Page 16 of When I Found You

“A kiss from me.”

“Hmm…let me think about that for a second,” she says, the smile now filling her face. “Sounds like you’ve got yourself a deal.”

She gets a serious look on her face and takes her place at the goal to start shooting pucks. I watch as she leans over—giving me one hell of a view—and mirror her stance in my own lane. The attendant starts the clock and our thirty-second timer starts to tick down. We both start launching pucks at the mini-goals as fast as we can.

Her pucks go a little wild, but I’ve got a pretty good shot. The eye-hand coordination required from all my weapons training I’ve had is coming in handy right about now.

The timer ticks down the last few seconds and then blows a horn to signal our time has ended. I stand up to my full height and survey the nets that are about twenty-five feet away from where we’re standing.

“I think you kicked my ass,” Stacey says on a laugh and then hands the attendant her stick.

“Looks that way. We need to work on your shot,” I tease, as I hand the guy my stick before stepping over to Stacey’s side. I bring my hand to her lower back and we step away from the game to allow the next group of people their turn.

I lead her across the street and stop along the side of the bar we’re standing next to. I leave one hand on her lower back and bring the other up to cup her face, running the pad of my thumb across her bottom lip.

I close the space between us, pulling her against me as I step closer. I drop my forehead to hers, and our gazes lock before I bring my mouth to meet hers.

The kiss starts out slow and sweet. Stacey parts her lips and I take the opening, slipping my tongue in and deepening the kiss. She grabs my shirt, fisting it in her fingers. We take our time exploring each other. The noises and the hustle and bustle of the city around us fade into the background as we stay lip-locked. Eventually, we break apart, gulping in air as we both attempt to catch our breath.

I run my thumb over Stacey’s lips, now swollen from being kissed. All I want to do is bring my lips back to hers, but I know if I do that, we won’t make it anywhere else tonight.

Chapter Six

STACEY

That kiss—damn,was it amazing.

Earth-shattering.

Life-altering.

That was the type of kiss you read about in romance novels or see in chick-flicks, where the woman’s leg pops up behind her as she kisses her hero for the first time. This kiss has all of those types of thoughts running through my mind.

I will think back on this kiss for years. Then I think, what if this was my last first kissever. I’m not usually one to jump the gun and think about the what-ifs in life, especially in a relationship, but being out tonight with Peyton, I once again feel so drawn to him. Like we’re meant to be together.

“That was amazing,” he finally says, breaking the silence between the two of us.

“I have to agree. Best first kiss ever,” I tell him, a small smile cresting my kiss-swollen lips. I reach up and wipe the smudge of lip gloss from his lips. He allows me to do so and then places a kiss against the palm of my hand before I pull it away.

“What do you say we go find some food? I’m starving. Then we can find a place for some dancing.”

“Sounds like the perfect plan,” I say as we start walking along the street lined with bars.

We settle on some barbecue at one of the bars, grabbing a table on one of the upper floors.

“When you return to base, will you be staying in town or do you have to leave again?” I ask as we enjoy our food.

“I’ll be stateside for the foreseeable future. We completed the deployment and haven’t been told of any new ones on the horizon yet. With the security threats not as complex as they were in years past, deployments are getting shorter and not as often.”

“That’s good. Have you deployed a lot?”

“Sometimes it feels that way. I’ve done five different deployments, all overseas. Some were easier than others.”

“I’m glad you made it through them all, that can’t be easy on anyone. Physically, mentally, or emotionally.”

“Thanks. Some deployments have definitely left their marks. Some outwardly, but mostly inward. No soldier can actually prepare for an active war zone. It doesn’t matter how much training you’ve gone through, there’s nothing like it until you actually get over there and are thrust into that environment.”

“I can only imagine. How have you dealt with the effects? And feel free to tell me to mind my own business if I ask something you don’t want to talk about. I won’t take it personally,” I assure him.

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