I did what any man being challenged would do. I pulled her closer, smashing our bodies together before taking her lips, hard and demanding. She felt so right in my arms, like she was always meant to be there and I was made to hold her.
Moans slipped from her lips as her hands slid up my arms to my shoulders, holding me tight. Then her fingers toyed with the skin at the nape of my neck, and goose bumps broke out across my skin as if they were reaching for more of her touch.
I didn’t know how long we stood there with our arms wrapped around each other, lips locked, breathing each other in. Time seemed to stand still as I tried to memorize the sounds, smells, and taste of Makenna to get me through many lonely nights ahead.
“Stop,” she whispered against my lips, breaking the moment. “I can’t…”
“I’m sorry,” I breathed heavily, resting my forehead against hers, wishing we could be so much more. “This wasn’t a good idea.”
“No. No,” she said before sighing. “I want more than we can have. I don’t like admitting that either, Austin. It makes me feel weak.”
I splayed my hand across her back, holding on to her as long as I could. “You’re not weak. You’re one of the strongest women I know.”
“You make me feel weak,” she admitted, looking down.
“Youmake me weak,” I told her, saying the words I never thought I’d say before meeting her. Vulnerability wasn’t something I’d ever been comfortable with and I was definitely not used to sharing my feelings with others. That was a part of my heartless father I’d carried with me for far too long.
She moved her hands to my front, flattening her palms against my chest over my rapidly beating heart. “You better go. This isn’t going to get any easier, and we’re only delaying the inevitable.”
I covered her fingers with my hands, holding her. “Don’t forget me too fast.”
She smiled softly. “You’re pretty unforgettable.”
“Finally, you admit it,” I said smugly, smirking.
“You’re an asshole, but the best kind.” She took a step back, her hand slipping out from underneath mine. Our eyes were locked as she stepped farther back, putting more space between us. “Text me sometime if you remember who I am when you get back to the hot babes in Cali.”
I shook my head, laughing quietly. “No one compares to you, Mak.”
Her smile widened. “You’re a good liar sometimes, Han, but only sometimes.”
“Good—”
“Don’t say it. I’m shit at goodbye. This isn’t goodbye. It can’t be,” she said from across the parking lot.
I waved, swallowing down anymore words I wanted to say. There was nothing that could make either of us feel better. There was nothing we could do to change our circumstances. We were property of the United States government. Our lives weren’t our own…at least not for now.
When she got to her front door, she turned to face me, giving me one final glance over her shoulder. I smiled at her, memorizing every inch of her body and the way the setting sun danced across her beautiful face.
A sad smile and a moment later, she was gone.
Epilogue
Makenna
Seven Months Later
After months at sea, every inch of my body was buzzing as we sailed into the harbor, waiting to anchor. We stood along the deck, lining the railing in our uniforms, searching for familiar faces in the crowd gathered at the water’s edge as they did the same.
“You ready for this?” Blondie asked as he stood by my side.
“Ready isn’t even the right word. I feel like we’ve been gone an eternity.”
“The longest seven months of my life.”
“You’re not lying,” I replied as I squinted, trying to find my parents and little brother among the people.
“At least you’re first off. You got lucky, you know. That spot should’ve been mine.”
