“You want to go out with me for a third night in a row?”
“I think I’m up to that much punishment” he laughed “you can bring Ryder and I’ll bring Ana”
“What third and fourth wheels”
“Oh so you want me to yourself” he wiggled his eye brows at me
“Well we survived a five hour trip without a single fight” I wanted to feel his hand in mine again; it had felt comfortable and right.
“Okay then I’ll pick you up in a couple of hours” he smiled as we pulled up in the driveway “and I think I need a kiss to seal the deal” my heart seemed to jump into my throat and threaten to choke me I leant into him he pecked me on the cheek “That’s called getting my own back” he grinned “Maybe more later”
“You know I might just stay home”
“You won’t” he winked
“I’ll let you go” I opened the truck door feeling slightly like I’d been left hanging.
“Hey” I looked at him as I grabbed my bag “You won’t go off base will you?”
“No” I smiled “I said I wouldn’t unless I’m with someone”
“Good” he winked at me as I closed the door; he waited till I walked inside before he drove away.
“How was the Island?” Mom walked out of the kitchen wiping her hands.
“Good as ever” I hugged her “Uncle Logan and Aunt Beth want you to go visit them soon”
“I will so come on how was this mystery Marine of your cousins?” she smiled
“Well I think if in six months they’re as loved up as they are right now then we’re going to be having a Marine wedding” I reached for an apple from the bowl “Oh and his Mom has this holistic medicine thing set up there and gave me some stuff for Ryder”
“Nice” Mom nodded “And how did your date go?” I felt my cheeks flush talking to Mom about Ryne after the sewer level thoughts that had been running through my head about him. “Ahh say no more you’re face gives it away sweetheart” she laughed I opened my mouth to say something. “As long as the two of you are being safe and sensible”
“Mom… it was date nothing else… well we kissed but…”
“Alyssa, I was young once and I met a horny Marine” she patted my cheek
“What about Dad?” I teased.
“Okay young lady you take that cream up to your brother” she groaned
“Oh Ryne’s picking me up in a couple of hours and we’re going to the boardwalk if that’s okay?” I said turning half way to the stairs and looking at her.
“Okay since you graduated from High school over a year ago Aly you don’t need to ask my permission to go out” her cell rang “Oh and there’s your Aunt Rachel calling… go see Ryder” she scooted me out of the room I took the stairs two at a time and knocked on Ryder’s door and pushed it open.
“You could wait till I say come in I could have had a girl in here” he protested
‘Yeah right you’ve got the game of a Flea… with crabs” I laughed walking over to him and dropping a kiss on his head “So how you doing?”
“Okay the doc said it’s healing well and I should get back for the last 3 months of the deployment” he shrugged as I sat on the bed facing him “I wished I could have come to the Island with you” he pouted
“It was like you were there the amount of times you called” I laughed “Oh here I was told you have to rub this on to the wounds twice a day and it should help you heal faster” I handed him the pot of cream
“Some joke that’s going to turn it blue or something?” he narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
“No call the woman her name and number are on the tub” I shrugged. “She’s Marek’s Mom” he put the tub on the night stand.
“Okay so what are we going to do about this dumb cowboy?” I shook my head
“I’ve told Ryne about him and he asked me not to go off the base without him or someone with me”
“He’s right Aly this douche didn’t get the hint when Mom and Uncle Flynn got involved” he rubbed my arm “He’s now going to have to deal with your extremely irritated pissed off crabby sniper brother” I started to laugh
“You’re crazy” I smiled
“Yes but that’s because I’m related to you… So how hooked up did you get with Ryne?”
“We kissed”
“That it?”
“Yes we’re not all bed hopping sluts like you?’ I got off his bed and walked over to the framed picture on his dresser of him and Dad both in their dress Blues at the Marine Corps birthday ball last Nov “But we are going out again tonight for a third night in a row”
“My god you’re hooked”
“I’m so not” I scoffed waving my hand at him
“Bull shit we might not have the freaky twin connection like Mom and Flynn but hell I know when my little sister is happy” I turned and looked at him “And I only mentioned his name and you smiled”
“I didn’t” I shook my head
“RYNE” I felt my lips twitch intothe smile and I couldn’t do anything to stop them “See I told you… you’re falling in lo…”
“Okay I’m going to unpack and grab a shower” I walked to the door of his room “Rub the cream on and don’t forget”
Chapter 52
The world just stopped
I walked down the stairs Mom and Ryder were in the kitchen talking.
“Looking pretty honey” Mom smiled
“Hey isn’t that the dress I got you for your birthday?” Ryder tipped his head.
