Table Of ContentMy Daddy is a Hero: Gunnery Sergeant Aidan Brooks Copyright © April
2012 Dahlia Rose Cover Art by For the Muses Design
ISBN 978-1-936668-78-6
All rights are reserved. No part of this may be used or reproduced in any manner
whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations
embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Chapter One
The nightclub in Charlotte, North Carolina was jumping. Maybe it was
because it was filled with Marines on leave or because it was the perfect
Saturday night where the wind was cool and you could smell summer in the air.
Twenty-seven-year-old Cherish Walker already had her guy and he was a
definite keeper. They clicked from the time he asked her to dance and he was at
the bar getting them a few drinks while she sat at the table with his buddy.
Gunny Aidan Brooks was sexy as hell with green eyes that held laughter and a
jaw line that looked as if it was sculpted by the gods. He was thirty four and had
a career in the military, first signing up when he was eighteen years old. His
arms were huge, and she could imagine being held in them. If she even thought
about his abs, they wouldn’t get past the drinks. His buddy, on the other hand,
was a slime ball. Jose Rodriguez knew full well that she had a thing for Aidan
yet he still insisted on hitting on her behind his friend’s back. It was like he
couldn’t understand why she liked Aidan over him, and as the night progressed
she liked him less and less.
“So when are you going to let me take you home?” Jose asked.
“The twelfth of never,” she answered instantly. “Listen, can’t you see I’m
into your friend?”
Jose laughed. “Can’t you see I could give you a better ride than he ever could,
baby?”
He reached out to touch her hand and Cherish gave him a cold look. “If you
touch me I’ll taser you in the balls and fry those boys.”
Jose grinned, but it didn’t travel to his eyes. “Okay, baby, I get when I’m not
wanted.”
“Obviously not,” she retorted and got up to find Aidan. “Don’t wait up for
your friend; we’ll be hanging out all night.”
“Bitch.”
Even over the music she heard his words. Cherish knew that Jose wanted her
to hear him, but didn’t care. She met Aidan in the middle of the crowded dance
floor and stood on her tippy toes to kiss him. He put the drinks he was holding
on the table closest to him and pulled her in for a searing kiss that left her
breathless.
When he broke the kiss, she whispered close to his ear so he could hear her.
“I don’t usually do this. In fact, I never have, but I feel a connection with you.
Aidan, come back to my place.”
“Let me just tell Jose I’m out.” His green eyes darkened with desire.
“I already told him we were leaving.” Cherish took his hand and pulled him
out into the cool Charlotte night.
The streets were pulsating with people and music as they walked.
Aidan put an arm around her waist and pulled her closer before teasing,
“You’re not using me as a one night stand, are you?”
“Do I look like that type of girl?” Cherish asked.
“You never know. You might just want me for my righteous body,” Aidan
said.
“Righteous?” Laughter spilled from Cherish’s lips. “Trust me. I want more
than that.”
“Good because when we head out in the morning, I want to see my e-mail
inbox filled with messages from you while I’m gone,” Aidan said. “I’ll call you
whenever I can.”
“Don’t all the soldiers heading out say that for a night of sex with an
unknown woman?” Cherish questioned.
“I don’t,” he said huskily. “I feel something with you, and I’d like to see
where it goes. Plus, you invited me, remember?”
“That’s because I’m a woman who knows what she wants,” Cherish said,
wrapping her arms around his waist. “And I want you.”
Another two blocks to the second ward area of Charlotte and they arrived at
her place. It was in one of the new high rise condo units that were built around
the city. And the cost was upwards of three hundred thousand dollars. Cherish
had bought her condo for the full price, paid in full.
Aidan whistled. “You live here? The rent must be out of this world.”
“I own my place,” Cherish replied and used her key card to get into the lobby.
“Maybe I should ask what you do for a living.” Aidan followed her inside.
“I’m a clothing designer, and I own my own boutiques.”
“I’d like see your work sometime.” Aidan kissed her fingers before they took
the stairs. “I knew these hands were perfect for a reason.”
Cherish shook her head. “You are completely different than the other men I
know. Most guys are uncomfortable that I make more money than they do.”
He shrugged. “If a man can’t be secure in himself, it’s on his head. If he’s not
happy, he should go for his dream. You did it and good show. Why would I fault
you for being successful?”
Cherish felt a little breathless and it wasn’t because of taking the stairs. Aidan
Brooks was that perfect fit she had been looking for in her life. The thought of
him going away to Afghanistan caused tears to prick her eyes. They would make
tonight special, and then they would have time to learn about each other from
thousands of miles away. She had never been one to believe in love at first sight,
but then she met Aidan and love seemed to punch its way into her heart.
Once they got to the fourth floor they walked down a lushly carpeted hallway.
