His Girl Next Door: The Army Ranger's Return / New York's Finest Rebel / The Girl from Honeysuckle Farm. Trish Wylie

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СКАЧАТЬ on his face. It had been a long while since he’d woken up grinning, but then it had also been a long time since his arm had been taken captive by a beautiful woman.

      Jessica lay in the crook of his arm, face turned into him, cheek against the edge of his chest. Her mouth was slightly parted, her long hair falling over his skin and spilling out onto the white pillow.

      He didn’t move, hardly let himself even breathe. Ryan could have stayed there forever, watching her. Content in what had happened between them. In the way his trip home had turned out after so many months of dreading it, after years of denying himself the luxury of returning. Of putting up barriers and refusing to confront what he’d left.

      When he’d promised his son that this tour of duty would be his last, it had been a decision he’d made as a father.

      But now? Deep down, he knew that part of that decision had been influenced by how he felt about Jessica. He wanted to come back for his son, but he also wanted more from this woman lying in his arms. Part of his decision had been because he wanted a real chance at making a future with her, too.

      And that meant he had to let her in. A week ago, he’d have never thought it possible, but now he wanted to open up to her. To tell her the final chapter he’d kept behind lock and key from everyone but himself until now.

      Jessica stirred. He shifted his body to face her, looking at her face as she started to wake.

      Her eyes opened slowly, fluttered, then her head dropped slightly as she realized he was watching her.

      “Hey, you,” he whispered, stroking his thumb across her cheek.

      She smiled, but he could tell she was shy. “Hey.”

      Her voice was so low he only just heard her.

      “What do you say I rustle up something for breakfast?” he offered.

      She tucked her head down and snuggled against him, hair tickling his chest as she buried into his body and pulled the comforter farther over them in the process.

      Jess planted a kiss to his collarbone and sighed into his skin.

      He lay with her in his arms for a few minutes then dropped a kiss to the top of her head and wriggled back.

      His stomach growled. Loud.

      “As much as I want to stay like this, I think my body needs some fuel.”

      Jess laughed and rolled over.

      “What’s so funny?”

      He propped himself up and looked down at her. She was still trying to hide from him, face partially covered, but she didn’t look nervous any longer.

      “Jess?”

      She groaned then turned back toward him. “I probably shouldn’t tell you, in case you change your mind.”

      He raised an eyebrow and watched her.

      She groaned again. “You’re the first guy to offer me breakfast in bed, okay?” She let her eyes meet his. “Here I was worried you’d make an excuse and bolt, and instead you offer to feed me.”

      Ryan leaned forward to kiss her, brushing the hair from her face so he could see her better. He liked that her trademark pink blush was starting to cover her cheeks again.

      “I don’t recall saying anything about breakfast in bed exactly, but it can be arranged. Although if I remember correctly, you never actually gave me dessert last night.”

      She responded by pushing him away and throwing a pillow at him. He caught it and grinned.

      “Okay, okay! Your wish is my command.”

      He stood up and walked across the room. Most of his clothes were in a heap near the foot of the bed, but it was her silk robe hanging on the back of the door that caught his eye.

      “Mind if I borrow this?” He plucked it from the hanger and held it up.

      Jessica was blushing all over again but she nodded, sitting up with the sheet clutched to her chest.

      He grinned and put it on, just managing to secure the pink satin with the flimsy tie. It barely covered him but it made her smile, laugh even, and right now he’d do anything to see those lips of hers upturned, those chocolate-brown eyes sparkling.

      Even if he did have to make a fool of himself.

      He was about to turn around and make a joke when he heard a phone ringing.

      “Yours?”

      She shook her head. “Nope. Your cell?”

      It was his. He took off down the stairs and looked around for where he’d left it. Nowhere. He scanned the room and found it just as it stopped ringing.

      When he flipped it open he saw he’d missed a few calls. All from the same number.

      Ryan gulped.

      His parents. Or his son. He hoped everything was okay. After so long being used to only thinking about himself, he should have at least phoned to tell them he wasn’t going to make it home last night. Not that his parents would be worried, but George might be. He was going to have to change his habits if he was going to gain George’s trust again.

      He hit redial.

      “Hello.”

      His son picked up almost immediately.

      “Hey, George, it’s your dad.”

      There was silence for a moment, before his son cleared his throat.

      “I thought something had happened to you.”

      Ryan felt as though someone had reached into his chest and stuck a knife through his heart. If he was going to get this dad business sorted, he was going to have to start acting like a father, not a bachelor with no responsibilities.

      “I, ah, ended up staying at a friend’s place. I should have phoned.”

      There was silence on the other end.

      “George?”

      “Are you coming home soon?”

      Ryan looked down at the pink robe, at his hairy legs poking out, and then turned to look at the stairs. He wanted to see his son, to be there for him, but he also didn’t want to hurt Jess, and if he left now she’d think he’d used her. That he was as bad as the last guy who’d clearly broken her heart by not caring enough.

      She deserved better than that. But then so did his son.

      “I’m going to be a bit longer.” He paused, cringing at the silence down the line. “But I’ll be home soon, then we should grab some lunch, okay?”

      “Yeah.”

      Ryan hated the way he felt when George hung up. Like he was being torn in two different directions. Yanked one way СКАЧАТЬ