Chapter 13

My knees bounce rapidly as I twist the program in my hands. Knowing Bryce is in the same building sets my excitement on overload. My whole body is buzzing with anticipation. Shelia and my mom keep looking at me with amused grins while my dad rolls his eyes. They can tease all they want. Due to a flight delay, I missed seeing him and Nate last night.

A pre-recorded message comes through the sound system, asking us to rise, and the door in the back opens. This is it! Goose bumps break out over my entire body as a large group of men and women march in, all dressed in their Dress Whites. When I finally find him in the crowd, my nose starts to tingle, and my eyes swell. As hard as I try to hold them back, tears fall freely. Sheila shoves a handful of tissues in my hands and sniffs softly. I stand between her and my mom, and we join hands when seated.

Nerves tingle through me during the entire ceremony. When Nate crosses the stage and salutes his drill instructor and Petty Officer, my mom gives a quiet sob. Dad wraps his arm around her shoulder and kisses her temple delicately. Pride beams on my dad’s face.

Several men and woman later, it’s my and Shelia’s turn to sob. Bryce looks so regal and pristine as he gives his own salute and silver dollar to the men in front of him. When he turns to walk away, our eyes catch for a brief second. The slight twitch of his lip is the only clue he actually saw me.

When the ceremony is over, I’m out of my seat and rushing toward the sea of white. Most of the men tower over me as I try to find either Bryce or Nate. There’s a soft tug on my elbow, and I turn to see Bryce standing in front of me. His beautiful blue eyes dance, and his face is lit with a huge smile. An embarrassing squeal escapes as I leap into his arms, slamming my mouth to his.

Immediately, I’m surrounded by his familiar scent, the warmth of his embrace, and the taste of him. Our tongues touch, and he cradles me closer, sucking me in. My blood burns with the need to let him know how much I missed him. Too soon, he breaks away and curls a hand on my cheek, locking our eyes.

“Hey.” I finally break the silence. “Congratulations.”

“Shit, it’s good to see you.” He pulls me back into a hug until a throat clears beside us.

I look back to see my brother with his arms stretched. Automatically, I go to him.

“I’m so proud of you, Nate,” I whisper though a cracked voice.

“Why the waterworks?” His warm hands rub my back gently.

“I’m overwhelmed with emotion. The ceremony was quite impressive.” I reach around and tug Bryce into the hug. “That was entirely too long not to see you both.”

They share a look that I know well. Instead of reminding me that the distance will be a part of our lives, they stay quiet and give me a squeeze. Our families walk up, breaking us apart.

A few men and women join our crowd and congratulate the guys. Bryce has already explained that, after graduation, everyone disperses around the country. A lot of them will be stationed in Norfolk but not all. I finally get to meet the other two men Nate and Bryce shared their barracks with, Tommy Betts and Rick Plant. They both attended OCS to transition into officer roles.

Tommy Betts is an enormous, muscular black man with a completely bald head. As soon as Bryce introduces me, I’m swept off the ground and into his arms. I yelp at the surprise and brace against his chest.

“It’s about time. Can’t wait for my Nicole to meet you,” he booms.

I glance over my shoulder with wide eyes to see everyone smiling.

“Nicole’s his wife. She couldn’t be here because their baby is sick,” Bryce informs me. “And if you can’t tell, Betts is quite affectionate.”

He sets me down gently and squeezes my shoulder.

“We’re in Norfolk, too. I’ve told her all about you.”

“I’m Rick Plant.” The other man reaches out to shake my hand. “I’d give you a hug, too, but I’m pretty sure Bryce might punch me.”

“You’d be right. I’d punch Tommy, but I know he’d crush me.” Bryce tucks me back to his side and wraps an arm around my waist possessively.

Our parents introduce themselves, and the conversation flows around us about the last twelve weeks and what the guys will be doing at their stations. My eyes wander around the room and focus on a woman watching us closely. She doesn’t look directly at me, but her eyes scan the group and land on Bryce. Her gaze travels down him slowly until she sees his hold on me. Instantly, her head snaps up, and our eyes lock. A flash of something crosses her face. Anger? Sadness? Confusion? From the distance, I can’t tell, but her face goes hard, and she gives me an evil grin.

