It was a kiss like no other. One the legends and stories of old would have called a claiming kiss. One that told each of them who they belonged to.
Saxon knew without any doubts that he loved him, just as he had known without hearing it that Rick loved him too. It was one hell of a heady feeling knowing that a man who could have anyone he pleased would protect and fight for you with his life.
When they pulled back from the kiss, both were breathless. Rick placed his forehead against Saxon’s and his hand on his cheek.
“I love you. I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, or when or even if I will have to leave. But this… you and me… I want to try.”
Happiness made Saxon’s heart soar. “So do I.”
Rick pressed a kiss to Saxon’s jaw. “Mine.”
Just as Saxon was his, he was Saxon’s. Heart, body, and soul. In their uncertain world, only one thing had always been guaranteed. When the battle stopped, the warrior would fall… in love.
Chapter Seventeen
Six Weeks Later
“Did someone move the fucking keyhole?”Saxon was so freaking tired, his eyes needed matchsticks, cartoon style, to hold them open. Pushing the key into the lock would be a hell of a lot easier if he could see the damn thing.
He’d been out for days and was running on no sleep. Usually on a mission, they could sleep on the plane on the way home. But no, of course that didn’t happen this time around. His body had been too amped up on adrenaline after the fire fight. His side ached, the shrapnel wound starting to scab over, catching and pulling on his t-shirt.
Finally, his eyes and hands managed to get their collective coordination shit together, and the key slid into the lock. Shower, sleep, and call Rick. Maybe not in that order.
Pushing the door open, he simultaneously stepped forward to enter the house as he had a million times before, only to slam straight into the wood when the door caught on a chain.
His eyes sprung a leak, tears streamed down his face and the immediate throbbing hammered at his nose. “Fuck, ouch.” He cupped his nose. “Shit, that hurts.”
“Babe?”
That one word in that voice, everything else blanked out. “Rick?” His weariness abated. Happiness warmed his heart. He hadn’t expected to have Rick here.
“Yeah.” The door pushed against Saxon, and the chain slid out of the catch. Rick pulled open the door. He grabbed Saxon, wrapped his arms around him, and hugged him close.
“What are you doin’ here?” Saxon ignored the pain in his nose to bury his face into Rick’s neck. A week after his father had been arrested, Rick’s Commander had called him back for an urgent mission. While there had been phone calls and video calls when they could, this was the first time they had seen each other since. “I missed you.”
“It’s okay I came?” He pressed a soft kiss to Saxon’s chin, and tugged him into the house. When his mission had been complete, he had asked for permission to come here. Thankfully, his boss had agreed. Changes were happening at both Black and Red Squadrons. Claudio had sent him off with orders in his hand to stay here until further orders came down the line. Rick wasn’t going to lie, not even to himself. He was freaking thrilled with those orders. But right now, with Saxon standing in front of him, he was starting to second guess his decision.
“Fuck, yes.” Saxon whispered. “Next time don’t chain the door, k.”
“Luc was here when I arrived,” Rick had learned his lessons the last few times, thank you. Saxon’s quasi brother was a pain in the ass, with his pranks and shit. Half of it was Saxon’s fault. He and Luc were as bad as each other. But still… “I didn’t want him to come back and sabotage the bed or something.”
“My brother is a dick.” Luc better not have fucking done anything that involved glitter, shiny shit, or paint. If he had, Saxon didn’t care how exhausted he was. He’d find the energy somewhere to shoot the asshole.
“I’m gonna hit the switch.” Too many times he had switched on the lights fast, and forgotten that sometimes bright lights hurt after you had spent a lot of time in the dark. He did not want to do that to Sax. He’d hurt him enough for tonight with the chain on the door. “Mind your eyes.”
He had never been so grateful for the warning that the lights were going to come on. He had been wearing night vision glasses for days in a row. His eyeballs were almost to the point where they were going to revolt and refuse to work. He squeezed them shut until subdued light filtered through his closed lids. Opening them a crack, the dimness told him Rick had lit the lamp behind the couch rather than turn on the overhead lights. “When did you get in?”
“Last night.” Rick’s eyes widened when he caught a good look at Saxon. He went straight to the sink and rummaged for a bowl. “Fuck, you’re hurt?”
“Just a scratch on my side,” He figured it was better to list the injuries he had straight off. Rick would find them anyway, then bitch at him for not mentioning them. “The door attacked my nose when I tried to come in my house.”Are you going to stand there like an idiot or do something?Realizing he still carried his gear, he dropped his go-bag next to him, the clatter loud over the sound of the bowl filling.
“Sit here.” Rick placed the bowl on the table and pulled out a chair for Saxon to sit on. “I’ll clean you up.”
“It’s gonna take more than that bowl of water to clean off the shit and stink I have on me.” It still hadn’t sunk in that Rick was here. He’d been somewhere in Eastern Europe when Red Squadron had gone out. “I should shower.” He jerked when Rick pressed a cold, damp cloth to his nose.
“Hold this.” He pressed Saxon’s hand to the cloth and reached for his shirt. “A bath may be better.”
“A bath sounds awesome,” Saxon admitted. “But if I get in there, I’m not getting out until I’ve slept at least a solid twenty-four hours.”
