Uniform Desires (Make Mine Military Romance) (32 page)
Read Uniform Desires (Make Mine Military Romance) Online
Authors: Sharon Hamilton,Melissa Schroeder,Elle James,Delilah Devlin,JM Madden,Cat Johnson
"I don’t understand." Tuck turned toward Delaney.
She smiled and took pity on him. "Cory’s marrying Leigha, his physical therapist."
"I came to stop him from marrying
you
," Tuck said, looking more befuddled by the minute.
"You’re a little late for that. We broke our engagement shortly after O’Connell arrived at Bethesda. You’d know this fact if you hadn’t gone off all dark ops on us." Cory shook his head as if Tuck was a thick-headed child who had to be taught the same thing more than once before it sank in. "O’Connell doesn’t love me."
"Yes, I do." Delaney chuckled and pecked Cory’s cheek. "Like a brother. And since he doesn’t have any siblings or relatives, someone had to look out for his well-being."
As she approached Tuck, the woman in the wedding dress stuck out her hand. "I’m Leigha. You must be Tuck." She grinned. "You’re just like Cory described you."
Tuck’s brows descended into a blazing frown directed at Cory. "And when were you going to tell me you two had called it off?"
"I’d have told you sooner, if I’d known you cared." Cory glared back at his friend. "But you seemed hell-bent on volunteering for every suicide mission they could come up with. And you never returned any of my messages. I figured you had some bug up your ass about her."
"So you fell in love with Leigha?"
Cory smiled. "I did." He held out his good hand.
Leigha joined him and curled her hand around his bandaged arm. "I didn’t like him at first. He was very grouchy. Then when we got the pain under control, he turned out to be such a flirt with all the ladies. I had a hard time trusting him."
"She fell for my charm and good looks." Cory smiled down at her. "And the tattoo of Daisy Mae on my ass."
"No, I fell and you helped me up with your injured arm, even though I knew it hurt like hell." She shook her head, a sweet smile playing across her lips. "I figured if you could sacrifice a little pain to help me up, you couldn’t be all bad. Maybe half bad. And that’s just the way I like you. Half bad boy, half gentleman. One hundred percent SEAL." She stood on tiptoe and kissed him full on the lips. "Now, are you marrying me or do I have to return this dress for a refund?"
"Let’s have a wedding!" Cory shouted.
They skipped the wedding march and got straight to the
I do’s.
Soon the room was full of chatter and laughter and people eating cake.
Delaney fought hard not to stare at Tuck. Her heart sang with the joy of having him there, in the same room, and her mind whirred with a thousand questions she wanted to ask. Number one being, why did he come to stop the wedding he thought was between her and Cory? With everyone around them, congratulating Cory and Leigha, she wasn’t sure when or if she’d get a chance to be alone with Tuck. Hell, she was a Night Stalker pilot, known for her fearlessness. Then why was she shaking in her heels at the thought of a confrontation with the man she loved?
Tuck stood beside Cory throughout the nuptials, his head spinning with the change in direction. He’d fought coming and wouldn’t have, if the Skipper hadn’t ordered him to do the right thing and show up for his best friend’s wedding.
Once committed to attending, he’d convinced himself he had to stop the wedding. Delaney didn’t love Cory and she shouldn’t marry him out of pity. Now that he was there, and Cory was married to Leigha...
He finally glanced across the room at Delaney and his chest squeezed so tight he could barely breathe. She was so beautiful in her cream-colored lace dress, she was as pretty as the bride. No.
Delaney was the most beautiful woman he’d ever known. Inside and out. Brave, caring, and gutsy, she was the kind of woman he could picture himself spending the rest of his life getting to know even better.
Then what the hell was he waiting for?
He marched across the room, closing the distance between them.
She glanced up from the plate of cake she had been picking at and their gazes met. Her fork grew still.
When he reached her, he took the plate from her hands and laid it on a nearby table. "Why did you break your engagement to Cory?"
"What does it matter?" She shrugged, her gaze dipping to where his hands held hers. "He loves Leigha and she loves him."
"Do you love him more than a brother?" His fingers squeezed hers and he held his breath, waiting for her response.
"No." She laughed softly. "Though Cory would make a great husband, I made the error of falling in love with someone else."
Tuck dared to hope and his heart pounded. "And you’re afraid this guy you love isn’t good husband material?" He tugged her toward him.
"I know for a fact he’s terrible husband material." Her voice caught on a sob and she looked up, tears swimming in her eyes. "But I can’t help it. I love him."
"Then why don’t you tell him?"
"I don’t know how he feels about me." Her gaze dropped to the buttons on his chest.
Tuck lifted her chin. "I love you so much, not even an entire army of Taliban could erase you from my mind."
"You tried to erase me from your mind?" A tear slipped down her cheek. "See? You make terrible husband material." She swiped at the tear and tried to push away from him.
