SERGEANT’S SECRET BABY
Paige Warren
Copyright © 2017
Chapter One
Shiloh Anderson threw back another shot and then grimaced as the whiskey went down, leaving a burn in its wake. It was not her drink of choice, but if she was stuck in this godforsaken place, she might as well make it bearable. Her shit of a boyfriend—make that ex-boyfriend—had left her stranded in the middle of BFE. Not that she had a home anymore. The asshat had not only left her here, but he’d taken off with all of her crap in the back of his truck. The dick hadn’t even left her a change of clothes or her cell phone charger. Thank God she had her purse.
The black screen of her iPhone mocked her, the damn thing having died the hour before. It didn’t matter though. There was no one for her to call. Her entire family had written her off as a screw-up and waste of space. The few friends she’d had were long gone, thanks to the mistake she’d been dating the past year. She should have never stayed with him, especially after the first time she found out about his cheating ways. Despite their rocky relationship, she’d agreed to move across country with him for a fresh start. He’d promised things would be better when they reached South Carolina, where his family was supposedly waiting for them.
Shiloh motioned to the bartender for another shot. She’d have to be blind not to notice his swagger and the impressive ink covering his massive arms. Lickable. Definitely lickable. Maybe he’d be up for a one-night stand and let her crash at his place until morning. She doubted anything would look any better in the light of day, but at least it would buy her some time. Thank the Lord she hadn’t agreed to a joint bank account. The asshat probably would have cleaned her out. As it was, she had enough to survive for a short while, but not enough to rent a place and start fresh. If she hadn’t funded part of their trip and his truck repairs, then she’d have a few thousand more in the account.
The bartender crossed his arms over his massive chest. “I think you’ve had enough for the night. Why don’t you let me call you a cab?”
She didn’t want a cab. She wanted another drink.
“Glaring at me through blurry eyes isn’t the answer,” the bartender said. “Look, where’s the guy you came with? Shouldn’t he be back by now?”
“He’s not coming back.”
Dark eyebrows rose into the hair falling over his forehead. “What do you mean he’s not coming back? Are you trying to tell me you’re stranded here?”
“That about sums it up.” She tapped the bar. “Now, how about that drink?”
“Sweetheart, I don’t think your problems are going to be solved at the bottom of a bottle. What you need is a place to sleep. I know I’m a complete stranger, and you have no reason to trust me, but I own this place and live in the apartment upstairs. I share the place with my brother, but I can crash at a friend’s house tonight and let you have my room.”
“You don’t have to do that,” she mumbled, dropping her gaze. “I’ll figure things out.”
“Uh-huh. You’ve been sitting here for hours. How’s that working out for you?”
She shrugged.
“My name’s Dallas Edwards. I’ve lived in this town my entire life, and anyone here can vouch for me. I promise, if you stay at my apartment tonight, you’ll be safe, and I won’t expect anything in return.” He smiled a little. “I have a soft spot for damsels in distress. It’s how I ended up with my fiancée.”
“You go around offering your bed to every woman who walks through the door?”
He laughed. “No, and Rebecca would have my balls if I did. However, I think she’d understand just this once. Look, my brother is probably going to be out all night. It’s his last night before being shipped overseas. You’ll have the place to yourself.”
“All right, but only because I’m desperate and sleeping in the parking lot doesn’t sound like much fun.”
“The stairs are around the side of the bar.” He reached under the bar and pulled out a keyring with just one key on it. “This is my spare. You can use it to let yourself in. There is some cheese and yogurt in the fridge or some crackers in the cabinet. If you’d like, I can have the kitchen make you a burger to take up with you.”
Her stomach rolled. “I don’t think I can handle food right now.”
“If you need something to sleep in, I keep my shirts in the second drawer of the dresser. I’ll bring Rebecca with me in the morning. Maybe she’ll have a change of clothes for you.” His gaze scanned her. “Size six?”
“Eight.”
“Go get some sleep.”
She accepted the key. “I’m Shiloh Anderson, and you should know that crap like this seems to happen to me all the time. I appreciate having a place to crash for the night, though.”
“If you need anything, I’ll be down here another three hours.”
She held up her phone. “I don’t suppose you have an iPhone charger, do you?”
“Sorry. Which model? I’ll see if I can find something at the store for you on my way over tomorrow.”
“The newest one. My jerk of an ex has my charger and all of my stuff is in his truck, probably halfway to South Carolina by now.”
