Page 50 of Decker

“Nah, it’s different and she’d agree. I adore Pax and she knows it but the love you have for your child is beyond explaining.”

Decker did know, he’d felt it every day since Milo and his daughter were conceived. He glanced back at Savannah and frowned not seeing her. His eyes scanned the room looking for her, panic seizing him before he found her further down the bar. His jaw clenched as anger assailed him when he saw some drunk douchebag was standing too close beside her and chatting her up.

His gut churned when she laughed at something he said and then they both laughed. Was she on a date? Had she moved on so quickly from what they’d shared? Jealousy clouded his vision and before he knew it, he was walking over to them.

He saw her face drain of colour when she saw him and that pissed him off more. She’d never had a need to be afraid of him. “Savannah.”

“Hello, Mark.” Her voice was like music to his ears after an entire twenty-eight days without hearing it. Soft and melodic but with a confidence that made his dick hard.

“Who’s your friend?” He gripped his glass harder as the dickhead tried to elbow him out of the way.

“Buzz off, buddy. This one is mine.”

Decker gave the man a stony cold stare as he tried to claim Savannah. “I think you’ll find she isn’t.”

The man turned to him fully and his eyes were unfocused as he tried to stare him down. He almost felt sorry for the man who was way out of Savannah’s league.

“Oh, for God’s, sake.” Savannah threw up her hands. “I’m not a fucking bone to fight over. I don’t belong to anyone,” she turned to him with fire in her eyes, “least of all you.”

With that, she spun on her heel and walked out the door.

“Savannah,” he called but she kept walking.

Mark brushed past the man and followed her, not wanting this interaction to end, and having no clue what he’d say. He caught up with her as she crossed the car park and grabbed her arm, spinning her to face him.

“For fucks sake, wait up, Savannah.”

She yanked her arm from his grip and stepped back. “Don’t fucking touch me.”

She was furious and much as it made him a dick, it turned him on to see so much fire in her. It was one of the things he loved about her. The air practically danced with the electricity between them as her breathing heaved and he fought for control.

“How dare you think you can come up to me and scare some man who was just talking to me. Who the hell do you think you are? You don’t want me, but you don’t want anyone else to have me, is that it?”

Deck could see the pain he was causing her, had caused her, and regretted every single tear she’d shed for him. Hurting her was one of his biggest regrets and he’d do anything to take it back. “I do want you, Savannah.”

He moved toward her, his hands reaching for her as the words left him in a broken admission. In the next second, she was in his arms, and he was kissing like she was the air he needed to breathe. He tried to tell how he felt with his body as he crushed her to him, need throbbing through him. God, he’d missed her.

Suddenly she broke from his arms on a sob. “No.” Her swollen lips taunted him but the hurt in her eyes was worse. “What’s changed, Mark?”

He looked at her with an apology in his eyes and saw her anguish and wondered if his face reflected the same. “I’m sorry, doc.”

“You don’t want anyone else playing with your toy is that it?”

“No, of course not. I do want you. I want you so bad. I miss you, but I can’t give you what you need, Savannah.”

“Bullshit.” She folded her arms across her middle as if trying to stop him from inflicting more pain. “You don’t know what I need because you never asked. But you got one thing right, I’m too good for you. I deserve a man who loves me enough to be brave.”

She turned on her heel and ran to her car and he watched her go, wondering how much more he could take and why he felt like he’d just let his salvation walk out of his life.

With heavy feet, he wandered back into the bar where every one of his teammates was now with the women they loved. He saw the love and laughter, the shared joy and excitement between the couples and knew he needed to get away and get his head straight. He couldn’t keep on living this half-life, and to move on and have a future like the one he desperately wanted with Savannah he needed to let the past go.

“Jack, do you have a minute?”

Jack stood and kissed his wife with a grin before he made his way over to him. “What’s up?”

“I need some time off.”

“Okay, no problem. How much?”