Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 109205 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 546(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109205 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 546(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
With a sigh, I headed toward the room and mumbled, “Hunter, you left the light on again.”
A whinny came from my right, and I turned to see Firelight bobbing his head. “I know, buddy, but it’s going to snow and we all know you’re actually a pansy ass when it comes to snow. Plus, it’s dark out. You don’t like the dark. You don’t want to go ride in the snow and the dark, do you?”
I walked over and gently rubbed the side of his neck…and frowned.
Sweat.
I looked into the stall and asked, “Did someone ride you?”
“Someone did.”
I froze. I’d know that voice anywhere.
Slowly, I turned—and saw Aiden leaning against the tack room doorframe.
I was positive my mouth hit the floor and my insides nearly burst on the spot. If I had thought eighteen-year-old Aiden was handsome, I was not ready for twenty-one-year-old Aiden. He stood before me in jeans and a long-sleeve T-shirt that hugged his upper body in the most delicious of ways. It was almost sinful how hot he looked. A backwards baseball cap sat on his head, a SEAL trident stitched on the back. His jaw was covered with the slightest bit of stubble. His body looked like one of those chiseled statues you’d find in Rome somewhere of a handsome Roman fighter. He had a smoking-hot body.
Oh. Holy. Hell.
“Aiden,” I whispered as a smile grew across my face. “Oh my gosh, Aiden!”
Without even thinking, I ran to him and threw myself into his outstretched arms. I hadn’t seen him since he had graduated more than three years ago.
Three years.
He had come home once since then, but I had been on a school trip to Italy at the time and had just missed him.
“You’re home! You’re really here!” I said as my body instantly heated from Aiden’s arms wrapped tightly around me.
“I’m not home long,” he said, his arms slowly letting go of their grip on me. “I’m between deployments, I have to head back to Virginia Beach in a few days. I’m sorry I missed you the last time I was on leave.”
“It’s okay! I hated that I was on that stupid school trip.”
He finally stepped back and gave me a once-over. “Wow, Willa, you’ve certainly grown up.”
“You’ve changed too,” I said with a slight chuckle. I ran my finger along his stubble and tried not to let him notice how my hand trembled. “I didn’t think you could possible get any more handsome.”
He laughed and shook his head. “You never were afraid to say what you thought.”
I grinned. “Does Hunter know you’re here?”
“Yeah, we were together a couple of hours ago. I wasn’t in the mood for a college party, so I asked him if I could come ride for a bit and come see you.”
My heart felt like it skipped a beat. “You wanted to come see me?”
He nodded and gave me a look that said a million and one different things, but none that I could read.
“I wish you told me you were here, I would have gone riding with you.”
His smile faltered for the briefest of moments. “I needed the alone time.”
With a quick nod, I replied, “I get that. By the way, congratulations, Frogman. I know I’ve written and told you, but I couldn’t wait to tell you in person.”
His dimples came out as he graced me with a wide smile. “Thanks.”
“How is it? Being a SEAL?”
“Good. Hard. A mind fuck most of the time, but I love it. My goal is to be on one of the best SEAL teams.”
“One of the best?”
“Yeah, the best of the best.”
I took his hand and led him over to the hay bales. “That doesn’t surprise me. You always did have the drive to be the best. You haven’t gotten hurt, have you?”
He shook his head. “Nah, not really.”
“Liar,” I said with a sharp look. If he thought he could hide the truth from me, he was wrong.
He raised his hands in defeat. “Never could lie to you, Willa.”
We both sat down, and I turned to face him, crossing my legs as I tried not to ogle him. The way he looked was enough to set my panties on fire. “Hunter has been keeping me up to date with how things are going when I don’t hear from you as often as I’d like.”
He frowned and looked away.
“It’s okay, I know you’re busy, and you talk to him on the phone more often than you write. Will you stay stationed in Virginia Beach?”
He nodded. “Yeah, if I stay on the same SEAL team.”
“And you’re going out on deployment again?”
He nodded.
“Where to?”
He drew in a breath and then sighed. “Can’t really share a whole lot of what I do.”
“I get that. No social media?”
He shook his head. “No. But I can email you if you want to keep in touch more often.”