Under Pressure

by Zoë Normandie

  “There’s something different about you,” she breathed out, the realization dawning.

  “I’m trying to change.”

  “Why?”

  “Because, I’ve realized”—he trailed his gaze up and down her lips—“realized that I’m in love with you.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Delta understood that his words had sucked the life from her. Hell, they’d had the same effect on him.

  She parted her lips as she breathed out what little air probably was in her lungs. Looming over her, trapping her against the wall, he grew more intense, more serious. He’d just admitted the painful truth to her. He was in love with her, not that he knew what to do with that information. He dropped his head like he was ready to take her mouth, the only thing he knew how to do.

  “You’ve always meant something to me,” he said.

  He reached his hand to the back of her head, angling her just right. As she bit her lip below him, he could feel her anxiety. It was going to be her life—their life. He tilted her chin up to him, feeling ready as hell to do a lot more than just kiss her.

  “I still have to deploy. I still have to leave,” he explained. “I’ll be on a plane at the end of this week.”

  “You’re leaving…so soon?” she asked, tensing. “For how long?”

  “Eight months.”

  She froze. He wasted no time running his hands down her frame, warming her.

  He assured, “But I’ll come back.”

  He watched her as she bit her lip, deep in thought. She was clearly on the fulcrum of a decision—to let him in or not. And damn, he wanted her to let him in. He wanted it more than anything.

  “I’ll come back to you, if you want me to.”

  She flitted her gaze back and forth, likely thinking through things. His heart pounded through his throat as he waited for her to say something—anything.

  “Kendra,” he prompted, unable to wait. “Say something.”

  “I love you, too.” She blinked, tears filling her eyes.

  His chest felt light and airy as he closed the gap between them. Her words moved him, and he discovered something inside he hadn’t known was there. His feelings were for her were beyond those words.

  “I just— I can’t quit you,” she whispered just as he lowered his mouth onto hers.

  As he kissed her, tasting her lips, a moan rose up her throat. He slipped a hand upward to gently feel her neck, knowing it was still sore from where she’d been attacked. He caressed her delicate skin all the way up to her chin and cheek, playfully darting his tongue into her mouth to dance with hers. Her mouth was supple and willing under him, and he set the pace for how he wanted to kiss her—slow yet passionate.

  She whispered onto his lips, “And there may be an antidote, if I can just figure out how to reverse-engineer your edits—”

  He pushed his fingers up her lips, telling her to stop.

  “You are my antidote. You help me control it.” As he confessed, a warmth radiated through him like no other.

  Feeling a little less hopeless for the first time in a long while, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her up and into him as he deepened his kiss, his cock hardening with the prospect of exploring her yet again—and again and again. He grew more and more excited as he told himself that finally, she was all his. He could have her all to himself.

  He had never been good at sharing.

  He ran his thick paw up her thigh as he hiked up her leg, knowing exactly what he was going to do next. Her robe slipped open and he felt every inch of her hip and waist. Underneath her tank top, he caressed her incredibly soft skin to her breasts. Playfully working it, he twisted and pinched her nipple as they made out more heavily, him drawing those hot sounds he fucking loved out of her mouth.

  He dropped his hand down her abdomen to search for the matching slickness between her legs, something he loved to taste. She grew breathless as he found the top of her silky shaved mound, tracing a line down her wet slit and pushing down her panties.

  “I’ll never get enough of you.”

  It seemed to drive her crazy as he grazed his teeth down from her ears to her throat, but he made sure not to put too much pressure on her injured neck. Once she healed, there’d be a time for roughness and teaching her more lessons. He loved it as she slipped her hands under his dark shirt, feeling his flexing abdomen, whispering things about how hot he was. Taking it in, he slid his fingers all the way down, opening her, circling around her clit and feeling her arousal. Her pussy grew noticeably wetter and hotter with his touch, even more so when he pushed two fingers inside, searching for the spot that made her scream—his primary goal.

