Page 54 of No Man Left Behind

It was probably too soon for him to share his full feelings. He’d just asked her to move in. No sense in overwhelming her. Although she showed no signs of being overwhelmed or having regrets.

His Elina had learned to be adaptable from an early age. Empathetic and kind, too. Hard-working. And happy. Not everyone could have lived her life, struggled with her kidnapping, and come out on the other side with such a sunny disposition.

His morning alarm sounded, making him realize he hadn’t even checked the time when he’d opened his eyes. He’d been too content to do anything other than enjoy.

Elina sighed, but it was a happy sound. “Good morning. This is my new favorite way to wake up.”

She lifted her head and kissed his shoulder before rolling a bit to stretch. She had a really good stretch, making Marcus’s body spring fully to life.

He rolled over and tucked Elina under him. “Me too.” He kissed her long and hard and used his hands to drive her up until she was panting and squirming with need.

He grabbed a condom and slipped into her heat. For a moment, he rested his forehead on hers and simply breathed in the moment. Absolute perfection.

Instead of telling her he was in it for life, he tried to show her with his body. When they exploded, he gulped back the words. Too soon. Still, he cradled her for long moments until he needed to move. “Gotta take care of the condom. I’d swoop you up into the shower, except I need to grab my leg.”

She laughed and twisted until she was sitting beside him on the bed. “Let me.”

The shock had him going completely still.

Elina lifted an eyebrow and patted his knee. “Relax, Arrow. I’ve got it. You need to remember I spent more than a decade in areas dealing with poverty and war. It wouldn’t be the first prosthesis I’ve helped put on.”

He nodded but couldn’t form the words. His prosthesis was a part of him, and it reminded him how damn lucky he was. But having Elina treat it as normally as she’d treat a pair of glasses was new.

She helped him put on the shower foot and then stood with her hand out and a smile on her face. “If we don’t get moving, you’re going to be late.”

He took her hand and rose. “If I’m going to be late, might as well make it worth it.” Then he scooped her up and headed to the shower, his arms and heart full of this amazing woman.

Later, instead of heading to his office in Phail General, he took Elina’s hand, and they walked the short trek through the woods to the new station. He kept his senses wide open but didn’t sense anything off. Still, he kept alert and wary.

“What needs to be completed with Phail Jail before we can move in your things?”

As she’d predicted, the name of Phail Jail had occurred to Piper days before. It made everyone laugh, which meant they used it constantly. Mostly to elicit a dramatic sigh from him.

“Sean said it was ready for a final walk-through. I’m hoping we can start moving today. Piper’s been patient, but I know she’s hoping to use my old office as a base for her Phail tourism space.”

Elina nodded. “She has plans. I have a feeling Piper always has plans. That woman’s brain is a super-powered computer. She’s so creative.”

That made him laugh. “Sounds like someone else I know.”

She bumped her shoulder into his. “Thanks. I’ll take the compliment. Piper is amazing.”

He grinned but kept his eyes moving. “She’s done so much for our town, I’d like to give her the space. It’ll be interesting to see what she does with it. I bet it won’t be boring.”

He slowed his step as they neared the edge of the woods. Always intuitive, she slowed her steps and turned her attention to their surroundings as well. “I don’t feel anything, do you?”

He shook his head. “Not today.”

They crossed to the back door and found nothing unusual. He unlocked the door and ushered her inside, then locked it behind them.

She sighed. “I hope we don’t always have to do that.”

“This is a safe town but we’re going to take precautions.”

She nodded and looked around the room. “I didn’t realize how much got finished while I was working with Piper.”

The kitchen was free of cows and chickens. Like the rest of the main floor, the walls were a soft steel-blue. Almost light enough to be grey. A color that wouldn’t drive him nuts. Research told him it was supposed to be soothing for everyone. With their job, cops could use all the soothing they could get.

This break room would be an asset. A glance at the combined bathroom and laundry room showed it was mostly finished as well, although the appliances hadn’t arrived.

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