Serving the Soldier - Part 2 (An Alpha Military Romance)

  Serving the Soldier

  PART 2

  By Helen Grey

  Copyright © 2015 Helen Grey

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  Book Description

  This is Part 2 of "Serving the Soldier" – a five part Hot Alpha Military Romance Series by Helen Grey.

  Alone in the house one morning, Angie succumbs to curiosity and snoops in Jax’s office, which has been deemed off limits to her. She discovers that Jax is rich – bloody rich. So why does he risk life and limb to be a soldier?

  Her intrigue about him and his invitation for some extra-curricular activity is just too tempting and she surrenders to their mutual attraction. The sex between them is hot, wet, and passionate. Nothing like she’d ever experienced.

  After a nice evening on the beach and a sizzling love-making session, Angie and Jax are on their way home when the threat on Jax’s life becomes very real.

  Angie’s terrified. Not only for herself, but for the man she’s beginning to care about. What should she do? She has to make a decision.

  Should she stay or should she go?

  This book is intended for a mature audience, 18+ only.

  Chapter 1

  I didn’t see too much of Jax the following day. I’m an early riser, so was up just before the sun came up. I got dressed and quietly made my way downstairs to the kitchen, thinking to brew up a pot of coffee and see what Jax had in the way of breakfast fixings. Not much.

  I would’ve settled for a bowl of Cheerios, a half-empty box I’d found in one cupboard. But when I went to the refrigerator for the milk, I found that he didn’t have any. I sighed.

  “Sorry, I’m not very well stocked at the moment.”

  I jumped, startled by his voice. I hadn’t heard a peep from him coming downstairs or heading into the kitchen. My heart thumping, I turned. There he stood, in his birthday suit. I pretended I didn’t care and gave him a quick and thorough inspection, shaking my head. “You have something against clothes?”

  He grinned. “Not really. It’s kind of liberating, actually. I usually have to wear so much gear, in addition to the uniform. It’s a nice change of pace.”

  I stared at him, making sure that my focus remained above his bellybutton. Again, he sent a grin my way.

  “Does my nudity bother you?”

  I closed my eyes, prayed for patience, and shook my head. “I guess not,” I admitted. “After all, it’s your house and you should be able to do anything in it you want.”

  “Anything?”

  I gave him another one of my looks, which I hoped conveyed the fact that I wasn’t going to fall for his odd sense of humor and innuendos. “I’ll make a run to the store today. If you want to make up a list and leave me some money, I can go early and get that out of the way. Unless of course, you want to go with me.”

  He shook his head and made a face. “I hate shopping.”

  “It would probably be good exercise,” I said. “How are you feeling this morning?”

  He shrugged and padded his way to one of the cupboards over the sink. Opening it, he withdrew a coffee mug, not caring in the least that he graced me with another view of his gorgeous backside.

  Despite my efforts not to notice, I couldn’t help it. I stared. He then stepped to the far end of the counter where the coffee pot had just finished gurgling and that fine ass kept my attention. After pouring himself a cup, he casually turned, and leaned carefully against the counter, crossing his legs while he sipped.

  I shook my head and laughed. There he stood in all his natural glory, his large, round penis prevalent over the darkness of curls at his groin. How could I not look? He was practically throwing it in my face. This was definitely something I would have to get used to.

  “Buy whatever you want. I’ll give you plenty of cash.”

  “Well, what do you like to eat?” I asked. In my mind I amended, besides pussy I mean. Once again I forced my thoughts away from his sexuality and focused on my tasks for the day. “Are you a breakfast eater? Do you skip lunch? Do you like the main meal of the day at noon or dinner time?”

  He shook his head. “Makes no nevermind to me, Angie,” he commented before taking another sip of coffee. He grinned and his eyes flicked down my body. “I’ll eat whatever’s put in front of me; whenever it’s put there.”

  Holy shit.

  “Okay then, it’s up to me,” I said, clearing my throat and putting my full attention back on my toes. “Anything else you need besides groceries? I don’t want to be gone too long in case you need to go somewhere.”

  “Take the SUV and shop as long as you want,” he said, finishing off his coffee and placing the cup carefully in the sink. “I’ll be out with Michael for a while today, so do what you want. I won’t be back ‘til around four o’clock this afternoon.”

  I nodded. Thoughts of breakfast forgotten, I turned to leave the kitchen.

  “No coffee?”

  I turned around, surprised. I had forgotten to pour myself a cup. Then again, the thought of standing next to his naked heat, pouring myself a cup of coffee probably wasn’t such a good idea. With my luck, I’d end up scalding myself. Or worse, his beautiful cock.

  “No,” I said. “The coffee was for you.”

  I left the kitchen, shaking my head, surprised at myself. Would I be able to spend more than five minutes at a time in the same room with the guy without getting all horny? This was ridiculous! I haven’t been here two days, and I was already so flustered and off my game that I began to wonder if I’d be able to do my job properly.

  I decided that I’d better call Nancy at some point today and ask about his former nurse. I also needed to give her an update. Of course, I wasn’t going to tell her everything, but at this point, I wasn’t quite sure how all this was going to turn out.

