She tugged those jeans down his legs, then stood in front of him and peeled off her shirt, her pj bottoms, her panties…
“I love you, too,” she whispered as she climbed onto his lap and straddled him. “I missed you and I love you.”
He kissed her as she sank onto his erection, welcoming him into her body. He filled her up, all the way to her heart, and she rose up, just a bit, so she could sink down and feel that stretch again. He was hers. She was claiming him, forever and ever, because he loved her just the way she was, and she loved him with her entire being.
She cried out his name as he palmed her ass, pulling her tight so he could pulse inside her, and he kissed her neck, rough and wet. “Say it again,” he growled.
“Dean…”
“No. Tell me you love me.”
“I love you.” She smiled and gasped as he surged into her again, causing her to say it twice more, the last one more of a cry than actual words.
And when she shattered into a million pieces of pure, blissed-out wonder, he held the shell of her until they all fell back into place, and then he was the one to say it in, in a whisper against her skin.
Chapter Twenty-Six
LIANA’Slast concert of the summer was in San Diego, at an outdoor amphitheatre. Fighter jets flew overhead as they waited for her turn to do her sound check, and Dean took no small pleasure in holding her in his lap and correctly identifying each aircraft she pointed at. It was a cool city for a service member to visit, for sure. They were going to stay in the area for a few days, so he’d rented a car and while she was busy, he took off for the afternoon to tour the USS Midway, permanently docked in the harbour.
He took a picture from the flight deck and emailed it to Sean. He hadn’t heard from his brother in a few days.Miss you, kid, he added to the photo.
A reply came in as he was getting out of his cab at the amphitheatre.
Yeah, you look real sad. How’s your woman?
That was the easiest question in the world to answer.She’s great. We’re both looking forward to heading home. Can’t wait to introduce her to everyone. She’ll probably be there when you get back.
Dean pictured Sean on his laptop, maybe on his cot or bunk, his boots kicked off and his uniform shirt balled up behind his head like a second pillow. Thank God for the technology that allowed them to fire messages back and forth like this. It didn’t take long for his brother’s reply to pop up.Sounds good. I’m thinking of hitting Ibiza for my leave in a few months. Maybe I’ll find a girl there. Good to have goals, right?
Dean chuckled to himself, then took his time re-reading the message before firing off one last reply.Definitely. Stay safe. I love you.
He found Liana in her dressing room. She was sitting cross-legged on the couch, her eyes closed, and she was listening to a white noise track on her phone. He leaned against the door and watched her for a few minutes, until she opened her eyes and gave him a smile.
“You ready for tonight?”
She nodded, her face soft. “I want to say that I’m going to miss it, but that would be a fib of magnificent proportions.”
He laughed. “You’ll still perform.”
“Exactly. I look forward to a long run of small stages and crowds that don’t expect me.”
“Hey, Zander emailed me while I was at the Midway. He’s lined up a bunch of work for the fall. Security installs, a big Christmas event, and if I can find a reason to go to Nashville, he thinks we can start sub-contracting more bodyguard work.”
“Oh, well it turns out I’ve got friends in Nashville,” she winked. “And a nice house that I don’t spend enough time in.”
“Hey, that is convenient.” He grinned.
A knock at her dressing room door interrupted them, and he got out of the way so she could pull her wardrobe for the show that night.
When she found him again, he was holding one of Jackie’s guitars as the lead guitarist was adjusting the other.
“Hey cowboy,” Liana said with a glint in her eye, and he glanced down at the instrument in his hands.
“You like this?” He went to strum it and Jackie cleared her throat.
Liana laughed. “Maybe we’ll get you a hat when we get back to Nashville. And boots.”
“I like my boots just as they are.”
