One to Leave (One to Hold 5)

Inside, I pulled a large Indian blanket from a trunk at the foot of the bed. The cabin was only three hundred square feet. One room with a kitchen, living area containing a couch and fireplace, and a double bed in the corner. A small bathroom was down the hall. It had been too small when Derek had stayed to help me. Now it was almost too big. I wanted her close to me at all times.

“It’s really only designed for one person.” She started to push past me, but I caught her cheeks and lifted her face.

Her eyes traveled around mine briefly before I kissed her. A small groan came from her throat,

and like before in the bed, she held my neck and kissed me back. I caught her under the ass and lifted her, and her arms moved around my neck, her mouth chasing mine with a desperate hunger.

Damn, I loved the force of that kiss. It showed how strong she was, and it made it even sexier when she gave in to me. I hated weak women, but nothing about Mariska was weak.

Lowering her, I scooped up the blanket and caught her hand. “Let’s sit by the fire.”

My back was against one of the big logs, and she sat in front of me, leaning against my chest. The blanket was around both of us.

“The stars here always blow me away.” My mouth was at her ear, and again she shivered when I touched that little spot. The semi I’d been sporting all afternoon was getting harder.

“They’re beautiful.” Her head dropped back against my shoulder, and I took a deep inhale of her scent. Some kind of flower. “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen so many stars in my life.”

“You smell good.” I caught the skin of her neck between my lips and gave it a tiny bite. She winced away with a laugh.

“It’s jasmine.” Reaching for my hand, she threaded our fingers around her waist. “Tell me about you. What made you want to be a soldier?”

Exhaling a laugh, I pressed my lips against her ear. “A Marine.”

“Is that different?” A frown was in her voice.

“Very.”

She sighed. “I never had any friends in the military. It wasn’t something we did.”

“What did you do?”

“Art. Music...”

“Massage therapy?”

Her grip on my hand tightened. “That came later.”

“Why would you have been alone at Thanksgiving?” Elaine’s comment had troubled me since she’d made it.

She paused a moment, and when she answered, her voice was quiet. “I wouldn’t have been completely alone. I could go to Kenny’s if I wanted.”

“Where’s your family?”

A little sigh, I felt the tension in her body. “My dad was never in the picture. My mom died when I was a baby. I grew up with my grandmother. My Yaya.”

“Where is she?”

Again quiet. Then longing, sadness, the little crack in her voice tugged at my chest. “She died a few years ago.”

Hugging her tighter, I buried my nose in her hair. “I’m sorry,” I whispered before kissing her head.

She took a shaky breath. “She taught me everything. She listened to all my dreams and gave such good advice. She was so wise.”

I thought of how Bill had always been there for Patrick and me, and I thought of losing him. I hated her feeling pain like that, and I never wanted her to be alone. “She sounds amazing.”

“I feel close to her when I look at the stars.” We were quiet several minutes, listening to the fire then she squeezed my hand. “You never told me why you wanted to be a Marine.”

I got this question a lot, but my answer never satisfied me. Maybe I was still looking for the answer. “My dad was a Marine.” The words came out automatically, but as I said them, I knew they weren’t right.