But then she licks her lips and nods. “Okay.”
I blink. “Okay?”
“Let’s get married.”
I stare at her in shock for a solid minute like a moron.
“When?” she asks.
“We’ll go to Las Vegas this weekend and tie the knot,” I say, my brain working at a hundred miles an hour. “Or would you rather have a ceremony here?”
“No, Vegas is good.”
“Good.”
The word is still hanging between us when something in me snaps, something that’s been tight and coiled since the second I met her. Before I can second-guess it, I reach across the console and curl a hand behind her neck, guiding her toward me. Her breath catches, her eyes widen, but she doesn’t pull away.
I tug her gently across the small space, and then my mouth is on hers.
It’s soft at first, careful, like I’m afraid she’ll change her mind about everything we just agreed to if I touch her wrong. Her lips are warm and a little hesitant under mine. For a heartbeat, she sits perfectly still, as if she can’t quite process what’s happening.
Then she exhales against my mouth—a shaky, surprised little sound that goes straight to my chest. Her fingers clutch the strap of her backpack, knuckles white like she’s bracing herself. And then, slowly, beautifully, she kisses me back.
Her lips move against mine, tentative but real, and the sensation hits me hard. Relief. Want. Possession. Hope. All tangled together until I’m no longer sure I’m breathing.
I slide my thumb across her jaw, angling her closer, savoring the way she lets me. She tastes like the muffin she just ate and something purely her, sweet, nervous, soft.
A good sign. A damn good sign.
When she finally pulls back, it’s only far enough to look up at me. Her lips are slightly parted, cheeks flushed, eyes wide like she’s standing at the edge of something big.
Maybe we both are.
She nods at me, and I bite back a grin, nodding back.
People walk by, breaking the spell.
“I need to get to class, but I’ll see you after,” she says breathlessly.
“Okay, I’m going to base to see what I need to do to get you enrolled with my benefits. What time are you done with classes?”
“Noon.”
“Okay, I’ll be here.”
“Sounds good.”
She climbs out of my car and heads to class. I watch her go before starting my car and driving to base. I call my best friend, Devon, on the way. He picks up on the second ring.
“Grant,” he grunts.
I smile at his grumpy tone. “Just wake up, bro?”
He grunts again. “I’m jealous of all the guys with you on deployment who get to be around your sunny self. What’s up?”
“I need a best man.”
Stunned silence greets that statement. “Fuck, man. You pranking me?”
