The following morning, Sloane slipped out of Ben’s king size bed and padded to the pine chest of drawers where she’d tucked away her clothes.

Not that she needed anything to wear during most of her time in his cabin. She peeked at Ben, who still slept soundly. The rise and fall of his muscular bare chest made her belly flutter and almost had her returning to the bed to wake him.

Down, girl. The man needs his rest. He’s not a machine, for God’s sake. She dug out her oversized T-shirt and drew it over her head. She made her way to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee.

They’d need a few cups after spending most of the night awake, up close and personal multiple times.

Maybe he is a machine. She giggled as she prepped the coffee maker, lined the filter, and scooped the ground dark roast coffee out of the canister on the counter.

“What’s got you all giggly?” Ben’s sleep-roughened voice asked.

He leaned against the bedroom doorjamb, wearing only a low-slung pair of gray sweatpants. They hugged his hips just right. She raked her gaze over the sprinkling of hair on his chest as it trailed to a V toward his concealed groin. Her nipples pebbled and heat rushed low. He had male sex appeal virtually stamped on every inch of his delectable body.

“Oh, just silly woman thoughts.” She filled the water reservoir with shaky hands and turned the machine on. “Why aren’t you still sleeping?”

“Missed you.” He pushed away and walked toward her, catching her in his arms. “Come back to bed with me. I’ll make it worth your while.”

“You’re insatiable.”

“What can I say?” He stroked the length of her back and cupped her ass, bringing her closer. “I’m making up for a huge dry spell.”

The aroma of the coffee brewing filled the air and mingled with his masculine scent. Her body hummed to life in his arms… being wanted this much by this incredible man gave her ego a serious boost. Choosing to forgo coffee for more sex with Ben was a no brainer. “How can I say no to a formerly sex-deprived Marine?” She stood on her tiptoes and coiled her hands around his neck. “Coffee can wait. Take me back to bed.”

“Awesome.”

He lifted her, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, then he carried her to the bedroom where they came together in a haze of early morning sex. Afterward, she cuddled with him, resting her head on his chest and listening to the steady beat of his heart.

He played with her hair and tenderly massaged her scalp. “Too bad we can’t stay here forever,” he said.

“I know,” she said softly. “I’m not ready to face reality either. But we don’t have to head back to Eagle Rock until this afternoon.” Then they’d figure out what to do about Gavin, she’d get back to work on her screenplay, and Ben would return to his base at some point.

And ship out again.

She didn’t know a thing about his life other than what he’d told her. And if she wanted to be with Ben, she needed to understand what she’d be in for if they tried to make this crazy fling last longer than a red hot minute.

“Ben?” She gazed up at him. “How long do your tours of duty last?”

She heard his heart beat kick up a notch and snuggled in closer, holding him. Waiting for his reply.

“Deployments vary depending on national strategy needs, but the Marine Corps usually limits tours of duty to forward areas to about seven months.”

“Forward areas? Define for the civilian, please.”

He chuckled. “It’s a secured forward operational-level military position to support strategic goals and tactical objectives. Improves our reaction time in local areas instead of having all the troops at the main base.”

“You love the life? The tours and stuff?” she asked.

His hand stilled, and he inhaled a long breath, releasing it slowly. “I used to love it. But the last mission going to hell and the current investigation are weighing on me. I want to go back, get that goddamn informer who betrayed my unit, and force him to tell me who turned him. Then I want to go after those assholes.”

A wave of concern washed through her. She’d never heard him sound so dejected. “Won’t you be able to do that when you go back overseas with your unit?”

“My unit’s gone. I’m the only one left.” He held onto her as if he needed an anchor. “Even after the investigation concludes, the top brass won’t send me back to that area. We were in deep cover. I’ve been compromised, so they can’t risk another unit getting attacked because of me.”

A lump lodged in her throat and her vision blurred. He’d been mourning his lost comrades and more. He’d hidden his grief well, choosing to focus on fixing her problem instead. “Ben… I am so sorry. There’s nothing I can say to change what happened,” she said, sliding her hand up his chest and feathering her fingers over his stubbled, firm jawline.

“One of them had just become a father.” His voice caught and he inhaled another shuddering breath before speaking again. “Little girl. She’ll never know her dad…”

Sloane’s nose itched and tears pricked hot behind her eyes. “Oh, Ben.” She caressed his cheeks and felt the dampness on them. “That’s awful. Her mother must be destroyed.”

