Free Hero Book 3 - The Battle: Military Romance by M. S. Parker

for a moment, ignoring the pain in my ribs, before I launched myself into the cool water.
    Even though I hadn't planned it, the dive tugged my bikini top free, and I surfaced not knowing where it had gone. I took my time finding and then retrieving it, not bothering to hide anything. At some point during the dive, Haze had moved to the other end of the pool, so I swam toward him now and stood up, my top still in my hand. His jaw clenched, but he didn't move or say anything.
    I could almost feel his disgust at my behavior.
    “I'm going to change,” I said, embarrassment flooding through me.
    I stormed past him, furious at myself. Maybe I'd misunderstood all of it. Maybe every time Haze and I had been together, he'd only been indulging the whims of a spoiled rich girl.
    I slammed the pool house door and scowled.
    Spoiled rich girl.
    I sighed and ran my hands through my wet curls. I needed a distraction.
    I looked around, my eyes taking in my surroundings. My grandfather was right, I thought. The interior was outdated and largely untouched. Redecorating it would work as well as anything else to keep my mind busy.
    I dropped my wet bikini top on a nearby table and wandered around the dusty room, imagining what I could do with the space. I peeled back the sheet covering one of the wide sofas and chuckled at the blaze orange floral print. How long had this stuff been here?
    My laugh turned to a scream as an enormous spider skittered out from beneath the sheet and dashed across the floor to the far corner.
    Within seconds, one of Haze's iron arms was around my bare waist, thankfully under my ribs, and he pulled me tight to his side as he turned his body to keep himself between me and the danger.
    “What is it?” he asked, his eyes searching the room.
    Shit.
    “It was just a spider,” I said, now utterly embarrassed by my over-reaction.
    His body relaxed, then tensed again as he looked down.
    Fuck.
    I'd been so caught up in the spider that I'd forgotten that the only thing I was wearing was a thin scrap of bikini bottom. Now, I followed his eyes and saw my bare breasts moving up and down with each breath, my nipples tight.
    He cursed softly and then dove down, claiming my mouth. His free hand swept down my bare back, then further down to cup my ass and pull me against him. I slid my tongue along his and he groaned, dragging a hand under my thigh. As he lifted my leg to pull it around his waist, I leaned against him, my nipples hard points against his chest. I reached up, crying out as my ribs flared, and wound my arms around his neck, eager to move things along.
    And then he broke the kiss and I knew nothing had changed.
    “We can't.” His voice was quiet, but firm. “We can't do this.”
    “You don't want this?” I asked, managing to keep my tone even.
    He pulled my arms from his neck and stepped away from me. Tension radiated from his body, but his words betrayed none of it. “We're just not right for each other. We need to stop pretending otherwise.”
    Without another word, he turned and left. Well, not completely, because he took his job too seriously. I knew he was just outside. But I didn't want him to be outside. I wanted him in here. With me.
    I picked up the tiki-shaped lamp next to me and flung it across the room. It thudded against the wall, and then cracked as it fell, not giving me the satisfaction I had hoped.
    Gutting the room, getting rid of all the outdated and unwanted furniture was just the distraction I needed. I'd start right away.
    Well, right after I put on my top and retrieved my sundress from where I'd left it.
    Once I'd dressed, I began hauling out tiki-lamps, rattan chairs, and everything I could lift, piling it up outside the pool house. I didn’t care how much it hurt. In fact, I welcomed the pain. Haze watched from the opposite side of the pool, but it still wasn't far enough.
    I knew exactly how he saw me, even if I was sweaty and dirty from carting shit around. I piled up the old furniture