Page 79 of Oathbreaker

“Jade recommended it.”

She smiles. “Of course she did.”

We get everything out of the back and work together setting up. It’s not cold, but the sun is starting its descent into the horizon and that means it will be soon enough. But that just gives me an excuse to hold her.

“This looks amazing,” she whispers as I set out the food I picked up from the caterer Jade suggested. They specialize in picnic basket meals for romantic dates, and it’s exactly how I envisioned it. Wine. The fanciest, most elegantly plated cheese and meat platter I’ve ever seen. Fresh bread. Chocolate-covered strawberries. I hope this is the kind of thing Briar likes.

I open the wine while she pulls out plates, napkins, and wine glasses.

The petite sirah is a brand I’ve never heard of, but what do I know? Most military men don’t drink wine while deployed, and there certainly wasn’t any in a Siberian prison. Briar recognizes the name, though.

“Oh, this is from Oak Ridge Vineyards?”

“You sound like you know them.”

“I do. Atlas and Jean-Michel, the owner, are friends.”

Yet another detail I know nothing about.

I must have sighed or had a weird look on my face because she leans over and runs her knuckles across my cheek. “You’ll get up to speed before you know it.”

“I’ll never get back the years I lost,” I whisper gruffly.

“No, but those were out of your control. We can’t go back in time, so we focus on being more present in the future. Like you’ve been doing with Frankie. In a few years, she won’t even remember that you didn’t come into her life until she was four.”

“Four and three-quarters,” I correct solemnly.

She laughs, rolling her eyes. “Yes, let’s never forget the three-quarters.”

We eat and talk, conversation coming easily for once. The new client Atlas has been stringing along because he’s been such a jerk. Frankie deciding she’s ready to learn cursive. And Mandarin since her bestie at school is Chinese.

“Let’s watch the sun set,” I suggest once we’ve done a significant amount of damage to the platters of food.

I put most of it back in the basket, then I spread my legs and hold out my arms. Briar doesn’t hesitate, settling with her back against my chest like we’ve done it a thousand times—even though the truth is that we’ve never done it. Not like this.

So, I wrap my arms around her, pull her close, and we stare out at the setting sun without saying a word. There’s a cool breeze coming in off the water, waves breaking gently on the shore, and I can’t remember the last time I was this relaxed. Briar’s head falls back, settling into the hollow of my shoulder, a lock of her hair rising up to tickle my face.

“This is beautiful,” she whispers.

“Not as beautiful as you.” I let my fingers drift to her face, gently turning her head so I can capture her lips with mine. My movements are slow, deliberate, gauging her reaction—I don’t want to rush her like I did last night.

“When you kiss me…it’s like there’s nothing but you and me.”

“There’s never been anything but the two of us. Not since that night we spent together.”

She twists so she can look at me, and I stare down into her gorgeous green eyes. So much fire in those emerald depths—but also passion, sincerity, and much more. All things I love about her.

I dip my head, kissing her again, this time with more intensity because I can’t seem to help myself. Her mouth fuses to mine greedily, like she’s been waiting for this. Lips and tongues tangle deliciously, warmth spreading over me as she presses her torso to mine. Slowly, because my sore body is protesting this awkward position, we slide down to the blanket.

I reach for the extra throw and pull it over us as we continue to kiss. And kiss. And kiss some more.

She slides a hand under my shirt, pressing it flat against my abdomen before gliding up to my chest. Warm fingers trail along my ribcage, tracing one of the more recent scars that’s still healing. It feels so good, goose bumps break out on my skin. But it’s not enough. I need to feel more—I need to feel everything.

Rolling onto my back, I tug her on top of me, mouths still locked. With her sprawled across me, I nudge one knee between her legs. It feels so right to have her lying on me like this, breasts firm against my chest, the heat of her core pressed against my thigh, lips pliable as I pillage her mouth.

Fuck but she feels good.

There’s no way to hide my arousal so I don’t even try, taking her hand and pressing it to my erection. “You feel what you’re doing to me?”