He nodded. “Go get some rest, Shiloh. I promise things won’t look so horrible in the morning. And at least you were stranded in Gulch Springs. We’re a friendly place, and we like to help out when we can. You might decide you want to stick around.”
She wasn’t so sure about that, but she supposed one place was just as good as another. Shiloh thanked him again, slid off her barstool, and stumbled her way outside and up the stairs. It took her three tries to get the key in the lock and to open the door. Shutting it firmly, she twisted the bolt and staggered down the hall. There were three doors. One was open, and she thanked God she’d found a bathroom. After taking care of her needs, she stared at the other two doors. Dallas hadn’t said which one was his, but if his brother was going to be out all night, did it really matter?
Shiloh pushed open the door to the first bedroom. She flicked on the switch, winced at the bright light, and immediately shut it off. Stripping out of her boots and clothes, she face planted on the bed, bare-assed as the day she was born. After a bit of wiggling, she managed to pull the covers over her and curled up in the center of the queen-size bed. It had been a long time since she’d had a bed to herself. Maybe if she weren’t completely plastered, she’d have enjoyed it a bit more. Of course, now that jerkwad was out of her life, she was going to have tons of time to sleep by herself.
The alcohol-induced haze made her feel like she was floating, drifting on a cloud. Her stomach no longer felt queasy. Shiloh closed her eyes and dozed. A while later, she thought she heard a noise in the room, but dismissed it as her imagination. Dallas had said she’d probably have the place to herself. And she’d remembered to lock the door. She sighed and rolled over. When the bed dipped, she bolted upright, clutching the blankets to her chest.
“Hello?” She tried to see in the inky darkness, but could only make out the shape of a man. Oh hell, had she picked the wrong bed?
There was a click and a lamp turned on. She squinted until her eyes adjusted. The man sitting beside her was even larger than his brother, and she hadn’t thought that was physically possible. Dark hair was buzzed short, and his profile showed a strong jaw and long, straight nose. There was an Army tattoo on one bicep. His broad back was toned, and his arms looked large enough to break someone in half. Or cuddle them really close. She gave herself a mental slap. When his blue eyes focused on her, her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. No one had ever looked at her like that before.
“Looks like my brother got me a going-away present after all.” Appreciation lit his eyes as he scanned her.
She shook her head.
“No? Well, sweetheart, I can’t think of any other reason for a naked woman to be in my bed.”
“I picked the wrong room,” she mumbled.
He gave her a sardonic smile. “I know for a fact Rebecca wouldn’t approve of Dallas sharing his room with any naked women except her. So, if you were looking to trap him in some way, you picked the wrong mark.”
“No, I … he’s helping me.”
The man turned and braced his hands on either side of her hips, leaning in close, his lips nearly brushing hers. “What I think is that your plan isn’t going the way you’d thought it would so you’re making up stories. But I’m a pretty nice guy. I’ll give you thirty seconds to get that sweet ass of yours out of my bed, dressed, and the fuck out of this apartment.”
She licked her lips and didn’t move.
“Or, if you’re still here in thirty seconds, I’m going to take it as an invitation and see if those lips taste as sweet as they look.”
Her eyes widened. He wouldn’t really kiss her, would he? She trembled a little at the thought of the powerful man caging her in putting his lips on hers. The thought of his hands on her body… Heat flushed her cheeks and spread down into her chest. She wasn’t seriously considering sitting here just to see if he’d really do it, was she?
“Time’s up.”
Her lips parted, but before she could utter a word of protest, his mouth pressed against hers, his tongue invading and tasting. Oh Lord! Shiloh had never been kissed so thoroughly before. His expertise was enough to make her weak-kneed and ready to beg for more. Her body burned and she dropped the blankets to reach for him. As he pushed her back against the bed, she became acutely aware of the fact he was just as naked as her.
Was she really about to have sex with a complete stranger? She didn’t even know his name!
He trailed hot kisses down her neck, giving her ear a nip. A shiver skated down her spine as her nipples puckered. Oh, hell yeah! He can do whatever he wants to me.
His hands burned her as they skimmed her heated flesh. The blankets were kicked out of the way as they lay hip to hip. Shiloh gasped and arched against him as his lips closed over her nipple, drawing on it long and hard. Her nails scored his shoulders as the devil inside urged her to take whatever she wanted, what she needed. It had been so long since she’d felt desired, and never had anyone ever made her body sing like this nameless man did.
