because I’m a blonde and they’ll need to use someone to prove they aren’t racial profiling and it’s my luck they always use me.”
Mike grinned down at her even as his arms got tighter.
Then his grin died as his eyes moved over her face.
Fuck, she was beautiful.
“I’ll call,” she whispered and his eyes came back to hers to see hers weren’t smiling anymore. The light was gone but the warmth, as ever, remained.
“I will too.”
“I’ll fix another visit home soon,” she promised.
“Good,” he muttered.
“Hunter will take care of me,” she went on and his arms got tighter.
“I know.”
She stopped talking but didn’t move. She stayed pressed tight to him, her arms wrapped around his back.
Then a smile curved her lips she didn’t commit to and she remarked, “Seriously, glad you’re a dick, babe.”
He smiled back the same way and whispered, “Me too.”
Dusty tipped her head to the side and asked, “You gonna order me to kiss you so I can get all tingly or are you just gonna stare at me?”
He knew his smile hit his eyes when he muttered, “Kiss me, honey.”
Her arms moved from his back to wrap around his neck, she got up on her toes and did what she was told. He took over and they went at it like teenagers.
He pulled away first and whispered, “Go.”
She nodded, eyes bright and he fucking loved that, how she let it show she didn’t want to go.
Then she broke away and walked to the security line.
He watched her show her tickets. He watched her take off her belt, coat and shoes. He watched her go through the metal detector. And he grinned when he saw them pull her from the line to have a female pat her down. When they turned her to do her back, she caught his eyes, rolled hers and Mike started chuckling.
Then he watched her put on her shoes, belt and coat and start to walk down the terminal.
And he watched her when she stopped, turned back and threw him a kiss. It was a grand gesture, dramatic, attention-getting but she didn’t give a fuck anyone was watching. It was all for him.
Then she smiled huge, lifted her arm and waved hard.
He lifted a hand and flicked out his fingers.
Then he watched her turn and walk away until he couldn’t see her anymore.
Then he turned and walked away thinking, fuck me, forty-three years of life, I finally find The One, I’ve known her for two and a half decades and when we finally connect, she lives in fucking Texas.
He was belting himself in his SUV when his phone at his ass rang. He pulled it out, looked at the display, grinned, hit the button and put it to his ear.
“Angel,” he muttered.
“Told you I’d call,” Dusty replied.
Mike burst out laughing.
* * * * *
Clarisse walked out of her room to go to the kitchen to get some chips.
On bare feet, she walked down the carpeted halls but stopped dead when she heard her Dad’s voice sounding funny talking on the phone.
“You home safe, Angel?”
Angel?
Who was Angel?
“Good,” Clarisse heard her Dad say softly. “What?” he went on. “Yeah. They’re home. Got home about fifteen minutes ago. You settled in?” A pause then another weird, soft, “Good.” Silence for a while then a slightly surprised, “You’re gonna work now?” Pause then, “What time is it there?” Another pause then, “You do that a lot?” Pause then a low chuckle and, “It clears out your head, darlin’, then do it.” There was some silence before more soft chuckles then, “You come back, you do that, honey. But I’ll expect you to bring a large-sized vase, not try to fork some of that medium shit on me.”
That was so her Dad. He got ticked when she cursed but she heard him do it all the time when he didn’t think she was listening.
Her ears pricked up when he kept talking.
“In a bit, gotta help No with his homework. You want, I’ll call you later.” Pause then low, soft and really weird, “That’s a definite plan, sweetheart.”
“Jesus, Rees, you eavesdroppin’ on
Mike grinned down at her even as his arms got tighter.
Then his grin died as his eyes moved over her face.
Fuck, she was beautiful.
“I’ll call,” she whispered and his eyes came back to hers to see hers weren’t smiling anymore. The light was gone but the warmth, as ever, remained.
“I will too.”
“I’ll fix another visit home soon,” she promised.
“Good,” he muttered.
“Hunter will take care of me,” she went on and his arms got tighter.
“I know.”
She stopped talking but didn’t move. She stayed pressed tight to him, her arms wrapped around his back.
Then a smile curved her lips she didn’t commit to and she remarked, “Seriously, glad you’re a dick, babe.”
He smiled back the same way and whispered, “Me too.”
Dusty tipped her head to the side and asked, “You gonna order me to kiss you so I can get all tingly or are you just gonna stare at me?”
He knew his smile hit his eyes when he muttered, “Kiss me, honey.”
Her arms moved from his back to wrap around his neck, she got up on her toes and did what she was told. He took over and they went at it like teenagers.
He pulled away first and whispered, “Go.”
She nodded, eyes bright and he fucking loved that, how she let it show she didn’t want to go.
Then she broke away and walked to the security line.
He watched her show her tickets. He watched her take off her belt, coat and shoes. He watched her go through the metal detector. And he grinned when he saw them pull her from the line to have a female pat her down. When they turned her to do her back, she caught his eyes, rolled hers and Mike started chuckling.
Then he watched her put on her shoes, belt and coat and start to walk down the terminal.
And he watched her when she stopped, turned back and threw him a kiss. It was a grand gesture, dramatic, attention-getting but she didn’t give a fuck anyone was watching. It was all for him.
Then she smiled huge, lifted her arm and waved hard.
He lifted a hand and flicked out his fingers.
Then he watched her turn and walk away until he couldn’t see her anymore.
Then he turned and walked away thinking, fuck me, forty-three years of life, I finally find The One, I’ve known her for two and a half decades and when we finally connect, she lives in fucking Texas.
He was belting himself in his SUV when his phone at his ass rang. He pulled it out, looked at the display, grinned, hit the button and put it to his ear.
“Angel,” he muttered.
“Told you I’d call,” Dusty replied.
Mike burst out laughing.
* * * * *
Clarisse walked out of her room to go to the kitchen to get some chips.
On bare feet, she walked down the carpeted halls but stopped dead when she heard her Dad’s voice sounding funny talking on the phone.
“You home safe, Angel?”
Angel?
Who was Angel?
“Good,” Clarisse heard her Dad say softly. “What?” he went on. “Yeah. They’re home. Got home about fifteen minutes ago. You settled in?” A pause then another weird, soft, “Good.” Silence for a while then a slightly surprised, “You’re gonna work now?” Pause then, “What time is it there?” Another pause then, “You do that a lot?” Pause then a low chuckle and, “It clears out your head, darlin’, then do it.” There was some silence before more soft chuckles then, “You come back, you do that, honey. But I’ll expect you to bring a large-sized vase, not try to fork some of that medium shit on me.”
That was so her Dad. He got ticked when she cursed but she heard him do it all the time when he didn’t think she was listening.
Her ears pricked up when he kept talking.
“In a bit, gotta help No with his homework. You want, I’ll call you later.” Pause then low, soft and really weird, “That’s a definite plan, sweetheart.”
“Jesus, Rees, you eavesdroppin’ on
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