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“You trusted me with your story, so it’s only fair that I trust you with mine.” Telling Daniel’s story was tough—and maddening—mostly because it didn’t have to end the way it had. “Daniel was three years younger than me, and we used to be best friends growing up. We did everything together.”
“Like fishing?” She mentioned seeing the photo in the guest room.
“Yeah, I think I was maybe ten, so he would’ve been about seven when ‘just us guys’ went camping. I think my dad sensed our mom needed a break from all the testosterone-driven energy in the house.” He smiled at the memories they’d made that weekend. “That northern pike was the first fish Daniel ever caught completely on his own. He did everything—he hooked the worm, cast the line, and when that fish hit, he held on to that rod like his life depended on it.” Daniel had saved up his chore money for weeks to buy that rod and reel and was determined not to let some fish snatch the whole thing from him. “He reeled it in and even removed the hook from its mouth, all by himself.”
“That explains the huge smiles on both of your faces.” She smoothed her hand up and down his arm. “And you looked so proud.”
“Oh, man, I was—so was our dad. That pike was almost as big as Daniel.” His brother had wrestled with it for about ten minutes before the fish finally conceded defeat. “Later that night, he cleaned it, cooked it over an open fire, and shared it with us.”
Daniel always said it was the best-tasting fish he’d ever eaten.
“You said you used to be best friends?” She snuggled closer, as if sensing the sensitivity of the topic.
As kids, their happiest days were spent running around in the woods, fishing, or floating down an icy-cold river on inner tubes.
Unfortunately, growing up changed things.
“I was always intense and focused. Daniel was carefree and embraced life. He threw caution to the wind.” Sometimes a bit too much.
“Those are pretty standard first and second child personality traits,” she said.
“By my senior year in high school, we’d started growing apart. I spent almost every second of my spare time with my grandfather, honing my tracking and hunting skills. Daniel was a freshman, and he wanted nothing to do with tracking. He said it was a stupid holdover from the past and a massive waste of time. He had no interest in sports. His only hobby was photography, and he lost interest in that. With not much else for him to do, he started hanging out with the wrong kind of people.”
Charlotte sat up and gave him her full attention.
“He was cutting classes, staying out all night, smoking pot, drinking. One night, a few days after he turned sixteen, he got caught trying to steal a bottle of whiskey from the liquor store on the reservation.” If their parents hadn’t been friends with the owner, things would have gone a lot differently. “Dad saved his ass that night and told him that if something like that happened again, he wouldn’t be there to help him out.”
“I take it that didn’t work,” she said.
“Unfortunately, no.” The more their parents tried to restrict him, the more rebellious he became. “For about six months, Daniel tried to get his shit together—and I think a part of him really wanted to—but he refused to cut ties with the bunch that led him down that path to begin with.” It was proof of the old saying, you’re no better than the company you keep . “He said they were his friends and they accepted him for who he really was and it would be disloyal to turn his back on them.”
“The teen years are teeming with physical changes and emotional challenges that can be difficult for some to navigate,” Charlotte said. “That’s when social peer-group connections become extremely important. In many instances, more so than familial connections.”
That might be true, but as a kid, it had pissed him off to know his brother was the reason his mom cried in her room some nights and why their poor dad was at a loss for what to do to help her or their youngest son.
Hawk had tried talking to Daniel, told him how much he was hurting their parents. He’d mistakenly thought he could reason with him. Instead, his brother—who had been taller than him by that time—told him to mind his own fucking business, then swung on him. He’d ducked, Daniel came at him again, and Hawk defended himself, knocking his brother on his ass in front of his stoner friends.
Their relationship was never the same after that.
“One weekend, our parents were away and I was up in the mountains with my grandfather.” Hawk had been miles away, tracking a massive black bear, when his brother made the stupidest decision of his life. “Daniel found where my dad hid his truck keys and drove it to some party at an abandoned warehouse.” The keys were hidden because he’d taken the truck once before without permission. “Around five the next morning, the sun had barely broken the horizon, and Daniel was rushing to get home. Our parents were due back, and he knew he’d be in deep shit if they found out he took the truck. The fog was super thick that morning. He was speeding and totally missed a turn. He overcorrected. The truck went airborne and ended up wrapped around a tree.” His dad’s truck was older and wasn’t equipped with safety features like airbags or even crossbody seat belts. “Daniel was thrown through the windshield and ended up face-down in the river.”
She sucked in a breath, and her hand went to her mouth.
