Skyla's POV

My phone ringing somewhere in the pile of clothes on the floor wakes me, scrambling to answer it I’m pulled back in bed by two strong arms. Laughing as I playfully smack his arm to let go.

Kissing along the back of my neck, “Good morning” he mumbles into my hair.

I stop struggling after my phone stops ringing, the warmth of his chest against my back feels so nice. Though I’m surprised at myself for allowing him to stay.

Maybe you shouldn’t have let him stay, you’ve only know the guy a week and you’ve slept with him. He probably thinks you’re easy… you’ve certainly not behaved otherwise. What is it about him that makes you so comfortable, happy even?

He’s propped on his elbow looking down at me; pulling my hair from over my face so he can see me. Brushing his hand down my arm, my skin erupting with goosebumps under his touch. Rolling over to look at him… how is he just as sexy waking up as he was last night?

“Any plans today?” I manage to say without my voice trembling. Suddenly feeling self conscious even though the darkened room hides my imperfections.

“None” he says, wrapping a hand over my jaw; turning my head slightly so that his lips are so close it’s almost painful how much I want to feel them on mine. “I’m all yours today… if you want me.”

“I…” my phone ringing again in the floor saves me. Oh thank God! “I should get that.”

Scrambling to the edge of the bed and sifting through the clothes until I find my phone. Answering it at the last second. “Hello?”

“Mrs Skyla Daniels?” the voice from the phone echoes through my head.

“Just Skyla… please.”

“This is Sergeant Aaron, at Combat K9… is this a good time?” Breathing a sigh of relief as I recognize his familiar and professional tone.

“Now is fine, is everything okay?”

“Well, yes… and no. Can you pick up Diablo today?”

0h no, what now? Today’s as good a day as any I suppose. Time for the devil to come home.

“Yes of course, it’s a bit of a drive but what time works best for you?”

“Honestly, Skyla? As soon as you can get here. He’s been a real handful lately, and…”

“He hasn’t hurt anyone, has he?” I blurt out; my voice laced with worry, “I’m sorry Aaron, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“That’s quite alright, there’s been a couple of close calls… but I think we’ve done all we can here. When can we expect you?”

Checking the time… oh my god, it’s already 10:30am! I’ve not slept past 6am in months, that’s if I sleep at all. “Is around 1 o’clock okay?”

“Of course,” I can sense his relief through the phone, “drive safe, I’ll have his things ready for when you arrive.”

“Thanks Aaron! I’m excited to see you again.”

“Oh Skyla!” Aaron urgently barks through the phone, “Please remember that paperwork I sent you last week, it will help finalize all his certifications.”

My eyes look over at Xavier as Aaron says his goodbye and hangs up, he’s laying on his back with his arms behind his head. He smiles as I lower the phone, his eyes locked on mine. “So you’ve made other plans then?”

“Yeah, I’ve…” he holds up his hand to stop me, like he’s heard enough. Girl, you were thinking too much into what happened last night, but why don’t you want him to leave?

He sits up, reaching past me to gather his clothes from the floor. “I didn’t know you were seeing anyone, I’ll get out of here.”

“Xavier” I say softly, grabbing his arm, “I’m not seeing anyone, I’ve just got to go pick up my dog from the training and boarding facility.”

“Your dog?” skeptically looking at me with an eyebrow raised.

“Yes, my dog… Diablo.”

“You… named your dog Diablo?” Xavier scoffs in disbelief.

“No, I didn’t name him, it suits him though. Would you maybe wanna come with me?”

He shrugs, trying to look nonchalant about it, “Are you sure Aaron won’t mind?”

Pretending to pout and pulling the sheets up over my exposed skin “Oh, don’t want to share?”

He drops his clothes and leans over me; looking from my eyes to my lips, I bite my lips in response “I’m terrible at sharing.” He all but growls.

“You didn’t answer me…”

“Didn’t I,” he whispers, breath tickling my neck “I. Don’t. Share.” His low voice sending a shiver down my spine.

Xavier pulls the sheets down; kissing down my chest, and running his hands over my body. A moan escapes me when he moves, pressing his body against mine. “How long’s the drive to get this dog of yours?” Brushing his lips over my ear as he whispers.

“About forty-five minutes… why?”

“Good, that means we have plenty of time.” I don’t get a chance to ask for what, though I already knew the answer. His kiss is hungry, not at all put off by morning breath. He playfully bites my bottom lip and grips my ass to pull me closer, his naked body feels so good against me.

