I shifted my oversized purse and closed my hand around his. “It’s nice to meet you.”
He looked me up and down. “The pleasure is all mine.” He winked.
Taylor seethed, knocking Tate’s grip of my hand. “Go wait in the truck.” There was no arguing with his tone. He spoke it as an order delivered by a well-trained drill sergeant.
“Hell no. I ain’t sittin’ in that heat,” Tate scoffed.
He looked so different from Taylor. He was a good four inches shorter with dirty blonde hair that kissed his brows, brown eyes that had a steady gleam of mischief in them and a build that was athletic but lacked the powerful bulk that Tay had. While Tate came off as cocky, you could tell he was overcompensating for his insecurities, the ones he didn’t want anyone to know existed, whereas Taylor was solid confidence, quiet assurance that needed no support. They were opposites in most ways with no similarities, until Tate scowled.
There was a minute err of familiarity in the furrow of his brows, in the curl of his upper lip and the flare of his nostrils when he was irritated. And there was something that warmed my heart about that. He was an extension of Taylor in that tiny way, and my soul recognized it.
Taylor closed his eyes for a moment, as if to pray for patience, before he focused on me. He grabbed my heavy purse and interwove his fingers through mine. “Let’s go get your luggage, beautiful.”
My insides melted. The way he said it sounded so natural, just like in his e-mails; it flowed right off his tongue and clutched my heart. He’d wrapped himself around my heart with every e-mail he sent. And meeting his brother only added depth to the man I knew. I struggled not to laugh at times because I could tell he wanted to punch Tate, but he proved he had more self-control than all of us every time he didn’t.
I stood next to him, trying not to squeal with delight as he soothed his thumb over the back of my hand. He was so strong, so calm, a force to be reckoned with in ways and a pillar of serenity in others. He was intimidating, and yet, in the same moment, he was reassuring.
My heart thumped rapidly, simultaneously enticed and quieted by his presence. I nearly missed my bright pink luggage, lost in the sight of him, the feel of him beside me, and the reactions he stirred. “That one!” I moved forward to grab my bag, but Tate proved helpful, snatching it up quickly. “Thanks.” I gave him a small smile.
Taylor nodded his approval to his brother. “Now, get in front. I don’t want you starin’ at her ass the whole time.”
I felt my jaw slacken as he winked at me.
Chapter Eighteen
Taylor
Watching Maddie with my family did something to me. She answered every question they threw at her without hesitation, even the ones I didn’t want her to respond to. She took every one-liner from my brothers in stride and even tossed a few back at them.
Her phone chimed for the fifth time in the past five minutes. She flushed, giving everyone an apologetic glance. “I’m so sorry, but if I don’t get this, she’s just going to keep calling.”
“Go ahead, honey. You can step into Rick’s office if you need to,” my mother said.
“Of course,” my dad agreed after the fact.
“Thanks.” She stood, pressing the green button to accept the call as she did. “Hi, Mom.”
I watched as she strode from the room, her hips swaying seductively. She had no idea what the sight did to me. I couldn’t wait to feel, touch and tease every inch of her.
“I like her,” my mother declared, staring pointedly at me.
I leaned back in my chair. “Good.” I gave her a curt nod.
“Maybe she can talk some sense into you before it’s time for you to re-up again.” Her features twisted with disapproval.
My mother had aged since I’d last seen her. Her shoulder length hair had a few more greys among the brown. Her hazel eyes were framed by a few more wrinkles. She’d lost a little weight as well. She was still a larger woman, but now there was a frailty to her sturdiness.
My father patted her hand atop the table. “Now, Linda, let the boy decide for himself what’s good for him.”
“Sorry about that,” Maddie called as she entered the room.
My mother’s features smoothed out. A little bit of hope was visible in her eyes as she watched Maddie’s approach. “No problem, honey. I’ve got four of ‘em. I know what your mom’s going through. It’s hard when they’re away.” She speared me with her gaze for probably the hundredth time that evening; my mother had never been one for subtlety.
