by Lea Hart
“Perfect.”
“Damn, woman, that’s a lot to live up to.”
She looked up and smirked. “Shouldn’t be that hard for you, considering you’ve got that cape and super-power thing going.”
Pulling her closer, he kissed her head. “Not going to help me, if you’ve already had the perfect man in your life.”
“I guess I should clarify and say that he wasn’t a perfect human being, but the way he loved us was. He was an honorable man who practiced law but never put anything ahead of us and was the Ying to Mom’s Yang. He was always up for an adventure and would plan an impromptu dance party on the patio on a Thursday night just because.”
“He sounds amazing.”
“Absolutely. He gave Carissa and me an incredible model of what to look for when choosing a mate.”
“And what’s that?”
“Find someone who doesn’t mind your broken bits and loves you for who you are when you are less than lovable.”
“And what does this lucky son of a bitch get in return?”
“Everything. My heart, my acceptance, and a willingness to do everything I can to make him feel loved every day.”
“Any man who got that would never need another thing.” When she didn’t say anything, he bent down and ran his mouth along her cheek. “In case you were wondering, I plan on being that guy.”
Rolling into him, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. “I probably wouldn’t hate it if you were.”
Laughing, he cupped her face. “Let me give you a couple of reasons why you might actually love it.”
Rolling back, she laid her arms on the bed and let out a dramatic sigh. “Do what you must.”
“Oh, I plan on it.” Never wanting a woman more, he ran his hand over his face and knew he would never find one he loved more. Not only because she was a beauty, but because she was his match in every way with her incredibly strong backbone, sass, and fire.
Wanting to fuck her, love, and worship her in equal measure, he bent down and decided to show her in the only way he could that he would always be hers.
Crawling down her body, he trailed a string of kisses over her breasts, tummy, and hips, listening to her breathy moans. “Mine to have and to hold, mine to tease and taste,” he said quietly against her skin.
He slid his fingers over her pussy lips and heard her suck in a deep breath. “I’m going to tease you a little before I give myself the pleasure of tasting your candy pussy against my mouth and letting that sweet cum of yours coat my tongue.”
Sliding a finger deep inside, he watched her mouth drop open and curled his finger in, so it hit her magic spot, making her arch off the bed. “That’s it; let go and give yourself to me.” He flicked his tongue over her clit and groaned as the first drops of her honey hit his mouth.
He drove her higher and higher as he swirled his tongue and pumped his fingers deeply, hearing her beg for release. Lifting his head, he grinned as he saw her hands fisted in the comforter. “Are you mine?”
“Completely,” she cried out.
“Good, then come on my tongue and show me.” Sucking her clit, and then nipping, he sent her over the edge as she came in waves, giving him exactly what he wanted. Which was to know he owned her like no one ever had or would.
Turning her over, he pulled her hips up and groaned, admiring her perfect ass. “Hold on to something, Lisa ‘cause I’m about to give you the ride of your life.”
Her laughter spilled out, and he gave her a little tap. “Laugh while you can because I’m not holding back.” She turned her face so he could see her sassy smile, and he bit the inside of his mouth, so he wouldn’t laugh at her attitude. “What?’
“You should quit talking and get to doing.”
“I want you to remember that statement when you’re begging for mercy.”
“Oh, I will, Ace; believe I will.”
His cock throbbing, he let out a laugh and eased himself against her, thrusting his swollen head against her folds. Slowly pumping his hips, he coated himself in her juices and groaned when her hips moved back.
He fisted her hair and grinned, knowing she was ready. “Don’t worry, honey I’ll give you what you need.” Bending over, he kissed her neck and then plunged his dripping cock into her tight heat and let out a feral growl.
How was she so perfect?
Knowing there was no answer, he let her silken heat draw him in. Her body swallowed the head of his cock, and he grunted, giving her another few inches.
“I thought you were going to…”
“Driving himself in before she could finish, he heard her gasp. He ground against her and let her feel every thick inch and made sure he was in deep. “That enough for you?”
“Just like that, Ace.”
He pulled back to tease her more and then drove inside, burying every inch as his balls rested against her ass. Feeling a tightening in his lower spine, he drove himself in and out and let the beast inside him free and crashed his hips against her beautiful ass.
Sweat dripped off his face as he felt her slick, eager pussy lips cling to him as her body swallowed him with every thrust.
Lisa’s cries of pleasure filled the room as his cock slid into her tight heat and his balls drew up tight, ready to unload into the woman he loved.
Snaking his arm around her, he teased her bud and gave her a long steady stroke and felt her detonate. “That’s it, Lisa. Let me have all of you.”
He roared as her orgasm pulled him along. His cock throbbed, his balls twitched, and he erupted, coating the inside of her pussy. Rope after rope of seed splashed inside her, and he wanted nothing more than to pump her full.
Panting for air, he slowed and almost blacked out as he collapsed and pulled her against him. He closed his eyes and knew the feeling he had for the woman in his arms was love.
