A Christmas Together (14 page)

She wrinkled her nose. While relieved there would be no permanent scarring, she wasn’t too happy about her face being covered in purple and green blotches. “Every part of my body isn’t working right, but I’ll be good as new in six weeks or so.”

He didn’t appear convinced. “I don’t know how I feel about you being home. What happens when the meds wear off?”

She pre-empted his lecture. “I hired a private nurse. She’ll arrive soon.”

“I see.” She hadn’t left him much room to argue, so she wasn’t surprised when he decided to quibble about something else. “What’s this I hear about you planning a Christmas party?”

She would have waved her hand dismissively in the air, but the gesture would take too much effort. “It’s being moved to Dan’s place. I’m not going to show up, obviously, but I can be reached if the caterers need me. We’ve set up some cameras in his living room so I can check-in on their progress.”

He took the eBook reader from her lap and placed it on the nightstand. “The only reason I’m not upset is because Dan told me he has everything under control. You seem to have problems understanding the concept of rest and recuperation.”

“Says the man who was at work for the past ten hours.” Realizing she sounded like a nagging spouse, she elaborated, “I wanted the option to stay busy, that’s all.”

“Why?” He fixed her with an unwavering gaze. It triggered an inexplicable urge to fidget, which she couldn’t indulge.

“I’m not sure,” she mumbled. “In case you needed to be somewhere else tomorrow, I guess.”

“I told you, I’ll be here.” He sounded annoyed.

“Oh.” A weight lifted off her shoulders. “You did?” She wanted him to stay so badly it frightened her.

“I assume you don’t remember anything else I said in the helicopter either.” He crossed his arms. “Resting your eyes my ass.”

She tried her best to appear sheepish, though she wasn’t sure her face contorted to that effect. “So when do you need to leave, if not tomorrow? I’m guessing work is why you were gone all day.”

He tapped the tip of her nose with his finger. It was one of the few areas on her face not covered in bruises. “You guess wrong. And I plan on squatting here until you kick me out.”

“Where were you then?” Waking up to find everyone at the hospital but him had dealt a huge blow.

“Certain complications arise when an American Air Force officer kills a number of Syrian bad guys, on Emirati soil, without any of the three governments having been apprised he was even in the country.”

A valid point. Concern furrowed her brows. “How much trouble are you in?”

“So you’re worried about me, huh?” His smug grin ended her moment of weakness. “All the tough talk about us being happier apart is complete bullshit.” If it didn’t hurt to move her arms, she would have smacked him.

She narrowed her eyes. Since he chortled, she guessed the expression had a comical effect because of her swollen face. “Don’t let it go to your head. You saved my life. I don’t want you court-martialed as a result.”

He closed his hand over hers. “Don’t worry. I helped rescue one of the most well-connected sheikhas on the planet. According to the UAE government, a helicopter crashed on one of the World Islands and some Syrian tourists died. The Pentagon doesn’t even want to find out the whole story. As far as official records are concerned, I’m enjoying a long-overdue vacation in Dubai.”

Outrage replaced worry. “In that case, what took you so long to get here?”

He heaved a beleaguered sigh. “Do you have any idea how much paperwork resigning a commission entails?”

She tried to sit straight before sagging back against the pillows. “I told you not to quit your job because of me.”

Taking care not to jostle her, he maneuvered himself over her body so he could lay on the bed. “Stop moving around. Of course I didn’t.”

“Thank goodness.”

He propped his head up on one elbow. “You were one of the many reasons why I decided to make a career change.”

“This isn’t happening.” She attempted to massage the bridge of her nose, felt a twinge, and dropped her arm back down. “Hopefully it’s reversible. Your job isn’t the only reason our marriage was dysfunctional. There are a whole host of factors—”

“I’m not an idiot.” He sat up and placed one hand on either side of her body. Hovering over her, he waited until she made eye contact. “I am fully aware everything isn’t going to be hunky-dory just because I’m no longer in the military.”

“Then—”

“If I’m going to convince you to give me another shot, I need to be in your general vicinity. You like it here, and I can understand why.” When she opened her mouth to protest, he placed his finger over her lips. “That said, I’m not the only member of my team who quit. There is an unwritten contract between every soldier and the government. We risk our lives so the people we care about are protected and safe. Uncle Sam didn’t keep his end of the bargain. You almost died. So did another unit member’s kid. When we asked, they didn’t move a muscle to help our families. Once I got word out about Riad’s death, resignations trickled in.”

