Read Online Fire with Fire (Crash and Burn, Book 3) (A Military Romance) by Eva Grayson - Free Book Online Page B

and we stand outside in silence, the sun beating down on our skin, the breeze blowing across the leaves of the young trees planted in the far back of the property. Everything is clean, all set for customers.
    Last, we go to the basement. I can’t help but smile as I think about how scary this place used to be. We did a lot of cleanup to make it much less frightening, took out that god-awful bathroom, added more storage space. The room is freshly painted and stocked full, ready for use.
    Cole’s hand brushes my lower back, and I lean into his touch. When his fingers stroke me through my thin shirt, I know he’s thinking about what first happened here between us. The truth-or-dare night, where our world was flipped on its head.
    My lips quirk, and I give a subtle nod toward the corner. The blanket we used the first time we were together is folded on the bottom shelf. He barks out a laugh and shakes his head at me, and I laugh too.
    “What’s so funny?” Xander asks.
    “Nothing, just a goofy inside joke,” I tell him. “You guys ready to go upstairs and finalize everything? It’s almost time to open your doors, right?” The employees would be arriving within a half hour, and I knew they’d want time to explore the changes, familiarize themselves with the new layout before customers came in.
    We head toward the basement stairs, me and Cole in the back. When I step onto the first step, his hand holds me in place. We let the two other men proceed up, and I turn and give in to the kiss I’ve been wanting to give Cole since we came inside.
    Cole sighs against me, his body scorching, and I savor the intensity building between us. My lower belly throbs in anticipation. Clearly my body remembers every moment of what happened in here too and would love a repeat performance. With a groan, I make myself pull back.
    He shoots me a crooked grin. “I can tell exactly what you’re thinking right now.”
    The flush on my cheeks is a dead giveaway. “It’s hard being fair-skinned,” I bemoan.
    “Come here.” He tugs me toward the middle of the room, still holding my hand. His eyes are suddenly intense on mine, and I feel another surge of love for him, this man who sees everything in me and loves me anyway.
    “You’re amazing,” I tell him.
    “ You are,” he counters. “Look what you’ve done to this place. It’s going to be a huge success because of your hard work.”
    I shrug. “The contractors did most of the work.”
    “Don’t be modest.” He takes a step toward me, gripping my hand harder. “Lauren, I love you so much.”
    I feel myself melting. Man, I wish we were alone right now. I would love to feel him inside me, to christen this room. It’s insane how much I crave him. “I love you too, Cole.”
    “You’re my best friend,” he continues. I feel my pulse skitter in my wrists when his thumbs stroke me there. “My best friend and the woman I love more than my own life. Being away from you for so many years was a special kind of torture, but I have to be glad that things went the way they did, if only because it brought us to where we are today.”
    My heart throbs hard. “You’re my best friend too.” I can barely speak past a tightening throat. “Thank you for being by my side and trusting in me. And for taking a chance and daring me to kiss you.”
    Cole stays quiet for a long moment, and I find myself starting to feel weird. Why is he just staring at me like that?
    Then he lowers himself on one knee.
    My chest gives a painful squeeze. I can’t say a word, just watch in silence when he digs into his pocket and pulls out a ring box. Oh God, oh God…
    He flicks it open, and there’s a diamond solitaire nestled in black velvet. It’s stunning.
    “I know this seems fast, given we just started dating a few months ago, but to me it isn’t. Lauren, I’ve been in love with you for so many years, and nothing in my life has ever felt so right. I can’t imagine living without you, and I don’t ever