Page 38 of Salute, To Bravery
He cocked his head to the side like a puppy. “What did you say?”
Now it was my turn to blush. “I didn’t say I wasn’t interested, I just didn’t see the point in saying anything if I was gonna have to marry some other dude anyway.” I shrugged and looked at my folded hands in front of me. Looking at him now might cause me to die of embarrassment.
“Dottie. Look at me.” He placed his hands on the counter behind me. I went from effectively pinned to actually pinned against the counter. I steeled my nerves before meeting his gaze again. He went from frustrated to that soft gaze that always made my knees turn to jelly. “What do you want?”
“You know what I want.” Again, it was barely a whisper.
“I need you to say it. Use your words.”
The gentle command did something to my gut, and I felt the butterflies like never before. I straightened my spine. “I want to be with you. Not him. I don’t know what this is, but I want it with you.”
Apparently, that’s all he needed to hear. “Good,” he said.
Before I could process what was happening, Ian had slid his fingers into my hair and pulled me toward him. His lips pressed against mine, firm but gentle all at once. The tip of his tongue ran along my bottom lip, begging for more. I parted my lips, letting his greedy lips consume me. I’d completely forgotten that he was still shirtless until I ran my hands across his chest, earning a moan from him. God, I loved that sound . . .
Riiiiing ring riiiiiiing.
“Damn it.” Ian pulled away from me. He went from frustrated to trying to hide his laughter when he saw how flustered I was. I put one hand over his mouth to muffle the sweet nothings he tried to whisper in my ear and used the other to answer the phone. I should have checked who was calling first.
“Hey honey, do you have a moment?”
“Mom?” All good feelings went out the window. Ian stopped trying to tease me and pulled away, giving me space to think. Even though he’d taken a step back, I couldn’t help but slide my fingers into the edge of his jeans. I didn’t want to stop touching him now that I’d started.
“Yes, honey, it’s me. I need to know where you are so we can get you a ride home. Or a plane ticket if needed. We have a lot to do.”
“Mom, we just talked about this.”
“I know, Odette, but I did some thinking, and I thought it would be best if I just brought you home now.”
Rage boiled in my chest; I took a deep breath, ready to give her a piece of my mind. My eyes met Ian’s, and I couldn’t explain what I saw there even if I tried. Was it hope? Was he curious? Was he mad? Scared?
I don’t even know, but I knew I couldn’t let her do this to me—or to him.
“Mom. I’m not coming home. At least not for a long time. Don’t come looking for me. Tell Josh I’m sorry, but I’m not doing this. I wish you all the best, but I’m doing what’s best for me. I love you.” I hung up. I didn’t even give her the chance to argue or even recuperate from her stunned silence. I turned the phone off and threw it on the counter.
Relief flooded Ian’s face, followed by his award-winning smile. “I can’t believe you did that.”
I shrugged as I pulled him back to me. His lips landed on mine for a quick kiss. “Well, now what?”
His grin got bigger. “Ready for an adventure?”
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Twice the Trouble
A Military Novella
by
D. Williams
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
D. Williams.
