“I would like nothing more than to take you to bed and make you mine right now, but there are things you don’t know about me.”
She crossed her arms and gave him a look of irritation. “Well then, tell me.”
“I’m an overbearing man, and I can be a real bastard at times. You need to understand what you’re in for. I will protect you, I will order you, I will piss you off, and I will demand all your attention. I won’t let you go, and if you want to leave, you can’t. You’re mine.”
“But if I’m yours, are you not also mine, and is Rachel not yours? Will you love her and protect us? Will we have all of you? Can I depend on you? I want more children and a home. Will you grow old with me?”
“I won’t let you go, Abby, or Rachel. You’re my wife, and you get all of me. She’ll be mine, too.” He still didn’t touch her, but she put her hands on him.
“I think I fell in love with you when I saw you above me after you saved me. You’re too hard on yourself. I’ll tell you who I see: a man who risked everything for me, for Rachel. You kept me safe, and, dammit, you’ve made me angry, hiding things to protect me when Gail lied and tried to hurt you. I just wanted to help, to protect you like you protect me.
“You’re not as bad as you think you are, and I honestly don’t want to have a life without you. The thought of being with you and having your children fills me with such happiness…I can’t explain it. I do have a mind of my own, so I won’t promise not to argue with you or disagree with you, but I won’t go against you. I believe in you, in us, and I want you.”
“You don’t get to put yourself out there for me,” he said, resting his forehead against hers. “But I will always, always protect you, defend you, and fight for you. That is my right.”
He took his thumb and gently traced the outline of her lips. Leaning in, he rubbed her nose tenderly and caringly with his, and then, ever so lightly, he brushed her soft lips with his, slow at first, then deepening the kiss while tracing her lower lip with his tongue. He tasted her, and she opened slowly on a gasp, and Eric deepened the kiss until she was clinging to him. Her breasts pressed into his chest as he slid his arm around her back and the other around her bottom and lifted her against him so he could feel every part of her.
A cry from the next room had him loosening his arms, and she pulled away.
“Let me check on her. I’ll be right back,” said Abby breathlessly.
Eric watched the sway of her shapely hips, outlined in that indecently sexy dress, and he wondered who had given her such an outfit.
Abby walked back in carrying Rachel. “I just need to feed her again, and then she should go right back to sleep.” She walked right up to him and then turned around, turning her back to him. “Can you unzip me? I can’t seem to do it one handed.”
As he reached down to unzip her, he felt the pain of such a gesture, wanting nothing more than to take her now. As the front loosened, she sat on the sofa and put Rachel to her breast. When she moved Rachel to her other side to finish, she glanced up and seemed startled that he was watching her so intently. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Like what?” he asked with a teasing tone. Crossing his arms, he winked. “I love watching you.”
Her grin was intoxicating, and so was the blush that tinted her cheeks. When Rachel slipped off her breast, asleep, Eric moved her cradle out by his desk, securing it so it wouldn’t move and so they would not disturb her. Eric had no plans to be quiet.
Abby carefully settled Rachel in bed. When she stood up, she slid up the front of the dress to cover her breast and reached around to zip it up, but Eric stopped her with his hand.
“Don’t touch it,” he whispered firmly in her ear as he slid his arm around her waist. Turning her in his arms, then pulling her tightly against him, he whispered softly against her lips, “Where were we?”
Before she could reply, he leaned down and kissed her with his tongue. He licked until she opened and deepened the kiss, pulling her to him. He reached around and pulled her zipper all the way down, hooking his fingers in the straps of her dress and sliding it off her until it pooled at her feet. She was standing there in just her plain white cotton underwear and nothing else.
He lowered his head to run his tongue down her neck, tracing the outline of her collarbone, then in a path down to the indentation between her breasts. Cupping her breasts, he ran his calloused hand over her right breast, twisting the nipple gently between his fingers while watching her reaction closely.
