Chapter 11
Lucky couldn’t stop staring at Devyn. He knew he was being a little creepy, but he couldn’t help it. She was going to be his tonight. And every night from here on out.
He’d been half hard all evening. Through their short walk with Angel and Whiskers, while laughing together as they made dinner. As they sat on the couch and watched the news. He knew the second he let go of his control, he’d be hard as a pike and ready to go.
But he liked this. Hanging out with Devyn. Talking about the people she worked with. About the animals she’d seen that day. Discussing what he could about his job. He didn’t have to explain how close he was to Trigger, her brother, and the other guys. She knew.
They talked about Aspen and Riley’s pregnancies and joked about how many kids they’d end up with.
Oz had made no secret of the fact that he wanted a big family.
It was as if once he’d gotten guardianship of his niece and nephew, he’d realized firsthand how awesome children were and wanted as many as he could get… as fast as he could get them.
It was obvious Riley was going to have to rein him in, and Lucky loved how easily he could joke about the situation with Devyn. She fit in with their crew as if she’d been there all along.
“Grover’s thrilled that you’re here,” Lucky told her.
Devyn snuggled into his side and nodded.
“I know. I kinda sprung myself on him, and he could’ve been resentful that I basically shoved my way into his inner circle, but he welcomed me with open arms. When we were kids, he never minded if I tagged along with him when he hung out with his friends.
I know he got shit for it from them, but he didn’t care.
I love him so much, and I just want him to find a woman who can appreciate him for who he is. ”
“And who you can be friends with,” Lucky said.
She sighed. “Yeah. I would hate for him to end up with someone who doesn’t like me. Or you guys, for that matter. I mean, I don’t think he’d put up with that, but love can make people do weird things.”
“I have faith in him. He knows what he wants,” Lucky said.
“And what’s that?” Devyn asked, tilting her head up to look at him.
“Someone who will support him no matter what. Someone who looks at him as if the sun rises and sets with him, but at the same time, knows her own worth. A woman who’s independent and can fend for herself and their kids, if they have them, when he gets deployed.
She should have a sense of humor and not take herself too seriously.
But most of all, I think Grover needs someone strong.
Outgoing. Who isn’t afraid to stand up to him or anyone else who might think they can give her shit. ”
Devyn nodded. “You’re right. He can get pretty bossy, and if he doesn’t find someone who can go toe-to-toe with him, he’ll run roughshod over her in no time.”
“Exactly. And he’s good at what he does, but he has a tendency to think about work all the time.”
Devyn nodded. “You think he’ll find her?”
“Yes.”
She chuckled. “You said that really fast.”
“I think we were all just coasting along. Happy to date casually. Then Ghost and his crew—that’s another Delta team on post—started falling one by one.
We attended Truck and Mary’s wedding and saw how deliriously happy they all were.
And that they were making it work…relationships and their job.
I have a feeling we all just assumed we couldn’t have a wife while being Delta.
So that wedding opened our eyes. And we realized that we weren’t getting any younger. ”
“Then Trigger met Gillian,” Devyn said.
“Yes. And it’s been a domino effect,” Lucky said with a smile.
“Do you think their relationships have worked because of the situations Gillian and the others got into?” Devyn asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Just that. Gillian and Trigger met under extreme circumstances. And Kinley and Lefty got through her witness protection thing, and Aspen and Brain actually were on an op together and she’s damn badass.
And of course, they went through Brain’s attack.
Then Riley and Oz had that drama with his niece and nephew.
My life is downright boring compared to theirs, and what they’ve been through. ” She shrugged.
Lucky checked on the animals, and saw they were both snoring in the fluffy bed in the corner of the room. He stood, pulling Devyn up with him.
“Lucky?” she said, but he didn’t respond. He checked the front door to make sure it was locked before leading her up the stairs. He pulled Devyn into his room, then sat on the bed, pulled her closer, and urged her to straddle his lap.
Her face was now level with his own, and he cradled her head in his hands.
“Listen to me, Dev. I don’t give a rat’s ass how my friends met their women, I’m just glad they did.
I didn’t need some big drama to know I wanted you.
I don’t need you to be in a shootout, or to have some crazy terrorist try to shank you.