“Well you wrote the card” I laughed
“No I went with her to get it” He protested
“No you used it as an excuse to go in to Victoria’s Secret” I dropped a kiss on his cheek “I still love the dress though”
“Call if you’re not coming home sweet heart” Mom called out as she walked into the laundry room
“Mom we’re going to the board walk”
“Okay honey” I groaned and shook my head as the door knocked
“I’m out” I hurried to the door and opened it and pushed Ryne back a couple of steps and closed the door “Damn it’s like living with a pair of wolves” I muttered
“Er… okay” Ryne laughed
“Mom’s in one of her crazy moods” I sighed
“She pissy”
“No but if you want to get out of there without giving her your inside leg measurement and how often you have sex, then run and run now Marine” I pulled him to his truck
‘Okay now I really have to meet her at some point”
“You might but she’s crazy… well she has to be to raise me and Ryder… oh and put up with Dad” I laughed “Oh and deal with the life she has” I chewed the inside of my cheek.
“Right” Ryne leant on the truck and shook his head “You seem flustered?”
“You would be with those two” I pointed back at the house
“Right well you still want to go to the board walk and maybe grab something to eat and a walk on the beach” I cocked my head and looked at him
“Sounds like a plan you’ve concocted all afternoon” I smiled
“Damn and I was trying to sound like I was pulling it from my ass” He grinned “Hey no heels again?”
“No not with this dress and not for the beach” I shook my head
“You look good by the way…”
“And I thought you’d be disappointed it wasn’t the dress from last night” I climbed in the truck. He walked round and got in.
“Well that dress was the stuff of a horny Marines dreams” he chuckled as we headed away from home “But then so was the one you wore the night before, oh and what you were wearing for family day” He looked at me “And that one well lets say I’ve seen most of the body under it so I know what’s going on and you still look hot as hell” he pulled up to the gate.
“Okay you and my mother are both insane” I grumbled trying not to show how embarrassed I was with what he said He handed over his I.D. One of the other Marines came over I
wound downt he window.
“Okay so we had this cowboy looking guy come to the gate around an hour ago asking if any of us knew you” He rested his hand on his rifle
“What did you say?”
“I’m not going to tell anyone anything about people on this base Aly especially ones I know” he shook his head “You have any idea who he was?”
“Yeah I do… If you see him again Sam will you call me” he nodded
“You not want me to shoot him… I spoke to Ryder” Sam shrugged
‘No don’t shoot him” I rolled my eyes “If you see my Mom don’t tell her okay”
“I won’t” he nodded stepping back Ryne pulled out of the gate and looked at me.
“You okay?”
“Yeah” I nodded and trying to sound sure at the same time.
“He won’t come near you with me around or he’s going to regret it” He looked back at the road his knuckles all white from the increased pressure he was putting on the wheel. I reached over an put my hand on his arm he relaxed a little.
“Can we just try to forget it and have some fun tonight and hope that Justin’s given up now he knows he can’t get on base” Ryne smiled and nodded. We spent the next hour or so walking and messing around on the board walk.
“Okay I think we can safely say we’re having fun” Ryne smiled catching my hand and pulling me to him as he sat on the sea wall.
“Oh I don’t know” I put my hands flat on his chest and felt the muscles contract under the cotton of his t-shirt “Sgt Stockwell you’re a tease”
“Me a tease how have you jumped to that conclusion” his hands rested on my waist as I stood between his legs “You’re the one that was provocatively bending over the pool table in a skirt short enough I was almost able to lip read last night” My mouth fell open
“I was taking a shot” I gabbled trying to pull back from him he held me firm making everything inside me feel like it was melting. “And damn that was a Marine comment if I ever heard it” I swatted him
“We need to stop messing round” He sighed tipping his head all I could think of was nipping at his neck as his hands moved from my hips to my ass “And admit that we like each other”
‘Where did this come from?” I swallowed hard I swear I was going to be a sticky pool on the floor in the matter of minutes.
“Because for the last few days I haven’t been able to get you off my mind” he moved forward a little so we were touching, I had to remind myself to breathe “And after that kiss…”
“I know” I gulped “Oh god” I put my hands on his face and pulled him to me and kissed him, I thought the kiss the other night had been sexually charged and hot as hell but this was toe curling I’m going to get you in the dunes right now Hot, as our tongues fought each other. There was the odd disapproving tut from passing people but I didn’t care right now.
“Aly” okay the world just crashed to a stop and I just fell off “Alyssa what the hell are you doing kissing some other guy?”
