A Million Wishes (7 page)

Chapter 7

He left there with her brother glaring at him and feeling rather happy, aroused and full of himself. Back to the pool hall he went to have a few more drinks with his friends. He ended up getting pretty tipsy and flirty with a girl that had a thing for sailors. He knew this because she told him so. He couldn’t remember her name, but he stupidly ended up taking her back to his room with him and well…he wasn’t too proud of it, but he bedded her and woke up feeling like hell after only 2 hours of sleep. She followed him to the docks where he was about to board and she laid one on him. It was a long passionate kiss followed with a delighted giggle when suddenly he heard Miki’s voice, yelling at him, calling him out for being an asshole. She was right. He was. There she was in blue jeans and a pretty red top with her curls blowing in the wind looking so damn gorgeous, but tears were now streaming down her face because she saw him kissing this random nobody girl that had merely been a vessel for his lust the night before, when he’d only actually been thinking of Miki.

She took off and he ran after her, grabbing her and pulling her close, kissing her cheeks and telling her he was sorry, an idiot, a worthless piece of crap for hurting her. He had never had his heart broken before. But when she looked up at him and cupped his face, kissing his lips then slapping him, telling him he was damn right he was a piece of shit, and that he had broken her heart, his heart broke in two. He’d hurt her at the worst time, his Captain was calling him to board and she was running away. He couldn’t do anything but follow orders and board. That evening in his bunk he had written her a letter and every day after that when time allowed he wrote her. It took nearly 2 months to ever get a response. Even then, it wasn’t how she used to be to him. It was always light and sweet, but each was distant.

He was overseas for the best part of 2 years rarely coming home and when he did, he only saw her briefly, if at all. From what he heard Miki was breezing through college now starting on her second year, first semester and working hard. She was going to school at Georgia State University for her degree in Journalism, Creative Writing along with English. He had called her and told her he’d be home for two months but weeks went by and she never visited so he made a trip upstate to surprise her. They had lunch and went out later that night to a movie, but he’d stayed in a motel there through that weekend just to be close to her and while they had fun together she still kept her distance. He couldn’t really blame her, especially knowing he was going to be leaving again soon. It still hurt though, knowing she had her guard up around him even though he had apologized profusely. When he left that weekend he kissed her again. She had kept pulling away from him, but he pulled her tight and pressed his mouth to hers, hoping like hell she felt the love he felt for her in that one long kiss. He still remembered what he said to her. “I have apologized for what I did that day Miki. I never meant to hurt you. I was young and dumb and drunk, a lethal combination. I’ve
never
loved anyone the way I love you. I don’t think I ever will. But you deserve better, I know that. You deserve a man that comes home to you every night and can be your rock. I want you to be happy. But I also want you to know I love you like crazy babydoll. Take care of you ok? Make me proud.”

She had been crying when he left. His brother told him in a letter that Miki came home the next weekend, thinking she would find him still there, but when he had gotten back from Atlanta he had packed his bag and headed back to Norfolk Virginia and started back with his vigorous training, waiting for the next mission to start. He kept that same schedule since. Never going home for more than a week or two at best here and there, watching her from afar and loving her always until that one weekend. His team had been on a mission. One of the craziest he’d ever been on. Things went wrong; several of his brothers had died in combat. Innocent women and children died. He had been injured and was out of action for around 3 months. His mind was fucked up and instead of going home for a short leave he went to see her. She was staying in a little one room cottage off campus by herself, working two jobs along with going to school. He showed up at her school waiting for her as she left her last class of the day. Thanks to Callum he knew her schedule and where and when she worked.

The surprise and pure joy on her face, seeing him had done quite a bit of soothing to his ripped apart soul. She had been dressed in a pretty blue dress and flip flops, with her hair in pigtails, and a back pack full of books slung over her shoulder. She was looking so pure and sweet, he was afraid to touch her lest he damage her perfect youthful glow. “Noah Cane! You are a sight for sore eyes handsome devil!” She jumped in his arms and hugged him tight, nuzzling her nose against his neck. “My god I’ve missed you sugar.” He smiled brighter than he had in months. “I missed you too babydoll. You just have no idea how much.” Pulling back she looked in his eyes and saw something there, something different. A deep sadness she had never seen before. “Are you ok Noah? Callum told me you had a minor injury but you were ok. Did he not tell me something?” Worry washed over her features as she reached up to cup his cheeks like she always had. “It’s been a rough few months honestly babydoll. I could use some cheering up. Want to go to dinner with me or something?”

