28. Lennox
Chapter 28
Lennox
Dane skimmed his fingers up and down my back, making me sleepy. If the life-affirming orgasm hadn’t done it, his touch would have me out like a light.
“I’m good,” I said, blinking slowly. I knew my face probably confirmed I was a lovesick fool. “No, make that really good.”
Rolling to my side, I took in his handsome face. My head rested on my arm as I looked him over. “How are you?”
His smile was relaxed. “My ass hurts and I’m gonna have bruises. But it was hot.”
“Sorry about that. The next time you can give them to me. I can take it.”
He breathed out a laugh. “Think so? Like you took the g -force when I took you up?”
“That was just mean. You did that on purpose.”
He grinned. “Yep. Just like you sweet-talked your way into my cockpit. Why did you do that?”
“Because you wouldn’t talk to me. Every time I saw you at the Squid, you blew me off. I was determined to get you to open up, and if it meant I had to go up in that death machine you drive, then so be it.”
I sounded like a teenager, but it was the truth.
“It’s not a death machine. It’s a highly sophisticated technological wonder.”
“Yeah, well, it’s dangerous as fuck.”
He barked out a laugh. “For most people, yes. But not for someone with my training and experience.”
“Why doesn’t Javy fly?”
He shrugged. “He could. But it would take more training, and he likes to blow shit up. I like to fly and he likes the guns.”
“Hmm,” I mused. “I have a question.”
He smiled. “What’s that?”
“How did you meet Camile?”
“She didn’t tell you?”
“Nope. Just told me she wasn’t interested in your dick anymore, and that I could have it.”
He barked out a laugh. “Sounds like her. She’s a spitfire if I’ve ever met one. And she reminded me…”
He left his words hanging for me to figure out.
“What did she remind you of?”
Dane looked at me like I was thick, then gave up. “She’s the female version of you. Intelligent as hell, loyal, a fierce friend, and the closest person I could find that filled a fraction of the hole your absence left behind. It was a mistake to try to make a relationship work, but neither of us regrets Daniel. He’s the best gift I ever received.”
I reached up and took his hand. “I’m glad you found her, but I’m sorry I didn’t make you feel like you could tell me how you were feeling. I know we’ve been over this, but I regret I couldn’t see it.”
Dane squeezed my hand. “I didn’t handle it well, but the only person I could talk to about it was you. And I couldn’t do that. No matter what, we both had a lot of growing up to do.”
“Probably, but I’m glad you weren’t alone. Camile is great. And so is Daniel.”
He studied my face as if he were putting things together. “Were you alone, Lennox? Did I leave without anyone?”
I couldn’t tell him the truth. That I’d cried almost every day the entire summer because I missed him so fucking much.
“No,” I lied. “I make friends easily. And when I was drafted and met Evan, he was…”
I swallowed down the repressed emotions, trying to resurface. I cleared my throat and took a deep breath. But Dane figured it out.
“He was my replacement, wasn’t he?”
I reached out to cup his cheek. “He was my best friend, but no one will ever replace you in here.” I moved our hands over my heart. “You own this. Always have.”
Our lips found one another again as we wrapped ourselves around each other. With Dane, I could be myself, and be at peace.
We napped, then got up at almost ten to grab something to eat. Dane pulled out everything we needed to make a sandwich.
We stood side by side in the kitchen like we’d done a thousand times after school. He gathered the meat and cheese while I spread the condiments on the bread. But I was taken aback by the white condiment that wasn’t mayonnaise.
I picked it up and then looked over at him. “You brought horseradish sauce?”
Dane turned as he closed the door. His arms were full of meats and cheeses. “Yeah. And roast beef and cheddar. Don’t you eat that anymore?”
I rubbed my hand over my mouth, suddenly taken to my knees over a goddamn sandwich. Staring down at the plain bread, memories of eating that sandwich washed over me. I hadn’t had it since that summer we graduated.
Dane put everything down on the counter and rubbed a hand over my back. “Babe, what’s wrong? I have plenty of turkey if you don’t want that.”
“No,” I said with a smile. “It’s just been a long time.”
We took our food and went back to bed. And when we finished, I pulled him into my arms and held him close.
“How are we going to do this when we get home?”
I looked over at where his head was on my shoulder. I was confused. “What are you worried about?”
Dane shifted and looked up at me. “I’m not worried, per se. But you have a big reputation as a hookup artist, and I have a child. Not to mention you have a very busy six months of football, and I have my duty to the country. I just hope we’re not going to figure out we’re better off as friends because it’s too difficult to manage.”
I rubbed my fingers over his face. “The way I see it, there’s one very easy solution to all of it.”
Dane looked at me warily. “Nothing is that simple.”
“Sure it is,” I said. “We just need to get married. Problem solved.”