Page 13 of For Every Letter

I straighten my back and march into the motel.

“Good…” The words die in my throat. I blink a few times but the man standing in front of me is real. He isn’t a mirage. “You’re here.”

Ben smiles. “I’m here.”

“Oh my mermaid! You’re here!” I scream before rushing to him and jumping into his arms. He catches me before twirling me around.

I wasn’t imagining how strong his arms how, how good he smells, how his brown eyes light up when he smiles. Ben is here. The man I love is here. In my arms.

I smile up at him. I probably look like a smuggler who outran the prohibition police with how big my smile is. His gaze dips to my mouth and my breath catches. I want to feel his lips on mine. I want to taste him. I bet he tastes as good as he smells.

He blinks before setting me down. My brow wrinkles. “What’s going on?”

He digs a letter out of his back pocket and offers it to me. “One last letter.”

“Another letter? But you’re here in Smuggler’s Hideaway. There’s no need for letters anymore.”

His cheeks darken, and he shakes the letter at me. “Please.”

“No fair. You can’t give me puppy dog eyes every time you want something.” I snatch the letter from him.

He smirks. “But it worked.”

I roll my eyes but don’t respond. Of course, it worked. This is Ben. I’d do anything for him. Including read a letter when I’d rather be climbing him like a pole. Without my clothes on. While he’s not wearing any clothes either. And then touching and tasting every inch of his skin. My panties dampen as visions float through my head.

Ben takes my hand and leads me to the sofa in the reception area. He sits down before pulling me onto his lap. He nods to the letter. “Read it.”

I enjoy the feel of being on his lap for a few moments before tearing open the letter. My mouth drops open and tears gather in my eyes as I read. By the time I finish, the tears are streaming down my face.

“Don’t cry, my darling,” Ben murmurs as he wipes the tears away.

I slap him with the letter. “You love me?”

He nods. “I love you, Sadie.”

“You bought the motel for me?”

He shakes his head. “No, I bought this motel for us.”

“You’re moving to Smuggler’s Hideaway?”

“Wherever you are, is my home.”

“I thought my dreams were ruined.” My bottom lip trembles but I clear my throat and continue. “I thought I needed to find a new dream. A new job. A new place to live. I thought my life was over.”

Ben frames my face with his hands and kisses my nose. “This is the start of our new life.”

I squeeze his wrists and lean into him. “For someone who doesn’t talk much, you sure know the right things to say.”

He smiles and I get lost in those brown eyes. There are specks of green in them. They’re unique and gorgeous and so Ben. I hope to have children with those eyes someday.

“I love you, soldier boy.”

“Not a soldier anymore.”

“You’ll always be my soldier.”

“I’ll always be yours.”