* * *

Damon

Waking up in a cold sweat, out of breath, and nearly falling out of my bed, I grasp the certified letter off the nightstand and read it once more.

Lieutenant Commander Damon Saunders,

Your presence is required at the Lanesborough Hotel in London, England at noon on May 25th. You will report to suite 407. A private jet will be sent to you at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida, where you are currently stationed. You will be met at the Heathrow Airport by a driver who will have a sign with your name on it. Go with him. He will bring you to me. Accommodations for the period of five nights have been purchased, along with all the meals for that duration of time.

Do not underestimate my ability to find you wherever you are, anywhere around the globe. I will speak to you, no matter what you may want.

This doesn’t have to be unpleasant. It’s all up to you and how you decide to accept the consequences of your actions.

Yours in sincerity,

Livacious Tillman

“Who the hell could this be?” I ask myself as I put the letter back down and get out of bed. “I need a drink.” Laughing, I realize just how much I’ve been talking to myself since the letter arrived three days ago.

There are three days until I need to depart fromFlorida, making my way to London on a jet I have no idea who’s sent to fetch me. I know I should blow the whole thing off. The idea that anybody could find me anywhere in the world is insane after all.

But there’s just enough crap in that letter to make me think I should go. The consequences thing has me curious. I’ve done some major shit in my life. A career in the Navy has seen to that.

I’ve been on a Seal Team for the last six years, and I’ve done more in those years than my entire life put together.

But who could hold me responsible for anything I did with the Seals? And why would they only target me? And why the hell is London the place I have to go to?

The last time I was in London was about five years ago. I took a short R&R after one bitch of a mission had me nearly wiped out. I’d started out messing with random chicks, then settled into a five-night sex-fest with one woman. She was nuts!

She would only tell me her name. Her first name was Jennie, and she told me nothing more than that. It was all about the sex. And that was cool with me. I wasn’t into having a relationship at that time, and she didn’t seem to be about that either.

Maybe it’s her who’s wanting a rendezvous?

“Nah, can’t be,” I say to myself. “I didn’t give her more than my first name either.”

With nothing more than one tap on the door, my buddy, Jim, opens it and has a piece of paper in his hand, waving it at me. “You have an order to make a phone call, my friend. And who is Liv Tillman?” He’s fully dressed in his uniform and I’m still in nothing but my skivvies. An eternity in the service has left us both none too shy about the lack of clothing on my part.

“An order?” I ask as I take the note out of his hand and read it out loud. “Mr. Saunders.” I stop and look at Jim. “Mister? What a jerk.”

“Sounds like he’s one for sure,” he comments.

“Wait, he?” I ask as I look at the name on the note. “The certified letter was signed by a Livacious, but this one says Liv. Liv sounds like a girl’s name, doesn’t it?”

“Might be,” Jim agrees. “Either way, major asshole for not calling you by your rank. You’ve worked hard as hell to get to where you are. You deserve to be called by your title, not a minor title, like mister. And who is this person anyway? They have no problem ordering you around. Not cool!”

“Not at all,” I agree, then keep reading the note, “Mr. Saunders, you’ve yet to respond to my certified letter. I was expecting a prompt response from you. You are expected in London in no less than three days, and I need to know if I’m wasting my time with trying to talk to you civilly or not. Please give me a call as soon as you get this message. I can be reached at 44-20-9024-5462. I expect your call shortly. Liv.”

Jim grins as he slaps his own ass. “Well, you better pull that cell out and give the lady a call, Lieutenant. You don’t want to get into trouble with little Liv, now do ya?”

Taking out my cell, I decide to call this bossy person in front of a witness. “I am going to make this call. And you’re going to listen to every word we exchange. I’m beginning to worry this might be a scam of some kind.”

“Sounds like one. Who’s this pushy in real life?” Jim asks as he takes a seat on my unmade bed.

“I’m about to find out. I’ll bet you a hundred dollars I get some kind of a recording or end up talking to some call service.” I dial the number and wait.

There’s a series of beeps then the sound of ringing. “Hello?” An American-accented female voice answers.

“Hi, I’m Lieutenant Commander Damon Saunders. You’ve sent me a note …”

“Oh, yes! Mr. Saunders …”

With a quick interruption, I correct the misinformed woman, “No, not Mister. Lieutenant Commander Saunders is what you may call me.”

“That’s a mouthful, but if you insist. Lieutenant Commander Saunders, will you be coming to London as I’ve directed you to?”

“And why should I?” I ask as I give Jim a nod and puff out my chest.

“Because you have one of two choices. Meet me in London as I’ve asked or meet me in court. It’s your choice. I do have to tell you that you’ll like coming to London so much better. But it’s all up to you.”

“And why would I be meeting you in court, Liv?”

“Liv? I prefer Miss Tillman if you’ll be so kind as to comply with my wishes, Lieutenant Commander Saunders.”

Jim rolls his eyes and says, “She’s only doing that because you did it first.”

With a nod, I agree with him. But I don’t give two shits why she’s doing it. I just want to get to the bottom of things. “Okay, Miss Tillman, why would you be meeting me in court?”

“That’s confidential. I can’t speak about this over any phone line,” she quips. “So, will you be coming or not? I really must know.”

“Does this have anything to do with the military?” I ask her, as I’m stumped about what she could possibly want with me.

“No,” comes her quick answer. “It’s purely personal.”

“And you don’t want to give me even the slightest hint as to what you want from me?” I ask, then think for a second. “Is this about sex?”

“God, no! Mister, I mean, Lieutenant Commander …”

“You know what, just call me Damon. This whole thing is stupid, Liv. Now tell me what you want, or I won’t be coming.” I’ve put my foot down and now let’s see what this woman does.

“You’d be a fool not to, Damon.”

My name sounds good coming out of her mouth. She has a slight Southern accent, and her voice lilts a bit. I wonder what the hell this chic looks like. She sounds young. “How old are you, Liv?”

“Not that it matters one iota, but I’m twenty-six. And you, Damon, are ten years older than I am.”

“And how do you know that?” I ask her as I lean back on my desk, crossing my legs at the ankles.

“I know more about you than you do, Damon. Come to London. Please.” She waits a moment, then adds, “It is in your best interest. I can assure you, you’ll be surprised.”

“Pleasantly?” I ask her as Jim looks at me and gives me a wink.

“I hope so.”

Looking at Jim, I see him nodding and tend to agree with the man who’s been my right hand since I enlisted in the Navy when I was fresh out of high school.

“I’ll be there. And I’ll meet you exactly where you told me to. Liv?”

“Yes?”

“Where are you from?”

“Atlanta. That’s my home base.”

“And you’re in London just for me?”

“I am.”

The mystery is killing me. Why in the hell would a young woman from Atlanta go to London and want me to meet her there? It makes no sense at all. Me going makes no sense at all.

But I sure as hell am going to do it anyway!

Liv

As a recent graduate of Harvard Law School, I was more than a bit surprised when I was sent a letter from a woman in England, asking for my help with setting up custody papers for her young son. His father was an American citizen, and she wanted to be sure all American laws were followed, as well as English law.

Genevieve Salisbury was a candy heiress worth millions. She’d had a child with a man who knew nothing about the kid he’d sired and she wanted it kept that way, unless she met an early demise. Which she did. And so did her parents.

A tragic accident at their factory left Genevieve’s four-year-old son an orphan. Little Harold and his father would’ve been millionaires if only his mother had passed. With the loss of his grandparents too, the fortune grew to billions of dollars that would be split by the boy and the father he’d never known.

Being so much younger than the career Navy man who is Harold’s dad, I took charge immediately with him. It was a tactic one of the older members of the firm I work for let me in on. Take charge from the very beginning, and things will fall into place much more easily.

So far it’s working. Damon is on his way here today. In mere minutes, he should be coming to our hotel suite. Harold is napping in the bedroom, and I’m hopeful he’ll stay asleep as I deliver the plethora of news to the man.

Now, the money I can see Damon being more than fine with. The grand estate that was also left to him and his son is another thing I foresee him taking exceptionally well. But the kid is the thing I find the most concerning.

Genevieve and I spent quite some time together last year when she employed me. I’ve been living with the family for that length of time. She wanted me to know the ins and outs of the business and how she wanted Harold raised. She became a close friend to me, and I miss her and her quick wit. So does her son.

I just hope I can get Damon to love the little boy.

I’m jolted out of my daze as a knock comes to the door. “Liv?”

“It’s him!” I mumble to myself as I jump up to answer the door. Stopping in front of the mirror near the door, I run my hands through my dark waves, then hurry to pull it up into a professional looking bun. With a quick wrap of the rubber band I had on my wrist, I look much more like the attorney I am.

I’d let my hair down as I rested on the sofa, waiting for the man. Genevieve had warned me that he was a real lady killer. I’m to watch myself with him, or he’ll make quick work of me, bedding me and leaving me as just quickly.

I must get him to pay attention to Harold. That’s my goal, and nothing more than that!

“Coming,” I call out as I shake my head to clear it.

When I open the door, I’m kind of star-struck. He’s tall, six something, and built like a mack truck. His eyes are dark and command respect as he asks, “Liv?”

“Yes, yes, that’s me. Liv, um, Livacious Tillman.” I extend my hand, and he shakes it. Sparks fly through me, and I’m quick to end the physical contact. “Come in. Please.” I gesture to the living area. “Have a seat. Are you thirsty?”

The way he looks me up and down makes me feel naked. With a swipe of his hand, he takes off his hat. Wearing a formal Naval suit, he looks every bit the part of the Navy Seal he is.

My knees feel like jelly has suddenly filled them. He hasn’t been here a second and already he’s affecting me!

Striding past me, he comes into the room, placing his hat on the rack that’s next to the mirror by the door. Then I find him taking off his jacket too, hanging it on one of the hooks, leaving him in only the starched-to-perfection white shirt and some great fitting slacks that accent the bulges of his thighs.

Oh Lord, this man is an Adonis!

I can see how good he’ll look in the expensive suits I’ll be helping him pick out in the next few days. He gives himself the once over in the mirror. His blonde hair is short, as I expected it would be. With a quick run of his hand over it, he looks at me, then finally answers my question, “If you’re having a drink, I will too.”

“Huh?” I ask as I’d kind of forgotten what I’d asked him. “Oh, yeah. A drink. Is tea all right with you?” I walk away, finding him following me.

“Tea?” he asks, then places his hand on the small of my back, steering me to sit on the smaller sofa. I take the seat and find him sitting right next to me. Far too close! “I was thinking about something a bit stouter than tea. How about something with more than a touch of alcohol?”

“I’ll ring the Butler to bring something,” I say and pick up the phone on the table next to me, dialing the extension. “Hello, Miles. Can you bring a bottle of something nice for us to drink? My guest has arrived and he’d like an alcoholic beverage, as would I. Anything you think we’d like will be fine.”

“I’d like to have a Jack and Coke, Liv.”

