After one quick stroke down her back, he set her aside, gently but firmly. “I have to do my job, Cora. If I don’t, the consequences…” He shot a look into the living room before turning his back on her and striding to the office.
Twenty-One
Paige glared at Cora. They were in a standoff for the second time in two days. Cora wasn’t the type to be defeated by three-year-olds, but Paige, as the representative of the sisters, had a point.
“We want William.” Paige added a stomp of her foot for emphasis.
Cora supposed that complimenting the girl on forming the W sound so well wasn’t going to help the situation. And she couldn’t blame the triplets. William had made himself an integral part of their lives and then withdrawn. Cora understood why the girls were upset. She was, too.
“He has things he has to do,” Cora explained again. “Important things. For his job,” she added to head off Paige’s argument that she was important. No doubt, thought Cora, they all were, including herself. She was tired of defending him and making excuses. Would it kill him to give the kids an hour or two? That was all they wanted. A chance to play “bring down the bear” after dinner or take a meal with them, since he had to eat.
He’d kept his distance, sequestered himself since the letter arrived. She shivered thinking of that one sentence typed on the page. The incident in the park when the stranger snatched Paige had been terrifying, but it could have been random. The note wasn’t. Someone was targeting her girls, the people she loved most in the world. She’d hardly slept the night after the letter arrived, checking on the kids every few minutes until she finally took a blanket with her and slept in the nursery rocking chair.
She’d heard William moving through the house in the dark several times that night, but he didn’t come near her. It had been as if he wasn’t the man she’d flirted with over lunch. He’d separated himself from her and the girls even more thoroughly than before.
Since they weren’t allowed outside to play in the driveway anymore, she’d moved their tricycles to the unfinished part of the basement. Just as well, since outside it was hot and muggy. She’d hoped the coolness of the basement would help soothe her trio and that the riding would distract them. No luck.
Melody got off her tricycle to stand next to Paige in a show of solidarity. Haley was last to join the ranks. When she did so, her arms were crossed over her little chest and her lower lip trembled.
“I miss him, too,” Cora said and knelt in front of them, opening her arms for a hug. Melody and Haley joined her first and Paige did after a few seconds. Her girls had suffered enough disappointment, been abandoned enough in their short lives. She couldn’t let William add to that, even if he did so unknowingly. It was exactly what she had feared would happen, even if William was still technically present.
“I’ll talk to him later and invite him to do something with us. Will that be okay?” She might understand, on an intellectual level, why William was acting as he was, but the girls couldn’t. He had to be the one to explain to them.
“I guess,” Paige muttered as the other two burrowed deeper into Cora’s arms. They were getting so big she could no longer fully wrap her arms around the three of them at the same time, but she hung on all the same, getting as much comfort from them as she gave.
When they began to pull away, she brightened her smile, eager to distract the kids, give them something to do to take their minds off William.
“Are you ready for a tricycle challenge?” she asked, pitching her voice to make it sound like a great game.
“What’s that?” Melody was the first to respond since she was the least skeptical.
“We’ll set up an obstacle course for you to ride through. Look at all this wonderful space.” The unfinished basement was under half of the sprawling house.
“I want to ride outside,” Paige insisted.
Cora looked toward the basement window. A cloudy day had given way to sprinkles. Cora was never so glad to see poor weather. “It’s raining. You don’t want to get your pretty pink bike all wet.” She wrinkled up her nose, selling it. “What should we use as obstacles? Everyone, pick one thing from the outside toybox.”
William had carried the box into the basement sometime last evening. He meant it as a helpful gesture, she was sure, but it felt again that she and the girls were being caged in. Fortunately, the girls didn’t see it that way as they gleefully dragged the contents of the box onto the tile floor.
“This.” Melody yanked a hula hoop out.
“Good choice,” Cora praised her. “Who’s next?”
Haley was more thoughtful, finally selecting a pin from the outdoor bowling set.
“That will take skill not to knock down. I like it,” Cora said. “Paige?”
The girl dug to the bottom of the box, unearthing a giant container of bubbles. Cora smiled, understanding Paige’s choice. She knew that bubbles were a personal favorite of Cora’s, so her obstacle was a concession, perhaps even an apology, to Cora.
“Maybe later we could even blow a few bubbles,” Cora suggested.
“In the house?” Melody’s mouth formed a perfect O of shock.
“Yes. Just a few and only down here, but I think we deserve some bubble action. Okay, everyone, place your obstacles.”
Cora helped them develop the course and used her phone to time their attempts once they mastered negotiating through it. Through some quick manipulation of the buttons of her phone, she made it appear that they all finished the course in the same amount of time. So much was happening in their lives that the girls didn’t need to feel like they were in competition with each other. But Cora made a note that Haley was the speed demon of the bunch. Paige’s soft cast might have slowed her down a little, but Haley had better skill.
By the time they finished, it was dinner, story, and bedtime for sleepy girls. Thank goodness. Cora let out a sigh as she exited the nursery. She’d made it through another day and fielded some tough questions. If she didn’t want a repeat of that the next day, she had to have a conversation with William, one in which he understood how much the kids needed him as more than just a security guard.
