My Soldier: A Miliatary Romance Read online

  “I don't do dinner with soldiers.” She hadn't turned around fully, but I could tell she was breathing hard. Her back was stiff, shoulders gently rising with the oxygen she was forcing into her lungs. “Go be a hero, I'm sure the world has room for another one.”

  “I'm no saint, V. But you don't have to have dinner with the soldier, have dinner with me. Levi, just Levi.” Shrugging, I let my arms hang low, hands open. “I don't think that's a wild request, it's pretty simple if you ask me. It doesn't have to be complicated, it's just a fucking meal.”

  Twisting around, her small bag fell to her forearm. “I feel dinner is owed for what you did to help me out. But that's it, just dinner, nothing more.”

  “That's what I said. Come on, you said you love sushi, this is a free fish meal. You can't really pass that up.” Raising my brows, I shot her a crooked grin. “Please. Don't make me beg, just come keep me company.”

  Sludging forward, her feet looked like they weighed a ton. Avni was walking as if her shoes were made of concrete blocks, the heavy weights trying to hold her in place. “Alright, you convinced me. Sushi is like a magic word in my world, but this is it.” Fanning her hand out, she drew a line in front of her. “Dinner and then I'm going home.”

  “That's all I ask,” I said, stretching my arm out. Wrapping my fingers around her wrist, I tugged her in closer. “ Then I'll make sure you get home safe.”

  “Alright, deal.” Her waist rocked back and forth, toe twisting into the pavement. She looked nervous, holding a thin smile across her face, eyes still and motionless; as if the muscles in her sockets had gone limp, halting any natural impulse to move.

  All I wanted was to enjoy a nice dinner with her, and maybe some small talk.

  Innocent small talk; mostly.

  The animal side of me wanted to ravage her, tear her clothes off her body and make her scream my name.

  But she obviously wasn't feeling the same, or at least she was trying her best to push that down and away. All her body language up to that point was leaning towards an open invitation for a good fuck.

  She wasn't making this easy, Avni had been playing hardball since last night. But her eyes when we first sat down said more than the words floating from her lips.

  So why did she go into a frenzy when she found out I was soldier? I had never gotten that reaction in my entire career with the Army.

  Avni was holding something back, something that ran deep, cutting into the bone.

  Slipping back into the booth, she wouldn't look me in the eye. Her face was traveling around the room, glancing at the walls and the menu. “I think I'm just going to get the Rainbow rolls, and maybe a beer.”

  “Sounds good to me, what kind of beer?” I asked, turning the page of the colorful menu.

  “I don't know, I'm not sure yet.” Her nose wrinkled, small lines forming across the bridge.

  “Well, it's on me. So get whatever you want.” Folding the menu closed, I lifted my head to look at her. She was gorgeous, and I was finding it hard to not stare at her.

  Her bangs had fallen into her eyes, flipping her head up, she tossed them from her face. The curve of her throat was smooth and calling for me to just run my tongue over it; and God, I wanted to do that so fucking badly.

  Watching the skin of her neck move as she swallowed, the delicate area lifted softly, slowly rolling out. And I wanted to bite it, run nibbles up to her lips and over her ear.

  “What do you think?” she asked, lowering the menu.

  “Hmm?” I wasn't paying attention, I had gotten so lost in just her presence I couldn't even think straight.

  “A Boston lager, that's what I think I want.” Avni dipped one brow, lids slit tight. “Are you even listening?”

  “Honestly, no.” Chuckling, I folded my hands on top of the table. Shifting my waist, I tried adjust the semi forming in my jeans. “ You're just so fucking beautiful,” I said, tugging at my bottom lip with my teeth.

  “Don't, you can stop right there. Just dinner, remember?” The corner of her lip raised just a hair, I watched her muscles try and keep her mouth firm. She didn't want to smile, she didn't want to accept the compliment.

  But in her subtle smirk, she did.

  “I know, so tell me something about yourself then. Get my mind moving elsewhere, otherwise you're going to listen to me make bad pickup lines all night.”

  Laughing, Avni gripped her water and took a long sip. “Well, what do you want to know?”