She gasped, and he felt the shudder inside her. Holding her tightly as he bent her back over his arm, he lowered his head, taking a nipple in his mouth and then running his tongue over it.
He couldn’t get enough of her mouth, of kissing her, and he touched her lips again in a deep kiss that was all tongue and teeth. He slipped his hand under the elastic of her underwear and slid them off until they pooled at her feet and she stepped out. He didn’t know how long he could last as he scooped her in his arms. Hers went around his neck, and he set her on the bed, covering her with his body, pushing her arms above her head.
“Leave them there,” he whispered, and then he slowly made his way down, alternating between kisses and tracing his tongue over the smooth skin to her navel, then lower to the triangle of hair at the apex of her thighs.
She felt his hands on the inside of her thighs, caressing them, then moving up slowly to where they joined, then beginning to probe her slickness with his thick fingers, pushing deep inside, gently, while massaging the bud of pleasure with his thumb. Withdrawing his finger, he spread her quivering thighs wide with work-roughened hands, then put her knees over his solid shoulders, leaning in and gently kissing her there.
“Eric…no, you can’t. Make love to me. I want you inside me.” She reached for him, tried to pull him up.
“I plan to, just not yet.” He wanted to make sure she enjoyed every part of this loving, and tonight he would see that she was fully pleasured.
Abby grabbed his hair, and she groaned, saying over and over, “Oh, Eric, I love you.”
He didn’t think he could take any more. He had to have her now. He pulled away, and she whimpered and then watched him with a look of seduction he’d never before seen in her eyes. He tore off his clothes, boots, and tossed them aside, then climbed back on the bed, and she gasped when her eyes ran over his hardness. She ran her hands down his chest to touch him, but he grabbed her hand because he knew he wouldn’t last.
“Not this time. I need you too much.”
He spread her legs wide, and he was between them. He braced himself on his arms and gazed into eyes that were filled with such longing for him. “Just so we’re clear, Abby, you’re now mine,” he said. Then he thrust inside her, and she moaned.
“Yes, oh yes” was all she could say. He watched her as he moved inside her.
Eric could feel her building and tightening around his him as he thrust into her. Capturing her mouth once again, he swallowed her screams of pleasure as her nails scraped his back, and he kept going faster and harder. He could feel her begin to convulse around him again, and this time Eric couldn’t hold back. He allowed himself to let go, transported by the climax, emptying his seed into her womb.
Collapsing on his side, Eric took Abby with him, both arms surrounding her and holding her tightly as he remained inside her. Waiting for their breathing to return to normal, he traced his hands down her back. He heard her sniff.
He pulled away and lifted her chin, and he was stunned by the tears shimmering in her eyes and the stark realization of how hard he had ridden her. Eric was infuriated with himself as he wiped the lone tear with tender care as it fell down her cheek.
“Oh, Abby, I’m so sorry. Did I hurt you? I just wanted you so bad, and it’s been so long.” Aghast at what he had done, he pulled her into his arms. Leaning her forehead against his chest, he felt the subtle shake of her head, then pulled back just enough so he could that angelic smile light up as she spoke softly.
“No…no, you didn’t hurt me. My God, Eric, it was wonderful. No one has ever made me feel as cherished and protected as you have. No, you didn’t hurt me,” she repeated again as she reached up and cradled his face in her hands. “Oh, you sweet man. You gave me such pleasure.… You’ve made me so happy.”
Eric propped himself up on his elbow to look down on her naked splendor. Then, tracing a hand over her bottom while pulling her closer, he gently squeezed. “Sometimes, you really amaze me,” he said. Lowering his head, he gently kissed that lush mouth, and he deepened the kiss as he moved over her. Nudging her thighs apart, he entered her again, this time slowly, with such gentleness that it touched something deep inside him: a connection, this rightness, as if linking two souls together forever.
Chapter Thirty
The sound of the door opening and then closing in the outer cabin had Eric slipping his arm out from under Abby. He looked down to see her sleeping peacefully, hearing the soft murmur under her breath while she stirred slightly and then rolled over on her side.
