CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Saturday, June 24th
Daphne pulled clothes out of the closet and started piling them on the bed and thought about what she needed to do to move back into her apartment.
“What the hell are you doing?”
Turning slowly, she looked at the angry bear of a man standing in the doorway. “Making cookies, what does it look like?”
“Like you’re moving out.”
“You’re going downrange in a couple of days and my sister has moved out, so there’s no reason to stay here.”
“Why don’t we get rid of your apartment and keep living together? It doesn’t make sense to have two since we’re always together.”
“I don’t know if I’m ready to move in.”
“Why? We’re really good together and the last two months has proven that we’re compatible in every way. Plus, you know we’d go crazy without each other.”
“Bryce…”
He took her hand, led her out of the bedroom, and then collapsed onto the couch. “We should start our forever as soon as we can and today seems like the perfect day to do that.”
“I need to get myself back together and fully healed before I think about anything long-term together.”
“Daph, we put each other back together.”
Looking down, she saw his big hand cover hers. “I want to start our relationship strong and healthy.”
“We’re already knee deep in this thing and we’re not going to go off and deal with things separately. We do the hard stuff together and then the good stuff is that much sweeter. You want to lose your shit, go on and get at it.”
“What do you think I’ve been doing for the last two months?”
“I think you have a lot more and the last thing we need is for you to hold onto it.”
“I’m trying, Bryce.”
“I can see that. Just know I want all of you.” He laced their fingers together and nodded. “All your flaws, mistakes, smiles, giggles, jokes, sarcasm. Everything. I just want you.”
“Okay, but I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into.”
Leaning down, he gave her a wink and then let out a laugh. “I’m gettin’ the best girl in the world. You’re the person who I want to do the hard stuff with: kids, deployment, and family. Everything.”
“Why me?”
He ran his finger over her cheek and grinned. “Because when we’re in the darkest of places, it’s your face that I want to see.”
Moving into his lap, she wrapped her arms around him and held on tight. “Let’s make us then because I can’t seem to talk you out of it.”
“Absodamnlutely,” he said against her ear. “The last couple of months have been the ultimate team-building exercise and, as far as I can tell, we kicked ass. I love you, and that’s never going to change.”
She pulled her face away from his chest and held his face with her hands. “I love you more.”
“That’s not possible, darlin’.”
“I just mean that I love you more than whatever challenges we come up against. I don’t want to let anything get in the way of what we have, and I want our love to be strong enough to withstand anything.”
“There isn’t much more a man can ask for.”
“But we can’t move in together yet because I have a lease on my place until next year.”
“Why don’t I get my sister to talk to the management company and see if she can get you out of it? I know you don’t really want to go back there because of what happened, so let’s see if Bree can work some magic.”
“Okay, but I don’t think it’s possible to get out of the lease.”
He kissed her gently. “The difference between the impossible and the possible is a man’s determination.”
“Considering how much determination you have, I’d say anything is possible with you.”
“Now, you’re gettin’ it.”
She studied his impossibly beautiful face and got a glimpse of a future she wanted to run toward; the clouds that had been her constant companion parted momentarily, and the light that shone through was brilliant.
***
Bryce laid on the bed as Daphne put the last dress in the closet. Feeling satisfied that everything was where it needed to be, he patted the bed. “Come over and let me love on you.”
She slid her hand up her hip and looked him up and down slowly. “You loved on me this morning.”
“Yeah, and I’m about to do it again. As far as I can tell, we should be doin’ little else for the next couple of days. I’ll be downrange for at least sixty days, so get over here and quit torturing me.”
“Are you trying to give me orders again?”
He saw that her smile reached her eyes, so he knew she was teasing him. “I might be and, as far as I can tell, it works out real good for you when you let me have my way.”
She took one small step closer to the bed and stopped. “I guess so.”
He sat up and held out his hand. “I can see you need some convincing, so come closer, and I’ll see what I can do.” She took another small step and he’d had enough. Surging forward, he scooped her up and collapsed back on the bed and tangled them together. “Now, this is where you belong.”
She wiggled her hand out of his grasp, ran it down his stomach, and let it rest on the top button of his jeans. “Since I’ve agreed to live with you in sin, it’s my turn to have to…”
“What is it you want most, Daph?”
“You, in every possible way.”
Growling, he got rid of their clothes in record time and then settled his erection at her entrance. “You ready?”
“More than,” she whispered.
The air in the room became heavy as he watched her expression and eased himself inside. The moment her body opened and accepted his thick length, he knew she was all in.
Her mind, her body, and heart were accepting him and he was going to make sure that the promises they were making to each other were ones they kept.
His body went into sensory overload and she clasped him tightly, gripping him and connecting them body, heart, and soul. His heart slammed harder inside his chest, beating out a message of ownership and possession for the woman in his arms. Giving into the need to claim her, he let himself go. He powered into her and broke into a sweat as their slick skin slid against one another.
Hearing her cries of pleasure spurred him on, and he felt her body still and then clench as she convulsed around him, crying out with each pump of his cock.
“Bryce!”
He exploded and spilled himself into her, opening his heart, and claiming hers.
Feeling a cool hand on his back, he opened one eye and saw Daphne giving him a smile. “Hey.”
“Wake up.”
“Why?”
“Because I have a surprise for you.”
“Does it involve your body?”
“No.”
“Hmmm. Not sure I’m interested.” Feeling her hand push his arm, he rolled over and grabbed her before she could do anything else. “You’re fun to tease.”
“I made a nice lunch for you and all you can think about is…”
“How much I love you and how happy I am that you’ve agreed to live together permanently.”
Snorting, she wiggled around, and he didn’t let her go. “Nope, I’ve got you and I’m holding on.”
“Come on, Bryce, let me go so we can go enjoy the food I made.”
Lifting his head, he gave her a kiss, and then let her go. “All right, it would be rude if I ignored my woman wantin’ to take care of me.”
“Yes, it certainly would.”
He watched her stand and groaned as he watched her beautiful ass sashay out of the room. “Gonna need to get that girl permanently attached to me,” he said to the empty room.
“You say something?”
“No, darlin’, I’ll be out in a minute.” He walked into the bathroom and knew she wasn’t ready for any of his ideas. Best he let things marinate and ask her when he got back from the deployment.
Sixty or ninety days apart was bound to make her miss him, and that would work in his favor when he sprung his question.
Whistling, he got himself cleaned up and started thinking about him and Daphne and the life they were building.
It looked pretty damn incredible, that was for damn sure.