Fake Boyfriend - Miley Maine Page 0,73

I could get it going with my own money, and then donate a portion of my proceeds to the cause for as long as I worked.

My friends were having a housewarming party for me later that evening, so I ran around, making sure everything was clean. I’d had to give myself a crash course in cleaning too. I’d grown up with a housekeeper that came everyday, so I didn’t even know the basics, which Jackson thought was hilarious.

Speaking of Jackson, he was due home in about ten minutes. I checked my watch, but he hadn’t texted to say he’d left the airport yet. After we got back from Alaska, we dated for a solid month, and then he’d been deployed to Egypt for two months. He’d been able to text most days, and call every week, so we’d stayed in touch.

I could not wait to see him. I’d been through deployments with family members, including my cousin that I’d lost to war. So getting adjusted to him being gone, and putting himself in harm’s way, was something that took some getting used to.

Just as I was checking my watch again, his SUV pulled into the driveway. I was already down the steps by the time he opened the door. “Jackson!” He opened his arms, and I ran straight into them. He picked me up, and spun me around.

He still had his fatigues on, which meant he hadn’t stopped by the base to change. He put me down and I stepped back to look at him. His tan was darker, and he had a cut on his forehead which was mostly healed. “Are you okay?” I asked, tracing my fingers over his jaw.

“I’m great.” He kissed me on the cheek. “Glad to be here.” He grabbed his bag from the car. “I want to see your house, but better shower before your friends get here.”

Normally I’d have hopped into the shower with him, just to see him naked after such a long dry spell, but I’d just gotten ready for the housewarming party, and I didn’t have time to do my hair and makeup again. I followed him in the bathroom, not wanting to be away from him. He couldn’t tell me much about his work, but he did tell me about his teammates, who I’d gotten to meet the first few weeks we dated.

Once he was out of the shower, he pulled on a tailored pair of sexy jeans, and a maroon polo shirt that looked great with his black hair. With his hair still damp, he took my hand. “So show me the house.”

He’d only seen the outside before he left, and I’d texted him pictures all the time. I gave him the full tour, and I think he paid attention, but he stopped every now and then to kiss me. He also pointed out the four-poster bed in the bedroom.

“Yep,” I said. “I took it seriously when you mentioned tying me up.”

He closed his eyes and groaned. “That sounds perfect. But don’t say another word about it, or I won’t be able to attend the party.”

“Maybe I should cancel the party.” I kissed him again. “Tell everyone not to come.”

“Mmm. They’d want to know why you were canceling,” he said.

I pulled back and ran my hands over his perfect chest. “I think the reasons would be pretty obvious.”

“Don’t cancel,” he said. “I’ll still be here after the party.”

“Good. How long do you have off this time?” I was desperately hoping for at least a month.

“At least three weeks,” he said.

“That's better than a few days,” I said.

I’d gotten used to him being gone, but I wasn’t sure I’d ever really be like it. But that was okay. He was dedicated to his career, and to his duty, and I respected that. I just hoped it never took him away from me permanently.

As we finished the tour, we walked back inside. “I don’t think I ever really got to see the front porch,” he said.

We headed back, and as I stepped on the porch, which was one of my favorite features of the house, and I noticed quite a few of my friends were already here, but they were still sitting in their parked cars.

“That’s odd that they’re here early,” I said. “My friends are never early.”

Jackson grabbed me by the shoulders and spun me to face him. “Loren Alexandra Stevens. The last three months have been the happiest ones of my life.”

Oh my God. Was this really happening?