Maya cried out, drawing Daphne’s attention back to the bedroom.

She hurried in to check on the baby, torn between wanting to be with her daughter and wanting to know what the men were saying.

Daphne lifted Maya to her breast again, straining to hear the rumble of voices in the living room of the chalet. She wished she could be in both places at once. Perhaps Boomer was explaining his strange behavior toward Maya.

The baby settled against her and suckled, falling asleep every few minutes as she filled her belly.

Every time Daphne tried to break Maya’s seal on her nipple, the baby woke up enough to drink more.

Finally, baby Maya fell into a deep sleep.

Again, Daphne laid her in the middle of the freshly made bed, swaddled in blankets and surrounded by pillows.

Anxious to get to the bottom of the trouble with Boomer, she left the bedroom and returned to the living room.

Chuck and Boomer sat close together, talking softly.

When Chuck noticed her, he addressed her.

They worked out the sleeping arrangements and Chuck grabbed his duffel bag and headed up the stairs to the spare bedroom, leaving Daphne and Boomer alone.

Boomer poked at the fire, rearranging the logs to burn brighter and hotter.

He was avoiding her.

Which confused her. She was sure he’d swept her with a glance when she first entered the room. At that moment, she’d read longing in his gaze.

When he straightened and turned, he sighed. “Sorry about...before. Is Maya all right?”

Daphne nodded. “She’s fine. With a full tummy, she’ll sleep for the rest of the night.” She took a step toward Boomer. “I’m more worried about you.”

His lips thinned. “Don’t worry about me. I’m here to protect you and Maya. I won’t fail.”

Daphne believed him, but she wanted to know more. “What happened earlier?”

He turned away. “I’d rather not talk about it.”

She touched his shoulder. “Yeah, well, if it involves our daughter, we need open communication lines.”

Boomer shrugged off her hand and moved away. “It won’t happen again.”

“How do you know?”

He glanced away, a frown denting his brow. “Because I won’t hold her again.”

Daphne flinched as if she’d been slapped across her face. Her heart dropped into her stomach, and she placed a protective hand over her belly. “You won’t hold your own daughter?”

“I’ll protect you two,” he said, his voice rasping, “but I can’t hold her. I’m not fit to care for her.”

“What do you mean, you’re not fit? All she needs is love. Isn’t that all anyone needs?” Daphne stood before him, her eyes burning, her heart worn on her sleeve. This was the man she’d dreamed about for the past year. But somehow he’d changed.

He stared at the door to the cabin as if he wanted to make his escape. “Maybe I’m not capable of love,” he whispered.

Though hurt by his rejection of her and the baby, Daphne recognized a man in pain. Not physical pain, but something that hurt him on a much deeper level. Pushing him to confess what had caused the injury wouldn’t help. Not at that moment.

Daphne hoped one day he’d be able to tell her what had caused him so much pain he believed he wasn’t fit to be her baby’s father.

Although disappointed in the meantime, she’d give him the space he needed.

She crossed to stand in front of him. “Okay,” she said softly. “We’ll accept your protection. I won’t make you hold Maya, and I won’t ask anything of you that makes you uncomfortable. But I want you to know...” She reached up and cupped his hard jaw in the palm of her hand. “I’m glad you’re here.” She leaned up on her toes and pressed her lips to his.

When she dropped down and turned away, she was determined to run back to the bedroom before the tears started to fall. She hadn’t gone two steps, when a hand grasped her arm.

The next thing she knew she was crushed to Boomer’s broad chest, the air forced from her lungs by the iron band of his arms wrapped around her.

Boomer held her close, staring down into her gaze, his eyes dark with whatever emotion he was feeling. “You’ve haunted me since the day you left,” he said.

“I never stopped thinking about you,” she confessed.

He shook his head. “I can’t do this.” His hands tightened on her arms.

Daphne leaned into him, her unfettered breasts pressed against the hard planes of his chest. “Do what?”

“This.” His mouth descended on hers, and he stole her very soul in that one kiss.

Daphne didn’t care that she couldn’t breathe, she felt as though she’d died and floated to Heaven. This was where she’d longed to be since she’d last been with him in Cozumel.

Boomer threaded his fingers into her hair, dislodging the messy bun.

The long strands fell down around her shoulders.

