He was sound asleep in their bed. Naked and exhausted from being welcomed home the night before. She appreciated how he switched gears. When he was with her, he was one hundred percent present.
Last night, Lincoln had promised her that they would go skiing in the morning, so she was preparing to wake him up, Jessa-style. They were both Pink Panther fans and he enjoyed her Kato greetings. Any other SEAL might react negatively to be woken so abruptly, especially after a lot of combat, but her man was a rarity and liked being kept on his toes.
Her breath came out in soft visible puffs. The air smelled clean and crisp.
She kneeled in the snow and made twenty perfectly round snowballs. She filled her arms with them and went back to the front door. Out of the corner of her eye, she spied a doe and a six-point buck serenely munching on the leaves of a bush. They paused and regarded her as they chewed.
She waved, and they disappeared into the forest with several long leaps. She waited a few more seconds, just listening to the sound of them moving away. Would there be a baby deer come springtime?
Was she ready to take that step herself? She would never have even considered the question six months ago, and yet, now that she was here with Lincoln she had been wondering about it more and more. In her heart, she knew she wanted a family with Link. Kids. Children. Babies. A wave of panic swept through her. Maybe we’ll take it one step at a time.
Going inside, she smiled to herself and pushed her boots off, and then made her way back to the bedroom. The door squeaked as it opened. It happened in older homes.
From out of nowhere, a snowball hit dead center in her load. She dropped them all to the ground with a squeal as Link fired off two more shots, landed them on her chest, and then leapt off the bed, and hauled her onto the mattress again. “Lincoln!”
“I know you very well, Mrs. Tyler.” His eyes were bright with laughter as he kissed her. “Am I supposed to gather by your attack that you’re ready to go skiing?” His fingers stroked her hair. “Hmmm, are you prepared for a day of fun?”
“Yes. Always!” She laughed as she wound her arms around his neck. “Just tell me. How did you know?”
“Ah, my morning lovebird. I know precisely what you are up to before it even happens,” he said smugly.
“Do you?” she asked as she rolled him onto his back and took advantage of his naked state. “What am I going to do now?”
He lifted his lips to hers. “Surprise me.”
“My pleasure, my love.” With that challenge issued, Jessa took off her gloves, unzipped her coat and untied her hood, and made short work of her clothes underneath. She was looking forward to surprising him now, and perhaps again a little later. Because love did that, made them incapable of keeping their hands off each other, and made them fill their hearts with every action, every smile, and every bit of laughter. Together, they made one.
The End
About Anne Elizabeth
Award Winning Romance Author ANNE ELIZABETH lives in the mountains above San Diego with her husband (a retired Navy SEAL) and a rather exuberant English Lab. She is also the Comic Creator of the PULSE OF POWER World and the monthly columnist for RT Book Reviews magazine on the topic of Comics, Manga & Graphic Novels. With a BS in Business and MS in Communications from Boston University, she is a regular presenter at the RT Book Lovers Convention as well as a member of The Author’s Guild and Romance Writers of America. Anne is multi-published, writing a spicy Navy SEAL series for Sourcebooks, Inc., as well as the popular teen comic book series. For more information, catch her at Comic-Con International in San Diego at Booth #2201 or at www.AnneElizabeth.net.
Also by Anne Elizabeth
Military Romance
A SEAL at Heart
Once a SEAL
A SEAL Forever
Sweet Romance
Operation: L.O.V.E.
Holiday Op
For Your Heart Only
Recipe For Love
Spicy Romance
Carmel Flava
Honey Flava
THE KISS OF A SEAL Page 7
