by Zoe Dawson
He was frantic that she was alone out there in Malta somewhere. His pregnant wife. But she had reverted back to her old way of dealing with things. Alone. Why hadn’t she just talked to him, gotten all these negative feelings out? They had pledged through thick and thin. He had every intention of keeping that oath.
He just wanted her to come back, but as the minutes ticked by he became more and more terrified that she might have just gone back home. Boarded a plane and left him. He’d called her cell several times, but she hadn’t answered.
He lay down on the bed fully clothed, trying to handle his worry, his hurt, and to concentrate instead on his love for her. Nothing she ever did would make him stop loving her. Not even this, but if she changed her mind…he couldn’t even finish the thought. He used his combat skills to keep the stress at bay, just as he’d done on the battlefield.
Sometime later he woke up abruptly. There was a light on in the bathroom.
He was off the bed in a flash, and when he saw her zombie purse by the door, he almost broke down. She was in there sobbing. Crying her heart out, if he wasn’t mistaken. Tears used to scare the shit out of him, but now he understood. They were a release of the negative energy in the body. A way to alleviate pressure when it started to build. Poe’s tears didn’t freak him out at all.
He knocked on the door and called out, his voice thick, “Sugar?”
In response to his knock, there was a pause in the sobbing, and he took quick advantage of the silence.
“Poe, we can talk about this. It will make you feel better. I promise, darlin’. Trust me.”
He reached for the handle and it turned.
When he opened the door, there she was, sitting on the edge of the tub, her shoulder against the wall, one hand over her eyes.
Pain twisted in his gut. She looked so unhappy, so forlorn, when she looked up at him. He knew part of what had caused this were the changes in her body.
“Aww, sugar,” he said, moving swiftly to her as she sprang off the lip of the tub and met him halfway, her arms locking around him tightly.
“I’m so sorry, Jared. I’m such a mess, and I needed you.”
“You’ve got me. I thought you'd left me and gone home.”
She pulled away from him and cupped his face. “No, I would never leave you. I just had a complete, pregnancy-induced, hormonal meltdown.”
“We can talk about this, Poe. We’ll work it out. I don’t want you to resent me. I want to be part of this, together with you. I’m all in, committed totally. If you want me to sell the business so one of us is home, I’m your man. Every step of the way. Whatever you need.”
“Oh, God, Jared. How did I get so lucky?”
“I’m the lucky one.”
His breath stopped for a second. There it was. What he was looking for, brimming out of her eyes. Her need for him, her trust in him, and her undying love.
“I’m such a fool. I’m so, so sorry for hurting you. You have been so wonderful through all of this, and I so didn’t want to ruin our honeymoon, but you were right. I wasn’t fair. I should have brought all this up with you and talked it over. I guess I haven’t learned the trick of how to deal with things together. But I want to, starting now. I never want to hurt you like that again or ever make you doubt my love.”
He cradled her face in his hands, his chest tight with his feelings for this woman who was now his life.
He dipped his head and gently moved his mouth over hers and she gasped, returning his kiss.
He felt the edge of her desperation, could taste her tears, the salty dampness of them. He wondered if he should stop, give her some time to breathe. Sit down and discuss things with her.
But she pressed into him even harder, her arms wrapping around his neck, pressing her whole body against his, and he was just as lost in Poe now as he had been the first time she’d given herself to him.
“I love you so much, Jared. My beautiful, beautiful man.”
Her hands slid over his back and down to the waistband of his pants.
His whole body, his mind, his desire all protested…loudly…about what he had to do next. But he stood firm against all that clamor. “Poe.” He clasped her hands. “We need to talk about this.”
“I know, but I want to touch you and hold you. Take you into my body. Take away some of the pain I caused you. God, it kills me that I hurt you.”
He kissed her, his heart aching at the remorse in her eyes. “I’m feeling better every minute,” he said.
“Okay, sex now, talk later. I promise. I’ll spill my guts all over you.” Her eyes widened. “That sounded really icky, and so not romantic, but you know what I mean. You always know what I mean and you accept me. That’s so damn sexy.” She kissed his mouth. “And, make-up sex is so good.”
“You’re pulling out the Poe crazy card. You know I can’t resist that, sugar.” He slid his hands up her torso, cupping her breasts through her uniquely Poe dress. Then, impatiently, he dropped his hand and grabbed the hem of her dress at the same time he pressed her against the wall near the sink.
“You promise to talk to me about this later and I’m all yours.”
“Jared, I’m quite aware that I have you pretty much locked up tight.” She panted as he pulled off her panties while she worked at the waistband of his jeans, yanking them down. “You’re already mine,” she whispered.
He groaned at her words and thrust into her. Her hips came forward and her head went back on a soft, heated ah. Dammit, his balls tightened so good. He pushed deeper. Double dammit. She was so tight and she slickly gloved him. When she clenched her inner muscles, it made his head spin. She felt so good.
He looked down at where they were joined and felt a new surge of urgency. She rode him with abandon, her mouth open and gasping with each thrust.
The pressure built in him, and when she hit a new rhythm, he was done. He jerked hard, thrusting again, going deep, and again, going deeper, and again—and he came, his climax exploding through him, his muscles tensing, his whole body shaking. His left arm went around her like a vise, and he braced himself against the wall with his right. Shoot. His head came down, and he opened his mouth on her neck, grazing her with his teeth, filling himself with the taste and scent and softness of her.