He fisted his hand in the tresses and tugged, tilting back her head to expose the length of her neck.

His mouth left hers and traveled down the sensitive skin of her throat to the pulse pounding at the base. His tongue tapped against it, and he sucked her skin gently before pushing aside the neck of her sweater.

Boomer nipped at her collarbone, tongued the flesh there and tried to push the sweater farther over her shoulder. When it wouldn’t stretch more, he reached for the hem and dragged it up her torso.

The cool air hit her back, while heat from his body and the fireplace warmed her front. Her nipples pebbled, and desire coiled low in her belly.

Daphne tugged the shirt from his waistband, dragged it over his head and tossed it to the floor. She ran her hands over the solid muscles of his biceps and across the coarse hairs covering his broad chest.

Boomer kissed her forehead, captured her lips in a hard, brief kiss and then worked his way downward, bending to take one of her nipples between his teeth. He rolled the tip around then flicked it again and again.

Her body ached with the need to take what they were doing to the next level. She wanted to be naked, lying in his arms, filled with his lovemaking. Daphne slipped her hands into the waistband of his jeans and then lower to cup his firm buttocks. He was so damned sexy, her mouth watered, her blood raced through her veins and she couldn’t get close enough.

A log shifted in the fireplace, shooting sparks and making the light flicker in the dark living area.

Boomer lifted his head. “We can’t do this.”

She shook her head. “Yes, we can.” Daphne slid her hand around to the button on his jeans and pushed it through the hole. She stared up into his eyes as she eased the zipper downward. “You know you want to, and I want it as much as you.”

“We’re not alone in this house,” he reminded her.

“We’re alone in this room.” She reached into the denim and circled his hard length, easing it free of the constraint.

Boomer tipped back his head and sucked air between his teeth. “You’re making this hard.”

She chuckled and ran her hand across his velvety cock. “That’s obvious.”

He caught her wrist and stopped what she was doing. “I can make no promises to you or Maya.”

She froze, her heartbeat stuttering for a moment before it settled into a rapid tattoo. “I’m okay with that. We’re here, in the moment. That’s all I want.” For now. She’d work on more, later.

Boomer cupped her cheeks and raised her face to his. “Sweetheart, you deserve so much better.”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” she whispered and leaned up on her toes, sealing his mouth with hers.

Boomer fell into her, his tongue slicing through her lips to capture hers in a dance of desire, thrusting, twisting and caressing until Daphne’s knees wobbled, and she clung to him for support.

He bent, scooped her off her feet and laid her on the couch in front of the fire.

Daphne stretched her arms above her head, her body on fire, her core aching and empty, ready for Boomer to fill. The fire’s warmth and the intimate glow it created set the mood.

Boomer kissed a path across her chin and down her throat to settle on one of her breasts. He teased, tongued and nipped at the areola until Daphne arched her back off the cushions and cupped the back of his neck, urging him to take more of her breast into his mouth.

He complied, sucking hard, flicking the tip several more times before moving to perform the same magic on the other.

Daphne moaned softly, ready for him to take it lower.

With excruciating slowness, he licked and kissed his way lower, tapping the tip of his tongue on every rib, dipping into her bellybutton and, finally, coming to a halt at the waistband of her leggings.

Daphne reached for the elastic band, desperate to shed the layers standing between her and Boomer.

He pushed her hand away and caught the fabric in his hand, along with the elastic of her panties, and pulled them down over her hips and lower, exposing the triangle of hair atop her sex.

A pulse thrummed inside her core, her channel slicked with her juices and she almost cried out for him to take her before she spontaneously combusted.

Boomer slid his fingers through the curls over her sex and dipped between the folds to tap that nubbin of sensitized flesh.

Daphne dug her heels into the cushions, lifting her hips. “Oh, please,” she moaned.

“Please what?” he asked, pressing a kiss to the mound of hair.

“Please, don’t stop,” she begged, letting her knees fall to the sides, leaving her open to him.

“I couldn’t if I wanted to,” he said and parted her folds.

The first touch of his tongue sent her to the edge of reason. The second catapulted her into the stratosphere. She dug her fingers into his shoulders and held on as her body rocked with her orgasm.

He lapped, twisted and flicked that very special place until she could stand it no more. She had to have him inside her, filling that hot, wet, desperate void that had gone too long without him.

