Officer out of Uniform (Lock and Key Book 2) (31 page)
Read Officer out of Uniform (Lock and Key Book 2) Online
Authors: Ranae Rose
On the contrary, shared hardship formed a bond that was hard to break. In his own twisted and wholly unintentional way, Randy Levinson had brought them closer than ever.
And now that those horrors were finally past, they were free: free to build upon the foundation they’d fought to lay down. The day that stretched ahead of them seemed full of possibilities, all of them good. They’d spend it at the beach with their friends – a favorite place, with some of their favorite people. At that moment, it seemed like more than Sasha could possibly have ever asked for.
It seemed perfect.
She got dressed and followed the smell of coffee to the kitchen, where Henry was cooking and Wolf was stretched out by the table. His shoulder wound had healed, though his fur had yet to grow back where he’d been cut.
“Looking good,” Sasha said, sinking into a chair and stretching as a grin broke out on her face.
Henry was wearing an apron she’d bought for him a week ago – it was blue with a flashy silver shark on the front. She’d found it at a tourist shop by the beach, along with matching oven mitts. He liked to walk around the house shirtless in the mornings and she’d seen him get burned by flying bacon grease more than once. The apron was a perfect solution: hilarious, practical, and – best of all – it meant he didn’t have to put on a shirt.
He turned away from the skillet long enough to rake his gaze down her body, so slowly that her panties were in danger of getting damp. She still wasn’t sure whether it would ever be possible to get enough of him.
“You too.”
She smiled, feeling a faint burn in her cheeks. She was wearing an old pair of sun-faded jean shorts and a tank top, but he made it seem like so much more – or less.
He brought her a cup of coffee and leaned down to brush his lips against the side of her neck, causing a frisson to race down her spine as he exhaled. “Sasha…”
“What?” She tried not to sound as breathless as she felt. If they didn’t lay off the sex long enough to eat, they’d never make it through the beach day they had planned.
“I want to ask you something.”
“Go ahead.” Who was she kidding? If he asked her to get naked again right now, she’d do it in a heartbeat. She’d let him take her bent over the table or a counter – however he wanted. Just the thought had her nipples hard and aching.
He dropped to his knees beside her chair and laid his hands on her thighs.
“Oh, good lord…” It was more of a prayer for strength than something said out of agitation. Was he really so hungry for her that he was going to eat her pussy now, after what they’d just done?
Maybe he wanted to get as much sex out of his system as he could before they left. There was no denying that she’d laid temptation on him thick during their previous trips to the beach together. They’d barely made it back to his place before fucking, and now, he seemed to go a little crazy every time she put on a bikini.
He squeezed one of her thighs, and she realized she’d shut her eyes in memory, in anticipation.
“You okay?” he asked.
She looked down at him, blinking and taking in the sight of his blond head at her hip level, his powerful body folded on the floor in front of her. It gave her a thrill, and suddenly, his overuse of the AC wasn’t enough to keep her cool. “I’m just fine.”
He took one of her hands and held it, locking gazes with her. “Sasha, will you marry me?”
Her heart skipped a beat.
A bomb could’ve gone off in the yard outside the window, and she wouldn’t have noticed. Her entire mind was devoted to the task of processing and replaying his words. “What? You want to get married?”
They’d never talked about it before. They both knew the bond between them was as strong as steel, and the subject of committing it to something as flimsy as paper had never come up.
Still, Sasha’s entire being buzzed with an irrational sense of giddiness mingled with hilarity. There he was kneeling in front of her, and she’d been anticipating an open-mouthed kiss between her thighs, not a marriage proposal.
“Yeah. I want it more than anything.”
She’d never thought of herself as the delicate type, but if she’d been just a shade more fragile, she would’ve swooned right there. Instead, she leaned forward and braced herself with her hands on his shoulders. “Of course I will. You just caught me by surprise – you never mentioned it before.”
His gaze was still locked with hers, intent, searing. “I guess I assumed you knew how badly I want you.”
“Mmm. I had an idea. This is just…”
It was about enough to have her hopping up and down, was what it was. She’d had a few brief fantasies about tying the knot with Henry, but his asking was affecting her more powerfully than she ever could’ve anticipated.