Maddie instantly picked up on the tension. “If it was up to my mom, I’d still be living with her and she’d still be doing everything for me.” I didn’t miss the amusement in her voice before she grew solemn.
She went to sit down, but instinctively, at the last minute, I reached for her. I pulled her into my lap and wrapped a protective arm around her waist. She immediately settled into me, as if we’d done it a thousand times before. It felt like I’d held her like this a thousand times before, as if this was where she belonged and we both subconsciously knew it.
She refocused on my mother; her brows creased in concentration. “I think it’s hard for any mother to let go of her children. Mine thinks I will forget about her if she doesn’t call or stop by several times a day. But any child knows that you’ll never forget your mom; you’ll never stop loving her, and, as a woman, I’ll never stop trying to be her, whether she’s near or far, and whether it’s been an hour since I’ve seen her or a year since I’ve seen her.” She reached for my mother’s hand. “Your boys love you. And whether you know it or not, you’ll always be their beacon and their reason to come home.”
I swallowed hard, holding her a little tighter. I knew the effect those words would have on my mother before I ever looked at her, because they had an effect on me.
Tears shone in my mother’s eyes. She sniffed, squeezing Maddie’s hand before she pulled away. “This is why I’ve always wanted girls. They don’t roll their eyes when you tell them you miss them.” She frowned as she looked Maddie up and down. “They also would encourage me to dress better.” Her gaze dropped to study her standard uniform of tan pants with an elastic waist she tried to hide under a plain black t-shirt. My mother never wore jewelry, aside from her wedding ring, and, in all my years, I’d seen her wear make-up once.
Maddie laughed. “I run a plus size fashion blog. Anytime you want to go shopping, just let me know.”
My mother knocked her arm against my father’s side. “Get your checkbook ready, Rick, my future daughter-in-law is gonna jazz me up.”
I studied Maddie’s reaction closely. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, like she wanted to argue that one line, but she ended up wordlessly dropping her gaze to her lap, as if it could hide her deep blush. The fact that she didn’t believe my mother had me wanting to drag her to a jewelry store and buy her a ring on the spot. She didn’t assume anything. She didn’t look at me as an object, a ticket or an award to flash; she really did expect nothing in return, which made me want to give her everything I had.
“Taylor, why don’t you take Maddie back to your place and get her settled in?” She focused on Maddie. “You must be plum tired, honey.”
Hell yeah. I was ready to get her alone, and to give her a personal thanks for getting me through these last five months.
Chapter Nineteen
Madelyn
I gave Taylor’s mom a polite smile. “Thanks for dinner.”
She practically glowed. “Oh, I really like you now. Some people just aren’t grateful for what they get.” She narrowed her eyes on each of her sons.
“I said thank you.” Tate practically shouted his defense.
She harrumphed. “Five times in twenty-two years is not what I call a good attitude, young man.”
“Thank you, dear. Dinner was great.” Rick gave his wife a kiss on the cheek, and it seemed to pacify her for the moment.
Travis, Taylor and Trent muttered their thanks, but they didn’t have
the same appeal.
I chuckled quietly. It was clear that, at home, Linda ran the show. She bossed her five men around like it was her job, but they let her. Taylor especially could easily overpower his mother, but he didn’t. Their relationship was yet another layer of him that I enjoyed.
In truth, the more I learned about my soldier, the more I loved him.
I swallowed hard, standing as the idea sobered me. Do I love him? Could you love someone you’d only met today?
He rose up behind me, placing a set of sturdy hands around my hips. He was so attentive, hyper aware of my potential needs.
I spun, staring up at him. I softened as I met his gaze. His depths held promise, assurance, and desire. He was more than I thought I was e-mailing that first time, more than I ever expected him to be, and, meeting his gape, I knew he was everything my heart loved.
Yup. I loved him. I loved this man that I knew so well in words and nothing of physically. It didn’t matter though. Not knowing all of him yet didn’t deter my heart. I knew enough to decide that he would always be enough for me, and every minute more I spent with him made it more difficult to imagine ever living without him again.
