Soldier's Choice
Page 11
Somehow, she stiffened more. “Well…thank you for this,” she said. “I know I freaked out, but I do appreciate it. And I’d better get back to Sydney.”
“All right.” Reese wasn’t sure how he managed to speak. “I guess…you’re welcome.”
She stood there another moment, like she was waiting for something. At last she turned and walked away.
* * * *
Luka was so stunned, she was sure she’d never feel anything again.
Walking in there, seeing her name on a banner and her art on the walls, had been like sticking a fork in a light socket. Everything shorted out so abruptly that she didn’t have time to think, and barely had any idea what she was saying. She had to come out here to clear the overload and recover her senses. And when they came back, she’d been beyond ecstatic—so thrilled, so touched, that everything came out as sarcasm. She had no idea how to express a joy this big.
Reese had done this for her. He’d given her the most incredible gift of her life. And now he was letting her walk away. Again.
Stop me, she thought desperately. Come after me. Say anything. Please…
The exact same thoughts she’d had five years ago. And just like then, when she looked back—he was gone.
A bolt of pain flashed into her heart, and then it was gone. She felt nothing. Head lowered, she started moving toward the building again.
And then walked right into something solid and warm and resolutely stiff.
Reese gripped her arms until she looked up at him. “I love you, Luka.”
“What?”
“I love you,” he repeated. There was something desperate, almost afraid, in his tone. “I’ve loved you more every day, from the moment I met you. Even while I was gone. I was supposed to forget about you, but I couldn’t.”
Everything inside her shivered like a leaf in the wind. “Reese, I—”
“Please. Let me finish.” He drew a deep, shuddering breath and took her hand. “I don’t want to be friends,” he said. “I never did. It was an excuse to keep you away from me, because I thought I’d hurt you the way my father did. But I ended up hurting you anyway. I said we were just friends, insisted on it, then I turned around and acted like we were more. I was a real asshole, and I’m so sorry.”
“Reese…”
“I don’t expect you to forgive me,” he said, like he hadn’t heard her at all. “I just wanted you to know that I’m getting help, and I swear I’ll never hurt you again. Maybe someday, we could…try to start over. If you don’t hate me too much.”
With a frustrated groan, she grabbed his jacket, tugged him down and kissed him.
He flinched—and then melted against her, returning the kiss with a hungry passion that echoed through every inch of her body. She drew back slowly and smiled at him. “How about we start over today?”
“Really?”
His shocked expression drew a laugh from her. “Yes, really,” she said. “I love you too, Reese. I’ve never stopped loving you.” She looked him up and down, trying to prove he was really there, and this was really happening. Finally she said, “Damn, you look good in that uniform.”
With a broad grin, he grabbed her and lifted her into the air. She had to brace herself on his shoulders to keep from falling. “I love you so much,” he said roughly. “I must be the biggest moron in the world, trying to stay away for so long.”
“Well, you’ve got some competition there. I haven’t been exactly perfect, myself.” She gave him a breathless kiss. “I’ve got that Dawson stubborn streak, you know.”
“And I love that, too.” He eased her down and smiled.
As her feet touched the ground, the air suddenly filled with applause and cheers. “What the…” Frowning, she glanced around Reese toward the back gallery entrance.
There stood her brothers. In suits. Sydney and the other man in a Marine uniform were with them—all clapping and grinning and shouting like lunatics.
“Oh, God.” Her face flushed hot, and she buried herself against Reese. It felt so good, she didn’t want to move. “Maybe we could just go back to your place,” she said.
“Not a chance. There’s a gallery owner in there who’s literally going to die if she doesn’t get to meet you.”
“Really?” She looked up at him, her heart in her throat. “Johanna Townsend likes my work?”
“You could say that.” He grinned. “It’s a bit of an understatement, though.”
Luka thought she might faint again. This was just too much amazing for one day—but the best part was right in front of her, holding her like she mattered. Like she was somebody special…to him.
That meant more than having her paintings shown in a hundred galleries. More than anything the people in Covendale might think about her. She finally understood what Sydney meant: he makes me happy. And that was enough.
“All right,” she said at last. “Let’s go get this over with.”
He reached for her hand, weaving his fingers with hers. “This is just getting started,” he said. “You’re going to have everything you ever wanted.”
She smiled into his eyes. “I already do.”
More books by Morgan Blaze
COWBOY’S PRIDE
Welcome to Covendale: Book 1
Available now from Amazon
DEPUTY’S SECRET
Welcome to Covendale: Book 3
Available now for preorder on Amazon
About the Author
Morgan Blaze writes contemporary romance with a dash of heat. She enjoys summer storms, good coffee, and hanging out with family and friends.
Visit www.morganblaze.com for more books by Morgan Blaze, and to sign up for the newsletter—you’ll be notified when the latest monthly releases are available, and enjoy special early sales on brand new titles.
If you enjoyed Soldier’s Choice, please leave a review on Amazon and let everyone know what you think!
About the Welcome to Covendale Series
Small towns are the heart of America. Like every other small town, Covendale looks peaceful from the outside—but there are all sorts of things going on beneath the surface. Love and loss, friendships and rivalries, secrets and lies, long-time alliances and bitter feuds going back for generations. And most of all, passion.
Welcome to Covendale…the town right next door to yours. Grab a cup of coffee and settle in for an emotional ride you won’t forget.
Boring Copyright Information
Copyright © 2014 by Morgan Blaze
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author / publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Table of Contents
Soldier’s Choice
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
More books by Morgan Blaze