Waiting... On You (Force Recon Marines)

by S A Monk

  When they got back to Coronado that evening, they stopped at a grocery store and bought some things to fix dinner. Over homemade lasagna and salad, they made a few preliminary wedding plans, including Hanna’s decision to have Nick wear his Marine Corps dress blues, which she’d never seen him wear in person.

  “I’ll arrange an Arch of Swords,” he told her, then explained what it meant. “It’s a symbolic pledge of loyalty to the married couple from the Marine family. I’ll invite a few close officer friends to be swordsmen, and ask Corporal Vincent to act as one of the ushers. You know,” he said with a mischievous smile, “be prepared for the final tradition as we walk under the arch. Right before we get to the end, we’re stopped. Then the last sword bearer gives the bride a gentle tap on the bottom and says, Welcome to the Marine Corps.”

  Hanna thought it sounded delightfully romantic.

  It all seemed too good to be true, but she didn’t question her good fortune. In bed, later, after making love for the first time that night, they snuggled together and talked about where they’d go for a honeymoon.

  “I’ve been thinking about that all day,” she confided to him. “I’d really like to sail from Port George, down the Pacific coastline, to San Diego in my Emerald Mermaid. It might be challenging, weather-wise, this time of the year, but we’re both expert sailors, so we should be able to handle it. And we can dock every few days to relax and enjoy that odd shaped bed of mine.” She met Nick’s raised eyebrow with a teasing glint in her eyes, then kissed him from his Adam’s apple to his navel, while her fingers wove just as teasingly through the thick nest of black hair at his groin. “When we get down here, we’ll find moorage at one of the marinas, then live on my sailboat until you get your final orders. I hope you get stationed in San Diego. I love it here, and there are some great medical schools and hospitals here, but I’ll go anywhere you do without complaint. Your career comes first. Remember that. I won’t have a problem finding somewhere to practice medicine.”

  “The important thing is that we’re going to be together,” Nick concluded. “But I’m taking you to get a good reliable car after we get settled.”

  “No more taking me to work on the back of your Harley?” she teased.

  “Are you going to let me keep it?”

  “Hmmm.... I guess so.” She leaned over and kissed him on his roughed cheek. “I know how much you love your bike.”

  “I love you more,” he murmured, turning into her lips, and then pulling her into his arms. Hanna cuddled against his wide naked chest and teased him with her fingertips, doing things that gradually increased the tempo of his breathing. He finally caught both her wrists, raised them above her head and tucked her long naked body beneath his. “No more talk for now, honey.”

  Locking her in his arms, he rolled with her back and forth across the mattress, tickling her, wrestling with her until they were both gasping with playful laughter, which soon turned into more serious and erotic love play.

  THE NEXT MORNING, they were both soundly asleep when Hanna was roused by someone insistently and loudly knocking at the Nick’s front door. Finger-combing her hair out of her eyes, she rose on one elbow and shook Nick awake.

  “I think someone’s at your door.” Groaning, he looked at his watch, rubbed his eyes, gave her a quick kiss, and then swung out of bed, naked. “Nick, don’t answer the door like that!”

  Still half-asleep, he recovered his jeans off the floor, then yanked them on and headed towards the door in the other room.

  Hanna heard Lance come into the living room. She hurried out of bed and pulled on her long silk robe. After running a quick brush through her hair, she went out to greet him.

  Lt. Commander Sharp stood slightly behind him. Both men looked tired and hung over. Standing there in nothing but a robe, Hanna felt a warm blush creep into her cheeks. Bare-chested, dressed in only his jeans, Nick glanced over his shoulder at her, took a step backwards, and hooked an arm around her waist.

  “So, I take it you’ll be asking me to be your best man?” Lance inquired, eyeing the two of them and their obvious happiness. “When?”

  “Three or four weeks. Hanna’s going to set the exact date.” Nick smiled broadly and gave her a squeeze. “I’m going to be stationed either here or at Pendleton, too. My reassignment is a wedding present from General Tyler. Guess he figured he better let me stay close to my bride or see me retire.”

  It still amazed Hanna that Nick had actually been ready to retire for her.

  Ty Sharp stepped over to shake his hand. “Congratulations, buddy. It’s about time they took you out of the field.”

  “General Tyler thinks he can get Hanna a job at the one of our hospitals in the region, too.”

  “Trauma surgeons are always in demand,” Ty Sharpe commented in approval.

  Hanna didn’t want Nick worrying about her career. Once he got his realigned, she’d be just fine.

  “They couldn’t find a better one,” Lance said, smiling broadly.

  “Did you survive the weekend?” Nick asked his brother. “You look a little bleary eyed.”

  “Barely.” Lance chuckled. “Ty and his SEAL buddies really know how to tie one on and where to go to have a good time. Corporal Vincent might not be worth a damn for a day or two yet. But I’m going home tonight. Hanna?”

  Hanna looked at Nick regretfully. “I’ll be on the flight. If we’re going to be married in three or four weeks, I better start making the arrangements.”

  “Mom will gladly give you a hand,” Lance stated, laughing. “I can just imagine how crazy it will be around the house for the next few weeks.”

  Hanna walked over to him and embraced him. “Thank you, Lance. You saved my life.”

  “Mine, too, bro,” Nick added, reaching for Lance to give him a quick hug and a slap on the back. “Thank you.”

  Lance stepped away and picked up his bag. “I’m glad you’re both happy. Of course, everyone at home will be elated. There will be no living with Mom now. She’ll be in full command mode with these wedding plans. Good thing, you’ll be out of the way, bro.”

  “I’ll be home as soon as I finish this assignment— three weeks.” Nick saw Hanna’s beaming, dimpled smile, and bent down to kiss one of those dimples.

  Lance and the lieutenant commander chuckled, then turned to walk to the door. Nick and Hanna followed, their arms intertwined around one another. Outside, Corporal Vincent waited behind the steering wheel of the staff car, tapping his fingers to the beat of some piece of very loud rock music which was heavy on the bass. When he saw his commander standing shirtless in the doorway of his quarters, he waved.

  Nick shook his head. “Impudent kid. I can tell he’s been around you, Ty. Now he’s waving instead of saluting. Thanks.”

  The Navy SEAL commander took the cynical remark good-naturedly. “Aw hell, old man, you don’t want to become a general too fast.”

  Nick rolled his eyes. “Like I said, thanks.”

  “I’ll meet you at the airport, Hanna,” Lance called out over his shoulder. “Call me if you change your mind about flying out tonight.”

  “I’ll be there.”

  After they left, Nick and Hanna returned to the bedroom. “Shall we shower, go get some breakfast, then go shopping for wedding rings?”

  Hanna looped her arms around his neck. “Oh, I’d love that!” Reaching up on her tiptoes, she planted a kiss on his lips. She felt his breath hitch as her arms slid down around his waist to hug him tight. “I love you, Nick Kelly. You’re my everything.”

  “Oh, Hanna, I’m sorry it took me so long to figure that out.”

  “You were worth the wait, Colonel.” She issued the words against the center of his bare chest, her head lying over his strong, reassuring heartbeat.

  Nick put his fingertips under her chin and lifted her face to look into her emerald green eyes. “I’m a lucky man, Doctor. Undeserving, but damn lucky!”

  THE END

  S.A. Monk, Waiting... On You (Force Recon Marines)