I turn back to look at him and find him smiling at me. “Oh, of course. A Jack and Coke for my guest, and what the hell, bring me one too. Thank you, Miles.” I hang up the phone and turn my body so that I’m facing Damon.

He brushes my shoulder with his hand and it sends more of those pesky sparks through me. “You should’ve mentioned how attractive you are when you sent your letter. I’m afraid you’ve caught me off guard with this rare beauty.”

Heat fills my cheeks as he looks over me. “Stop,” I giggle like a school girl. “Flattery isn’t a thing I’m used to.”

My body goes rigid as his fingertips travel over my shoulder, across my neck, and land on my chin, pulling it up and making me look at him. I bite my lower lip as he goes on. “Flattery? I’d hate for you to think it was mere flattery, Liv. You are gorgeous. I’m sorry you don’t get told that more often.”

For a long moment, we just stare into each other’s eyes. I should be intimidated by the man. He’s all man, and most likely the most handsome and virile man I’ll ever meet. Then his head tilts to the right only a bit. Mine leans to the left, and we lean in.

‘Knock, knock, knock.’

“The Butler,” I whisper as my eyes seem to be stuck to his.

“You should get the door then, Liv.”

With a nod, I get up and smooth out my long black skirt, run my hands over my white blouse, and make my way to the door. Then I realize just how quickly the man had me in the palm of his hand.

My God! I almost kissed the rogue!

Damon

I had her right where I wanted her. Then the damn butler knocked and now she’s taken the spot across from me on the other couch. I can make my play from across a crowded room if I want to, but prefer to be close when I make my move.

Sipping on the tall glass of dark liquid, I watch her as she fidgets with her much too long skirt. It hits her at her ankles for the love of God!

“So are you ever going to tell me why it is you’ve brought me to you, Liv?”

After one long drink, she places the glass on the coffee table that’s separating us and puts her hands on her knees as she leans forward. “Damon, do you remember a woman who you called Jennie?”

Shit! I knew this had to be about her!

“I do,” I say with an ease that masks my surge of adrenaline.

“And can you admit to me that the two of you had a five-day-long sexual experience?” she asks with a hint of pink highlighting her high cheekbones.

“I can admit that to you, Liv. Why would I have trouble doing that?” I ask her as she’s not making a lot of sense.

“I just like to get things like that on the record.” She takes out a small recording device and places it on the table. “Would you mind if I recorded our conversation?”

“Actually, I do mind.” I reach out and take the thing off the table. “What you and I say here stays here. That’s how I roll, baby.”

“I see,” she says and looks a bit uncomfortable.

Getting up, I go sit next to her, making myself more comfortable as I lean back and lay my arm on the back of the couch. Taking one finger, I move it over her shoulder lightly. “Go on, Liv. You’ve had your question answered. What else do you need to know? Is Jennie your girlfriend or something? Are you trying to figure her out? Because that woman isn’t a person you can easily figure out. She’s a bit above the rest of us. A sexual phenomenon, if you will.”

Her cheeks go red. I run my hand over one of them and she looks at me. “Please stop, Damon.” The way her eyes begin to shimmer has me worried.

Removing my hand, I ask, “You love her, don’t you?”

“I do,” she murmurs. “I did.”

“You did?” I ask as I lean in closer. “What happened between you two that you’ve called me to come to you?”

“Jennie isn’t her real name. That’s only a nickname.” She runs her shaking hand over the front of her shirt.

I take it, stroking the top of it with my thumb, trying to help her calm down. “I thought as much. It’s not a big deal what her name was. If you’re worried about me, don’t be. She and I were never a real thing. And you seem to care more for her than I did. Is she bringing me up for some reason? If she is, I’m sure it’s just to make you jealous.”

“We were not lovers, Damon,” Liv says with a low moan. “You’re making this harder than I thought it’d be.”

Taking her by the chin, I make her look at me. “Just spit it all out. I’m quite adapted at taking in a lot of information at one time.”

Her hand moves over the hand I’m holding her chin with, and she holds it, moving it to rest on her lap. Red lips quiver as she says, “Jennie was actually named Genevieve Salisbury. She was a wealthy woman whose family owned a candy company. She and her parents were in an accident at the manufacturing plant a few months ago.”

“An accident?” I ask as my heart flutters.

She nods. “Yes, all of them were killed in the accident.”

Pulling my hand away from hers, I hold it to my heart. “That’s terrible.” But then I wonder why the hell this woman wants me here. “That’s awful news. But what does it have to do with me?”

The sound of a door opening has me looking past Liv, and I see a young boy standing still in the doorway of what seems to be a bedroom. “Aunt Wiv?”

She turns and gets up to go to the child. “Harold, you’re awake. You should come meet the man who has come to see you. The man I told you was coming.”

Without asking a thing, I do wonder why she’d be telling the little boy I was coming to see him. I sit and wait as she picks up the blonde-headed kid, bringing him back to sit on the couch, and leaving him on her lap. His big blue eyes stare at me as he leans his cute head on Liv’s breasts.

Lucky!

“Hi there,” I say and stick out my hand for a shake.

He looks up at Liv and she gives him a nod, then he shakes my hand. “Hello, sir.” He has a cute little British accent.

Liv’s voice has me looking at her as she says, “Damon, I’d like to introduce you to Genevieve’s son. This is Harold.”

“Harold?” I ask then run my hand through his mop of curls. “I think you look more like a Harry to me.”

He giggles a little then buries his face right into Liv’s plump breasts. She runs her hand over his shoulders, then pulls him back and looks him in the eyes. “Harold, do you recall what I told you about this man?”

He nods and I feel a little nervous. “What could you have possibly told him about me?”

“There’s a one hundred percent chance that you are his father, Damon.”

My world tilts and I lean back on the couch, trying hard not to pass out. “No way.”

“Now that I see you two together, I’m even more convinced. Genevieve was confident about it, Damon. But you’ll be required to get a DNA test done before anything else occurs,” she says as she strokes the little boy’s hair.

Looking back at him, he looks at me too. His hair is like mine when I was a kid. His eyes are his mother’s. His face is plump with baby-fat, but I can see the slight dimple on his chin. With time and growth, that dimple should become more prominent, just like mine is. His lips already look a bit chiseled.

When his plump hand touches the top of mine, I feel something odd as he says, “I miss my mummy.”

The way my heart pounds and clenches at the same time has me reaching out for the kid. He comes to me, climbing on my lap, and I hug him tightly. “Me too, buddy.”

His mother and I weren’t a thing to each other. But it’s not a lie about missing her. I did think about her from time to time. She was great in bed and everywhere else.

Suddenly I feel shame as I sit here, holding her son, a child who might be mine, and think about her and me that week. Looking at Liv, I have to ask, “How long before I can take this test? I don’t want either of us to get attached if I’m not his …”

“I’ll ring the butler to bring in the person I’ve hired to do the test. We can have the results back in five days. Hence why I’ve made arrangements for you to stay that amount of time.”

“Then let’s get this going.” I run my fingers through the kid’s golden locks and take in the smell of his clean scent as I look at Liv. “Can I count on you to help me?”

She nods and I breathe out a sigh of relief. I’m no parent. I’ve been there for my country and my fellow military personnel, but not a soul else. A thing my father used to condemn me for.

Thinking of my father, I know I have no clue as to how to be a father. He sure as hell didn’t!

Liv

After Damon’s blood had been drawn, dinner is served in our suite. Harold is quiet, as he seems a bit shy around the man who is most likely his father. And so is Damon.

Deciding it might be best for me to talk in order to stop this eerie silence, I ask, “Do you like the duck, Damon?”

“Sure,” he says then leans over and nudges Harold’s shoulder. “Do you like those chicken nuggets, Harry?”

Harold nods and pops another one into his mouth. “Mmm.”

In an attempt to keep up some chatter, I say, “Genevieve looked me up last year and had me help her with finding you, Damon. She’d been a bit sneaky when you two spent your time together. Your wallet was left on the dresser it seems, and she jotted down your name and was able to get your military ID number as well. It made finding you a piece of cake.”

“I was wondering about that,” he says with a smile. “You and little Harry here seem like you know each other pretty well.”

“We do.” I ruffle Harold’s hair and push a carrot stick toward him. “Veggies, please.”

With a nod, he complies and takes the carrot. Damon watches us, then says, “How is it that you were hired as her lawyer, then ended up getting close to her kid and her?”

“That is odd,” I agree with him. “You see, Genevieve seemed to have a sixth sense about her. It came to her quite suddenly when Harold was only three years old that she needed to make sure things were set up for him if she should meet her end sooner rather than later.”

“So he’s four?” Damon asks.

I don’t have to answer as Harold nods and holds up four of his chubby fingers. “Four, yep!”

“Anyway, Genevieve wanted me to stay around. Get to know her son and how she was raising him. And get to know the ins and outs of the business too. A thing I have to admit, I didn’t get to. The CEO has taken over their company, a thing I thought was best. I did make a deal with him that thirty percent of all profits will still go to Harold and Harold’s father.”

“Wait. What?” Damon looks a little shocked. “If I’m his father, then I’ll get a percentage of the profits?”

“Yes.” I nod and push a piece of broccoli toward Harold. “How about some greens, love?”

With a smile, he eats the little green vegetable and makes me happy. “I like twees!”

Going on, I add, “If you’re his father, then you’ll inherit many things. And I’ll show you what that all is once we get the results back. The truth is that you could go back to the States at this point, until we get the results. But Genevieve was so sure that I thought it’d be best to let you and Harold have this week to get to know one another. That way, when the results do come back, you can get to being the family you will be without much ado about the whole thing.”

Two lines form on Damon’s forehead as he frowns and looks at the food on his plate, pushing it about with his fork. “I see.”

Biting my lip, I have to wonder if I’m pushing him too much and too fast. “Damon, this child has been without a parent for three months, a time period I came up with. He’s secure with me and he knows that. I didn’t want to introduce a stranger into his life just as he’d lost his family. That said, I expect you to step up, the same as you’ve done for our country. Do your duty as a father to this child.”

Damon’s dark eyes narrow at me as he hisses, “We shouldn’t speak this way in front of the b-o-y.”

Harold smiles as he looks at Damon. “Dat spells boy. I know dat word. And I can spell cat, c-a-t, and dog, d-o-g!”

“What a smart young man you are,” Damon says with a smile, then looks at me. “But you get what I want, right?”

With a nod, I comply with his wishes. “Genevieve was an open book with him. I’m just used to speaking freely in front of him. I will do as you wish, though. We can talk in private whenever you want to.”

“Thank you,” he says then stabs a piece of duck with his fork. “Being a parent isn’t a thing I know two shits …” He looks at Harold who’s smiling at him. “Sorry about the language, kiddo. I’m not used to being around kids.”

“Dat’s okay. Mummy said bad words too.” Harold chuckles as he picks up his cup of milk.

“Being a parent doesn’t mean you have to be perfect, Damon,” I let him know. “And you can find your own parenting path as time moves along.”

