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“He’s, ah, going to come over and join us soon, actually.”
“He?” Steven growled.
Now Steven was holding his cooking utensil at a scary angle, like he was about to behead someone with it.
Jess gulped. She should have predicted this. “Yes, he,” she repeated, standing up to her brother. “I think I mentioned that I had a pen pal, a soldier who I wrote to.”
The look on Steven’s face spelt thunder. There was a possibility he could have summoned a hurricane just with his expression. “And he’s coming here? Now?”
“He’s a friend, Steven, nothing to get concerned about.”
He grimaced then turned away from her. Bella was wriggling in her chair, but Jess shook her head. She didn’t want this to become a big deal. Right now Ryan was just a friend, and the last thing she needed was Steven getting worked up over it.
“His name is Ryan, and he’s back for a while to recover. He had surgery and as soon as he’s better he’ll be back with his unit, so there is absolutely no reason to overreact. It’s not like he’s even here for long,” she told him.
Steven shrugged, but he didn’t turn around. She could tell he wasn’t happy about it. But then given her recent track record, she could hardly blame him.
“And I don’t want him knowing about the cancer.”
That made him turn. Now he looked like Neptune about to command the entire ocean. “What kind of friend do you have to keep your cancer from?”
She reached for the bottle opener and popped the top off a beer for Steven. She passed it to him.
“The kind of friend who doesn’t need to know. Okay?”
He took the beer and tipped it up, draining a third of the bottle. “If he hurts you, I’ll deck him.”
She had no doubt that he’d try. Her only issue was that even with a less than perfect arm, Ryan could probably kill her brother with his bare hands.
Bella waved her over and Jess went to sit beside her.
“He only wants to protect you,” Bella said quietly.
Jess knew that, she did. And she liked that he was always there for her. After what her ex had done to her, she couldn’t blame her brother. She’d been left heartbroken, facing surgery and serious chemotherapy on her own. One moment she’d been looking forward to a wedding, and the next she’d been fighting for her life without the man she’d once loved by her side.
Ryan was different though. He’d been there for his wife, by her side, and she’d lost her battle. He might not want to go back to that dark place ever again, but it wasn’t something she could fault him for. He was a different kind of man. Honorable. Dependable.
“Is it so bad that I don’t want him to know?” she asked Bella in a low voice.
Her friend squeezed her hand and shook her head. “No. No, it’s not.”
“He’s not going to be around long enough for it to matter, right?”
Bella sighed then shrugged. She didn’t answer; it was a hypothetical question, anyway.
“You were right yesterday,” Jessica told her. “It’s time I let my hair down, enjoyed being in remission, being alive, and being in the company of a man.” She took a tiny sip of beer and tucked her feet up under her on the chair. She liked Ryan. She didn’t have to pretend otherwise. So why was she still trying to convince herself he was just another friend?
Because after what had happened last night, she knew that they were way beyond friends now.
Ryan pushed the button on his key to lock the car and walked toward the house. It was stupid, being nervous about meeting Jessica’s friends, but it had been a long time since he’d done normal stuff like this.
And his latest argument with George was playing on his mind. Hard to ignore.
His son had finally found his tongue, but the words coming out weren’t pretty. Ryan grimaced. Maybe George did genuinely hate him. And if he did, what on earth was he going to do about it?
He knocked at the door, sternly pushing back thoughts of his son. It swung back and Jessica grinned at him from inside.
“Hey, Ryan.”
The warmth that spread through him, the smile he couldn’t help but give her in return, somehow took away all the pain.
She was like his ray of sunshine on the gloomiest of days.
“Hi,” he answered.
She beckoned with her hand. “Come on in.”
Ryan hesitated for a second too long. He should have kissed her on the cheek, touched his hand to her arm, anything. But he’d waited too long. Now it would just be awkward. It was the second time he’d managed to do that and he vowed not to miss his chance again.
“So this is a friend’s place?”
She shook her head. “My brother’s.”
Oh, dear. He’d walked in on a family do or something.
When she’d said her brother was on burger duty he hadn’t realized it was his house.
“I don’t want to intrude, if you’re doing the whole family thing.”
She laughed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her expression shy. “It’s just my brother and another couple of friends.”
“If you’re sure.”
This time she was braver in reassuring him. This time she reached out and touched his arm, so lightly he could have missed it if he wasn’t watching the way her skin connected with his.
“It’s really nice to see you again.”
Ryan felt the warmth spread through him, just like it had when he’d arrived. He’d thought of little else but her since last night, except for when he was trying to deal with his son, and being with her again, right now, sure seemed right.
But then maybe he’d been away so long he wasn’t sure what he was feeling anymore.
“Come and meet everyone,” she urged.
Ryan stepped out into the yard and looked up. But the smile fell from his face in an instant, leaving him cold. That warmth that had spread through him like cookies just taken from the oven died like ice had been poured on them.
It wasn’t hard to pick out her brother. He was the one looking like he’d crush every bone in Ryan’s body, given half a chance. He stood up straighter, lifted his chin. He understood protective. If he had a sister like Jessica he’d probably be the same. But she was a grown woman and she’d invited him over. And he wasn’t the kind of guy easily intimidated—even if he did respect the big-brother macho act.
“Ryan, this is my friend Bella, and her husband, Bruce,” Jess said, making the introductions.
Ryan turned his attention to the petite blonde sitting with a little girl on her lap. Her double-wattage smile made up for the deathlike stare of the brother. He took the few steps to shake her husband’s hand.