There was no humor in his stare, only hot, sizzling passion. “Let’s go, beautiful.”
With a wave at the table, a half-hearted good-bye, and a few snickers from Trent and Tate followed by a barking scold from Linda, I let him lead me back outside. The sun was setting in the distance, alluding to the hours we’d passed inside with his family.
Robotically, I broke away from his flank and approached the passenger side of the vehicle. I was just about to reach for the door handle when he twirled me, pulling me into his arms and pressing my back against his truck. His hands cradled my face, the only warning he gave before he captured my lips.
Electricity zapped my nerve endings, igniting my soul and awakening my body. He pressed his hard form against me, making me aware of his erection, as he meticulously tasted and teased my mouth.
I clung to his forearms, delighting in the feel of his muscles beneath my palms, flexing and moving, fighting for restraint, for control.
He kissed me thoroughly; answering every question I may have had as to how bad he wanted me. He kissed me tenderly, kindling every desire I had as a woman to be cherished. He kissed me long, stealing every breath in me and replacing it with his own.
My breasts swelled with need, my nipples pressing through the fabric of my bra and tank. He had to have known the effect he had on me, yet he didn’t rush to acknowledge it.
He pulled back; our breaths harsh, quick pants as we stared into each other. He swept his thumbs along the apples of my cheeks, just beneath my glasses. “I’ve been wanting to do that all damn day.”
I bit back a grin. “I’ve been wanting you to do it all day.” Feeling confident, I stretched up on my tiptoes and pecked his lips. “You were worth the wait, Sergeant First Class Russell.”
He gave me a once over that had me ready to strip on command in his parents’ driveway. “As were you, Miss Maxlyn.” He slung an arm around my waist and moved us aside to open the passenger door. He ensured I was comfortably seated and buckled before he closed it.
I laughed heartily, relaxing into the leather seat, as I watched him walk around the front of the truck. He rolled his shoulders several times and adjusted his jeans at the crotch twice along the way. It seemed we were both suffering on some levels.
He climbed into his truck with ease. His gaze was hot on me, his lips pursed tightly. If not for the humor in his depths, I would have believed him. “Anyone ever tell you not to tease a soldier? I’m a ticking time bomb, beautiful.” His voice held a mix of taunt and truth.
I bit my lower lip, my heart pumping evenly. “No more than some of my book boyfriends.”
His brows dipped inwards as his truck roared to life. He stared out the windshield for a long minute before he angled himself to take me in. “No more book boyfriends. I want to be your one and only.”
My chest compressed. My throat tightened even as my heart sprinted faster, eagerly, with abandon. My mind struggled to merge all he’d written with the man before me. In ways, he felt like another book boyfriend. I read his words and believed he was too good to be true, to be real.
But he was real. Taylor was handsome, wonderful, caring, protective, more than his words ever conveyed. He was more than I thought I would get. He was all I’d dreamed and never believed I would receive outside a fictional character.
And now, now he was asking to be my one and only. He was asking me to give up fiction for reality, as if it would be some hardship on my end.
I studied him. He held my gaze intently, waiting for my reply. He gripped the steering wheel snugly, his knuckles turning white. His breaths were deep, but hard. He seemed to hold it in just a little too long before he released each one. Like any well-trained soldier, he didn’t rush me. He was patient, and gave nothing beyond his words away. I knew he would wait for me to make the next move, and there was something irresistible about a man like that. In a book, that made him the perfect dominant without the BDSM. In reality, that made him better than fiction.
I smiled at him, nodding lightly. “Okay.”
He remained solemn, observing me. Suddenly, he faced forward, putting the truck into ‘Drive’ and pulling out. “You’re going to pay for that torture,” – he glanced directly at me, - “with torture.” His lips curled ever-so-slightly at the edges as he focused on the road.
