Latched (Coronado Series Book 1)

by Hart, Lea

  She knew a lot of this on an intellectual level, but hearing him talk about it helped her understand on an emotional level. “Everything in my life that I’ve attempted to accomplish has been easy for me. School wasn’t hard and working at the firm was not difficult either. I have never tested myself for any reason, I went with what I was good at. I am the opposite of you. If I think it’s going to be too hard, I find something that I’m more likely going to succeed at. I think I can probably use more of your influence. I’m a big wimp and I don’t like to push myself. I was barely able to get in the car, you had to talk me into it.”

  “I lack courage in too many places in my life. I thought trying to talk you into a quick affair was the height of bravery. I didn’t even do that -you did all the work, I just agreed. I think I have major work to do on my wimp factor.”

  “Baby, you can’t compare yourself to a crazy ass Navy SEAL, most of us are certifiable. You know that we’re not normal. We are just the right men for the job. I think you are my perfect balance, my crazy and your sanity make the perfect combination. That’s why we’re going to go the distance.”

  “Why are you so confident, how do you know? You’re a man who hasn’t had a relationship since college and you’re ready to jump into one with me.”

  “I just am. I know what I feel and this is it for me. You are the one, it’s going to be true today, next week, next month and at the end of our lives. You are the love of my life. I know we don’t know each other very well and there are things we are going to discover that are irritating. But I know that you are my woman and the rest is just the sugar cookie.”

  “What is the sugar cookie?”

  “When we were in training, several time a week we would have uniform inspection. It was very thorough, the instructors would always find something wrong and it was never good enough. When you failed uniform inspection, you had to run fully clothed into the surf zone and get wet from head to toe. Then you had to roll around in the sand until every part of your body was covered in sand. The effect was called a “sugar cookie.” You stayed in that uniform the rest of the day – cold, wet and sandy. The guys who couldn’t accept that their effort was in vain, never made it through training. The guy who understood that you were never going to have a perfect uniform did. Sometimes no matter how well you prepare or how well you preform you still end up as a sugar cookie, it’s just the way life is sometimes. You have to get over the fact you are a sugar cookie and move forward.”

  “So what you’re telling me is that no matter if we have hard times, we just keep moving forward.”

  “Something like that. You are my woman and I love you. We are going to have hard times, challenges and you’re going to be mad at me. But we are going to always move forward, no matter what. It’s not a choice, I’ve never had an easy day in my job and I don’t expect it. I like figuring out how to make it through. I don’t expect easy, the last couple of weeks with you has been nothing but easy. It’s like fucking Christmas every day that I spend with you. You are my easy and my reward for the last eleven years of hard days. I never give up and that’s why I am so confident about us. I want my name to be the one that changes yours.”

  She leaned into him and that’s when she knew in her bones that this was it. It was never really a choice, this was the man for her. “I guess I’m a relationship girl. Can we just say that we had a short fling? That way I can say that I had one.”

  “Sure baby, whatever you want.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  FRIDAY MORNING

  Birdie stood on the porch waving to her parents as they drove off. They were heading home after spending the week with her and making sure that she was fully recovered. The van they had picked out for her store was going to be delivered today. She went back in, gathered her stuff and headed to the shop. She promised Mark that she would drive the new van today and wasn’t looking forward to it. She knew he wasn’t going to let her get out of it either.

  When she got the call from Frisco about his sister, she was happy to offer her a job. The timing was perfect and Melanie was a good fit for the shop. Birdie opened the front door of the store and saw Melanie walk around the corner. They greeted each other and walked in. Today she was going to teach her how to make arrangements. She wanted to have some flexibility in her schedule and having a second person was going to make that possible.

  After a productive morning, they walked next door and got lunch. Birdie introduced Melanie to the guys. Marcus finished making their sandwiches and brought them around the counter and handed them to Birdie. “How is that man of yours, everything going well?”

  “Everything is great, we are almost living together and I don’t want to kill him. He is surprisingly easy to live with. I haven’t discovered any deal breakers yet, so I’m going to assume he’s as good as he seems.” She turned to Melanie, “Mark Frazier who is Frisco’s commander, is my boyfriend. I’m not sure if your brother told you or not.”

  “When Frisco brought me down, he filled me in on all the gossip from his platoon and Josh’s. I feel like I’m fully updated. Congratulations by the way, Frisco said Mark had found the one.”

  “Well he has certainly expressed that to me. I think we need to take a little time and really get to know each other. We have barely been together a month, I’m in no rush.”

  Marcus patted her shoulder, “Girl, it is already a done deal. Everyone knows it except you. Soon you will be married and then you and Mark can get started on making some babies.”

  “Can I please wait until we hit our one month anniversary before we start making life plans together?” Her phone buzzed and she read the text telling her they were on the way over to deliver her van. “Let’s get our lunch and get back. My van is going to be here shortly.” She kissed Marcus, “See you later, I’ll be back to do my shopping later on.”

