Submerged (Bound Together #1)

by Lacey Black

  How does this man know exactly what to say to melt my heart and break away any remaining defenses I may possess? Every time he opens his mouth, I think I fall deeper and truer in love with him. He’s possessive and bossy, yet so sweet and caring. He treats both Natalia and me as if we’re rare gems that he’s treasuring with everything he has and everything that he is. It’s a heady feeling to know that all of his love and adoration is for us.

  “Nothing would make me happier,” Mom says with a smile before stepping out the door.

  I close the door behind them and the room is instantly quiet again. For the past twenty-four hours, this room has been silent as Luke and I both kept vigil by his bedside. Now, he’s watching me with glossy eyes as I walk back towards the bed.

  “Come here, you. You’re not sleeping in the chair tonight. I need to hold you in my arms. Arm,” he corrects with the hint of a smile. At least he can smile about the fact that he was shot the day before.

  Even with the fear that I might hurt him, I still give in to my desire to be as close as humanly possible, given the circumstances. Mirroring the same position Natalia was in moments ago, I rest my head against Blake’s good shoulder and sigh deeply.

  “I wasn’t kidding, Carly. I know I probably shocked you silent earlier, but I’m going to marry you. As soon as I possibly can. I can’t wait any longer. I’ve wanted to be with you from that first night we spent together over two years ago. The hardest thing I’ve ever done was walk away from you that night. That night was life altering for me. I wasn’t the same after it. That was the night I fell hopelessly in love with you. That was the night we created a miracle. We created our daughter. And I want to create more just like her. I want everything with you because you are everything to me. Do you want that, too?”

  “More than anything,” I choke out over the lump in my throat.

  “Good, because I wasn’t letting you go anyway. You’re stuck with me now. Forever.”

  “Forever.”

  I snuggle in closer and let my eyelids flutter closed. This is heaven, right here. Wrapped up in his arms with his warm breath fanning out across the top of my head. Nothing will ever compare to the way I feel with him, the way he makes me feel inside.

  I’m finally home.

  Epilogue – Happily F’ing Ever After

  Blake

  Today is a big day. I’ve been out of the hospital a little over two weeks now, crashing with Carly at her apartment. She couldn’t get rid of me if she tried, and falling asleep with her every night sure beats the hell out of alone in my brother’s guest room. Carly had nursed me back to health as much as she could those first few days, even when all I wanted to do was sleep. It took me just over a week to convince her that I was well enough to submit to the nurse and patient fantasy that I had. And with her playing the part of nursemaid, she fulfilled every aspect of the fantasy to perfection.

  Carly is driving to our appointment with the realtor. When we got back to her place after being discharged, I told her that I was buying us a house. I want the sandy backyard and plenty of rooms to fill with a growing family. I want roots and a home. I want that for Carly and Natalia.

  Together, we scoured through dozens of listings online. This place, we both fell in love with instantly. I didn’t make any other appointments. I don’t need to. I can feel it in my bones. This is the place for us.

  I haven’t brought up getting married anymore since leaving the hospital, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have a plan up my sleeve. I want to catch her completely off-guard when I get down on one knee and ask her to marry me. I’ve been in cahoots with Luke this past week. Carly stayed home that first week to care for me, and even though I didn’t really need it, I enjoyed the hell out of her being there and doting on my every need, so I didn’t bitch.

  Luke took a week’s vacation following his mandatory sabbatical from the agency. Whenever a big case comes to an end, we’re required to take downtime to recharge and relax. Luke spent his with me mostly, and helped me plot out this weekend, driving my wounded ass all over Vegas to make all of the necessary preparations. Of course, in true Luke fashion, he hasn’t let me forget all that he’s done for me these past few days. I’m sure I’ll be hearing about it for years to come. I just hope that someday, someone knocks him on his ass like Carly did to me. I can’t wait to return all the shit he’s been dishing out lately.

  Carly is driving my Camaro for the time being. She drove one of her boss’s cars for a while after hers was stolen, but hated being a burden to Reid, even if he has more cars than a small town. We intend to car shop to replace hers, but figure for the time being, since I’m not able to drive mine, she can use it to get around. Plus, seeing her drive my old muscle car is fucking hot. Every time she’s behind the wheel, I can picture her climbing over and straddling me like she did that night we never made it up to the apartment.

  I adjust my too-tight pants as we get closer to our destination. The subdivision we’re looking at is not too far from her work, and while I’d love for Carly just to quit and stay home with our impending family, I know she’s a worker and wants to contribute to our income anyway she can. My salary as an eight-year veteran of the FBI is enough that we could get by on a single income, if necessary, but I know that’s not what she wants. And I’m not going to fight her on it. For now.

  I’ve been on sabbatical from work since I was shot. I started therapy this past week to keep my muscles loose and to aid in the healing process. Those first few days were fucking hell. I ached at night in ways I didn’t know were possible. It took some serious painkillers to get me relaxed enough to fall asleep, but I’m slowly weaning myself off them. The last thing I want is to become dependent on drugs.