His hand slips between my legs; and I shift my hips to give him access. “You're so perfect.” He hums against my lips. Kissing down my throat and then over the swell of each breast, my heart is racing; each touch building the desire in my core. His kisses now over my stomach before biting at my hip.

Pushing my knees up and spreading my legs apart as he settles between them, playfully raising an eyebrow at me; his devilish smirk would have been enough to make me give into him, if I hadn’t already. He kisses the top of my knee, running his hands from my knees down the inside of my thighs. I try my best to hide the shiver he sends down my spine.

Biting my lip to stifle my moans, as he brings me through my orgasm. Kissing my thigh again as he lets me catch my breath. Crawling over me and kissing my forehead. “So this dog… some little fluffy mutt of a thing or what?”

“Really? You wanna talk about the dog after that?” I ask, narrowing my eyes at him.

He leans impossibly close “If you want more all you have to do is ask…”

Blushing under his intensity I try to sink further back into the mattress, Xavier smiles studying my face. Before rolling over and off the bed. Grabbing his jeans off the floor before disappearing into the bathroom.

What the hell just happened? It felt amazing, sure… but have I actually met a man that gives without expecting anything in return?

Grabbing my own clothes from the closet and putting on clean lingerie. No matter how frumpy and unkempt my clothes may look, wearing sexy bras and underwear underneath helps me to feel confident and walk a little taller.

Walking out of my large closet half dressed; the lights in the bedroom have been turned on… crap, he’ll be able to see you. Really see you! Those ugly scars on full display.

Wrapping my arms around myself, shielding my body with the clothes in my hand; I try to sneak past him and into the bathroom to finish getting ready. He furrows his brows while laying the borrowed shirt and jacket on the bed. “Why are you hiding?”

“I’m not,” I stammer, unconvincingly “it’s just, I don’t like,” I tighten the hug I’m giving myself, trying to comfort myself while searching for the words I need. “I hate the reminders of a life I’m trying so hard to put behind me, and I’m stuck with them all the time.”

Stepping around the foot of the bed to stand in front of me, he reaches for the bundle of clothes in my arms… reluctantly I let him take them and toss them on the bed behind him. “Don’t hide, please.”

Dropping my arms to my side and swallowing hard, avoiding his gaze and instead staring straight ahead; he walks around me, my body reacting to his eyes studying every inch. When he’s standing in front of me again he takes my hands in his before sitting on the foot of the bed. “You’re stunning” he says softly.

“No” I blush, “I’m scarred and…”

“You’re beautiful,” my breath hitches as he runs his thumbs over my wrists “I really like you, and if this was too much, too soon… that’s okay. We can take a step back, whatever you need.”

Shaking my head and grabbing my clothes, “I don’t know what I need right now, except to get ready… will you come with me?

“If you don’t want to, that’s fine.”

Is it fine? Why do I feel so attached to this man I know almost nothing about? How is it that I feel so safe with this handsome stranger?

Xavier checks the time on his phone, while I get dressed in front of him; trying my hardest to fight down the self conscious thoughts in my head. “I should run home, make sure Eloise is okay… she might need the car.”

“Oh, okay. I’ll see you around then I guess…” I begin. He stands up, towering over me, brushing the hair back from my face. That handsome smirk and those dark eyes looking down at me.

“You’re not going alone, I just need to grab some clean clothes and make sure she’s fine… I’ll be back to pick you up in just a few.” He states very matter-of-factly.

“Pick me up?”

“Are you going to walk there?”

Narrowing my eyes, “Xavier, I do own a car… I should probably show up in a vehicle Diablo’s familiar with anyway.”

“Alright,” kissing the top of my head. “Let me run home, I’ll be back in about twenty minutes.”

Xavier’s POV

After rushing home, brushing my teeth and throwing on some clean clothes. I’m almost done lacing up my boots when Eloise pops her head in the doorway.

“Where have you been?” she asks, crossing her arms.

“Out.”

“You just walked in the door and you’re already running back out?”

“Yeah, I’m leaving the car.”

“What am I supposed to do? There’s no food here Xavier… you were supposed to pick up groceries yesterday and never came home!”

Shit, she’s right. I got so caught up with Skyla that I've ignored my own sister.

I pull out my debit card, and hand it to her “I’m really sorry, but I’ve gotta go.”

“Whatever, you’re such an asshole!” She spits out, slamming her bedroom door.

On my motorcycle I glance back at the trailer we live in, it’s in disarray but paid for, not much I can do about it right now. Shaking the thoughts out of my head. There’s no time to dwell on this.

