Password to Her Heart (The American Soldier Collection 9)

Lee smiled and Tex chuckled.

“No wonder I’m so damn hungry.”

“Don’t worry, it won’t be the last time you choose making love over food. Her body is fucking fantastic.”

Tex smiled wide and headed back to his room. He hoped he could resist jumping back in bed with her.

As he tiptoed inside, he saw her sound asleep against Mercury. Tex grabbed his clothes and stared at her a moment. He was worried about her last night, and he would continue to worry about her as long as she felt fearful. There had to be a way to help her. Maybe Mercury would get her to come around.

Chapter 13

“I don’t need to see anyone. Look at the last few nights. As long as two of you are snuggled against me, I’m fine.” She held Lee’s hand while Tiek leaned against the porch railing.

“Well, he’ll be here any minute, so can you just give it a try for us?” Stitch asked.

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever.” She attempted to pull away but Lee pulled her back and against his chest.

“Watch it,” he scolded as he caressed a hand against her ass and squeezed.

She in return gave his chest a light slap. Tiek and Stitch chuckled.

“I’ll go check on lunch,” Tiek stated.

“I’ll come, too, I need to go online and check out a few things,” Stitch said, and both men gave Shawna a kiss before they headed inside.

Shawna leaned back in the chair and let the sunlight hit her face.

“It’s beautiful out here,” she whispered.

“It sure is. You look perfect sitting there, Shawna,” Lee whispered.

She turned to look at him and smiled. His heart soared. She had come a long way in a matter of weeks. He hoped that Keith pulled through. If he didn’t make it, it would surely set her back. He held her hand as he sat next to her and they looked out at the open land.

The sound of laughter and footsteps alerted them to their guest’s arrival. Lee hoped that Shawna received Spocko well. He had been a good friend for years and helped out a lot of men and women in the community. A retired Marine himself, the man knew hard core, and how to live as a survivor.

* * * *

Shawna felt her heart racing. She didn’t want to talk to anyone, especially not some shrink. Who was this guy anyway, some local guru? The men didn’t give her much information, but he sounded like some needle-nose, four-eyed wimp who sat behind a desk and told people things they should already know, like how to handle what life dealt out. This was absurd.

She looked toward the doorway. Mercury was there first and then the man in question, Spocko, was behind him. Her eyes widened in shock and they chuckled, obviously the man was used to shocking his new patients. He was very attractive. Almost as big as Mercury, not as tall or built as Tiek, and he had a soft, gentle smile and big blue eyes.

“Shawna, I’m Spocko. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

She shook his hand. “I can’t say the same about you,” she said with attitude and gave a look toward Mercury. He raised one eyebrow with his arms crossed in front of his chest and for some reason her ass cheeks ached. She pulled her bottom lip in and waited to see what happened next.

* * * *

They were all gathered around the kitchen table after enjoying lunch. She realized that Mercury had known Spocko the longest, and that they had gone through basic training together.

She avoided his questions when he directed any toward her, and even now, she stayed away from the table and cleaned up from lunch. As she washed a few glasses in the sink, she thought about why Mercury and the others felt she needed to meet this guy and talk to him. She closed her eyes and thought about last night, and how safe and secure she felt wedged between Mercury and Tex. They were better than any medication or sleep aids.

Maybe this was the way the guys were trying to tell her that one of them couldn’t always hold her in their arms while she slept. Maybe this was how the whole ménage thing worked? She wasn’t certain but the idea of sleeping alone again brought on a surge of anxiety. Could she do that? She didn’t want to. She felt the tears reach her eyes. She was becoming too dependent on them. She was losing her ability to handle things alone.

This was what she was afraid of. Cuadrone’s words to her at night, the way he caressed her hair while she fought against exhaustion and pain all came rushing back to her. There were moments when she was so exhausted she wondered if Cuadrone had touched her. She hoped that she would have awoken from the strange sensations but she wasn’t positive. That alone gave her nightmares and anxiety. She tried to bring her mind back to the present, she tried pulling from Mercury’s voice as he spoke to Stitch. But then she saw Cuadrone, and practically felt his touch. She couldn’t sleep alone anymore. She needed Tex, Mercury, Lee, Stitch, and Tiek.

When she felt the hands on her waist, she dropped the glass, shattering it in the sink.

“I didn’t mean to sneak up on you, Shawna. Are you okay?” Lee asked as he caressed her arms and looked her over.