Page 54 of Army
“For what?” With her throat parched and mind spinning, her voice was barely audible.
“Fighting. Mostly bar stuff.”
“Have you ever been to prison?” Her body stiffened.
“Nah. Just misdemeanor bullshit, so it was all county time.”
“My younger brother’s been arrested for armed robbery—five of them.”
Army gave a low whistle. “That’s fuckin’ tough. Is he in Colorado?”
“Arizona. I’m trying to get family members to help out with either his bond or retaining a decent attorney.”
“Put your money with the lawyer. He needs to get a good deal and not end up rotting away in the pen. How’re your parents taking it?”
“My dad left after Finn was born—he’s the one in trouble, and my mom’s biggest worry is which guy she’ll bring home after a night of clubbing.” Army’s eyes widened. “Yeah … I have a totally dysfunctional family. My mom had my oldest brother, Vic, when she was only fourteen, then Tucker came along two years later, and me when she was eighteen. By that point my dad blew, but he came back and gave my mother Finn as a going away present. I also have a half-brother, Dean, who’s fourteen and following in my other brothers’ footsteps. He just got out of juvie.”
“Is his dad in the picture?”
“Nope. I mean, I get that my mom had us all too young and never had a chance to be a teenager, but she should’ve waited to sow her fucking wild oats until we all grew up. I was the cook, the laundress, the babysitter, the tutor—the fucking everything, and my mom still yelled and blamed me and my brothers for ruining her life.”
Army slid out from the booth and came over to Mia’s side and sat next to her, then he wrapped his arm around her. “You had it bad, babe.” He kissed the top of her head and sighed loudly. “Why the fuck do people have kids if they don’t want to be parents? Those are the ones who should be in prison for fuckin’ up their kids’ lives.”
Mia settled back into him, loving the way the heat of his body warmed her. “I don’t want you to feel sorry for me. It made me stronger, and it taught me to depend onme. I decided I had to get out, or I’d be trapped forever.”
“You did real good for yourself.”
“Thanks. I did.”
He put two fingers under her chin, lifting her head up to meet his lips. Mia moaned as Army’s tongue slipped inside her mouth and tangled with her own. She curled her arm around his neck, then raked her fingers through his hair as she pulled him down closer. A low, sexy grunt filled her ears, and it drove her wild.
“Mia,” he rasped as his mouth glided down to her neck. “You’re fuckin’ killing me.” He nipped the tender flesh above the sterling silver hoop earring she wore, then laved the shell of her ear. Clutching his firm biceps, she whimpered. He dropped tiny kisses over her neck, then trailed his lips up her throat to her jaw before nipping her chin. Taking her hand, he placed it on his dick. “See what you do to me, baby? I want you so fuckin’ bad.” His hand grazed the front of her skirt and pressed against the juncture between her legs.
Her body jerked at his touch as a blazing ball of lust rushed down her spine to her pulsing sex. “Army,” she choked. It felt like the air in her lungs was on fire. He pushed down harder, and she closed her eyes as arousal swept through her.
He nuzzled her neck. “Are you wet for me, baby?” his soft, husky voice whispered. He pulled her earlobe between his teeth and sucked gently.
Mia wanted his hand to slip under the skirt, his fingers to push inside her as she rubbed against him … unzipping his pants, touching him …
I must be out of my damn mind.Mia pulled away then pressed her face in his shoulder.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
She managed to sit up straight and scoot over a bit. “We’re in a public place.”
Army grinned. “That can be fun, but not for our first time. Do you want anything else?”
“No, thanks.” As hard as Mia tried, she couldn’t keep from stealing peeks at his impressive hard-on. She licked her lips. “We should go.”
“I’m down with that.”
On the drive home, Mia’s mind swirled and twirled like leaves in a windstorm. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Army watching her, probably noticing how white her knuckles were as she gripped the steering wheel, or how rigid her body was. He reached over and slid his hand under her hair at the nape and gently drew circles on her tingling skin.
I can’t have sex with him. Can I? No. I don’t want a casual hookup. Why not? No-strings-attached can be a great set-up because I’ll have intimacy without commitment. But I don’t want that. What do I want? I don’t fucking know!Over and over her mind battled until she almost screamed at the top of her lungs.
When Mia turned down her street, she realized that Army didn’t have a car. How could she have been so stupid? She pulled over to the curb and put the gear in Park.
“What’s up?” Army said, his fingers still caressing the back of her neck.
