Man Beneath the Uniform

by Maureen Child

  His heart fisted in his chest, became a ball of ice. His lungs strained for air and his hands ached to grab her, hold her. For the first time in his life, he was really in love. The forever kind that he'd never expected to find. But instead of giving in to his own wants, he avoided her question by saying, "I'm a bad risk, Kim."

  "You idiot," she said, the curve of her mouth taking the sting out of the words. "Loving somebody is a risk. It means that you're willing to take a chance that will make everything else in the world worthwhile."

  The ice around his heart cracked a little and was almost painful. Willing? Hell, his whole life had been a series of calculated risks. Could he really cheat himself out of what might be by refusing to take the biggest risk of all? No, he couldn't. "You sneaked up on me, Kim."

  She stiffened slightly, braced herself and asked, "What's that mean, exactly?"

  He sucked in air, blew it out and taking his first risk, stepped closer to her. She was awesome. She was strong and brave and willing to risk her own pride for the chance at love. How could he do any less? And how had he ever thought he could live without her?

  Zack looked at her and knew he'd been a dead man for nearly a month. He'd been hers the moment she'd opened her front door and fired her first sarcastic shot. She made him laugh, made him think, made his skin sizzle and pop with a single look.

  She was everything.

  And he had to have her.

  He chanced the fury still flashing in her eyes and rested his hands on her shoulders. "It means that I never meant to love you."

  Kim swayed a little, then locked her knees to stay upright. She stared into his blue eyes and even in the darkness, she saw the gleam of something warm and wonderful in their depths. Her heartbeat quickened and fluttered in her ears like dozens of birds lifting off the ground at once.

  Shaking his head, he admitted, "One look into those grass-green eyes of yours and I was a goner. And still I fought it. I fought against loving you every day since the moment we met."

  "Gee, thanks."

  "It wasn't easy, darlin'. You're a hell of a temptation." He smiled and moved his hands to cup her face. "I never counted on you, Doc. Hadn't thought a pair of green eyes could slam into me and make me think about white picket fences and home and hearth."

  She swayed into him, couldn't help it. The light in his eyes, the smile on his face all combined to make her knees do a slow, lovely melt. "And kids?" she asked, one corner of her mouth quirking.

  "God yes," he said, chuckling. "Kids, too."

  Kim's breath slid from her on a sigh of pleasure. She reached up and covered his hands with her own. "I fought against loving you, too, you know. You weren't exactly in my plans."

  "Yeah?" he grinned.

  Kim's heart turned over, as it would for that smile for the next fifty or sixty years. "Yeah."

  "So you love me, huh?" he asked.

  "I asked first," she reminded him and felt as if the stars were shining down from Heaven just for them.

  "So you did," he said, nodding. "I do love you, Kim Danforth."

  She smiled up at him. "That didn't hurt, did it?"

  He grinned. "Not so much. I think I could get used to saying it."

  She hugged the words to her, knowing she would always remember the very first time he'd said them. "Glad to hear it, because I love you, too, Zack Sheridan."

  "God, Kim," he whispered.

  Then he pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her, pressing her tightly to him as if half afraid she might try to escape him. But Kim wasn't going anywhere. She'd finally found the one place she wanted to be.

  "So," he said against the top of her head, his breath ruffling her hair. "We've got three days left before I ship out."

  Her so-full heart gave a little twinge, but she told herself that it was just something she'd have to get used to. Saying goodbye to the man she loved—and looking forward to being reunited. She'd be a good military wife, she thought. He'd never see her cry. He'd never feel her worry. All he would feel was her love. Always.

  "And…"

  He pulled back so he could see her eyes. "What do you say to a quick Vegas wedding and a two-day honeymoon?" He winked and promised, "I want to be married to you, Kim. And I don't want to wait. We won't have much time together now, but I swear, we'll make every minute count."

  "Vegas?" Would he never stop surprising her? He shrugged and grinned again, and Kim knew she'd go anywhere with him.

  "It worked for Three Card," he said.

  An elopement, just the two of them. What could be more romantic?

  "Then it'll work for us." Kim reached up, grabbed his face and pulled him down for a brief, hard kiss. She couldn't even remember what her life had been like before this amazing man had crashed into it. A Danforth getting married in Vegas. Oh, she couldn't wait to tell the family. "What're we waiting for?"

  "Atta girl," Zack said, grabbing her hand and heading for her house. "Oh, and just so you know, if you still need protecting while I'm gone, I'm sending one of my friends to watch over you."

  "Another SEAL?" she asked on a laugh, hurrying her steps to keep up with his long-legged stride.

  "Oh, no way." Zack stopped suddenly, pulled her into his arms for a brief, rib-crushing hug and then gave her a lopsided smile that stopped her heart. "Not a chance, peaches. From here on out, I'm the only SEAL in your life, got it?"

  The only SEAL.

  The only man.

  The only love she would ever need.

  "Hoo-yah."

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