The entire exchange sends a chill up my spine. She looks away and starts talking to a man and woman who could be her parents. She’s also in Dress Whites, with her hair pulled back in an elaborate bun. I try to read her name badge, but it’s too far.

Bryce tightens his hand at my hip and leans down. “What are you looking at, beautiful?” he whispers and kisses my neck softly.

“Who’s that woman?” I motion with my head.

His eyes travel the room, and it’s obvious when he sees her. He swallows hard, and the tendons in his neck visibly tick.

“A woman who was in school with us.”

“She was staring at you.”

He shrugs, avoiding my eyes.

“Bryce, I recognized the look on her face. She’s interested in you.”

“Too bad for her, I’m fully taken. Did I tell you how exquisite you look today?” He nuzzles my neck.

“Your attempt to distract me is working. But we’ll talk about her later.”

“Nothing to talk about. And I can assure you, we’ll not be talking later, unless you count screaming my name.”

Heat rushes to my face, and I look around to make sure no one heard him. Nate scowls at us, but otherwise, no one is paying attention. I don’t mention her again, but the nagging feeling sticks with me.

The minute we close the door to our hotel room, I’m in Bryce’s arms. His lips claim mine roughly as his hands fist in my hair, pulling me closer. The kiss is greedy, demanding that I give everything I have. Our tongues curl together urgently, soaking in the taste we’ve both desperately missed. He backs away for a brief second to look at me. His blue eyes glow bright with heat, desire, and primal hunger.

My stomach clenches when he crushes his mouth back to mine and moves his hands down my back, cupping my ass. Instinctively, I bounce into his arms, wrapping my legs around his waist, careful not to break our kiss. He walks backwards and turns when he hits the wall, leaning me into it.

“I want you right now.” He swivels his hips into mine.

“Yes, now.” My voice quivers.

His tongue licks down the column of my throat, tasting each inch of skin. By the time he reaches my collarbone, I’m panting. My body spasms with anticipation.

“I’m going to set you down, and I want you naked,” he commands.

When my feet hit the floor, I tear the sundress over my head and slip out of my panties. Luckily, my sandals slide off easily. I reach for my strapless bra, and the heat of his gaze stops me.

“Let me.” One hand reaches behind me and snaps the clasps effortlessly. Once it falls, his eyes turn liquid.

“Almost thirteen weeks. That’s how long I’ve dreamed about this—your naked body, your lips swollen from my kiss, your hair falling down your back, begging me to thread my fingers through it. Jesus, you bring me to my knees.”

Sexual energy surges through me, and I jump back into his arms, sealing my mouth to his. I try to pour every emotion I’m feeling into the kiss. My arms and legs crush him, never wanting to let go.

He moves again, and I feel the softness of the comforter on my back when he lays me down gently. We break away, breathing hard, and I loosen my grip.

“Need you,” is all I can get out.

I bat his hands away when he reaches for his shirt, wanting to be the one to pull it over his head. I’m grateful he changed out of his dress uniform before we went to dinner. The first touch of my hand to his hot skin sends us both scrambling. We can’t get him undressed fast enough, and we fight with his clothes. Finally, he hovers above me with his knees between my legs.

His eyes lock with mine, and I freeze.

“Tell me you love me, Devon.”

“I love you, Bryce.”

One hand plays softly with my hardened nipple while his mouth clutches onto the other. I bow off the bed into his touch, moaning at the sensation. He goes down my body, kissing slowly, until he gets to my pelvic bone and stops.

“What the fuck is this?” He stops, sitting back on his calves.

“Surprise.” My fingers run over the skin where the naval anchor is inked.

“Shit!”

“You don’t like it?”

“I love it. “

I scrunch my eyebrows, confused.

“I planned to take my time, worshiping every inch of you, but this tattoo is sexy as fuck. Now I can’t wait.”

He crawls back up my body with energy radiating from his hard stare. One finger slides down my stomach, stopping briefly to rub circles around my belly button. The lower he goes, the faster my pulse races. He finally touches me in the right spot, and I arch into him, groaning.