  Determined, he gripped her waist with his other hand, feeling softness.

  Aroused as hell, he grunted, “I love this new mommy-body you have.”

  She tilted her head back, moaning in pleasure, and smiled at him—pure and sweet. God, it was too fucking much. He could feel her getting closer and closer, her back arching in that way he loved, grinding her pussy as he fucked her with his hand.

  “I wish I’d been there,” he let out as she ran her hands down to his belt and fly, unzipping and releasing his hard, caged cock. He was ready to explode.

  “You’re here now”—she pumped him up and down, playing with the pre-cum that adorned his thick head—“right where you belong.”

  “Hell yeah,” he groaned, kissing her again, harder and faster.

  “I don’t want you to leave again,” she panted as he brought her closer.

  “Me neither,” he said, pushing himself inside her. “Especially not now.”

  He picked her up, positioning her just right, and slid her body down the length of his cock. Holding her between the wall and him, he bit her lip again before kissing her again deeply. She moaned as he pumped into her, fucking her with a promise. Her mouth parted as he did and betrayed the deep rush that he was giving her. She dug her fingers into his shoulders as he increased the rhythm, watching her wither in ecstasy. He could see the heat rushing up her neck—and he felt it too. It wasn’t hard to get off when they were together.

  “Fuck, Matteo—I love you so much.” The words burst out of her mouth. “I’ve only ever wanted to be with you. Just you.”

  As she said it, he groaned in a mix of pleasure and agony, his climax bursting from his cock into her. Holding her tight in his arms, he kissed her hair a thousand times, swearing that never again would they fall apart as he lowered her to the floor.

  “No matter how far away I go, how long I’m gone”—he exhaled slowly into her hair—“I’ll always be with you. I’ll always come back to you.”

  She gazed up at him, stood on her tiptoes and planted a loving kiss on his lips, but was interrupted.

  Down the hall, the front door cracked open, breaking their attention. A tall, blonde woman who looked a little like Kendra sauntered in with a stroller, before halting dead in her tracks.

  “What the fuck is this?” the woman belted out, livid.

  She didn’t seem thrilled to see him at all, her gaze dripping in suspicion. Yet he didn’t return her scrutiny. He couldn’t take his focus off the stroller.

  “Shit,” Kendra grumbled as she gripped his biceps. “Delta, meet my sister—Sienna.”

  Protective for sinful reasons, he didn’t release her, gripping her tight like a hard-won prize.

  “What the fuck are you doing here?” Sienna called across the hallway.

  Staying silent, he shot her an unimpressed glare. But he reminded himself to keep cool. Now was not the time to pick battles… especially not with sisters.

  Sienna flashed to Kendra. “Are you hurt? Did he hurt you?”

  “No—he saved me.”

  “Saved you—from what exactly?”

  “It’s a long story,” Kendra said, a little grin pulling at her lips at she gazed back up at Delta, who was still holding on to her tightly.

  Then Delta heard it—the soft cooing sounds of a baby coming from the stroller.
Kendra moved toward her scowling sister, scooping the baby out and having a brief exchange of hurried whispers. As she turned to him, he really saw for the first time for what she had become.

  She’s a mommy.

  He strode forward, looking down on the baby as Kendra held him up.

  “This is Leo,” she explained, beaming. “It’s about time he met his daddy.”

  Some strange reflex overtaking him, Delta extended his arms and took the baby, as tender as he could. As he brought the little guy against his chest, his son smiled up at him. It was the cutest smile he’d ever seen on the tiniest human.

  Holy fuck—he looks like me.

  “He’s…pretty rad.” Delta glanced up at Kendra.

  She was crying—but not in a sad way. She was smiling as tears streamed down her face.

  He teased, “Can we keep him? Please, Mommy?”

  “Jesus,” Sienna groaned in the background, crossing her arms in disapproval. “Where’d you find this piece of work?”

