The SEAL’s Unexpected Triplets

by Knight, Katie

  “You’ll need to call first,” William responded before Cora could.

  “I’ll walk you out,” Ben offered in a congenial tone, but the underlying message of get out was clear.

  “Goodbye, Cora,” Francis said and left the room with Ben on his heels.

  After the door closed and an engine started, Ben returned with a grin on his face. “Reminds me of when I used to be a bouncer back in college. Did you know that guy drives a Maserati?”

  “I appreciate you escorting him out. He’s…unpleasant.” Cora relaxed back into the sofa. “Bob and Jeanie didn’t care for him, and they never let him around the girls unsupervised. He made a little scene at the reading of the will when he didn’t get the kids. I can’t figure out why he’d want them.”

  “How big’s the trust fund that supports them?” Ben asked.

  “Good point,” Cora said with a wry smile. “William and I were going to have a late dinner. Would you like to join us? It’s already in the oven. I just need to toss the salad.”

  “Sounds nice. My wife’s at her mother’s with the kids, so I’m free. Thanks.”

  “We’ll be in in a minute,” William said as Cora headed for the kitchen.

  “Guy’s a slime ball,” Ben said.

  “Yep. I think I better do a little extra digging on him.” Being slimy didn’t make him a threat necessarily, but the hair on the back of William’s neck rose anyway.

  “Can’t imagine Boswell left any stones unturned.”

  “Probably not,” William agreed, “but I like to do my own reconnaissance.” It was a true statement, but William wondered if he was just looking for something meaningful to do, something he could use his skills for.

  He brushed the thought aside and enjoyed dinner with Cora and Ben. Their dinner guest was the type to draw others into conversation and William found himself telling Ben and Cora stories about his time in the service he normally would have kept to himself. Nothing confidential, but tales of the men on his team and what they meant to him.

  After Ben left, William was still thinking about those memories as he made his way upstairs to do a physical sweep of the space. Cameras were great, but he liked a direct visual. He opened the nursery door last and entered silently as he did every night.

  “William?” Haley’s soft voice whispered.

  “What is it, little one? Can’t sleep?” He approached her crib.

  She held her arms up to him. Even though he knew he should just tuck her back in, he picked her up and walked to the window where they could see the dark outlines of trees.

  “You must be tired,” he whispered. “It’s late.”

  “I want a song.” She rested her head on his shoulder.

  He’d gotten in the habit of singing a lullaby to the girls each evening. That night, he hadn’t helped with bedtime, so they’d missed their song. “Okay, one song. Just for you.” He swayed with her and sang in a low voice, hoping to lull the girl to sleep. Halfway through the song, he felt her relax into him.

  When he thought she was out, he carried her to her crib and gently lowered her in. As he covered Haley, she sighed, and her eyes opened for a second. “You’re my hero,” she murmured before dropping off again.

  Her hero? Him?

  William gripped the rails of the crib, almost shaking with the emotion her words brought to him. He rubbed his hand over his heart, certain it would explode with all the feeling racing through it. He’d done things people might call heroic on his missions, but those words from sweet little Haley were a thousand times more meaningful than the medals he’d had pinned on his chest in the Navy.

  Staggering a little, he made his way into the hall. All his worries from earlier about the value of what he was doing fled. Nothing was more important than keeping Haley and her sisters safe. And Cora, too. His family. He’d had a few moments of jealousy when Ben talked about his wife and kids. Maybe he could have the same thing.

  “What is it?” Cora was by his side, and he hadn’t even heard her approach.

  He couldn’t answer because he had no words for what he was feeling. Instead, he took her hand and led her to her bedroom.

  “William?” she questioned again when they were inside.

  “Just make love with me,” he said, touching her face. He saw her eyebrows go up at his choice of words. He’d been careful to always say sex. But not tonight. Tonight, he wanted something different from her, for her—for both of them.

  He took it slow, loving every inch of her, feeling the connection of more than just their bodies. Every moment with her made him feel as though he had a place to belong. Afterwards, he held Cora, listening to her soft breathing and wondering at how much in his life had changed in such a short time.

  Seventeen

  The first traces of summer sunlight filtered through the curtains as Cora woke the next morning. But that wasn’t what brought her out of a deep sleep she realized quickly. William’s hard body was pressed tightly to hers, spooning her, and his hands roamed along the curve of her hip.

  Nice way to start the day. She couldn’t help the smile that came to her lips. Last night’s lovemaking had been amazing, but she’d always been fond of morning sex. The word jolted her since it wasn’t the one William had used when he took her to bed. And he’d stayed the entire night with her, another first.

  “I know you’re awake,” he growled in her ear as he nibbled her lobe.

  “So?” she murmured, too content to move.

  “Going to make me do all the work, aren’t you?”

  “You have an interesting notion of work.” She gasped when his hand came to cup her breast and his thumb stroked over the nipple.

  “I’d say work is doing something that achieves a goal.”

  “What goal are you going for?” She could hardly breathe with the way his hands possessed her and his hard length pressed into her.

  “I want you to beg me for more.” He brought their bodies closer together and the heat notched up.