  I didn’t hear Jax moving around the house, but then again, I didn’t really expect to. I went into my room, leaving the door open as I sat down, pulled a small pad and pen out of my purse, and put together a shopping list. Just the basics, some possible ideas for dinner, and a few things for lunch, plus some fruit, chips, and snacks. I wasn’t sure what Jax liked to eat, but anyone in prime condition like he was probably wasn’t big on junk food. Then again, what did I know? I probably should’ve asked. To be honest with myself, I could do with a bit of junk food.

  When I got stressed, I turned to junk; salty, sweet, sour, it didn’t matter. I went into ‘grazing mode’, munching on anything that was handy from potato chips to Ding Dong’s to ice cream. I had a feeling I would need to stock up on those, and make use of Jax’s swimming pool so I didn’t pack on the pounds.

  My shopping list completed, I went in search of Jax to let him know I was leaving. I didn’t find him in his room, nor in his office, and thank God, not swimming naked in the pool. I went into the kitchen and left him a note that I had gone shopping, wrote down the time I left, and then looked in the small dish that he said held the keys to the SUV. I found them and opened the door that led from the kitchen to the garage, surprised to find two obviously new vehicles parked inside the three-car garage. One was a black SUV, the other a gray sedan.

  I clicked the button on the key remote and heard the doors of the black SUV unlock. As I climbed up into the seat and adjusted it, I glanced up and saw the garage door opener attached to the visor. I pushed it and the garage door slowly opened,
section by section. I put the key into the ignition and started the SUV, smiling at the responding purr. It was a gorgeous vehicle, and the dashboard reminded me somewhat of an instrument panel that should belong to an airplane, not a car. After making sure I knew where the windshield wipers were located, just in case, I put the car in reverse and backed out of the garage.

  I had decided to wait until I got to the store to call Nancy. I didn’t want Jax to hear me asking a bunch of questions about him. The SUV had a GPS system, but I didn’t know how to use one, so I just followed the road from his house until I turned onto William Hilton Parkway which hugged the seaboard side of the island.

  I drove along, taking my time, and eventually came to the Shelter Cove Town Center, which had a number of restaurants, department stores, a bank, and a supermarket. One of these days, I would have to explore the entire island. I knew I would find numerous resorts, spas, golf courses, and of course, waterways and rivers dotting the island.

  I turned into the parking lot, found a space, and parked. Before I got out, I pulled my cell phone from my pocket and dialed Nancy’s number.

  “Williams Nursing Agency.”

  “Nancy, it’s me,” I said in a rush.

  “Angie,” she said, sounding pleased to hear from me. “How’s it going?”

  As I talked to her, I allowed my gaze to watch shoppers coming and going, willing the normalness of other people’s lives to transfer to mine. I took a deep breath, and I gave her a brief rundown. “In a nutshell, he likes to walk around naked, he’s stubborn, and before I even got unpacked yesterday, he was jumping into a swimming pool.”

  Nancy laughed. “I told you he was noncompliant.”

  “He’s noncompliant on steroids,” I said, joining in on her humor. “Well, we’ll see how we get on. I’m at the store at the moment, stocking in some supplies.”

  “Well, just try to keep him on track with his rehab instructions, but you know as well as I do that we can only go so far encouraging patients to follow doctor’s orders.”

  “I have to tell you, Nancy. Something he said last night caught me by surprise.”

  “What was that?”

  “He said that I was his new nurse,” I replied. “What’s that all about?”

  “Oh,” she said. “I’m sorry I didn’t say anything yesterday, Angie, but I wanted to see how you two got along. Apparently, he did have another nurse from another agency, and before you ask, I won’t name it. Anyway, she spent about half a day with him and practically ran screaming from the house. His penchant for waltzing around naked was one of the reasons she apparently gave for not sticking around.”

  “So you knew he’s an exhibitionist?” I raised my eyebrows at my phone.

  “Welllll.” She stretched the word out until it was four syllables long. “It was mentioned that he was naked a time or two, but I thought she was exaggerating.”

  I laughed. “So he’s tried this naughty boy routine before?”

  She coughed, but I could hear the humor in her voice. “Apparently so.”

  “So he’s acting like a little boy trying to get rid of the babysitter, is that it?”

  Nancy barked out a laugh. “I knew you would have him pegged within a short period of time.” She paused before continuing. “In all seriousness though, Angie. It’s important that we always try to keep him as compliant as possible. If he has any chances of returning to his squadron, his injuries have to heal completely and correctly. Do what you can to convey the importance of that to him. I know it’s got to be difficult, but if anyone can do it, I know you can.”

  Oh, I had no doubt regarding my capabilities to do my job, for the most part. Still, there was no way I was going to let on regarding my sexual attraction to Jax, nor of the potential danger he might be in because of his job. I would just have to wait and see.

  “Is there anything else, Angie? I sense a bit of hesitation.”

  I sighed. “Not really, Nancy, I guess it’s just getting used to a new live-in situation. Haven’t done that in a while, and to be honest, I’ve never had a client as young as Jax. He’s a handful.” I felt the heat of a blush make its way up my neck. God, I couldn’t say anything without it alluding to Jax’s well-endowed body. Good grief!

