Las Vegas Sidewinders: Drake (Book 2) by Kat Mizera Page B

to do?”
    “I was thinking we
would go forward for now, see what happens. But you need to be okay with that.
I don’t want to do anything that might hurt you.”
    “I definitely don’t
want another broken heart. I know there are no guarantees that we’re going to
be together forever, but it feels like we’re going to try for something that
has no future unless one of us gives up our career. Eventually, someone would
be unhappy.”
    “You want to end it
now?” He hated the thought of losing her before they even had a chance; he
already knew she was special.
    “I’m not good at this
stuff. I’ve basically had two adult relationships and I screwed both of them
up.”
    “I can’t make this
decision for us,” he said quietly. “We have to make it together. If you need to
be in the military and go wherever they need you, I won’t try to stop you. But
you can’t keep me from playing hockey either.”
    “Then this is it.” She
leaned back against the pillows, fighting the tears that threatened.
    “Shit.” He leaned back
as well, running his hands through his damp hair. “It’s good when we’re
together—I don’t want to walk away from us, Erin.”
    “I don’t either.” She
bit her lip. “But there is still an option that might make all of this moot.”
    He frowned. “What?”
    “There is no guarantee
that I’ll pass my physical. If I fail, then I will be given an honorable
discharge and sent on my merry way. End of story.” She thought about her other
options, but she couldn’t share those with him. Not yet. Her security clearance
in the military was extremely high—which was why Shay had taken her on their
mission—but the only person who knew that was Kate, and that was simply out of
necessity. She had power of attorney to make decisions for Erin should she
become incapacitated, and she’d needed to know almost everything.
    “I don’t want you to
fail your physical!” He gave her an irritated glance. “What kind of douche would
that make me?”
    “I know you don’t want me to fail.” She reached over to touch his face. “But it’s a reality—I’ve got
to be 100% in shape and I only have until June. After that, I’ll be forced to
take the honorable discharge.”
    “Couldn’t you get a job
at some top-notch security firm doing just what you were doing in Afghanistan?
I mean, I don’t have any idea what that is, but if Shay picked you for
something that was as important as you made it sound, you must have impressive
skills.”
    “I do, and I could. I just
haven’t thought that far ahead.” She turned and climbed over his legs so that
she could straddle him. Then she just stared down at his face, so handsome and
sincere. She used her finger to trace a line along his jaw and then his lips.
She wanted to drink in every detail of his face. She’d already started to get
attached and even though she felt stupid for letting her emotions run away from
her common sense, she couldn’t help it. “It’s only been a few weeks, but I
can’t imagine you not being in my life.”
    “Me either.” He rested
his hands on her hips, looking into the face he’d already gotten used to
seeing.
    “We can’t be together
while living on opposite sides of the country. I could try to get myself
transferred to a base in California, so we’d be a lot closer, but the reality
is that you could get traded, right?”
    “Probably not for two
more years—I have a three-year contract—but yes, I could get traded.”
    “Ugh.” She wrapped her
arms around his neck and buried her face against his chest. His arms closed
around her possessively.
    “You know, this isn’t
how people usually break up.”
    “I don’t want to break
up.” She whispered the words in his ear before gently teasing him with her
tongue, running it along his neck.
    “Erin, I don’t want you
to get hurt. You’re important to me, and what you’ve done for your country is
important to me. You have to be sure that this is a risk