Chapter 53
Marine or cowboy
Ryne looked at me his mouth still half open my gum all too visible on his tongue, his hands still in place on my ass.
“Alyssa… Don’t you pretend like you don’t know mw” Justin snapped his Texan accent all too much of a give away to who he was.
“Cowboy?” Ryne mouthed I just nodded he moved to get up I put my hand on his chest and shook my head “If you don’t move I’ll move you” he said in a low voice
“Wait” I shook my head again “please”
“He steps up to you or touches you and I’ll rip him apart” Ryne let go of me as I turned round.
“You know how long I’ve been looking for you”
“Why the hell are you here didn’t my Mom and Uncle scare you off enough that you thought coming here was okay” I snapped I felt Ryne stand up behind me.
“I came because I love you and I know you love me” Ryne’s arm had snaked round my waist and I could see the nerve in Justin’s cheek twitch “I have your name over my heart and you know how I hate tattoos” he pulled off his shirt.
“Er… I didn’t think yours was spelt like that” Ryne looked at me.
“It’s not this dumb ass hates tattoos and for some reason thought if he got one I’d like him” I shrugged
“Dude you should really have asked her how to spell it” Ryne laughed
“Who asked you to butt in and why the hell wee you kissing my girl”
“Your girl… Hey cowboy I think you’re way off base right now” Ryne tensed up “After what you did after the girl said no… ”
“She wanted it she knows she did and tell him honey how good it was” Justin looked at me with pleading eyes “You know it was the best night of your life”
“Like hell you lasted a minute if that I had bruises and scratches that hurt like hell from you” I stepped forward “I told you to stay away from me and out of my life or you’d be sorry…” My fist was balled ready to swing.
‘But we were going to get married and have a baby”
“You are kidding we kissed twice and you raped me” I yelled at him “There’s seriously something disturbed about you… I’m 19 I need a real man not some jumped up cowboy that’s really not that good in the saddle and yes I was referring to the horse” I said shooting a look to Ryne. “Get out of my life get out of my town and for that get out of my damn state” I poked him in the chest hard making him take a step back.
“You were the one that thought you might want a Cowboy and you didn’t say now when you had your mouthful of one” Justin grabbed my arm.
“Oh now I know your fucking dreaming. I wouldn’t get dirt on my knees for you and the whole two inches in your pants” I winched as he squeezed my arm tighter “Ow” I felt a breeze move my hair and heard the thud and crack as Ryne’s fist connected with Justin’s jaw. Justin let go of me as Ryne pulled me behind him. Justin staggered back shakinghis head, he glared at Ryne who had his stance ready.
“You think you can grab a girl let alone a Marines girl and think it’s okay” Ryne spat at him.
“Fuck you” Justin Lunged at Ryne. Justin was used to fighting with Cowboys brawling in a bar not a guy trained to kill with his hands if he needed to. Justin blocked him and dropped Justin to his knees with two blows blood pouring from Justin’s mouth and a cut under his right eye.
“You really want to get up and come again cowboy because believe me I can go all night before you even touch me” Ryne hissed at him “You want to mess with this Marines girl then you’re going to have to bring more than your sorry ass… I can eat pussies like you for breakfast”
“She’s my girl” Justin staggered back to his feet
“Like hell I am you’re insane I should have let my Uncle shoot you” I snapped Ryne put his hand out keeping me behind him “Fuck that I’ll shoot you”
“Hey Sparky back up” Ryne looked at me and smiled
“No he’s a god damn…”
“I know” he turned me and sat me on the sea wall I went to get up “You do and I won’t kiss you” I huffed and folded my arms over my chest
“You Marines think you’re it” Justin had got to his feet and swayed a little
“That’s because we are” Ryne held out his hands “Now you want to rethink whose girl you’re messing with”
“Mine” Justin spat out a mouthful of blood and stupidly lunged at Ryne again Ryne’s fist slammed harder than any punch I’ve heard before knocking Justin ass over tit over the sea wall and into the sand knocked out cold. Ryne went to go over the wall I grabbed his arm and pulled him back
“Lets go before the cops show up”
‘No I want to make sure he’s got the Message you don’t mess with this Marines girl”
‘Ryne” I pushed him back a little “Please the last thing you need is a disciplinary on your record… Lets go back to Lejuene” Ryne knew I was right he rubbed the back of his neck and reached for my hand.
Chapter 54
Wonder
I pulled the keys from Ryne’s hand as we got to the truck.
“Hey”
“Okay you drive like an old woman and after what just happened I want to get home before the cops show” I unlocked the door.
“I’m okay to drive” Ryne protested
Silent Ranks Page 20