He squeezed her hand. “You’re everything that matters to me. I have you against all odds, and as far as I’m concerned, the rest of my life is only worth living if I’m going to spend it with you. I’ve been dying to ask you ever since you got out of the hospital. I thought I’d better wait until things had calmed down a little, though. I got you a ring.”
She was breathless before he even reached into his pocket. The actual jewelry wasn’t very important to her, but the thought behind it – the intent – and the commitment it signified was.
“Wow. It’s beautiful.”
It really was. When he opened the little black box, he revealed something truly gorgeous. Instead of being set with a single bulky stone, the white gold engagement band was inlaid with an entire row of petite, sparkling diamonds.
“I chose it because I thought it would be better than a traditional ring – I thought you could wear it while working without having to worry about it getting in the way or getting too dirty.”
“That’s exactly what I was just thinking. I can’t believe you thought of that. Thank you.”
He slipped the ring onto her finger and kissed her without warning, slipping his tongue between her lips and deep into her mouth.
He must’ve already had a few sips of coffee. He tasted like it, smelled like it. And he felt like sheer heaven kneeling between her thighs, pulling her down and kissing her like he was never going to let her go.
When they broke apart, she realized that she’d spent most of the morning so far breathless. And with Henry’s ring on her finger, she knew the rest of the day was bound to be the same.
“I figure you can decide when and where you want us to get married,” he said. “I’ll take you anywhere and any way I can get you. Just tell me what you want.”
She grinned. “Careful, talking like that. You might just get more than you bargained for, and then the bacon will burn.”
He grinned back. “I can only hope.”
She sighed. “We’ll never make it to the beach at this rate. And backing out isn’t an option, because I can’t wait to tell everyone we’re engaged.”
“Grey and Liam already know.”
“That’s impossible! You only just asked me.”
“I told them I was going to ask you after I bought the ring.”
“You didn’t know I’d say yes.”
His smile stretched wider. She hadn’t seen much of it in the past and couldn’t get enough of it now.
“Yeah I did,” he said. “I knew the moment you charged a convicted murderer in your bikini that you’d do anything for me.”
“Liam and Grey would’ve had your back in that situation too, and neither of them would marry you if you asked.”
“You don’t know that. Grey at least is still single.”
She laughed. “It doesn’t matter. I still get to tell Kerry and Alicia.”
“Yeah. First, though…” He trailed a suggestive kiss over her jaw, just barely brushing her lower lip. “Bacon.”
She breathed deeply, inhaling the scent. Her stomach growled, and she sighed in anticipation. She couldn’t argue. “You know I can’t resist a man who cooks. Did you plan to pop the question at breakfast so you’d have the apron working in your favor?”
“No. I just woke up this morning and knew it was time.”
“You woke up because I elbowed you in the mouth.”
He shrugged and met her eyes. All traces of laughter and teasing were gone from his expression. His gaze was intense though, and he didn’t look unhappy. “I just couldn’t wait any longer. I want to wake up with you every morning, even if that means getting elbowed in the mouth. I don’t care. I just want to be with you – to know you’ll be mine for as long as we’re both alive.”
She heard the sincerity in his voice, recognized the extra emphasis he’d placed – probably accidentally – on the last few words. Life was a gift – a short one, and an unpredictable one. But she knew she could count on his love, even if nothing else was certain.
Kerry and Grey’s story is coming next.
Look for Lock and Key #3 in ebook and paperback soon.
Want to be notified via e-mail when Book 3 releases? Sign up for the Lock and Key Series new release notification list.
Click here to subscribe at ranaerose.com
* * * * *
Other titles currently available in the Lock and Key Series…
Click title to see in the Kindle Store.
What did you think of Sasha and Henry’s story? Please consider sharing your thoughts via a review.
Ranae Rose is the best-selling author of more than twenty adult romances and counting. She calls the US East Coast home and resides there with her family, German Shepherd dogs and overflowing bookshelves. Writing and reading are lifelong passions that consume most of her time, and she’s always working on bringing her latest love story idea to life for readers.
Want Ranae’s latest book news, including updates on the Lock and Key Series and access to subscribers-only giveaways?
Subscribe to Ranae’s monthly e-mail newsletter.
Connect with Ranae via…
Love men in uniform? Read on for an excerpt from Ranae’s best-selling romance Dedicated Ink.