“Liza, tell me you aren’t pulling your shit standing in my sister’s kitchen,” he hisses.
“No shit. I was only telling her about the challenges of being a Navy wife. Oh yeah, also complimented her on her article.”
He looks between us, clearly not trusting her, but also not wanting to cause a scene.
“I’ll give you a hint, and you really should take this seriously. Bryce will flip his fucking lid if you upset Devon. There is no bullshit to this. If you provoke him, you’ll regret it. He’s made it clear where his priorities are to almost everyone. Why you don’t get it, I don’t understand.”
“No need to get testy. Devon’s a big girl. She should be thanking me for helping her understand our lifestyle.”
“What lifestyle?” Bryce walks in, clueless. He comes straight to me and tucks me to his side.
“The Navy lifestyle. Liza was telling me that it takes some adjusting to.” His chest tenses under my hand.
“Well, lucky for us, by the time you’re done with the Master’s program and move to Norfolk, I’ll help you adjust.”
Liza’s face changes at the mention of my continued schooling. Her thoughts are clear.
“Quinn, can you watch the oven? I need to speak to Devon for a sec.” Bryce takes my hand and leads me to my bedroom.
Her words bounce around in my head, and I debate relaying our conversation. He turns me to him and cradles my cheeks, lifting my face to his. The instant our eyes lock, I know it was stupid to let her get to me. She’s a callous, jealous, and nasty woman who knows nothing about Bryce.
“I don’t know what she said, but I heard Quinn call her a bitch. Do you want to tell me why you look like you’re about to cry and scream at the same time?”
“She’s very interested in you, Bryce, and I’m afraid even the ring on my finger isn’t going to distract her. She’s beautiful and—”
“Stop. It’s done. No more. I’ll have a talk with her and make sure to set things straight.”
“She’s your co-worker.”
“Yeah, and I’ll have to deal with her. But you won’t.”
“I can handle it.” I shove my face into his chest, and his hands massage my shoulders.
“You can, but you shouldn’t have to. You’re my priority. She made you feel uncomfortable, which is unacceptable. I’ve never given her any indication we’ll be more. I’ve been off the market since a certain sassy-mouth came into my life at fifteen years old. It wasn’t until three years later, when she laid her perfect lips on mine, that I knew she was going to be my angel. I fucked up once and paid dearly with a void in my heart. Do you really think I’m stupid enough to fuck this up?”
“No, and I’m an idiot. She played on my insecurities. Don’t you see her positioning herself into your personal life?”
“Not until this morning. That’s exactly why, once I get my ass back on base, she’s nothing more than a colleague. This was a mistake to come to Charlottesville together.”
“No.” I sigh and look back up at him. “It makes sense to carpool since it was a work function. I’m being childish.”
“As of this second, erase her from your mind. I want you concentrating on this morning.” He nibbles lightly on my earlobe. “Until you visit me in two weeks, I’m going to replay the vision of you underneath me, squeezing my dick until I saw spots, the taste of your skin on my lips.”
“Bryce.” I squirm, rubbing my legs together.
“Yeah, I’ll remember that, too. All the ways you say my name when I’m inside you. This is what I want your mind to be filled with, not anything else, because there is no woman- ever- who will turn my head. And if I haven’t proven that by now, then I’m falling down on the job.”
“I’m sorry. You never make me doubt you.”
“Remember our rule. Never be sorry. Always be honest.”
I nod and lift up, brushing my lips against his. “Always. Now, we better get back in there because Quinn may have used her entire Portuguese dialect and started on more creative phrases.”
“Tell me you love me,” he hums against my mouth.
“I love you more than anything.”
“Don’t forget it, Devon. We’re a team, and the Lizas of the world can’t threaten my feelings.”