He thrust into her one more time near the end, and when it was over, all he wanted to do was hold her and fall asleep.
That’s what they did, just stripped down to their bare skin and climbed into bed. He held onto her and she snuggled against his chest.
Just before he fell asleep, she whispered, “Mmm, make-up sex so good. Can we schedule fights?”
“There’s that crazy card again…” he said, nuzzling her neck, then he felt it, her letting go and leaning, the distance gone like it never existed.
When he stirred awake in the morning, Poe wasn’t there, but he knew she was close. She was totally his now. Then he smelled the food. Minutes later she came through the door carrying a tray of eggs, bacon, toast and coffee.
As he sat up, she climbed onto the bed. He took the tray out of her hands, and they kissed, slowly, savoring each other for a few minutes.
“Dig in while it’s hot,” she said, “and I’ll do the talking for now.”
He smiled. She looked better, as if she’d really needed to go through that meltdown.
“First, I want to apologize to you. I let you down, Jared. I should have stayed there and talked to you instead of walking away. I’m so sorry for the agony I put you through. I would never intentionally hurt you, but that was selfish of me.”
“You know we can work out anything together. And a GZK never gives up.”
She stole a piece of his bacon and he smiled.
“I had a kind of epiphany early this morning. I was lying there, all warm and cozy, with you wrapped around me. And I suddenly understood that, when I need to think through stuff that’s bothering me, I don’t have to go off and be by myself anymore. I mean, look at that chest and those shoulders.” She scooted
closer and ran her hand over him and he almost choked on his eggs.
She stopped over his heart, pressing hard. “There’s all this delicious strength to lean on, against, sprawl all over. Why would I want to be alone? Stuff just makes more sense, clears up faster—when I’m snuggled up with you in our bed. While you’re asleep, of course.”
She smiled and stole another piece of his bacon. Nibbling it, she leaned forward and he took a bite and they nibbled and moved toward each other’s mouth like Lady and the Tramp, finally meeting with a kiss. But Poe wasn’t all shy like Lady, she pressed against his mouth full out.
Breaking the kiss, she said “I want to tell you that I want this baby, that’s not what I meant when I was somewhat incoherent. I was scared and…”
“I know, Poe.”
“I think I’m a bit scared about being a good mother, Jared.”
He set the tray aside and pulled her close. “Why would you think you wouldn’t be a good mother? You are so good with all the animals you care for, Poe. Gentle, kind, sweet, and loving. That’s all you need.”
She stole another piece of his bacon and he laughed as she looked sheepish.
She crunched it, her eyes going soft. “So, I think things will work out. We’ll take each day as it comes.”
He squeezed her tight. “Together.”
She squeezed him back. “Always, Jared. From this day forward. I promise.”
“Then, shoot, sugar, we got it made.”
Nine months later
Poe lay back in the hospital bed as the doctor pulled her child from her womb.
“It’s a boy,” he said, and her eyes immediately went to Jared’s. He looked tired and so happy as he grinned at her.
The soft weight of their baby boy settled on her abdomen and he turned his little head. She met his just-opened eyes and something profound, something magical passed between them. She caressed his little wet head, wiping at her tears.
She’d made the decision to take a teaching position at Columbia which allowed her the flexibility to care for her son. Mrs. Craig totally understood her need to pass the directorship over to a very competent vet just out of St. Marks. She’d worked with Cameron Miller briefly before he finished up his residency. She had total confidence in him. He was a nerd, just like her.
She was also asked to sit on Mrs. Craig’s board, which she’d agreed to do. It would be kind of fun to rub elbows with Harper during some of the functions. Allow her to get all dressed up with her gorgeous husband and have a few nights out.
Her precious and excited dog park babes were just outside the door, waiting. But this was the time for her to bond with her son and her husband. They took the little boy away and weighed and measured and did their hospital thing. Then, when he was clean and very hungry, they set him in her arms and he latched on right away with a strong suckle.
Jared slipped his arm around her and looked at his son.
“You did good, Poe.”
“We did good, Jared.” She kissed him as he slipped into bed with her and cradled his family against his broad, sheltering chest.
“Welcome into our loving arms, Hemingway,” Poe whispered kissing the top of his satiny head.
If you’re interested in reading more of my books, I currently have available my romantic comedy/light mystery series Going to the Dogs:
Leashed, Book #1 Free
Groomed for Murder, Book #2
Hounded, Book #3
Collared, Book #4
My new adult contemporary mystery series A Perfect Secret:
A Perfect Mess #1
And my 12 NA’s of Christmas Novella is at all retailers:
Brave
About the Author
Zoe Dawson is the alter ego of multi-published, bestselling author Karen Anders. Karen started her career because her grandmother gave her a book to read. That book made her fall in love with romance and started her on the trek to get published. She achieved that goal in 1996 with the publication of Jennifer's Outlaw for Silhouette. Even with many books under her belt, she can't wait for that next idea, that next exquisite sentence and, of course, the next hero and heroine who fall in love.
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Dear Reader,
Thank you for embarking on this journey with me. It's been fabulous to write this book for your enjoyment.
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Best, Zoe