Daphne dug her nails into his skin and dragged him up her body.

He still wore his jeans, but she didn’t care. What mattered was getting him inside her so she could wrap herself around him.

He slipped between her legs, pressing his fingers to her entrance. One finger slid in. Her juices coated him as he swirled that digit and then pulled out. When he dipped in again, he did so with two, then three fingers, stretching her channel’s opening.

“Please,” she moaned. “I can’t wait any longer.” The tension had rebuilt, taking her to the edge yet again.

Boomer settled his big body between her legs. He leaned over, captured her lips with his and touched his cock to her entrance. When he pushed his tongue past her teeth, he thrust into her channel, claiming her in one powerful stroke.

Daphne raised her knees, cupped the back of her thighs and lifted her hips to meet him.

He pressed all the way into her, sliding easily into her dampness. For a long moment, he remained deep and still.

Then he eased out. His next thrust was hard and swift, followed by more. Soon he was pounding in and out, faster and faster.

Daphne dropped her heels to the cushions and pressed down, lifting her hips, meeting his every thrust.

Her core tightened. A tingling sensation rippled out from her center to the very tips of her fingers and toes.

For a year, she’d dreamed of this. That long year of not knowing what was going to happen to her life and that of her baby. This was where she’d longed to be, what she’d prayed for countless times.

Boomer thrust one last time and buried himself deeply inside her. He drew in a deep breath and then pulled out and rested his cock on her belly as he came.

He dropped down on the couch and pulled her into his arms, balancing precariously on the edge.

“Sadly, we can’t stay this way.” Daphne pressed her cheek to his chest, making no effort to move any further.

“I know.” Boomer pressed a kiss to her forehead, squeezed her body against his and disengaged, rolling to his feet. He held out a hand and pulled her to her feet, gathered their clothing and led her into the bedroom and closed the door behind them.

Surrounded by pillows and tucked into her baby blankets, Maya slept peacefully.

Boomer dropped the clothing on the end of the bed and kept walking, leading Daphne to the adjoining bathroom.

“I have to warn you, the water is cold.”

He chuckled. “We’ll warm it up between the two of us.”

Daphne purposely left the bathroom door open. “To listen for the baby,” she explained.

He had lots to learn about babies and Maya’s needs. But for now, she was asleep and her mother was hotter than ever and naked.

Boomer’s groin tightened. The shower wasn’t nearly as open and airy as the one they’d shared in his bungalow in Cozumel, but it didn’t dampen his desire in the least.

Once the water temperature increased to just about lukewarm, he helped her over the edge of the tub.

She shivered, her nipples tightening into tight little beads.

“We’ll make this quick.” Boomer grabbed the bar of soap and worked up a lather.

She touched his arm. “Don’t hurry on my account. My body will adjust to the temperature.”

He spread the suds over her shoulders and across her chest, moving his hands in slow, rhythmic circles around the swells of her breasts, pausing to tweak her peaked nipples.

“Mmm,” she moaned. “Already getting warmer.”

He spent some time tweaking, swirling and squeezing each globe until she arched her back, thrusting herself into his open palms.

“You’re making me crazy,” she said, her voice low, gravelly and sexy as hell.

Boomer’s cock sprang to attention. “We can’t keep doing this without protection.”

Daphne’s lips tipped upward on the corners. “True. But then Maya is proof not all protection is one hundred percent fool-proof.”

“We did use protection then, didn’t we?”

She nodded. “Every time.” Daphne grabbed the soap, worked up a generous lather, started at his shoulders and worked her way downward until her fingers circled his cock. “But we don’t have to go all the way to get satisfaction.” With slow, steady strokes, she ran her hands the length of his staff all the way from the tip to the base. She rolled his balls in one palm and circled behind him with the other to cup his ass.

A groan rose up Boomer’s throat, and he thrust into the circle of her hand. He wanted to take her, to bury himself inside her again, but he couldn’t move out of the tightness of her grip.

Lukewarm water sluiced over his shoulder, washing away the suds.

Daphne looked up at him with a sexy smile and then dropped to her knees in front of him.

“You don’t have to do this,” he started.

“But I want to.” Then she touched the tip of his cock with her tongue.