His grip tightened. "Oh, baby. I may not say the right words, but my heart’s in the right place."
"Yeah, and where’s that?"
"In your hands." He crushed her against his chest and buried his face in her hair. "I love you, Delaney O’Connell. More than I love living. And I want you in my life, as my wife. What do you say?"
"Is that a marriage proposal?" She leaned back in his arms, staring wide-eyed up at him, more tears spilling down her cheeks.
He pushed the curls behind her ears and kissed the tip of her nose, then thumbed the tears off her skin. "Oh, sweetheart, did I louse that up too? Yes, that was a marriage proposal. But here, let me do it right."
He set her away from him and dropped to one knee, fishing in his pocket for a square box he’d picked up at the duty-free shop in the airport. He opened it, took out the sapphire and diamond ring inside, and held it out. "Delaney O’Connell, will you marry this lousy excuse for husband material? I promise to try my best to make you happy."
"About time, man." Cory clapped his hand on Tuck’s back. "I thought you’d never ask. So, O’Connell, are you marrying this suicidal dumbass, or not?"
Air lodged in Tuck’s throat as he balanced on one knee, waiting for her response. The wait was harder than anything he’d experienced in BUD/s training.
At first, tears dribbled down her cheeks and her lips trembled.
Tuck fought hard to keep calm when his world could easily fall apart if the woman he loved refused his offer. Time stood still, his heart stopped beating, and sweat broke out across his forehead.
Then she threw her arms around him, crying, "Yes!"
He staggered backward, righted himself, and stood, wrapping his arm around her so tightly he thought she might break.
This woman who could fly into enemy territory, probably kick the asses of most men and could drink whiskey like nobody’s business, while looking so feminine she was the envy of every woman, could have any man she wanted.
And she’d chosen him.
She laughed and kissed him. "How will we make this work? I’m not giving up my position in the 160th and you’re a SEAL."
He swung her around. "I don’t know, but we’ll find a way."
"It won’t be easy."
"Babe, I relish the challenge, because you’re the one I love and want to be with." He glanced over his head at Reaper and winked. "Besides, easy is overrated, and the only easy day was yesterday."
The End
About Elle James
ELLE JAMES
also writing as
MYLA JACKSON
is an award-winning author of stories including cowboys, intrigues and paranormal adventures that keep her readers on the edges of their seats. With over seventy stories in a variety of sub-genres and lengths she’s published with Harlequin, Samhain, Elloras’ Cave, Kensington, Cleis Press, and Avon. When she’s not at her computer, she’s traveling, out snow-skiing, boating, or riding her ATV, dreaming up new stories. Learn more about Elle James at
www.ellejames.com
Website
|
Blog
|
Facebook
|
Twitter
|
GoodReads
|
Newsletter
Or visit her alter-ego Myla Jackson at
www.mylajackson.com
Website
|
Blog
|
Facebook
|
Twitter
|
Newsletter
Other Titles by Elle James
Devil’s Shroud Series
Covert Cowboys Inc. Series
Cajun Magic Series
Thunder Horse Series
Stand Alone Titles
Book 3 - SEAL the Deal
by Sharon Hamilton
Bestselling Author
http://sharonhamiltonauthor.com/
A SEAL’s nightmare of a promise given at his sister’s deathbed gives him the woman of his dreams
Special Operator Nick Dunn promises his dying sister that he will help shut down her business and settle her affairs. He must work with his sister’s best friend he vaguely remembers. But boy has she grown up.
Though Devon Brandeburg created a small fortune in real estate, she has a total lack of experience with men. Who needs their testosterone-stuffed egos sucking the air out of the room, like Nick’s does? The promise turns into a hot affair neither expected with Nick the teacher in Devon’s journey to womanhood. As she comes alive in his arms, the student brings the teacher something he’s never allowed himself to want, and now needs.
Special Operator Nicholas Dunn shed his shoes and shirt and dove into the waters of San Diego Bay to scrub the leftover grit and sand of Afghanistan from his body. It was his first day back ritual. He didn’t stop until he’d skinned his knee and taken a serious hit on the chin bodysurfing. The shedding of blood hammered the reality of being home straight to his brain. He’d seen way too much of it this last tour. Friends died. Innocents died too. He couldn’t save them all.
And now his sister was dying at home. Not a damned thing he could do about that either.
Author’s Note
I always dedicate my SEAL Brotherhood books to the brave men and women who defend our shores and keep us safe. Without their sacrifice, and those of their families—because a warrior’s fight always includes his or her family—I wouldn’t have the freedom and opportunity to make a living writing these stories. They sometimes pay the ultimate price so we can debate, argue, go have coffee with friends, raise our children and see them have children of their own.
A favorite of mine is the WWII plaque that resides on an island in the pacific: