Hawk: A Rough Romance Read online

  Hawk

  By

  Piper Stone

  Copyright © 2020 by Stormy Night Publications and Piper Stone

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  Published by Stormy Night Publications and Design, LLC.

  www.StormyNightPublications.com

  Stone, Piper

  Hawk

  Cover Design by Korey Mae Johnson

  Images by Paul Henry Serres (Modeled by Alex BA), Shutterstock/Delcroix Romain, and Shutterstock/biletskiyevgeniy

  This book is intended for adults only. Spanking and other sexual activities represented in this book are fantasies only, intended for adults.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  More Stormy Night Books by Piper Stone

  Piper Stone Links

  Prologue

  Brothers in arms.

  Soldiers.

  Cowboys and Marines.

  We’d been called so many things.

  Heroes. Monsters. Sinners and saints.

  Above all we were men honoring our country even while our pasts continued to haunt us.

  Some said we could never return, that we were damaged beyond redemption.

  Others would stop at nothing to prevent us from doing so.

  But we were determined to protect those we loved.

  Six men determined to right the wrongs from our past.

  Six men prepared to do what it took.

  No matter the cost.

  Then...

  Chapter One

  Hawk

  “Watch out!” I bellowed as I dragged Vader toward the helicopter. “We have to get the fuck out of here!” The whirl of the blades pounded into my ears, the sand and dirt suffocating. As the other men of the expeditionary unit jumped inside the bird, Vader refused to let go of my arm, even as blood seeped through his uniform.

  “We can’t leave him out there!” he exclaimed, gasping for breath.

  “Get the fuck inside.” I pushed him into the arms of my best buddy, giving Mustang a hard glare. “Get him on board.”

  “Where the fuck you going?” Mustang hissed. “We need to get the hell out of here.”

  “I’m not leaving without Snake.” The rapid popping of continuous gunfire was getting closer. My gut churned, my heart aching.

  “Then we’ll all fucking die!” Mustang snapped.

  Smack!

  The sound yanked me out of the wretched vision, the noise forcing me to reach for my gun as I took several deep breaths. My entire body was tense, my mind having already planned out the kill zone within the small space, as well as the two escape routes. Front and back door. I knew exactly how many steps it would take to reach the truck, how many rounds needed in order to eliminate the enemy.

  “Get down,” I yelled as I yanked the controls, lifting the bird into the air. The ground was suddenly filled with at least a hundred enemy soldiers, every one of them pointing their AK-47s into the air. I swung the helicopter to the right, banking hard as I tried to accelerate, forced to fly through a spray of bullets.

  Swallowing, I inhaled deeply as my mind cleared, the reality of where I was finally sinking in.

  There were no outward enemies, no assholes prepared to shoot to kill.

  Only a group of ranchers trying to purchase needed supplies.

  Fuck me.

  Hissing, I eased my hand away from my gun, still scanning the perimeter.

  The poor dude behind the counter was petrified, paling to the shade of a ghost. I took another deep breath, remembering that I was back in the States, no longer on the front lines.

  The clerk swallowed as his shaking hand reached for my first item even as I felt a presence drawing close. “Just some idiot dropping a box,” he managed, darting a look around me. There was a second distinct expression on his face.

  One of dislike.

  That’s when I heard the voice.

  “I need to talk to you, Sergeant Travers. You will not continue avoiding me. That is unless you just don’t give a shit,” the voice said from behind me. “Start rolling the camera, Jerry.”

  Talk.

  Cameras.

  The last thing I wanted to do after two days on a plane was talk to anyone, including the owner of the sexiest female voice I’d heard in a hell of a long time.

  Huffing, I ignored the comment, reaching for my wallet. I also wasn’t in the mood to have my picture taken. My buddies remained on foreign soil, fighting to keep the peace.

  “So, you don’t give a shit about your brother. Fantastic,” she continued. “What the hell is wrong with people in this town?”

  The statement didn’t just sting. The words cut into my gut like a razor-sharp knife, causing guilt to wrap around my throat. Exhaling, I placed the remaining items I’d selected onto the counter, including the bottle of bourbon. I had a feeling I would need more than a single drink tonight, especially after the less than stellar greeting back in my hometown.

  After all the shit I’d just been through, my anger level was on full overload, which didn’t usually bode well for people who pissed me off. The woman had done so not once but three times in less than two hours. Her phone calls had been chiding and now, she was accusatory? Fuck that.

  I was exhausted, had yet to change out of my fatigues, and all I wanted was some peace in order to process the recent news. Damn if her sexy voice didn’t instantly turn me on even if I wanted to drag her over my knee for one solid whooping. I almost laughed at the thought.

  Yeah, she’d get a pass this time around. I wasn’t ready to start a war with some reporter.

  “Watch out,” the store clerk whispered. “She’s a real ballbuster.”

  Snickering, I took my time before bothering to give the feisty woman the time of day. No one fucked with me.

