Page 70 of Rusty's Command

Rusty’s face lit up. “Like quit-your-job-and-move-to-Big-Island longer?”

Her heart skipped a beat. “Yeah, that.”

“Yes! Are you sure?” His voice was full of emotion.

“Absolutely.” She let out a little squeal of delight, and her body seemed to melt into Rusty’s as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.

He pressed his lips to her forehead. “I can’t believe you would quit your job for me.”

She giggled. “I’m not doing it just for you, silly. I’m quitting that rotten job for me.”

Rusty cocked his head. “You don’t like your job? But you’re amazing at it.”

She shrugged. “I like what I do, but I don’t like the people I work with. Well, mostly just one man.”

Rusty’s expression turned serious. “Did he hurt you?”

His tone was all male possessiveness, and it sent a delicious shiver down her spine. She hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. Deciding to keep it vague, she said, “He gave me a scare, that’s all.”

Rusty’s face darkened and his eyes flashed with anger. “Give me his name, and I’ll take care of him.”

She chuckled, unsure what he meant bytake care of him. “Actually, I’ve already taken care of him, in my own way.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Really? How?”

A sassy smile spread across her face. “I may have inserted some code into his Teams’ meetings that turned his background into images of pigs wallowing in mud.”

Rusty roared with laughter. “That’s genius! I’m so proud of you.”

She giggled, feeling a sense of satisfaction. “I know, right? And the best part is, no one has been able to undo it.”

“You’re brilliant.”

She shrugged. “Thanks.”

He curled her hair around her ear. A question seemed to linger on his lips.

Deciding to keep the tone upbeat, she said, “You know what I can’t decide?”

“What?”

“Whether we should have a glass of wine and watch the sun set or go for a swim.”

He jumped to his feet and held his hand toward her. “Let’s do both.”

She didn’t know where to look, his chiseled body, his strong arms, or his other . . . assets.

He hauled her upright, and as he scooped her into his arms and carried her out of the cave, his gaze fell to her wobbling breasts. “Wow.”

She burst out laughing, feeling twenty again. He crossed the sun-warmed sand in long strides, and she wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her into the waves. The warm ocean lapped at their skin, awakening a forgotten freedom within her.

As the sunset unfolded on the horizon, the sky was set ablaze with vibrant colors, casting a warm, golden glow over their secret hideaway. The waves gently lapped against the shore, adding a soothing melody to their setting.

Rusty waded deeper into the water, and when the depth reached his hips, he tossed her away. She let out a squeal as she splashed into the ocean and the warm water enveloped herlike a soothing balm. She surfaced, laughing and spluttering and shoving wet hair away from her face. “You bastard.”

Rusty grinned, clearly very happy with himself. “You look beautiful when you’re wet.”

She rolled her eyes, giggling. “Oh, really?” She jumped onto his shoulders, and as she pushed him down, he let out a cute growl as he went under.

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