She changed her shirt, tossing the one stained from a pizza sauce debacle at dinner into the laundry before she searched the house for William. Not in his bedroom, the den, or the office. She caught the heavy bass beat of some music, following it she found him in the home gym. The door stood open, giving her a chance to watch him for a moment.
Sweat streaked down his bare back as he did a series of rapid pushups. The scars, tales of his years of service, stood out against his tanned skin. He swiped a finger across his phone and went into another series of exercises that combined a pushup with a forward lunge. A grimace passed over his face as he gritted his teeth with the effort.
Was this his way of exorcising his demons? By torturing his body? Probably, since his focus was so intense, he hadn’t even noticed her. Seeing how hard he was pushing himself for their sake, she realized that some of her thoughts that day had been unfair. Her duty to the girls was food, activities, and love. His was more complex. It was up to him to keep the girls safe when someone wanted them dead. He’d take the blame professionally if something happened to them, but she understood him enough to know he’d shoulder enough personal guilt to weigh down even his shoulders.
She couldn’t lay more on top of that burden. A discussion about the girls’ hurt feelings would have to wait. He stood, reaching for a towel, and wiped off his chest. Maybe she could at least distract him, give him some reprieve from his own worries.
“Hi,” she said, wondering what kind of reception she was going to get.
“Everything okay?” he asked, his tone cool and impersonal.
“Yeah. The girls are asleep.” She could see his pulse beating rapidly in his neck. The overwhelming urge to press her fingers and lips there had her moving into the room.
“Good.” He checked his phone again and walked to a pull up bar, ignoring her. Extending
his arms, he grabbed the bar and began a set. His shorts slid low on his hips, exposing every detail of his chiseled six-pack.
After his third set, he dangled from the bar, watching her approach him. “Was there something else? I secured the house for the night already, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
“I’m concerned about you. So are the girls,” she said, letting herself touch him. Her finger traced the line of the scar that ran from his chest to his stomach. His muscles quivered under her touch.
“Cora, don’t.” He dropped to the floor and took a step back.
“Are there cameras in here?” She could see the heat in his eyes. He wanted her as much as she did him. Sex would relax him, which he seemed to need, and since she’d decided to put off a serious discussion with him, she could connect to him in a different way, a more physical way.
“In the hall just outside,” he answered.
“I’ll close the door.” Problem solved, she decided.
“I can’t have any distractions, Cora. I’ve already put all of you at risk because I got too…”
“I think this is a needed distraction. You’ve got too much going on in there.” She tapped his head. “And I’ve got things to talk to you about, but not now.” He was far too keyed up for the conversation they needed to have, but other things…oh, yes…other things they could sort out together. “Don’t go anywhere.” She left him to close the room’s door. As she walked back to him, she stripped off her shirt.
He shook his head at her. “There’s no bed or couch in here. Nothing soft for you.”
“I don’t need soft.” She shed her bra and wiggled out of her shorts and panties, liking that he watched her, liking the hitch in his breathing. She had him now. He couldn’t think of anything but her.
“I want you pinned up against the wall, he said.” He still hadn’t moved, but he’d missed nothing.
“This wall?” She leaned her back against the cool, mirrored surface and smiled at him, the kind of smile women had used for millennia to call men to them.
“Yeah, that one.” He kicked off his shorts and prowled toward her. His hands came to her breasts first, squeezing, as he took her mouth in a kiss that ripped through her. She flattened her back against the wall, loving the feeling of being pressed between it and his hard body.
He broke the kiss, moving his mouth to nip at her neck. “I’m not in the mood to be gentle.”
“Don’t be,” she whispered, encouraging him.
Reaching for her hands, he pinned them both over her head in one of his, making her completely vulnerable to him. God, she was going to love this. His free hand began a slow exploration of her, teasing and arousing wherever he touched. He gave her a little of what she wanted before changing the direction of his movements. She was hot and wet for him. Every touch felt amazing, but she wanted even more.
She leaned toward him, using her upper body to rub against his, her nipples to his hard chest. Her breasts flattened against him as she sucked on his lower lip, drawing it into her mouth with her teeth.
He groaned, his control slipping. With a quick change in position, she trapped his dick between them, letting its hard length throb against her stomach. She thrust forward with her hips, increasing the pressure, as she bent her head to lick his nipples.
“Jesus, woman,” he swore as he took control back from her.
His dick slipped between her thighs, but he didn’t enter her. Instead, he dragged his dick across her swollen clit, making her desire explode. All the while he kissed her, pushing his tongue into her mouth as he continued with his game of thrust and drag. Her knees weakened, and she would have slipped to the floor had he let her go. But he was relentless, holding her in place, but not quite letting her have what she wanted.
“Inside me. Please,” she moaned, her eyes closed, her head tipped back against the glass.
“Not yet.” His words rumbled against her. “I want you to look at us.”
She met his gaze, understanding him, and dropped her eyes to where their bodies met. His rigid cock was sliding against her. Seeing it intensified the sensation spiraling out through her body, pushing her closer to climax, but she didn’t want to come without him.