  She thought she may have already begged during the night. He’d taken her slowly the first time as if savoring her body. The second time he’d dominated her, flipping her on her belly and taking her from behind in swift powerful strokes. A thrill ran through her at the memory of both. Being with him was unlike anything she’d ever experienced. His singular commitment to her pleasure drove his actions, making her body, heart, and mind reel.

  “How do you plan to make that happen?” She was flirting with danger, asking him to take her again and knowing he would.

  “I have ways.” The hand on her breast moved to the apex of her thighs. “Open for me,” he commanded but didn’t wait for her to move as he lifted her top leg and pulled it back to straddle his hip. She was pinned to him, open for him to take what he wanted, to give her what she needed.

  “I love that you’re wet for me. I think about it. A lot.” His voice was close to her ear, low and sultry as he pushed a finger inside her, thrusting it deep and withdrawing it to flick over her sensitive nub. She rewarded his efforts by grinding into him, enjoying his sharp intake of breath and the leap of his penis. “Don’t distract me,” he warned.

  “So, I shouldn’t tell you what I’m going to do to you?” she whispered.

  His fingers, two this time, went inside her again, and she could barely think. She could only feel the way he possessed her, the way he kept her body on the verge of release, heightening her pleasure. His mouth dropped to her shoulder, sucking and licking as he played with her clit. Finally, she whimpered as the orgasm broke over her, leaving her limp and happy.

  When she could move, she rolled over, pressing her front to his. “I’d like you to do that again.”

  He chuckled, but passion and something like victory swept through his dark eyes. “Right now?”

  “Yes.” Let him have this victory. She could bring him to the point of begging for more, too, if she exerted her power. She knew that after pleasuring him with her mouth.

  “All in a day’s work,” he
said, his hands moving over her again as his lips coasted the length of her throat.

  “Cora!” Running footsteps in the hall ended outside the door to her room. The doorknob turned, but William had locked it the night before. “Cora!” Melody’s voice came through. “I climbed out of bed all by myself. I’m a big girl now.”

  Faster than Cora could process Melody’s words, William rolled away from her, tossed her his discarded t-shirt from the night before, and went through the connecting bathroom to his bedroom. Cora’s mouth moved to ask him what he was doing, but he was gone before anything came out.

  What the heck? Cora thought as she struggled into the oversized shirt and got out of bed. Melody wouldn’t have thought a thing of finding Cora and William together. Three-year-old brains didn’t work that way. So, why’d he run from her?

  “Good morning, sweetie,” she said, unlocking and opening the door. Melody twirled around with a mega-watt smile on her face, obviously proud of herself. “You’re up early. So, how’d you do it?” Cora got down on the girl’s level, catching her into a hug.

  “I’ll show you.” Melody tugged her in the direction of the nursery.

  “Wait.” Cora stopped her. “Later when your sisters aren’t sleeping anymore.” She wondered if she could ask Melody to keep it a secret from the others. She didn’t want them, especially Paige with her broken leg, to learn this skill too quickly. But expecting any of the girls to keep something from the other two was a lost cause, so she shrugged and put toddler beds on her mental list of items to shop for. “Let’s make breakfast while they sleep a little longer.”

  Cora crept into the nursery to check on the other girls—both sleeping soundly—and grab clothing for Melody. Cora was helping the girl dress in her own room when she heard William stride off down the hall. He couldn’t have come back to say good morning to them? To her? After the night they’d spent together? She felt a pit form in her stomach.

  While Melody played in her room, Cora took a few minutes to get herself ready for the day, a much easier feat with only one child to keep track of. She even managed a quick shower. After twisting her damp hair into a messy bun and putting on her usual uniform of running shorts and a tank top, she took Melody downstairs.

  In the kitchen, coffee was already brewing, but William was nowhere to be seen. He was doing his morning security check, she assured herself. It was his routine, and he was a man who loved a schedule.

  What would knock him out of that? Something had the night before when she’d found him looking dumbfounded in the hall outside the nursery.

  Whatever it was, it had put him off his game. She’d been almost touching him before he’d heard her, and then what he’d said and done to her in the hours afterward had been magical. But now? He’d scurried off, frightened by a child. She felt a little angry, but mostly she struggled with a sick sadness that he wasn’t willing to be seen with her, even by the girls.

  “What should we make this morning?” she asked the bright-eyed girl, turning her focus to the child.

  Melody ran to the refrigerator and flung it open. Cool air rushed out over their bare legs and feet. Inside the appliance, William’s influence was obvious. Neatly labeled containers held prepared food, organized by meal. Lunch items were on the second shelf, snacks on the third, and so on.

  Melody opened the fruit bin and pulled out a container of sliced strawberries. From the door, she selected a can of whipped cream. Cora saw where this was going.

  “Pancakes or waffles?”

  “Waffles, the big fluffy kind. I want to help. I want to squirt the cream.” Melody gripped the can and pushed both thumbs against the top, making a little puff of cream spurt out onto her hand. She licked her fingers and grinned.

  Charmed by Melody’s exuberance, Cora grinned back. “Okay, but first we have to make the waffles. Put those items on the table and come help me.”

