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He cupped her cheek with his hand and trailed a thumb over her jaw. “I needed a shower when I got home. I spent the afternoon searching a house that wasn’t fit for animals to live in, never mind a person.”
Lauren tipped her face toward his hand. His gentle caress both calmed and aroused her at the same time. “When they didn’t answer either, I came here. I needed to know you were okay. That I hadn’t lost you again.”
Nate bent his head toward her, his intent obvious on his face.
“I can’t lose you again,” Lauren said, sounding breathless.
He wrapped both arms around her, crushing her against his chest. “You won’t. Promise.”
Lauren got no opportunity to respond before he locked his mouth on hers again. Years of bottled up passion and emotion exploded between them. As his tongue explored and tasted, Nate’s hands slipped under her shirt. When he slid his hand under her bra to cup her breast, her legs wobbled and she leaned into his hand.
Her own hands grabbed at his undershirt pulling it out of his jeans so she could feel the skin underneath. When she trailed her fingers up his spine, he groaned then picked her up. Instantly she wrapped her legs around his waist causing his erection to press intimately against her.
Lauren pulled back for air and met Nate’s heated gaze.
“God, I’ve missed you, Lauren.” Nate’s words came out on a ragged breath.
The same words sat on her lips, as did I love you. Rather than say them, however, Lauren leaned in to show him. And although she didn’t think it possible, their kiss became more intense. As they kissed and touched, their passion escalated toward the stars. Unwrapping her legs, she slid down him when they entered his bedroom then grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head. Nate didn’t hesitate and followed suit. His undershirt hit the bedroom floor as he kicked the door closed with his bare foot. Then as one they landed on his bed, tugging off the rest of each other’s clothes.
“I love you.” The words slipped out of her mouth just as he entered her. She didn’t have time to register what that meant as her brain turned off and her body took over.
***
His day had started off shitty and it’d gone downhill fast from there. But this made up for all of it. Nate placed a kiss on the top of Lauren’s head as she slept with her cheek resting on his chest. Nothing had prepared him for Lauren’s reaction that night. Since their last conversation, he’d made himself stay away, trying to give her the space and time she’d asked for. Doing so nearly killed him. Now it no longer mattered.
As if to reassure himself that he wasn’t dreaming, he ran a hand down her arm. Beneath his fingers, her skin felt like warm satin. For the first time in years, contentment washed through him. I love you. Her words played over and over in his heart. So many times when he’d been out on the front lines he’d feared he’d never hear her say that to him again. And maybe he’d had no right to hope for that. But damn, now that she was back next to him, he wasn’t going to let her go.
Next to him, Lauren’s body moved. “I’m sorry, I fell asleep. How long have I been out?”
“Don’t worry.” He enjoyed holding her in his arms and just looking at her. “You only slept for about ten minutes.”
She moved next to him again, this time pulling herself into an upright position. With deliberate movements, she tucked the sheet around her chest, her eyes glued to the far wall. “I didn’t intend for that to happen tonight.” She kept her face turned away from him, but he still saw the pink hue in her cheeks.
“I know that, sweetheart.” He sat up, too.
“But I’m not sorry it did.” Lauren looked over at him a small frown on her face. “I love you, Nate. Always have, but . . . “ She paused and took a deep breath. “Are you really here for good? If we try this again, I need to know you won’t up and leave again in six months.”
“I still have obligations to the Marines as a reservist, and they could call me up to active duty again, but this is home now. I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart.”
Lauren sat in silence, her eyes moving over his face. What could she see? Did she see the regret? Or the love he felt? Could she see the wisp of fear that lurked inside him whenever he contemplated her rejection?
She looked away again and began a careful inspection of her half-painted fingernails. “Last weekend Kevin asked me to marry him.”
Kevin. On too many occasions, he’d pictured them together like this, and each time it left him with an urge to rip Kevin’s head from his body. Her words just then caused the same reaction. “What did you say?” Nothing could stop the hard tone from entering his voice. Her left hand remained empty, but that meant nothing.