Chewing on his lip, I find Damon looking at me. “Later, Liv. Okay?”

“Yes, sir,” I say and focus on eating my food.

The man seems to be having some kind of an inner struggle. I wish he’d let me speak freely. Then he’d know he’ll have enough money not to have to worry about a thing. I can see he’s wondering how he’ll take care of Harold and still do his military duties—a thing he won’t have to worry about once the DNA test comes back and I can set him up in his new life.

When Harold’s eyes start to droop as he finishes off his glass of milk, I know the kid’s sleepy. It’s his routine: eat dinner, take a bath, go to bed. “Aunt Wiv, I’m sweepy.”

Damon laughs a bit at how the boy speaks. “He has that Elmer Fudd thing going on, doesn’t he?”

“Who?” Harold asks.

“Nevermind,” I say as I get up and take the boy’s hand. “Let’s get you bathed and into your jammies, then off to bed you’ll go.”

Damon gets up too and walks toward the door. “You do that. I’m going to go down to that bar I saw on the first floor for a little while. How long does it usually take you to get him to sleep?”

Feeling kind of miffed that he thinks he can just go chill while I take care of everything else, I spurt out, “An hour. Be back in an hour.”

His chuckle infuriates me as he pulls his jacket on. “Okay, boss. One hour. Should I bring you up a drink?”

“If you want,” I say with a quipped tongue then leave the room.

I’d like nothing more than to tell the man that his time is limited. Going out for a drink or two while a woman cares for his child isn’t a thing that’ll be happening once that test comes back, proving he’s the father of Harold.

Running the bath water, Harold strips down and nearly dives into the bubbly water. “Yeah!”

Finding the bag of bath supplies for the youngster, I toss in a couple of yellow ducks and some his favorite toy soldiers. He takes one and sits it on one of the duck’s backs. “I taught dis is what my daddy would wook wike.” The toy soldier is dressed in green camouflage and a beret.

“Well, I suppose Damon wanted to dress more formally for your first meeting. Do you like him?” I ask as I rub a bar of soap with a washcloth.

“He’s okay,” he says then shoves the duck underwater and lets it go. It bobs to the surface, the soldier coming up next to him. “Are you gonna weave me?” His huge blue eyes look up at me and I nearly want to cry.

Rubbing the soapy cloth over his little shoulders, I say, “No. I’ll always be here for you, Harold. Forever. You remember that. I’m your Godmother. Remember when we went to the church and the priest said some prayers and then told you that?”

He nods as I run the washcloth under his arm and he laughs. “Dat tickles.”

“I know it does, but we have to clean under your tinky underarm anyway,” I say with a laugh and clean under his other arm as he tries to squirm away.

I’ve been living at the estate for nearly a year. But with Damon coming into the picture, I suppose I’ll have to move out. But I won’t be leaving London. Genevieve left me enough money to stay on in London until Harold reaches eighteen.

I’ll be around to make sure Harold is loved and cared for. Damon is a wild card. Genevieve was well aware of that. And I’m ready to take the child over if he won’t step up. The money should help Damon to take his role as the boy’s father seriously. I did add stipulations to it, just to make sure he does the right thing.

If Damon leaves the child for a period any longer than a month at a time, he will be locked out of the account that was set up for him. But I doubt a career Navy man like himself cares a lot about money. That was a thing I’d told Genevieve. Money may not be the right catalyst for the man to do what’s right.

I’ll just have to get to know him better to determine what I need to do to make him be the father Harold needs in his life. With Damon going out on his first night here, that leaves me troubled. How am I to get to know the real man if he’s liquored up anytime we’re alone?

Damon

My mind is a mess. The drink in my hand hasn’t been touched as I sit at the back of the bar, hiding from everyone, including Liv and Harry. I’m no father!

Mom died when I was five, leaving me alone with my older brother, Denny, and my father, a man who was a lush and who expected his five and ten-year-old sons to know how to take care of the house and his lazy ass.

Denny made it to the ripe old age of fifteen before he left the house. He was unapologetic about leaving me behind to fend for myself with the man who’d become quite the crotchety asshole in the five-year span.

I was ten then, and apparently, according to dear old Dad, I should’ve known so much more than I did. My grades were awful, a thing he blamed on me and I blamed on the lack of sleep I was getting.

Dad had received some money from Mom’s death. She was killed in a car wreck, and he sued the other driver, gaining himself an untold amount of money. Life for us didn’t get better in the least. Instead, it went down to lows neither my brother nor I knew were possible.

Dad drank, and drank, and drank. He started as soon as he woke up and it didn’t end until he passed out each night. Then the night would be filled with him getting up and puking at all hours. Finally, about five in the morning, he’d fall into a deep sleep. That left us to get up on our own and get to school.

Once Denny was gone—he went to live with his friend’s family in a nice house on the upper east side of Chicago—I had to get up on my own, a thing I wasn’t great at. I stayed in the small apartment Dad had moved us to after Mom died. Before that we had lived in a modest home, from what I could recall of that time.

I suppose Dad was looking to save as much of that money he got from Mom’s death as he possibly could. He did have the price of alcohol to think about after all.

Looking at the drink in my hand, I put it down and get up. I may not have a fucking clue what to do with a kid, but I sure as hell am not my father. Plus, there’s a hot chick waiting up there for me too.

As I leave the bar, I notice a tall blonde giving me the eye. I give her a nod, then leave. Why bother with her when I have a woman ripe for the picking right in my own suite?

Using the key I took when I left the room, I open the door, finding the living room empty. “Liv?”

Taking off my jacket, I hang it up and find my bags have been delivered and are next to the door. Three other doors lead off the living area. One of the doors has to lead to my bedroom.

I saw the one Harry came out of. That one must be his. Liv most likely took the one right next to his. So mine must be the last one on the right. Picking up my bag, I make my way to the door.

Just as I get to it, it flies open, hitting me square in the face and making me fall back a few steps. “Shit!”

Dropping my bags, I stumble a bit as I try to shake my head to rid it of the stars the knock in the head gave me. “You’re drunk!” Liv throws at me. “Your first night here and you come back drunk! Is this how you normally act?”

She tries to push past me and I grab her by the wrist. “Look, I’m not drunk. I held a drink for the last hour without taking a single sip of it. You hit me with the door.”

Her green eyes glare into mine. “Do you expect me to believe you?”

With my head still a bit fuzzy, I see no other way to prove to her what I say is true. So I kiss her, thrusting my tongue past her easily-parted lips.

Wrapping my arms around her to hold her up, as she’s melting into me, I find her kissing me back and her arms running around my neck. Picking her up, I walk into the bedroom she came out of and kick the door closed behind us.

Might as well get the sexual tension we have out of the way!

With easy moves, I get her shirt unbuttoned, and she does the same to mine as we continue our kiss. Her body is hot. I can feel it as our bare chests press together. Only hers has a damn bra covering her juicy tits. I take care of that quickly, removing it, then running one hand between us to cup one plump tit in my hand.

Her moan is exquisite as I give it a squeeze. Moving her back until the bed stops her, I know I can’t let her mouth go, or she’ll start to think and that’s never good. So I deepen the kiss as I move my hand to push her skirt down and am thrilled when she unbuttons my pants. Thinking quickly, I grab the condom out of my pocket. I always keep one on me, just in case. The clothes fall to the floor at our feet, then her hands move to push my underwear off. Only her panties separate us and I quickly push them down too.

With one quick movement, I lay her back on the bed, covering her with my body. With her under me, I take my mouth off hers and kiss her long neck, running my hands up to take the rubber band out of her hair and let it fall.

She’s got her hands running all over my back, feeling each muscle. She arches up to me as she moans. She’s so ready for me, but I can’t let her have it all at one time.

Whispering in her ear, I ask, “Do you still think I’m drunk?”

“No,” comes her cooed word. Her lips press against my shoulder as I move my body over hers, stroking her warm pussy with my hard cock.

She’s shaking with desire as I grind her with my cock. Her nails rake my skin as she moves her hands to my biceps, then she kisses one of them, leaving it with a long lick as she makes her way to my neck. Slow, taunting bites have me groaning. “I knew you wanted me to fuck you.”

With the smallest of whimpers, I know her brain is trying to think, so I stop it with another intoxicating kiss. She grabs me with renewed passion, then one of her hands moves between us, finding my cock and stroking it, making it move over her pussy. Then she pushes it to the edge of her vagina.

My cock is not yet covered, and I have to open the condom that’s in the palm of my hand and somehow get it on quickly enough that she won’t have time to think. Moving to one side of her while still kissing her, I manage to get it on, then slam my cock into her, making her squirm with the penetration.

She pulls her knees up, and I slide in deeper. Our combined moans are music to my ears. I thrust as she arches and we fuck like we’ve known one another forever. Her body is taut and toned. Her legs are long and her narrow feet move up the back of my legs then rest on my ass.

I pump into her and she loves it. In and out I go as she makes the best sounds imaginable. Then I feel her quivering. Her legs begin to shake, and she gouges my back with her long nails. She’s falling apart all around my cock that’s steadily stroking her walls.

The wetness grows as she pulses around me. I can’t help it. My dick jerks and off it goes. I can’t stop pounding into her as my cock shoots off and my head goes black as I cum in a heated rush.

I pull my mouth away as I slow my rhythm and look at her. Her eyes are closed so I nudge her cheek to get her to open them. She does and their green color has gone dark. “Hi.”

Instantly, she smiles shyly. “Hi.”

Not stopping altogether with pumping my cock into her, I say, “No need to be shy now, Liv. You were fantastic.”

She closes her eyes and buries her face in my shoulder. “My God. I don’t do this sort of thing, Damon.”

“It’s okay. I have a certain effect on women. Don’t blame yourself.” I move my shoulder and kiss her again.

With no hesitation, she kisses me back, and before I know it, my cock is hard again and I’m in need of another condom.

Liv

Sneaking out of Damon’s bedroom for the fourth night in a row, I find myself smiling at how well this is all turning out. In the morning we’ll have the results, and then I can take him to the estate and show him what he’ll be living in. I’m giddy about showing him everything, including the bank account.

I just hope he doesn’t get pissed when I make him sign the paper that has the stipulations on it. So far, he’s enjoyed Harold. I don’t think he’ll even contemplate leaving the child to go back to the military.

And I’m equally as hopeful that he won’t want to end things with me.

The man is a monster in the bedroom. He makes me do shit I’ve never thought about before. Used positions I thought were impossible. And made me have orgasms that went on and on, with incredible intensity.

Yeah, I’ll be pretty upset if he ends things with me.

Just as I pull on a nightgown and slip under my blankets, a knock comes to the bedroom door. “Liv, can I come in?”

I can’t believe he’s come to my bedroom!

He’s taken me to his each night, but never came to mine when I left him. So I hurry to allow him in, “Of course, Damon.”