  “You let me know if you have any difficulties. Keep me posted and let me know if you need anything, or if you need a break.”

  “Will do,” I said. “Well, I’d better get to the shopping. He’s letting me drive his SUV, which is nice, and offers a nicer ride than my old clunker. If I need anything, I’ll holler.”

  “You do that, Angie,” Nancy said, then disconnected the call.

  I sat in the car for several more minutes, just watching people come and go. I needed to get my head straight. I needed to get past this intense sexual attraction to Jax or I wouldn’t be able to do my job. That was first and foremost. I was the nurse and he was the patient. He answered to me, or was supposed to, and not the other way around. If I couldn’t concentrate on my job or if I let him get away with things I ordinarily wouldn’t let another client get away with, then I was failing not only him, but myself.

  Pushing thoughts of Jax to the back of my mind, I stepped out of the SUV, locked it with the remote, and entered the grocery store, my mind on nothing, for the moment, but the shopping list.

  ***

  By the time I got back to Jax’s house, a couple of hours had passed. I had taken my time at the grocery store, just enjoying the brain break. It wasn’t as if I was mentally exhausted like I usually was taking care of a dementia patient. On the other hand, I was mentally exhausted for completely other reasons.

  I realized that I had been on pins and needles ever since Jax opened the front door to me yesterday. The neurons in my brain had been firing constantly, until I had fallen into a deep sleep last night. The constant awareness, stimulation, and expectation of those feelings around Jax exhausted me as much as taking care of a patient in the throes of Sundown syndrome.

  I felt the beginning of a headache building behind my eyes, and after I brought the groceries in, I went upstairs to my bathroom to take a few aspirin. Jax didn’t appear to be back yet, although the gray sedan was still parked in the garage. They had probably taken Michael’s vehicle since Jax wasn’t supposed to drive yet. Where they went or how long they’d be gone I had no idea, nor was it any of my business. As long as he wasn’t jumping out of an airplane.

  I would put away the groceries, start something for dinner, and then probably just go sit in my room and read. I might even watch some TV in the den or sitting room, or whatever he called it.

  It didn’t take me long to put away and organize the groceries and start a crockpot for chicken and dumplings. What Southern boy didn’t like chicken and dumplings? With some idle time on my hands and not finding anything interesting on television, I decided to take the opportunity to explore Jax’s home a little more thoroughly.

  Leaving the kitchen, I returned to the front room, or living room — damn, this house was complicated — taking in the rich woodwork, the hardwood flooring, and passing my hand over the lovely fabric on the furniture. It all looked very expensive, but not the kind you couldn’t sit on or relax in.

  From there, I meandered through the den/sitting room/library, where the huge flat screen TV was bordered by shelves of books. In a cabinet under the television, I found a number of DVDs, some of them X-rated. After a quick glance at the titles, I quickly put them back exactly the way I had found them.

  Leaving the den, I ventured upstairs. Although Jax had asked me not to go into his office, my curiosity got the best of me. The door was open, so it’s not like there was anything top secret in there. Besides, he wouldn’t know I had snooped, would he?

  Just to be sure I wasn’t tempted to touch anything, I shoved my hands in my jeans pockets and entered his office. I just wanted to look. This room, as opposed to any other room in the house, had more personality than the others. Other than some framed pieces of regional art work, no personal item
s hung on the walls throughout the rest of the house. In here though, it was different.

  On the walls hung a variety of framed photographs. With my hands still in my pockets, I moved from wall to wall, gazing at photographs of Jax and his buddies in a variety of locations. In each photo, he wore combat fatigues. One looked like it was taken on a beach, the other in the desert, and yet still another in a jungle. There weren’t many photos of him in civilian clothes, nor did I see any photographs of him with anyone I would have assumed was family.

  The room had an odd collection of modern items as well as what looked to be antiques, and I wondered about his family history. Had he grown up in this house? Was it his? Did it belong to a friend or acquaintance and he was just staying here to recuperate? Perhaps it belonged to a family member, but then again, with no family photographs… it was like the guy didn’t have a history. I knew he had to come from somewhere, but if he did, it certainly wasn’t acknowledged on these walls.

  It looked like the guys in his special ops unit were his family. I studied one photograph which looked like it had been taken rather recently and wondered if it was Afghanistan. I saw Michael in the photo, as well as several other guys, wondering if they were the men Michael had been talking about at the dinner table last evening. Which one of them was dead? Which one of them had survived yet another combat tour and then come home only to be murdered, or at least die under suspicious circumstances?

  After I had gazed my fill at photographs on the wall, I ventured behind the large oak desk situated in front of a window that looked out over the backyard and the pool. On the desk, I saw a variety of papers, envelopes, and memo pads. A rather haphazard stack of papers was piled on one side of the desk. Some looked like bank statements. A lined and blank yellow memo pad lay on top of the stack. However, a portion of what I assumed was a bank statement peeked out from beneath the pad and I leaned over to get a better look while scolding myself for being so nosy at the same time. It was none of my business how much money Jax had, and his bank account was certainly none of—