  FRIDAY EVENING

  Mark stood in back of her shop and looked over the new van, he was happy with the vehicle. It was functional for the business, but most importantly it had the highest safety rating. He walked in through the back door and saw that Birdie was done putting everything in the cooler and her tables were all cleaned up. She looked up and smiled at him and he felt the pit in his stomach like he always did when he saw her. She was a magnet to him and was always drawing him in closer. She walked over to him and gave him a hug, “Well, what do you think of the new van?”

  “It looks great. Are you ready to take it for a spin, before we go to dinner? You should drive us over to the restaurant and then we can come back here and switch cars before we go home.”

  She didn’t want to drive and wanted to get out of it. She moved her hands up his shirt and smiled, “You didn’t give me a kiss yet, you just came in and nothing. Are you bored with me already?”

  He liked the feel of her hands on his skin and tilted his hips forward to let her know. “Does this feel like I am bored? I was trying to behave myself and I get called out. I don’t want you to think I’m always trying to get at you. I am showing you that I am interested in all of you.”

  She pulled him down, kissed him on his cheek and then ran her mouth over to his lips. Kissing the side of his mouth she ran her hand down his stomach towards his zipper. “I appreciate your effort.” She continued kissing him gently and moved her hand into his pants a little and could feel his hips move. The heat of his skin against her hand made her start kissing him with more enthusiasm. “I love the way you smell, it’s perfect.”

  He picked her up, put her on the work table and framed her face with his big hands. “If you’re trying to seduce me to get out of driving, it’s not going to work.” He licked her bottom lip and then sucked it in a little, he could feel her lean into to him.

  “I was just kissing my boyfriend, I have no ulterior motives. Can’t I just enjoy having a sexy man in my flower shop? I’m not trying to distract you.” She slipped her hand down the front of his pants and heard him sigh. She was not going to drive tonight and she just needed to get Mark t
hinking about something else.

  He had taken the opportunity to slip his hand up her dress towards her thigh. He loved the feel of her soft skin and felt the edge of her lace panties. He played with the edge of the lace and then slipped a finger inside her folds. He felt her take a deep breath, “I’m going to slip inside of you in a minute. Then I’m going to push myself in so deep that there will be no separation between us. When we are done blowing each other’s mind, we are going to get into that van and you are going to drive us to dinner.” He slipped his finger inside further and felt her jump with pleasure. He closed his mouth down on hers and did not let her protest. She kept her hand on him and ran her hand up and down and he felt lucky that he was able to speak at all.

  She knew she had lost the battle so she decided to enjoy her defeat. She slipped her hand out and undid his zipper and freed him as much as she could. He helped her out and pulled her forward on the counter. With one push of his hips, he slid all the way home. They looked each other in the eye as he started gliding in and out slowly. They were connected physically and emotionally, they never looked away from one another.

  She held onto his big shoulders while he held onto her hips, “At least when I drive, I will be totally relaxed.”

  He kissed her hard and started pumping his hips faster, he could feel his release starting to roar down his spine. “Open your eyes baby, I want to see your smile when I make you come.” She started contracting around him and he could feel her clamp down hard, he saw the look of surprise on her face as she shattered. He stroked her twice more and shouted her name as he came.

  She dropped her head to his chest and kissed him. “Does this mean I still have to drive the van tonight?”

  “Yes it does. But now you will feel relaxed and happy, so I think your seduction plan worked out in the end.” He slipped out of her and went over and got some paper towels, then he cleaned himself up and then got some wet with warm water. He put himself back together and started cleaning her up, “I knew you were up to something, because you never initiate sex.”

  She took the paper towels from him and finished getting herself back together and looked for her underwear. “Do you want me to, should I try and do that?” She went over to the sink and washed her hands.

  He came up behind her and wrapped her in his arms. “It doesn’t matter to me who gets us started, just as long as we get there. I’m the more aggressive one, you just do what feels comfortable. I think we have done ok so far.”

  “I am feeling relaxed, but I am nervous. I think I need fried chicken for dinner. If I’m going to drive, I want to feel like there is a reward for my efforts.”

  “The diner has fried chicken, you can take us there and I will even buy you dessert. Let’s go do this and then we can go home and you can seduce me again.”

  She grabbed the keys, her purse and turned off the light in the back. “Here goes nothing.” They went out to her new van and she decided to face her fears. The sex definitely made it easier.

  They arrived at the diner thirty minutes later, the trip should have taken them fifteen minutes at the most. She had turned into a very cautious driver and he was glad that she got in the van tonight. It didn’t matter how slow she drove. He put his hand on her back as they walked in and noticed it was damp. Even though she looked calm when she was driving, he could feel how hard it was for her. They found a booth in the back and Mark slid in next to her and put his arm around her shoulder. “I’m proud of you, each time you drive it will be easier.” He kissed the top of her head and could feel her relax against him.

