The Blyss Trilogy Boxed Set by J.C. Cliff

Author:J.C. Cliff [Cliff, J.C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: J.C. Cliff, LLC
Published: 2016-02-20T23:00:00+00:00

~Travis~

Heading out into the kitchen, the smell of bacon has fragranced the entire house, and my stomach grumbles in reply. I can’t remember the last time I had a home-cooked meal. Stryker is at the stove, flipping pancakes when we walk in. He cocks his head to the side and gives Jules a panty-dropping smile. I have to scoff at the man; he’s such a damn ladies’ man. He hasn’t really changed at all over the years, still holding his boyish charm and his handsome, surfer physique.

He pushes the skillet off the burner and comes to wrap Jules in a warm, friendly hug. “Good morning, I hope you don’t mind if I call you Jules.”

She shakes her head and grins. “No, that’s fine.”

“Well, you can just call me Strike, if you want to.”

She bites down on her lower lip shyly, not knowing what to think of Stryker’s flamboyant display of confidence. Ranger comes to get in on the action, and nuzzles his nose against Jules’ thigh, begging for attention.

She smiles, looking down at Ranger, who’s wagging his tail a mile a minute. “And who do we have here?” she asks playfully, bending down to scratch behind his furry ears.

“This is Ranger. Any friend of mine is a friend of his. He’s retired military.”

Jules tilts her head to the side in confusion. “I didn’t realize there was such a thing as retired military dogs.”

“Yep, he served four tours in Afghanistan as a bomb seeker.”

“Wow.” Amazement lines her voice, and then she asks Stryker, “So what do you do for a living?”

He exchanges a silent glance with me, but he doesn’t miss a beat in his reply. “I’m more of a private investigator.”

“Oh, and what were you before?”

“I was a medic in the Rangers.”

“Wow, that’s pretty impressive.”

Knowing he needs to change the subject, he steers it toward food. “C’mon, have a seat. You guys must be starved; I’m just finishing up the pancakes.” My brow arches in question at Stryker, and when Jules isn’t looking, he mouths to me, “Gluten-free.” I relax and nod in acknowledgement. I’ve got to keep on my toes here, and keep up with what’s gluten-free and what isn’t. Not knowing what gluten-free tastes like, I just hope the pancakes are halfway decent, because I’m starved.

I pull out a kitchen chair for her to sit, but she doesn’t take notice. She’s distracted by something, so I follow her line of vision, realizing it’s the outside world that has caught her attention.

The sun’s rays filter into the kitchen and living room area as she stares through the set of large, arched windows before us. She’s almost in a trance as she looks out past the windowpanes with longing in her eyes. I feel sick inside, almost losing my appetite with the knowledge she’s been held captive in a cell without seeing daylight for weeks. My jaw clenches as I grow angry at the thought.

Gently, I place my hand on the small of her back, catching her attention. “Would you like to eat outside, sweetheart?” I ask over her shoulder.

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