Wearing his tight black briefs, he comes in, his body a hulking, dark shadow. Not climbing into my bed as I thought he would, he stands at the side of it. “Can we talk?”

“Sure, climb in.”

He shakes his head and sits on the side of the bed. When I reach over to turn on the lamp, he stops me. “I can say this better in the dark.”

“Damon, you’re kind of freaking me out.”

He pulls my hand up and kisses the top of it, then places it on the bed and lets it go. “Liv, I’m not this guy. I’m not a father and what we’re doing is getting confusing as hell. It’s like we’re a little family and I don’t want that. I don’t want it at all.”

Sitting up, I feel as if I’ve been punched in the stomach. “Listen, Damon, I know you haven’t ever been committed to anyone. But you can do this. I won’t hold you to me, but to Harry, I will.”

“I can’t do it, Liv.”

Taking his hand, I hold it tightly in mine. “You can. You’ve done great with Harry. He loves you, Damon. Don’t let fear get in your way.”

“Fear?” he asks as he shakes his head. “It’s not how you think. I’m not afraid for me. I’m afraid for Harry and you. I can’t be this man you want me to be and that Harry needs me to be.”

“So far you’ve been fine. Why now? Because the results are about to be in? Because I can tell you something that might help you. I was holding back until the results were in, but I can let you in on what you’ll be getting. Your life is about to really change, Damon.”

Leaning close to me, he whispers, “What have you been keeping from me?”

Taking both of his hands, I tell him what I’ve been holding back. “Damon, you’ll be a billionaire, with an estate, twenty-six automobiles, a private jet, and a stable full of horses. Add that to the profits you’ll be receiving quarterly from the candy business, and you don’t ever have to go back to the Navy again. You can spend your life with your son. And me, if you want.”

Shaking his head, I’m sure in what has to be disbelief, he says, “No, Liv. No. I can’t. I can’t leave my work. I can’t be a father. I don’t know how to. All I know is my work. And I’ll hurt you. I know I will. I’m a womanizer, Liv. You know I am. But I have to know this. If I leave, even if I am Harry’s father, will you take care of him?”

“I told you before, I’m his Godmother. I’m going to be in his life no matter what. But I want you to know that I’m not some bimbo that’ll let you do whatever the fuck you want to. I’ve already written up papers that stipulate certain things to make sure you take care of your son.”

“Things like what?” he asks as he pulls his hands out of mine.

“Things like you can’t be away from him for any longer than one month at a time.”

“And if I am?” he asks as I watch the shadows of his face move into a frown.

“Then you’ll lose the money. You’ll lose access to all of it. You were given this to help Harold. It’s not about you. It’s all about him. If you make the wrong decision, you won’t just hurt him, you’ll hurt the chance for you to live like a king.”

“So it’s a bribe.” He gets up and I get out of bed to go to him.

“It’s not a bribe,” I tell him as I reach out and take his arm, making him stay.

He turns to look at me and asks, “What made Genevieve think she could control my life? What makes you think you can?”

“No one wants to control your life, Damon. You have a son …”

He stops me. “Might have a son. You don’t know that for a fact yet.”

“You’re right. I don’t. If you have a son, then you owe him more than five days out of your life. You have to agree to that.”

“I don’t owe anyone anything. She had him without telling me. Genevieve had my information, and she could’ve told me in the beginning. If anyone is owed a thing, it’s me. I lost four years of that kid’s life because of her.”

“And you have every right to be angry about that. And you can be as mad as you want to. You can let anger take you over and make you do stupid things. Or you can be thankful that she wanted you to know him and made it possible for you and him to be a family. I suppose it’s all up to you. But you must know this: I won’t stand back and let it all happen if you decide to leave him.”

“And what do you think you can do about it, Liv?”

“Make life difficult for you in any way I deem fit.”

“Do you have an inner bitch who resides in you that you’ve not made me aware of?” he asks as he looks directly into my eyes.

With a blink, I break the stare as I answer him, “Yes, I do. And believe me, you don’t want to meet her. Do yourself a favor and just roll with what comes your way. Whatever that may be.”

“You’re kind of scary, Liv.”

“Look, I don’t want to be this way. I just love that kid and made a vow to protect him and help make his life as good as it can be. That’s all. Don’t let your imagination make it into any more than that. He has no mother. I’m like his Momma bear. Just don’t hurt him and things will be great.”

“And if you and I don’t work out?” he asks as he grips my arm.

I look at his hold on me and then at him. “Damon, if you and I don’t work out, that doesn’t matter at all. I’ll still be in Harold’s life and in his corner, always.”

“If I marry someone els,e they may see you as a threat,” he says, and it makes a sharp pain stab at my heart.

“Really, Damon! Why do you have to go there? At this point, that doesn’t matter. And if some woman you marry does see me as a threat then that’s for you to fix. I’ll always be in Harold’s life. That’ll never change. So you and anyone you bring into your life will have to deal with that.”

“Do you live at the estate?”

“I do. But I can move out if you want me to.”

He looks me over then runs his hands over his head. “This is insane! I feel so damn odd. I don’t like change and this is way too much.”

Suddenly, I’m pissed. “You know what, Damon, you took me, without asking me a thing, and you fucked me. You’re the one who made this situation into something harder than it had to be!”

“Don’t act like you didn’t want it!” he throws back at me. “Every fucking night, you’ve wanted it!”

“And I still do. But I don’t want to be the reason you walk away from your kid. If you’re afraid of me thinking we’re in a relationship, and you can never fuck anyone else, then think again. My primary objective is helping you and Harold integrate into a father and son. I can stop fucking you if that’s what it takes.”

“But you’ll always be part of our lives if I stay,” he says then turns away from me.

“You’re picking at anything you can to make yourself believe this will never work. I don’t think there’s a damn thing I can say that you won’t warp to fit what you really want. And that’s to walk away from us both, pretending you just can’t do this. You just can’t be a father and a boyfriend.”

He turns back and I can see anger flash in his dark eyes. “I’ve never been either! What you’re asking for is too much!”

Crossing my arms over my chest, I sigh as I look at a frightened little boy, instead of a grown and completely capable man. “Get used to it, baby. That’s what being a parent is all about—being asked over and over again for things you didn’t know you could do or even ever wanted to do.”

“I’m going back to bed, Liv. You’ve given me even more to think about. And just so you know, I don’t have to accept anything. I can sign my rights over to the kid. He’s a rich kid. If you don’t take him, someone else will. Someone who knows how to be a father. Goodnight.” He closes the door behind him and I’m left fuming mad.

He cannot just walk away like that!

Damon

My alarm goes off at four-thirty, the way it does every morning, and I get up to start my exercise regimen. As I turn on the overhead light, I see that a piece of paper has been slipped under my door.

With a sigh, I pick it up, ready to read a bunch of hostile stuff from Liv. I was truthful with her last night, and that’s going to bite me in the ass now, I’m sure.

Why can’t women just accept men for who they are and not try to change them all the damn time?

Unfolding the page, I see she starts with an endearment.

Baby,

I was furious when you left me standing there, watching you go, and feeling helpless. It was at that moment that I realized just exactly how you must feel. Helpless.

My heart broke at that moment. And I was sorry for ever feeling anger at you.

You’re only human. Sure, you look like a God from another world, but you really are just a man. A man with faults and insecurities just like any other man, or woman for that matter.

My life changed when Genevieve contacted me, asking me to come to London and then asking me to stay on so I could help her son. I think she must’ve had a premonition about her death that she never wanted to tell me she’d had. I don’t know. But I do know this: that kid needs me.

I wasn’t ready to be a mom. I wasn’t looking to be anything to you, other than a friend who’d be helping you learn how to parent. And I’m sorry for the sex stuff. That was unprofessional of me and stupid, I can see now.

But I wouldn’t change it for the world. You’re fantastic!

I’m writing this letter to let you know that I am your friend more than I’m anything else to you. I care about you nearly as much as I care about Harold. And I can understand how you must feel.

I judged you. I expected a lot out of you. And I was wrong to do that. I’m sorry, and I’ll accept whatever it is you have to do for yourself. Not all of us are cut out to be parents, after all.

I didn’t know I was. But that kid just got under my skin, little by little.

So all I’m going to ask of you is one more week. If the results come back and you are Harold’s father, please give it another week. Things will be different from hanging out in this hotel. We’ll be going home. You may see things differently there.

No matter what, Damon, I will not judge you. And I will always be here for you.

Yours in love,

Liv

Folding the letter, I place it in my bag. I think I’ll keep it. I can’t recall a time anyone was so honest with me and saw things from a side that wasn’t their own.

Liv’s a different kind of woman. A woman who deserves more. And so does Harry. But for now, I’m all they’ve got. I’ll do what she’s asked me to. If I am the father, that is.

A knock has me looking at the door. “Yes?”

“The results have arrived, Damon,” Liv’s sweet voice tells me.

“I’ll be right out. Is Harry awake yet?”

“No.”

“That’s for the best.” I pad over to the door and open it.

Liv’s standing there in shorts and a shirt with the envelope in her hand. She places it in mine and I gesture for her to come in. “You sure?” she asks me. “You wouldn’t rather get this news on your own?”

Taking her hand, I lead her to sit with me on the bed. “Nah, I want your support. I’ll need it either way.”

My hand is shaking as I open the cream-colored envelope. The paper is cream-colored too and I handle it delicately. If he’s mine, then I’ll be saving this forever.

Opening the letter slowly, I find my eyes closing. “Oh,” Liv says. “Open them up. Read it, Damon.”

“I’m his dad.”

“You’re his father, Damon!”

Looking at Liv, I’m struck dumb. I don’t know what to say. I feel numb. It all feels unreal to me. “I’m a dad, Liv.”

“You are,” she says with a bright smile. “Harold is going to be over the moon!”

Shaking my head, I just can’t believe it. “Liv, I am that little boy’s father. I am the father of a son.” My entire body begins to shake and I’ve never been more afraid in my whole life.

I’ve run through crossfire. I’ve jumped into freezing water and swam a mile to get to a dark beach where I got out, killed bad people, then swam back through shark infested waters to my boat. I’ve been held prisoner for fourteen hours and threatened with physical harm, yet I’m more afraid now than any of those times.

Her arms go around me, holding me in a loose hug. “It’s okay, baby. It is. You’ve just been given a tremendous amount of responsibility. In a matter of five days, you went from what some might consider an expectant father to a real dad. Most guys have months to get used to the idea. You’re doing great.

“Am I?” I ask, finding my voice shaky.

She laughs and looks at me with sparkling green eyes. “You are.”

Suddenly there’s a little blonde-haired boy rubbing his sleep-filled eyes at the door. “I’m up.”

Liv gives me a nod and says, “Come sit with us, Harold.”

Wearing a set of pound puppy PJ’s, he walks over to us, and I pick him up, placing him on my lap. Holding the paper out, I ask him, “Harry, would you like it if I was your real father?”

He looks at the paper, then up at me. His smile tells me what he’s going to say. “Yes.”