  Waking up next to Carly and holding my daughter all morning has been unbelievable. I never thought I could be so damn happy and content. Georgia has been coming over and helping with Natalia during the day as she usually does. With my limited mobility on my right arm and the fact that I have therapy every day, she’s been watching and writing from our place. And man does she have an interesting concept for her next crime novel…

  We pull up in front of the large tri-level home featuring blond brick on the bottom half and white vinyl siding on the top. The first thing I notice is the concrete patio with white pillars. The double front door is a light oak with ornate, beveled glass.

  “Wow, this is prettier than in the pictures,” Carly says almost absently from the driver’s seat. I glance over at her beautiful face to gauge her reaction to seeing this house for the first time in person.

  “You ready?” I ask as she removes the keys from the ignition.

  “To see this house?” she asks, still staring at the place in front of us. Then she turns towards me, her face lighting up with a bright smile as she says, “Absolutely.”

  Natalia starts to holler from the backseat as if sensing that it’s time to get out. Slipping out of the car, I opted to leave the sling at home today so I could use both arms. Carly gets a very excited Natalia out of the backseat and hands her to me. I prefer to carry her everywhere we go, even if it’s with my less comfortable left arm. There’s something about carrying her. I’m sure it has something to do with the fact that I know it won’t be long and she’ll want to walk and run everywhere she goes. So for now, I’ll soak up all this time with her that I can get.

  I take in the house as we walk up the stamped concrete pathway. There’s an attached two car garage with a large master bedroom over the top. A large picture window is just to the upper right of the front door, which should be the smaller living room. The entire front is landscaped with well-manicured bushes and shrubs. This is exactly the type of place I want to raise my family in.

  Our realtor, Charles, steps out onto the front porch as we approach. “Good morning,” he says with a big smile. The man I’ve spoken to in great lengths this past week is an older gentleman with gray hair. He’s wearing a plain white button down shirt and a blue and green tie with khakis.

/>   “Good morning,” I state, suddenly nervous as hell. I just pray Carly can’t detect the hint of nervousness in my voice.

  “Hi,” Carly says as she shakes Charles’s proffered hand, her nerves very evident in her voice.

  “Well, come on in and let’s take a look around, shall we?” Charles motions for us to follow him inside the front door.

  The first thing I notice is the beautiful tile. It’s a terracotta color and partners well with the beige walls. It’s warm and inviting, and I can plainly see coming home and walking through this front door every night. Straight ahead and to the right are stairs ascending while the stairs just to the left descend downward. We head that way first.

  At the bottom of the small staircase is a large great room with warm beige plush carpeting. A large stone fireplace adorns the far wall with sliding glass doors on the back wall. I feel like I can’t look everywhere fast enough.

  “Here is the family room. There’s obviously a large stone fireplace on this wall that was handcrafted by the best masonry in town. Over here, there’s a half bath,” he says while leading us to the small room just off the large open space. I link my fingers with Carly’s as we follow Charles from room to room. I can feel the slight tremble in her hand as we make our way through the lower level. Together, we walk over to the sliding glass doors and peek out. The doors are directly below the covered porch off the kitchen, so this area is shaded and comfortable. From what we can see, the backyard is spacious and beautiful. I can’t wait to get out there and check it all out.

  “Here is the mud and laundry room. There’s a large storage closet here that already has a clothing rod on one side and shelves on the other. The washer and dryer both stay as well as the other appliances. All are about three years old. The previous owner purchased all new ones with their new house,” he adds casually.

  “This way leads you to a smaller room that would make a perfect office, as well as the attached two car garage,” he says opening the door and granting us access. This is my kind of garage with plenty of space for two vehicles, plus extra room in the back for a small shop area. I’ve always enjoyed tinkering with cars when I was a teenager, which is what helped me prepare for the undercover job.

  “If you’re ready, we’ll head upstairs and get a look at the rest of the property,” Charles says as we make our way over to the stairs. Carly has yet to say anything, and Natalia is being surprisingly docile. For a fifteen month old, I’m surprised as shit at how well behaved she’s being right now.

  We make our way up the two sets of stairs and we’re in the upper level. A small sitting area is directly to the right. A large picture window overlooking the front takes up much of the front wall. There’s just enough space here for a couch, chair, and television, or maybe a kids play area.

  “The previous owner used this for a seating room. You could make it into whatever you wanted. Over here is the kitchen and dining room. Custom oak cabinets and granite countertops were installed when it was built seven years ago. The stainless steel appliances are top of the line, and as I mentioned, everything stays with the house.” Carly checks out the entire room thoroughly. She walks around and opens just about every cabinet, including one that stores bottles of wine and wine glasses. I can practically feel the excitement radiating from her body. She even opens up the fridge and dishwasher.

  She makes eye contact with me just then and her eyes are sparkling like diamonds, and the smile spread across her beautiful face matches. I’m a lucky son of a bitch.

  Heading over to the sliding glass doors in the dining room, Carly reaches for the venetian blinds that are closed. “Oh, let’s hold off on seeing the backyard and deck for last, shall we?” Charles states, directing our attention towards the rest of the house. My heart is beating double-time as I will my breathing to slow. I sound like an out of shape football player trying to run my first fifty of the season.

