Danny walks me to where he’s staying after the military police arrived and I filed a report. His room is more private, more spacious, and more secluded than mine. He has government furniture just like the rest of us. Yet his room looks more elegant. The way the room was built, it’s more modern and feels more cozy. White walls with dark gray colored doors. Bright ceiling lights illuminate the bedroom. His bed is covered in plain white bed sheets and two black pillows.
He has only three photographs pinned to a bulletin board as decoration. As I walk closer to see them, I see one photo of Danny and his mom. The second one is Danny hiking in tall mountains on a snow-covered trail. The third is a group picture with Kane, Paul, Gabriel, and Rooker all in their Navy uniforms, holding rifles. It’s weird seeing Gabriel, in uniform.
I smile looking at the photographs. These photos gave me a little more insight into Danny’s personal life. His mother was beautiful and tall, fit, with blonde hair. The photo was from his Navy boot camp graduation day. It looks like the day he officially became a Navy SEAL. And I wondered where his dad was in these pictures. His dad hadn’t abandoned him like mine from what I can remember.
I turn around to search for Danny but I bump into a black shirt instead. I look up to meet Danny’s eyes and I immediately regret it. I feel like my chest drops to my stomach as if it’s anchoring down deep into an ocean. His ocean blue eyes. His gaze was as if he was starving and I was his meal, his lips curled up in a small smirk.
I gulped, trying to do anything to relieve my emotions. He had left me in his room when we just got here so he could go smoke a cigarette. Burn one as he likes to say.
I break away from our eyes locking and look down instead, letting my side bangs fall into my face.
“Where’s your father in these pictures? Wouldn’t a day like becoming a Navy SEAL interest him? ” I point to the photographs on his bulletin board, turning around.
“He was there that day.”
“So why isn’t there a picture of him with you and your mom?”
“Why do you like to ask so many questions?” He walks closer to me.
“I’m inquisitive.”
He groans frustrated, running his hand through his hair as he stares at the bulletin board.
“We don’t talk. I stopped talking to him when I found out he’d been fucking one of his employees while my mom was pregnant with their IVF baby.”
My mouth hangs open as I’m digesting the news of a cliche work affair. I can’t imagine how his mom felt when she found out her husband’s been having an affair while she was carrying their child.
“Oh… I’m, um, sorry.” I stutter over my words, stopping myself from asking further questions.
He watches me and I can feel his demeanor completely change from the protective Danny moments ago to a man hardened with anger.
‘Danny, I think… I think we should talk about what Kane insinuated about you and my brothers’ death.’
Danny stiffens when I say death.
‘I’d rather revisit this conversation later. I’m tired. I’ve been up all night dealing with work and you haven’t slept either.’ Danny grumbles, sleepiness laced in his tone.
“No I haven’t, but–”
“Another day then… maybe. I’m not allowed to disclose anything about that mission. Kane’s an imbecile who can’t keep his fucking mouth shut about things he knows nothing about.”
I bite my lip thinking of what to say.
‘I don’t know…’ I shake my head. Danny gets closer to my ear.
‘Ari. Go. Home. I can’t protect you here and on top of that, I’m leaving. I won’t be here if that person comes looking for you again. Look what just fucking happened to your room. Why can’t you trust me? Listen to me.’
‘I don’t need your protection. I’m staying. Why do you even care?” I’m not backing down. He huffs out a breath and gets closer to me.
“Because I made a promise.”
I flinch.
“What’re you talking about? What promise?” He ignores my question and that just infuriates me even more.
‘I hate you.’
My heart drops and my eyebrows narrow inwards. I’m confused and thrown off by his words. It came out of nowhere.
‘What? Why do you hate me? What have I done to you?’
‘Exist.’
Ouch.
My mouth goes dry and I’m trying to remain calm.
‘Your existence alone brings me to my knees and I hate you for that. I hate that you’ve invaded every part of my mind. Before you, I was a simple man. Work, train, sleep, eat, repeat. I didn’t have to fucking worry about anybody else. I hate that ever since I’ve got a taste of you, all I want to do is devour the rest of you. I hate that you’re Paul’s sister because it makes it even more fucked up to want you. ‘ Danny snarls at me, his voice raising louder in my ear. I jump every time he says the word, hate.