  “How old are you?”

  “Don't you know you're never supposed to ask a lady her age?” Her head fell to her shoulder, smiling big. Her white teeth gleamed brightly under the florescent lighting, tongue gliding smoothly over her lower lip.

  She wants me to not be turned on? How the hell am I supposed to do that when she's teasing my cock and doesn't even realize it.

  Scrunching my lips to the side, I tapped my chin. “But how do I know you're legal? You could be in high school and like older men. I have to protect myself you know.”

  Giggling, she tugged at her earlobe, adjusting the hoop. “I'm twenty-three, you?”

  “Twenty-six. Good, we're both of legal age.” Leaning back against the deep blue, patent leather cushion, it creaked with my weight pressed against it. I almost expected it to give way, the surface was cracked, small wisps of white cotton poked through, tickling the back of my arm.

  A waiter scurried in our direction, holding a notepad. Standing at the table, he said, “Can I get you something to drink?”

  Glancing back at Avni, I held my hand up. “Ladies first.”

  She couldn't stop the smile that time. It spread as fast as wild fire in a dry hay bale. Stumbling on her words, she sent me a crossed glance. “Yeah, I'll have a Sam's and an order of Rainbow rolls, please.”

  “And for you, Sir?” The waiter asked.

  Just her please. I'll take her now, later, tomorrow.

  The waiter was a very small man, no more than five feet tall I'd say. And it was hard for me to not laugh while giving him my order.

  Every word I said he followed with a long drawn out, 'ah.' Like I had just given him an in-depth explanation on how the universe came to be.

  Squinting at Avni as he walked away, we both lost it. The two of us let out a guttural laugh when he was finally out of earshot.

  “Wow, I must have given him the most interesting order of his life.”

  Between her chuckles, she said, “Ah, it's possible.”

  That laugh, that tender delicious sonnet. It was music to my ears and motivation for my cock. The muscle jumped with need as her song played from her lips.

  “Ah, it sure is.” The words fell from the back of my mouth, composed of the air that was shooting out of my lungs. “Alright, so you're twenty-three. What do you do for work?”

  I was rambling off nonsensical questions that seemed better fit for that dating show on T.V. What was it? The Bachelor? When inside, my body was screaming for me to take her home.

  “I'm a support staff.”

  “A what?” I asked, lip curling up.

  “I work with adults with disabilities in a group home.”

  “And that means what exactly? Like alcoholics in a half-way house?”

  “No, nothing like that. I work with people who were born with Autism, Down syndrome, brain injuries.” Rolling her wrist, Avni said, “That type of group home.”

  “Wow, that's got to be tough.”

  “It can be at times, but I love it. It hits home, so the job came easy to me.”

  “That's amazing, really. I don't think I could ever do that,” I said, looking up as the waiter placed our beers on the table.

  Rolling her napkin out, she fiddled with the fork. “Tell me something about you.”

  “Well—”

  Cutting me off, Avni held her hand up. “That doesn't involve your job. Okay?” Her brows shot up her forehead, raising to her hairline.

  “I told you, you're having dinner with Levi.” Nodding, she sipped her dri
nk. “Well, what do you want to know?”

  “Where did you grow up?” she asked, cupping her hands in her lap, leaning into the table.

  She looked so interested, curiosity crawling over her expression. Her eyes were open wide, barely blinking. Slender fingers raised from her lap to scratch the side of her cheek.

  And again I was captivated, losing myself in every small detail of her; every inch of her body was a place I wanted to explore.

  But my brain was still trying desperately to place her face, her laugh; it all felt like dejavu. The time, the place, it's all an empty memory that I couldn't pull to the front.

  “Nebraska.” Avni's face twisted, lip curling down. “Yup, land of barren fields and cows.”

  “Huh, I wouldn't have thought that.”

  “No? You can't picture me in overalls, picking up cow patties and bailing hay?”

  Laughing, she started to cough, choking down her beer. “Nope, not at all.”

  “Good, because I never wore overalls. But if I did...” Pausing, I brought the bottle to my lips. “I'd wear the fuck out of those things.”