  “This way to the bedrooms,” Charles says, leading us out of the kitchen. Rich hardwood flooring extends from the small living area all the way down the hallway.

  The first door is a large bathroom. This room decorated with a splash of color in a deep blue and light green. The shower and tub unit is tile and the vanity clearly a custom design with matching backsplash.

  “Over here is the first of three bedrooms. Both of the smaller rooms are still twelve by thirteen and have decent sized walk-in closets.”

  After Carly and I both check over the first room, Natalia decides that now is the time to get down. She wiggles enough that I go ahead and oblige her. She stands up instantly and walks towards the closet. Giving the door a tug, she walks inside and plops down on the floor of the empty space. The smile she awards us is breathtaking. “I think she’s already picked her room,” Carly says with a laugh.

  Carly scoops up Nat as we head towards the master bedroom. As we step inside, I link my fingers with hers again. I want to feel the excitement through her as she sees this space.

  We step inside the master bedroom. The room is large with its own en suite bathroom complete with custom everything. There’s a garden tub as well as a shower stall with rich hues of brown and cream. The carpeting is plush, the walls are a rich copper color, and the master bathroom rivals the size of my kitchen and living room combined in my old apartment.

  What gets my attention now is her audible gasp when she looks out the sliding glass doors. This master bedroom comes with its own private balcony. The sun is bright in the sky, which enables us to get our first real glimpse at the backyard. There’s an ornate pond in one corner along with plenty of open space between that and a gated in-ground pool. I can already picture where I’ll put the swing set that I’ll insist on building myself.

  Charles releases the latch to open the sliding glass doors, granting us access to our personal deck overlooking the backyard. It’s not big by any means, but there’s enough room for a couple of chairs. I can picture her and I lounging around after the kids go to bed at night. Kids, yes, because there will be more. As soon as humanly possible.

  From our vantage point on the little deck, we can see the large screened-in room off the back of the kitchen. This is the part that I can’t wait to show her. This is where I take over.

  “If you guys don’t have any questions for me, I’m going to step out front and let you both look around. If you need me, just holler,” Charles says as he extends his hand to both of us. After polite handshakes, he exits the master bedroom and disappears.

  Suddenly, I’m a sweaty mess. My palms are clammy and my pits are suddenly so moist, I’m afraid I forgot to put deodorant on this morning. The nerves that I’m feeling when I share my big news isn’t about wondering how she’s going to take it, but about wanting to make sure it goes seamlessly. Perfectly. A lot of different factors played into today’s surprise.

  “Shall we go check out that back deck?” I ask, extending my hand towards her. Carly takes it without hesitation.

  I lead her down the hall and towards the closed blinds. Taking a big deep breath, I slowly pull them along the track, opening them for the first time since our arrival. There on the patio is the scene I planned with Luke. He’s standing off to the side, but will only be here for a few more minutes.

  “What’s this?” Carly asks, her beautiful face alive as she takes in the room. Even though it’s daylight, the room is filled with candles. A table for two sits in the middle, complete with covered dishes.

  “This is for you,” I tell her as I pull open the sliding door with my good arm.

  “For me?” she asks, stunned as she slowly steps into the room. You can clearly see the backyard now. The pool with water as blue and clear as the ocean is directly in front of us. Another door at the far end of the screened room opens to a staircase descending downward towards the ground.

  I reach over and take Natalia from her arms. “Give Mommy a kiss, sweet pea,” I instruct our daughter. The surprise on Carly’s face is priceless as we both kiss our daughter. Walking over to Luke who has r
emained quiet the entire time, I hand over his niece.

  “What’s going on?” Carly asks behind me.

  “Luke is going to take her to the apartment for a bit. We’ll join them there shortly.” Her look is skeptical as I kiss the top of Nat’s head goodbye. Of course, this was all part of my master plan for today. The extra car seat is already in the backseat of Luke’s Tahoe.

  “You two behave,” he says as he takes Natalia and heads towards the doorway leading to the vacant house. “Don’t worry about us. We’ll be just fine,” Luke says before disappearing completely, though I can hear him talking to his niece the entire way.

  “Why did your brother just take our daughter back to the apartment, and why is this place set up like this? I’m sure Charles will be back any minute looking for us,” Carly says.

  Taking her in my arms–okay arm since my right arm still has limited mobility–I gaze adoringly into her eyes. “Charles isn’t coming back,” I confess. “He’s already gone.”

  “Gone? But what about this house? He just left us here?” Her eyes are filled with concern as I raise my arm, smoothing out the little wrinkle between her brows.

  “Yes, sweetheart, he’s gone. He’s gone because I told him to. Because I wanted this moment to be special and having my realtor walking around doesn’t constitute as special in my book,” I say with a little grin.

  “I don’t understand,” she whispers while wrapping her arms around my waist.

  Pulling her flush against me, I say, “Well, let me explain. Charles is gone because the new owners are already home.” I wait several moments while my words sink in. When it finally hits her, I think I could push her over with a feather. “Yes, you heard me. New owners. This is our home.”

  Her deep brown eyes instantly fill with tears. “You bought this house?”