The Soldier's Final Mission Read online

  EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ®

  www.evernightpublishing.com

  Copyright© 2017 Laura M. Baird

  ISBN: 978-1-77339-525-8

  Cover Artist: Jay Aheer

  Editor: Lisa Petrocelli

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  DEDICATION

  Being prior Army enlisted, I’ve had a taste of military life. Many have had, and others will have assignments much more difficult than I ever did; and my heart goes out to them, their families, and their sacrifices. I pray for every service member’s safety and well-being, for their service to have been worthy and rewarding, and for their lives to be fulfilling.

  THE SOLDIER’S FINAL MISSION

  Romance on the Go ®

  Laura M. Baird

  Copyright © 2017

  Bob thought back, remembering the first time he laid eyes on Becca. Blonde curls bounced around her pixie face as she raced across the sand. Her carefree laughter had joined the call of the gulls that flew overhead. Her compact, shapely body had been the perfect blend of muscles and curves in his opinion. And he got quite the eyeful of that combination as her bikini had allowed for ample viewing of her golden skin.

  Becca worked with Bob’s cousin, Tessa, at a local bank, and had recently become her new roommate even though they’d been working together for a few years. They shared a house with two others in Fayetteville, North Carolina, but this weekend, the girls were having a get-together on the coast in Surf City. Tessa had begged Bob to come, and told him to bring friends. At first he’d been reluctant, but his cousin had been relentless.

  One look at Becca made him glad that he hadn’t resisted.

  Bob had been stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, as part of the SOF—Special Operations Forces. He’d been stateside for the last two months but knew that could change in an instant.

  “I’m glad you decided to come,” Tessa said in greeting as she wrapped an arm around Bob’s waist.

  “Yeah, figured might as well enjoy some downtime while I can.” He gladly accepted the beer that Tessa handed him. Two of his buddies came up behind them. “Tessa, you remember Jake and Garrett?

  “I sure do. Glad ya’ll could make it. Grab a beer while I strike up the grill.”

  Jake offered to help.

  “Sure thing. Wendi and Keisha are in the kitchen, and that’s Becca out there trying to race those birds.”

  “Looks like she’s holding her own,” Bob commented, admiring her power and determination. A bit jealous of her uninhibited fun.

  “Yeah, used to run track in high school. Keeps trying to get me up every mornin’ to join her on her runs. But you know me,” she said and winked. “I like my beauty sleep too much.”

  “Well, it’s working for ya,” Bob quipped.

  “Sweet talker.” She nudged him with her hip. “I can see you like the view. Go on out there and get some sun on those chicken legs,” she teased before nodding to the guys. “Let’s go, boys.”

  While Tessa headed for the grill, with Jake and Garrett following, Bob grabbed a second beer and made his way down the deck steps and onto the sand. The Atlantic was about fifty yards in front of him, the foamy water inching its way closer as the tide came in. The rental Tessa secured had a nice beachfront with few neighbors, and Becca was the only other person out there.

  He slowly made his way across the sand, taking in more details of Becca’s fine body. She couldn’t have been more than five feet tall, maybe a hundred pounds. Her hair stopped just short of her shoulders, and Bob noticed a tattoo peeking out at the base of her neck. He’d have to get closer to see what it was, and he planned to do exactly that.

  ****

  Becca had made two more runs before she stopped chasing the gulls. She had been so close to touching one before it veered off, making her laugh. She loved running. It’s what saved her in high school.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the male form making his way toward her. She saw him the moment he stepped onto the deck. Saw Tessa hug him. Saw ink on his tan, muscular arms. And although his legs were muscled as well, they were in need of some sun. He was tall and sported a blond crew cut. Sunglasses made it impossible to see his eyes, but she knew they were hazel. She’d seen enough pictures of him from Tessa.

  ****

  Bob got within five feet of Becca before she turned to face him. It gave him enough time to see that the tattoo on her neck looked like the symbol for female, only it had a partial U on top of the circle. He’d later learn that it’s the symbol for Mercury—the winged foot god. Shielding the sun with her hand, her green eyes crinkled at the corners when she smiled broadly at him.

  “Hey, Bob.”

  The corner of his mouth lifted. “Tessa must’ve warned you about me.” He shifted the beers to one hand in order to remove his sunglasses.

  Her light laughter caused a stirring in his chest. And elsewhere.

  “No, no warnin’s. She praises you. Glad you made it.”

  “Me too. Care for a beer?” He held out one of the bottles.

  “Thanks,” she answered while taking his offering.

  As she drank, Bob took in every detail. Her delicate fingers wrapping around the bottle, her lips puckering at the opening. She closed her eyes as she tipped her head back slightly, throat pulsing as she swallowed the liquid. Those few seconds were all he needed to see the goose bumps rising on her arms, her nipples pebbling beneath the fabric of her bikini.

  She lowered her arm and Bob jerked his gaze back to her face. She sighed and smiled. “Not much better than ice cold beer on a hot summer day.”

  Bob lifted his beer and agreed before taking a drink of his own.