  Especially not after the shit I’d been through.

  I wasn’t certain what to expect when I turned around, but when I did I was faced with the most gorgeous set of blue eyes, the kind a man could lose himself in was difficult enough. The fact she was drop dead gorgeous, her long dark curls spilling over her shoulders almost as sensuous as her hourglass figure left me sucking in my breath. My cock twitched from all the nasty thoughts of what I’d like to do to her swimming in my mind.

  Kissing her voluptuous lips.

  Driving my shaft into her pretty pink pussy.

  Spanking her naked rounded bottom for the insolence in her voice.

  There was an instant spark between us, one of those moments where time seemed to stand still. I was floored at my body’s response; the way my pulse shot into the atmosphere, every nerve was standing on end.

  Her lower lip quivered as she dropped her microphone, enough that I could see the clear outline of her tight little nipples through her thin blouse. I could almost swear I gathered a hint of her feminine wiles, leaving me to believe her panties were damp. Every Neanderthal part of me surfaced, the longing to bury my face into her wetness almost all I could think about.

  Almost.

>   Then reality kicked in.

  What the hell did she think she was doing?

  I glared at the cameraman standing behind her who was filming every nuance in my expression, including the way I clenched my jaw as I studied her intently. At this point, several of the other customers had formed a circle around us, actively waiting for my answer. I recognized a couple of them, the corner store a location that had been around for decades. They’d aged significantly.

  Hell, so had I in the years I’d been away from Missoula.

  As usual, whatever I said was going to be caustic. I didn’t like being accosted, especially when sensationalism and interrogation techniques were involved. While there were some pretty choice words I wanted to say to the sexy stranger, I did everything I could to rein in my anger.

  “I don’t know who the fuck you think you are but get the hell out of my space before you find you and your camera idiot slammed into the dirt.”

  Well, that didn’t go quite as expected.

  But hell, I’d always been known as the bad boy. Even growing up, I’d gotten a bad reputation from my need to fight, refusing to back down from any asshole who’d gotten in my way. A hell of a lot of blood had been spilled, my ass spending more than one night in jail. No wonder the customers were afraid of me. They knew exactly what I could and would do.

  Except for the sexy brunette with a penchant for getting in my face. She didn’t seem fazed in the least. I guess I’d have to teach her a lesson or two.

  She cocked her pretty little head, glaring at me with the ferocity of a lion, once again shoving the microphone into my face. “I’ll take that to mean you are part of the systematic problem, while Drake Travers was honorable. What a shame that doesn’t seem to run in the family.”

  I glared at her, stunned that she had that kind of audacity. What the fuck was she getting at? There was a chance news had traveled fast, even from a warzone. The shit that had gone down was difficult to think about, but I refused to have the incident shoved into my face. No one knew what it was like overseas.

  Was the dangerous mission I’d barely escaped from with my life what her attempt at garnering an interview was about? I certainly wasn’t going to offer any details about my military service. Why the hell did she mention my brother? Rage flooded my system, the kind that usually got me into trouble. “Are you the one who’s been harassing me on the phone?” I barked as I purposely moved closer, the customers backing away, their eyes as large as saucers.

  She swallowed yet kept her composure, her perfectly painted lips pouting. Fuck. I wanted to crush my mouth over hers, thrusting my tongue past her succulent lips. “It’s my job to ask questions,” she insisted.

  The woman had no idea what kind of beast she’d awakened from his slumber.

  “I assure you that confronting a Marine on furlough isn’t in your best interest. We can be kind of cranky.” In order to make my point, I planted my hand in front of the camera lens, giving a solid shove.

  The hard thud as the poor guy hit the floor was followed by several gasps from customers.

  “You’re an asshole,” the woman stated; proud as could be she’d issued the words, defiance laced in every one. There was also something else.

  Intrigue.

  I grinned as the cameraman scrambled to his feet, cursing under his breath.

  “What a bastard,” she whispered, running her long fingers through those gorgeous locks of hers. I felt like a grenade was going off in my system.

  Refusing to give into my wayward desires, I stood my ground, offering her a wry smile.

  The stare-down was entertaining as hell.

  “Jerry. Let’s get the hell out of here before things get ugly. Oh, and you don’t want to mess with me, Mr. Travers, or should I call you Hawk? Is that because you think of yourself in terms of reverence? It certainly can’t be because you snatch hearts with your talons. No woman in their right mind would touch you.”

  The gasps within the store became even more intense.

  Every section of my body—cells, tendons, and muscles—was on fire, the ache to claim her burrowing into every bone, leaving me aching all over.

  “For the record, if you can get it through that thick head of yours, I bite instead of barking. Something for you to keep in mind.” I chuckled after seeing her reaction.

  She turned on her heel, the slender skirt she was wearing drawing my eyes once again to her sumptuous figure.

  This was too much to take. I took three giant strides and had her in my arms, my grip firm.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she demanded.