“My grandfather and I were actually heading home when a couple of emergency vehicles blew past us.” Their sirens sliced through the cool, early morning air, and their flashing red lights faded into the foggy mist as they sped away. “A few minutes later, we came upon the accident, and both of us immediately recognized the truck. We jumped out and ran past the fire truck and the ambulance. My grandfather threatened to knock out one of the firemen who tried to stop him. He’d have done it, too.”
Their boots slid in the mud when they skidded to a stop at the sight before them.
Hawk’s heart sank and his world permanently shifted when he recognized the buffalo tattoo on his brother’s arm.
“Daniel was face-down in the cold water.” His brother’s right arm and left leg were in unnatural positions, and his long, dark hair had been captured by the river’s current and floated and swirled around his head like snakes.
“Oh, Hawk.” She spread her hand across the center of his chest, directly over his heart.
Her touch soothed him and made it easier to continue.
“The autopsy found cocaine, alcohol, and meth in Daniel’s system.” Old regrets reared their ugly head. “I should’ve paid more attention to what was happening with him.”
As a result, his only brother and childhood best friend was gone. Stolen from them by a dangerous cocktail that had killed so many others before him.
“You need to give yourself a break.” Charlotte sat up and framed his face with her hands. “You were just a kid yourself, Hawk.”
“My mother cried every night for months, and my poor dad was battling his own grief and had no idea how to console her.” He’d taken on more jobs and spent a lot of time in his workshop. “I was so angry—at Daniel, the guy who sold him the drugs, at myself because I couldn’t help him.”
“Please tell me they found the people who sold him the drugs and alcohol.” Charlotte’s voice held a tinge of anger.
“They never figured out where he got the alcohol, but they did find the guy who provided the drugs at the party. He was eventually busted and sent to prison for trying to sell meth to an undercover cop.” Hawk, his grandfather, and his parents were all in the courtroom the day he was sentenced. “He’ll be in prison for a long time.”
“Prison is too good for people like that.” Her brows drew together.
He reached up and smoothed his thumb over her forehead.
“By the end of my senior year, I felt trapped and needed … something. Then one day I was walking up to my buddy’s sporting goods store to pick up a compound bow I’d ordered. There happened to be a Marine Corps recruiting office next door, and there was this tall guy inside, standing at the front window. His back was ramrod-straight, and he looked so sharp and squared away in his uniform. There was something about the way he was scoping out the parking lot—his alert readiness—that clicked something in my brain.” They’d made eye contact. He gave Hawk one of those quick dips of the chin that guys give each other, then returned his attention to scanning the parking lot. “So instead of heading into my buddy’s shop, I walked over to the recruiting office, went inside, and introduced myself. I spent a couple of hours listening and asking questions—so many questions—then he convinced me to take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery.”
Hawk ended up getting the highest score possible—ninety-nine—and the recruiter’s eyes lit up. He said as long as Hawk could pass the medical exam at MEPS, the medical entrance processing station, and the IST, initial strength test, he could choose pretty much any career path he wanted.
“The decision to join had been an easy one.” Hawk wanted to use all of his years of tracking experience as a Marine forward scout. “I signed some paperwork, and two weeks later, I was on a bus, headed to Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, California.”
“Oh, wow, that was fast.” Charlotte’s eyes widened. “How did your parents react?”
“They were surprised.” To say the least. “Up to that point, the plan had been for me to go to college to become an engineer and work with my dad at his firm.” Their reaction had been a mixture of understanding and sadness that he would be leaving home. Mostly, they’d been concerned for his safety. “I explained to them that I wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself, to make a positive impact. The Marine Corps could give me that while allowing me to use my tracking skills. They understood it was something I needed to do.”
He was sure the prospect of losing their only remaining child must have been at the forefront of their thoughts, yet they told him they were proud of him, then his father clapped him on the back and pulled him into a powerful hug. He released him only long enough for his mom to join them.
“To have lost one child, face the very real possibility of losing another, and yet they still supported you.” Tears welled in Charlotte’s eyes. “They sound like truly incredible people, and I’d love to meet them someday.”
“They are, and you definitely will.” He thought back to his vision of them together. Was it possible that could become reality?
“Thank you for telling me about Daniel.” She blinked, and a tear streamed down her cheek.
“You’re so sweet.” He caught the tear with his thumb.
They leaned toward each other, their mouths met in the middle, and passion ignited between them like a flame to dry grass.