  “Ha! I bet you would. You'd look like an alternate member of a nineties boy band. Then you'd really have to worry about those underage girls.” Winking, she sipped on her drink.

  The liquid sloshed over her lips, small bubbles bursting against her flesh before disappearing into her mouth. Shaking my head slightly, I laughed. “No, I don't think so. I'd never be the alternate, I'd be the lead member. Look at me...” Rolling my hands down my chest, I jerked my shoulders forward, flexing my muscles. “No one would push me to the back.”

  Slapping the table, Avni's face lit up; and I swear I could see small sparks shoot across her pupils, the tiny fireworks exploded off in the distance of her deep brown eyes. “This is nice,” she said, brushing her hair behind her ear. “I'm sorry about all that before.”

  “Don't worry about it, it's fine.” Folding my hands together, my elbows bowed out.

  “No, it's not. I just...” Taking a deep breath, she said, “I just have a lot of shit I'm still working out. And sometimes I overreact, but this is nice. I don't go out much, so thank you.”

  I wanted to reach out, stroke her ear, and let her head fall into my hand. We all have shit from our past we needed to deal with, I was no exception.

  The amount of times my heart stopped briefly after my first tour from the sound of a car backfiring, or on the fourth of July... Fuck that was the worst!

  But over time, and with my meetings, life had started to fall back into place. I was able to find some normalcy, separate the soldier from the man.

  Honestly, that was all that kept me sane.

  Then I met her; Avni. And for the first time in ages I felt human. My nerves electrified when I saw her, the blood hit my veins full force. I wanted more of her, and I didn't care how long it might take; I was going to make her feel the same.

  “I'm glad you're enjoying it, but don't get used to this.” Slouching against the seat, I rolled my head to my shoulder. “I don't usually pay.”

  Her giggle sent my cock straight into the zipper. Jerking my body forward, I rested my arms on the table. Fuck! How does she get me so excited with just a fucking laugh?

  “Shit, well then it looks like we won't be having dinner together again.” Shaking her empty bottle, she said, “So I better take advantage of this. How about another?”

  “Damn, you're going to break my bank, Princess.” Pulling my wallet from my back pocket, I opened it and looked intensely at the inside. “How about we split one?”

  Chuckling, she let the bottle clank onto the table. “Are you fucking with me? Or should I be preparing for an old fashioned dine and dash?”

  “Hope you can run.” I let my eyes wildly scan the open room, freezing on the exit.

  “You're an asshole.” Leaning over the table, Avni shoved my arm.

  “You are what you eat, Sweetheart.” Smiling, I nodded my head in her direction, eyes falling towards her waste.

  “Eew! Gross, you pervert.” Darting her eyes away, her palms rested flat on the table. “I can be eaten out, but that...” Shaking her head, her chin fell to her chest. “That's not my cup of tea.”

  “Then you haven't had it done right, it's all about the timing. All about the timing.” Bobbing my head up and down, Avni couldn't help her cheeks from lifting up high.

  And if she would let me, I'd give her the ride of her life.

  I was happy to see her loosen up, and let her guard down.

  Avni needed a man like me around, and soon she was going to realize it.

  She had just fallen into my world, and I wasn't about to let her walk out.

  Chapter Five

  Avni

  Who was this guy?

  A Soldier, the first soldier to actually give me butterflies. And he knew it. The way he had been looking at me, riding his eyes over my body; the swarm fluttering around my stomach was in overdrive.

  What am I doing? Why, why, why would I torment myself like this?

  I had tried so hard to keep him from getting in my head, and even harder trying to keep my body from giving in.

  Why him? Why was he the one who had to come to my rescue?

  And he called me 'V.' A nickname I thought had disappeared with my brother. That single letter sent so many emotions crashing into my soul. It felt like the letter was attached to me like an artery, feeding my heart its fuel.

  The instant he said it, I had chills. Medusa's snakes had caught my eyes, turning me to stone. All that was left was the heat from one letter, pinging in my ears as loud as if he said it with a megaphone.

