by Lilian Darcy
“Easy,” he said.
“Like hell. There’ll be time for that later.”
He laughed, then granted her wish. Just as had happened months ago, clothes went flying, tossed away as fast as they could manage.
He cussed at her boots as she sat on the edge of the bed, feeling cool air whisper over her now-naked breasts. “We’ve really got to get you something easier,” he said.
She reached out and stroked his longer hair, liking it better than the buzz cut he used to have, although that had had its charms, too. “Maybe I should never dress again.”
He looked up from the boots, eyes hooded yet hot. “I could get to like that.”
He finally cast the boots aside, pulled her pants off her, then reached up to cup her breasts. “They’ve grown,” he said.
“You remember?”
“I haven’t forgotten one single instant.”
Talk about an inflammatory statement. She was already hot, but those words set her on fire. Every cell in her body seemed to be licked by tongues of flame.
“Hurry,” she said raggedly. “Oh, damn, Seth, just hurry.”
He brushed his thumbs over her nipples, more sensitive now than ever in her life, and she shivered. “Seth...”
“Oh, damn,” he muttered.
The next thing she knew, she was lying back on the bed, her feet still hanging over the side, and she could feel his staff seeking entry. This, just this, would be enough. A cry escaped her as he filled her, and it felt so good she thought she would shatter.
But his hands never stopped roaming over her breasts and belly, building the excitement in her in every way possible. She bucked a little and he responded with a deeper plunge into her.
His head bowed. First he kissed the mound of her growing baby, then his lips trailed upward, wet and hot toward her breasts. Moans started to escape her as primal needs took command.
Wanting. Needing. Hunger. Heat. The pulsing at her center spread throughout her entire body, as if she were one gigantic heartbeat. Reaching out, feeling as if she were wound tighter than a spring, she grabbed his shoulders, silently begging.
He gave her what she wanted. Leaning forward, he sucked her breasts, creating a rhythm with each movement of his mouth that kept time with her throbbing center, heightening her need until there was no thought left in her mind. With each plunge of his staff into her, she felt at once a satisfaction so deep it defied description and a rising hunger that demanded more.
The crest was close, so close. There was an agonizing moment when everything inside her seemed to still, then she peaked with a loud cry. An instant later she felt him groan and shudder, felt a new wave of heat as he jetted into her.
It could get better. Dazed, sated, she felt as light as drifting eiderdown.
* * *
A little while later, she curled against his side with her head on his shoulder and his arm around her back. He’d pulled the covers up over them and tucked a pillow under his head.
“Damn,” he said, his voice full of lazy amusement, “are you helo pilots always in such a rush?”
“I thought you SEALs were the fast-in, fast-out guys.”
“Only on some things.” He gave her a little squeeze. “We can do that again. As often as you like. Slower, too.”
“I’m not sure slower is better.”
“Well, we’ll find out, won’t we?” He turned a little to wrap his other arm around her. “I like the baby bump. I like the changes in your body. In case you were wondering. I was crazy about you the first time, obviously, but I’m still crazy. Everything okay?”
“Never felt better.”
“Me neither. Never.”
There seemed to be an emphasis to the way he said it, as if he didn’t want her wondering how she compared to his wives or other lovers. And it sounded like he meant it.
Warmed, she nuzzled his shoulder. “So many things I never imagined.”
“Like what? Feelings?”
“Well, that, but also...I shouldn’t admit this, but I actually liked being out of control.”
“Oh, sweetie, this is the best time to be out of control. You’re safe with me, so let it all hang out.”
“I think we just did that.”
She heard the laugh rumble in his chest, temporarily muting the steady thud of his heartbeat. “That we did.” Then he asked, “Are you hungry? Thirsty? I can run downstairs and grab something.”
“That casserole will spoil.”
“That casserole is a long way from being thawed. So, do you want anything?”
“A shower,” she admitted. “Sex is sticky.”
Another laugh rolled out of him. “Well, I know of this shower only a few feet away that’s plenty big enough for two. Care to join me?”
She tipped her head up until she could meet his gaze. “Why do you look so impish?”
“I have an evil side, and it’s having evil thoughts about being in that shower.”
Instantly she was sharing those evil thoughts. “You’re on.”
He tossed back the covers and led her naked to the bathroom. “Sit while I get the water warm.”
So she sat on the closed commode while he turned on the two nozzles. “Extra large water heater. We can take all the time we want.”
She smiled. “Why do I get the feeling you often missed showers?”
“Maybe because I did? You get so you don’t pay attention. There are more important things. But I swear, the showers were the first thing I hit as soon as they were in range.”
“I know.”
“I’m sure you do. There we go.”
He took her hand and helped her up. “You can sit on the bench if you want.”
She didn’t want, not yet. Instead she went into his arms, naked body pressed to naked body beneath a pounding spray of deliciously warm water. Could it get any better?
Oh, yes. As soon as they were wet, he grabbed a bottle of shampoo and began to wash her hair and massage her scalp. Relaxation poured through her, making her feel good all over.