His cock brushed the inside of her thigh as she spread her legs to accommodate him. Shiloh was eager and ready, but her mystery lover seemed to have other ideas. He claimed her lips again, kissing her like she was the best present he’d ever received. It almost seemed like he expected this to be the last kiss he’d ever experience and he wanted to make it count. Shiloh ran her foot up and down his calf, hoping to encourage him to take things a little further. She wanted him, and she didn’t want to wait.
“What do you want, beautiful?” he asked, his breath teasing her ear.
“I want to feel you inside of me.”
He moved away from her and she heard a drawer open and the rip of a packet. He’d left her in a dreamy haze, and she floated, blissfully, as she waited for him to return. His body covered hers, and she felt his cock brush against her, the latex of the condom cool against her skin.
“Better brace yourself, angel.”
She wrapped her hands around his bulging biceps as he thrust forward, sinking balls deep inside of her. Shiloh moaned and wrapped her legs around his waist, never wanting to let him go. He felt so incredible, so right, so fucking perfect. She didn’t think it could get any better, but then he moved, his cock driving deep and hard. His hands slid under her back and gripped her shoulders, pulling down toward every thrust as he pounded into her.
Shiloh cried out in ecstasy, her body coming undone beneath him, flying to heights she never felt before. Her climax seemed to go on forever, making her toes curl and her breath catch. The powerful man over her groaned and stilled against her, his cock pulsing inside of her. She stroked his back as her body relaxed. Between the alcohol and the incredible sex, she was suddenly ready to sleep and could feel herself drifting.
Her eyes slid shut, and she felt her breathing even out. As she spiraled into oblivion, she felt him pull out and heard a muffled curse. Too tired to care, she snuggled deeper into the bed and fell asleep.
****
Drake had no idea who the angel in his bed was, but he did know one thing. He was in deep shit. Not because her body had been sweet and willing, or because the feel of her hands on him had made him want things he couldn’t have … no, he was in deep shit because the fucking condom broke, and he didn’t even know her name.
He ran a hand over his head and stared at the condom in the trash. At twenty-eight, he’d never lost control with a woman, and he’d never had a condom malfunction. Maybe he’d just been lucky to this point, but all bets were off now. He still didn’t know how she’d gotten into the apartment, or why she’d crawled into his bed. What had seemed like a gift too good to pass up just moments ago, now felt more like a noose tightening around his neck.
Fuck!
Drake pulled on his jeans and his Army t-shirt, shoved his feet back into his boots, and rushed downstairs, in hopes his brother hadn’t left yet. The bar was dark, and the door was locked. Dallas was nowhere to be seen and his truck was gone from the lot. Drake reached for his cell and realized he’d left it upstairs. He’d have no choice but to go back up and try to wake the sleeping beauty in his bed and hope for some coherent answers.
Soft snores greeted his ears as he neared his bedroom, and he had to admit she looked rather adorable sprawled across his bed. Her red hair fanned out around her, and he ached to crawl in beside her, just to hold her until morning light, when he’d have to face reality. Why couldn’t anything in his life ever be simple? He’d been in the Army for ten years, had been in Afghanistan more days of the year than he’d been home. After tonight, he’d be the Army’s perfect soldier for the next six months in the godforsaken desert. And then his time would finally be up, and he’d be able to get on with his life.
Hell, he wasn’t even sure how to live outside of the Army. What was he going to do with his time? He technically owned the bar with his brother, but could he really hack civilian life? He’d have to find out soon enough.
He shot off a text to his brother, asking about the mysterious woman now hogging the bed, and then shut off the lamp. Nudging her over some, he slid into bed beside her and stared up at the ceiling. His phone dinged, and he picked it up, squinting at the screen in the dark.
Dallas: She’s stranded and needed a place to stay. She’s also completely sauced.
Great. Just fucking great. He’d not only taken advantage of a damsel in distress, but she’d been too drunk to know what the hell she was doing. Now he really felt like an ass. He’d never taken a woman against her will, and it sickened him that she might not have consented if she’d been thinking clearly. Drake wasn’t sure if he wanted her to be awake before he left so they could talk, or if it was better to slip away and let his brother deal with the fallout. He’d never been one to take the coward’s way out, but it was mighty damn tempting this time.