‘Most of all I fucking hate that I don’t hate you.‘ His palm collides with the wall behind me, causing me to flinch.
Danny’s breathing intensifies.
‘Well, I hate you.’ I snap back. Looking at him ferociously, I push him with my palm away from me but he doesn’t move a centimeter.
‘You’re so fucking confusing! You make me feel things that I never thought were possible. Then you’re making me feel horrible… for what? Working at this hospital, as a nurse? I won’t apologize for trying to do something to honor Paul. You become this asshole every time I’m near!” I say, walking closer to him, closing the gap between us attempting to intimidate him but failing miserably.
His jaw clenches and I wince. My eyes shuttering closed then opening them again.
“You can’t be here and I’m going to make sure of it. Tomorrow I’m going to make some calls to have you transferred back.”
My eyes bulge.
“You can’t do that to me. You don’t get to do that to me Danny! I’m helping people and you need to accept that.”
“What you witness at the hospital is only a small fraction of the evil that awaits past this military post. You can’t be near me. You’re a distraction.”
I’m a distraction?
He pauses and licks his lips.
‘I know you, Ari. I know deep down you’re fucking aching to feel what it’s like to indulge in the sins that plague your mind.’ A smug look on his face and I know he has more intentions than he’s leading on. He’s trying to distract me from this heavy conversation. I understand it’s painful for him but I deserve to get some answers.
‘I want to know what Kane was implying.’ I’m silenced, unable to finish my sentence.
‘I. Can’t.’
‘You can’t. Funny. Just like you promised you won’t touch me again?’ I challenge.
He scoffs. The sound was deep and mouth-watering, it sends shivers down my legs and between my thighs. God, even his noises just arouse me. I clench my thighs together trying to relax the throbbing pulsation in between them. I can feel myself getting wet.
Damn him.
‘Exactly. I’m a man of my word. I won’t touch you. But I know you want me to. I know the way you tremble when I say your name. The way you blush every time you look me in the eyes. Or when you bite your bottom lip when you get so flustered around me. I promise you that if I touch you again, if I give in to all the things I’ve thought about doing to you… you won’t ever want to leave me alone.’ He growls. I stand there taking in his request. Every hair on my body stands up with arousal and curiosity. Danny on the other hand is not moving an inch and I couldn’t understand how.
Was I really going to give all of myself to him? The way he looks at me with such desire. His hot and cold behavior towards me that’s always so damn infuriating. The way I’ve always felt safe with him since the day I met him in that bar. It’s unfair. It’s a sin. He is the sin.
For the first time in my life, I don’t want to think too hard about this. Every single decision I’ve made has always been well thought out and calculated. I’ve been raised to fear sex. To fear being naked around any man that wasn’t my husband. To feel insecure about embracing sexuality which I’ve come to realize is a normal thing to experience at my age now. These kinds of things were engraved into the way I function like a permanent tattoo. For once, I refuse to think. I act.
I clear my throat.
“You’re wrong Danny. I think if I give all of myself to you, you’re the one that won’t be able to leave me alone.”
He huffs out a breath, smirking so wicked, licking his teeth. He lifts his palm over my head, leaning on the wall behind me.
“Ari… This is the first and only chance I’m going to give you to run away from me. I’m growing impatient. My way of fucking isn’t sweet. It isn’t nice. It isn’t soft. If you let me, I will break you but trust me, baby, you’ll keep wanting me to, begging me to. I don’t care if this is your first time. This is who I am. I like to blend pleasure with pain and fracture boundaries.”
My eyes widen.
Oh, fuck.
My heart quickens as I’m trying to understand what he means by his kinks. This is a new leaf I’m turning over so if he thinks he can scare me away, he’s wrong.
“Fear me now, little Angel?” He grabs my pink necklace, by the cross.
Instead of talking, I decided to act on my emotions… I grab his other hand and I bring his thumb on my tongue, then I close my mouth on it, hollowing my cheeks, and suck it gently at first then hard. Looking up at Danny now, my eyes rolling upwards, to watch his reaction. Danny stops breathing for a second as he watches me suck his thumb. He lets out a breath and hums.