  “I’m having fried chicken, mashed potatoes and a salad with ranch dressing and a diet coke. What are you going to have?” She did not want to talk about how scared she felt every time they came up to an intersection. She didn’t want him to be worried if he was half way across the world. She would do this and didn’t want him to think that she couldn’t.

  “I am going to have the same thing, but I am having regular coke.” The waitress came up and Mark ordered. When she left he took her hand, “I know what you did tonight was hard.”

  “It was such a small thing, I’m going to try and be more like you.” She squeezed his hand, “What kind of pie do they have?”

  “They have everything, whatever you want.” The waitress came and brought their food and they started eating. “What are we doing this weekend?”

  “I don’t know. I’m going to the shop for a little bit and make sure that Melanie is set up for the day. I also have Adam coming over to give me an estimate on the upstairs. What are your plans?”

  “I think I’ll do my PT in the morning while you are at the shop and then I can come take you to lunch. How does that sound?”

  “It sounds good to me. I have my broker coming in after Adam. He is going to give me some ideas about what income I can generate if I make the upstairs offices or apartments.”

  “Should we talk about what to do with my condo? We are practically living together right now.”

  “I don’t think we should do anything. You are going to want to escape to your place when you get tired of me and I irritate you. We are just in the lover stage, where we can’t get mad at each other because we are either eating or naked. But wait until real life happens.”

  “I plan on being naked with you a lot. I’m not going to stop wanting that, so maybe we won’t mind real life. I will keep you in a sex coma, so you won’t have a chance to become fully conscious and you can’t get irritated with me.” He looked down at their clasped hands, “We have had real life. I have experienced the fear of losing you and I never want to feel that again. I’m going to be deployed soon and you are going to have to see if you can manage that. You may decide that it’s something you don’t want to deal with.”

  “If I am being totally honest, I am not looking forward to your deployment. But I’m going to have to learn to live with it. I don’t have a choice, I just have to suck it up and wait for you to come back to me.”

  “I am damn glad to hear that you don’t feel like you have a choice, because this is it for me. You are my person.” He gave her a greasy kiss, “Love you.”

  She wiped her hands and pulled him in, “Love you too.” They finished dinner and ordered pie, Mark saw Sam and Karen walk in and waved to them.

  They came over to the table, “Hi Guys. How are you, Karen?”

  She rubbed her tummy, “Much better thank you. The second trimester is much easier, I have my energy back and my appetite is much better. I think my husband may survive this after all. I don’t think I will make him crazy the whole time.”

  Sam looked down at his wife with love and affection, “Baby, I am a hard ass Navy Seal. I can handle my beautiful pregnant wife with no problems.”

  Mark just laughed, “That is not what you were saying last week. I’m glad to hear you so confident.”

  Sam gave his commanding officer a dirty look, “Thanks for sharing. I will be sure to return the favor when Birdie is pregnant.”

  Karen started laughing, “I was driving him nuts. I think I made hell week look like a picnic. I am much better now.” She leaned over and whispered to Birdie, “I can’t keep my hands off of him… I am having crazy hormones. Apparently you get double the hormones with twins.”

  Sam looked down at his wife, “Well I am enjoying my wife very much and I look forward to meeting our children.”

  “Good answer Sam! Karen do you know what you are having yet? I’m working on the blanket and I can make it gender neutral if you want.”

  Sam stood up straight and took his wife’s hand, “We are having twins, one of each.”

  Mark stood up and shook his CPO’s hand and gently hugged Karen. “Congratulations, that is fantastic.”

  Birdie got up and hugged them both, “I am so happy. I better start knitting faster.”

  “Since I’m eating for three, I’d better get started. See you guys soon.” Sam saluted Mark and they went over to their table.

  “Do twins run in your f
amily Birdie?”

  The waitress brought their pie, “No twins on my side. Why are you asking me?”

  “Just wondering, I guess we will just have them one at a time then.” He started eating his pie and looked at Birdie, “What, what did I say?”

  “There is no we, “we” will not be having them. I will be having them, all you have to do is have sex. I will be carrying them and I will be delivering them. Jeez! Your job will be to make sure that I’m as happy as I can be while I grow a child in my body. That is your job, I hate when men say we are having a baby. You are not the one gaining weight and having your organs pushed around while a bowling ball sits on your bladder.” She started eating her pie and was talking to herself, “You get to have an orgasm and send your seed and that is it. What is this we?”

  He smiled during the whole speech, she was telling him that she was going to have his babies. “I understand Birdie, I cater to your every whim and try and make you happy, and then I worship you after you deliver our child. I got it, no problem.”

  She nodded her head, “As long as you never say we, it will be fine. You can say we after the baby is here, because then we will both be responsible for the child.”

  “Well, I’m glad we have that all worked out. Let’s go home and practice.” He paid the bill and they waved to Sam and Karen as they left. They walked out to Birdie’s new van and she took a deep breath and got in. It took them thirty minutes again and Mark wisely kept his mouth shut. They switched cars and he drove them home in his truck, they made their way inside and went upstairs to practice making those babies that they talked about.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  SATURDAY