“
I work tonight at the bar until closing but I have time for dinner before that. You get a motel already?” He took her hand and walked towards his car, opening the door for her and walking around to the other side. “Not yet I haven’t. This was kind of a spur of the moment thing.” “Well, I have a perfectly good couch you can sleep on so you can just stay with me sugar.” They drove the short distance to her place and went inside, tossing her back pack on the sofa and heading for the kitchen to get them a glass of sweet tea. She watched him, noticing he was favoring one side. “Where did you get hurt this time Noah and what kind of injury was it?” He shrugged and pointed to his right leg. “I took a bullet in my right hip. Had to have surgery and been going to physical therapy. It’s a lot better now, just a little stiff from the long drive I think.” She sat down her glass and walked up to him, tiptoeing up and pressing her mouth to his. Her fingers stroked his cheeks and massaged over his scalp lovingly. When she pulled back, they were both breathless. “I still love you Noah Cane. I wish you’d come home and stay home. I worry about you all the time sugar.”

His fingers slid down her neck and stroked down her back, pulling her closer to him. “I was born to do this Miki. It’s in my blood. It would be like telling you that you should never pick up a pen and paper again.” With that, it was really the first time she truly understood why he risked his life every day. She lived and breathed to write her thoughts, her dreams, her fantasies and stories. If she couldn’t do that, she would feel lost. He kissed her again and buried his face against her soft neck, breathing in her essence, soothed just by her presence. “I still love you too Mikayla Johnson. I always have and I always will. No matter what happens, you will always be a part of me babydoll.” His eyes were damp when she looked up at him. She felt overwhelmed with love. She could see so much pain in his eyes. There was so much he couldn’t find the words to say, but the way she looked at him, he knew she understood that he just didn’t have the words. Not yet anyways.

“
I guess we better get if we’re gonna go to dinner before I have to be at work.” Pulling back he nodded. “How much do you make a weekend?” She looked at him funny “Why you wanna know that?” He smiled and tugged a curling lock of her hair. “Because I want you to call in sick or something and spend the weekend with me but I know you’re paying for your own schooling and stuff so I don’t want you to miss out on the money.” She tsk’d at him and shook her head. “You are not paying my salary Noah Cane!” He took out five crisp one hundred dollar bills and tossed them on the table. “Call in. Please Miki. I need to spend time with you. Please babydoll.” He looked so sad and strained she couldn’t resist. “Let me call Gina and see if she’ll work for me at the bar this weekend. I already have off at the diner because we alternate so we each get a weekend off a month.”

She picked up the phone and made the call, smiling when her friend accepted and teased her about spending the weekend with her sexy sailor man. The only response Miki gave her, was a laugh, then hanging up on her. When she turned to Noah he was smiling and holding his arms out to her, she walked into them and slipped hers around his waist, her face pressing against his chest. “Thank you babydoll.” His voice cracked just a bit and she lightly rubbed her hands over the sinuous muscles of his back and shoulders. He felt so good, so firm and masculine. Gina was right, Noah is a dreamboat. He smelled so good, like leather and sunshine and pure strong sexy male. Right now though, he looked vulnerable, like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. They stood there like that for a while just holding each other until his stomach growled and she started giggling. “I think you need food sugar, what sounds good?”

He grinned at her and brushed a kiss on her forehead. “Is there any place in this big o’ city that can make a good country fried steak and potatoes?”

“
I know just the place. Let’s go get some food then we can come back here and relax. Sound good?”

"Mmm that sounds perfect kitten." Her skin flushed from the pet name and he chuckled, kissing her nose before they left.

