Shielded by the Ruthless Military Boss novel · Chapter 12 of 24

Chapter 12: The Separate Rooms

Neither of us said anything in the car.

The captain drove, and the colonel sat beside me with his hands on his knees.

I watched the lights of the river go by and felt the whole night humming in my chest.

There was a note taped to the door of the guest quarters in Clover's handwriting.

Staying at my sister's. Do NOT wait up. I mean it. Love, P.

The colonel read it over my shoulder.

"I'm going to have to speak to her," he said, "about the checkpoints."

"You're going to thank her."

His mouth twitched.

He unlocked the door and checked every room, one after another.

I stood in the hall with my back against the wall and watched him do it.

When he came back, I was still there.

"Clear," he said.

"Judd."

"Yes."

"Ask me again."

He went still.

"Leah."

"You said to ask you again when no one's shooting at the house." I pushed away from the wall. "Nobody's shooting."

"You've had a hard night."

"I've had a good night. I stood in front of two hundred people and told them the truth, and you let me."

My voice shook.

"Nobody has ever let me."

His jaw worked.

"The terms," he said, hoarse. "Paper only. Separate rooms."

"Separate rooms, Colonel?" I took a step closer. "Is that what you want?"

He did not answer.

I took another step, and then I was close enough to feel the heat coming off his chest.

"Tell me to go to bed," I whispered. "Tell me, and I'll go."

His hand came up and cupped my face.

"I can't," he said.

I went up on my toes and kissed him.

He made a low sound against my mouth.

Then his arms were around me, lifting me off my feet, and my back met the wall.

It was nothing like the kitchen floor.

There was no fear in it this time.

There was only hunger, and the shaking control of a man who had held himself back for two weeks.

I pulled at the buttons of his jacket.

"Your ribs," I gasped.

"Leave them."

"I'm a nurse, I can't just..."

"Leah." He kissed my neck. "Shut up and take my jacket off."

I laughed against his shoulder, and I did it.

We left a trail down the hall of his jacket, his tie and the gold chain from my neck.

By the time we reached the bedroom door, the zipper of my dress was already down.

He stopped on the threshold and looked at me.

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