Then he turned her under the spray to rinse her hair and began to rub a bar of soap all over her, starting at her neck. The slick caresses were heaven, and once again heat began to pool between her thighs.
Her eyes opened. “Oh, my heavens, Seth...”
“Enjoy,” he said. “Enjoy, because I sure as hell am.”
She felt as if she were being worshipped. His soap-slickened hands moved everywhere, slowly and lazily, which began to build the most wonderful kind of impatient anticipation in her. She had to force herself to remain still under his ministrations, but they felt so good she was contradictorily afraid to move and put a stop to them.
Over her breasts until they tingled and her nipples hardened. Gently lifting them to wash beneath, then running his hands around to her back. More soap, more caresses, pounding warm water. Heaven on earth.
But as his hands moved lower, she found herself holding her breath. Over her hips, again and again. Closer.
She almost protested when all of a sudden he dropped down and began washing her legs from the ankles up. Instead, the hot feelings pouring through her made her grab the safety bar for support.
“Do you need to sit?” he asked instantly.
“Not yet. Please.”
She thought she heard a laugh from him, but his hands never stopped moving, caressing every inch of her legs, steadily climbing, getting closer...closer...
Ah, sweet heaven. How much more could she stand?
“I told you,” he said as he stood, “slow is good.”
“Slow is driving me crazy.”
“Exactly.”
His hands slipped behind her, sliding over her bottom, then causing her to gasp as he spread her cheeks and slid his finge
rs between them. Who’d have thought...?
But thought ceased. Sensation took over. Damn, that felt good! A series of tremors began to pass through her, and she felt like a torch bursting into flames. Aching, wanting...
Then his soapy hands slipped around front and boldly slid between her legs.
“Ahhh...” A soft cry of sheer delight escaped her at the silky touches, first sliding over her lips, then parting them so he could touch that most sensitive knot of nerves. Over and over those gentle touches lashed her higher, bringing the pinnacle ever closer.
“Easy,” he said.
“Easy?” The concept seemed foreign. What in the world did he mean?
Then his hands pulled away from her. A sound of protest escaped her but he was ruthless. He turned her under the spray, rinsing her completely.
She was just starting to feel annoyed when he urged her over to the bench.
“Sit,” he said, steadying her until she was on the bench.
Now he’d wash himself, she thought and opened her eyes to watch because he was so gorgeous, even though every instinct wanted to drag him back to the bed.
He surprised her by kneeling in front of her. He pushed gently until she parted her legs.
“Slide forward just a bit,” he said.
Then a whole new world opened to her as he bent his head and began licking her in her most private place. It hurt and felt so good all at once that her body tightened like a bowstring.
She felt as if she were in free fall and grabbed his shoulders as if they would steady her. But there was no steadiness now. The entire world vanished in a tsunami of passion she could never have imagined.
Up she climbed, feeling weightless in space, carried away by forces beyond her control. Surrendering and loving every moment of it.
All of a sudden he pulled his head away, drawing another cry from her, then he plunged into her, keeping his fingers between them, rubbing her nub, building the ache until it was so hard she could barely stand it.
Then came the spasms of completion, beyond anything she had yet experienced. Wave after wave of pleasure rolled through her, so strong they were almost painful.
She heard herself cry out, stars exploded behind her eyes and she shattered into a million flaming pieces.
* * *
She had no idea how long it was before she returned to her senses. She opened her eyes slowly, feeling Seth’s head on her breasts, once again feeling the hot, pounding water.
She felt him pull away finally, and opened her eyes to slits. He aimed the water at her to rinse her off, then began lathering himself.
“If I thought I could stand,” she mumbled, “I’d do that for you.”
“Next time,” he answered, winking.
She enjoyed the show anyway. He was perfect in every respect, at least as far as she was concerned. He made quick work of it, though, then insisted on drying her with a fluffy towel. She tried to help him, but she was still feeling weak for some reason.
“You need to eat. Let’s get something on and go downstairs.”
She put on her robe and slippers, giving him a look when he remarked that the slippers were better than her boots. He just laughed.
There she was, feeling sleepy-happy-tired from their lovemaking, and he looked full of energy. Weren’t men supposed to get sleepy afterward?
Downstairs he started the casserole again, but apparently decided she needed something sooner than that. He made coffee, then offered her some slices of cheese and a quartered apple. Man, he was making her feel like a princess, cared for in all these ways.
“Milk?”
“Please.” She made sure to get her requisite number of glasses each day, whether she felt like it or not. Although she supposed there was calcium in those prenatal vitamins, she’d never bothered to check how much. They didn’t look big enough to have it all.
She felt so good right now it was almost frightening. She didn’t know why it frightened her. Maybe because she seldom felt this good, and rarely did such feelings last.