Liv runs her hand through his unruly curls. “Of course you would.” She looks at me. “Go on, Damon.”

“Harry, this paper says that I am, in fact, your real father.” I realize just how badly my voice is shaking and clear my throat to stop that. I don’t want him to think I don’t want him. “Would you like to call me Daddy?”

He claps just once as he grins. “Very much!”

“Then go right ahead, because you have a dad now and I have a son.” I pull him in for a big hug and look at Liv over his little shoulder. “You will help me, won’t you?”

“You two are mine to watch over. I’ll always be here for you both.” She leans in and joins our hug.

I feel like a happy little family. But I don’t know how well either of them will take it when I have to go to work. Liv thinks it’s just that easy to get out of the service, but she’s dead wrong about that.

And I don’t want to quit it, either!

Liv

Instead of the looks, I thought I’d get from Damon as he sees the palatial estate, the ornate grounds that are kept in pristine condition by the gardeners, or the many garages that house the cars that are now his, I’m getting a stoic gaze as he takes in all I show him.

“Wanna meet my pony?” Harry asks Damon as he tugs at his hand.

“More?” Damon asks. “We’ve seen the horse barn.”

“But there’s one for the pony too,” Harry says as he pulls with all his might to get his father to go with him.

“He really likes Chub-Chub,” I tell Damon as I come up on the other side of him and run my arm through his, leaning into him a bit. I think he needs a bit of my energy to help him take this whole thing in.

“You named it Chub-Chub?” Damon asks Harry.

“Cause of he’s fat, Daddy.” The child erupts with laughter. “Daddy! I have a daddy!”

The stoic expression vanishes as Damon picks up his son and laughs with him. “And I have a son. Come on, let’s go introduce me to your pony.”

Away we go to the small barn that houses the little black pony that was bought for Harold on his first birthday. I can see how Damon is overwhelmed by all of this. It’s grandeur for certain.

But it’s just a home when you get down to it. Inside the sprawling mansion, the family used a few rooms every day. Little by little, Damon will learn his way around. And there are always servants around to help steer him in the right direction.

As we walk through the rose garden to get to the pony’s pen, I tell Damon about dinner for the evening. “Since the hotel restaurants only had traditional English food, I ordered the cook to make us something American tonight. What do you think about cheeseburgers, fries, and chocolate milkshakes?”

“I think that sounds great. What do you think about that, Harry?” Damon asks his son as he places him back on the ground so he can run to his pony.

“I don’t know what that is,” Harry shouts as he runs in front of us.

“He doesn’t know what that is?” Damon asks me and looks as if some crime has been committed.

“His mother and grandparents didn’t eat things like that. English, through and through, is what they were. You have tons to teach him, Damon.” I kiss his cheek and watch him as he looks at his son.

“I do, don’t I?” he asks, then runs his arm around my waist, pulling me close. “Promise me that you’ll never leave us, Liv. I don’t know what I’d do without you right now. And when I have to go back to base, I’ll need your help even more so.”

“Damon,” I start to say, but he places a finger to my lips to quiet me.

“I’m going to buy a place near the base. That way we can live there. But I can’t just leave the Navy. I have certain obligations, and I’m not the kind of man who leaves his team members with no one to take his place.”

Stopping, I take his hands and stand in front of him. “Damon, you need to stay alive for that little boy. Playing soldier isn’t a thing you should be doing anymore. He has no one else in this world.”

“He has you.” He kisses the tip of my nose.

“I’m not his blood.”

“You’re every bit as close to him as a mother would be. And you’re coming with us back to Florida. You’re going to be with me throughout his life. You’ve already told me that. And all I’m talking about is a few missions, when necessary. And going to the base Monday through Friday to do the things I need to do. You can handle things at home for me, can’t you?” He twirls a lock of my hair around his finger, flirting with me to get what he wants.

Only I want him to spend time with his son. And I don’t want him doing dangerous things. He doesn’t have to!

“Damon, we’ll discuss this more later. You did say you’d give us a week here at the estate. Going back to Florida may be a thing you won’t even want to do. This place runs like a well-oiled machine. Finding a nice place and staffing it in Florida won’t be as easy as it sounds. And what about me? What is it I’ll be to you?”

The deer in the headlights look has me knowing I’m moving too fast. Asking more than he’s ready to give. But I push it anyway as I stare right back into his big eyes.

“Um, like what do you mean? You’ll be what you are now. Isn’t what we all have going well?” He gulps, and I laugh.

“Okay, too soon. I get it.”

“Good. I like you. I do. But so many things are happening right now. I don’t want to tell you something I may want to retract later and hurt you. I hope you can understand.” He puts his arm around me again and we continue our journey to where Harry is already petting his pony.

“Hurry up, Daddy. Chub-Chub’s waiting!”

I know I have to be patient with Damon. So much has been thrown at him. But damn it, it’s hard!

Damon

I can’t seem to get comfortable in this enormous place. Liv’s putting Harry to bed and I’m sitting in my bedroom that’s the size of an entire home.

There’s a giant bed, a whole living room set, and so many places to put clothes, shoes, and anything I could ever want. Tomorrow is Monday and Liv said we’d be going to the bank to get me all setup. I’ll be filthy rich when I go to bed tomorrow night. I wonder how that’ll feel.

A knock at my door has me getting off the bed I was lying on. I haven’t dressed for bed yet. I can’t seem to settle down enough to do anything more than think.

“Damon?” Liv calls out from the other side.

“Come in, Liv,” I say as I go to sit on the sofa.

She comes in, smiling, and comes to sit next to me. “He’s asleep. He loves his own bed and his room. It’s so easy to get him to sleep in there. Another thing you should take into consideration.”

I’m tired of thinking. Tired of considering. All I want is to get all up on the woman who found me and changed my life so dramatically.

Without saying a word, I tangle my hands in her hair and kiss her hard, wanting to drown out the voices in my head that haven’t stopped nagging at me all day.

Her warm body yields to mine as she runs her arms around me. She’s perfect, everything I need and then some. And how much I need her is frightening.

I’ve never needed anyone. Not that I had anyone to depend on if I needed to. But Liv has made me need her in more ways than one.

For now, though, I need her body to take me away for a while. So I push her to lie back on the leather sofa and tug at the buttons on her shirt. Once I have it open, I push her bra up and kiss her tits, then suckle one as I play with the other.

She pulls at the hem of my T-shirt, pulling it off, making me leave her breasts for a moment. Then I get right back to them. Her hands move over my back and I’m kind of afraid of how natural it all feels.

This has become a nightly habit. She puts Harry to bed, then comes to me and puts me to bed too. And then she slips off to her own bedroom as I sleep the night away. My dreams have all been pleasant with her putting me to bed each night.

And suddenly I wonder just what I’ve become. A man who needs a woman!

Pulling my mouth off her delicious tit, I look at her. Her eyes sparkle as if magic lies behind them. “Are you a witch, Livacious Tillman?”

She laughs and runs her hands over my shoulders. “Why would you ask me that?”

“I feel like a spell’s been put on me. I don’t feel like the man I was when I came to England. And that’s mostly because of you. Harry has a lot to do with it, and the money too, but you’re the real change I feel inside me.”

“Maybe you love me,” she says as she bats her eyes at me then pulls me to kiss her.

As our tongues fight for control, I win the battle and subdue her, making her moan with the defeat. Then I ease her loss as I stroke her tongue with mine and grind my erection against her.

Our clothes almost melt away, as we’ve already become adept at helping each other remove them. Picking her up, I carry her to the huge bed that I think might be too big for me. Alone, anyway.

Her dark hair splays out over the creamy pillow case and she looks right at home in the bed. Pushing the dark brown blankets back, I climb onto the tall bed and watch her smiling at me. “You know, I think this bed is the perfect height for you to stand at the side and take me from behind.”

Climbing back off the bed, I find she’s right. “Well, what are you waiting for? Turn that tight ass around here for me and let me make you happy, honey.”

She does as I say with a smile on her face, a smile that’s gone as soon as I pull her back to me by the waist and slam my hard cock into her wet pussy. Liv is always ready for me. No matter what, the girl is hot for me at all times. It’s kind of amazing!

Her sweet pussy clenches around my cock as I pound her furiously. Something about this woman makes me ravenous for her. We fuck for hours every night. Neither one of us seems to want to stop.

And since she told me she’s on birth control and clean, I haven’t had to use condoms, making it feel even better. Her skin feels silky as I hold her waist. Her ass jiggles with each stroke I make into her hot pussy.

“Fuck, baby. Your pussy was made for me,” I grunt as I run one hand over her round ass.

She looks back at me and licks her lips. “Your cock fills me up in a way no one else’s has.”

Seeing her face makes me want to watch her as I fuck her. Pulling out, I turn her over on her back and pull her ass to the edge of the bed where I thrust right back into her. Laying my palm on her stomach while I hold one of her hips to hold her still for me, I look into her eyes.

She holds me there with her sexy gaze. Her breasts lurch with each hard thrust I make and, still, she looks into my eyes. Finally, I look away from her as I move my hand to her clit and rub it over its hood. Her moan is all I need to understand she likes it.

“Fuck, baby,” she moans and arches her back.

I can feel her walls beginning to quiver, and I know she’s about to let me have her first orgasm of the long night. It’s hard to hold on as her body starts contracting all over my cock, and juices flow like wine as she arches up and screams out my name, over and over.

“Cum for me, baby,” I growl between my clenched teeth. Watching her fall apart for me is beyond beautiful.

As the waves slow in her, she opens her eyes and asks, “Can I suck your cock with my cum all over it, Damon?”

“Who would say no to that?” I pull out of her and she moves around, so her head is now where he ass used to be.

She runs her hand around the base of my cock and licks the tip, then moans and moves her whole mouth over it, sliding it all the way in. Her moan is making it vibrate, and I’m already having to hold onto her to stop myself from skull fucking the shit out of her.

Liv’s going slow, tasting herself on me with long licks and gentle sucks. Watching her head move as she goes back and forth is sexy as shit. And Goddamn, the woman knows how to suck a dick!

Her tongue runs up the underside as her soft lips cover the top, and all the while she sucks so softly that I can barely feel it, but what I do feel is making me want to feel so much more.

“Oh, shit, baby,” I groan as I can’t take it anymore. Taking her head between my hands, I move her faster, going the speed I need her to.

Moving her head the way I am and watching it all happen has me on the edge. I’m about to blow, and she’s ready as I shout, “I’m cumming!”

Her hands grip my shaft as I shoot my wad into her mouth and she swallows me up. My body is shaking and I have to lie down. She looks at me with wide eyes as I pull my cock out of her hot mouth and grab her as I climb onto the bed.

Pulling her with me, I lay my head on the pillow and pick her up over me, sitting her on my face. She moans as she holds herself up just enough as I eat ou her tasty pussy.