  “Guess you know I’m Becca, Tessa’s roommate.”

  “I do. She told me you enjoy running, which I gathered when I saw you. Said you ran track in high school.”

  “I did. Loved it. Still do.” She took another drink, this time keeping her eyes on him.

  “Tessa said you’ve been unsuccessful in getting her to join you for your morning runs.”

  She grinned while gesturing with the bottle in his direction. “True so far, but I’m not givin’ up.”

  “Plan on running tomorrow morning?”

  “Yep.”

  “Mind if I join you?” Bob took a drink, draining the last of his beer.

  “On one condition.”

  “Sure.”

  “I set the pace. I can just see you takin’ off like a rocket, leavin’ me in the dust.”

  He smiled. “Nah, I wouldn’t do that to you.”

  “Uh-huh.” She laughed before draining her bottle as well.

  “Want another?” Bob asked.

  “No, thanks, I’m gonna splash in the water. Care to join me?”

  “I’ll just enjoy the view for now, if that’s okay.” His mouth curved in what must have been a mischievous grin, and he enjoyed seeing what looked to be a confident smile grace her tempting mouth.

  “Sure.”

  Bob took the empty beer bottle from Becca before she turned and ran for the water. Damn, what a fine ass! He watched her make it up to her knees before diving underneath an oncoming wave. After a few seconds, she surfaced and started swimming. She made it out to the crest of another wave and bodysurfed back in a bit. Bob remained fixated on Becca as she r
epeated the cycle about half a dozen times before finally making her way back onto the beach.

  Bob watched her slick the water out of her hair, watched the droplets that remained on her skin glisten from the sunlight. He had put his sunglasses back on and was thankful she couldn’t see his predatory stare. He’d better get ahold of himself, or else there’d be no missing the erection that was trying to take shape in his shorts.

  God, she was desirable. And as much as he’d love to “hit-it-and-quit-it,” he wasn’t that kind of guy. His job required being called out at a moment’s notice, and he wasn’t about to hook up with someone, only to leave them for who knew how long.

  Been there, done that. Didn’t work out so well the first time.

  ****

  Becca may not have been able to see his eyes, but she knew the hunger was there as his concentration on her never wavered. He held his body rigid, keeping himself in tight control, but she was certain he could spring into action in a matter of seconds. She then noticed a slight shift in his stance, causing her to smile, knowing that his body was reacting to hers. Hers was definitely responding to his as her skin became flush, and not just from the heat of the sun. Her sex clenched and she had to stifle a moan as she thought about all the sinful delights they could offer one another.

  Becca had developed a crush on her roommate’s cousin from the first picture she had seen of him. The elation of his first jump. And every one after that. She loved the stories and pictures Tessa would share of Bob. They were as close as brother and sister, each being an only child and having no other family besides their parents.

  That had been something Becca couldn’t relate to, as she came from a family of six siblings. She was the baby of the family, and although you usually hear that the baby is, well, babied, that wasn’t the case for her. She’d been mostly on her own, lost in the mix so to speak. She learned to be independent at an early age, and that independence got her into trouble at times. That is, before the encouragement of a certain athletic coach got her on track. Literally.

  Becca found strength and freedom in her physical abilities. She could lose herself on a run, feel the power in her body, and enjoy the high brought on by the endorphins. Not much compared to that for her. Not even her few attempts at sex over the years.

  But with Bob, she somehow knew it’d be different. She’d dreamt about him. How crazy was that? And when Tessa said that she thought she’d finally convinced him to come out for the weekend, Becca had been ecstatic. She knew about his short-lived relationship with another gal and the child they shared. They never married, but according to Tessa, they were civil toward one another, remaining friends and doing what was best for their little girl. That made Bob all the more admirable in her eyes.

  And if she had anything to say or do about it, she’d make herself available to him. She just wanted the chance to see what, if anything, could develop between them.

  She was really looking forward to the weekend.

  ****

  The helicopter ride was anything but smooth as the pilot darted around the hillsides in the dark. Bob was leading a recon group into the mountains of Afghanistan, just north of Kabul. Intel led them to believe that an insurgent cell was thickening and an attack was imminent. The mission was to verify the intel, assess the situation, and see what course of action, if any, was needed. The copter was going to get them onto the western side of the mountains and they’d hike east toward the target.

  Equipped with NVG’s—night vision goggles—the men were readying for their rappel. One last check of the gear, ropes secure, and down they slid. Within seconds the six-man team hit the ground. Crouching, scanning, they waited until the copter took off before making sure the area was clear. Bob gave the signal and one by one they began to move. Jake and Garrett were among the men, Jake taking point. They were followed by Scotty, Mack, and Raul, with Bob bringing up the rear.

  With stealth and discipline, they silently made their way through trees and across treacherous rock. Intense training had conditioned the men for missions like this. But the true conditioner was the mission itself, and Bob, at the age of thirty-three had completed plenty of them over the last ten years. Their trek should put them on target about an hour before sunrise, which would be five hours from now.

