by Angel Payne
Again, everyone laughed, though shuffled over out of respect for the guy. Cat Five got excited about a lot of things. Murmurs rippled through the group. Some speculated he’d announce the commissary had agreed to reinstate Taco Tuesdays. Many more banked on the guy revealing his newest tattoo.
When everyone was gathered, Tremaine rocked back on his heels. “I’m pretty fucking excited to tell you all that I’ve talked one of the world’s finest jet jockeys into hanging up his combat wings, and joining us here at the training center. He’s an outstanding pilot and an exemplary human being, with the patience to put up with my special brand of bullshit. I’d ask you all to make sure he feels right at home, but you’ve already handled that task with your usual class and style. Well, you big braw boy, stop skulking in the hall!”
Tremaine’s last few words were drowned by the hoots, shouts, and applause that broke out before he was done.
Braw Boy.
Sam’s call-sign.
What. The. Hell?
Jen barely treaded water in the storm surge of the celebration. She stood, frozen as ice, jostled as everyone rushed and crowded the grinning giant who’d entered behind Tremaine. Well…she assumed he was grinning. From here, all she could see were the crinkles at the corners of his eyes, as well as the gusto with which he hugged every last person in that throng who greeted him.
Which, damn it, made her love him even more.
He always had something for everyone: a warm smile, a listening ear, a compassionate hug. There was a reason Tremaine had pursued him. People were inspired to be their best for him and with him.
But what if he didn’t have anything left for her?
She didn’t—couldn’t—dare to have hope about the reason for his bold decision. No matter how much of the “new” Jenny he’d brought to life during their fantasy night, enough of the old girl existed to make her hang back, still rooted to her spot, clutching the paper she’d been a few steps from filing.
A few steps.
Ten feet away from landing herself across the world from him again.
“Jenny?”
She blinked and looked up, just in time to watch him part the crowd, approaching the counter at which he’d camped so many times just to shoot the shit with her. This time, he didn’t stop at the shelf. Parked one hand on the ledge and vaulted right over.
He landed directly in front of her.
As the room fell to silence, Sam cupped the sides of her neck. “Jenny?”
She lifted her head. He was dressed in flight gear too—and damn, it looked even better from up close. “Yeah?” she finally whispered.
His lips twitched, unveiling an expression she’d never seen on his face before. Was he…nervous? “Say something. You look like a bomb just dropped.”
“Hasn’t it?”
More of the nervousness. It entered his eyes now, turning them into shadows. His hold slackened. “Then you’re not happy about this?”
She blinked again. Lifted a hand to his broad chest, directly over his heart. “Oh, God. Sam.” She wasn’t handling this right at all. If her dreams really were coming true—if he’d given up the green beauty of his land and the familiarity of his home to come live in the desert, with her—then a simple word like “happy” wasn’t enough to contain any of the joy she felt…even a fraction of her heart’s exultation.
“Well, that’s fine, then.” He stepped away. Yanked his hands back, fingers stiff, as if he were suddenly sure he’d break her. “I suppose I…assumed things I shouldn’t have after our time together. Now I’m in a world of sorry about it, too.” In a guttural growl, he added, “To both you and me.”
“Sam!” But her plea didn’t stop him from whirling from her—forcing her to race around, plant herself before him, and shove the sheet in her hand right into his. “Tell me who was the one assuming things, Captain Mackenna?”
His stare was still dark with fury. As he read the first line of the request, it changed to confusion. Then as his lips moved over the text, exploded with astonishment. “Lakenheath?” His head snapped up. “You were going to—”
“Ten more seconds and it would’ve been submitted.” She closed the gap between them. Uncaring of who watched or even took a damn video—and she wouldn’t put it past Lola, because this was much better YouTube fodder than her cats singing old Rod Stewart tunes—she lifted a hand to his perfect, rugged face. “And you would’ve been worth it, Sam Mackenna. All five thousand miles.”
His gray eyes smoldered once again—but this time, in all the right ways. He didn’t veer that beautiful stare as he tore her transfer request in half, tossed both pieces over his shoulders, then reached out for her—
And crashed their mouths together.
Jen was conscious of more woots and claps, but she barely heard the din past the rockets blazing across her senses, the happiness exploding in her heart. Sam wrapped his arms around her with the same jubilance, his grip as dominant as his kiss, his groan matching the need in her sigh. His tongue rammed between her lips before dancing with hers, leaving her with no mistake about who got to lead. No way was she about to argue. No way did she want to.