  Delta brought his son up to his face, pressing his lips to his son’s soft forehead. Damn, he smells so good. Then an inexplicable drop of clear liquid dripped down the baby’s cheek. What the fuck? Wiping it off with the blanket, Delta looked up for a leak on the ceiling. But then his gaze drifted to the mirror in the front hall, and he saw something odd. And that was when he sensed it…running down his cheek.

  He was crying.

  For the first time in God knew how long.

  “See? You’re human after all.” Kendra nudged him with a self-satisfied grin.

  “Well, I guess so.”

  She lunged at him, wrapping her arms around his thick body and their son in the middle. The three of them breathed out, finally together. Leo let out a squeaky giggle as he grabbed onto his daddy’s overgrown scruff with his baby fingers.

  “Oh boy,” he shot back at Kendra, shaking his head, “how fucking sorry I am for missing this.”

  “Yeah, I’m sorry for not telling you,” Kendra got out through a cracking voice. “I shouldn’t have tried to do this alone…to do everything alone.”

  “Together from now on?”

  She grinned, kissing Leo’s soft head. “Yes, Daddy.”

  He grazed his teeth on his lower lip as he watched her, unable to keep it in.

  “Good—I’ve always wanted to get with a hot mommy.”

  Sienna lunged forward, her hands outstretched. “But he’s a monster. He even said it himself. He can’t be trusted to be a father, let alone your man!”

  Kendra bit her lip, looking back up to Delta.

  He turned to Sienna, holding strong. “Last night I learned something. When it comes to the people I love, my protective instincts override my…other instincts.”

  And from the corner of his eye, he didn’t miss the wide grin growing across Kendra’s face.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Kendra scooped up the bright green baby maraca that had fallen by Leo’s car seat as they were escorted to a ceremony that she never thought she’d be attending—not in a million years, especially not one that she was almost late for.

  Squeezing her baby’s hand, she peered out of the rear window of the luxurious black car that had been sent to get them at the DC airport. They were pulling up to their destination. She smoothed out her black pencil skit—a part of the business suit she’d agonized over. What does one wear to a Medal of Honor ceremony at which the President himself will be presiding?

  She tried to press out one final wrinkle in her skirt using her hand, a leftover from a long, delayed flight. That time around, the flight from LA to DC had seemed longer than usual because that was the first time she’d been flying with a baby snuggled up in her lap. Delta had flown ahead.

  She’d seen him less than she liked as he prepped for deployment. But she reminded herself that he was committed to the Navy—to their country. And whether he liked it or not, he was a hero to her.

  As a side gate to the White House opened, they pulled through the many security checks. Already, the chill of DC was getting to her, though she couldn’t be sure the goosebumps weren’t just nerves. The winter weather was frigid, a far cry from LA at that time of year. She pulled her woolen jacket tighter. She breathed in slowly, calming her worries, reminding herself of Delta’s words as she straightened Leo’s socks and boots.

  The car finally reached a set of doors leading into the White House. There were plenty of people around—no one she knew or recognized. As the driver got out of the car, assistants came up to open the door for her and help her remove Leo from his car seat. She opted to hold him in her arms, allowing one assistant to keep the folding stroller on call should she need it. For now, Kendra felt like she needed the security blanket of her son against her chest as she was ushered into a grand hallway.

  “Ms. Kendra Larose,” an assistant introduced her to security staff, “the girlfriend of the Medal of Honor recipient.”

  As a lanyard was placed around her neck, the assistant leaned in with a clipboard in hand, taking a note.

  “Your son— I didn’t get his name?”

  “Leo.”

  “Mr. Leo—?”

  Kendra squeezed him tighter, nodding.

  “Leo Valente.”

  The assistant scribbled it down and shuffled to the side.

  Kendra took in a breath, realizing it had been the first time she’d said his full name to anyone else. It was beautiful and rich and rolled off the tongue.

