later, and we can decide on a restaurant for dinner tonight.” She says it as if I should already know. All she’s missing is the “duh” at the end of her sentence.
That’s when I remember that somewhere in the middle of trying to get her naked, I promised dinner.
Shit.
She shakes her head and giggles. “Just give me your number.”
I rattle off some numbers and have to do a mental check to make sure I gave her enough to make a phone number. Then I see her hit the green button on her phone.
The room remains silent, but someone picks up on the other end.
“Yo, who dis?”
The woman’s eyes flick up toward me.
“Get out,” she shouts as she throws her phone at me.
I make a run for it, narrowly escaping through the door before the phone strikes.
I’m not normally such an asshole. In fact, I usually only seek out women I’m sure aren’t looking for anything serious. Nothing more than a night or two of fun, something I’m very upfront about. Usually. Last night had been the exception. I was desperate, and desperate times call for desperate measures. Guilt washes over me as I get in my car and head to the building where I’m meeting my cousin, Mark. I allow it to simmer there, beating myself up the entire drive because, let’s face it, I owe her that much. She didn’t ask for this. It’s just what she ended up with.
Twenty minutes later, I park in front of the building. Stepping out of the car, the woman and my guilt are both long forgotten. I stroll up to the entrance of Cole Security Forces, the company Mark runs along with his friend, Jackson.
I had been sitting on a beach, drowning in self-pity and alcohol, when Mark called.
Six months ago, I took a fall that damaged my knee. All would have been well except for the pesky degenerative disease they found. One false move and my knee would be shot. Irreparable. The news took me by surprise. Pain. Surgery. Extensive Rehab. I was ready for all of it. The inability to walk again? That is not something I was prepared for.
As much as I wanted to fight the diagnosis, I knew there was no way I could go back to the Seals. Putting me on any mission, I would be a liability. No way would I put my men in that position. They had families, children. I wasn’t about to take them away from their loved ones, not because of my selfish need to be on the front lines—in the action. So, I took the honorable discharge and went to Florida.