My tongue goes through her folds like a serpent seeking refuge. The saltiness of her sweat and cum have my inner animal on fire. I could eat her out forever.

My nails gouge into her ass cheeks as I hold her steady while I tear into her. The sounds she’s making have my cock going hard again, and the need to be inside of her is quickly making itself known.

Pushing the hood of her clit back, I lick it over and over, then suck it a bit and find her screaming as she cums on my face. I don’t stop until she’s frantically pulling away from me as the orgasm won’t stop.

Moving quickly, I push her off me, onto her back, and mount her, sending my wanting cock into her steaming cunt and groaning with the relief I feel once I’m inside of her again.

We’re in a lust-filled frenzy of wild sex, and nothing has ever satisfied me more than sex with Liv. And I’ve had tons of sex with tons of chicks. Liv makes it interesting each and every time. She has just as much need for this as I do.

Her body is taking mine to the edge and I let it all go. My cock jerks, sending a trail of cum into her cunt as it contracts to get all it can from me. She pulls her legs up and sends me deeper inside of her, and I moan with the sensation. “Fuck, Liv!”

Her nails rake my back, then her hand is on my cheek. “Tell me, Damon.” Her voice is soft, yet demanding.

Moving with slow strokes, I look into her eyes. “I love fucking you, Liv.”

Her mouth twitches then quirks up to one side. “And I love the way you fuck me, Damon.”

“Good, because I can see me fucking you for quite some time.” I lean down and kiss her with a soft kiss.

It feels like heaven when she wraps her arms around me, enveloping me in her heated embrace. I’ve never felt at home anywhere. But inside of her and in her arms, I feel like I’m home.

And that’s beginning to scare the shit out of me!

Liv

Waking up in Damon’s bed, I feel his hard chest underneath my cheek. I tried to leave him last night, but he wouldn’t let me. He said he needed me to stay and sleep with him. And so I did.

But now I feel weird about it. I mean, he’s not said a thing about being a real couple, and that has me worried about my heart getting broken. When you add in the fact that he seems dead set on returning to the Navy, then I think I can pretty much count on my heart hurting before this is all said and done.

My movement seems to have woken him up, and he stretches as he groans loudly. “Mornin’. How’d ya sleep?”

“Good,” I say as I move off his chest. Or try to anyway.

He drops his heavy arm on my back, moving me right back to where I was. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“I was thinking I was getting up. And perhaps going to my room to take a shower and get dressed.”

His lips press against the top of my head. “Well, think again. You feel pretty great in my arms this morning. I think I like this. Do you?”

Running my fingers over the tattoo on his chest, I have to admit, “I do like this. It was nice sleeping all night with you.”

Pushing me back, he hovers over me. “Move your things into my bedroom. Let’s make this our room, Liv. What do you say?”

Blinking with surprise, I don’t know what to say. So I just look at him and see something in those dark eyes that tells me he needs me. “If you really want me to, then I will.”

“I want you to want to as well, baby. Don’t do it if you don’t want to. Don’t you like our nights together?”

“Of course I do,” I tell him as I run my hand up his arm and rest it on his massive bicep. “And I like how it felt to sleep with you. But my heart …”

His lips press against mine, then he pulls them away and looks at me. “Your heart is safe with me, Liv. I promise. Is mine safe with you?”

With a smile, I say, “You know it is.”

“Then let me move your things in here today.” He kisses me again, then whispers, “I love fucking you.”

I giggle and reply, “And I do love getting fucked by you.”

“Then it’s settled. You and I have taken the first step. We’re formally living in sin together.”

His fingers begin to move over my ribs, and I find him tickling me as I squirm and giggle. “Damon!”

When he stops the tickle torture, he kisses me with a sweet kiss, then stops it and I see something in his eyes that’s a little scary. “Liv, if I told you that I loved you, would you believe me?”

“Wow,” I say as I take his face in my hands. “Something tells me you don’t say those three little words often.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever said them about a person or to anyone. I’ve said I love hotdogs. I’ve said I love certain cars, but I’ve never told anyone that I loved them.”

A grin takes my lips over. “Tell me and see what I do?”

“Livacious Tillman, I love you.”

“Lieutenant Commander Damon Saunders, I love you too.”

The smile that breaks over his entire face nearly makes me cry, but his sweet kiss stops me and I run my arms around his neck. So now we love each other. In only a week, we know this already.

Odd isn’t precisely the word I’d use to describe this change of events, but it’s up there with the top ten words I’d use!

“How will Harry take this?” he asks me.

“Fine,” I say, then pry myself out of his arms. “He’s a kid. They roll with the punches.”

“Where are you going?”

“To my room. I need to get dressed. Today is the day we go to the bank and make it all official there. Tomorrow we’ll go deal with the birth certificate, and then you and little Harry will be legit. Are you going to change his last name?”

He nods. “I am. Do you think that’s going too far?”

“No, I think it’s the right thing to do.” I climb off the tall bed and go to the sofa where we took our clothes off.

Then I find Damon picking me up and throwing me over his broad shoulder. “You’re showering with me.”

“Am I?” I ask as I watch his ass move with each step he takes.

“You are,” he says, then plants my feet on the cool tile bathroom floor. “Thank you, Liv.”

His arms go around me as I look up at him. “For what?”

“For everything. You found me. You took control of the situation in a good way, and you made my life worth living.” He leans in and kisses me again.

At this rate, I don’t know if we’ll ever get out of this room!

Damon

The week turned out better than I could’ve ever imagined it would, and I have Liv to thank for it all. She made the transition Harry and I had to make so easy that it barely feels like it was a big deal at all.

But the week is at its end, and my commander has called me to let me know there’s a mission coming up. An Afghan mission. A dangerous one.

I know Liv will have a fit, and that’s why I’m not telling her about it. Instead, I’m going to tell her that I have to go back to the base for a few days to deal with some stuff and then I’ll come back.

She shouldn’t balk too much about that!

I wak into the sitting room the three of us love, with its big windows look out over the grounds. It’s picturesque and calming. And it’s the perfect place to tell them my news.

Grabbing a red rose out of a vase in the hallway, I take it with me into the room where I see Liv is reading a book by the window and Harry is playing with the truck I bought him yesterday. “Evening, my little family.”

Liv puts the book down and looks at me as Harry gives me a nod and continues to run his truck over the floor. She purses her lips as I come to her with the rose in hand and place it on the pages of her open book.

Kissing her hello, I take the seat next to her and take her hand. “I had a call, Liv. Now don’t get mad. You knew I’d have to talk to my superior officers about what I want to do.”

“And?” she asks as her brows raise with worry already.

“And I need to go back to base for a few days to see about things. Then I’ll come right back to you.”

“We’ll go with you.” She places the rose in the center of the book and closes it, laying it on the table in front of us. “Harry’s never been to America. He’ll love it.”

I didn’t account for this!

“Well, you see, I’m going to be busy. I might not get to leave the base at all. Then you’d both be left in a hotel, bored and lonely. You should just stay here, at home. It’ll only be for a few days.”

Then her eyes level on me and she takes in a breath. “Damon, you’re lying to me.”

Shit! How the hell did she know that?

“No, I’m not.”

“You are. Now tell me the real reason you need to go back. And don’t make anything up. I can read you like a book.” She crosses her arms and looks like she’s set her mind to finding out the truth.

But I’m not about to let her in on it, or she’ll throw a fit!

“Liv, stop it. I’m not lying to you,” I say, then run my hand over her cheek. “I’ll miss you while I’m gone. Can’t we just leave things like that?”

“I don’t see why we can’t go with you. And you and I haven’t talked much about what you’ll be telling your superiors about what you want to do. You’ve spent many years in the service. You’ve given more than most do. And you should be up for early retirement.”

“How do you know so much about this?” I have to ask her, as she’s spot on.

“I do my research, Damon. So I think it’s just a matter of paperwork and staying active only until it’s finished. Then you’ll be free.” She taps her long nail on the top of my leg. “Isn’t that what you want? To be free and out of danger?”

“If you want to know the truth, I kind of live for danger, baby,” I say with a sly grin.

“Well, now you live for Harry. And me, if you think about it. What would we do if we lost you?” She runs her hand up my neck, then whispers, “No other man could ever make me feel the way you do. Would you take that away from me to die for some cause no one gives a crap about?”

Anger flashes through me with a vengeance. “Okay, first of all, the cause is real, and everyone should give a crap about it. Even here, in England, the terrorists attack all the time. If you don’t think what I do is important then …”

“You don’t have to yell,” Liv says as she takes my arm and shakes me a bit to make me be quiet. “It’s not that I don’t think it’s important. I know it is. I just don’t want you to do it is all.”

“Well, someone has to. And I’ve been highly trained.”

“Then tell me about what you’ll have to do.” She looks at me like she has the authority to veto my place in the mission that’s already been set.

“I can’t tell anyone about anything. It’s all top secret, Liv. You should know that. You’re not an imbecile. All I can tell you is that I’m being sent out for a few days. That’s it. So, you see, I won’t be on base. There’s no reason for you and Harry to go to Florida with me.”

“I won’t tell anyone, Damon. Just tell me, please,” she pleads with me.

“If I could, I would,” I say then shake my head. “The truth is, I won’t know everything until we’re well on our way. That’s how secret missions work, baby.”

“And how am I supposed to know if anything happens to you? My name isn’t on some list of people to notify if you don’t make it.” A tear forms in one eye and rolls down her cheek.

I use my thumb to flick it away. “Don’t cry. I’ll put you on the list. You’ll be the first one. My father and brother were the only ones on it. Now you’ll be at the top. But I don’t want you to think about things like that. It’s bad luck as far as I’m concerned. I’d rather you think I was lying around on base, doing a whole lot of nothing.”

“I’d rather you be lying around here with me, actually doing a whole lot of nothing. Except maybe making me scream your name a few times.” She smiles, but it’s half-hearted.

Stroking her cheek, I whisper, “I’ve got two nights before I have to leave. We can make the most of them.”

“Why do you have to be on a damn Seal Team, Damon?” she whispers, then buries her head in my chest as she starts crying.

This is exactly what I was trying to avoid!

A sob breaks free from her, alerting Harry to her crying. “Hey, what’s wrong?” he asks as he comes to us, dropping his truck on the floor.

“Baby, come on. For the kid, dry it up, please,” I beg her.

She sucks in a breath then pulls her head up and looks at Harry. “Daddy has to go away in a couple of days and he’ll be gone for a little while. I’m just going to miss him is all, Harold.”

“Me too!” Harry says as his lower lip pouts and his blue eyes cloud with tears.

“No, it’s okay,” I say as I pick him up.

But it’s too late. The waterworks have begun, and both of them cling to me as if I was about to go in front of a firing squad instead of on a mission like I’ve done lots of times in my time on the Seal Team.

This is not going to go easily, I’m afraid …

Liv

I can’t let him go. Clinging to him as he thrusts into me like a force of nature, I wrap my legs around him and arch up to meet everything he gives me. Each grind I’m cementing in my head, every sharp thrust and the way his strong hands hold me down are being embedded in my memory.