She twitched her lips against his finger. “It’s not fair to blame the government for the actions of criminals.”

“I don’t. But I’m done working for them. I joined the Academy at eighteen. I’m twenty years older and have spent most of my life in random hellholes across the globe. In return, I have a sizable savings, great retirement plan, and decent pension. It makes sense to quit while I’m ahead.”

Why did the man continue to act as if she was born yesterday? “That’s a load of crap. You don’t have enough years in the service to get diddly squat. And what if I told you I’d give our marriage another go even if you stayed in?”

“I’d say thank you, but I’d quit anyway. As for retiring, the Pentagon cut my unit an under-the-table medical retirement deal in exchange for our solemn promise, and an ironclad non-disclosure agreement, to keep their recent lack of helpfulness out of the press. I’m out Bree.”

It took a moment before this new reality sank in. She couldn’t figure out if she was happy or afraid. Their marriage had never been enough. She wanted to believe he’d changed, but there was a sliver of doubt she couldn’t shake. “We’re two very different people. I’m not sure if I want to pick up where we left off.”

He leaned a few inches forward. “And I don’t expect it. Why don’t I tell you what my plan is?”

Her heart thudded. She couldn’t think straight with him in kissing distance, even though her face hurt too much for the activity to be enjoyable. “Okay.”

His smile chipped away at her resolve. “I’m going to wait on you hand and foot until you’re better. When you’re back to full strength, I’ll do all the things I was supposed to do when we met six years ago.”

“Such as…?”

“I’ll take you out on dates. We’ll jog along the beach in the mornings and watch horrible chick flicks at night. I’ll surprise you with presents and bring you snacks when you’re working late. When I’ve groveled long enough, I’ll hunt for the best ring I can afford. Then I’ll drop down on one knee the way I should have the first time around and ask you to marry me again.”

She chewed on her lower lip. It sounded wonderful. “You’d be bored out of your mind in less than a month. You haven’t had more than a few days off work since you turned eighteen. I don’t see you as a man of leisure.”

He wiggled his eyebrows. “I knew you’d make this argument. It’s why I spent all day ironing out the details. A certain UAE colonel I’m friends with was very impressed with what I did today. He recommended me to his commanding officer, who’d been tasked with creating an indigenous special forces unit. Dubai has turned into a vacation spot for bad guys. They need a rapid response team of their own. I happen to be highly qualified to act as a military advisor. It’s a steady nine-to-five job with an insane amount of vacation time and pays a pretty penny.”

It was also a permanent move. Once he worked for a foreign government, his security clearance would be revoked. Going back to his old life wouldn’t be easy. “I don’t want you to do this because of me.”

He tucked a lose strand of hair behind her ear. “You sound like a broken record. I’m doing this for myself. I want to wake up every morning with you next to me. I want to eat breakfast and dinner at your table. I want us to celebrate every holiday together. I’d give anything, let alone a job, to have what most people take for granted.”

Her eyes misted. “You don’t have to buy me another ring if you kept the old one. The hospital took it off, and I think…”

“I want to give you something better. But until then—” He reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a velvet sleeve. In a slow, fluid movement, he lifted her hand so he could empty the contents into her palm.

Her breath caught as she saw her plain wedding band. Running through it was a delicate gold chain. Spaced at one-inch intervals on the long necklace were tiny green and red gemstones. Her throat closed up. “I thought you didn’t believe in buying expensive jewelry.”

“Love has a way of changing a man’s mind.” His lips brushed hers. The whisper of contact lasted less than a second, but it was a kiss she would never forget.

“Merry Christmas, darling.”

The End

Publisher’s Note

Please help this author’s career by posting an honest review wherever you purchased this book.

Globetrotter, lover of languages, and romance author, Tara Quan has an addiction for crafting tales with a pinch of spice and a smidgen of kink. Inspired by her travels, Tara enjoys tossing her kick-ass heroines and alpha males into exotic contemporary locales, paranormal worlds, and post-apocalyptic futures. Her characters, armed with magical powers or conventional weapons, are guaranteed a suspenseful and sensual ride, as well as their own happily ever after.

To learn more about Tara’s books and social media haunts, visit her website: www.taraquan.com