91
" Rayne heard Ghost open the door to the house and when he didn’t immediately appear, went looking for him. She found him standing in the laundry room, staring at what she saw was simply a load of dirty clothes she hadn’t yet put into the washer. Ever since she’d asked to borrow the car while he was at work for the last week or so, Ghost had been picked up by Fletch and dropped off after work by one of the other guys on the team. This was the first time she could remember him coming into the house through the garage, and thus through the small laundry room.
“Ghost? What are you doing? Are you all right?”
He looked up at her.
“You’re doing our laundry.”
“Yeah? So? It was dirty. You didn’t want to walk around in nasty, smelly clothes did you?”
Rayne had no idea what his deal was. Ghost dropped his duffle back on the floor and came toward her.
“You’re doing our laundry.”
“Yeah, Ghost. I am,” she repeated.
“Ours. Our laundry.”
“Did you hit your head today? I’m seriously worried about you.”
Ghost picked her up by her waist and set her down on top of the washing machine.
“I fucking love coming home and walking into my house and seeing your panties mixed up with my boxers. To come home and know you’re here. Waiting for me. You have no idea. None.”
Chills broke out on Rayne’s arms and legs at Ghost’s words, but he didn’t stop.
“This is what we fight for. This is what we’re willing to die for.”
“For me to wash your dirty clothes?” Rayne had no idea what he was getting at. She wasn’t trying to be snarky, her question was genuine. Ghost leaned his head against hers and closed his eyes. She could feel his hands squeeze her waist and move up under her T-shirt to her lower back, where he stroked. She knew he understood exactly what he was doing. He wasn’t absently caressing her; he was running his hands over her tattoo, over their tattoo. "
― Susan Stoker , Rescuing Rayne (Delta Force Heroes, #1)
94
" All my life, since I’ve worked with the team, we’ve rescued people, we’ve killed, we’ve gone into any and every situation, no questions asked. And every time I’ve come home to an empty house. I’ve done my own laundry, cooked my own food, cleaned my own space. I fucking love coming home to you, Princess. You make everything I’ve done, every sacrifice I’ve made, worth it.”
“Ghost—”
“I love you. I know it’s fast. I know people will call me pussy-whipped, but I don’t give a shit. You’re mine. I left you once, I won’t do it again. You were given to me to cherish, to protect, and to love. I’m not fucking that up again.”
“Oh my God.”
“I’m not asking you to marry me. I’m not even asking you to move in with me, although I’ve loved every second of you being here. "
― Susan Stoker , Rescuing Rayne (Delta Force Heroes, #1)
98
" This sounds like a good story,” Rex said when the laughter had died down. Abe didn’t give Benny a chance to deflect the unasked question. “We were chilling out at a bar after a mission in Africa. A prostitute came up to our table to try to score for the night. She asked our man here if he was looking for a good time. Benny, thinking he was being witty, said, ‘Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.’ It was noisy in the bar and the prostitute didn’t understand English that well and thought he was telling her his name. So she said, ‘Ten Dollars for you, Benny Dunhat with the T-shirt.’ It stuck.” Now it was the Virginia team’s turn to laugh uproariously. “Fucking classic,” Rex said, and nodded approvingly. “Assholes,” Benny said "
― Susan Stoker , Protecting the Future (SEAL of Protection, #8)