She stopped at room 419, unlocked the door, and led Aidan inside. When the
door snapped shut behind him, she looked up and felt her heart hitch as she
gazed into deep, bottomless green eyes. He took one step forward and she took
one step back. A sexy smile spread across his face as he moved again. Their
little dance continued until she was up against the wall next to her bedroom
door.
“Where are you going to go now?” he growled softly.
“I guess you caught me,” Cherish said seductively.
He chuckled as he lowered his head to hers and their lips met. Cherish dug
her fingers into his hair and felt like she was holding electricity in the palm of
her hand. Every part of her tingled as she touched him and their tongues parried
and played. The barrier of their clothing kept her flesh from meeting his. Cherish
pressed her body closer to his, wanting to feel more. As he kissed her, he undid
the tiny row of buttons on her halter top blouse and trailed his mouth down her
neck to her breasts. She gasped as his hot mouth closed over her nipple while he
took the other smooth mound in his hand and rubbed the nipple with his thumb.
“I want to be naked so you can touch me everywhere,” she panted.
“I’ll get there, but not quite yet,” he murmured.
His breath was hot on her stomach as his tongue paved a path around her
belly button and she felt his hands underneath her short skirt, cupping the cheeks
of her ass. She worked at the zipper and buttons and the fabric pooled at her feet.
Aidan was on his knees and he looked up at her with dark desire in his eyes. His
eyes never left hers as he parted her legs and rubbed her clit through the fabric of
her panties. Her hips arched towards his fingers, seeking more of the pleasure he
offered. He gave her more than that—he bent his head and she felt his mouth on
her through her panties. Cherish whimpered and held his head to her. She
wanted to feel his mouth on her skin.
She pulled her panties down until they fell around her ankles. “There, now
you can take all you want.”
He gave a soft growl in the back of his throat, one that made her shiver with
need. His hot mouth pressed against the shaved skin of her pussy and she bucked
against him. His tongue licked between the folds of flesh before he spread the
lips of her pussy and sucked on her clit. She wanted to slide down the wall as
sheer pleasure coursed through her. As if sensing the weakness in her knees, he
removed his mouth to pull her down to the floor with him. He kissed her, his lips
and tongue demanding entrance into her mouth and she could taste her essence
on his lips.
“You taste sweet, like peaches. I think I’m addicted,” he teased.
She struggled with his shirt, and he moved away long enough to drag it over
his head and toss it aside. She didn’t care that they were on the floor outside her
bedroom and not on her king-sized bed. Looking at his hard muscled body, she
could practically feel her mouth watering.
“I want you completely naked,” she demanded.
He took the rest of his clothes off and came back to her on the carpeted floor.
“Should we head to your bedroom?”
“If you can wait that long,” Cherish teased, feeling wanton, and ran her hand
down her body. “I don’t think I can.”
“Damn, I’m the luckiest man in the world meeting you,” he said huskily and
nipped at her lips.
“I like hearing that.” Cherish stroked his shoulders. “Show me how much.”
The next kiss seared him into her senses until nothing else mattered. His
hands stroked and massaged her body until she hungered for him even more.
Cherish felt his hand delve between her legs and cup the mound of her pussy.
His finger stroked and teased between the wet slit before penetrating her with his
finger and she moaned against his mouth.
She lifted her head and watched as he used his fingers to please her. “Damn,
you’re so tight and wet.”
“Oh, Aidan, please,” she moaned.
“Please what?” His husky voice was against her ear. “Tell me what you need,
baby girl.”
“Use your fingers to make me come,” Cherish pleaded.
“Look at me. I want to see you go over that edge.”
She couldn’t resist even if she wanted to. Cherish was drawn to the green-
eyed gaze of her sexy soldier. In her heart she already considered Aidan hers and
opened herself up to him completely. “Oh, God, yes,” she cried out as he buried
his fingers deep inside her. But Aidan was going to drive her mad, because he
moved his fingers in a slow, deliberate way.
He kept that pace until she begged. “Harder. I need more!”
“You’re a very bad girl. You want to come all over my hand, don’t you?” The
need was now evident in his voice as he spoke.
“Yes. Oh, yes, Aidan,” she panted and her hips followed the rhythm of his
hands.
His cock was hard as steel and pressed against her thigh. She stroked his
length, hoping to give him as much pleasure as he was giving her. Looking at his
face, she could see he was excited and could feel it in the tense muscles of his
body. He used two fingers now, sliding them deeper, faster and her head fell
back as ecstasy coursed through her. She could feel the orgasm building inside
her, tightening to the point she could hardly bear it, yet she craved more and
didn’t want it to end. She spread her legs wider, taking more of his fingers. By
now, she was not able to hold back and a cry escaped her lips. She dug her
fingers into the soft carpet beneath her to anchor herself in the storm of passion
that was crashing through her body. Her hips rose and fell in a frantic pace. She
pushed against his fingers wildly as her body reached the pinnacle of desire.
