Page 44 of Protecting Jess

Not yet.

No way would Finn ask her to give up her career or dreams to be with him. To move to a place where she didn’t know anyone and expect her to be happy.

Like clockwork, Finn’s eyes snapped open as the sky was just beginning to lighten and the early fingers of dawn made their presence known.

Jess was curled up beside him, her brown hair fanned out over the pillow.

She looked so peaceful and beautiful. He contemplated their conversation, of how they both wanted each other, but neither one knowing how it would work.

Could he request a transfer to another team? One based in Virginia? It’d be strange to not be near the place where he’d done his training, but it wasn’t like he had a home here.

The only connection to the area was his teammates and the reminder of the hell he’d gone through to become a SEAL. There were times he shuddered as he ran past the beach where he froze his ass off for twenty-four hours.

Other times, a sense of pride flowed along his muscles as he jogged through the shallows, knowing he’d conquered one of the toughest tasks on his journey to where he was today.

It wouldn’t be a hardship to move. While he and Jess may not be living in the same state, they would be in the same time zone and the distance between New York and Virginia was far less than San Diego and New York.

The more he tossed the idea around in his head, the more it began to take root.

“You’re frowning. What’s wrong?” Jess’s sleepy voice skittered straight to his groin.

He was never going to get enough of Jess.

“Just thinking.”

“About what?” She propped herself up on her elbow. Her glorious hair fell over her shoulder, and he wound some of its silky length around his finger.

“The future and what it might look like.”

Her hand landed on his chest, right over his heart again.

Fuck. He loved it when she did that. It made him feel more connected to her.

“What does it look like?” she asked, her wariness evident.

“You and me always.” Finn pressed his lips against her forehead. “I was thinking about what you talked about last night. The distance between us. And I was thinking about the SEAL teams in Virginia and if a transfer to one of them was possible.”

Jess blinked. Once, then twice, as though she couldn’t quite believe what he was saying. That he wouldn’t possibly do something like that for her. “You’d do that? You’d put in a request to change teams—for me?”

Hope shone in her eyes and it cemented his decision—as hard as it would be.

“I would. No, I will. Once we get back from San Antonio, I’ll set everything in motion.” He rolled them so he was lying on top of Jess, his erection nestled snugly between her legs. “I want you, Jessica Killian, and I will do everything I can to make that happen and to make you happy.” Finn didn’t give her a chance to respond as he kissed her and poured everything he was feeling into it, hoping she believed him that he was going to remain true to his word.

“I won’t be too long. I just need to finalize a few things on base for my leave and grab some more stuff. I’ll be right back. Have you told your parents you’re coming home?”

“Okay. And no, I haven’t. I thought I’d surprise them. I mean, they knew I was coming for a visit. I just hadn’t said when exactly,” Jess said, her stomach churning at the upcoming trip.

She was excited to see her parents and siblings. But the whole having to explain why Finn was with her and what’d happened wasn’t something she was looking forward to.

As though he picked up on her inner turmoil, Finn pulled her tight against his chest.

Jess’s eyes closed and she breathed in deeply, his fresh scent comforting her. She’d always thought her dad’s hugs were the best, the ones who provided her with a safe haven, but in Finn’s arms, she felt even safer.

“Everything will be okay, popsicle. We’ll find the right time to tell them. And if”—he pulled back and their gazes collided—“you don’t want to tell them, then we won’t say anything.”

How she wanted to grab onto that lifeline Finn was throwing her. It’d make life easier if she didn’t say anything. However, it would also be the coward’s way out.

Jess should’ve told her parents already. Her pride, along with a bit of shame, had kept her from telling them. “No, it’s time.”

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