Seduced by the Soldier
Page 20
“Wait?” Zandra whipped her head toward her brother. “Are we still live?”
“Yeah.” He held out the phone. “And they’re all saying you should accept his apology and keep him.” He made a face. “For the record, there are some things a guy shouldn’t know about his sister and his best friend, so wrap it up already.”
“I love you.” Blake stepped toward her, riveting her attention to the preciousness of this moment. “I always will. So what do you say, Zandra version 2.0? Do you think you’d be okay with someone sharing a crazy life adventure with you?”
Her heart broke free, opening up so that love and hope flowed through her, the emotion so beautiful she was sure it would rival the Pacific Ocean beside them.
Blake was here. With her. He wanted her. He loved her.
Her heart felt full, overflowing with love for this man, this moment, and the moments yet to be. She loved him. And she couldn’t wait to live a life with him in it. “There’s only one logical answer,” she said, squeezing his hand this time.
“And that is?”
“Yes.”
Epilogue
The auditorium was packed with graduates and guests, and while Blake typically hated crowds, he’d waited years to be a part of this one.
“Get ready,” he said. “Mom’s class is up next.”
Beside him, Zandra held her camera up. “I’m a go. My new lens should make for perfect shots from up here.”
“Don’t pay any attention to him,” his sister Lily said as she leaned across him. “I swear he acts like he’s the one graduating.”
“Right?” Zandra chuckled. “He’s been kind of nervous about all this.”
“Hey, I have a lot riding on this, too,” he said, grinning.
Zandra captured his gaze. “I know.” She raised a hand and stroked his cheek. “You’ll be up there getting your diploma before long.”
His smile broadened, and he rubbed his hands together. “Yeah.” And he couldn’t wait.
But all things happened in their own time.
In the two years since he’d taken a chance and flown to Guam, Zandra had traveled the world, sometimes able to incorporate her assignments with a visit to where he was posted. It hadn’t been easy, but they’d found a way to make their non-traditional relationship work despite the distance and time zones between them.
It’d been worth it, though. Her photographs had earned her recognition, and Blake couldn’t be prouder. Watching Zandra pursue her dream only made him more determined to pursue his.
“Constance Monroe.”
His mother’s name rang through the auditorium, and Blake stood and whistled, clapping his hands alongside his sister. True to her word, their mother looked in their section and waved.
“Got it,” Zandra said, lowering the camera and scrolling through the shots. “I think there’s some good ones in there.”
“No doubt,” Lily said. She opened her purse and grabbed her keys. “I’ll head to the apartment and get the food ready for Mom’s grad party.”
“We’ll be over as soon as we can get her to leave,” he told her.
Blake looked at the floor of graduates, a swell of pride coursing through him. There. It was done. Everything his mother had worked toward all these years summed up in a walk to retrieve a piece of paper. She was on her way…and now it was his turn.
He leaned toward Zandra as other graduates were called to receive their diplomas. “You know,” he began, his stomach a collection of nerves, “I’ve decided to leave the Army in a couple of months, just as I’d planned.”
“Yeah, you’ve mentioned that,” she said, scrolling through her camera gallery.
“Well, I have something very important to ask you.” Nerves or not, he had to dive in and do it.
“What’s that?”
“I love that you’re doing what you want because I wouldn’t want it any other way. But I wondered…would you move in with me? I know you’ll be gone a lot, but I figured that maybe I could be your home base.” His mouth dried, and his heart hammered like it was determined to beat out of his chest. He sucked in a deep breath and tried to calm the hell down.
Zandra stopped, set her camera on her lap, then turned to face him. She blinked as if processing what she’d heard, then her face formed into the smile that Blake would never tire of seeing. “Because I love you, I have to give you the only logical answer to that question.”
“And that is?” he prompted.
“Yes.”
“Well, okay then.” He sucked in a deep breath and grinned, and his heart finally settled, slowed to a pace where he knew he was at peace. Yeah, it was the most logical answer all right. And that’s when he also knew the best was yet to come.
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Acknowledgments
I am so thankful for the many talented people who pulled together to take this book from a kernel of an idea to a story ready to be shared with the world.
Lily, I cannot thank you enough for playing tour guide and traipsing through Europe with me while I did the research for this book. You’re the best travel partner ever, and the fact I couldn’t figure out the train schedule wasn’t your fault! LOL. Lord knows you did your best. Maybe we should go back so I can try again?”
Fred and LovieAnn, Del and Lil, thank you all so much for answering my endless Army questions and not rolling your eyes. (You didn’t, did you?) Any incorrect military references in this book are mine and are probably because I wasn’t listening carefully enough, didn’t take good notes…or there was too much bourbon flowing!
Nadine Mutas, thank you for helping with the German translation. Your input was very much appreciated, my friend!
My incredible critique partner, Meredith Clark, I thank you for keeping me on the mostly straight and sometimes narrow and for asking such stellar questions like, “Now why is the hero like that?” and not taking “because” for an answer! Next time I decide to write without filling out my plotting board, please remember to bitch-slap me. Seriously.
To all the CrossFit coaches who keep me sane, particularly Andrew, Ethan, Ken, and Colin, thank you for letting me sneak in a quick workout when I’m on deadline! Some days writing is like a chipper, and I think of you all pushing me to keep going even when I don’t want to. (Kinda like when you program 400m runs into a WOD!)
Heather Howland (a.k.a. Editor Lady), you keep it real, pull no punches, and always push me to be a better writer, even when goats are involved! Thank you for believing in me and sprinkling your editing magic on this book. I’m really glad you’re my editor!
To the team at Entangled Publishing, I am so grateful for your patience and hard work. Thanks to you, Blake and Zandra are out in the world!
About the Author
A native of Guam, Melia Alexander is the author of sassy, sexy, fun contemporary romances. She’s fortunate to work at The Male Observation Lab (a.k.a. her day job at a construction company), where she’s able to observe guys in their natural habitat. She likes to read, catalogue her shoe and handbag collection, and search out the perfect sunset, preferably with a glass of cabernet sauvignon and a box of dark chocolates. In an attempt to balance out her life, she also attempts to conquer her CrossFit fears: ring dips, power cleans, and the dreaded 800-meter run. Stay in touch with Melia on Facebook, Instagram, and her newsletter.
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