Way of the Warrior (Troubleshooters #17.5)(105)

“I get it. You’re right.” Her voice was resigned but not unhappy. Instead, it sounded like she had come to terms with something important inside of herself. “This is the way it’s going to be, toe-to-toe on every issue in our lives. Equals, who will occasionally have to duke it out before we reach a compromise. True?”

“Isn’t that what you want?” He raised an eyebrow. How could she want anything else, anything less than a man who was her match?

She pursed her lips, considering his words. “Certainly, I want a man who rocks my world with passion and excitement, and then steadies it again with his love and compassion. Yes, it is what I want.” Her words were firm. He liked that definitiveness. “It explains a lot. Why I usually went for either simpering men or ones who were overly domineering to the point of possession. Neither worked out.”

“Good, because that’s what I’m offering, a lifetime of this…of me.”

Her head snapped up. “Are you proposing to me now? Here?”

He chortled. “Of course! We’ve christened a good part of our best friends’ house, why not have the most important memory here, too?” It did seem right, oddly perfect. Could the Tomses have arranged it? Seemed unlikely. No one knew he was coming up here today…or did they?

Alisha groaned. “Jonah! Julie’s practically my shadow! How am I going to tell her about the proposal? When a story starts with…hey, so we were lying naked on the floor of your new house… Oh, God!” She laughed. “Help me think up a better story, quick!”

He joined in on the laughter, until there were tears streaming down both of their faces. “Tell you what. I will propose to you in a bunch of places, and you can pick your favorite one.”

Her face was suddenly serious. “Jonah, this will always be ‘the’ spot. If it weren’t for this house and the whole project, how would we have come back into each other’s life?”

He gathered her close and hugged her. “I would have found a way. Alisha, you’ve always been the ideal, the person I measure every woman against, and all of them were lacking, because they weren’t you.”

“Jonah,” she sighed as her fingers caressed his chest. “I’m sorry I ever let you go.”

“For the record, you demanded I leave.”

“I remember.” She looked up at him. “I’m sorry I hurt you. I thought…I was going to be another notch on your belt.”

“You could never be that.” He could feel her breathing change. Her heart rate sped up.

Her lips flattened and then slowly pulled into a smile. He smiled right back and couldn’t resist a little teasing. “Are you going to be happy with a man who makes you—what are your words—more angry than you thought possible?”

She nodded her head. “Only if we can make time to become more happy than we deserve to be.”

“Roger that. Priority One,” he breathed as he kissed her. The touch of their mouths was like a wildfire, igniting passion that ran hot instantly and consumed all of his attention. He wanted her again. How would he ever be able to get enough of her and get this house finished?





CHAPTER 6


The dial on his Luminox dive watch read one in the morning. “C’mon, Alisha, we’ve got to get moving.”

They’d made a bed on the floor with towels and catching a few hours sleep made a big difference in his book. If only they had time to make love again before they worked their way through the checklist.

Nah, he told himself. If I open that door, we won’t get anything done tonight. He threw back the towel covering him and scooped up his naked lady. Felt funny to call her that, but she was. This was a good time to be labeling their status.

Her hand batted at him. “Stop. I want to sleep.”

He moved quickly through the house until he was at the pile of their clothes. As he placed her on her feet he asked, “Do you want to face Kevin and Julie in four hours when they show up at 0500 and this house isn’t finished, or do you want to get moving while I follow all of your instructions?”

Alisha bit the corner of her thumb playfully. “Pfftttt.” She stuck her tongue out at him with a proper raspberry and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. “You know I choose Kevin and Julie. Let’s get after it. But I want to discuss that ‘follow all my instructions’ idea once we’re done for the day.”

He blew her an air kiss. “As you wish.”

Jonah was genuinely amazed at how organized Alisha was as they went through the list. It was going to be close, but they could make this happen. He picked up a tool belt, adjusted it to fit, and then secured it around his hips. Reviewing the list, he indicated two items and said, “I’m on it.” And with that, they both went to work.

? ? ?

Alisha came up behind him and put her arms around his body.

“Yyyyyesssss,” he said in a low voice. “How can I help you?”

“My mind is spinning with questions,” she admitted, coming around to face him.

“Like…”

She put her hands on her hips. “What now? What about tomorrow?”

“We get married and move to support my next assignment, or we get married and you stay here and I come back on my open weekends.” Jonah spoke as if he were ordering pizza, like this conversation was the most normal thing in the world.