Chapter 10
CHAPTER 10
BYRON
All thoughts of our date flew from my mind the moment her lips touched mine. I picked her up and walked us into her apartment, kicking the door shut behind me.
“I’ve been dreaming of this for weeks,” I admitted, pulling back to look at her tear-streaked face. “Months, actually.”
“Me, too,” she whispered, smiling softly. “Are you okay? I’ve been so worried.”
“I’m fine,” I promised. “I took a small bullet to the leg.”
“You were shot!” she exclaimed, stepping out of my arms and raking her gaze down my body as if she expected to find blood still pouring from a wound somewhere.
“Just a little,” I told her. “I’m all healed up now, I swear. I finished rehab last week, signed my discharge papers and came straight here to see you.”
“You were shot,” she repeated, shaking her head as if she didn’t believe me.
“And now, I’m fine,” I insisted. “Do you want to see it?”
I felt my face heat in embarrassment as I realized I’d pretty much just offered to drop my pants for her in her living room the first time meeting face-to-face.
“Maybe, I’d better,” she agreed, sucking her lower lip between her teeth as she stared at me with wide eyes. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to believe you until I see it for myself.”
“It’s actually in a place that isn’t normally visible in polite company,” I admitted sheepishly.
“I figured.”
I reached out for her again, pulling her back into my arms and crashing my mouth over hers. She melted against me, her palms sliding up my chest between us before snaking over my shoulders.
“I know I promised to take you out,” I whispered against her lips. “But I suddenly don’t want to leave this apartment.”
“Neither do I,” she agreed.
“Are you sure?” I asked. “I don’t want you to think I’m pressuring you into anything.”
“Byron, I’ve waited my entire life for you. I’m done waiting.” She took a deep breath, and I could see the moment her mind was made up. “Take me to bed.”
Not needing any more assurance, I reached down and scooped her into my arms, kissing her again as I walked toward what I thought was her bedroom, but when I got closer, I realized it was just a bathroom.
“Oh!” she giggled and shifted in my arms, urging me to set her down. “It’s a studio.” She walked over to the sofa and pulled the cushions off, tossing them to the side before yanking the bar to release the sleeper folded inside. “Probably not as romantic as what you had in mind.”
“Better then just stripping you naked and dragging you to the floor,” I assured her.
“Solid Plan B, though,” she teased. “Now, take off your pants and let me see your leg.”
I raised an eyebrow at her, but she stood her ground, a challenging smirk pulling at her lips.
“Ms. Olsen, you’re going to make me blush,” I scoffed as I kicked off my shoes.
“I assure you this is purely medical curiosity,” she lied.
“Uh-huh.” I undid my belt and tossed it to the floor then paused with my fingers on the button of my slacks. “Are there any battle wounds on you that I should check out?”
“I did fall off my bike as a kid,” she said. “I still have a scar.”
“I’d best take a look at that,” I said as I popped my button and stepped closer to her.
She nodded then raised her leg, pointing to her knee, which was fully visible below the hem of her dress.
“You’re a brat, aren’t you?” I asked her, snagging her around the waist and kissing her again before she could answer me. “God, I love you. I can’t believe you’re really here, in my arms. Finally.”
“Finally,” Livvy echoed. Her hands tugged at my sweater, and I raised my arms, helping her pull it over my head and throwing it aside. “Good lord!” Her palms skimmed down my abs. “Look at you.”
“I’d way rather look at you,” I insisted. I wrapped my arms around her and found the zipper on her dress. Pinching the pull between my fingers, I slowly slid it down her back.
I parted the fabric, and she rolled her shoulders, helping me pull the dress down her arms. It fell to the floor and pooled at her feet, leaving her standing in front of me in a matching black, satin bra and panty set.
“Look at you,” I whispered, raking my gaze over her beautiful curves. “Jesus, Livvy. You’re fucking gorgeous.”
Her fingers returned to my chest, nails sliding down my skin until she reached my waistband. I helped her pull my slacks off then kicked them aside.
For a moment, we just stood there in our underwear, staring at each other. I think we’d both just realized that we’d never done this before, and neither of us were sure where to go from here.