  They gathered the ingredients and pre-heated the waffle maker while Melody chatted away. Cora liked the chance to have time one-on-one with each triplet. Despite her worry about William’s actions, this was a treat of sorts. She had just poured batter into the waffle iron when she heard noises from the nursery. Both Paige and Haley were awake and demanding to get up.

  “I’ll get them,” William called from the hall before Cora could think of how to handle cooking waffles and getting the girls ready for the day at the same time.

  Melody scampered off, probably to brag to her sisters about her accomplishment and inform them of what she’d chosen for breakfast. A half-minute later, she heard just that and more through the monitor on the window ledge. William’s voice talking to the girls, Melody going on about strawberries, Haley’s soft singing, and Paige’s demands to wear a blue shirt.

  Her little family, she thought, removing one waffle from the maker and adding more batter. Except they weren’t. The girls were hers, legally until they were eighteen and, in her heart, for always. But as for William? Who knew? She’d started to think he was becoming attached to her and the girls.

  His actions earlier, though, made her wonder if they were still just a job to him. One that had definite benefits for him, but one that he’d leave as soon as the threat was over. She gripped the edge of the counter, fighting a wave of nausea. She’d worried the girls would get their hearts broken by him, but she was going to, too.

  His voice, singing a song she didn’t recognize, came through the monitor, and her heart cracked a little for her girls and for herself. When she heard them all on the stairs, she busied herself plating waffles and carrying them to the table.

  “It’s ready,” she said when they entered the room and scrambled for their chairs. “We’re going to have a great breakfast today.”

  “Just coffee for me.” William got a cup from the cabinet and poured. She found little comfort in the fact that he stayed in the kitchen long enough to help her cut the girls’ waffles. After that, he took his coffee and left with a comment that he’d return later and help clean up.

  Nothing personal passed between them. Not a touch, not a look. How was it possible that the man in her bed an hour before was the same one ducking her now?

  She turned to Haley who had hold of the whipped cream and guided the toddler’s hand, forming a smiley face on her plate. She and her girls—yes, they were truly her girls, she thought—would survive even if William left. Their lives would be dimmer, less complete, but it wouldn’t break them.

  Eighteen

  “Is that sunshine?” Cora asked as she pulled back a curtain in the kitchen, a smile on her face. Nearly two weeks of rainy days had kept them in the house.

  “Looks like it.” William came to stand next to her, his hand rested low and light on her back. He still hummed the last notes of the song he’d been singing to the girls.

  They’d backtracked a bit in their relationship to a flirty, sexy place, without the emotional connection she’d felt from him that one wonderful night. She wished she were brave enough to tell him what she wanted from him, but something warned her that he’d run if she crossed the line into her true feelings for him.

  Great sex and camaraderie worked for the moment. She noted that he’d been careful to keep a purely friendly tone with her when the girls were around. It wasn’t what she wanted from him, but it seemed all he could give her. She’d accept it for now with the hope that in the future they could have more.

  “Thank goodness,” she said, happy to see sunshine, but a little sorrowful to see their forced isolation end. Due to some impressive teamwork, they had kept three kids—including one in a cast—happy and entertained despite the weather. William had supplied the manpower by constructing forts and hammocks in the house while Cora had been in charge of creativity, which had meant baking cookies of all varieties and organizing art projects and short plays. They’d stuck to William’s schedule, which Cora admitted had helped, and they’d had fun without worrying about the outside world. Other than Ben, the maid service, and the grocery delivery guys, they’d seen n
o one.

  “Another,” Paige ordered from the table where she and her sisters ate their morning snack.

  “Let me think.” William touched his fingers to his chin and tilted his head as though lost in thought. “I don’t know any more songs.” The girls begged him to sing continuously, and he obliged them most of the time. Due to the rain, they’d recently watched several of the classic animated films. William had just finished “Be Our Guest” from Beauty and the Beast—appropriate for serving the snack. He had an impressive knack for hearing a song just once or twice and being able to sing it verbatim.

  Cora loved to listen to him, too. He sang so beautifully, and he seemed truly relaxed when a song came from his lips. It made her happy in a way she couldn’t explain.

  “Yes, you do.” All three of the girls were bouncing in their seats, excited for what he’d sing next.

  “Not another one appropriate for eating.” He shook his head as if sad about it.

  They paused, each girl wrinkling her forehead as she struggled to come up with a song.

  “I know,” Haley called. “Mary Poppins!”

  “Which song?” William asked, grinning.

  “The one with the tea party on the ceiling,” Melody caught on.

  William pointed to the ceiling. “Are you going to float?”

  “If we think of something happy,” Paige said, reminding them of the scene’s purpose in the film.

  “Everyone name something that makes you happy,” Cora invited, liking the creative spirit of the game.

  “Getting my cast off,” Paige piped up first. She was down to a soft cast, a recent improvement over the heavy plaster one. Through it all, she’d been a trouper about her injury, but it still slowed her down and required extra attention. At least she’d returned to wanting William as much as Cora.

  “Soon, sweetheart.” William ruffled her hair. Cora noted the affectionate gesture. He did that often. With the girls, he’d become more caring, more loving—surprising even himself sometimes, she thought.