“Take me,” she whispered.
Lightning fast, he released her hands and changed the angle between them. With his hands on her waist, he boosted her up and drove into her at last as her back slid along the mirrored surface.
“Wrap your legs around me, Cora. I want to feel you around me.”
She did as he said and dug her nails into his shoulders as he thrust into her. She prolonged her orgasm until she felt him unravel. He increased the pace, making her shatter as he pulsed inside her. Her insides felt as though they’d fly apart, and she knew she’d never felt closer to anyone in her life.
Together, they slid to the floor, collapsing from their efforts. They lay, letting their breathing return to normal, her head resting on his chest for several minutes. She glanced in the mirror at their tangled bodies, feeling the rightness of it.
She lifted her head to look at his face. His eyes were closed, the tense lines relaxed. Asleep. She sighed, watching him. He needed rest since he’d slept little and his constant vigilance had to be draining.
She traced the words written over his heart, Semper Fortis. He had strength, maybe more than he realized. He was a man with strong loyalty and love inside him, but it was buried deep. She wanted to uncover and nurture it so he could see he had more to give.
Twenty-Two
William woke in his own bed to the sound of tapping at his door…and giggling. He eyed the clock. Not quite six. He was usually up, but Cora last night…
“Let me in,” Melody said through the door, making William roll out of bed. He was halfway to the door when he remembered to look down. Gym shorts. Good. He must have put them on before carrying Cora through the house to her bed. He’d woken up on the home gym’s floor around midnight with Cora curled next to him. He’d debated sleeping with her for the rest of the night, but he didn’t have the right to do that. Not to mention, she deserved a real bed, not a hard gym floor.
She deserved a lot of things he couldn’t provide. Putting her in her room was the least he could do.
She’d given and he’d taken, which didn’t make him boyfriend of the year if that’s what she was to him.
“William!” the little voice was insistent.
“Coming.” He yanked a t-shirt over his head before whipping the door open. “Yes, miss?”
“You have to come with me.” Melody took his hand and lead him to the nursery. The other girls sat, bright-eyed in their cribs. Melody was apparently the messenger since she was the only one who could climb out.
“We want you today,” Paige declared with a hint of belligerence. One of these days, she’d have to learn that you caught more flies with honey. For now, he’d humor her.
“Want me to do what?” He walked closer to her.
“Play,” Haley said from her crib.
“Give us baths,” Melody said, “and sing.”
“Movies,” Paige added.
“I’ve got work to do.” He started to explain, but how did he make three-year-olds understand his job without frightening them? Paige had been hurt and nearly kidnapped because he’d been busy playing dad. He couldn’t let that happen again. But the three faces waited expectantly.
“Maybe we’ll have a movie night tonight.” He committed just that far, knowing he was showing his weakness for them. They’d fallen in the habit of family movie nights, even if they weren’t quite a family. “If you’re good for Cora.”
“What’s this?” Cora asked. She was fresh from the shower with her damp hair down around her shoulders and her eyes a brilliant blue. Last night, they’d been hooded, seductive, and irresistible. He hadn’t stood a chance. Did she know she disarmed him as no one else ever had?
“Movie night,” Melody whooped. “William’s coming.”
“I said if,” he reminded t
hem as he swung Melody up and rested her on his hip. He smelled the scent of the girls’ shampoo. He’d missed being part of their lives, their daily routine, but he couldn’t take his eyes off what needed to be done.
“Promise,” Haley said quietly.
“I can’t, sweetheart. You do your best, and I’ll do mine.” His heart melted a little when she gave him a wide, innocent smile.
“We better get started with our day if we’re all going to do good work,” Cora said, leaning over the rail into Paige’s crib to strap on the soft cast. When that was done, she lifted her and then Haley, placing them on the floor. “Teeth time.”
“Down,” Melody commanded when her sisters scampered off to the bathroom.
As soon as William set her on her feet, she ran off, giving him a moment alone with Cora. “I hope it’s okay to have movie night.”
“They’ll like that.” She gave him a smile. It was nothing like the one he’d gotten last night, but it still warmed him. “I’ll keep them out of your hair so you can work.”
He almost said that he’d prefer playing in the treehouse with the kids over watching security footage, but he stopped himself. He couldn’t go there when he had a task to perform, and maybe Cora didn’t want him to. She’d seemed to welcome his help over the past weeks, adopting the schedules he created and telling him that it was making things easier. But did she trust him with the girls entirely? He didn’t know.
“Did switching nap and snack in the afternoon help yesterday?”
“It did. They slept better on full tummies and had better appetites at dinner. It was a helpful suggestion, but that’s what you’re good at. Seeing problems and correcting them, figuring out solutions and possibilities.”
“If the kids are happy and I always know where you and they are, it makes my job easier.” No surprises if everyone followed the schedule. Nice and tidy—though he’d learned not much with kids was. He struggled with that and with the beautiful woman in front of him. He’d never wanted to be with someone so much, and he didn’t have any resources that helped him manage those feelings.
The SEAL’s Unexpected Triplets Page 15