Back at Skyla’s, she tells me to leave my motorcycle behind the building. I walk it up next to the backdoor as she unlocks the garage bay door then she turns to smile at me. “You wanna drive?”

Throwing open the door before I can ask any questions and revealing a shiny black, late ‘60s Plymouth Road Runner. “Holy shit!” I blurt out a little louder than intended which makes her laugh.

“Well? Do you want to drive?” She repeats with a smile, dangling the keys on her fingers.

“It’s a…”

“1969 with a Hemi… yeah, now catch.” Tossing the keys my way, I catch them before they hit me in the face. She still smiling as she saunters over to the passenger side door, nodding at me to get in.

Honestly, can this woman get any sexier? As the engine purrs to life all I can think of is her laid across the bench style seat... this is about to be the longest forty-five-minute drive of my life. Grabbing coffees from a nearby drive-thru while she sets her phone’s GPS to our destination.

“So, tell me...” she says simply between sips of coffee, “were you expecting me to drive a Prius?”

“I didn’t really have any expectations, but this isn't what I would've pictured you driving. Why this car?”

“You’ll just laugh...”

Glancing at her for a second, she’s blushing. “Try me.”

“I saw it at an auction years ago, and just had to have it. My dad’s a mechanic and restoration contractor so I know a little about what to look for. It’s one of the few things that moved with me.”

Shrugging, “It’s an amazing find, definitely not a car you’d see around town.”

“You understand why I walk everywhere, now? I’d be devastated if something happened to it.”

“Never considered you might be into cars.” Laughing as she playful shoves me. my big mouth can't help but ruin the mood. “Can I ask how you got your scars?”

A heavy sigh escapes her as she looks out the window, just when I think she might shut me out she begins to explain. “I might as well tell you; Aaron knows... and might bring it up.

 “The large one on my spine was from a surgery where the doctors had to do a mechanical realignment, disc repair, and to stop a spinal fluid leak. Others are from having my ribs broken, or things I did... to myself.”

To herself? Why? What on Earth would... Considering her answer before taking her hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be, some have been there since my middle school years. Some are more... recent.”

“Were you in a car wreck? Is that why you have panic attacks?”

“Not a car wreck. There was a... I don’t even what to call it. Most of my triggers are touch related, but sometimes it's as simple as someone yelling at me. Men are almost always a trigger, but memories get me most often.

“I was married,” she almost whispers “life wasn’t perfect, but we were high school sweethearts. We’d bought a house; his career was about to take off... our daughter, Brianna, would be in preschool now.”

“Would be?” I blurt out, immediately cursing myself when her nostalgic smile drops.

“Last year there was a break-in; they took everything from me, they’re gone. Didn’t make it.” she says, I can hear the sorrow in her voice. It weighs heavily on her.

“Holy shit! That’s fucking awful, I had no idea that...”

Skyla’s letting the tears fall freely now, but her voice while sad remains steady “It gets better... I was gone at the time, running errands, I found the front door kicked in; and even though I called 9-1-1, I still went inside. They took enough to fill a moving truck. I was attacked inside the house while searching for my family.

“At some point I lost consciousness, and woke up in a hospital bed three days later with a dislocated shoulder, broken ribs, and having had emergency spinal surgery. They also... they raped me, before police showed up.”

Wow, and I thought I had one fucked backstory! I can’t imagine losing so much in an instant. The GPS alerts us that we’re just minutes from our destination. I’d bet those clothes I burrowed were her late husband’s, and there I was feeling jealous that some other man had his own space in the closet.

Pulling down a long gravel driveway and parking in front of a large warehouse that seems to go on forever; open bay doors show dogs and handlers moving about and the barking in the background echoes through the woods surrounding us. Skyla’s already wiped away her tears and looking at me expectantly when I turn her way. “I’m sorry” she mumbles “I'm sorry I dropped all that on you, yesterday marked a year since... and, I’m a mess. My whole life is a mess right now.”

All I can do is offer her a smile as I honesty say, “I think you’re holding it together better than anyone could.”

“I need you to wait in car, please” she says looking around the facility “It will only be a few minutes. But no matter what you see, can you promise to wait until I come back?”

The laugh that escapes me is completely unintentional, but makes her smile “Totally not ominous at all, but sure... I’ll wait.”

Quickly kissing my cheek before hopping out and jogging over to greet the man walking towards us out of the building. That must be Aaron.