I don’t need some huge life event to happen to either of us to know that I love you.
I just do. Because you’re you. You play things close to the vest, and it’s been hell trying to go slow with my attraction to you.
I wanted you to get to know me, to see that I’m not going to take over your life, I’m not going to be all crazy possessive.
You’re a grown woman who’s been managing her life perfectly fine without me.
I’m okay with our lives being boring as fuck. It won’t change how I feel about you.”
He watched her swallow hard and bite her lip. “You love me?” she whispered.
Lucky grinned. He should probably be a little concerned that he’d just blurted that, but since she hadn’t jerked out of his embrace and didn’t look horrified by his declaration, something inside him settled.
“Yeah, Dev. I do. How could I not? I’d be as lucky as my nickname implies if you could find it in your heart to like me back even a fraction of how much I love you.”
“I love you too,” she whispered, as if she was terrified to say it out loud.
Lucky knew he was smiling like a crazy person, but he couldn’t help it. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t quite hear you. Can you repeat that?”
Devyn frowned. “You heard me.”
“Nope. I think you need to say it again. I mean, I am older than you and I’ve been through a few explosions. My hearing isn’t what it used to be.”
“You heard Angel whining the other day from two rooms away. You rushed in there to see what the issue was and realized that the treat you’d given her had somehow been pushed under the couch and she couldn’t reach it,” Devyn accused.
“Hmmmm, you must be mistaken, I couldn’t have heard that,” Lucky told her, still smiling.
Devyn wrinkled her nose at him, and instead of saying what he wanted—no, needed—to hear again, she dug her fingers into his sides, tickling him.
Lucky let out a downright girly screech and immediately began to laugh. He was extremely ticklish, something he’d never told anyone, and yet somehow his woman knew exactly where to touch him to render him completely helpless.
He tried to squirm away, but Devyn didn’t let up, kept tickling him mercilessly.
“Uncle!” Lucky shouted, trying to wiggle away from her fingers with no luck. “I give up!”
“You gonna admit that your hearing is fine?” she asked, her fingers slipping under his shirt to increase the torture factor of her tickling.
“Yes! Anything! Please, for the love of God, stop!”
“Holy crap, you call yourself a Delta soldier?” she asked as her fingers finally stilled.
Lucky closed his eyes in relief. He was on his back and Devyn was still straddling his hips, but she hadn’t yet moved her fingers out from under his shirt.
“Tickling wasn’t a part of torture-endurance training,” he said weakly.
Devyn chuckled. Then she laughed. Then she was guffawing uncontrollably.
Lucky took the opportunity to roll over and trap her body under his.
But she still didn’t stop laughing. He didn’t mind he was the butt of the joke.
Who ever heard of a special forces operative being brought down by less than a minute of playful tickling?
He could watch her laugh without reservation for hours. When she finally had herself under control, she looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “That was priceless,” she said.
“I love you,” Lucky said quietly. “You bring joy to my life, and that’s not something any other woman has done.
I’ve been happy and content and I told myself I wasn’t lonely in the least. Then you moved here, and I realized how boring my life really was.
I can’t lose you, Dev. If I screw up, tell me immediately so I can apologize and fix whatever it was I fucked up.
If I don’t spend enough time with you, or you feel ignored, for the love of God, tell me.
Please. I couldn’t stand it if you left me because of something I could fix. ”
“I love you back,” she said. “And the same goes for me. I try not to get sucked down into drama, but if I do, call me on it. I never want you to feel as if you’re second fiddle in our relationship. If I talk too much about work, or don’t take enough time off, you have my permission to kidnap me.”
“No one’s kidnapping anyone,” Lucky said, then he brushed a lock of hair off her forehead. “Will you let me make love to you? Show you how much you mean to me?”
“Let you? No. I’m gonna have to beg you to please hurry the hell up and fuck me already.”
Lucky grinned. Damn, this woman was perfect for him. “You like it fast and hard?” he asked, rocking his hips against her.
“With you, I have a feeling I’ll like it however you want to give it to me.”
“Good answer,” Lucky said with a chuckle. “How about we play it by ear?”
“Sounds like a plan. But…I need to brush my teeth first. And pee. And maybe take off some clothes.”
“So practical,” he teased.