His desperate need for physical proof didn’t go unnoticed—Jen was laughing as his lips brushed her cheek for the hundredth time in the past hour. “I’m not going to disappear if you let me out of your sight.”
“Promise?” he said roughly.
“Promise.” She reached into her purse to check her phone. The marine captain in Honduras had called her with an update on Jamie Holbrook right after they’d left Del Mar, and Cash knew she was desperate for more news.
It looked like Holbrook was going to make it, and damned if that didn’t make his chest swell with pride. “You saved a man’s life,” Cash said softly.
She smiled. “I did, didn’t I?”
“Watch out,” he teased. “You know your mom is going to try to lure you into nursing again.”
“God, I know. But trust me, I’ve seen enough blood to last a lifetime.”
He swept his thumb over her full bottom lip, savoring the feel of the velvety smooth softness on his callused skin. “So,” he started, his tone sheepish, “would it be totally inappropriate if I tell you how much I want to be inside you right now?”
Those sexy lips curved beneath his touch. “Probably. I mean, I just went through a major ordeal. You’re supposed to be waiting on me hand and foot. You know, making me soup and rubbing my shoulders.”
He grinned. “Do you want soup?”
“Hell no. I want you inside me, you idiot.”
With a laugh, he scooped her into his arms, and she squealed in delight as he marched with single-minded purpose toward their bedroom. He had her on her back in two seconds flat, hurriedly tugging at her clothing, and she was equally committed to getting him naked. She fumbled with his belt, shoving his pants down his hips as her hand impatiently circled his rapidly hardening dick.
“I need you.” Her breathless voice heated his pecs, and when he didn’t move as fast as she wanted, she pushed his chest to roll him onto his back.
Cash growled when she straddled his body and impaled herself on his cock. Red-hot pleasure seared through him, making him mindless with need. He gripped her hips and gave a hard upward thrust, and Jen’s answering moan vibrated in his blood. Lord, he loved this woman with a fierceness that scared him.
As her pussy clutched him like a tight glove, he lost himself in the incredible sensations. “Love you so much,” he mumbled, threading his fingers in her hair to bring her mouth down to his.
Her tongue slipped through his lips and teased him to a whole new level of turned on. Her full breasts pressed into his chest as she lay on top of him, letting him take control. Slow. He should go slow. But his hips had a mind of their own, shooting up in a fervent rhythm, driving his cock deep into Jen’s hot core with desperate thrusts.
“Oh God.” A shudder rolled through her body and then her pussy spasmed around him, milking him so hard his release broke the surface and crashed over him in pulsing waves.
He kissed her bare shoulder as his cock jerked inside her. “Fucking hell,” he cursed. “You rip me apart, baby.”
“Is that a good thing?” Her muffled voice tickled his neck.
“Definitely a good thing.” When she tried to climb off him, he tightened his grip around her, keeping her trapped against his body. “No,” he mumbled. “You’re not allowed to move yet. Let’s just lie here for a little while longer.”
“How much longer?” Her head tipped up and she flashed a teasing smile.
He held her even closer, sweeping his palms up and down her spine. He was still buried inside her, hard as a rock, but the urgency had dissolved into a sense of sweet contentedness. “I don’t know. Forever, maybe?”
She nestled her cheek in the crook of his neck. “Sounds good to me.”
* * *
Somehow they left the bedroom, but only because Jen’s growling stomach triggered Cash’s protective caveman instincts. She could practically see his brain grunting orders to him. Woman hungry. Man feed woman.
They didn’t bother getting dressed, though. She had a feeling they were going to be naked for the next three days straight. Cash’s CO had granted him leave, and she had to admit she was looking forward to spending a few uninterrupted days with him.
She admired his bare butt as he poked his head into the fridge to scrounge up something to eat. He had the sexiest ass on the planet, firm and taut and deliciously pinchable.
“So what are we looking at here?” she asked, propping her own bare butt on the counter. “Grilled cheese again?”
Cash slowly turned to face her.
She blinked when she noticed the velvet jewelry box in his hand.
Her pulse promptly sped up. “Wait—was that in the refrigerator?” she demanded, battling a rush of confusion.
He gave a crooked grin. “No, I grabbed it from my pocket before we left the bedroom.”
“Oh.” Her throat dipped as she swallowed. “What is it?”
He crossed the tiled floor and gently placed the box in her palm. “It’s everything,” he said simply. “My love. My trust. My heart. My fucking soul.” His voice cracked. “Everything.”
Jen could scarcely breathe as she gazed at the box. The moment she opened it, a gasp caught in her throat. The most beautiful ring she’d ever seen sat in the velvet bed, glinting in the moonlight streaming in from the window over the sink. The band was silver, plain and unadorned, but it was the brilliant yellow diamond that brought tears to her eyes.
