Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 84266 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84266 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
“For always.” Ben kissed him softly. Maddox’s eyes burned as he lost himself in the kiss, in the perfection of the moment. The future still felt murky, but he wasn’t going to worry about that right now, not when he had this.
* * *
“I take it Maddox didn’t kick your ass to the curb?” Zack asked as he hefted the lion’s share of a panel for the front bar. Ben had been upgraded from trash duty to being Zack’s assistant on this project. Sweeping up might be easier than dealing with their inquisitive friends, all of whom had noticed them arriving together.
“Nope.” Maddox looked over at them from the wall he was painting a soft shade of green. “I didn’t.”
“Good.” Zack reached for his drill. “Steady this for me, will you?”
“The crankiest not-a-couple has made up. It’s a beautiful day.” Apollo had rolled in with Dylan, later than the rest of the crew, and had the exceptional good humor of a guy who had most certainly gotten a nice welcome home. Ben should know. His own mood was pretty damn light, and he’d slept better than he had in weeks, knowing Maddox was close.
“Actually...” Maddox looked over Ben, question in his eyes. Ben nodded. “Not entirely accurate.”
“What? You didn’t make up?” Apollo blinked, awfully slow for a guy who commanded troops with ease.
“No, idiot.” Dylan gave him a light thwack on the shoulder. “Not not-a-couple.”
“Oh.” Apollo’s eyes darted between them. “Well. About damn time.”
That was exactly how Ben felt too. About damn time they got this right. And standing there with his friends happily chattering over them, he knew in his bones that anything less than this wouldn’t have been fair to any of them. Wouldn’t have been fair to ask Maddox to keep this quiet just so that they could serve on the same team. Would have sucked figuring out who to tell and who to not. He could see that now.
Didn’t mean he wasn’t still sad about Maddox leaving the team, but this meant so much more. It was scary as fuck, all the trust and love Maddox was putting in him. Coming here yesterday had been the hardest thing Ben had ever done—harder than surviving BUD/S, harder than hauling Maddox out of the jungle—but the payoff had been worth it. Just being back in Maddox’s bed, holding him. Loving him.
His eyes met Maddox’s, and for once he knew exactly what he was thinking. I’ve got your back. Leap with me, Maddox’s gaze urged. And same as Ben had followed him on their first dive, out their first HALO jump, he made a choice to believe in that. To leap. Together.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Six months later
The door to Sweet Time bakery chimed and Maddox looked up from closing out the register. “We’re closing—” His rehearsed speech died as he took in the man in the doorway. He couldn’t get around the counter fast enough.
“Transport got in sooner than we thought.” Still in uniform, Ben sounded exhausted and looked worse, dark circles under his eyes. But he was there, back from a mission, and Maddox had never seen such a fine sight. “Home was too empty without you, so this guy and I thought we’d come help you close.”
“Oh you did, did you?” Maddox bent to greet the dog. He was a mutt of indeterminate young age and breed, still growing into his huge paws and big floppy ears. Maddox had a picture back behind the bar of the three of them, the day he’d convinced Ben to go to the Humane Society with him, just to look. Ha. There’d been no separating these two from first sniff. “Bet Buddy went nuts to see you.”
“He goes crazy for anyone who lets him out.” Even Ben’s laugh was tired.
Unable to resist any further, Maddox wrapped him up in a tight hug, which set the dog to barking excitedly. “So glad you’re home.”
He had been totally unprepared for how hard it would be to be the one staying home when Ben shipped out for the first time without him. He’d paced many a sleepless night, baking and the dog the only things keeping him sane. Ben had talked about how Maddox always had his back, and Maddox had told him that wouldn’t change—but it was an adjustment knowing that someone else had Maddox’s job out in the field. A different kind of trust than Maddox had anticipated.
But they’d made it through, and now Ben was back, and all was right in Maddox’s world again.
“Sucked. Missing you.” Ben leaned into the hug.
“I know.” Maddox kissed the top of his dusty head.
“But coming home...this is pretty nice too.” Ben’s mouth found Maddox’s for a sleepy kiss, one better suited for their bedroom than Maddox’s bakery’s front window.
Panting, he pulled away before they could forget where they were. “I can close fast.”