Page 21 of Cross & Crown

Nick kissed his cheek, then his lips. He didn’t linger over

it, though. “I barely got here, didn’t have time to change. You look rough, babe.”

“I feel rough. Let’s get the hell out of here.”

Nick grabbed his hand to halt him as Kelly marched

toward the door. “Don’t you have a suitcase?”

Kelly glanced at the crowd around the baggage conveyors.

His shoulders slumped. All he wanted to do was get Nick

somewhere private. Now. “Oh yeah.”

20

Nick pulled him closer, sliding his hands under Kelly’s

jacket to rest on the small of his back. He kissed him gently,

with the crowds bustling around them. Kelly realized this

might be their first official PDA, and neither of them cared.

Nick rested his temple against Kelly’s and smiled against

his neck. “I missed you.”

“Me too.” Kelly wrapped his arm around Nick’s neck and

dropped his carry-on bag to the floor to get another kiss, but

Nick raised his head instead.

“Is that your bag? With all the patches on it?”

Kelly grunted and turned to the conveyor. His rucksack

had patches from almost every destination he’d traveled, so it

was hard to miss. “Yeah. Fucking cockblock.”

Nick burst out laughing. It was a sound Kelly had sorely

missed. It sent a shiver through him, making the scar of the

bullet wound on his chest throb. He rubbed at it as Nick

kissed him again before letting him go and then striding over

to catch his rucksack for him. The coat made him look even

wider at the shoulders than he already was. Kelly flashed

back to all the many mornings he’d seen Nick stalking across

whatever camp, base, or ship they’d been stationed on, barking

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