Not Another Soldier Read Online Free Page A

don’t know
what, but I enjoy hearing the rumble of his voice in his chest. His fingers are
rubbing across my hair. He’s not very gentle but that’s okay, I like it. It
kind of distracts me from my confusion. With the heat and smell of him, my
sorrow eases and I draw slowly away, grimacing at the sight of my mascara
staining his shirt.
    I swipe a hand across my cheek while he brushes my
hair back. “I’m a mess,” I sniffle.
    “No, you’re beautiful.”
    I don’t believe him but he says it so sincerely that
it softens me, and I can’t prevent the tiniest of smiles. His palms still rub
across my cheeks, a thumb coming under my eye, probably in an attempt to fix my
make-up.
    Staring into his blue eyes, my pulse beats
erratically. For a moment, there is no one but us. Sounds are muted but
sensations are inflamed. His rough fingers rasp across my skin, making my
entire body heat and I’m sure he must be able to hear my heart thud. Nick’s
pupils dilate. Do mine do the same?
    It happens slowly, but I’m still not ready for it. He
lowers his head and his lips touch mine. It galvanizes me, like a sharp
electric shock and I dig my nails into his shoulders. It’s only a small,
tentative kiss but it might as well be the most passionate kiss in the world
for the effect it has on me. His tongue, warm and inviting, touches my lips and
we are on the path of no return.
    I gasp and open my mouth to him. Nick threads his
fingers into my hair, angling me for a deeper kiss. When our tongues touch, he
makes a basic, raw sound in the back of his throat. I’m not sure what he was
eating or drinking but he tastes amazing. Like chocolate after you’ve been on a
diet.
    This isn’t a tender kiss. It quickly turns
erotic.  My mind reels and I’m unable to focus on any coherent thought
apart from the press of his chest against mine and the way my nipples harden at
the contact. I bring my hands up to his jawline and touch the stubble there. He
mutters my name as he pulls back slightly, only to plunder my mouth again. The
sound of it on his lips, so harsh and desperate, makes my entire body pulse
with need.
    Breathless, I hold on as the kiss slows and he takes a
moment to explore each part of my mouth to… to savor me?
    When we finally part, my lips throb, along with the
rest of me, and we are both panting for breath. He flattens his forehead
against mine and we just sit for a moment as he cradles my face. I don’t want
it to end. I don’t want to go back to my life. But I don’t want this. I can’t do this.
    We’ve finally acted on the chemistry between us, in a
moment of shared weakness and vulnerability, and it was such a mistake.
    Maybe Nick knows this as he pulls back slowly,
flicking a thumb under my chin. “Come on, we best get you home.”

Chapter
Two
    Nick
    I blink away the sweat as I lift again. My muscles
scream in protest and if my brow wasn’t dripping, I’d be able to see my grimace
in the mirror stretching across the gym wall. The odor of old sneakers and
metal grows stronger with each harsh inhale I take, but I savor it. To me, it
smells like home. And life. There was a time I didn’t think I’d smell it ever
again.
    The drops making my shirt cling to my chest remind me
of Sienna’s tears as they soaked my shirt after the funeral. If I had it my
way, she’d never cry again. I lift once more, teeth gritted, arms shaking. I
know full well the pain will be worth it. I’ve suffered worse. Hell, once no
one believed I’d stand again and now look, I’m fitter than I’ve ever been.
    Lowering the weights, I pause to swipe my brow with my
T-shirt. I take a moment to study my arms, pumped from the workout. I ignore my
chewed up calf. The gym at base is the only place you’ll catch me in shorts.
The guys here understand it and have seen far worse but no civvie wants to see
the ugly scar tissue on my leg where the shrapnel gouged a hole in it. Looks of
sympathy I could do without. Because really, why should anyone