Lava poured down his back to collect in his balls. He stopped moving, held her tighter, and ground against her. Sparks of white flashed behind his eyes, and his own release nearly shattered him. Gasping, his lungs heaving, he slowly came down. Sex with Nora had always been all encompassing and wild. But this? After eight years, after knowing what he’d lost, this was more. Everything and absolute.
Finally. He’d returned home.
A quick swipe of his tongue against the pulsing vein in her neck made her sigh. He rose up on his elbows and released his hold. “Are you all right?”
She blinked and then slowly smiled, her eyes remaining at half-mast. “I’m perfect.”
Yes. She damn well was. He rolled to the side, taking her with him to hold, wrapping the bedspread over them. “It’s as good as I remember.”
“Better.” Her voice thickened and sounded drowsy. Mere minutes later, she slipped into sleep, her body relaxing against him.
The feel of her, so soft and trusting, awoke emotions he’d thought he’d buried. A primal need to protect gripped him, surprising in its rawness. He’d been an orphan, a kid who survived losing crappy parents and relocating across the ocean, and then he’d moved on to the service. In the marines, he’d found a purpose. In the vulnerable woman sleeping with abandon in his arms, he’d found a home.
One he’d lost.
Now he’d found her again, and maybe it was possible to show her peace. The instinctive animal deep inside that had made him such a good soldier, a good survivor, could be quelled.
No matter how he tried to convince himself, his instincts hummed. Even if he could find peace, Scorpius wouldn’t let him.
For years, as a soldier, his instincts had told him when danger stalked near. Now more than ever, he was sure.
The war had just begun, and the peaceful guy inside him, the one Nora would love, had to disappear. Only the soldier could remain. He pressed a kiss to Nora’s head, wanting to hold tight for the night.
Then he’d let her go.
Chapter Six
Nora studied Deke over a mound of piled scrambled eggs and tried to sit comfortably in the diner booth. The previous night had been explosive, and she’d used some very out-of-practice muscles. “I appreciate you absolutely insisting on taking me to an early breakfast before we get back to work, but I need to return to the lab for results expected in about an hour.”
He finished chewing and swallowed. “We burned a lot of calories last night, and you need protein. If I’d allowed you to go right to the lab, you would’ve stressed out all day. Here we can analyze the situation together, calmly, and then reach a mutual decision so you don’t have to fret.”
Fret. Had he just saidfret? She set down her fork. “I’m not some frail girl from last century, Deke.” For some reason, with his only slightly mellowed accent, he came across as more arrogant and self-assured than he would’ve with a modern drawl. “I can handle my own thoughts.”
He smiled, transforming his face into a powerful masculine beauty no man should be able to wield. “You’re the smartest person I’ve ever met.”
She sat back, slightly appeased, desire warming at just being near him.
“But you’re one to fret, sweetheart.” He dug back into his ridiculous stack of pancakes. “I thought to cut that off at the pass.”
She blinked. “Excuse me?”
Male suffering filled his sigh as he set down his utensils. Green eyes, Scottish and true, lasered right into her. “Ar-right. Let’s do this now so we can eat. Have you wondered about us through the years?”
She crossed her arms. “I don’t think—”
“Nora.” He didn’t snap, he didn’t raise his voice, but a new tone, a bite of command, filled it. “Just answer the question. Have you wondered?”
“Yes,” she huffed.
“I donna want to know about other men, but has it been like that with anybody else?”
Heat climbed into her face. “Deke—”
“Nora.” Another command.
Fine, and that voice should not be wetting her panties. “No. But sex is just sex.” Even as the words tumbled out of her, she didn’t believe them.
“Uh-huh.” His gaze dropped with longing to his pancakes before returning to pin hers. “So we have two choices. I spent a lot of time thinking last night—”
