“Yeah, it does.”
I faced the living room as Slater shut and locked the door behind me. I was nervous and I didn’t know why. It wasn’t as if I hadn’t been with Slater before. He seemed to sense my hesitation and tentatively wrapped his arms around my waist from behind me. I held his hand and leaned into his warmth. He felt so good and I could feel his heart pounding on my back. I turned slowly to face him and smiled at the look of uncertainty on his face. Palming his cheek, I leaned in and kissed him softly. He sighed as I kissed him with a little more force.
And then the floodgates opened.
Slater was out of his uniform and I was already naked by the time his boxer briefs hit my floor. Then I was in his arms and I breathed in his scent as deeply as I could.
My Slater.
Slater picked me up by my ass cheeks and carried me into the bedroom. My back hit the sheets and Slater was on top of me, kissing me like he couldn’t live without me. And God help me I knew I couldn’t live without him. I flipped him to his back and settled above him, just admiring the view. I caught sight of a pink scar just to the right of his nipple and traced with my finger to the much bigger one under his arm. It had healed so much since the last time I’d seen it. I leaned over and kissed it and Slater’s hands went to my hair.
“Casper.”
I lifted my head and smiled at him.
“I love you, Casper Kennedy.”
“I love you, too.”
Slater made love to me for hours and I knew then he was going to be my husband. If I had to drag him down the damn aisle, I’d do it. We spent the night just staring at each other, talking about what we’d been doing for the months we were apart.
“I actually came to see you,” I admitted.
“I knew. I smelled your cologne.” Slater grinned.
“I…I wanted to make sure you were really okay, Slater. I couldn’t…” I sighed and took a deep breath. “I can’t handle it if something happens to you again. I’ll stay with you, because God help me I can’t be without you.”
“I’m not re-enlisting, Casper.”
“You’re not?”
“No. I won’t put you through that. I love you too much.”
I cupped Slater’s face. “Don’t do it for me. I don’t want you to have regrets.”
“The only regret I have is leaving you at all.”
“So this is it? We’re going to do this?”
“Oh yeah, Casper,” Slater rolled me to my back and ground his hard erection against me. “We’re going to do it, all right.”
I chuckled.
* * * *
I held Slater’s hand as I placed roses on Mason’s grave. It was Veterans Day and I’d come to tell Mason I loved him, but I had found someone new. Slater kissed my temple and stepped away to give me privacy. Ramos stood nearby, leaning against a tree. I sat down and picked at a small weed.
“So, I think you know why I’m here,” I said, touching his stone. “I’ll always love you, Mason, but I’ve found love again. I hope you’re happy for me.” I looked up at the sky. “I hope you’re up their smiling and playing Eighties music. I’ll still come by and see you, because you were a special part of my life. You taught me love.”
I placed a kiss on my fingertips and pressed it to his name engraved in the stone. “You will always be a part of me, Mason. Don’t ever forget that,” I whispered.
I looked over my shoulder to see Slater smiling at me. Once again, he was in full uniform. We’d stopped by to see his battle buddies and Ramos had visited some of those he’d lost, too. The cemetery was busy, but I knew it would be. Wives of fallen soldiers, daughters, brothers, aunts, uncles and parents had come to show their respect to loved ones gone too soon. I took Slater’s hand and we walked toward the parking lot. I stiffened as I noticed Mason’s family walking our way. Slater put a protective arm around me as we passed them.
“Casper?”
I turned to see Mason’s mother looking at me.
“Yes?”
“We, well, we were told you had some video of Mason that he sent days before he died.”
“I do.” I nodded.
“I know it’s a lot to ask, but would you send it to me?”
“You—” Slater began.
“I can do that, Mrs. Callahan.” I said, placing my hand on Slater’s to quiet him.
She let out a large sigh and nodded her head. “Thank you so much, Casper.”
“You’re welcome.”
I watched as Mason’s parents began walking to his final resting place. I pulled Slater to resume our walk toward the parking lot.
“Why did you agree to that?” Slater looked at me incredulously. “After everything they’ve done to you?”
“He’s gone, Slater. She was his mother, and as mean as they were to me, Mason was her son. Now she can see him the way I did those last days, full of life, smiling, laughing. She’ll never see her son again. Never get to hold him.” I looked into Slater’s eyes. “Do you understand?”
“I do,” Ramos said. “But I would have still wanted an apology from her.”
“Well, we can’t all get what we want, now can we?” I tried to smile.
We were almost to the car when I heard a throat clear behind me. Michael stood with Tiernan, both of them in uniform again. Slater gripped my hand, ready for a fight. Michael held his hands up, palms out.
“Not here to cause a problem. Just wanted to thank you for what you did for my mother.”
“Yeah, well she could have apologized for the way you all have treated Casper,” Ramos snorted.
“Who are you?” Tiernan narrowed his eyes at Ramos.
