One E-mail: (BBW Romance) (One Soldier Series) by Christin Lovell Read Free Book Online Page B

the truth.
    But I’d already spoken it.
    It took him a minute to see it for himself though.
    My heart seemed to crack at the edges. Sadness weighted my chest as I watched him. “I don’t know who she is, but I can assure you, I’m not her.”
    He remained solemn, stiff and still for too many seconds. My heart was suspended in my chest for too many seconds before he sighed, allow ing his lips to lift wistfully at the edges despite the haunting pain in his depths. “I know.”
    I never expected my soldier to be wounded from something other than war. As a woman, I was an openly emotional being, but the men around me often weren’t, which made it easy to forget that they were just as susceptible to heartache as I was.
    But we’re all human. And seeing the extent of his hurt, even as he spoke those three words to me, knocked me. It made me appreciate him even more, love him even more. He’d taken a chance and trusted me with his heart. He didn’t punish me for the actions of another woman; he didn’t start our relationship holding her sins against me. Instead, he replied to my e-mail, and every e-mail after it. And it was one e-mail, followed by many more, that brought us here.
    I pecked his lips. “Good.”
    He further relaxed his muscles. “I’ll be right back, beautiful.” He parted with a kiss. He disappeared into the bathroom and returned a minute later with a wet cloth. He claimed my lips again as he cleaned me with the hot, damp material. “No more book boyfriends. I don’t share.”
    I laughed against him. “Didn’t we already discuss this?”
    He drew back just enough to meet my gaze. “I-”
    I shrieked as a knock sounded at the bedroom window.
    He growled, shoving away from me. He tossed the rag towards the bathroom. “Stay right there, beautiful.” He opened the second drawer of his nightstand and pulled out a handgun. He slid something loaded with bullets into the handle of it and cocked it.
    A shudder slid through me. Damn he was sexy with a gun. The way he wielded the weapon with confidence, the way his brows furrowed slightly in concentration as he readied it, the way he observed his surroundings as he prepared, did something to me. It was like seeing him in action, without the uniform and bomb threat.
    M y soldier knew what he was doing. And there was something irresistibly sexy about a man like that. Undoubtedly, he could protect me in damn near any situation, and there wasn’t a more assuring comfort.
    I worked my bottom lip as I watched him stride from the room stark naked. His body moved with purpose and precision; his muscles flexed in warning with each step.
    Seconds later the front door opened and a shot was fired. In the distance I heard Tate and Trent laughing. At dinner, I’d gotten to see the two of them first hand. They were quite a duo. Tate was the louder, more boisterous, more rebellious, of them, and definitely the instigator. It appeared Trent went along with it because, well, frankly, he seemed bored, much to Linda’s dismay. Seeing first hand what Taylor dealt with growing up, I was surprised he hadn’t shot one of them by now. The man had the patience of a soldier before he ever was one.
    And if he was that patient with them, I could only imagine him with his own children. My heart and womb warmed at the thought: Taylor would be a wonderful dad some day.

    Chapter Twenty-Five
    Taylor
    I waited until they loaded into Trent’s truck and he started the engine before going back inside. Behind the door, I waited until I heard him drive off before I headed back to the room.
    I stopped at the sight of her, halting at the entrance to the bedroom. My chest tightened as fear flashed for a moment, seizing my breath. I held the gun lightly in my hands, weighing it between them, but it seemed to be weighing me down.
    She cocked her head, looking my way. She had no fear. In that moment, she proved that she trusted me completely to protect her.
    But my job didn’t allow me to always