Slipping out of bed quietly, Eric pulled on his pants and shirt. Opening the door of the bedroom and closing it quietly behind him, he found Petey there, clearing away the dirty dishes that were on the table.
Petey jumped when he saw Eric.
“At ease,” Eric ordered him in a lowered voice.
Petey finished clearing the dishes. “Do you need anything, Captain?”
“No, that’ll be all. You went to a lot of trouble helping Abby set up this dinner.”
He stuttered as a deep blush crept up his face. “C-captain, I-I…”
Putting his hand on the young man’s shoulder, Eric said, “Just make sure this doesn’t become common knowledge around the ship, Petey.”
Petey grabbed up the trays and hurried out the door, almost knocking down the XO as he entered and upsetting the whole tray. “Sorry, sir,” he said.
Joe said nothing, just nodded, and his eyes widened at Eric and how he must look, standing there barefoot in his pants and an open shirt. Then his gaze landed on Abby’s red dress lying in a heap on the floor. Closing the door behind him, Joe strode around the cabin. “So, where is she?”
Eric gestured with his head toward the bedroom door. “In there, sleeping.” Eric stepped around the desk and peeked down at a sleeping Rachel, who looked absolutely peaceful. Then he spied what Joe was staring at in the middle of his cabin floor: Abby’s red dress and underwear. He scooped them up and tossed them on the sofa, and he didn’t miss the smirk on Joe’s face.
“I won’t stay long.… I presume everything’s okay.”
“Just out of curiosity, whose idea was it to tell me the admiral was on board?” Eric asked.
Joe chuckled under his breath and then raised his hand in a teasing sort of way.
“I thought so. That seemed too devious for Petey. I’ll be sure to get you back for that one.”
“Oh, I think you already have. Don’t forget I’ve shared my cabin with you for the past few weeks. I do hope you won’t be returning.”
Eric flinched with the last remark, realizing he had been quite the bastard since the day of his wedding. He was surprised the crew had tolerated him so well.
Joe casually walked over to the baby, who was sleeping blissfully in her makeshift bed. Shaking his head, he walked to the door. “I’ll make sure you’re not disturbed tonight,” he said, and he left.
Eric allowed his thoughts to wander to his Abby, well loved and sleeping in the next room. She was the simplest love he had ever known, with her pure innocence, no games or pretenses. It’s almost too good to be true, he thought to himself as he felt a rueful smile shining inside his heart. Looking over at the bedroom door again, he muttered under his breath, “You’re mine. By god, I won’t let you go.”
He watched Rachel sleeping peacefully, her tiny thumb stuck in her mouth now, gently suckling. Bending over, he tucked the blankets around her to make sure she was snug and secure, feeling a rush of pure joy wash over him while he crouched down, just watching. Then, from out of nowhere, he was hit by a fleeting panic when he thought about what kind of father he would be. He didn’t know the first thing about it, and he scrubbed his hands down his face and headed back to his room and Abby.
Chapter Thirty-One
Eric looked down at Abby, who was lying, peaceful and content, curled up and well sated in the middle his bed. The sight took his breath away and sucker punched him right in the gut. He left the door ajar so they could hear Rachel in the next room, and he took off his shirt and pants and tossed them onto the chair in the corner. Climbing into bed, he settled up against her, pulling the covers over them and running his hand gently over her stomach while pulling her closer to him.
Hearing her murmur, he lifted her hair, kissing the back of her neck, holding her tight in his embrace. He stopped her when she tried to roll over and face him. “Don’t move,” he whispered. Running his hand slowly down between her legs, he nudged them open, lifting her leg as he slipped a finger inside and heard a moan escape while she grasped his other arm, which encircled her waist. Slowly, he entered her from behind, anchoring her tightly to him, then lowering his head and taking her earlobe between his teeth, nibbling until he heard the sweet gasp as her breath caught. He slowed his pace, controlled his depth, pulling out and then back in.