Drawn tight like a bow, and with a scream, the band of need inside her snapped
and she orgasmed with his name on her lips.
“Oh, Cherish. Damn, baby, I could watch you do that a thousand times and it
would always make me want to fuck you,” Aidan said roughly.
“My turn,” Cherish said. “I want to taste you.”
She pushed him back and knelt between his legs. She took the hard length of
him in her hand and stroked, watching his neck arch and tense at her touch. A
low moan escaped his lips at her ministrations. She bent low, licked the tip of his
cock slowly then ran her tongue down the erect shaft. Inch by pleasurable inch,
she took the entire length of him into her mouth. She sucked and swirled her
tongue around the tip, tasting his pre-come and moaning as the taste of him sent
a bolt of need through her wet pussy. Aidan grabbed her head and she slid his
cock in and out between her lips.
“You are so good. God, yes, baby, show me how much you want me,” he
groaned.
His body tightened and she loved watching the strong muscles of his thighs
bunch and tense as she used her mouth to please him. He pulled away suddenly,
breathing harshly and his eyes were dark with pleasure.
“If I didn’t stop you, I’d have come in your mouth and I plan to be buried
deep inside you when that happens,” Aidan said.
He pulled her to her knees and devoured her lips in a kiss before he turned her
around and bent her over. On her hands and knees she could feel his erection
against her ass and wiggled in anticipation. Cherish moaned in excitement when
she felt the tip of his cock against the entrance of her pussy. Aidan ran the tip of
his cock up and down her slit until she moaned in frustration. With one smooth
thrust he filled her and she cried out his name.
“Oh, Cherish, you feel so damn good,” he muttered.
This time he didn’t tease her; he pumped into her at a feverish pace that made
her feel hot all over. The noises their bodies made as he took her were primal.
He reached around to cup her breasts while he fucked her. “Yes, yes, yes,”
Cherish chanted the words over and over again. The pleasure had built up again
to a point where it could hold no longer and took her over the edge. She came
hard and still the sensation and pleasure continued, one after the other in waves
that seemed to never end. She’d never felt like this before; didn’t know her body
could reach heights of ecstasy that Aidan was taking her to. Her pussy had
become so wet, liquid ran down her thighs.
“Cherish, I can’t hold back,” he groaned. She felt his cock jump inside her as
his thrusts increased.
“You don’t have to. Let go, Aidan.” She reached between her legs to cup his
balls and squeezed them gently.
“Fuck yes!” With a loud, harsh cry, he grabbed her hips and pumped into her
mercilessly. She felt his come fill her with each thrust until nothing was left and
they both slumped to the carpet, sweaty, damp and completely sated in the
aftermath of their coupling.
Aidan picked her up and carried her to the bedroom. “We finally made it to
the bed,” he said and she giggled. In the bathroom connected to her room, he
found towels and cleaned them both up before slipping between the sheets and
pulling her into his arms. Cherish could see herself being held by him like this
for the rest of her life. She slept in his arms, and they made love twice more that
night and each time it was just as amazing as the first. She wished she could
push the sunrise away when he got up to get dressed. She wanted the magical
world they had created to last forever. She watched him as he dressed, and he
knelt beside her on the bed and gave her a long, lingering kiss.
“You have my number, e-mail and everything, right?” he asked and then
teased, “Don’t throw them away as soon as I’m out the door.”
“I would never do that. This thing between us is crazy and exciting.” She
laughed and then caressed his cheek. “I want to see where it leads, so you better
bring your butt home to me, soldier.”
A slow grin spread across his face. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll call you when I get
settled and send you a mailing address and all that. See you soon, peaches.”
“You’re really going to stick with that nickname, aren’t you?” She laughed.
“Damn right, and you’re mine,” he replied and kissed her once more. “Bye.”
She walked him to the door wrapped in a sheet. “Be safe,” she said as she
locked the door behind him. Tears threatened to fall as she went back to the
bedroom and lay back on the pillow that held his scent.
She had found the one, the perfect guy, and he had to leave for nine months.
She hoped the time would fly by because she missed him already. She turned
over and tried to get some sleep. Aidan’s face filled her dreams, and she
welcomed it gratefully.
Aidan finally got on the plane and looked down the aisle at all the seats. It
was a sea of green—soldiers in uniform and it was his platoon heading out for
their tour in Afghanistan. For him, it was his third, but some of the faces were so
new and fresh he felt sorry for them. He pushed that aside, telling himself that
they knew what they had signed up for when they scribbled their name on the
dotted line. Realistically, he knew none of them had a clue what to expect
because no training could prepare them for what they were about to see. They