“And little Ruby, of course.”
He smiled at the pudgy-armed child wriggling to get down.
Jessica moved closer to Ryan when she turned to face her brother.
“And this is my big brother, Steve.” He felt her stiffen as Steve walked over. “I promise he won’t bite.”
Ryan extended his hand and regretted it the moment the other man clasped it. His grip was tight, viselike, and his dodgy arm was barely up to matching his strength.
He tried not to scowl as pain shot up his arm. He was used to being the strongest, never losing an arm wrestle. Ryan clamped down his jaw and took the pain, refused to give in to it. Didn’t let it show even though he was burning inside.
“Nice to meet you, Steve.”
Jessica smiled sweetly in Ryan’s direction before taking a step closer to her brother and kicking him in the shin.
“Ow!” Steve dropped his iron grip and stepped back.
“He can be a pain in the backside.” Jessica smiled as her brother glared at her then went back to the barbeque. “It’s not until we have company over that we realize how barbaric he really is.”
Ryan smiled, but it was hard. His arm hurt like hell, scorching hot. He hated the ache that was thumping under his skin.
“So, Ryan, Jess tells us you’ve not long been back.”
He took the beer Jessica passed him and sat down in the nearest seat, looking over at her friend as she spoke.
“I’m home for a bit of rest and recovery, then hopefully back with my unit.”
Jessica sat down on the grass nearby. He moved to stand, to give her his seat, but she shook her head and crossed her legs, Hercules tucking in beside her.
It was hard not to watch her. Not to ignore everyone else and just drink her in. The way her ponytail fell over one shoulder, her tanned skin soft against the white of her T-shirt. The scoop neck showed him just enough cleavage to make it hard to swallow his beer.
And that smile. The way she cast her eyes downward when her lips curved up. It made him wonder what he’d ever done to have that look directed his way. To deserve her attention.
“So you’re not tempted to stay here, now you’re home?”
Ryan forced his eyes from Jessica and focused his attention back on her friends. “Tempting, but no.” He watched as Jessica played with a blade of grass, not looking up. “I need to be back with my unit.”
Steve appeared next to him then. “So you’re definitely leaving?”
Ryan nodded. Had he not made that clear?
Her brother gave Ryan what he guessed was a smile. It should have been easy to tell but it wasn’t. Unsaid words hung between them. Was Steve wondering why he was bothering with Jess, because he was leaving?
“How are those burgers coming along?” Jessica asked, breaking the silence.
Steve turned back to the meat, putting his hands up like he was surrendering.
Ryan took another swig of beer.
Maybe staying home with George would have been easier than facing off with the brother.
Jessica went out to Ryan’s car with him. It had been an interesting evening.
The fact it was only nine and the night was over told her it probably hadn’t been that successful. But then she’d pushed her luck hoping it would be.
It had reinforced a few things in her mind, though.
Her brother was an idiot sometimes, but he loved her and did his best to protect her. Even if it annoyed her intensely sometimes, she got it.
The other thing she’d learned was that Ryan was the kind of guy she wished she’d met years ago. Instead of wasting all her time on her idiot ex. Ryan had stood up to her brother with ease, and he was up-front and honest.
Bella had been right. What harm was there in having a little fun with a nice guy, when there was no chance of having her heart broken or breaking his? If he was only here for a short time, they could have a blast, enjoy one another and say goodbye as friends.
They were only a few steps from his car.
Jessica willed her body to cooperate and took a deep breath. She fell back one step and reached for Ryan’s hand, catching his wrist then letting her fingers glide down to his palm as he turned.
“Ryan, stop.”
She registered the surprise in his eyes as he faced her, but she didn’t let herself think about it. She’d been waiting to do this all night, wishing she had the courage. Jess kept hold of his hand and pulled him closer. His body obliged. Then she reached her other hand to cup his cheek, standing on tiptoe to kiss him.
“Jessica …” he murmured against her mouth.
She shook her head. “Just kiss me.”
His lips met hers as if they’d been made to touch. But he only let her feather-light kiss brush him for a moment before he pushed closer to her, deepened their embrace and slipped his hand around her waist, pressing her gently against him.
His hold was tender but his kisses became more insistent, his mouth moving firmly over hers, his breath hot against her skin when he pulled away, before crushing her lips against his again.
Jessica sighed into his mouth, head cloudy, as if she was being swept away on a wave of happiness, floating with the tenderness of his touch and the way he’d responded to her.
“I’m not usually brave enough to do things like that,” she whispered.
Ryan smiled down at her, touched his forehead to hers, still holding her, both his arms around her waist now. He raised a hand and oh, so gently let his fingers skim her face, caress her cheek.
“Well lucky me then, huh?”
When she smiled at him, her lower lip caught between her teeth, he spun her around, one arm tight around her back, then pressed her against the car. Almost rough, but she knew he wouldn’t hurt her. That he wouldn’t even think one bruise on her skin was acceptable. And then he was kissing her again. This time harder, more urgently.
Jess let her head dip back as he pressed into her, his body hard against hers, fitted snugly against her shape. She moaned as he left her lips and traced a row of kisses down her neck, stopping with the last touch against the indent of her collarbone.
When he raised his eyes again, held her face with both his hands, she couldn’t help but giggle. A tiny gurgling noise that rose in her throat.
“What’s so funny?” he asked.
She smiled then sighed, letting her lower body press into his, as he moved his upper body back slightly to accommodate her.
