Breaking All the Rules (29 page)

Authors: Kerry Connor

BOOK: Breaking All the Rules

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Bobby, on the
other hand, was fine. She knew that on an intellectual level. But she needed to
see it—see him—with her own eyes.

So she watched
the Marines emerge, faces lighting up, gazes sliding past her to the people
they sought. Excited gasps and whispered erupted all around her. Her tension
grew, her whole body seeming unbearably tight—

And then there
he was.

Her heart
stopped dead in her chest, the whole world seeming to go still for a moment.

He really was
fine. Nina’s breath hitched, something between a sob and a sigh of relief
bursting from her mouth. She soaked in the sight of his beautiful face, the
big, strong shape of his body beneath his uniform as he walked closer. No, he
was better than fine. He was perfect.

And still the
sexiest thing she’d ever seen in her whole life.

She felt a jolt low
in her belly, the pure, instinctive response to him, the reminder of just how
long it had been, just how much she still needed him.

He spotted her a
second later, a grin splitting his lips as he shifted direction slightly and
headed right for her. His strides were long and confident, picking up speed
with every step. Yet still it seemed to take forever for him to reach her, her
heart climbing with every passing second. It was all she could do not to burst
from the crowd and launch herself at him.

As soon as he
was in reach she threw her arms out, wrapping them around his neck to pull him
near even as his arms went around her waist.

And then she was
surrounded in him, his scent filling her lungs, his heat searing through her,
the familiar terrain of his body pressed up against her. Everything else faded
away, leaving just the two of them, like they were the only ones in the world.
She felt tears sting her eyes as she closed them, wanting nothing more than to
sink into the sensations of being in his arms.

She’d been
dreaming of this day for so long. Now it was finally here, and it almost didn’t
seem real.

He was here. He
was holding her, and she was holding him, and he was
here
.

“Welcome home,”
she whispered against his ear.

“Thanks,” he murmured,
his voice tight with emotion. “You don’t know how bad I’ve waiting for this.”

A chuckle eased
from her lungs. “I think I have some idea.”

“By the way,
nice dress.”

The words—and
the appreciation she could hear in them—brought a smile to her lips. She’d
bought the dress specifically for this moment. It was a perfectly decent
sundress, nothing that would scandalize anyone who saw her in it. But she knew
exactly the way it hung on her body, perfectly accentuating her curves. Knew
just how much leg it showed, just how much cleavage was hinted at by the top.

Knew it would
drive him wild, as she felt his body start to tighten with arousal.

“Glad you like
it.”

“I’d like it
better if it wasn’t covering up so much.”

Nina couldn’t
hold back a laugh. “This is covering up too much? Have you seen what you’re
wearing? I can’t see a damn thing.”

“We’re going to
have to do something about that.” He pulled back to look into her face. “Just
wait until I get you home.”

Home. Everything
inside her sang at the sound of that. “Why wait? The car’s closer.”

“I like the way
you think.” He gave her a slow grin that almost made her rip his clothes off
right then and there. She basked in the sight of it, her heart full of so much
love for this man it felt like it might burst right out of her chest.

She braced her
hands on his cheeks, unable to get enough of the sight of him, needing to feel
his skin against hers. Suddenly she needed more than anything to say it, needed
him to know exactly what she was feeling in this moment.

“I love you.”

It wasn’t the
first time she’d said that to him, but it might as well be for how they felt
coming out of her mouth, as raw and rich with feeling as ever—and for the look
that dawned on his face at the sound of them. The sheer happiness. The
broadness of his smile.

The tenderness
as he looked back at her, his eyes saying everything she would ever need to
know before he opened his mouth.

“And I love
you,” he said.

With a growl, he
pulled her into his arms again. She threw her own around him, tightening them
around his neck, holding him so close it felt like they were one.

She’d been
waiting for this moment for so long, and she didn’t want to let go of it—or
him.

He was home. He
was safe and whole and here again.

And finally, at
long last, he was all hers.

*****

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