Chapter 2
She’s gone.
Duncan Sheppard glared at the ceiling. How in the hell had he missed Solace leaving his bed?
His home?
How did he know she wasn’t anywhere in the house?
It was too damned quiet for one thing.
But that hadn’t been his only clue. After he’d awoken to a cold, empty bed, any hope she’d just gone to the bathroom had died when his gaze had searched the floor. The dress, bra, and thong he’d slowly removed from her mouthwatering body and left strewn across the floor were gone.
But why had she left?
Of all the reasons he tried to come up with, the one that stuck in his gut was an answer he couldn’t—wouldn’t—accept.
This was a one and done for her.
“Shit.” He should never have shared his security codes with the team. If he hadn’t, she wouldn’t have found it so easy to disappear.
He threw back the covers and sat up on the edge of the bed, then glanced behind him at the sheets. The evidence of his claiming couldn’t be missed. The stained sheets from where he’d taken her…
Raw.
Each time.
He’d had condoms. Plenty of them.
Had he realized what he was doing?
Maybe.
The first time, he hadn’t consciously gone without. Afterward, it had been easy to excuse it for the heat of the moment that it was. No matter how much of a lie that might have been. However, the rest of the night and into the morning?
There were no excuses.
And that was a first for him. Of all the intimate relationships he’d had since losing Patsy—and he’d had more than his fair share—he’d never once been tempted to go uncovered.
With Solace?
He’d craved feeling all of her.
Heat flooded his body—filling his already half-hard cock—at how sticky her thighs had been with his cum. At how knowing she was covered with him—filled with him—had given him a perverse sense of satisfaction.
She’d smelled of him.
Of them together.
It was a scent that told him and her who she belonged to.
It was a scent that he would be savoring again.
He left the bed and headed to the bathroom. First to relieve himself, then to turn on the shower. As much as he didn’t want to wash away the remnants of his and Solace’s night together, he couldn’t smell like sex when he had lunch with Haven and Cal.
Once the water was how he liked it, he stepped inside the roomy shower, and automatically resented being alone. He’d had every intention of sharing this particular morning routine with Solace.
Next time.
Slicking his hands all over her soap-lathered body was now on his bucket list.
Water sluiced over him as he eyed the bench seat and poured body wash into his hand. Bending her over and having her brace her hands on it as he took her from behind was next on the list.
And there went his dick. He reached down with his soapy hand and gave it a good slow stroke up, then down, then up again where he squeezed the tip.
After coming three times in the last ten hours, you’d think he’d be spent. But that didn’t seem to matter to his cock. It had been primed for this, and he needed to come again. He gave himself another stroke and let out a long, harsh breath. That felt good. But…
I refuse to masturbate.
“Come on, Duncan,” he groaned as he cupped his balls, then stroked himself again. “You’re a mature man with more willpower than this.”
Or maybe not. Another low groan left him. Stupid cock…
It ached for some kind of attention. So, mature man or not, he slammed his free hand onto the stone-tiled wall and let his other hand take care of the need racing up his spine.
“Solace…”
He closed his eyes and envisioned her wet body and firm ass lifted toward him, and legs spread wide. He’d go to his knees, licking up through her bare, plump folds, tasting her deep while her moans would turn into demands to be fucked when his tongue rimmed her clenching star.
He would blanket her body, grasping her hip with one hand, while the fingers of his other would tangle in her dark-blond hair. He would take her slow—sliding in easy. That’s how wet she would be.
His hand moved faster, gripping himself tighter.
Her channel would squeeze him just like this as he fucked her hard and fast. He could almost hear how his balls would slap against her pussy with each slam of her own hips back into every one of his powerful thrusts.
Her pleas for him to come inside her would bounce against the shower walls, echoing over his own harsh, panting breaths as the pressure built. As…
“Uhnn…”
His head went back and hips bucked, while his free hand fisted and beat the wall when the first shot of cum jetted from his body, then another, and another. It felt so good it hurt, leaving his chest heaving and head buzzing as he slowly milked his cock until nothing was left.
“Damn it,” he grunted, his fist grinding into the wall as he waited for his breathing to return to normal. That fleeting moment of release had helped, but it wasn’t enough.
Nothing would ever be enough again.
Not without Solace.
Duncan put the turn signal on in what he considered his weekend vehicle—a black Jeep Grand Cherokee—and took a right onto the road leading to Cal and Haven’s home.
Their invitation to come to Sunday lunch had ending up being a welcome distraction from thoughts of Solace and the fact she hadn’t reached out to him.
Of course, he hadn’t reached out to her either. And what did the fact he refused to dial her number say about him? Nothing good. But she was the one who had walked out, so why should he…
“Shit,” he muttered, while frowning ahead. “I’ve turned into a teenage girl. Great. Just?—”
“Unknown caller.”
The voice notification came over the hands-free car speaker, along with his cell’s ringtone going off. It was on the tip of his tongue to reject the call, but…
“Answer call.”
“Colonel Sheppard?” The husky, female voice was familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it.
“This is Duncan Sheppard.” He stared straight ahead through the windshield, expecting this to morph into a sales call.
“Colonel Sheppard, this is Mercy Carter.”
Why would?—
“I’m calling about Brayden Collins. He’s the?—.”
“I know who he is.” His fingers dug into the steering wheel. If Cal hadn’t been watching over Haven that night and stopped the attack in the university parking lot, his daughter would have been…
Grown man or not, he held back a shudder. Then his body tensed and jaw clenched. If Mercy was calling about the little shit, it couldn’t be good.