Over dinner they chatted mainly about her schooling and some of the beautiful places he’d been. The conversation was light and comfortable as they ate. They opted to stop at the grocery store on the way home and pick up some ice cream and a few things for meals throughout the weekend since he really just wanted to be lazy around the house. It wasn’t often a SEAL got down time and he wanted to just enjoy being with her and letting his body rest some. Once they got back to her place she fixed them chocolate ice cream cones and they curled up on the couch watching a movie. His arm wrapped leisurely around her, her resting her head on his shoulder taking slow licks of the chocolate. He groaned and she turned her head looking innocent and sweet with a dot of chocolate on the corner of her mouth. He barely leaned in and let his tongue drag across her lower lip and kissed the corner of her mouth. “It tastes even sweeter coming off you babydoll.” She trembled and licked over her lip to taste him there and she smiled when he growled. “I think that was the sexiest thing to ever happen to me Noah.”

He grinned, but then laughed out loud, shocked when she dabbed her cone to his mouth and licked over it, tenderly sucking his lower lip between hers and nibbling it. His body went rock hard and she flushed so beautifully, so shyly, he had to force himself to finish his ice cream cone and stop growling at her, lest he pick her up and take her to bed.

That’s how the weekend passed by. Snuggling on the sofa together, sharing snacks and watching movies. They were in their own little world, just enjoying being together. When night fall came on Saturday night they took turns taking showers, him cleaning up the kitchen while she bathed, her making his bed on the sofa again while he took his.

He came out of the bathroom in boxers and nothing else, grabbing her around the waist from behind and swinging her around, carrying her to the bedroom, and plopping her on the soft mattress. “Noah! What are you doing crazy man?” He grinned at her and dived in the bed with her, making a big mess of getting under the covers and playfully whacking her with a pillow before stuffing it under his head. “I’m going to bed what does it look like I’m doing? Turn off the light brat I’m sleepy.” She laughed and tossed his pillow back at him looking disheveled and not quite sure what to do. “You are in MY bed; your bed is in there.” She said, pointing to the living room. He stretched, growling a little and she nearly drooled all over herself watching his muscles ripple from his chest to the band of his boxers. “Hey if you wanna sleep on that crappy sofa, go for it. I have slept in jungles more comfortable than that piece of junk.” Her mouth hung open and she started laughing.

“
Now who’s being a brat? That was just rude Noah. Rude!” He reached and tugged her hair grinning like a kid in a candy store. “No. Rude is the fact that you make a guest sleep on that thing. I nearly couldn’t walk this morning. Now are you gonna talk all night or are you gonna c’mere and snuggle with me?” Her mouth opened then shut, shaking her head and turning off the lamp. Obviously she would be stupid to kick him out of bed. So she turned on her side and laid her head on his chest, sliding her arm across his middle and closed her eyes. “Sweet dreams Romeo. Don’t get any idea’s you’re gonna do anything but snuggle. I’m a good girl remember?” He laughed and curled his arm around her and squeezed her to him, kissing the top of her head. “I would never do such a thing babydoll. I am the picture of innocence.” He tilted her chin up and kissed her softly, closing his eyes and feeling more content and lighthearted than he had in years.

Sunday morning rolled around and Miki woke up purring and stretching, feeling pure, warm, hard male pressed against her from behind and Noah’s rough palm idly stroking her skin under her tank top from just below her breasts to just below the waist line of her shorts. Her nipples were tight little buds of pleasure poking out obviously against her shirt. She blushed and turned her head to look at him and smile softly. “Good morning Romeo.” He gave her that heart melting grin, and spoke in his low timber “Good morning babydoll. I could get used to waking up with you curled against me purring like a kitten.” His mouth covered hers and she moaned against his lips, her bottom pressed firmly to his groin. He was rock hard, and instead of it terrifying her, it thrilled her that he wanted her so much. Plus the slow stroke of his hand dipping low on her tummy had her aching so fiercely it was driving her crazy. Her hand reached back to rub down his side and squeeze his hip, it was enough to make him thrust forward and rub his thickness against her soft bottom again, deriving another purr from her lips.