“The man at the store asked me to describe you in one word,” Cash said gruffly.
“What did you tell him?” It was hard to take her eyes off the ring, but she forced herself to look at Cash.
An adorable smile tugged on his lips. “Sunshine,” he confessed. “I said you were sunshine.”
That was all it took for the tears to spill over. They streamed down her cheeks as she stared, mesmerized, at the emotion shining in his eyes.
“You’re the ray of sunlight in my life, baby. It was only fitting that I put sunshine on your finger.” Hesitation creased his face. “Unless…I mean, unless you don’t want it.”
Her mouth fell open. “Are you kidding me? It’s perfect, Cash. It’s so perfect.”
He stroked the edge of her jaw. “I was a jerk before you left, but I need you to know that I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have ordered you around, and I definitely shouldn’t have gone behind your back to talk to your father. It was unfair and presumptuous, and I promise I won’t do anything like that ever again.”
“I’m sorry, too. I should have let you voice your opinion without biting your head off. This relationship…it needs to be a partnership.” She swallowed a lump of shame. “I did what I wanted without thinking about how it would affect you. Next time—if there is a next time—I promise to sit down and talk to you about it. Really talk about it, and not just announce that I’m doing it.”
He nodded ruefully. “I guess both of us could have handled the situation better.”
“Yeah, but we learned from it. And now we know what not to do.” Her gaze lowered to the beautiful yellow diamond. “So are you going to ask me, or what?”
His expression was the epitome of innocence. “Ask you what?”
“Don’t you dare play coy with me, cowboy. You can’t just put a box in my hand without—”
“Will you marry me?” he interrupted.
She narrowed her eyes. “What, you’re not even going to get on your—”
He was on his knees in the blink of an eye, peering up at her with pure adoration. “Jennifer Lauren Scott, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
A broad smile stretched across her face. “Yes.”
With a smile of his own, he rose to his feet and drew the ring from its resting spot. Jen’s heart lodged in her throat as he slowly pushed the band on her fourth finger, his grin widening when he saw the results.
“You’re right. It’s perfect,” he announced. “I did real fucking good.”
His arrogant tone made her laugh, but she couldn’t deny that he’d picke
d the absolute best engagement ring for her. “You really did.” She slid off the counter, holding out her hand to admire the ring. “I need to take a picture and send it to my mom. She’s going to freak—”
Cash tugged her backward when she tried to take a step, his warm lips planting a tender kiss on the nape of her neck. “The picture can wait. We still need to celebrate.”
“Right.” She twisted her head to grin at him. “So…grilled cheese?”
He pulled her naked body flush to his, kissing a path from her neck to her mouth. “That can wait, too.” And then those talented lips found hers, and nothing existed in her world but this, but him.
Because Cash McCoy was all that mattered.
The End
* * *
I hope you enjoyed the Out of Uniform series! And now, it’s time to shift gears—from sexy SEALs to sexy hockey players…
Download THE DEAL today and get swept away in the exciting world of college sports and gorgeous athlete heroes!
Other Titles by Elle Kennedy
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For all the m/m fans out there, check out the RITA-award-winning book HIM and its sequel US, my New Adult hockey romances co-written with the fabulous Sarina Bowen.
Love New Adult and hockey? Then you’re totally going to want to check out the bestselling Off-Campus series, which consists of The Deal (currently FREE!), The Mistake, The Score, and The Goal.
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More titles also available on my website.
About the Author
A New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a BA in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager. She loves strong heroines and sexy alpha heroes, and just enough heat and danger to keep things interesting!
Elle loves to hear from her readers. Visit her website www.ellekennedy.com or sign up for her newsletter to receive updates about upcoming books and exclusive excerpts. You can also find her on Facebook (ElleKennedyAuthor), Twitter (@ElleKennedy), or Instagram (@ElleKennedy33).
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
OUT OF UNIFORM BOX SET #2 INCLUDES:
Getting Hotter
Reissue © 2018 by Elle Kennedy
Original Publication 2012
Hotter Than Ever
Reissue © 2018 by Elle Kennedy
Original Publication 2013
A Little Bit of Hot
Reissue © 2018 by Elle Kennedy
Original Publication 2013
As Hot As It Gets
Reissue © 2018 by Elle Kennedy
Original Publication 2014
Hot Zone
Originally published as “Flash Fire”
Copyright © 2018 by Elle Kennedy
Cover Design © Sofie Hartley of Hart & Bailey Design Co.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may reproduced, scanned or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles or reviews.
Out of Uniform Box Set: Books 4-6 plus 2 Bonus Novellas Page 91