Burying his face in her shoulder, he sucked in a long breath and couldn’t believe it got better between them with each passing day. “Honey, are you asleep?”
“Almost.”
“I have an early day at the base tomorrow, so I won’t be here when you wake up.”
“Mmmkay.”
“We may get called out for a training op on San Clemente Island and, if that happens, then I’ll be offline until we return. So, if you don’t hear from me by the afternoon, assume I’m wheels up.”
Turning, she buried her face in his chest. “Okay, thank you for letting me know.”
“Always.”
“I have a lot to do, so if you’re out of town, then I’ll actually have a chance of getting my to-do list taken care of.”
“Do I distract you too much when I’m around?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact, you do. You’ve become the cream in my coffee, the whipped cream on my sundae, and the happiness that fills my heart, so if you’re around, getting work done is the last thing on my mind.”
“We did okay on our trip, though.”
“That’s because we were working together, and I didn’t have to make a choice.”
Pulling her flush against his body, he kissed her firmly. “Thank you for that. I like hearing that I’m hard to resist.”
“Almost impossible.”
Feeling her melt into his embrace, he ran his hand up and down her back and wondered if it was too soon to tell her how he felt.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Ace sat inside the diner and drained his glass of water as he kept an eye on the door. Knowing Victoria would likely be her usual twenty minutes late, he did his best to keep his shit together and ignore the knot in his stomach.
Seeing her sweep in with her hair flying, he wondered what in the hell he’d ever seen in her. She was a beautiful woman to be sure but had a volatile dark heart that he wished he’d never encountered.
Keeping his ass glued to the seat, he decided she didn’t deserve his good manners, no matter what his father’s opinion. “Victoria.”
“Ace,” she replied as she sat down. “Nice to see you agai
n.”
He kept his mouth sealed and nodded, deciding he didn’t want to waste time bullshitting. “So, why did you want to see me?”
Huffing out a breath, she swept her hair over her shoulder. “Nice manners, Ace. You mind if I get settled before you grill me?”
“Cut the shit, Victoria, and just tell me why you called this meeting.”
“I thought you might be interested to know that neither Kevin nor Dean is the father to my sweet baby.”
Feeling the blood drain out of his head, he stared silently and wondered if he heard her correctly. “Is that so?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact, it is. I agreed to the test Kevin asked for, and he did not come back as a match, and Dean’s blood type indicates he couldn’t be the father.”
“And so, it’s me?”
“Seems so,” she replied with a wide smile. “Congratulations, you’re going to be a father.”
“Fuck me,” he said quietly as his water glass was refilled by a busboy.
“You’re going to be a great father, and I think the baby will be lucky to have you.”
Bombs exploded in his brain as he tried to process the words that were coming out of Victoria’s mouth. “Damn!”
“Isn’t this exciting? We get to do this together.”
Looking up, he was horrified by her satisfied, happy expression. “This is the exact opposite of exciting. This is the worst fucking news in the world. I don’t want to co-parent with you because every day is going to be like going into battle.”
“That is very hurtful, Ace.”
“Maybe so, but it’s the truth.” He ran his hand over his face and groaned. “I never really considered this a real possibility, so I’m not prepared.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah, I used a condom, so I figured it was a pretty small chance.”
“You told me you wanted kids someday, so I thought you would be a little happy.”
“I do want kids, but I don’t want them with you. I want to be married and have a family with the love of my life. Who happens to be Lisa Martin.”
Slapping her hand on the table loudly, Victoria frowned. “I just told you that you were the father of my baby and you respond by telling me that you that you want to have a family with another person.”
“Yes, and your over the top response tells me you haven’t been listening. Did you really think I would be happy with this news?”
“Yeah, I honestly thought you would like the idea of becoming a dad.”
“Not with you.”
Leaning forward, she growled. “Fuck you, Ace.”
“Yeah, seems I am.” He picked up his glass of water and shook his head. “I guess it’s time to lawyer up and have Kevin protect my rights.”
“We don’t need a lawyer; we can work it out ourselves.”
“Yeah, that’s not going to happen. I’ll get a paternity test in the works and see about how custody works after the baby is born. Maybe I should see if Lisa will marry me before my next deployment, so she can start to bond with the baby when I’m downrange.”
“Your blonde-bimbo girlfriend is not going to be bonding with my baby.”
“If you’re being honest, then it’s our baby, and it will sure as hell bond with my wife.” Leaning forward, he folded his hands. “And she’s not a bimbo. She’s educated, smart as hell, courageous, and has the heart of a lion. The baby will be lucky to have someone so amazing in its life.”
“I’m not going to let that happen.”
“You may not have a choice since I’m the ‘daddy’ after all. I will have the kid fifty-percent of the time, and I’m hoping it will be enough to counteract whatever you do for the other fifty.”
“Don’t test me, Ace, because you will lose.”
“I’d say the same to you, but I know it would be a waste of time. If what you say is true, then get ready for a fucking war because I will do everything I can to give this kid a decent shot at a good life.” Leaning back, he shrugged carelessly. “Who knows? A judge may decide that a CPO in the Navy with a ton of shiny medals is a better option than you.”