  “I think you need a lesson in respect,” I growled, inhaling her perfume. Every part of me twitched, not just my aching cock.

  She struggled in my hold, hissing as Jerry grinned and backed away. “Men are all assholes! Get away from me or pay the price.”

  “We may be assholes, jerks, and bastards, little lady, but we know how to handle a misbehaving woman when we see one.” I planted my boot on a box of Corona yet to be stocked and swept her over my knee. It was funny how her tight little skirt managed to crawl all the way her creamy thighs. I didn’t hesitate yanking it up even further, the slight sound of ripping material creating a frenzy of guttural sounds from the crowd of people who’d formed a tighter semi-circle around us.

  “What are you doing?” she screeched, kicking her legs. Damn, her calves were just as sexy as the rest of her.

  “I’m giving you one hard spanking.” I didn’t hesitate even when she yelped various nasty words and threats. The sight of her vivid purple thong did things to my libido that had never been done before.

  And my thoughts about what I’d like to do to her got even filthier, likely illegal in at least a few states in the union.

  “I’m going to rip you to shreds. I’m going to cut you to ribbons. I’ll call the law on you. I’ll make certain you’re locked up for years, buddy. Years!” She kicked out, fighting to grab onto anything.

  “You just try and do all those things, little lady. I’d like to see that. I’m sure everybody else in this place would as well.” I couldn’t help but grin as several of the customers started to clap.

  She flailed her arms, managing to smack me in the chest.

  “None of that now, or I’ll have to pull off my belt.” I snagged her arm, pinning it against her back as I brought my hand down hard and fast, making certain I covered all of her beautiful real estate.

  “Ouch. Ouch. Ouch!” she wailed.

  “Didn’t you realize that spankings are meant to hurt?” I countered, enjoying the heat building in my hand and the redness blossoming on her bottom. Damn, I was turned on, a rush of adrenaline flowing through my veins like wildfire.

  “Argh! You will so get it for this.”

  “Yeah? Bring it on, sweetheart.” I delivered several more swats, concentrating on moving evenly from one side to the other.

  She moaned and hissed, refusing to back down. I did love a girl with spunk.

  A smile remained on my face as I spanked her long and hard and when I finally released her, she blinked several times as she struggled to drag down her skirt. She was flustered, her cheeks shimmering, the lovely yet nasty mouth of hers twisting in frustration.

  “Now, are you going to be a good girl?” I asked in the kindest voice I could manage.

  She smiled sweetly, running her fingers through her disheveled hair. “Yes. Of course.”

  I was shocked as hell at the change in her attitude, but finally nodded. “Well, good then.” The second I tried to turn away, one of the customers grunted, allowing me to catch the swing of her fist just a split second before it connected with my face.

  I reared back, rubbing my jaw then crowding her space.

  “Tsk. Tsk,” I huffed. “Would you like to go for round two?”

  Her entire face moved into that place where nastiness grew, her eyes sparkling with venom. “That will never happen again, buddy.”

  My entire body was alive, my
mind reeling with the possibilities of doing nasty things. I snickered as she stomped toward the entrance, her high heels clicking on the chipped vinyl floor.

  I had to be out of my bloody ass mind to find her attractive when her mouth was full of rocks and sandpaper. Maybe a good bar of soap would help clean it out. I watched her as she walked out to her van, easily able to tell she’d snapped at her cameraman for not coming to her aid.

  The sound of clapping started again, even a few whistles afterwards. I waited until she stormed around to the other side of the van before turning around. My harsh gaze seemed to frighten the majority of people, several leaving the store immediately. I stormed back toward the counter, eager to get on my way. Damn if her scent wasn’t intoxicating as hell.

  After walking back to the counter, I realized a few of the stauncher customers were staring at me, their glares harsh. Accusatory. Critical. Hell, they’d have to take a number for the reasons why. Fuck them. I wasn’t in the mood for anyone judging me. They didn’t know me anymore and I certainly didn’t want to know them. I was there for a single purpose and that damn well wasn’t going to take me long.

  When they refused to stop staring at me, I issued a guttural growl. Finally, the majority of them scampered away like rats, two smashing into objects. Served them right.

  “Who the fuck is that chick?” I said half under my breath, cocking my head as I snarled the words.

  “Bad news. A local reporter. She thinks every news story involves some conspiracy,” the clerk answered. “I’d stay away from her if I were you, although you did seem to handle her well enough. Like your style.” His laugh was short-lived when I stared at him.

  Stay away. While it was solid advice, my cock remained throbbing.

  I couldn’t help but shift a gaze over my shoulder. I let out an exaggerated sigh as I watched her scramble into a large white van, the side shamelessly printed with her picture as well as the local station she worked for. Somehow, I knew I hadn’t seen the last of her. The shit she’d spouted off left a nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach. I didn’t like being made a fool of. There was far too much to do in order to settle ranch affairs, allowing me to get back to what I was made to do.