Covertly Strong (The Strong Series Book 1) Read Online Free PDF

a second to respond as he pulled her face towards his, melding their lips together as he kissed her deeply. It was a kiss that spurred goose bumps across her skin and stole the breath from her lungs.
    It was the perfect kiss. The best kiss.
    The kind of kiss she wouldn’t forget.
    His mouth on hers was earth moving, and her world would never be the same. And that kiss, that irrevocable moment in time, would remain in her memory for the rest of her life.

SLOAN HAD EXPERIENCED THE TWELVE best months of her life.
    For nearly three hundred and sixty-five days, she’d been able to be a teenager.
    She had the pleasure of enjoying her youth. Her days were carefree and spontaneous. And for the first time in a very long time, she was herself. She was feisty and funny, undeniably full of happiness. And she lived those immeasurable days with Nix by her side as he made her laugh and put that cheesy smile across her pretty face.
    She went to homecoming and prom. She danced those nights away in Nix’s arms. She learned to surf and honed her skills with a competitive edge. And she made lots of friends. Movie nights, pizza dinners, and parties on the beach became frequent occurrences.
    Sloan was happy . She had it all. And most importantly, she had Nix.
    Her life had taken a turn for the best. Everything had finally fallen into place, and she never wanted that turn to end. She loved her life in Hawaii and prayed that her father would remain stationed there. She wanted to finish high school with her friends and make college plans that would have her permanently living under the Hawaiian sun.
    But eventually, her life took a painful turn onto Real-Life Lane.
    John Walker got the call . The call that had his family packing all of their belongings inside their charming four-bedroom, Hawaiian bungalow and preparing for the trek to a new naval base. The Walkers would be shipping out the next morning to Naples Naval Support Base in Naples, Italy.
    Sloan was devastated.
    She was seventeen years old, still considered a minor in the eyes of the law, and had no other choice but to ship out with her family and prepare to board a plane en route to Italy. Her final year of high school would be completed in a foreign city. That vicious cycle of being the perpetual new girl would make reappearance in her life. She would have to start all over again surrounded by complete strangers. And everything she had gained in Hawaii—her friends, her life, her happiness, Nix —would be left behind.
    “Come on, Meli. We’re going to our spot,” Nix quietly whispered into her ear.
    She looked up at him as tears filled her eyes.
    “No tears, sweetheart. This isn’t goodbye. This is just see you soon, okay?” he added as he brushed the tears from her cheeks.
    “Okay,” she replied through the thick emotion that clogged her throat.
    He took her hand, leading her away from her bedroom and outside to his old, beat-up F-150. His strong arms helped her into the passenger’s seat before he made his way to the driver’s side, hopping inside and starting the engine with quick finesse.
    They drove past all of their favorite spots.
    The quaint coffee shop that sat across the street from Murphy’s Garage.
    The small dog park they took Nix’s black Labrador retriever, Shelby, to play Frisbee and frolic around in the freshly cut grass.
    The drive-in movie theater where they loved to watch new releases from the bed of his truck.
    Sloan’s gaze followed the road—taking in every little place—reminiscing every bittersweet memory she had acquired in Honolulu. She felt as if the past year were flashing at a rapid pace across her chocolate eyes. Yes, she was young and, like any teenage girl, maybe a little melodramatic about life-changing events, but she couldn’t help herself. This situation was her own worst nightmare come to fruition and she hated every single second of it.
    She continued to think about the past and all of the wonderful memories her and Nix shared