He has to leave in two hours so he can be in Florida early. He won’t tell me when they’ll leave the base. He won’t tell me where he’s actually going, and he won’t tell me when he’ll be back for sure. The elusive, a few days, is all I can have from him.

But it’s not enough!

I want him to stay here, safe with us. I want him to stop this nonsense and quit the damn Seals. I don’t care if the whole world needs him. We need him more!

My body aches as he takes me. It knows this may very well be the last time I get to feel his power take me over. His cock is huge and pounds me in the best way. His muscles ripple as he moves his massive body over mine.

If he doesn’t make it …

I stop myself from thinking the awful thought. He has to make it!

My nails dig into his shoulders, leaving marks. Wanting more of my marks on him, I lean up and kiss his neck, then suck it. He groans as I suck hard and quick, but then he pulls away and shakes his head. “No marks where they can be seen, baby. The guys’ll give me hell over it.”

With a huff, I pout, then he kisses me and bites my lower lip. Trailing kisses up my neck, he nips me, then sucks hard, leaving a mark on me. I don’t care. I want to look at it in the mirror while he’s gone. He can mark me up all he wants to.

Moving from my neck, he sucks marks all over my breasts, then he makes his way further down. Pulling out of me, he kisses my inner thighs, then sucks his marks on them too.

I moan as he pulls at my flesh with his teeth, then sucks the blood to the surface, leaving purple marks all over me. I want evidence of him all over my body.

If anything happens to him …

I scream with frustration as I try to run the thought out of my head. “Damon!”

He licks my pussy to calm me down. Over and over, he makes long licks with his tongue flattened out. It works. He takes me over. His intimate kiss sends me into a dark place where only he and I reside. My thoughts stop as ecstasy takes them all away.

“Liv, baby, I love you,” he moans as he moves back up my body and pushes his fat cock into me again. The way he moves is like waves over my body. He’s so damn good at this, it’s almost too good to be true.

Damon moves my body like we’re dancing. Only we’re doing much more than dancing. He’s a master at sex. A master at making me feel better than I’ve ever felt. And I’d die for the man. And he’d die for me and everyone else, it seems.

Tears start to flow as I think about him dying on his mission. I hold tightly to him as I let it all out. He lets me. He doesn’t try to stop me the way he has so many times in the last couple of days since he told me he had to go.

Instead of shushing me or trying to get me to get out of my head, he slows his pace and leans his forehead against mine. That’s when I feel his tears falling onto my face.

He’s crying too!

I cradle his face as I kiss away the tears as best I can as the stream is constant. “Don’t think I don’t love you. Don’t think I’m doing this to try to get away from you. I’m not. I’m doing this for you and for Harry. I’ve never had more of a reason to want to end this shit that’s happening. These people kill innocent people, baby. Harry or you could be a victim one day. I have to try to stop them. I have to. I hope you can understand just how strongly I feel about this. I hope you can find it in your heart to send me on this mission, and all I have to take on, with your love and prayers. I need to know that you have my back at all times. Send me that love of yours as I go out into the darkness and do what I have to do to try to get things safe for all of us again.”

I can’t talk. Only sobs come out of my mouth. I want to be what he needs me to be. I so desperately want that. And something inside of me clicks on. Some sense of who I must be if I’m going to be with a man like Damon. A man who is a hero.

Gulping back the tears, I say in a whisper, “You have my blessing, Damon. You have my support. I have your back. And I’ll be here, taking care of your son, keeping him safe while you go out and save us all.”

“Thank you, baby,” he says as his tears stop falling down on me. “Thank you for being strong for me. This won’t always be a thing I can even do. Age will get in my way. I probably only have a few more missions in me. But if I can take out some of the bad guys and save even a handful of people, then I have to do it.”

“Yes, you do. I can see that now. I love you, Damon. I love you so damn much.”

With so much shared between us, we cuddle and take comfort from each other. With only about an hour left before he has to leave, we fall asleep. And I pray that we’ll have many more nights after he returns.

Damon

All I can hear are the waves as they hit the small inflatable we’re in. The night is pitch black. The air is hot as it hits my face. The gear we have to wear is suffocating. But it’ll protect us from fire if we encounter any.

The other members of my team sit in silence as we go to the shore. From there, we’ll have to hump it about ten clicks and then we should come upon the caves that’ve been spotted with satellite images. For a month, we’ve been tracking the movement in the caves with satellite surveillance.

A large group has been confirmed to be hiding in the cave system. Our job is to tag the places within the cave that have things, including people, that need to be destroyed. Then bombs will be launched off the ships that have congregated secretly. Bombers will fly in after that and take out everything else they can.

We have to be like ghosts when we go in. Nothing will be easy. We’re trained to use hand signals so we can remain silent. The small boat hits the shore and I give the signal to get out and get on our way. The guns we carry are not light. But they’re all we’ll have to protect us if anyone tries to stop us.

Moving like a band of mimes, we head into the darkness with our heads clear, minds sharp, and the knowledge that what we do counts. A lot more than you get with most jobs.

The exercise we all do makes this part the easiest of everything we must do. The fast pace we keep gets us to the cave in no time. We move into the places we’re supposed to, with me bringing up the rear, making sure everyone is accounted for, and being the guy who’s watching out for all who go before me.

The first part of the cave is empty. One red light lets us know we have something to take out. In complete silence, one of my men uses black paint to cover the lens of the camera. In we move.

As we get further back into the cave, we can hear things. Snoring, a tapping sound, and someone talking quietly. I’m afraid the people who are awake will have to be the first to go. At least the rest of the people in here will die in their sleep, from the bombs that will soon be approaching.

We make our way into the room of sleeping people and place the marker on a wall, then get moving as fast as we can while remaining quiet as mice. We find the people who are talking quietly and the first two Seals take them out with their knives, keeping things quiet and moving forward. We have to get as far back into the cave system as possible. We don’t want to leave even one section of this cave viable.

Room by room, we go and mark them, then it’s time to get back out. Again, I take the rear as everyone heads back out. It’s going as smoothly as we’d hoped. I watch as one, two, three of my teammates exit the cave. Four, five, and six get out. Only three more.

A loud cry has me turning back and I see a person running at me with a hatchet raised in their hand. They’re all in black. I have no idea if it’s a female or male, or how old they are. I fall back as quickly as I can while letting the other three get out before I do what I have to do to take this person out as silently as possible.

Placing my gun on the dirt floor, I ready myself for the attack. I outweigh the person by fifty pounds or more. If I can get the weapon away from them and use my knife to make quick work of them, then I can leave and join my team as they head back to the beach.

The hatchet hits my upper arm, making a laceration in my right bicep. That’s not good, but it’s not awful. I manage to turn the person around and can use my right arm to put them in a choke hold as I fight to get the weapon away from them.

I get it done and toss the hatchet as far as I can, then take my knife off my belt and do what I have to. Only I find another person coming, and there’s more behind him. All have simple weapons, but all are sharp, and all are deadly if they hit some place vital on my body.

“Hey,” I hear a female voice come from behind me.

I turn back and all I see is a green orb. It’s glowing and is about the size of a quarter. It moves and I grab my gun off the ground, taking off after it.

It moves away from the direction I came from, and I stop for a second. I don’t want to get lost. The sounds of the people chasing me have me looking back, and I open fire on them all, dropping every last one of them. Then I get a message. “Sands one, move.”

They’ve sent the missiles. I have to get the fuck out of here now!

“Come!” I hear the same voice plain as day and turn to see that green orb moving again. I follow it, as I don’t know what the hell else to do.

The screams of the many missiles are coming toward the cave, and I have to be as far away from it as I can be. And I’m nowhere near far enough yet.

Running after the green light, I find myself praying that I make it out of this alive. The sand makes it hard to run and then the green light is gone. It’s just disappeared!

And then I fall into a hole …

What the hell?

Liv

When my cell rings with a number I don’t know, I answer it anyway. “Hello?”

“I need to speak with a Livacious Tillman,” comes a deep voice that sounds official.

“This is she.”

“You’re listed on Lieutenant Commander Damon Saunders’ contact list. I’m calling to inform you that he did not make the boat.”

Nearly falling onto the sofa, I clutch my throat. “And what does that mean exactly, please?”

“It means he’s been left behind. No one knows where he is.”

“The news showed bombings in Afghanistan,” I say as I try to think about what the fuck happened and where Damon is. “Is that where he was left?”

“Yes,” comes the reply from the man who hasn’t even told me who the hell he is.

“What the hell are you doing about finding him?” I ask as I start to sweat.

“At this point, there’s not a lot we can do. No one has claimed to have him. He might have been killed …”

“Stop!” I shout at the man. “Just stop! Please. Can you explain what happened?”

“I can’t. I’m not in that position to give out that kind of information. You will be told when we know more. This is a courtesy call. Someone will be in touch with you when more is known.” And then the call is over.

I sit, staring at the wall as my mind races around all the things that might’ve happened to Damon. He could be dead, but I don’t feel that at all. He might be captured. Or he might be lost. If that kind of thing can happen.

Harold comes into the room, carrying the truck Damon gave him. “I fell asleep.”

I get up. “I know,” I say as I go to him and pick him up. I’m not about to tell him a thing until I know everything. “Did you have a nice nap?”

“Uh huh,” he says as he wipes his eyes. “Mummy was there.”

I sit back down, placing him on my lap. “How nice.”

“Daddy was too,” he says, and a lump forms in my throat as a rock seems to have been made in my stomach.

“Your daddy was in your dream too?”

He nods. “Him and Mummy are together, and there’s sand everywhere.”

My vision blurs, my head spins, and I have to lie back on the sofa, still cradling Harold in my arms. “Do you remember what they were doing?”

He shakes his head, making the blonde curls bob around his shoulders. “No.”

“Maybe we should pray for Daddy, Harry. Would you like to help me do that?” I ask and notice how badly my voice is quivering.

“Why? Is Daddy okay?” He gives me a look that I can’t stand. A look of innocence that’s been sullied by loss. His mother left him only a few months ago. His only grandparents too. And now his father, when he just got him.

Who deserves this much torment in their little life?

“No matter what, your daddy is okay,” I tell him as I gather my strength. “Don’t you remember when I told you about your mummy and grampy and granny?”

“You said they were okay,” he says, then wipes his eyes as he seems to be tearing up. “But they can’t come home no more.”

“Yes, that’s right. Because sometimes things happen. No one knows why, but they do. And that doesn’t mean the person isn’t okay. They are. We have places to go when we leave here. And one day you’ll see them all again. No need to worry.” I run my hand through his hair and try hard not to cry.

“I want my daddy, Aunt Wiv,” he says and then starts to cry.

Holding him, I whisper, “So do I, Harry. So do I. We have to keep believing he’ll come home to us. We have to keep asking the Lord above to send him back to us. You and I can ask that together, can’t we?”