“Oh, Eric, please…”
As he felt her begin to lose control, he reached up with one hand to cover her mouth, stifling the screams as he found her hardened nipple with his other hand and rubbed it in a circle. Plunging deep inside of her, he felt his control slipping, then teetering over the edge. He muffled his groan in her blond mass of hair as he buried his seed deep within her.
“My God, I think I need a minute—no, maybe an hour until I can move again,” he said to her.
She slid around in his arms and faced him, then reached up with her slender hand, sliding it over his rough cheeks.
“I need to shave,” he said, then turned his head. He nipped at her hand and kissed her again. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?” he asked while tenderly running a finger over her jaw.
She shook her head. “Is it always so wonderful?”
“Yes, and it always will be. Now, enough talk; we need some sleep.”
She snuggled her head against his shoulder. She was a perfect fit. The contentedness that washed over him was nothing he had ever experienced before. He listened to her steady, easy breathing as he allowed himself to slowly drift off to sleep.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Eric couldn’t keep the silly smile he knew was pasted ear to ear from his face. The last week had been the best week of his life, spending every night in Abby’s arms. As they now headed back home to port in Norfolk, he remembered the call from the admiral that had come through the morning after his reconciliation with Abby. He had been having breakfast with her when he received the news: They’d been ordered home.
The crew’s adrenaline was pumping, and he could feel the joy come out of every wall and nook of his ship the closer they were to home.
Joe put a call through to Mary-Margaret since Eric had already arranged for housing on base. She volunteered to take care of their basic needs so they’d have a bed, food, everything they needed in their home. When Joe warned Eric to expect everything handled, because Mary-Margaret didn’t do anything halfway, Eric hoped Abby would be okay with that.
There was a lot to consider, and as the ship neared the homeport, he wondered about Seyed Hossein. With what he’d done by marrying Abby, well, he knew he’d made enemies, but not knowing and knowing what they were up to were two very different things. That old saying, ‘Keep your friends close and your enemies closer’—he’d made an enemy with the CIA, because there was a difference between taking an ordinary US citizen and taking the wife of someone in his position.
Standing on the deck of the ship as it approached the port, Abby cradled Rachel. As they came in, the crew scrambled around her, readying the ship for docking. The crowd
that was gathered could be heard as they approached, and it was something that filled every part of Eric with such joy that he couldn’t quite put it into words.
Eric leaned down, and, with a subtle brush of his lips, he said, “It’s time you went back down. Petey will take you to my cabin. Wait there until I come and get you.”
“But I want to watch us dock.”
“This isn’t the time or place. When I give an order, I expect it to be obeyed,” he said. The last thing he wanted was for her to fall over or get bumped by some over-exuberant sailor, and that was a very real possibility. Eric snapped his fingers in the air and got Petey’s attention. “Take my wife down, and stay with her until I come down.”
“Yes, Captain,” Petey said.
Eric could see Abby’s disappointment, but, to her credit, she left with Petey.
***
Eric leaned against the frame of the open door to his cabin. He could still hear the roar of the crowd for their loved ones. He knew Mary-Margaret would be out there waiting for Joe in that crowd. He could hear the crew on deck, every one of them shouting and jumping, anxiously waiting to kiss and hug their wives, their girlfriends, anyone who was waiting for them. Eric now had Abby. He took her in with a full sweep of his eyes.
“Thanks, Petey. You’re dismissed. Grab your gear.”
The young man didn’t linger. “Thank you, Captain,” he said as he jumped out the door.
“Are you ready to start your new life?” Eric asked as he stepped toward her and pulled her into his arms. Rachel was cooing from the cradle by the desk.
Abby didn’t pull away but looked up at him with her chin resting on his chest. “Yes, as long as you’re with me.”
Leaning down, he claimed those luscious lips, soft with passion, cupping her head as he took what was his. He was breathing heavily as he rested his forehead against hers. “My God, woman, what you do to me. Go pick up our girl. Let’s go home.”
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