  She heard the assistant introducing them to other officials—as Ms. Larose and Master Valente. She bit her lip, wishing they had the same last name. Not only that, but she wished she wasn’t just there as ‘his girlfriend’. She shook her head, telling herself to calm down. They were together, and that was a start. She was damn proud to be with him, but she was traditional, and it seemed he was anything but.

  With their introduction, staff seemed to part like the sea, letting her and Leo move through the hall toward what sounded like a busy conference room where Delta was waiting for her.

  She was officially freaking out.

  After the longest walk of her life, doors were opened for her, ushering her into the rear of a big room where many spectators sat. The ceremony looked like it was about to begin. The loud hum of talking allowed her to slip in unseen. As her black heels padded softly on the dark red carpet, she found herself along the back wall and looked at the assistant to her side.

  “I’d like to stand at the back in case my son gets fussy,” Kendra suggested, though the truth was that she just didn’t want to be front and center.

  She didn’t want a spotlight on her.

  “Anything you’d like, miss,” the assistant agreed, placing Kendra in a quiet, inconspicuous spot.

  As she stood at the back of the room, her son in her arms, she wanted to melt into the many flags beside her that were lining the walls. She bounced her baby more out of habit than need, trying to stay low-key. There were enough people in attendance that she didn’t think it would be an issue if she and Leo just stayed quiet.

  Finally, the ceremony started, announcing the President himself to issue the award. The President strode out onto the podium, brushing back his graying hair as he looked out over the crowd. His power and confidence were remarkable, sending chills up her spine as she waited to see Delta for the first time in days.

  “We are here to honor a man for unbelievable courage, unimaginable fortitude in the face of certain death,” the President began charismatically, looking out over the sea of people watching.

  He continued, “It’s my honor to introduce Special Warfare Operator Matteo Valente, known as Delta.”

  Then a tall, poised man marched out onto the stage in a white Naval uniform to the sound of applause. He appeared so clean-cut and formal that she didn’t recognize him at first. But then she sucked in her breath.

  It was him.

  He looked like… He looked like a king.

  Like many times before, she shivered as she drank him in, observi
ng how the military uniform made him into a different man, his jacket decorated with all sorts of medals and honors. And here they were, awarding him another one. The ultimate one.

  She felt like screaming.

  As she was squeezing Leo tight, tears sprang to her eyes.

  She was so goddamn proud.

  Beaming, the President waved his hands over the podium, getting into his speech.

  “It’s my honor to award SO Valente the Medal of Honor today for conspicuous gallantry. In Operation Medusa, he singlehandedly rescued an American hostage from behind enemy lines, putting his own life in jeopardy. And I cannot exaggerate this, people… SO Valente defied all odds when he stormed the enemy compound. His survival and success are a testament to his unwavering bravery, resolve and skill. A real hero. Congratulations.” The President turned and nodded to him.

  Delta stood at attention, staring straight ahead, as a military man would be expected to do. Kendra could only guess how hard it was for him to be standing there, hearing people applaud him for being a hero. She found herself grinning, grazing her lips on Leo’s head.

  The President moved behind Delta, removing the Medal of Honor from an assistant’s hands and placing it over his neck.

  As the medal was awarded, Delta remained unemotional, stoic, his gaze moving upward and locking on Kendra. Through it all, he found her. He saw her. He didn’t let up.

  A powerful feeling flushed over her. He was sharing that moment with her. He wanted her to be a part of it. The sheer emotion drove her to tremble.

  And Leo sensed it, as he started stirring and fussing. As Delta turned to shake the President’s hand, she popped Leo up on her shoulder and slipped out into the decadent hallway, excusing herself to assistants who helped her find her way to a quiet nook. Cradling the baby in her arms, she stood in a ray of sunlight that was beaming in through a window in the private space.

  The warmth settled on her, and she had a reality check. It had all been such a blur, but here she was. A week ago, she’d never have believed it. Looking down on their son, she smiled as she observed how much he looked like Delta. Especially the little smile on his face—it was so much like his daddy’s. That fact was new to her. She’d only just started letting herself see it.