But then her gaze dropped to my leg, and a frown appeared on her lips. She sank to her knees in front of me, her fingers trailing over the shiny pink scar on my thigh.
“It’s so big,” she said.
“Liv.” I coughed over the chuckle that was trying to escape. “Maybe not the time or place to say things like that.”
Her cheeks flushed as she apparently realized she was making size comments while on her knees in front of me.
“I just meant—”
“I know what you meant,” I promised her. “They had to operate to get bullet fragments out of the bone. So yeah, it’s not the clean wound it would have been if the bullet had gone all the way through. But I’m fine.”
“Will you tell me what happened?” she asked softly, running her finger over the scar again and I shivered at the light touch on the sensitive skin.
“Someday,” I promised.
I helped her to her feet then pulled her against me, holding her tightly as I breathed in the scent of her hair. I couldn’t believe we were really here, together, after all this time. I didn’t want to waste any time or energy thinking about war. I just wanted to feel the woman I loved against me, under me.
Scooping her into my arms, I carried her the few steps to the bed and laid her gently on the mattress before climbing over her. Our hands roamed each other’s bodies, dragging off the rest of our clothes.
I settled my hips between her thighs, the tip of my erection pressed against her warm, wet folds.
“Are you sure?” I asked her, staring down at her, watching for any sign of hesitation or fear.
Instead of answering, she canted her hips up toward me, taking me inside of her in one smooth motion.
I pressed forward, slowly but firmly. Her breath hitched as I broke through her innocence, and I froze, fighting against the instinct to thrust into her as her channel gripped my shaft.
Being inside of Livvy was better than I ever could have imagined. We fit together like puzzle pieces, and I knew she really was the one I’d been waiting for my whole life.
I leaned down and kissed her again as I slowly began to move inside her. She clung to me, her legs wrapping around mine as nature took over and we began to move together instinctively, no words spoken as speed increased and sighs and moans began to escape our lips.
Unable to hold back any longer, my thrusts became deeper and harder, my fingers working their way between our bodies to press hard, fast circles over her clit. I knew I wasn’t going to last long. She felt way too good, and I’d fantasized about this moment with her for way too long. But I wanted to bring her as much pleasure as she was already giving me.
She cried out my name, her nails digging into my shoulders as her channel shuddered and clenched around me. With one more hard thrust inside her, my body seemed to explode into electric sensations that ran up my spine, making my muscles spasm and my cock jerk with my release.
I fell to the mattress beside her, pulling her into my arms and kissing her deeply. She sighed against my lips, then curled against my side, her head resting on my chest, ear pressed over my rapidly beating heart.
“I love you,” I whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
“I love you, too.”
I’d had the most romantic plan set up for the night. With reservations, flowers and champagne waiting for us at the restaurant we’d never made it to. I wanted to show her how special she’d become to me. Wanted to assure her that I’d put thought and effort into the question I was about to ask her.
But then I realized that none of that mattered. All that would ever matter now was having each other. And this was the perfect moment to ask.
“Will you marry me?”
“Really?” She looked up at me, a smile pulling at the corners of her full lips. “Are you sure?”
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life,” I promised her. “All I have in this world is a backpack of clothes, a stack of letters, and a ring I bought the minute I left base to come see you. So I can’t offer you much beyond my love and utter devotion, but I’d be honored if you’d be my wife.”
“Sounds like you’re just angling for somewhere to stay,” she said, her tone obviously teasing.
“Wherever you are is my home now,” I told her.
“That was quite romantic,” she said, her eyes suddenly wetter than they had been a moment ago.
“Is that a yes?”
“Yes.” She grinned, leaning up to kiss me. “Of course, it’s a yes, Byron.”
“The ring is in my pants, and I’m not sure where those are at the moment.” I shifted, looking around the floor, but she held tight to me as if not wanting me to move.
“It can wait,” she promised. “Stay with me.”
“I’ll never be anywhere else.”
It had been a crazy set of circumstances that led me to Livvy, but I wouldn’t have changed any of it. Lying there with the woman of my dreams in my arms, knowing that I was going to marry her and spend the rest of my life with her…I knew it had been worth the journey.
And I couldn’t wait to see where life would take us next. As long as we were together, I knew it was going to be good.