One Year to Forever (Halos & Horns Read online

  She nodded. “I do.” Her heart swelled with pride, knowing she’d brought her Marine to the brink of admission. She felt loved by this man, even though he couldn’t seem to say the words she longed to hear from him. Haley cupped his face in her hands. “I missed you too, Benjamin, so very much.” He kissed her then—a desperate, clinging kiss, brimming with emotion. When it ended, he buried his face in her neck.

  “Oh God, you feel so good.” He lifted his handsome face to gaze down at her, giving her a look heavy with promise. “And you’re here.”

  “Of course I am.” She touched his face again, unable to get enough of him. She lifted to her toes for another taste of his mouth, and then buried her face in his broad chest, filling her senses with the feel, the smell of him. Her body hummed like a tuning fork at his nearness. “Ben … when can we go?”

  He groaned and pulled back. “We’ve got to board the busses first. First stop is the armory to turn in our assigned weapons, then my barracks for accountability and orders. I’ll have 96 hours with you, babe, four entire days before I’ll have to go back to my unit for transitional briefings and duty. Were you able to get some sight-seeing in before I got here?”

  “Yep, and now the only sight I’m interested in is this one, right here.” She tapped his chest and grinned.

  His heated gaze shot sparks of anticipation in every direction. “Mm hmm, but we’ve got to get out of here, first. Where’s your ride?”

  She turned, pointing to the family she’d driven over with. “That’s the Blighe family.” They made their way over to them.

  Ben introduced himself to D-Dub’s parents and exchanged handshakes. “Thanks for taking care of my girl.”

  “No problem, she’s a joy to have around.” Mr. Blighe nodded toward his own son, standing there beside him. “I asked her if she doesn’t have a friend for Dennis. He could use a good woman.”

  D-Dub flexed his bulked up arms. “And deprive the rest of womankind of this?” He shook his head. “Nah, I’m okay with being a single man for a while.” He cocked his head toward Haley as he extended his hand in her direction. “Unless this little beauty ever decides to switch plans for an upgrade. Lance Corporal Dennis Wade Blighe, ma’am, but my friends call me D-Dub.”

  Haley laughed as she accepted the man’s handshake. “Nice to meet you, D-Dub, I’m Haley Broussard, and oh boy, have I heard a lot about you.”

  He gave her a clearly visible wink. “What do you say, Haley? Want to take a walk on the wild side?”

  She laughed and latched on to Ben’s arm as he swung it possessively over her shoulder. “Thanks for the offer, but I’m satisfied right where I am.” She tilted her head to better hear Ben’s murmured comment.

  “If you’re not now, you will be soon.”

  She peeked up at him, feeling the heat creep up her neck into her cheeks.

  The sight of Haley’s cheeks flushed with what he suspected was more than embarrassment, had nearly done him in. Their call to board the busses came as she lifted that beautiful, brown-eyed gaze to his.

  “I’ll meet you back at the base.” He kissed her firmly, and gave her a long hug. He hated to let go but knew there’d be plenty more where that came from later in the day.

  He and D-Dub boarded the bus waiting for them and the other Marines as Haley departed with the Blighe family.

  They met up again at the armory, separated by sturdy fencing that couldn’t keep them away from each other. Fingers linked through the chain fencing, they talked, and kissed, and made plans as he waited to turn in his equipment.

  One more trip to the barracks for an accountability meeting and the official announcement of the ninety-six hour furlough from the base, and he was free to leave.

  He had D-Dub’s family drop him off at the car rental place down the street from the Hilton where he’d made his and Haley’s reservations. Haley left him once more to get her things from the beach house.

  An hour and a half later, he met her with a kiss in the hotel lobby, freshly showered and dressed in his casual civvies consisting of a pair of shorts, and a light blue polo shirt.

  He grabbed her luggage from her and pulled it toward the elevator with one hand, using his opposite to pull her close. He kissed her again in the semi-crowded elevator. They communicated their thoughts with looks and soft caresses rather than words. She leaned in close to him seconds before the gentle whoosh of elevator doors opened onto the 6th floor.