  The one letter, the one voice, the one man who just hooked my heart and sang it a soft lullaby for only me to hear. Levi.

  His smile was intoxicating, and his body was pantie melting. Sitting across from him, three beers later... My defenses had folded. I couldn't stop my words from spilling out, every inch of my life was spewing from my mouth with ease.

  Except for the one thing, the only thing I didn't ever want to speak of. That was for me, for my memories.

  But he would ask and I would answer. I would ask and he did the same, it was refreshing. And through all of it he made me forget that he was a solider. He really was just Levi. There was no war talk, no slang innuendos of Army lingo.

  He seemed to be interested in more than just fucking me like every other guy I'd come in contact with since graduating.

  Those guys didn't know my brother, so as much as it was flattering to not have the look alike comparison; their sex driven pick ups turned me off.

  But not Levi, his drove me insane. His hands made me quiver without a touch.

  No, don't do this to yourself. A thank you dinner, that's all this is. I had to intentionally remind myself why I was there. This wasn't a regular date, it was a formality for his help.

  When Levi told me he was a good listener... I thought he was just blowing smoke up my ass; I was wrong.

  He looked at me when I spoke, with the occasional drift of the eyes from my face to my lips, to my chest. And when he reached my chest his eyes would dart back up with a forced snap.

  Flutters hit my lungs, goosebumps craved to be stroked back down into the flesh they crept from. The deepness of his gaze made me shiver with each flick of his eyes.

  “So you're telling me your mother was once married to Flynn Douglas? The famous Flynn Douglas from all those amazing movies in the eighties?” Chuckling, I sucked down the last drop of my drink.

  “That's what I said, and let me tell you...” Lifting his hand to flag down the waiter, he leaned back in his seat. “He's not nearly as funny as the movies made him out to be.”

  “Wow, that's crazy. It had to be weird to live with a movie star, right?”

  Shrugging one shoulder, Levi scrunched his nose. “It isn't as weird as you might think. He's still a normal guy, no different than anyone else. He eats, sleeps, and shits; just like the rest of us.”

  “Another round
?” The waiter asked, clearing the empty bottles from the table.

  Pointing at me, he asked, “You want another?”

  “No, I think I'm all set.” Glancing around the room, everything was glowing with a fuzzy haze. My light buzz had slowly crept in, and that feeling of the room starting to sway was taking hold.

  “Just the check please.” Nodding, the waiter left the slip on the table and headed back towards the kitchen. “I had fun tonight,” Levi said, flipping the bills from his wallet.

  Shaking my head 'yes,' I twisted a strand of hair up to my scalp. “Me too, this was nice. It's been a long time since I've felt this relaxed.”

  “You know, we could totally do this again. And hey, I'll even let you pay next time.” Winking, he slapped the table top, and started to push back from his seat. “Ready?”

  I didn't know what had come over me, or what force caused the sentence to flow from my lips; but when it did, I couldn't stop it. “We could go back to my place and watch a movie.”

  The smile that spread across his face was electric, hitting his ears with power. “Really? Are you sure of that, or is this just the beer talking?”

  “It could be the beer or not, does it matter?” A sultry look flooded my expression. I had the overwhelming urge to touch him. I wanted to feel his hard body, trace the lines of ink that decorated his arms.

  Avni! What are you doing? You know you can't, you can't do this. Even with the thought coating my brain, it was drowned out by him; by Levi and his presence, by the massive imprint he was burning into my head.

  And I couldn't shake him out, couldn't turn off the switch that was rendering me helpless to the desire pooling in my chest.

  “I don't want it to matter, and normally I'd have you laid up on your back by now.” Dragging his nails through his hair, his body went loose. “But it does matter, I can't if you're drunk. I just can't. Let me get you home.”

  The heaviness of his arm fell over my shoulder, squeezing me in tight. And it felt... Perfect.

  Walking back to my apartment, the sidewalk seemed more uneven than usual. It took me a moment to realize it wasn't the sidewalk; it was me.

  I was never much of a drinker, and the few beers I had did a number on my ability to walk straight.