“Yeah. She’s devastated. No one ever goes into the Corps to die. We go in to serve and protect our nation,” he said. “Thing is, I’m not sure the Marines is where I belong anymore. How can I make a difference in the world if the red tape keeps tying me down?”

Sloane’s heart ached for him. He’d sacrificed so much for their country, and now he stood at the crossroads of a major decision. And he’d come to his sister’s house to face that choice alone. “I don’t know what it’s like to lose my closest companions.” She rolled on top of him and smoothed the lines marring his forehead’s perfection. “But I do know what it’s like to lose a life I thought I wanted. And then the universe sent me an unexpected gift when you showed up at your sister’s house.” They’d never have met otherwise. Now she couldn’t imagine her life without Ben by her side.

He wrapped his arms around her waist. “I’d say we both got lucky where that’s concerned.”

“Yes. When you make your final decision, I want to be part of the outcome.” Gratitude reflected in his hazel eyes along with something more profound. Something her heart mirrored more than she could admit right now but she would after he made his choice.

She brushed her mouth against his and tasted the salt and tantalizing all-male flavor so unique to Ben. And when he deepened the kiss, opening for her and drawing her in, she lost herself to his gentle tenderness.

Right now, she didn’t dare examine where his final decision would ultimately leave them. She’d live in the moment, spinning daydreams of happily ever after in her mind. Neither of them needed promises. They only needed each other.

A loud banging jarred her out of the kiss, and she wrenched her mouth from his. “Who could that be?” Her heart skipped several beats. What if Gavin had found them?

“Not sure, but I wasn’t expecting anyone to come out here. Get dressed while I find out who’s there.”

She scooted off Ben and off the bed, quickly grabbing her discarded T-shirt and slipping it over her head. “What if it’s my ex?”

“Doubtful. He wouldn’t be banging on the door to let us know he’s here.” He pulled his sweatpants on and shrugged into a shirt. He got his Glock out and loaded it. “But I’m not taking any chances where he’s concerned. Stay here until I give you an all-clear.”

Every beat of her heart sounded like a thunder strike in her ears. If anything happened to Ben… “Please be careful.” She couldn’t lose him now.

“Nothing’s going to happen to me.”

He exited the room, shutting the door firmly behind him, and Sloane sank onto the bed’s edge, holding her waist. The clanging in her ears intensified, making her head ache. She hated this entire situation, and she’d be damned if she let Gavin ruin everything good she’d managed to create for herself… with Ben too.

Within minutes, he opened the bedroom door and poked his head inside. “It’s Hank,” Ben said. “Gavin’s not on location. The production team can’t locate him either.”

Her stomach dipped and rolled. A sick feeling crawled into her throat. Gavin had to be the person who’d taken pot shots at them the day before. Standing, she said, “I assume Hank’s here because we lost cell phone coverage.”

“Yep. The fucking towers fail on a regular basis.” Ben strode into the room. “Gavin had a breakdown on the set. No one knows where he’s disappeared to. But we know where he was yesterday. We’ll clean up and head out with Hank riding behind to provide us with extra security until we get to the house.” He dug out his pants and another shirt and made his way to the bathroom while telling her his plans.

“I never thought Gavin would sink this low.” Sloane grabbed a change of clothes from the chest of drawers and joined him. “Surely there’s some way I can reach him and convince him to back off. Until the breakup, I could always reason with him. Eventually, he’d come around.”

Ben turned away from the shower stall where he’d started the water and faced her. “Didn’t work the last time you tried,” he said matter-of-factly. “Which is why you’re here in Eagle Rock to pick up the pieces. Not to mention, you’re still in trouble. There’s no way I’m letting you near him again.”

“He wasn’t shooting at me,” she said. “Your life is in danger because of me.”

“Pretty much,” he said, stripping naked. “Your ex is targeting me so he can get to you.”

Heat flushed throughout her body and sweat beaded at the roots of her hair. Ben had known all along Gavin had been gunning for him but had kept it to himself until now. “Why didn’t you tell me before Hank arrived?” she asked as she joined him in the steaming hot shower.

“No point in upsetting you even more than you already were,” he said. “I’d hoped to avoid telling you altogether, but with Hank here, there’s no way I can hide the truth from you.”

Hot water cascaded over her, but ice flowed through her veins. She’d been dealt a blow by Gavin’s secrets and lies. While Ben’s reasons for concealing his suspicions from her had been born out of a desire to protect her, she still hated that he’d hidden them.