Sam snickered then chewed back a laugh. “No, like you to meet Cory McGregory.” She paused. “Cory, this is my mother, Suzanne Dougherty.”
“Um, hello, ma’am.” Oh, sweet Jesus, what was it with these Dougherty women and first impressions.
“Nice to meet you, Cory. I’ve heard a lot about you, but I suppose we’ll talk later.” She chuckled and closed the door.
He turned sharply and Sam looked pretty smug. “Before I make an ass outta myself again, where’s your father?”
Her brows bounced high as if in thought. “Cleaning his gun, I think.”
Cory burst out with a booming laugh. “Great.”
Samantha gave him a coy smile and shrugged one shoulder.
He gripped her hand and drew her closer, then laid a burning kiss on her lips. “Guess I’m just going to have to wait. Let’s get it over with and meet your father.”
She laughed and shimmied off the bed.
“You’re loving this aren’t you?” he said.
“Damn straight, D-cup.”
Cory swatted her gorgeous ass when she walked past, leading the way.
With one hand on the doorknob, she swiveled, her fingertip touching her chin. “Wait. Now that I think about it, Daddy went into town and won’t be home for a couple hours.”
The growl of need erupted straight from his cock, through his chest and out his mouth. Sam went over his shoulder and then down on the bed, his fingers making quick work on the buttons of her shirt, baring her gorgeous breasts. He leaned over and sucked one puckered nipple into his mouth, making her squirm. Moving to the other breast, his lips toyed and suckled her other peak.
“How long are you going to torture me?” he asked.
She opened her eyes to half-mast. “Forever.”
He liked the sound of that and slowly, very slowly, slid the zipper down her Daisy Duke shorts. “Forever sounds pretty damn good to me.” He stalled and took a long, deliberate once over of her incredible legs. “Have I ever told you, I could lay here and appreciate your legs for hours?”
Sam filled both her fists with his shirt and yanked him closer. “I’d appreciate it if you stopped stalling.”
****
The next two days whirled by in sweat, white silk and flowers as everyone pitched in for Tania’s wedding. Somewhere in the firestorm of orders from Sam’s mom and working with her father, who was a strapping, no bullshit kind of guy which Cory half expected, he found he liked her parents. Friday afternoon, he and Sam escaped for a few hours to Bozeman to buy him a suit for the wedding. In Montana, that meant a new pair of jeans, blazer and a cowboy hat, unless you were the groom. And he wasn’t—yet.
Driving to town and back to the ranch, because there’d be hellfire and brimstone if they missed the family and friends barbeque rehearsal dinner at five, he and Sam got some alone time. With a healthy eighty-five degrees showing on the temperature gauge in his truck, he turned up the AC, but took his time driving the backroads to Eagle Rock.
Sam wasn’t overly talkative, and that worried him. Maybe she thought the other shoe would soon drop and he’d be gone. With a quick check on the time, he made a detour and drove up to a plateau that overlooked the valley nestled next to the Crazy Mountains. He put the truck in park and shifted onto his hip to look at her.
“What’s up?” she asked, eyeing him.
“Come on.” He got out and waited for her to join him. He helped her climb onto a large boulder, and they sat down. The heat of the rock seeped through his jeans as he hooked his arm around one knee. “Big day for Tania and Tucker tomorrow.”
She nodded. “Yeah.”
He grinned. “Talked to Hank today.”
Sam swept her hair away from her face and held it while the wind tried to play with a few strands. “What about?”
“My employment prospects. I’m a vet without a job. Thought maybe he’d still have room for me on the team. Turns out he does, but it’s really not enough of a salary to,”—he turned his gaze skywards—“take care of all the things I had planned, so I talked with Dee-Dee. I’ve got three modeling jobs lined up. I’ll see if I like it.”
Sam listened quietly and offered a polite smile.
“I have this plan,” he continued. “It takes two people, and I thought maybe, you’d join me on this mission”—he opened his palm and revealed the small velvet box—“and consider marrying me.” He flipped the top open revealing the engagement ring gleaming inside.
She smirked and leaned closer. “You want to make sure I’m wearing that when Mack comes tomorrow for the wedding, don’t you?”
Cory considered the downside of marrying such an intelligent woman. “Maybe.”
“Nervous?” she purred.
“A little. You haven’t said ‘yes’.”
Sam pinched the ring between her fingers and raised it in the air between them. The sun shot through the diamonds, making them twinkle. “Marry a retired Delta Force slash security specialist slash supermodel.”
She was doing it again. Making him suffer a little, taking her sweet time. He grinned because he liked the game, and he loved her.
“Don’t forget part-time ranch hand. I’m a man of all trades.”
“Yes, you are,” she said, her gaze flashing to his. “And when do you expect this lifetime of bliss to begin?”
He popped his brows. “Tomorrow would be good, but I don’t want to steal Tania’s thunder.”
Sam slipped the ring onto her finger and held her hand out. “It’s pretty.”
He rolled his eyes, then gripped her and took control of her mouth in a sizzling kiss. Nearly out of breath, Cory brushed his lips against her ear. “Will you be my wife, Samantha Ann Dougherty?”
“Yes,” she whispered back.
As a young boy, he’d been taught that the cornerstone of a man who defended the United States of America believed in God and country. As Cory held Samantha, his gaze strayed to the valley, hills and the blue skies of Montana. There was no doubt in his mind that something greater than man existed. He had witnessed firsthand, during his service, that a land which dwelled in hate whether political or religious disagreement, would never be a united country. While the red, white and blue flag still meant freedom, he would no longer fight for her title. But his actions would always speak louder than his words. He’d work the land. Become a contributing citizen of Eagle Rock. Be a good neighbor.
No matter how many wars had been fought in the past or were to come, he learned the most important pillar of any man’s strength is love. The woman in his arms deserved his respect. His loyalty. His heart. Cory folded Samantha’s hands within his own. He would be her partner till death did they part.
Cory could finally answer Hank’s question with certainty. He’d fought for America to defend her freedom and he’d left because God had a new mission for him: to protect the woman he loved and the family he hoped he would soon have.
The End
About the Author
Have you read all of Elle James’ books? Of course you have, but you may not be as familiar with my stories. I mainly write military romance and suspense. After spending thirty plus years as an officer in the Coast Guard, I create characters from the colorful people I’ve worked with. Experiences. Loss. A few nail-biting moments and sometimes even the unbelievable, then stir it up with a huge dollop of fiction. I’ll warn you now, if you fancy opening the pages of my books, you’ll find gritty, intense, funny and hair-pulling scenes. After all, what’s a book’s worth if it doesn’t draw out our emotions or resonate after the last page is read?
Thank you for sharing your time with Cory, Sam, Tania and the rest of the Montana Freedom characters. If you’ve got a minute more, leave a review. I read them all.
Love, hope and faith
Natasza
Other books by Nat
Amazon Author’s Page https://tinyurl.com/ydecm2kc
A Warrior’s Challenge series
Code Name: Ghost – 2014 winner of Best Romantic Suspense<
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Code Name: Kayla’s Fire
Code Name: Nina’s Choice
Code Name: Luminous – 2015 winner of Best Romantic Suspense
Code Name: Forever & Ever
Coming soon
Code Name: Redemption
Code Name: War of Stones
Contemporary Stand Alones
Too Grand For Words
His Perfect Imperfection – 2016 winner of Best Contemporary Romance
Committed to Chase
Twila’s Tempest
SEALed With a Weekend
Brotherhood Protectors_Montana Freedom Page 13