Her Loving Protector (3 page)

Too fast. But she didn't want to think about it. Thunder rumbled outside. "Another storm," he said and stalked her. "Sounds like a perfect excuse to stay inside."

"I love that you like being inside," she said feeling the heat between them rise, specifically up between her legs and in her belly.

"Love being inside," he answered, catching her drift. He kissed her deeply, succulently. "Do you know how hard it is right now to not let those babies burn?"

"Yeah," Dana mewled. She wanted to confess that she had never felt anything like this for anyone before. She wanted almost to apologize.

Rory stroked her hair, just staring at her. "I shouldn't have kicked your ex's ass for snatching your purse. I should have thanked him. In fact I think I will."

"I'm confused. Did he do that? I thought it was just part of rampant crime."

"He did. He targeted you so he could get a hold of your wallet. See what you hadn't given him access to, and probably to set someone else up in case they got caught. Hell, he might have even planned to let someone steal your identity. Anything to make you suffer."

"Wow who knew he was that ambitious?" Dana said rhetorically. "God, I am so stupid."

"No. We talked about this."

"Yes," Dana said and asked tenuously. "Can we talk about how your wife died?

She watched Rory's face flush with grief. He braced himself. "She died of a brain aneurism. She was barely thirty."

Dana stroked his face lovingly. After each phrase she kissed him, drawn to him with such tender intimacy, she could not stop.

"I can't imagine how helpless you must have felt," Dana offered.

"Yea. No health issues. Walking and talking and then she dropped, mid-sentence. I thought she tripped. But she literally died in front of me. Can we change the subject? I am willing to talk about it. I just gotta do it in stages."

"Sure," Dana said feeling a bit awkward.

"I want to say I know this is fast and strange how we met but I am very glad we did. I haven't had this much fun, felt this good in very long time. I never thought I'd feel this way again. Feel anything again."

Dana smiled inside and out. "Me too."

Rory removed the steaks from the grill and plated them. He decanted the wine. "That's gotta breathe," he said. "Look, this might sound crazy, but I'm in love with you, Dana. And I know I haven't made it easy, but I think you might love me too."

Her heart filled with joy. "It does sound crazy, but… I feel the same way. We've both gone through so much, maybe it was fate, meeting when we did. Maybe this… us… we're a way to make up for all the suffering. Another chance at happiness. At love. Real, lasting love."

He kissed her sweetly for a long time, gentle and kind and loving. Perfect.

After a long time, he pulled away and cupped her face in his massive hands. "So Dana."

"Yes Big Dog?" she replied sensing his playfulness.

"Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?"

"Yes, Marine you have. From the first time you flirted with me to just about oh gosh 25 minutes ago when we took a shower together," she gave him a saucy grin.

"No," he countered, hard now against her thigh. "I don't think I've been clear enough."

Dana lay back wantonly. "Ok tell me again, this time slowly."

"Every day for the rest of my life," he promised. And she believed it.

Get the whole Alpha Male Military Romance series here:

Book 1: 
Her Mysterious Protector
Book 2: 
Her Brave Protector
Book 3: 
Her Daring Protector
Book 4: 
Her Secretive Protector
Book 5: 
Her Loving Protector