“Why am I getting a call from you about the man who attacked my daughter?” Did he sound harsh? Yes. But he didn’t care.
“I’m relaying some news,” Mercy said, her tone even. “I received a call from the prosecutor on the case in Fall’s Church County.”
Why would the prosecutor need to call Mercy? She’d never been a part of this. It had been deemed a conflict of interest. She had a brother who was close to the victim. That had been a fair decision. What wasn’t fair, was to disqualify the entire DA’s office from prosecuting the case.
But that’s just what Collins’ legal team had argued. And they’d won. The change of venue had transferred the hearing five hours away.
“What’s going on?” The kid had been running free on probation now for more than a year. So, if she was calling about another continuance, he?—
“Robinson is dropping the charges against Mr. Collins.”
That hit Duncan like a ton of bricks, and he slammed on his brakes, sending his Jeep fishtailing slightly, until it skidded to a stop. He couldn’t have heard her right.
“He’s what?” he heaved out. Carter’s sister or not, she was about to get an earful. “That bastard put his hands on my dau?—”
“Brayden Collins is dead.”
“What?” That was the last thing he’d expected to hear. A car honked behind him, and he motioned for them to go around.
“Yes, sir.” A low sigh sounded in his ear. “He died in a single-car, drunk driving accident two nights ago.”
“I assume Collins was the driver?”
“He was.”
“I see.” While Duncan had been close to killing the young man himself—or having it done—he’d thought better of it. Besides, the would-be rapist had needed to live with the consequences of his actions. In jail.
“Until the death certificate is issued and presented to the Court, the case officially remains open,” she continued. “But, of course, once received, all charges against Mr. Collins will be officially dismissed.”
“Of course.” If Duncan had his say, which he didn’t, he’d want the charges to remain in place. Just in principle.
“It’s just one more tragedy he’s brought on his family,” Mercy said. “His mother had suffered a massive heart attack and died after learning what he’d tried to do to Haven. And now this.”
A slight pause from Mercy met silence on his part. Cold-hearted or not, if she thought he was going to make some kind of sympathetic comment, she was mistaken.
“Anyhow,” she finally said, breaking the awkwardness even he was aware of. “At least Haven won’t have to endure the trial.”
That was true. Collins had pleaded not guilty, blaming Haven for what had happened. According to his attorneys’ brief, Ms. Sheppard attempted to seduce Mr. Collins. But when interrupted by the witness, she falsely claimed Mr. Collins’ advances had been forced.
Falsely claimed my ass.
“I told Robinson I appreciated that he’d contacted me instead of calling Haven directly.” She let out another sigh. “I suggested to him that breaking the news to Haven might come better from you. He agreed.”
“I appreciate that.” There was something to be said for professional courtesy. “And yes, I think it will come better from me.”
The news had come better from him. Haven had taken it in stride, saying she hated to hear what had happened to Collins and his family, before finishing setting the table with plates and cups.
His daughter was too generous. Rothe probably agreed with that sentiment, since he’d growled, “Serves him right,” under his breath as he’d placed the silverware.
“More potatoes, colonel?”
Right, back to the matter at hand.
Family meal.
Hopefully, the first of many. He held in a smile as he stared at his half-empty plate.
Patsy would have enjoyed this. He gripped his fork tight and braced himself, waiting for the expected pang of loss.
After a few seconds, nothing more than a sense of nostalgia filled his heart. Strange. It had to be…
Solace.
“Colonel?”
“Cal,” Duncan said, meeting the man’s gaze, while laying down his fork. “Maybe you could start calling me something else.” The younger man’s widening eyes, and flushing cheeks were almost comical. “At least when we’re in a family setting.”
“I’ve been telling him that, Dad,” Haven added, frowning at her fiancé. “But he’s like, babe, I just can’t.” The last said in a mocking, almost whiny tone that Duncan found hilarious.
“Well,” Cal said, “I can’t. He’s been my boss one way or another for years. How am I supposed to turn something like that off?” Then he threw a semi-glare at Haven. “And I don’t sound like that.”
“What about when the baby gets here? I don’t want our child calling him colonel,” Haven said, grimacing. “And, yes, yes, you do.” Duncan held in his laugh as her own lips twitched at Cal before turning toward him. “That reminds me, what do you want to be called?”
“I haven’t really thought about it.” And he hadn’t. Other things had occupied his mind. Namely one Solace Davidson. Did that make him a bad future grandparent?
Maybe.
But he couldn’t make himself feel guilty about it. Especially, when those thoughts of Solace had lately been filled with…
What if I’ve given Solace a baby?
A little spark of happiness zinged through his heart. Nothing would satisfy him more. Did he have regrets? None. If she had voiced any objections, he might. A grin he couldn’t help curved his lips. But she hadn’t.
“Dad… Dad.”
“What?” His startled focus landed on Haven and Cal. He’d completely zoned out. And from the confused looks on their faces, it might have been for a few seconds.
“I had asked,” Haven said, her brows drawn as she stared at him, “how about Papa?”
“Papa…” Duncan just couldn’t think of himself as Grandpa, Gramps, or something similar. But this? “Yeah. I like that.”
“Why are you smiling so big?” Cal asked, grimacing, his tone slightly suspicious. “It’s kinda strange lookin’’ on you.”
I’m smiling?
He supposed he was. And that made him smile even more. A quick glance at the two of them said they were clearly confused. He needed to come up with some kind of excuse. And what better one than the truth.
“Just thinking about babies.”