THE CRAZY GOOD SERIES - Rachel Robinson Page 0,255

do drunk. Let’s be honest, what I failed to do at all.

“I wasn’t sure how you’d react,” Morganna says, her voice quiet.

I raise one brow. “Did you think I’d be upset? Turn you in to the authorities? Make you pay for breaking up with me via video chat?” I smile. She doesn’t. “It’s merely a scratch,” I say, gently rubbing the side of my stomach. “It will heal and fade away just like any bad memories in our past. We’ll make new ones.” I stroke the side of her face. “The worst part of this is you probably destroyed my eight pack.” A half smile, one that lights her eyes, finally makes an appearance.

“I don’t care about your eight pack.”

I hug her as tight as I can manage. “Of course you do.”

“Fine. I do. How long until you get it back?”

I chuckle and then regret it. She kisses my neck, and warmth and relief course through my body. “You can help me find it again as soon as you bust me out of here. I’ve heard tongue GPS can be useful in situations such as these.”

“I’m imagining my tongue on wounds right now. It’s not pretty. Just F.Y.I.” She finally laughs. Mom pokes her head in the door, smiles, and leaves again. She probably heard too much talking outside with her ear pressed against the door, and thought I was aggravating my injury.

I press the button on the hospital bed to raise my shoulders and back up to a seated position. It’s painful as fuck, but I want to be as close to standing as I can be when I finish this conversation. Morganna sits up with me and cringes when she looks at my face.

“It hurts badly? Should I call in a nurse?”

“No. No.” I stroke her leg. “I wanted to tell you that I’m thinking about leaving the Navy. I’ll get a nice normal job and I’ll be home every night.” The weeks leading up to the confrontation with Alex, I’d pondered what it would be like…life on the outside as a normal Joe. If it would ease Morganna’s fears, I think it would be worth it. I’d find other ways to chase the high this life gives me. Hell, I can get shot any Friday night, just by her proximity—the adrenaline chase won’t be that difficult to find. Maybe after a life of hardships, I owe her this as a show of faith and my commitment.

Her gray eyes widen in shock and disbelief. “There is no way. No way…that you should leave the Teams, Steven. You were made for this life. You would do that…for me?” she mumbles, still stymied at the drastic change in conversation.

“No. I’d do it for us,” I respond.

She shakes her head. “I would never let you. It’s part of you. I love every part of you, even the one that…forces you into danger. If you got a typical job it would change the fundamental part of Steven Warner. As much as I’d love to come home and see your face every night, I don’t want that. The cost is too high.” Her eyes glass over again and I know she’s remembering…or trying to forget. Again.

She kisses me, her hands planted firmly on the sides of my rough face. I pull away. “It’s just an option, Morg. You need more than all of my love. You require more than any other woman in the world. You require an unspoken promise of life—unending love,” I whisper against her wet lips. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to give you that because life is fickle and mean, but I can do all I can to limit the fickleness.” I can’t give her promises of life. Not even by a lying, pigs-flying long shot. I can’t back down, though. And I definitely never miss a long shot.

“Promise me you won’t quit—ring that bell, so to speak.”

I smirk. The fact that she uses BUD/S terminology is odd yet comforting. I lay a palm on my chest. “I promise. If that’s what you want and if I’m not too broken I will continue my crusade as a badass. The only bell I’ll be ringing is the one between your legs.”

Morganna shakes her head. “A record was made; I think you’ve inserted sex into our serious conversation three times already.” Chewing her lip, she makes eye contact. “But I can’t say I’m opposed. Let me go find a doctor and figure out what we need to do to get