A part of her almost didn’t believe this was happening. Their love story was the longshot, not the sure thing. The circle aligning with the square. The friendship that had quirked everyone’s brows—and likely did even now, despite their loud cheers.
They were the wild card of a lifetime.
But maybe, just sometimes, Lady Luck liked being a romantic sap—especially when souls were meant to be together. When spirits were meant to love. When hearts were meant to be transformed.
As soon as Sam let her breathe again, she used the opportunity to speak the truth from such a heart: the one threatening to thud its way right out of her chest. “I love you, Sam.”
His dimples became craters from his answering smile. “As I love you, my little hen.”
A delighted laugh bubbled up. The endearment was a Scottish thing, used pretty casually in his country, though he’d never said it over here. With his utterance now, he conveyed a message that made her eyes sting all over again.
He was home.
She was going to make sure he felt that way, each and every day. He was her gift, and she’d never stop being grateful for it—which meant no more looking in the mirror and seeing everything she wasn’t. She owed it to Sam—who’d showed her that she owed it to herself—to believe in everything she was. To have faith in everything she would be, too.
She was more because of him.
She’d be more because of him.
As she framed his face with her hands and looked deeply into his eyes, she also saw the more she’d given back to him. The new peace in his eyes. The new strength in his smile. He dazzled her now more than ever—and knowing she was the reason just made this moment even more of a miracle.
Even the sarcastic snort on the air, courtesy of Lola, didn’t fade her shine. “Hen?” the woman spat. “What the hell happened to ‘mouse’?”
Jen precluded her reply with a laugh drenched in joy, resounding with love. “She gambled on a wild card.”
And won.
‡
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HAVE YOU DISCOVERED THE OTHER WILD BOYS?
THE W.I.L.D. (WARRIORS INTENSE IN LOVE & DOMINATION)
BOYS OF SPECIAL FORCES
Warriors who fight hard…and love even harder.
Book 1: SAVED BY HIS SUBMISSIVE
Purchase Here Amazon
Book 2: HANDCUFFED BY HER HERO
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Book 3: SURRENDERING TO HER SERGEANT
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Book 4: A WILDER WONDERLAND—SEXY STORIES OF THE SEASON
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Book 5: WET FOR HER WARRIORS
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Book 6: HOT FOR HIS HOSTAGE
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Book 7: A WILDER KIND OF LOVE
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Book 8: MASTERED BY THE MAVERICKS
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ADDITIONAL BOOKS BY ANGEL PAYNE
The Cimarron Series
The Cimarrons: They’re the mysterious, magnetic ruling family of the most secretive kingdom on earth: The Island of Arcadia.
No westerners have ever been allowed inside Arcadia’s borders…until now.
Book 1: INTO HIS DARK
Purchase Here Amazon
BOOK 2: INTO HIS COMMAND
Purchase Here Amazon
BOOK 3: INTO HER FANTASIES – Coming November 29, 2016
BOOK 4: INTO HIS KISS – Coming Spring 2017
BOOK 5: INTO THEIR DESTINY: ISLAND WEDDING NIGHT
Coming Summer 2017
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
USA Today bestselling romance author Angel Payne has been reading and writing her entire life, though her love for romances began in junior high, when writing with friends on “swap stories” they’d trade between classes. Needless to say, those stories involved lots of angst, groping, drama, and hot kissing.
She began getting a paycheck for her writing in her twenties, writing record reviews for a Beverly Hills-based dance music magazine. Some years, various entertainment industry gigs, and a number of years in the hospitality industry later, Angel returned to the thing she loves the most: creating character-based romantic fiction. Along the way, she also graduated with two degrees from Chapman University in Southern California, taking departmental honors for English, before writing five historical romances for Kensington and Bantam/Doubleday/Dell.
Angel found a true home in writing contemporary-based romances that feature high heat and high concepts, focusing on memorable alpha men and the women who tame them. She has numerous book series to her credit, including the Kinky Truth series, the Cimarron Saga, the Temptation Court series, the Secrets of Stone series (with Victoria Blue), and the popular WILD Boys of Special Forces series, as well as several stand-alone titles.
Angel still lives in Southern California, where she is married to her soul mate and lives on a street that looks like Brigadoon, with their awesome daughter and Lady Claire, the dog with impeccable manners. When not writing, she enjoys reading, pop culture, alt rock, cute shoes, and being active in the outdoors.