Boomer sank his hands into her damp hair and grabbed a handful, urging her closer.

Daphne opened her mouth and wrapped her lips around him, flicking the tip of his shaft with her tongue.

His cock jerked, and his fingers tightened in her hair.

Then she cupped his balls, pulling him toward her, taking more of him into her mouth.

He moved inside slowly, responding to the pressure of her fingers. Hell, he was on fire. Desire rushed like flames through tinder in his veins.

She clasped his buttocks and set the rhythm, moving him in and out until he was pumping like an engine’s piston, in and out. Tension built rapidly, sending him up toward the edge. Before he spiraled over the precipice, he pulled free.

Her hand took the place of her lips, gliding over him until the rush of his seed had been spent.

Not until he regained his senses did he notice the water had chilled considerably. He rinsed the remaining soap from their bodies, turned off the water and wrapped Daphne in a dry towel.

With another towel, he squeezed the water from her hair then patted her face, neck and legs dry.

Daphne took over and dried his skin from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. When she was done, she handed him the towel.

Boomer wrapped the terry cloth around his waist, swept Daphne up into his arms and carried her into the bedroom. Beside the bed, he stood for a moment, staring down at their daughter, stirring in her blanket.

Maya whimpered and shoved a fist into her mouth.

“She’s hungry,” Daphne said. “If you’ll put me down, I’ll feed her.”

Reluctantly, Boomer lowered Daphne to the ground. He wanted to lie in the bed with her and hold her close throughout the night.

With a towel wrapped around her middle, Daphne sat on the edge of the bed and swung her legs onto the mattress.

Boomer lifted Maya and laid her in Daphne’s arms.

Daphne let the corner of the towel drop to expose her right breast and positioned Maya’s mouth over the nipple.

Maya nuzzled greedily, her head moving back and forth, her mouth open like a baby bird’s. Finally, his daughter found the nipple, sucked it between her lips and pulled hard.

Daphne stroked Maya’s dark hair and settled with her back against the headboard. “She has your hair.”

“She does,” he agreed. “But blue eyes?”

With a chuckle, Daphne glanced up at him. “Most babies have blue eyes for the first few months. I think they’re turning green.”

“Like her mother’s.” Boomer stood for a long moment, watching Daphne feed Maya, one of the most beautiful things he’d ever witnessed. His heart swelled behind his ribs with a feeling he had never experienced. Sure, he’d thought himself in love with Daphne back in Cozumel, but this feeling was a much stronger mixture of love, pride and wonder. They’d created a child. A combination of the two of them.

For a long moment, his chest tightened, and he couldn’t move from where he stood.

“Do you want to lie down?” Daphne asked, scooting to the edge of the bed. She raised Maya from the right breast and switched her to the left.

Maya’s little hand fisted as she suckled at Daphne’s breast.

“No.” Boomer grabbed his clothes and backed toward the door.

Daphne frowned. “Are you leaving?”

“I think it would better if I slept in the living room. For now.” He turned to leave.

“Boomer?” Her voice stopped him, but he didn’t turn back.

“Why did you freeze with Maya earlier?” she asked softly.

He didn’t want to answer. But if he did, perhaps she’d better understand why he couldn’t stay. Why he couldn’t be a good father to Maya. “When I was on my last deployment as a sniper, my target was an ISIS militant.” He drew in a deep breath and let it out. “He came out of the building dressed as an imam in white robes. The man was responsible for numerous murders, rapes and beheadings. I had him in my sights, and I pulled the trigger.”

“Did you get him?” Daphne asked.

Boomer bowed his head. “I did.”

“What happened?” Daphne’s voice brought him back from his memories.

“At the same time I pulled the trigger, a woman stepped out of the building with a baby in her arms. The bullet travelled straight through the ISIS leader’s head and hit the baby.” He turned back to take in the sight of Daphne nursing their baby. “The baby died in that woman’s arms.” He didn’t wait for her response. He left the room, pulling the door closed behind him.

Yes, he was a coward. The sudden panic attack he’d experienced reminded him he wasn’t fit to be a father. The image of Daphne cradling the baby was much like the Iraqi woman holding her dead baby. Chills rippled down Boomer’s spine, along with an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness.

He was there to protect them.

What if he failed Daphne?

Holy hell. What if he failed Maya?