  “This is our floor,” he said, his hand at her lower back to gently guide her out the door.

  “This is a beautiful hotel.”

  “You being here makes it even more beautiful.” He pulled her close as he rolled her luggage to a door at the end of the corridor.

  She looped her arm around his waist and leaned into his side. “Thank you.”

  “Thank you for being here. You have no idea how much it meant to have you here waiting for me.”

  “Ben—”

  “Wait, babe. Let me say this before we go inside.” Ben swiped his room card to unlock the door, and then placed both hands on her shoulders. He stared into twin pools of liquid brown, took a deep breath, and tried to put all his feelings for her into mere words.

  “From the first moment I laid eyes on you I knew you were something special. When that prick had his hands all over you, I saw how it fired you up. Even though I tried to talk him out of it, I was ecstatic when he took a swing at me. I wanted to punch him for disrespecting you the way he had. And then, when you spent the next two weeks by my side—God, never in a million years, did I think you would have pushed everything aside for me the way you did.”

  He sighed, and shook his head. “Near the end of my leave, I held you in my arms while you cried, knowing I couldn’t do a damn thing to keep you from hurting. That was difficult for me. That’s when I knew I’d do whatever the hell I had to do to get back to you. The thought of you being here, waiting for me …” He paused to collect his thoughts. “Even during missions, sitting inside a hide site with very little water, no electricity, no comforts of home, and no word from you. You cannot possibly fathom how gratifying it was, knowing you were at home and waiting for me. You were there for me.”

  He touched his forehead to hers. “But it’s not something I wanted to say over a crappy phone or during a sketchy Skype session. I wanted to tell you like this.” He straightened, before cupping her face. “Holding your beautiful face in my hands.” He took a half step forward, pressing his body close to hers. “Thank you, Haley.” He kissed the saltiness of her tears from both cheeks before tasting her sweet lips again.

  She stretched up on her toes, wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. She finally pulled back, giving him the look he’d longed to see for seven long months. “If you don’t get me out of this hallway, Benjamin, we could end up on Waikiki Beach’s police blotter for indecent exposure.”

  He grinned, loving the adorable dimple her sexy little smile exposed. “Yes, Ma’am.” He grasped the door knob, swinging it open slowly to gauge her reaction.

  Her mouth opened, and a small gasp escaped at the efforts he’d taken to make the suite a haven for the two of them. A quick trip to the hotel’s florist and gift shop had produced several fragrant candles and a bouquet of roses. He’d lit the candles and set them around the room to cast dancing, romantic shadows while emitting luscious fragrances around the room. Her gaze landed on the trail of deep red rose petals he’d carefully laid out on the thickly carpeted floor. She sent him a questioning glance.

  “Follow the trail, babe.”

  She walked through the door, following the first trail of blood red rose petals to a chair at the opposite side of the room. A folded note said READ ME. She picked up the piece of paper and read from it.

  “Time apart can sometimes break a heart …”

  She followed a second trail of petals to the entertainment center, where another note awaited her, tucked under a dish of luscious ripe strawberries. She swallowed and read. “But for you
and me, it’s easy to see …”

  Again, she followed the trail to the desk and picked up the third note, folded and standing on a tray that held a bucket of chilled champagne, complete with two crystal flutes. “We are meant to be together … forever … and ever …”

  She wiped at the steady stream of tears and followed the last trail of petals to the king sized bed. She stood for a moment, staring at the crisp white duvet, marred only by three words, I LOVE YOU, painstakingly spelled out with more red rose petals. “Oh. My. God.”

  He leaned over her shoulder, grinning. “Guess I should have spell checked, because that’s supposed to say ‘I love you’.”

  She turned slowly, her face covered with the most mysterious expression he’d ever seen on a woman. Her eyes crinkled with laughter as they lit upon the remaining roses set in a vase upon one nightstand. “Oohrah, Marine.”

  He stood there, staring at her. “Yeah? What do you think?”

  “I think—no, I know that I love you, too.”