With his nod, I know I have a partner in this and neither of us are all alone. And that’s better than being alone, I suppose.

What’s not good is not knowing. I can’t take the not knowing …

Damon

The sun has risen and fallen again as I’ve been stuck here in this deep-as-shit hole. I heard the sounds of the bombs as they hit their targets last night. But no one can seem to find me, and I don’t foresee that anyone will.

The hole is small. I’m having a hell of a time figuring out how I fell into the damn thing. That green light led me right to this place. I have a feeling it was some kind of a laser the enemy is using.

Like a fool, I followed the damn thing!

But I’m anything but a fool. So I wait until night comes around again and now I’m going to attempt to get out of this place. I think my radio will work once I’m not deep underground.

The light of day helped me to see that the walls of this hole are sand, which is a good thing, but might also be a bad thing. I might be able to make small holes and use them to place my feet and hands in and climb out.

Then again, I might make the hole fall in on me, and that might be the way the enemy designed it. I can sit here and die from dehydration or have the sand fall in and smother me. Either way, it sucks ass. So I’m going for the climb.

The first punch I make into the side sends only a bit of sand down. I make another and see a little more sand fall. I don’t have a lot of choices here, so I move on up. Placing my foot in one of the holes, I move up, punching another hole in the sand. As I move up, that green glowing orb appears at the top of the hole.

I hesitate and look at it as it moves about. Then I hear a woman say, “Come on.”

“Who are you?” I ask, then immediately feel stupid.

My mind’s playing tricks on me. That’s all it is. I had water and a nutrition bar to help me get through the last twenty-four hours, but hallucinations could still be happening.

With the next punch into the sandy wall, I find a lot more sand falling from above me and see that I’m almost halfway up, from what the green light’s showing me. Waiting a moment to let the sand settle, I move my foot into the hole my left hand just vacated and find the sand slowing.

Another punch finds more sand raining down on me, and it’s heavy, nearly knocking me back down. If that happens, I’m pretty damn sure I’ll be buried alive.

“Hurry, they need you!” the woman’s voice calls out.

Looking up through the rain of sand, I see a face looking down at me. “Jennie?”

I swear it was her! Her blonde hair was flowing around her face and her big blue eyes were looking right at me. Then she was gone.

Something clicks inside of me and I start punching the walls with a furious pace as sand keeps pouring over me, threatening to take me back down. I won’t let it!

There are a little boy and a damn fine woman who are waiting for my return. And they need me!

The hole is caving in! Sand’s clogging up everything! I can’t breathe!

I can’t see. I can’t keep up the pace with the weight that’s holding me down.

I can’t do this!

Liv

Harold and I sit on the soft leather seats of the jet that’s taking us to Florida. I couldn’t get the answers I wanted from making phone calls to the base Damon is stationed at. So I did what any woman would do. I took the private jet I have access to and will find out what has happened to the man I love.

The last twenty-four hours have been sleepless for me. I can’t think about anything other than Damon and getting him back to us. And I pray it’s in one piece and alive.

Either way, I have to know. We’ll spare no expense in retrieving him, dead or alive.

“Is Daddy going to be where we’re going?” Harry asks as he looks up at me with sleepy eyes.

“No, but hopefully he’ll come to us soon, Harry. You rest, baby boy. No need for you to worry. I just want to talk to people in person, instead of over the phone. They don’t seem to understand your Aunt Liv wants answers. And what I want, I get.”

“K,” he says, then closes his eyes, and I lie the seat back for him.

There are a few more hours until we reach Pensacola. We’ll have to fly into the regional airport there, instead of the military one. I’ll have to rent a car, make my way to the base, and somehow gain access to the men I need to talk to.

I don’t know how I’m going to do that, but I have to try.

It’s been three days since I’ve seen or heard from Damon. It seems as if years have passed by though. I don’t know how I came to need him in only two weeks’ time, but I have. And so has Harold.

His son cannot be left orphaned like this. He just can’t.

We barely had Harold’s last name changed and his father put on his birth certificate. If the little boy has to go through another loss, I have no idea how that’ll affect him.

And I have no idea how much help I’ll be to the poor boy. I’m a wreck. A complete wreck. Sure, I’m holding it together for now. But that’s only because of this stubborn hope that simmers deep down inside of my heart.

I just can’t shake the idiotic feeling that if Damon was indeed dead that I’d feel it somehow. I know it’s stupid. It makes no sense at all. I’m no psychic after all.

In an attempt to ease my thoughts that never seem to stop, I look out the window at the dark night sky. No moon is showing. It’s a new moon and barely a sliver of it shows in the sky. That’s probably why the military decided to do the mission. Slip in with one of the darkest nights of the month to help shield them from the enemy. It did that much. The news reported the mission was a great success. All the targets were hit and the cave system is no more than a hole in the ground now.

A hole my man may be buried in.

Shaking my head, I try hard to stop thinking that way. I want to keep only positive thoughts going, but it’s so damn hard to keep the negative thoughts away.

No matter how hard I try, they creep in. My brain must be getting me ready for bad news, just in case that’s all I get when I finally get the answers I’m seeking.

I hate this. I hate it all. Every aspect of this is hurting Harold and me. Damon came into our lives, at my beckoning, and changed us. Harold and I were fine on our own. I knew the man was in a dangerous line of work. Yet I forged on and found him anyway.

Why did I do this to us?

Damon

The sound of a chopper is what woke me up. I found myself lying on top of the sand, somehow. I really have no clue how it happened. I was blacking out from lack of oxygen as the sand began to crush me.

But I made it out, somehow, and must’ve passed out once I was safely out of the hole. And then an American chopper happened to come by and find me in the dark of night. Again, I don’t know how that happened either.

All I do know is that we’re coming into the base in Pensacola now and I’m about to get to make one hell of a phone call to Liv. I wonder if she knew I’d been left behind.

Hopefully she has no idea about what I went through. Man, if she does know, she’ll never let me go on a mission again!

The lights of the base come into view and my heart revs up as I think about setting my feet on American soil. It’s only been a few days, but I sure missed the place I call home.

Hell, it’d even be great to set foot on English soil at this point. Anything but sand!

I’m wearing only a T-shirt, as the medic had to take off my other shirt so he could stitch up the hatchet wound on my bicep. That’s a thing Liv will surely ask about and I’ll have to tell her something.

What kind of a lame story can one make up about a hatchet wound that leaves his woman not worrying about him going out on another mission?

The chopper lands on the helipad and I waste no time exiting the machine that’s brought me home. Nearly home, anyway. I do have to get back to London as fast as they’ll let me go.

I miss Harry and Liv so much it hurts!

I’m quickly met by one of my superiors, who looks a bit aggravated as he approaches me, which I find weird.

“Lieutenant, I’m damned glad to see your ass alive!” He grips my hand with a hard handshake.

“Glad to be alive, sir,” I greet him.

He points to where he wants me to go with him. “Over here, man. You have one stubborn-as-hell woman waiting for word on you, and she doesn’t understand our security policies.”

“What?” I ask, completely confused.

“She showed up a few hours ago and refuses to leave the base without an answer about you. Which we had, as you know, but were uncertain about your health. You seem to have made it through just fine. You’ll have to go to the infirmary for a full evaluation, you know.”

“Is the woman’s name, Liv, by any chance?”

“Livacious Tillman. Yes, that’s her. And she has a little boy who’s with her. Poor kid needs to be asleep, not listening to his mother hounding our top personnel for answers they can’t give her yet.”

A smile breaks out over my face as I follow the General into the building where I’m about to find the two people I miss the most in this world.

Liv’s agitated voice echoes down the hallway as she says, “Who came in on that chopper?”

“We can’t tell you that, Miss Tillman,” comes a man’s voice.

“And why can’t any of you tell me anything at all? Your secrecy is beyond annoying and I’m close to getting the media involved in this. I want to know where Damon was last seen. And I want to know what the hell you’re doing to find him! Now!”

“Baby?” I ask as I come into the room.

Liv and Harry turn around and I watch the color drain out of both their faces.

“Daddy!” Harry shouts and runs to me at full speed. He jumps into my arms and I wince a little as the wound on my arm stretches a bit.

“Damon!” Liv says breathlessly. “You’re here!”

She runs to me too and I pull her in for a group hug where I find them both crying like babies. It’s not that I don’t feel like crying right along with them, but my fellow Navy men are looking on, and that’d be kind of sissified if I did such a thing.

“Feel free to take them to my office so you three can have your little reunion, Saunders,” the Captain tells me as he opens the door for us. “We’ve heard enough from your girlfriend to last us a lifetime.”

Wrapping my arm around Liv’s narrow shoulders, I kiss the top of her head. “I bet you have.”

Liv just stares at me as we walk down the hallway. Harry hides his face in my chest, and I can’t stop looking at either of them. “Damon, you are really here, right?” Liv asks me with quivering lips. “This isn’t a dream, is it?”

“I don’t think it is. But to be honest, I keep wondering the same thing. You have no idea how much I missed you both.”

Stepping into the General’s office, I find a long sofa along the wall and take a seat. Holding Harry on my lap, and Liv as close to me as I can get her, I let the tears flow. Liv does her best to kiss them all away, but there are just too many. “Oh, Damon!”

“We have to make some changes, baby.” I let her know.

“First one, you put in for retirement,” she bosses me.

“No, the first one is you marry me, Livacious Tillman. I don’t want to spend another day without knowing you’re a permanent part of me. You see, when I found you two, I found a treasure I didn’t even realize I was seeking. So, first, I want to really make you mine.”

Her tears choke her up and she can’t seem to tell me if she’ll marry me or not. I watch her as she swallows, then nods. “Okay, we can do that first. Then you put in the paperwork and retire. Deal?”

I didn’t know I was going to do this. I really didn’t. I had no preconceived notion that my mouth would open and tell her she was going to marry me. Not ask, just tell. And I had no idea I’d be agreeing so quickly to retiring. But I guess a near-death experience will do that to a man.

“Daddy, did you see Mummy?” Harry asks me as he pulls his head off my shoulder.

“How’d you know that?” I ask him with amazement.

“I saw you and her together in the sand. Is she okay?”

His eyes sparkle and remind me of hers. I kiss his plump cheek and answer him, “Your mommy is fine, Harry. She loves you very much. She told me to take good care of you for her, and I will do just that. Don’t you worry, Daddy isn’t going on any more dangerous assignments. He has two special people he has to keep safe now.”

“Me and Aunt Wiv, right?” Harry asks.

I nod and ask him, “Do you think you could call her mommy, instead of Aunt Liv? You see, Daddy’s going to marry her a little later today when we three go to Las Vegas. Then she’ll be your real mommy, Harry.”

His eyes move to look at Liv, and she runs her hand over his red cheek. “I’d love it if you did call me your mom, Harry.”

“K,” he says with an innocent smile that tells me we three will be just fine. As long as we have each other, we can make it through anything.

The End.