As if to sooth him, Lauren placed a hand on his forearm. “I told him I needed to think about it.”
It annoyed him that she hadn’t said no outright, not that it mattered any longer. She was in his bed right now, not Kevin’s. “Why don’t you call him now and give him your answer?”
“Kevin’s a nice guy, and I should tell him in person. He deserves that much. I’ll handle it soon. Promise.”
She leaned over and kissed him before he could argue. Kevin no longer existed as far as he was concerned. Only Lauren and the pleasure they found in each other’s arms mattered as she leaned into him.
Nails scratched at the bedroom door. “Either your dog wants in the room or she needs to go out.” Lauren’s hand wandered across his chest and he reached for it, holding it captive with his.
“She needs to go out. Maggie’s happy on the couch. She wouldn’t want to come in here.” He wished she only wanted in the bedroom. Then he could ignore the scratching. “Don’t move.” Planting a quick kiss on her lips, he swung his feet onto the floor. Without searching for his briefs, he tugged on his jeans. “You need anything while I’m up?” If he had to disturb their time together in his bed, he might as well make it count.
“All set.” She shifted in bed causing her hair to fall forward covering her breasts.
With his hand poised on the doorknob, he considered going back to the bed and moving the hair away. Another scratch at the door killed that idea.
Maggie was a well-trained dog, despite the fact she’d been abandoned, and took care of whatever needs she had quickly. After a short pit stop in the kitchen for a glass of water, Nate returned to his room expecting Lauren to be right where he left her.
“I told you not to move.” He attempted to tease, but in reality disappointment punched him in the gut. Lauren sat on the edge of the bed in the process of clipping her bra. She’d already pulled on her jeans.
She walked around him toward her shirt on the floor. “It’s almost nine o’clock. I have to work tomorrow, Nate.” Her head disappeared for a minute inside her top then popped out. “As it is, I haven’t looked over my lesson plans for tomorrow.”
He had an early morning himself. He needed to be in Weymouth by three in the morning for an arrest. Even with that obscene hour hanging over his head, he didn’t want her to go. After fifteen years, he could once again touch her, kiss her, hold her. He wasn’t ready to give that up today. “Can’t you do it in the morning? Leave here early, stop home and do whatever you need to.” They wouldn’t have any time together in the morning, but at least she’d be next to him when he woke up.
“I’d feel rushed. Besides, JoJo is at home. She’ll need to go out soon.”
He had no good argument for that reasoning. “Tomorrow night then. Come by after work with your dog and spend the night.” He pulled her close again.
“Maybe.”
Prepared with a protest, he started to speak, but Lauren placed a finger over his lips and silenced him.
“I need to end things with Kevin. Let him know I made my decision and give him back his ring. I’ll call him tomorrow and see if we can meet up. If he can’t do it tomorrow night, I’ll come here. Sound fair?”
“Tell him over the phone. You can get the ring back to him later.” What difference did it make if she told him over the phone or in person? The end result was the same.
She rolled her eyes at him. “Would you want news like that over the phone? Never mind, don’t answer that. If I don’t see you tomorrow, then I promise I’ll see you on Friday.”
She placed a feather-light kiss on his lips and his mind momentarily stopped its search for a sound argument. “I don’t plan on letting you out of my sight this weekend.” Or my bed.
***
Did she have an answer for him? Already a week had slipped by since his proposal. Perhaps he’d been overly optimistic, but he’d expected an answer by now. In all honesty, he’d thought she would agree the day he’d asked. During their phone call days earlier, she’d only said they needed to talk face-to-face. She’d given him no hints during the brief phone conversation Thursday afternoon. Well, nothing other than to sound annoyed that he couldn’t meet with her until Saturday afternoon. He’d tried to explain that several key projects required his attention. Whether or not she understood was anyone’s guess. In the end she’d sounded resigned to the fact. Briefly, he’d considered rearranging his Friday schedule so they could meet sooner. But if they married, she needed to learn business came first, followed by family and friends.