Moving out of the seat, she stood and let a feral smile fall across her lips. “We’ll see about that.”
“Yes, we sure as hell will.” He watched her spin on her heels and did not let a breath out until she walked out of the diner. Letting his heart slow down, he took long measured breaths and felt like he’d just been through the worst firefight of his life.
Half the things he’d said were complete bullshit, but he knew it was necessary when it came to Victoria. She was an opponent that he wasn’t going to underestimate, and when she walked in with her cat that ate the canary smile, he figured she was looking for more than a monthly support check.
And by her reaction, he knew he’d been right.
Sitting back, he let out a long breath and tried to decide what he wanted to do first. When his phone buzzed, he saw that it was TOC, and knew nothing was going to happen today. Duty called, and the bullshit would have to wait.
He stood and threw some money on the table and tried to decide if he should try and call Lisa before he got on the plane. Walking out of the diner, he decided that waiting was a better option because he wanted to have some answers before he presented what was sure to be her worst nightmare.
One thing he hadn’t been bullshitting about was his feelings for Lisa, and how they were going to work this baby into their future was not immediately evident. But they would because she was the love of his fucking life.
***
Lisa watered the flower beds in the little courtyard of their tri-plex and watched Courtney paint her toenails. “How are things going with the professor?”
“They’re good. He’s intelligent, well read, has a lovely manner, and witty repartee.” Looking up, she narrowed her eyes. “And, unfortunately, the sex drive of a panda.”
“That might be one of the strangest statements you’ve ever made.”
“Hardly,” Courtney replied. “I recently did some research for an author and discovered that male pandas have a short window when they’re interested in breeding. It was long believed that it was only the female pandas who experience it, but the boys suffer from it too. It’s a miracle the breed hasn’t become extinct.”
“So, your professor is a boy panda with low sex drive?”
“Yes.” Pushing her legs out, she twisted her feet back and forth. “We’ve only made-out and done some light petting. It’s so frustrating since he’s got an amazing bod that I have yet to get a real glimpse of.”
“Is he playing hard to get?”
“Not sure.”
Turning off the water, she coiled the hose and then took a seat next Courtney and picked up the bottle of polish. “Maybe you need to give him clearer signals.”
“I answered the door in my robe and nothing else the other day and then sat next to him on the couch and do you know what he did?”
“No.”
“Nada. His eyes didn’t darken, his breathing never changed, and his smile was as polite as ever. It was the most depressing thirty minutes of my life.”
“Wow, that is discouraging. What are you going to do?”
“I’m going out with him one more time, and I’ll lay it on the line. If he just wants to be friends, then I need to know, so I can go out and find someone else to satisfy my sexual needs.”
“Is Caid still stopping by the library and calling you?”
“Yes,” she replied as she rolled her eyes. “I’ve told him over and over again that I was dating someone, and he acts like it means nothing and just said he’d wait until I was singled up. Whatever that means.”
Lisa let out a laugh and shook her head. “Typical SEAL. They seem to ignore anything that doesn’t fit the picture in their head.”
“That’s exactly what Caid has done.”
“Is it annoying or intriguing?”
“I’m not sure,” she replied as she took the bottle of nail polish back and started on a
second coat.
“At least you know he’d react if you answered the door in your robe.”
“The man is practically a walking sex machine since he gets all hot and bothered when he sees me at the library in my work dresses. He’s tried to talk me into going into the stacks to do naughty things more times than I can count.”
“Have you been tempted?”
“How honest do I have to be?”
“As honest as I am with you.”
Courtney twisted her mouth together and looked over. “More than a little.”
Leaning back on her hands, she watched the wind move through the pepper tree that sat in the middle of the little yard. “Those men are so damn irresistible. If they weren’t so incredible, it would be really annoying.”
“Are you thinking of keeping Ace?”
Covering her face, she let out a groan. “Yes, and I’ll probably not want to let go either.”
Sitting up, she took Lisa’s hand. “You’ve never said that before.”
“I know, and believe me, I’m freaking the freak out but know I don’t have a choice. He’s in my heart, and the only way to be free of him would be to have him surgically removed.”
“What about his ex-girlfriend and baby situation? What if it’s his and you get to co-parent a kid with Victoria?”
Closing her eyes, she shook her head. “I haven’t given it much thought, to be honest, since Ace is confident that it’s not his child.”
“Well, think about it before you totally hand over your heart and confess your feelings. If you can handle being a step-parent from the word go, then, by all means, go right ahead. But if you have a shred of doubt, you need to think long and hard before you fall completely.”
“You’re right, Court. I think I’ve been in denial this whole time, thinking the situation would resolve itself neatly.”
“It might, but if it doesn’t, then you need to be ready.”
“God, I’m such a donkey. I got caught up in the whirlwind without really thinking what I was getting into, and now it’s almost too late.”
“It’s never too late and maybe it won’t even become an issue.”
“And when do things ever not become an issue?”