Seth joined her at the table with fresh coffee for both of them and pulled out the baby name book. This time they didn’t laugh their way through it, but discussed names more seriously while the aroma of the casserole filled the kitchen: warming cheese and some mustard. It smelled wonderful in here.
She was feeling tugs inside her that she couldn’t explain. Almost like her emotions were headed in divergent directions. But she didn’t want to think about that now. Life had given her nothing of what she had just tasted and was tasting now. It was time to accept the moment for what it was and save the analysis for later. An after-action report, she thought almost wryly. She could debrief herself in the morning.
The phone rang just as they were finishing dinner. Seth answered it, saying little enough, but when he hung up he looked ruefully at her. “The whole fam-damily is on the way over.”
“The what?”
“My parents. I knew I couldn’t keep Mom away forever. Sorry.”
Edie wondered at her lack of irritation. Then she understood. This whole family had been at the hospital when she’d had her little scare. That meant something.
“I’d better get dressed.”
Seth leered at her. “Want some help?”
“Not if I want to be dressed before they get here.”
His laugh followed her up the stairs.
She pulled on one of her new tops and a pair of maternity jeans. She skipped her boots, though, keeping her slippers on. She smiled to herself as she realized she didn’t want them to be in the way later. Because she was certain there’d be a later.
What it all meant, she didn’t know, any more than she had known what her one-night stand with him in Afghanistan meant. Certainly there had been consequences she had never imagined, but once again she had no idea what consequences might come out of this.
As she brushed her hair out she looked at herself in the mirror and wondered if she knew the real Edie. She knew the career-oriented Edie, the do-or-die officer and pilot, but the rest of her had been stunted in some way. Stunted or buried. She felt as if she were stretching out new branches, like a tree that was trying to grow.
Good or bad? Time would tell.
She reached the bottom of the stairs just as Nate and Marge Tate arrived. Marge came bearing a coffee cake, something chocolaty, and gave Edie a quick peck on the cheek. “I always wanted chocolate when I was pregnant,” she said.
Nate shook her hand. “I hear you took one of the Hueys up earlier.”
Edie returned his smile with a grin of her own. “It was great! I’ve missed flying so much.”
“Probably could do quite a bit of it here, if you wanted.”
She stilled, wondering if he was referring to Yuma’s earlier suggestion that she work for the emergency response team. Was this some kind of family conspiracy to keep her here?
Seth didn’t seem to notice. He pulled the two kitchen chairs into the living room to add seating, then went to get coffee for everyone while Marge cut and served the cake.
Edie looked at her plate as she sat in the recliner and wondered where she was going to stuff the cake. Dinner had filled her completely.
Marge sat in the other recliner, while the men took the two chairs, balancing plates on their knees and setting coffee cups on the floor.
“You really need more furniture, Seth,” Marge remarked.
“I want to wait until I’m done remodeling.”
“This room is done,” Marge pointed out. “Just throw sheets over the furniture when you’re making dust.”
“Yes, Mom.”
Edie saw the twinkle in his eyes, and Marge laughed. “There I go again. So have you two made any plans yet?”
Seth’s face stilled. Knowing him better, as she did now, she r
ecognized the irritation it masked. “You know, Mom,” he said after a moment, “we’ll deal with this in our own good time. We’re working things out, okay?”
Marge looked down briefly, then gave him an almost watery smile. “I’m sorry. I’m just so concerned, that’s all.”
“So are we. Very. It’s okay, but whatever we do has to be good for three people.”
Nate cleared his throat. “How about them Broncos?”
The question released laughter and cleared away the tension instantly. Conversation fell into a more casual vein, with Marge chatting about the latest news from her daughters, and Nate occasionally indulging in some sports patter. Seth leaned back, a clear signal he felt they were over the rough ground.
Only once did Marge bring the conversation back to the future. “You’ll come to Thanksgiving dinner, won’t you?” she asked Edie. “Everyone will be there and we always have fun.”
“I’ll try,” Edie answered uncertainly. “If I can get the time off.” Thanksgiving with a whole family. Part of her wanted it, and part of her feared it.
Seth handed her a ready-made excuse if she wanted it. “It’s hard to get time at the holidays, Mom,” he said. “Most of the single people volunteer to cover for the people who need to get home to families.”
“Oh, that’s a nice thing to do,” Marge answered. “But now Edie has a family, too.”
Oh, boy, Edie thought, managing a weak smile.
Then, much to her later embarrassment, she actually dozed off in the chair.
Chapter Ten
She awoke as she felt her feet being lifted. She opened her eyes immediately and found Seth raising the foot of the recliner.
“Damn,” he said, “I was hoping not to wake you.”
“I fell asleep? Oh, my God, what must your family think? Are they still here?”
“Gone. And they think you’re just one very tired pregnant lady. My mom gave me a helluva scolding for not making sure you got enough rest.”
She lifted her hands to rub her eyes. “I’m so sorry. And it’s not your fault.”
“It sure is.”
She caught the sparkle in his eyes. “Well, okay, but I don’t remember objecting.”