  Haley hung the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the handle before closing and locking the door. She turned, the corners of her mouth turning up in a sexy little grin as she spoke.

  “And someone is about to get very, very lucky.”

  Two hours and one visit from room service later, the two of them lay stretched out on the bed, drinking champagne, and eating strawberries dipped in chocolate hazelnut spread.

  “These are so good. I can’t believe you remembered how much I like this stuff.” Haley licked a smearing of chocolate spread from her fingertips and beamed up at her Marine.

  “I remember everything about you, babe, but I’m starving. I’ll need something more substantial if you expect me to keep up this pace.” He began to nibble at her neck, causing her to giggle and pull away from him.

  “That’s not going to get rid of your hunger pangs.”

  “It’s kind of like having dessert before the main course.” He sprang up from the bed, pulling her up and into his arms. “Come on, let’s get dressed and get out of here for a couple of hours. What are you hungry for?”

  She shook her head, pushing herself away from the headiness of his nearly naked body, covered only by the thin layer of his boxer briefs. “I’m not the one who’s been stuck eating MRE’s. You choose.”

  “Steak, I want a big, juicy T-bone, and I know where to get one. I want to grab another shower, though … just because I can,” he said, winking at her. He walked to the bathroom door and turned to her, his left brow cocked in anticipation. “You coming in with me?”

  Haley stared at the hard ridge of muscles along his neck and shoulders, highly defined abs, and sexy pads of muscle above his hip that made her want to lose her flipping mind. She tightened the belt on her fluffy white robe. “Not if you plan on leaving here anytime soon.” No way in hell could she keep her hands off any of that beefy display. “You go ahead, but I need to know how to dress.”

  “Casual dress, babe. There’s an IHOP down the street that serves the best T-Bone around here and we don’t have to get all fancied up.” His eyes sparkled with laughter as he sent her a seductive wink. “Make sure it’s easy to remove, and wear your bikini under it. I want to take a quick dip in the Pacific afterwards, if it’s alright with you.”

  Haley released a low sigh as the door closed, hiding him from sight. She knew he’d done that more for her sake, than his own. Being military, the man didn’t have an ounce of shyness left in him. But, even with two hours of lovemaking under her belt, learning every square inch of that muscular body of his … the idea of that kind of contact with him still made her want to hide under the covers. She loved him even more for taking her feelings into consideration.

  “Oh, my goodness,” she breathed, reaching for her largest piece of luggage. She unzipped it, pulling out one of three bikini bathing suits she’d brought along, a brightly colored sarong, and a low cut yellow tank top, trimmed with lace. She attacked her shoe bag next, and chose a pair of sandals. She put the rest back and shoved the bag out of the way.

  By the time Ben emerged from the bathroom, wearing a towel draped loosely around his hips, Haley had finished touching up her make-up. She grabbed her clothes and headed for the bathroom, doing what she could to avoid the sight of his barely garbed body. Shaking her head, she closed the door on his low chuckle. He knew exactly what the sight of him did to her.

  Ten minutes later, she emerged, completely put together to find him standing out on the balcony. She stepped up beside him, taking in the view before her with a reverent sigh. “It’s so beautiful.”

  “Yes, it is.”

  She turned, seeing his gaze plastered on her. “You like, Marine?”

  One side of his mouth lifted in that sexy as hell grin that made her want to kiss it right off of his face. He shook his head. “I love, babe.” He reached out, catching her behind the neck to pull her gently toward him. “I love every single bit of it.” He lowered his mouth to hers for another long, heart-melting kiss.

  Haley’s insides heated. Her heart and stomach took turns fluttering as she looped her arms around his neck. She breathed him in, wishing she could crawl inside him for the next five months. She wanted to stay there with him, safe, and loved, until it was time for him to come home to her for good.

  No doubt, they’d have ended up back in bed, had his stomach not taken that moment to remind them why they’d crawled out in the first place. She pulled away from him, pressing her hand to her abdomen to still the quivering his nearness caused in her.

  “Sustenance,” she groaned. “Let’s get you fed so you don’t pass out from starvation. You’ve got a long night ahead of you.”

