Once Her Man, Always Her Man(13)

Mine.

She’s always been mine.

She always will be.

Collapsing, he took care not to crush her, but she refused to unwind from him and let him roll away. Sweet kisses touched his face, brushed along his cheek and teased his mouth.

“So.” Her voice blew out on a breathy whisper. “What are we doing tomorrow night?”

Laughter wheezed out of him. Rising up on his arms, he gazed down at her sweat-dampened face. Grabbing the second blanket, he pulled it over them, trapping their body heat lest she begin shivering. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“What? That I’m a twenty-eight-year-old virgin?” Shyness drifted across her face and she ducked her chin.

“Hey.” Luke nuzzled her cheek, gently nudging her expression away from the shadows. “It’s okay.”

“No it’s not,” she laughed, shifting beneath him to rub her face with one hand. “I always wanted you. I had this idea in my head that after playoffs and divisionals that year, it would be you and me and we could explore it. But then you left and I just…I never wanted anyone else.”

“Ever, baby?” He frowned, torn between delight and discomfort.

“Nope. I told you I compared every other man to you and the older I got, the easier it was just to ignore it. They weren’t you.”

“So why were you in the bar tonight?” Curiosity stretched in him, claws threatening to puncture the perfect moment. But he wanted to know. He wanted to know everything, every thought, every dream, every nuance of her expression. He had ten years of catching up to do and he wanted to start right then.

“Promise you won’t laugh?” Her cheeks pinkened, the flush spreading up from her neck and setting her eyes sparkling. His sweet Rebecca remained the innocent, cheerful girl wrapped in a woman’s body.

“I give you my word.” He’d have sworn anything. His fingers drifted up to stroke the tendrils of hair away from her face, balancing his weight on his elbows so that he could keep her warm, but not crush her.

“My business partner bullied me into signing up for this dating service….”

“…1Night Stand.” Luke finished the thought for her, amused.

“Yes, how did you—no—really?” Her shyness evaporated on the wings of her own amusement. Her laughter vibrated through him as her inner walls contracted around him.

I’m gonna need a new condom in a minute.

Several, in fact.

And a bed.

“Yes, guilty as charged, ma’am. Guilty as charged.”

“Why did you sign up for a dating service?”

“For the unit. Some of the guys, they just don’t know how to connect with people, new people, anymore. It can be hard, to date, to meet women, to risk putting themselves out there. We made a pact. We all signed up, we all got vetted.”

“No I in team,” she whispered, lifting her hand to run it over his jaw.

He tilted his head to catch her passing fingers in a kiss. “No ma’am. There is no I in team. But there is one right here and he’s all for you. I know one night doesn’t change everything, but….”

“It’s a start, Luke. I never stopped loving you.”

“I love you, too.” Damn, but the words sounded great in his head, his heart and his soul. If she weren’t naked, he’d stand up in the bed of the truck and shout it to the world.

“So, you never answered my question earlier.” She stroked her fingers through his hair, her nails teasing his scalp, the gesture both soothing and erotic.

“What was your question, sweetheart?” He’d give her whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted it. They had a lot of time to make up.

“What are we doing tomorrow night?”