I giggle at the reminder. He always makes me laugh. Who’s going to make me laugh now? The thought has me bursting into tears again.
“Shortcake, I promise my hand is fine. Why are you crying? You got the bacon, and I learned never to reach for the last slice ever again, I can promise you that. My pint-sized firecracker scared the shit out of this Marine.”
“I’m pretty sure you can’t take that with you. Though she might fit in your bag she’s so damn tiny.”
I know without looking that it’s Lucias. I’ve gotten to know him pretty well over the last month, and I know how important he is to Abe.
“Not now.” Abe’s words are clipped and laced with irritation.
“I’m just shocked you haven’t broken her.”
“I’m going to break your face if you don’t move along and give us some privacy.”
I feel him take a step, and I wrap myself around him even tighter, knowing he isn’t going to make a grab for Lucias with me locked around him.
“You got ten, man. Then we’re out.”
“I fucking know,” he barks, and I can feel the tension in his body. He’s not mad at Lucias, he’s mad about leaving. He’s been hiding it well, and I just got a glimpse of what he’s really feeling. I have to get it together. It’s him heading back to the desert, risking his life. I get to stay here where it’s safe, not looking over my shoulder every day. I need to toughen up for Abe.
“When you come back, where will we get married?” I’m trying to draw his attention back to me with something sweet. He’s been asking me to marry him since, well, I guess about five minutes after I met him. He asked every day until I finally said yes, which was around week two.
“I don’t care where we get married, all I care about is you being mine forever.”
“Already am,” I remind him. “But I guess I have to marry you, since you won’t devirginize me until we say ‘I do’.”
“I know how you look at my body, shortcake. I won’t be used for it. If you want it, you’ll have to put a ring on it.”
I giggle at his words. I do look at him like a starved person would a meal. He won't even let me touch him below the waist. He says if I did, I’d be without my virginity in seconds. While I was totally down for that, he wasn’t budging. Abe always made sure I got off, and I never knew all the things a man could do to a woman to get her off without sex. Before him I had this idea of what sex would be like, but after his first touch I knew it would never be what I expected. It would always be better with Abe.
“You come back to me. You hear me, Abraham Tanner?”
“Every day I’m out there will be about coming back to you. This time I know I have you waiting for me. I’ll know that when I’m done with this last tour, I’m coming back to you, my home.”
I swallow around the lump in my throat. This is why he didn’t want to take my virginity. He said he’ll fight so much harder knowing he’s got me counting on him. That when this year is up, we can fully be together.
“I love you so goddamn much. I’d wait forever for you.”
“I love you too, shortcake. Now kiss your man goodbye, and do it like you mean it. It’s gotta last me until I get you back in my arms again.”
When I kiss his lips, I taste tears, and I don’t know if they’re mine or his.
Chapter Four
JULIE
1 week later
His face fills the computer screen. He’s grinning from ear to ear, and I feel it match my own smile.
“I found the package you put in my bag.”
Those are the first words out of his mouth, and I can’t help but giggle. My face warms, but I’m not sure why I’m embarrassed. It’s nothing he hasn’t seen before. Abe loved getting me naked and pleasuring my body for hours until I begged him to stop. So I thought I’d send him a few mementos to keep him happy.
“Well, I hope you’ll put them to good use.”
“Trust me, shortcake, I already have.” Leaning in closer to the camera, he whispers, “Three times.”
“Bullshit!” I hear someone in the background shout. “Julie! Oh God, Julie! I heard him grunting that name from the bathroom at least four times since we've been here.”
Abe shoots up from his chair, and Scribe comes into view on the screen. Abe’s holding him by his shirt, and I hear him growl.
“Don’t fucking moan her name, Scribe.”
Suddenly, a stunning brunette comes on the screen. “You must be Julie. I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m Mac, but everyone calls me Casper. Can you believe these Marines? I don’t know how I always get stuck with them.”