Charlotte shifted to face him, a knee on either side of his thighs on the couch. She held his face in her hands and angled her head to kiss him deeply. Her need for him heightened with each slide of their tongues against each other. She felt antsy, unsettled, and craved more. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself against him.
He grabbed the bottom of her shirt and skimmed his fingers over her skin as he dragged it up. She lifted her arms, and he pulled the shirt over her head and tossed it onto the floor behind him. Charlotte reached around to unhook her bra and threw it in the general direction of her shirt.
Hawk stared at her boobs like they were the eighth wonder.
“Perfect, just like I knew they’d be.” He cupped her breasts in his big hands and rubbed his thumb over her pert nipples. He slid his hands around to her back, pulled her to him, and replaced his thumb with the tip of his tongue.
“Oh, God.” Her head fell back, and his tongue circled one nipple, then he moved over and tormented the other in the same delicious way.
Powerful sensations of longing, desperation, and a clawing need bombarded her. Her core throbbed, and she ground her crotch against him in a failed attempt to seek relief.
It wasn’t enough.
“Hawk, I—”
“I know, Sweets.” He curved his hands under her thighs and rose from the couch.
Charlotte automatically wrapped her legs around him and kissed him in a way she’d never kissed any man before. Her head was spinning—in a good way—so she looped her arms around his neck and held on to him for fear she might fly away.
He carried her down the hall to his room, stopped and tossed the covers onto the floor at the foot of the bed, then dropped down onto the bed with her on top of him.
She broke the kiss and tried to lift up his shirt.
“I want to see you.” The plea in her voice couldn’t be helped.
Hawk sat up, popped a quick kiss on her lips, then yanked his shirt up and over his head.
“Better?” The shirt went flying to parts unknown, and he leaned back on his elbows, which had the wonderful result of highlighting his abs.
“ So much better.” She flattened her hands on his chest and pressed him back down to the bed. “You are so beautiful.” She kept going back to that word to describe him because it suited him.
“You’re pretty damn gorgeous yourself.” He reached up and ran his hand down between her breasts and ran his finger back and forth just beneath the waistband of her jeans.
“When you touch me, I almost can’t breathe.” She smoothed her hands from the center of his chest, out and over her nipples. Then she leaned down and flicked one with the tip of her tongue.
He sucked in a breath, and she glanced up at him. What she saw in his dark eyes was almost primitive.
With that look, Hawk claimed her.
In one swift movement, he rolled them over and was on top of her. He kissed his way down her body, dipped his tongue in her belly button, then sat up on his knees.
“Let’s get these off.” He popped the button on her jeans and dragged the zipper down. He put his fingers in the waistband. “Lift.”
Charlotte lifted her hips off the bed, and he slid her panties and jeans down her legs and off completely, then dropped them on the floor.
His gaze traveled over her entire body, and when he licked his lips, she wanted his tongue on her everywhere.
“You next.” Her heart hammered against her chest in anticipation of seeing him completely naked.
He stood next to the bed and looked her directly in the eyes as he unzipped his jeans, tugged them and his boxer briefs down, and let them pool at his feet.
Her mouth opened, and she feasted on him with her eyes. Broad shoulders tapered to narrow hips, and his ab muscles were well-defined into a perfect eight-pack. Who knew that was even a thing? And his legs looked strong and solid.
A vision of him splashed through Charlotte’s mind. He was wearing a buckskin tunic and pants, sitting atop a white-and-brown horse with no saddle. His long dark hair was flowing in the wind, and adorning his head was a headdress like the one in his great-grandfather’s photo.
She blinked, and the image whispered away like fog.
“You still with me, Sweets?” Hawk stepped out of his pants, pushed them aside with his foot, and knee-walked across the bed to straddle her body.
“I am definitely still with you.” Her gaze skimmed down his torso and landed on his erect penis. “And I love the view.”
“I’m glad you like what you see.” He lowered himself atop her and rested his forearms on either side of her head on the pillow.
“Let me know if I’m too heavy for you.” He kissed her and gradually relaxed his weight on her.
Charlotte reached around and grazed her fingers along the valley running down the middle of his back. She flirted with the top of his butt crack before cupping his tight cheeks in her hands.
His dick hardened against her, and she spread her legs so he could nestle between them. He brushed his lips across her jaw, down the side of her neck, nibbling as he went. He scooted down the bed so he could continue his erotic trail all the way down her belly until his face was level with the patch of hair between her legs.
