Make Mine a Marine
Page 17
“I don’t want you to be. And I’m not, either,” she said gazing up at him. “It’s in my nature to run, but I won’t from you. Never again. And we’ll talk. But I’d rather you show me. I get it now. Those last few weeks, you were trying to show me how much you love me. But you were always worried that if you did or said too much, I’d back off. Your being bossy was you trying to take care of me. I should have been grateful.”
He held her close and kissed her deeply. Then he stopped and just held her as if he couldn’t believe she was there. What little doubt she had was gone.
This was where she belonged. It didn’t matter where they were; as long as she was in his arms, everything would be okay.
“I’m scared,” she admitted.
“Me, too,” he said. “But we’ll do this together.”
She nodded.
“One more thing,” he began. “And it’s okay if you want to wait, but I won’t ever put off till tomorrow what I can do today.”
What now? She smiled. “Okay?”
He bent down on one knee and then he handed her the flowers.
“What are you doing?” she gasped.
“I’m proposing, Chelly. Except for this river house, and probably a lot of frustration living with someone like me, I don’t have a lot to offer you.”
“That’s so romantic,” she whispered, beaming. Her heart was so full, it pounded in her chest.
“But I meant what I said earlier. I will spend the rest of my life showing you how much I love you. I want you to marry me. Today would be good. I realize that it’s already been kind of a big day, so we can take some time. Maybe tomorrow. You can relax and then decide, though, no rushing or anything. It might actually kill me to wait to hear your answer. But I will.”
“Yes. Whenever you want. I’ll marry you, Marine.”
“You’re beautiful, Chel, and so smart.”
She winked at him. “I know.”
Then her Marine scooped her up and loved her hard.
* * *
MATT LAY THERE, looking at Chelly. They were in the bedroom of the river house. He brushed a hand along her shoulder. Just to touch her, to know that she was there.
“You’re doing it again,” she said, but then she smiled.
“Having trouble telling the difference between reality and dreams. I kept wishing you were in my bed. Every night when I tried to sleep and when I woke up in the morning—I didn’t sleep as well without you on top of me.”
She scooted until she was in position. “I had the same problem. My pillow was no substitute for you. I’m going to have to travel a lot for these jobs, but I have an idea. No more than seventy-two hours apart, unless you have some kind of assignment that takes you away for longer. I know you can’t always control that. But with my stuff, I’m going to make it a rule.”
He pushed the hair away from her cheek. “That’s a great plan. But I get it if you need to be gone longer, too. You do what you must. I won’t stand in the way of your dreams. Ever. My dad did that to an extent with my mom. He loved her, but I think he held her back in a way. He was pretty old school, and he didn’t understand that he was hurting her spirit. I wish I’d understood that when they were still alive. Maybe I could have talked to him. Helped him figure it out like you did for me.”
“Aw, Matt. You said they loved each other and I bet they did. You mentioned your mom quit the store because of him, but maybe she wanted to spend more time with him.”
“Maybe. But if I get too bossy, or controlling, you have to call me on it. Because I’m not always sure when I do it.”
“Hey, sometimes I like it when you’re bossy,” she said, kissing his jawline. She giggled and stroked his shaft.
“And sometimes I like it when you’re bossy,” he said. “Like now. Tell me what you want, Chelly. You’re in control.”
She squeezed him. “Make love to me, Marine. Now.” She’d tried to make her voice sound gruff, but she was laughing.
Oh, yes, how he loved that sound. He loved every sound she made.
“Yes, ma’am.” He switched their positions, caressing her body and nuzzling her neck just the way she liked. She smiled up at him.
“Matt?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I love you,” she said.
Yep. That was his favorite sound of all.
“I love you, too, Chelly.”
“Oh, and Matt.”
“Yes, love?”
“Can you do that thing with your tongue and your fingers? Like now?”
He chuckled.
“I live to serve.”
* * * * *
Don’t miss the next UNIFORMLY HOT! romance from author Candace Havens. Available November 2016 from Harlequin Blaze!
Keep reading for an excerpt from THE MIGHTY QUINNS: THOM by Kate Hoffmann.
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The Mighty Quinns: Thom
by Kate Hoffmann
Prologue
“HE’S GONE! And he’s not coming back!”
“Shut up, Thom! Just shut your mouth.” His older brother, Tristan, glanced over at the youngest boy in the trio, Jamie. Jamie’s eyes swam with tears and Thom cursed himself. The three boys were so close in age that he often forgot that James was still dealing with the fears of a seven-year-old.
