Disarm by June Gray Read Free Book Online Page A

“We only went out until after New Year’s,” I said. “I’d have broken up with him sooner if you’d told me how you felt.”
    â€œI almost did a few times.” He twisted his finger around a lock of my curly hair. “I came home early that Christmas to spend some time with you without Jason around.”
    â€œWould you have told me then?”
    He shrugged. “Maybe. If all the stars aligned. But I guess they didn’t.” His blue eyes took me in for a long time until I became uncomfortable.
    â€œWhat?” I asked, covering my face with my hand. I peeked through my fingers and grinned.
    He pulled my hand away. “I was just wondering what Jason would think.”
    â€œHe’d probably tackle you to the ground, maybe give you a black eye or bloody lip,” I said. Jason would have grumbled but, deep down, I liked to think he would have been happy for us.
    â€œSounds like Jason,” Henry replied with a rueful smile. He pressed his palm to my cheek. “I think he knew. I was always asking about you, trying to sneak your name into conversations. Every time we talked about coming back home, he’d ask me if I was looking forward to seeing you, but I’d just ignore him.”
    I beamed so hard my cheeks hurt. “You wanted to
huuuug
me, you wanted to
kiiiss
me,” I said in a singsong voice.
    He sat up and tickled me and we wriggled around on the bed like children until his cell phone vibrated on the nightstand. He looked at the caller ID and said, “I need to take this.”
    I went to use the bathroom to give him some privacy. On my way back out, I caught a glimpse in the mirror that gave me pause. My hair was tangled and any trace of makeup had been wiped off my face, and yet I looked positively delirious with happiness. I finally saw the glow Henry had been talking about.
    He was wearing pants and a grave expression when I rejoined him on the bed.
    â€œWhat’s up?” I asked. “Everything okay?”
    â€œThat was the commander,” he said in a voice that made the hairs on my arms rise.
    I didn’t want to hear whatever bad news was coming, but I had asked for honesty and it was too late to take it back. “What is it?”
    â€œThe deployment date has been changed.”
    A hopeful little thought bubbled up from my chest. “It’s been pushed back?”
    â€œIt’s been moved up.”
    I spoke around the thought that had lodged painfully in my throat. “When?”
    A gloom settled over Henry’s handsome features. “To this Saturday. As in two days from now.”
    That was about the time I fell off the swing and fell face-first onto the ground.

6
    OVER AND OUT
    We held each other that night, never once losing contact as we slept. I clutched him to my chest, afraid of losing his warmth, and in turn he nestled me in his arms with his lips pressed to my head.
    I woke with a start around two a.m., nearly hyperventilating from the thought that I hadn’t even told him how I felt. “Wake up,” I whispered against his chest, pulling away.
    He was hard to rouse after the night we’d had, but I needed to tell him. We were fast running out of time. “Henry, wake up.”
    â€œYes?” he rasped, keeping his eyes closed. He pulled me back against his chest.
    â€œI have to tell you something.”
    â€œCan you tell me tomorrow? I was having a nice dream.”
    I pushed against him. “No, you need to know now.”
    His eyes remained shut. “So . . . ?”
    â€œI love you,” I whispered.
    Henry was so still that if it weren’t for his rapid heartbeat, I might have thought he had fallen back asleep.
    I pushed up to one elbow. “I said I’m in love with you.”
    One corner of his mouth curled up. “I already know.”
    â€œWhat? For how long?”
    He finally opened his eyes and fixed them on me. “You’ve always