“I’m Sergeant Fuck Off,” Ramos deadpanned.
“Fucking Mexicans,” Tiernan sneered.
“I’m a Spaniard, you fucking SID.”
I had to laugh as Tiernan actually looked confused. I couldn’t blame him. I was, too.
“What the fuck is that?” Tiernan spat.
“Small Irish Dick.” Ramos smiled broadly.
“Why you—” Tiernan moved forward and Michael grabbed his bicep.
I could have sworn I saw a smirk on Michael’s face, but it was gone in a flash.
“Even though we’re in a parking lot, we really shouldn’t be acting like this. Especially today, isn’t that right, Sergeant Cassidy?” Michael extended his hand to Slater.
“You’re right,” Slater shook Michael’s hand.
Michael dragged Tiernan toward the graves and Ramos snickered.
“Bye-bye, Officer Asshole.” Ramos wiggled his fingers at Tiernan.
I caught Michael’s low words to Tiernan.
“Jesus, Tiernan, you were going to start a fight with a guy on crutches?”
“I’d kick his ass with one damn leg!” Ramos called out.
Tiernan’s head whipped around and Michael corralled him. I pulled Slater’s hand to get him moving.
“Come on, let’s go home.”
* * * *
A month later, I stood on the bow of a cruise ship with the wind whipping through my hair. Slater was next to me; his eyes closed, just breathing in the sea air. He’d moved in with me and was working not only with the Wounded Warrior Project, but still doing modeling work and commercials for Rush. Matthew had promoted me after the idea I’d come up with for Rush, and we’d had a huge office party. I’d invited Wanda and Drakon, but Drakon had been out of town with his parents.
I did get a bouquet of flowers from him that said, ‘You did.’
I smiled at that, because I did. As scared as I was at what would come in the future, I knew I’d have Slater to walk with me to face it. I stared out at the ocean and thought about life. It was funny in a way, you never knew what was just around the corner and I was so thankful Slater had come into my life when he did. Even though he had annoyed the shit out of me in the beginning. It was the soldier in him that fought for me.
The ship stopped at a remote island for the day and Slater and I took the tender boat out to it.
Beautiful white sand and crystal water greeted us. We walked hand in hand for miles just taking in the scenery and picking up shells. Slater threw a towel out and I sat down, digging my toes into the sand.
“How do you like our gay cruise?” he asked.
“I didn’t even know they had gay cruises.”
“Now you do,” Slater leaned back on his elbows, adjusting his sunglasses.
I smiled and ran a finger across his abdomen.
“You’re getting some sun.”
“I need it, I’m so pale and ghostly,” Slater snickered.
“Oh, ha, ha. How long were you saving that one?”
“Not long.”
Slater pulled me down and kissed me. I relaxed against him and melted into his arms. He just had a way of relaxing me until I became this pile of nothingness. I loved that about him. The man who had driven me crazy with his outlandish behavior was now mine.
Sometimes surrendering to love is worth the fight.
Trademark Acknowledgement
The author acknowledges the trademark status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:
Twinkies: The Hostess Company
Vera Wang: V.E.W., Ltd.
Facebook: Facebook, Inc.
Myspace: Myspace LLC
iPod: Apple, Inc.
Casper: Harvey Entertainment, Inc.
YouTube: Google, Inc.
Amaretto Disaronno:
Nerf: Hasbro, Inc.
Magic Mike: Nick Wechsler Productions, Iron Horse Entertainment, Extension 765
Trump Taj Mahal: Donald J. Trump
Skype: Skype Limited Corporation
Boat Basin Café: The West 79th Street Boat Basin Café on the Hudson River
Sandrine Gasq-Dion
Sandrine (Sandy) was born in Inglewood, California. Raised by “Old School” French parents, she later moved to Tucson, AZ. It was there that writing became a hobby. Always told she had a great imagination, Sandy wrote short stories for her friends in High School. In college, she took more writing classes while working on her Criminal Justice degree, but it wasn’t until a soap opera caught her eye that she got involved in male on male romances. On the advice of a friend, Sandy dipped her toes into the world of M/M Romance. Sandy takes the writing seriously and has had countless conversations with gay men as well as hours of research. She’s been involved with the military in one way or another for over twenty years, and has a great deal of respect for our men in uniform. She’s traveled the world, but is currently enjoying the South.
Also by Sandrine Gasq-Dion
A Betting Man
A Marrying Man
A Marked Man
Alaska with Love
By the Light of the Moon
Half Moon Rising
Best Laid Plans
For the love of Caden
The General’s lover
Russian Prey
An Ignited Passion
Reflash
The Red Zone
Irish Wishes
Pleading the fifth
Betrayed
Summer of Awakenings
Into the Lyons Den
The Nik of Time
Second Time Around
A Fighting Man Page 12