  “Roger that.”

  The two of them headed down to the lobby where valet parking had brought his rental around, a bright red, two-seater Jeep Wrangler.

  He laughed at her squeal of excitement. “I take it you’re pleased?”

  “It’s perfect.” She turned to him. “Can we take off the cover?”

  He nodded. “We’ll do that tomorrow. Let’s go find something to eat.”

  They left the local IHOP, stuffed themselves with steaks and omelets, and drove straight to the public beach. They parked the Jeep, and one loosened knot later, Haley’s sarong bit the dust along with her tank top. She stood in her bikini, blushing at the lecherous look on Ben’s face.

  He gave his head a slow shake as he shoved his shirt and shorts onto the back seat. “My God, you are some kind of beautiful, you know that?”

  She beamed up at him. “I feel beautiful when I’m with you, so thank you.” Haley traded out her sandals for surf shoes and placed her bag in the back section of the Jeep. She turned to him, accepting the hand he held out to her. Hand in hand, they walked to the beach and entered the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean. A thought came to her as a wave washed over her thighs, making her lips part with a delighted laugh.

  “What are you thinking?”

  She swallowed the lump in her throat as she attempted an explanation. “I was thinking that this is one more first for us, you know? Our first ride in a Jeep together, our first swim in the Pacific Ocean together, our first … time … together.” She smiled into his handsome face, knowing he’d understand.

  He lifted her easily in his arms. “Our first, but definitely not our last.”

  She grinned and kissed his forehead. Then leaned in to whisper seductively in his ear. “Definitely not.” She nibbled at his earlobe, delighted at her big, strong Marine’s uncontrollable shiver.

  He groaned, walking further out into the surf. “And here comes another first.”

  “What’s that?” she asked, lifting her head in time to see a large wave rolling toward the shore.

  “Our first wipe out.” He turned his back to the wave as the two of them got dunked unceremoniously into the water.

  Haley came up coughing and sputtering as Ben’s delighted laughter accompanied his next comment. “Man, you don’t know how bad I missed this shit when I was over th
ere.”

  “I believe you.” She pushed her hair from her face. “I feel a little like a ragdoll being tossed around in these massive waves, though.”

  “It’s the power of mother nature at her finest. I’ve got something to show you tomorrow that I know you’ll love.” He brought her nearer to shore where she wouldn’t be so battered.

  The two of them walked along the beach, frolicking in the waves until the shadows lengthened in the late afternoon sun. He tightened his grip on her waist then lifted her into his arms. He kissed her again, and she wondered if she’d ever get enough of it.

  “Mm, take me back to the room, baby. Please?” She tucked her face into his neck, nipping gently at his skin, again causing a shiver to pass over his skin.

  He released a low, guttural groan. “If you don’t stop that we won’t make it back to the room.”

  “Put me down, Ben.”

  “Why? You don’t weigh a thing.” As soon as he set her on her feet, she took off running toward the Jeep. Within seconds he’d caught up to her, scooped her up from behind, and carried her the rest of the distance to the rental. He deposited her in the sand and unlocked the door. They dressed hurriedly and he got them back to the hotel as quickly as the traffic would allow.

  Hand in hand, they managed to slip into the already occupied elevator. Ben picked a back corner to lean against, tucking Haley close to his body, his arm wrapped protectively around her. Heat from his body seared her through the thin material of her tank top and sarong. Her stomach fluttered at the contact—they couldn’t get to the 6th floor fast enough. As soon as the doors opened she rushed forward.

  “Excuse us, please.” None too gently, she pushed her way to the opening, pulling Ben behind her.

  He got to the door first, room card at the ready and swiped it. The light flashed green and a second later he’d pushed open the door and pulled her through behind him.

  The enticing scent of rose petals and scented candles launched a full blown assault on Haley’s senses. By the time Ben had secured the door and turned, the sarong and tank top were already on the floor in a heap. He pulled her into the bathroom with him and reached over to turn on the taps. Her eyes widened as she stared at the large, luxurious, glass enclosed shower.