Hawk burrowed his nose into her and inhaled a deep breath. He actually growled, and before her senses could process the intensity of what she was feeling, he dipped his tongue between her legs and wiggled it against her clit.
She moaned, and her hips instinctively hiked up off the bed.
“Make room for me.” He scooched down farther, and she widened her knees. “That’s my girl.”
He wedged his shoulders between her legs, then his tongue began a full-out assault on the most sensitive part of her body—up and down her folds, around her clit, before he would suck it between his lips. He added a finger and stroked it in and out, then he added a second finger, crooked it just so, and—
Charlotte cried out, threw her head back, and squeezed her eyes shut. The entire world sheeted white, and she forgot how to breathe. Her internal walls tightened around his fingers as wave after wave of overwhelming sensations slammed through her.
She was no longer in this room, in this house, on this earth. She was soaring through the galaxy while clusters of stars burst all around her. Her entire body was a mass of tightly clenched muscles, and it took time for them to loosen.
Charlotte vaguely sensed him kissing the inside of her thigh before moving up her body.
“You still with me, Sweets?” He kissed her chin, the tip of her nose, her cheek, waiting for her to return to earth.
“Oh, yeah.” She forced her eyes open and smiled up at him.
He grabbed his penis, rubbed it up and down her folds, and stopped.
“Shit. I almost forgot protection.” He started to reach for his nightstand, and she stopped him.
“I’m on the pill, and I’m clean.” Charlotte wanted nothing between them.
“Me, too.” He’d never had sex without protection before. “Are you sure?”
She placed her hand on the side of his face. “I am if you are.”
“I definitely am.” With one long, slow thrust, he entered her, and they both froze.
“Jesus, you feel so good.” His forehead rested against hers, then he lifted it and focused on her as he pulled back out and slid back into her again. He kept his pace slow and gentle, and she could tell by the sweat beading at his temple that it was taking its toll on him.
“Hawk, please, I need all of you.” She speared her fingers through his hair. “I won’t break.”
Her plea seemed to break the tight grip he had on the chains around his control. He pulled back his hips and hammered into her, over and over, his pace relentless. He wasn’t holding anything back from her.
She wrapped her arms around him, and her fingernails dug into his back, and she matched him stroke for stroke. He wedged his hand beneath her butt, lifted her, and hit some magic spot that had been hidden before. Once again, she felt herself leaving this realm. Only this time, she wasn’t alone—Hawk was right there with her.
He grunted, and his paced quickened. He drove into her one last time and pressed his hips hard against her as his orgasm hit. He threw back his head and let out a growl that vibrated through her entire body, setting off an orgasm of her own that threatened to make her forget her own name.
Hawk’s body began to relax, and he collapsed atop her with a groan. Their bodies were damp with sweat, causing a shiver to ripple through her as she concentrated on catching her breath.
Sex with Hawk was more earth-shattering than even she could’ve imagined. With her active imagination, that was saying a lot.
He scooted to the bottom of the bed, reached down, and grabbed the sheet. He lay on his back, drew her close to his side, and pulled the sheet up over them.
“Are you warm enough?” This from the human furnace.
“I am. Does this mean I don’t have to stay in the guest room?” Charlotte teased as she nestled against his warm body, her head resting on his shoulder, one leg thrown over his tight abs.
“If you’ll remember correctly, I said you could keep your things in the guest room.” He kissed the top of her head and ran his finger up and down her arm. “I never said anything about you staying in there.”
“Hawk … I want to tell you something.” She twisted toward him and rested her bent arm on his chest. It was important for her to be looking at him for the rest of this. “I … I care about you, so much. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before.”
Her feelings ran much deeper, but she chose not to say more, for fear of scaring him off.
“I care about you, too, Charlotte.” He stroked his hand over her head and caressed his thumb across her cheek.
“You have a way of making me feel so special.” She trailed a fingertip over his chest.
“Because you are special and so damn sexy.” He moved over her, lowered his head and nibbled at her lips, down her throat, and up to lick the rim of her ear.
“Hearing you say it makes it easier to believe.” Charlotte had never thought of herself as sexy, nor had anyone said that about her before.
“Are you ready for me again, Sweets?” His warm breath stirred her inside, then he shifted his hips and pressed his hard penis against the magical nub of nerves between her legs.
Charlotte spread her legs wider, and again, her hips rose of their own accord, reaching for satisfaction.
“Always,” she whispered.
He reached between them, set the tip of his dick against her opening, and entered her.
Charlotte gave Hawk everything—her trust, her body, and her heart.