  Plenty of time to contemplate. Focus on the mission. Review every detail given. Run through every possible scenario. Communications check complete. So far so good.

  With hours of marching ahead, Bob couldn’t keep his mind from drifting back to the weekend in Surf City. Hard to believe that it’d been nearly six years already. Becca had never been far from his thoughts, even if she was half a world away.

  That Friday night all those years ago had been a relaxing time at the beach house with plenty of food, stories, and laughter. What he wouldn’t give to go back to that day … to do things differently.

  As they say, hindsight is 20/20…

  ****

  Bob took it easy on the beers, enjoying only a few so as not to feel sluggish in the morning for his run with Becca. There had been plenty of flirting and coziness amongst the group with everyone easily pairing off. And when Bob watched his cousin take off with Jake, all he could think was that they were grown adults and could do whatever the heck they pleased. He certainly wasn’t Tessa’s keeper. She knew the score and was capable of holding her own with Jake by having a good time and not expecting more than that from the guy.

  Sometimes all a person needed was a good weekend romp—the release of some sexual tension.

  That was something Bob thought more on as he sat cuddling with Becca. They were tangled together on a lounge chair in front of a fire that danced in the built-in pit. The deck was vacated by everyone else as they sought out their own private space. While Becca had been more reserved than the others with her flirting, Bob could tell she enjoyed what was happening between the two of them. He sure as hell was.

  Stars lit up the dark sky and most of the warmth from earlier still hung in the air, making the fire more for ambience than necessity. Bob couldn’t remember a time in the last few years when he’d felt more relaxed as he listened to the rhythm of the crashing waves. The calming effect they had did wonders for him. He also loved smelling the briny air as a nice breeze blew in off the shore. And if the contented sighs coming from Becca were any indication of her relaxed state, she would be downright pliant beneath his hands.

  Not that he planned on forcing anything between them or doing something she wasn’t comfortable with. But Bob had a feeling there was eagerness on her part, and the more he sat with her, the more eager he too felt. Just where it would lead had yet to be decided.

  Becca wore shorts and a tank top as she sat nestled between his legs with her back to his chest, Bob’s arms nestled around her waist. She was running her bare foot up and down the length of his leg while her fingernails lightly raked across his thighs, effectively stirring his libido. Bob wanted to cup her sweet little tits that had been teasing him, as she wore no bra, and feel her nipples tighten beneath his fingers. And that was just for starters. His erection strained against his shorts, pressing into her lower back.

  Becca shifted, wiggling her ass between his legs and causing her body to rub against his crotch. The little devil turned and lifted her face to his with a smile, and Bob couldn’t stop himself from capturing her lips, accepting her surefire invitation. Their earlier kisses were tame compared to what he unleashed upon her, ravaging her mouth and sweeping his tongue inside to duel with hers. He tasted the remnants of her beer along with citrus from the wedge of orange she had had with her drink.

  When she lifted her arms to wrap around the back of his head, Bob’s hands found their way to Becca’s chest, palming her breasts through the thin material and lightly squeezing. Her back arched as she moaned, further spurring him on. His hands trailed down her torso to slip beneath her top in order to find her smooth skin. And damn if she didn’t feel like warm silk.

  He took the kiss deeper, more sava
ge as she pressed into his hands, obviously enjoying his touch as he rolled her pebbled nipples. With great effort, Bob tore his mouth away from Becca’s and whispered raggedly in her ear. “I need to touch more of you.”

  “God, yes,” she answered breathlessly.

  Bob licked her neck and suckled as he moved a hand down her belly to her shorts. He deftly flicked open the button and slid down the zipper, allowing him entrance. Sliding his hand between her panties and skin, he felt her smooth pussy and groaned. Continuing on, he slipped his fingers between her lower lips and found her dripping, her hot liquid bathing his digits.

  “Fuck, you’re soaking wet, Becca,” he growled.

  “Mm hmm,” was all she could manage as she tilted her hips, pressing into his hand, seeking more. With her hands still banded around his head, she pulled his mouth to hers, initiating another savage kiss between them.

  As he sank his fingers into her, she gasped, and all Bob could think about was replacing his fingers with his mouth. He tore his mouth away from hers and said, “I need to taste you.” He withdrew his fingers and lightly tapped her clit, adding, “Right here.”

  Becca jolted and gave a hoarse reply of consent.

  Quickly untangling himself from her body, he moved off the chair, adjusting it so that it lay flat, commanding her to lie back. He saw the desire, the willingness in her eyes as she moved her body parallel with the lounger. And Bob wasted no time in towering over her, ridding her body of the shorts and panties in one movement. As he bent her legs at the knees, he straddled the chair at her feet, sitting close, facing her.

  He knew she was already revved up and didn’t think it’d take long before she came, but he wanted to linger, savor. Bob held her ankles and gently spread her legs, draping them around his hips as he slowly caressed her inner thighs. He teased her crease before parting her lips once again, watching as her juices glistened and her sex throbbed. His own erection throbbed mercilessly within his shorts, begging for release, but he’d hold out until he brought pleasure to Becca first.