Page 28 of Sloane

He snorted and gripped my shoulder. “Ash, if anyone’s gonna be a third wheel—it’s my friends, not you.”

I couldn’t fight the smile that spread across my face at the thought of being included with his friends. I leaned over to peck him on the cheek. “Then I’d love to go with you.”

Sloane pulled me into an embrace, turning me away from him so we were spooning. I could feel his cock thicken when he pressed it against my backside.

His hands slid up my stomach to cup my boobs when he murmured in my ear, “I’ve got another hour before I have to get ready.”

I wiggled my ass against his now rock-hard shaft.

“Oh? What should we do to pass the time?”

“Are you ready for Round Two, sweetness?”

“Ready, willing, and able, Captain Davidson.”

“Mmm, that’s my girl.”

His girl.

I liked the sound of that.

Chapter Ten

Sloane

I’d never enjoyed a car ride to the base as much as I did with Ashley in the passenger seat chatting away with her observations about life. Her letters really had been genuine because having a conversation with her was just like reading one of her letters.

She was utterly endearing.

As we got closer to the base, she became noticeably quieter.

“Everything okay, sweetness?”

Her brows were pulled together when she glanced over at me. “Yeah, why?”

“You just got quiet all of a sudden.”

“Oh, I was just thinking…”

“About?”

“About when you have to leave—how hard it’s going to be to say goodbye. Then I was thinking about all the men and women with families and how difficult it must be for them.”

I nodded. “It’s why I’ve never had a serious girlfriend.”

Until now.

Hang on, Marine. You’re getting a little ahead of yourself.

I continued, “I wouldn’t want to put her through that.”

At that moment I realized, I shouldn’t put Ashley through that either.

“I think it comes with the territory of loving someone willing to put their life on the line for the benefit of others. How is it any different than spouses of firefighters and police officers?”

She had a point, still…

“Well, their shifts don’t last a year or more. That’s a long time to be separated from someone you’re in a relationship with. A lot of lonely nights.”