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"Ryan." She gasped when he lipped her ear lobe. She pushed back into him. "Oh. Ryan, stop that. I can't think when you're doing that."
Ryan sighed but stopped kissing her. He didn't let go, but he loosened his arm so she could pull away.
Erin arched against him, then pulled his hand off and rolled away. He couldn't help but reach for her. She took his hand in hers, and his residual arm in her other hand. Ryan jumped, shocked. She was touching him... there? His eyes must be as big as the tires on the jet.
"Ryan... you work for me. You're eight years younger than I am. Eight. You're not even close to thirty, and I'm on the downhill side of it." Under the glaring headlamp, her flushed face and intent stare were clear.
Her thumb gently rubbing across the end of his residual arm made it hard to think, but he did the math. "Wrong. I'm closer to thirty than you are to forty."
She laughed, but it wasn't a joyful laugh, and she didn't seem happy. "So? It's still eight years. I'd be robbing the cradle. And you work for me. It's called sexual harassment for a reason."
"I'll beg you to sexually harass me. Please?" He smiled, trying to lighten the mood.
"Ryan... this isn't a joke."
He sobered and looked straight into her eyes. Time to put all his feelings out there. "I'm not laughing, Erin. I love you. I don't care how old you are, and if I have to quit and work for free, that's what I'll do. I'm not going away now. I love you. If you'd pulled back from the start, then this would be a different discussion. But you didn't. You want me as bad as I want you, and that's a decent place to start. If it all falls apart later, I'll deal. At least we'll have tried. Really tried."
Erin looked at him. He stared back. He wasn't giving in without a fight. She was thinking too much about other people, not them.
"What happened to the silent, withdrawn Ryan Walsh I've gotten to know? When did Mister 'I'm all that and a bag of chocolate too' replace him?" Erin's brows wrinkled above a small smile.
Ryan relaxed. They were okay. "When you kissed me back."
She smiled wider. "Then what took you so long?"
He reached out and pulled her on top of him. She laughed, a joyful sound.
"Doesn't matter. You're here now. I'm here now." He gazed into her eyes. "And someday, I'd really like to show you how much of me is right here, right now. But we can go slow. I know you've got doubts, and I'm more than willing to take the time to prove them wrong."
She nodded. "Slow is good. We'll have to navigate the garage and coffee shop a little carefully. But..." Erin cupped his face with her hands, her calluses snagging a bit on his three-day beard. "You need to know now. I love you too. I didn't want to, and I tried not to, but it happened anyway."
What? No. It couldn't be. Ryan snapped his open mouth shut. But he had to be sure. "You... you love me? Really?"
"Yeah. Really. I love you." Erin smiled straight into his eyes.
He stared back at her, completely stunned by her for at least the fiftieth time that day. "Sierra Hotel. How in the world did I get so lucky? Who cares? Show me."
Erin brought her mouth down on his, and the words didn't matter anymore. Nothing mattered anymore but her and him, together.
Erin pulled away. "I love you, Ryan."
He'd never, ever get tired of hearing that. "I love you too, Erin. I'll prove it every day." His heart burned in his chest, and happiness surged through him like oil through a racing engine, fast and hot.
She slid her hands behind his neck. "You don't have to prove it; I know it already."
Her faith in him caused him to blink back sudden tears. "Then I'll live up to your love, Erin, forever."
"Forever." She smiled tremulously and kissed him passionately. There was no more room or need for words.
Chapter 28
Coffee, Cars, and Happily Ever After
Erin laughed at the quip Ryan tossed off to a customer. Their big backpacking trip was only a few weeks ago, but in those weeks, Ryan had come out of his shell, and not just with her. He was still quiet most of the time, and he struggled with depression and anger, but he was showing a little of the self-confidence he'd had before he lost his arm.
They were taking it slow, getting to know each other better, but he was at her house so often he might as well live there. And she wanted him there, despite her grocery bill quadrupling. She missed him too much when he was gone.
They were still learning each other's habits and preferences and occasionally stumbling over things that triggered bad feelings in one or the other of them. But being together was precious to both of them—they talked before their emotions spiraled out of control. Ryan went back to therapy, and she went with him occasionally, so she understood him better. He was also hanging out with a veteran group using her shop, and he'd gone to a couple of veteran events and joined a service organization. He was considering school but still wasn't sure what he wanted to study.
