Saving Easton (Oakside Military Heroes Book 2)(26)

"Told you she's lazy. She'd rather curl up and snuggle than chase things," Paisley says.

"That works just fine for me." I pat the spot next to me.

Paisley joins me, as I start pulling out fried chicken, biscuits, and some fruit.

"Oh, you even included dog treats," Paisley says.

I love how that impresses her more than the food.

"So, did I do good for our first date?"

"First date?"

"If I could, I'd take you out to the fanciest restaurant and spoil you, but for now, this is the best I can do.”

"Oh, Easton. I love this more than a fancy restaurant. Being able to have Molly and Allie with us is perfect, but I don't remember you asking me on a date. For this to be a date, you have to ask me, and I have to accept. Otherwise, it's just lunch." She shrugs her shoulders.

There’s my sassy girl who always keeps me on my toes. But two can play this game. I reach over and bring my hand to the side of her face.

"Paisley, you’re beautiful, funny, smart, and passionate. I love being around you. Would you go on a lunch date with me?"

A smile instantly lights up her face. She’s smiling a lot today, and I really like it.

"Yes."

As we start to eat, we talk about anything and everything. She tells me how things are going with Atticus and Jake, and how I might get to meet Jake soon, because he's coming to volunteer at Oakside.

"Noah made me a job offer to do security here at Oakside," I tell her.

"Really? Easton, that's great."

"Yeah, I want to do it, but it's so hard to see myself making that much progress.”

"Oh, Easton. I know it's hard to see it, but just look how much progress you have made in four weeks. You went from not letting even Noah in your room to sitting outside here with me. Yesterday, you held me in your arms all afternoon. That's huge progress. You’ll get there. It won't be overnight, but you’ll get there."

This girl has so much more faith in me than I have in myself, and it makes me see the future she sees. Without thinking, I lean in and kiss her. The moment her lips touch mine, shock waves rock my body. I know she feels it too, because she gasps right before she wraps her arms around my neck.

I kiss her gently, trying to hold back the beast that wants to come out and claim her, to put my mark on her, because I hate she’s walking around with marks from that kitchen guy.

My teenage self used to sit up at night and dream about kissing this girl. What her lips would feel like, what her lip gloss tasted like, and what sounds she'd make. My imagination could never have come up with something this good.

My cock is hard for the first time in years, and when her tongue glides along my bottom lip, I swear I could come in my pants. She runs her hands through my hair, and I have to pull back.

We both catch our breath, and the slightly dazed look in her eyes is such a turn on, knowing I did that to her.

"I've been wanting to do that for ten years," I tell her.

"I've been waiting for you to kiss me for ten years," she whispers.

Neither of us moves, as we let that new information sink in. All this time, I could have had this girl by my side. I wouldn't have had to spend all that time in the hospital alone. Would I have healed faster? What am I thinking? There’s no telling what our path would have been then. It just wasn't meant to be.

This is our story now.

Eating lunch, we watch Allie finally get up and play with Molly, and I marvel how easy this is, being here with her. I can almost imagine we’re a normal couple out on a date at the park. That we’ll go home, make dinner together, watch some TV, and then go to bed, where I’ll hold her tight in my arms every night.

Seeing her several times a week, keeps the nightmares at bay. I can only imagine how it will be, when I get to hold her in my arms every single day.

I can't wait.





Chapter 17





Chapter 17


Paisley





Tonight, is girl’s night at Lexi's. It looks like I'm the first one here, and of course, I brought Molly.

"Oh, I love that I’m having a girl’s only night!" Lexi says with so much energy. I wonder where she gets it all from.

"Where’s Noah tonight?" I ask, picking up a cookie from the trays of food on the kitchen island.

"He’s spending time with Easton. They’re going to have dinner together and play some cards, I guess."

Easton did mention wanting to spend some more time with Noah at our picnic yesterday. So, I guess a last-minute girl’s night is as good a time as any for a last-minute guy’s night.

"Who else is coming?" I ask.

"Brooke, Mandy, and Kaitlyn."

Kaitlyn is Easton’s daytime nurse. Brooke is the head nurse at Oakside. She was Noah's nurse in the hospital, and they all bonded, and she followed them here, when they opened Oakside. Mandy is the charity coordinator and has been with Oakside, since they opened as well.

As everyone arrives, they all give Molly some love, and she eats it up.

"Okay, ladies, grab a tray and help me carry this stuff to the sunroom," Lexi says.

Her sunroom is off the side of the house and has three walls covered in windows from waist height to the ceiling. The decor out here doesn't match the rest of the house. It's lighter with bright colors, whereas the house is more neutral.