He’s satisfied.
“Are you scared, Danny?” I stop sucking and it ends with a smacking noise. I don’t know what I just started but I hope to God it doesn’t end. My heart’s beating fast and I’m wondering if Danny will retreat like last time. Can he hear my heart beating outside of my chest?
He pauses and laughs, a dark laugh that reverberates through his chest it sounds so good.
“Nothing scares me.”
One of Danny’s hands moves so smoothly around my neck and I flinch, remembering when his tight grip was on me a few days ago. He rips my cross necklace off of my neck faster than I can blink and puts it in his pocket. I gasp as I watch him rip it off my neck so easily. He moves to caress my cheek, gently at first but then he moves to the back of my head pulling my hair tight, making my head whip back as he brings himself crashing to me. Our lips collide with a never-ending passion and another feeling, that treads the definition of hatred and need.
His tongue immediately travels into my mouth exploring the depths of it. I’m immediately taken aback. Unsure and not confident with myself, I do my best to make sure my tongue’s dancing and keeping up with his. Something inside me burns as the seconds go by.
Was he really going to do this?
As our kissing heightens more and more, his hands explore my scrubs, untying my pants and throwing them down at my feet. I quickly kick off my shoes and step out of my pants leaving me in my soaked green panties and scrub top.
All I want to do right now is bury my sadness away in his arms. There’s no doubt in my mind this is where I want to be right now.
Danny takes off his shirt, throwing it on the floor beside him. His tattoos and scars are on full display. A sand clock on the left side of his chest, in my glossy eyes.
Soon after, Danny grabs my scrub top and yanks it over my head with such force it’s frightening. He’s eager, impatient, and angry. His huge hands take up almost half of my shirt. I’m way over my head. I don’t know what to do to please him. A little voice in my head screams at me to not overthink and follow his lead. To just try and stay in sync with his movements. Danny seems to notice my hesitation.
‘I’m going to go easy on your body this time baby, don’t worry,’ Danny reassures me, but I can’t help but feel like it’s a lie. ‘Next time you won’t be so lucky. I won’t hold back like I am right now and you’ll know what I really want to do to this perfect cunt of yours.”
I swallow. What did he mean by that? How much would he be holding back? And what would he be holding back?
It’s six in the morning now and I haven’t slept since the day before. I’m going almost twenty-four hours without sleep and I know once this is over I’m probably going to drift into a deep exhausted slumber.
I reach for his sweatpants untying it, I grip the waistband along with the lining of his boxers, about to push his pants down, but Danny stops me, gripping my hands tight with his calloused hands. Both of us panting with lust. I look at him with circled confused eyes. Did I do something wrong?
‘Once you pull down those pants, my cock will be the first and only cock that will ever be inside of you. Do you understand that Ari? If I find out any other man tries to take what’s mine, he’ll wish he hadn’t.’ He threatens into my ear. Something about his possessive threat has me even more drawn to him.
I freeze.
‘Or what?’ I challenge. I smirk and I don’t understand what’s gotten into me. I feel like the lust has taken possession of my body.
‘Oh, Cherry, I think you forget that I’m the military’s most lethal trained killer…” He smiles wickedly and at this moment I feel like Danny reveals a sadistic part of himself and I’m not so sure I want to unravel it. ‘I’ve sent way too many souls to hell, I wouldn’t hesitate to send another if they even look at what’s mine.‘ I shiver at his threat, yet it sends me howling for more.
‘Kane asked me out on a date and I said yes,’ I mutter through my heavy breathing. Way to pick a time, to be honest, Ari. Such great timing.
Danny’s smile is gone and he’s angry. His blue eyes turn dark and the brightness in them is long gone. He grabs the back of my head palming it, and the next thing I know, he’s pushing me up against the wall hard enough that it makes a loud thud when my body collides with it. Before I can react and question Danny, he grabs my legs throwing me upwards so I’m now straddling him against the wall, I cross my legs around his waist securing myself.
‘Cancel it. Your Cherry is mine to take.’