I shuddered. My body delighted in his promise, warming with the images flickering through my imagination. Sweet cherry pie, I wanted his muscles throwing my excess sexiness into delicious ecstasy.
His gaze flickered to me briefly, but he didn’t say anything. Again, he knew the effect he had on me, but he didn’t rush to acknowledge it.
It seemed my torture had already begun.
Chapter Twenty
Taylor
Tension stiffened every muscle in my body as I put the truck in ‘Park’ outside my small ranch-style house. I had to call upon the strength I accessed on the battlefield to keep myself in check. I wanted to pounce on her, to quietly sneak up on her and take her down hard and fast with me.
I jerked the key from the ignition and sat back, watching her for a minute. I got a sick thrill out of observing her. Her features always showed her excitement. Nerves were present, but she had a glow about her that they never dimmed.
She scanned the horizon, taking in the details of my modest home.
There were a total of six homes on our property: my parents’, one for each of my brothers, and my grandparents’ old house. None of them were grand or majestic; they were cozy. They had the basics with simple touches of warmth. These properties were home, where I wanted to be when I was allowed to escape war.
“It suits you,” she stated, continuing to stare out the window.
The brick home was resilient and withstood any weather. There were a few trees dotting the land around it, but there was little else to dress up the house. It didn’t have shutters on the windows or a grand porch. It was bare. Is that what she thought I was: plain and boring?
My gut twisted at the thought. Maddie deserved a hell of a lot more than plain and boring. She was saucy and sultry in an innocent and alluring way. I liked the way she dressed, the way her hair seemed to rebel against the products in it, and the way her glasses slipped on her nose from time to time. I loved that she was open in a mysterious way: she answered any question, but only with what she felt you wanted to know about that situation and nothing more. She was honest. I found myself trusting her from the first e-mail. She thought before she spoke, and she always spoke – and wrote – with purpose. She was a beautiful woman with a beautiful heart. She was the woman for me, everything I’d wanted in one package.
I felt my brows furrow the moment she faced me.
She placed a small, soft hand on my forearm as a wistful smile curled her lips. “I like it.”
When I didn’t detect any d
eceit on her part, I relaxed. Leaning in, I swept a few strands away from her face before I kissed her. “I like you,” I whispered against her lips.
I felt her smile against me. “I more than like you, Tay.”
I pulled back, gazing into her glossy browns. “Let’s go inside. The last thing I want to do is take advantage of you in my truck like some overgrown high school boy.”
She giggled, her features practically illuminating. “I love your accent, especially when you talk low and sexy like that.”
She reduced me to a schoolboy, easily flattered and easily flustered.
I swallowed hard, licking my lips. “Unbuckle,” I ordered.
I slid out of the truck, walked around to the back, grabbed her luggage and purse, throwing the large bag over my shoulder before hefting the bright pink suitcase by its handle, and met her as she jumped out of the passenger side, rigidly bracing herself on the door and side of the truck. I made a mental note to install a step for her. I didn’t want her getting hurt.
The moment she stepped away from the vehicle I closed the door behind her.
She beamed up at me. “Thanks.”
I quirked a brow. “For what part?”
Her smile broadened. She moved into my space, wrapping her arms around my waist and angling her upper body to stare up at me. “All of it. For fighting to protect me and every other citizen in this country, for e-mailing me back that first time and every time after, for paying for my ticket to come here and meet you, for picking me up from the airport, for introducing me to your family, for being a perfect gentleman all evening; for just being you, Tay. You’re an amazing guy.” She pressed her lips to my chest, kissing me through my shirt.
My chest compressed. She did things to me, things she didn’t even know she did. Everything she said and did seemed to rip me open, to destroy any walls I’d attempted to erect since our last interaction.
Every soldier had a weakness; she was mine. Around three months into our e-mails, I realized that she was the one thing I would crack for. If I were ever to be taken hostage, a threat to her safety, to her existence, would break me in a second flat.
One E-mail: (BBW Romance) (One Soldier Series) Page 3
