Page 128 of Stay for Me

“Because when I came home after getting out of the Marines, my burns still fresh, ready to meet my son and rebuild our life, I found her in bed with another man, and my heart didn’t break.”

My chest deflated. “What?” I breathed out, my hands coming to him, latching onto his shirt. “You—you have a son?”

“Thought I did. She was two months pregnant when I left for my last deployment, but the boy wasn’t mine. He belonged to the man my wife was fucking behind my back for two years.”

My heart was breaking all over again. “Mags—”

“You’re the only woman I’ve ever loved,” he declared, his thumb stoking my skin. “Wanna know how I know that?”

Again, he didn’t give me a chance to respond.

“Because I left my sanctuary for you, baby,” he told me softly. “The second I heard that fear in your voice, I didn’t even think. By the time I was at your house, I hadn’t even realized what I’d done.”

Sobs attacked me then, vicious and unrelenting.

“Love you so damn much, Diana,” he pushed out. “I’d go through everything, all the hell I endured, over and over again, to be with you.”

My mouth was on his then as I kissed him with everything I had, everything I could give, hoping and praying it would be enough to heal his pain. With a growl, he shot up, forcing me back into the couch cushions as he loomed over me, one hand by my head, the other shifting to the front of my neck. His tongue stroked again mine as he took control, my hands clinging to his shirt at his sides. He took everything and gave it back to me tenfold.

“I love you,” he grunted.

“Yes,” I moaned, nodding against him. “I love you too.”

The kiss ended as my cowboy pulled away. “The rest of my life is yours, Diana Harper.”

The rest of my life is yours.

“I—”

“You have me, all of me, forever,” he confirmed. “I became yours the moment I saw you.”

Silence fell between us, our breaths colliding, our gazes unwavering.

“Can I have her full name?” I asked. “Her address?”

His eyes flashed, his lips twitching as he replied, “No, Firefly.”

“She hurt you.”

“I got over it.”

“But—”

“Got over it and found you,” he declared. “Your words triggered me, and yes, I got sucked into the past, but not into the war zone. The memory of the day I left her came up, and I got lost in it. I’m sorry for that. It’s been a long time since I’ve…” His words faded as his head snapped up, eyes narrowing on the door.

“What? Was is it?”

“God fuckin’ damn it,” he muttered, pushing up from the couch and going to the door.

That was when I heard it; the low rumble of an engine.

Slowly, I rose to my feet, food forgotten as he looked out the window.

“Is it Denver again?”

Mags bit off a curse. “Fuck me.”

A car door slammed, and then I heard footsteps on the porch. Mags looked over to me, his hand on the doorknob. “I’m going to apologize now, Firefly.”

---