Thom reached out and grabbed Jamie’s hand, giving it a squeeze. “We’ll be all right. We’re better off without him. He was just an old drunk who couldn’t keep a job.”
“Don’t say that,” Tris warned. “He was our da and we shouldn’t talk like that.”
Thom wanted to clock his brother. Tristan was almost two years older than Thom, and he understood the reality of their situation. But ulike Thom, Tris was trying to stay positive, hoping that it might keep their mother from losing herself at the bottom of a bottle of vodka.
Life had never been easy for the three Quinn boys, but Thom knew it was about to get worse. It had begun to unravel three or four years ago, when their da had lost his job. Denny Q
uinn had started drinking and gambling away the small paycheck their mother brought in. Their parents started fighting more, and a once happy family began to fall apart.
But it hadn’t been too terrible until two weeks ago. Until their father had gone out for a pack of cigarettes and hadn’t come back. A policeman had come to the door, and Thom had overheard what the man had said to his ma—Denny had been killed during a botched armed robbery, trying to make a getaway after grabbing a wad of cash from an open register.
“At least he won’t have to worry about money for food,” Thom muttered. Like they did.
“What?” Tris asked.
“Nothing,” Thom replied. “It’s almost dinnertime. I’m going to go out and get us something for supper.”
His gaze met Tristan’s and there was a silent agreement between them. Whatever Thom had to do to feed the family was all right. With his mother rarely getting out of bed these last two weeks, it had fallen to him to find food for them. Sometimes he could shoplift enough to feed the four of them. Or he’d find some discarded food in the Dumpster behind a restaurant or grocery store. Occasionally he’d panhandle, but any cash he acquired was saved for other necessities.
“What if Da doesn’t come back?” Jamie asked. Thom hadn’t been able to bring himself to tell his youngest brother the truth.
Instead, he patted his little brother on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. Me and Tris will always be around. We’ll take good care of you and Mum. I promise.”
Thom grabbed his jacket and headed to the door of their apartment. The world outside was dangerous, but he’d grown up on the streets. He knew how to get along, how to avoid trouble. And he wasn’t afraid to stick up for himself.
He pulled his hood over his head and kept to the shadows, alert for any trouble coming his way. He’d learned the Italian restaurant down the block was a usually a good stop, especially after nine, when the kitchen closed. Leftover pizza, garlic bread, even cold pasta provided a filling meal.
The alley was silent when he arrived. He grabbed an old crate and boosted himself into the Dumpster, searching for a container for his takeout meal. He’d just found a whole pepperoni pizza, only slightly burnt, when the sound of a car engine caught his attention.
He risked a glance out of the bin, then cursed softly. “Cops,” he murmured.
A moment later, someone stepped out the back door of the restaurant. “He’s in there now,” the man shouted.
“Just step back, sir,” the officer called as he stepped out of the police car.
Thom tucked the pizza box under his arm and, in one quick move, leaped out of the Dumpster. He hit the ground running. The two men rushed at him, but by the time they crashed into each other, he was halfway down the alley.
He turned to face them, then bent down and grabbed a brick, heaving it at the police car. When it crashed through the rear window, Thom shouted, “Fuck you!” With that, he dashed onto the street, increasing his speed until his lungs burned and he could barely catch his breath.
He could circle back to the grocery store and see if he could snatch a quart of milk or a couple of cans of soda, or he could go home where he’d be safe. Jamie needed the milk, and maybe if his ma had soda, she wouldn’t drink the vodka. Thom decided to stash the pizza behind the newspaper box outside a nearby convenience store, then reached for the change in his pocket. It was always best to buy something in the store if he was planning to steal something.
He smiled at the clerk as he walked inside, but the teen barely noticed him, his attention fixed on a small television. Maybe he wouldn’t have to buy anything after all. Thom kept his eyes on the other shoppers. He managed to stash the milk, a box of lemonade mix and a block of cheese before he decided to leave.
He walked to the counter and when the clerk turned to him, he smiled again. “My mom wants me to get organic peanut butter. I can’t find it.”
“We don’t have it,” the kid said. “Try the grocery store on the next block.”
“Thanks,” Thom said. He strolled casually to the door, then stepped outside. An instant later, someone grabbed his arm. Thom spun around, throwing his fist out. But he wasn’t quick enough. The cop snapped his handcuffs on Thom’s wrist.
“Fuck me?” the cop said with a laugh. “Not tonight, buddy. Not tonight.”
Copyright © 2016 by Peggy A. Hoffmann
ISBN-13: 9781488000256
Make Mine a Marine
Copyright © 2016 by Candace Havens
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