One finger slides easily through my wetness, followed by another. My hips buck into his hand, pushing deeper. He twists them leisurely as his lips brush along my collarbone. The warmth of his breath coats my skin all over, driving me crazy with anticipation. He teases me for another minute then expertly rubs his thumb over my slit. I whimper in need. Desire coils in my stomach, begging for release.

“Come for me. Don’t hold back. I won’t let myself dive into your pussy until I hear you come.”

“Feels so good,” I moan.

“Babe, I need to be inside you.”

He presses the edge of his palm to my aching clit, moving in a circular motion. My hands clutch his back, the muscles rippling under my touch. I clench his fingers hard as the orgasm hits, sending me shattering against his hand. My nails dig into his skin as I try to catch my breath.

He jerks up lightning fast, hauling his body back and kneeling. His hands circle my waist gently as the tip of him teases me, rubbing up and down. Our eyes lock as he slides into me gently. I feel every hard inch of him slip into my wetness.

His hands squeeze my hips as a look of possession clouds his face.

“Mine,” he growls when he’s rooted all the way in. He goes slowly at first, controlling his movements. I arch my pelvis into his and change the angle. He starts to thrust wildly. My hand goes around his neck, pulling up, and I position myself flush against him. Our skin is on fire as he pounds into me from below. I grind roughly and suck on the skin at his neck.

“Give me another one, Dev. I’m not going to last much longer.”

One hand moves lower, and he runs his fingers along my backbone until he reaches my ass then squeezes. On instinct, I clench my muscles, and he growls. Suddenly, the room starts to spin as my release rushes through my body. It builds fast, and I throw my head back, begging for it. Bryce latches onto my nipple roughly, and I scream. He cries out my name and empties himself into me. The feeling of his dick pulsing sends another round through me, and I clutch him tightly. He strengthens his hold, anchoring me to him.

Gently, he lays us down, staying rooted inside me. Our hearts beat in rhythm as our bodies stick together.

“Fucking perfect,” he mutters against my skin.

“Ummhmm,” I agree.

We stay tangled in each other for a while before I gently roll him back and reach for his t-shirt. He leans on an elbow and watches me closely. I scan his body and shiver at his toned physique. He was fit when he left in June, but now, he’s completely chiseled. Before moving away, I enjoy running a finger down his breastbone, sliding over his pecs until I skim the defined ripples of his abs. My mouth runs dry when I reach his belly button and the happy trail that leads to his still hard erection.

He reaches up quickly, clasping my wrist. “Babe, you ready for round two?”

I jump back, dislodging my hand, and run to my suitcase, grabbing the box on top. When I crawl back on the bed, he raises an eyebrow.

“This is a late birthday gift.” I hand him the box. “Open it.”

“Thought the tattoo was my gift.”

“Consider it an additional gift. Now open it.” I bounce on my knees.

He slowly unwraps it and lets out a loud whistle when he sees the watch inside. “This is awesome, Dev. How’d you know?”

“Nate may have mentioned something about this specific watch you’d been eyeing.” I wink at him.

“Babe, not to sound ungrateful, but this particular watch is expensive—”

“Stop right there.” I put my finger to his lips. “Don’t worry about the price. A few of the cheerleaders asked me to take their senior pictures. They paid me.”

He nods and gives me a small grin. I take the watch from him, fasten it around his wrist, and hold out his arm for us to admire. “It looks perfect.”

I yelp when he tugs me close and rolls us over, trapping me under him. One hand frames my face as his eyes burn into mine. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

My heart melts. “Bryce—”

He studies my face for a second and leans in to kiss me lightly. Our kiss turns heated, and soon, he’s positioned between my legs again. He glides into me and braces on his elbows.

“No gushiness, but tell me you know how much you mean to me. That you understand how much I cherish you.”

“I do,” I say, swallowing the lump in my throat.

He rests his forehead against mine, never breaking our gaze. The last few months apart fade away as he makes love to me slowly. I finally feel whole again.