Six months later
Today was the day. The day Colt and I would take the next step in our relationship. Six months ago, we declared our love for each other in this very kitchen and now the time had come to talk about more. He wanted to move in the day of my housewarming barbecue but I said we had to wait. I loved Colt, of that much I had always been certain, but I needed to be sure that what we had together wasn’t a fluke. That we had what it will take, as adults, to make a long-term commitment to one another.
I know he loves me, but our love needed to mature the same way we had. It couldn’t be the same puppy love if our relationship was to survive the hurdles a relationship would face over decades. And more than anything I wanted forever with this man. I could see us old and gray and wrinkled, sitting on Adirondack chairs sipping beers and cursing like sailors. That was who we were, or who we would be.
There wouldn’t be any knitting and iced tea in our future, because hello, former homicide cop and former SEAL. Colt would say there’s no such thing as a former SEAL. The guys at the office loved to remind me, “Once a SEAL, always a SEAL.”
“Hey babe, where are you?”
I smiled. Colt had arrived at the perfect time. I had a plan for the rest of the day and him arriving on time meant it would all go as planned. “In here,” I yelled from the kitchen. I had on a salmon colored sweater that I thought looked pretty amazing on me. Over the months I’d put on some weight so I didn’t look so frail and skeletal, though soon I’d have more than enough extra padding.
“Not that I’m complaining, but why did you want to meet here?”
“Because I have a few surprises for you, my love.” I grabbed his hand, intertwining our fingers together, and pulled him upstairs to the bedroom. Our new and improved bedroom. “This is the first one,” I told him and pulled apart the sliding doors that lead to the new closet.
“What’s all this?” He stepped inside and he smiled at the sight of my clothes hanging in no clear order on the right side of the closet but he lit up like Fourth of July fireworks at the empty left side.
“We needed more closet space if you’re going to move in here.” Colt had been so good about not pressuring me and he’d only brought it up once, four months ago. So I showed up at his house two weeks ago with a couple bags while the contractor made the closet bigger at the expense of one of the guest rooms.
“Move in? Seriously?”
I nodded, feeling my whole body flame with warmth. And lust because whenever Colt was nearby my body got ready for his special brand of loving.
“Completely and totally seriously. Do you want to move in with me? Shack up? Live in sin?”
With a bright smile he couldn’t contain, Colt pulled me into the closet. “Honey I would love nothing more than to shack up with you. Now I think we should do a little sinnin’ inside this closet.” I shivered at the dark look in his eyes, the sexy smile that my panties growing damp with arousal and the feel of his hands that had my nipples instantly hard.
Soon we were both naked and sweaty, hips moving at the same frenetic rhythm until we found a rapid release. “Damn. It just gets better and better,” I panted, licking the salty liquid from his neck.
“Yeah,” he agreed, one of his big calloused hands rubbing slow, seductive circles low on my back. “Note for future closet sex. We need carpeting in here. Thick, plush carpeting.”
I laughed on top of him, our bodies still together as one. Colt groaned at the tight squeeze my laughter caused. “Good thing I have a big strapping SEAL to do things like that now.”
“I see. You only love me for my carpentry skills.”
My eyes went big and I pushed myself to a sitting position, groaning when he sank deeper inside me. “I think I would like to act out a carpenter fantasy. You in nothing but a tool belt. Maybe a hard hat. Yeah I could get into that.” It felt good to laugh and be playful again. To enjoy my life. It wasn’t all because of Colt, but he had a lot to do with it. So did my grief counselor who I’d only recently stopped seeing.
“I have a tool belt somewhere. I’ll be sure to pack it and bring it over.” He squeezed my ass and thrust up one final time before letting me roll off him. “But seriously, I need to get off this floor. Dark hard wood floors are nice to look at, not so nice to fuck on.”
I laughed and rubbed his back, following him out of our new closet. “Poor you. Let’s get cleaned up because that’s just the first part of your surprise.” I felt more concerned about the next part. My counselor had helped a lot with this, and today I felt strong enough to lay it all out there. Our future depended on it.
The shower took a little longer than it should have, but I couldn’t complain because making love to Colt, fucking Colt, quickies with Colt were pretty much better than any damn thing on the planet. Finally we were all soaped up and rinsed off and pruned to high hell.
“New rule,” I told him with a grin, loving the way his eyes tracked my every move as I slathered body butter all over myself. “Shower time is alone time during the week and when I’m on call.”
His deep laugh drew closer and he wrapped his arms around me, inhaling the scent of my hair. Behind my neck. “I’ll try my best.”
That worked for me because there was no way on earth I could possibly resist an opportunity to get soapy and slick with this fine male specimen. “Good. Now put on some pants for the next surprise.” We headed downstairs and back to the kitchen where a bottle of non-alcoholic champagne chilled in a bucket. I’d even sprung for the good stuff.
“Damn babe what smells so good?”
“That would be pizza and buffalo wings.” I was going for a theme though I doubted he would pick up on it until it was staring at him right in the face.
His strong hand plucked up the bottle and glanced at the label, because though my man was still a Navy SEAL and a hometown Chicago boy, he was also a wealthy CEO, which meant his tastes had grown a bit more discerning over the years.
“Interesting choice.”
“Yep.” That’s all I said because the timer beeped and I pulled the food from the oven and put it all on huge platters. “Have a seat,” I told him and put on some old-school R&B before bringing the food to the table.
“You’re doing it up big time baby. I can’t wait to hear the surprise.” His gaze took in the food. Miniature pizzas and buffalo drumettes. “Okay.”
I took a seat and brushed my hair behind me with my fingers. “I love you Colt and we’re moving forward to the next phase of our lives. I hope you’ll be happy about what I’m about to tell you because I’ve been trying to find a way to say this all week.” The last time this happened it turned my life upside down. It caused a deep chasm I’d been sure was irreversible. “Colt,” I paused again, unable to get the words out.
“You’re pregnant,” he grinned, all cocky and leaning back in his chair, fingers woven behind his head.
“You knew? Or you guessed?”
“Seriously? We’ve been having nonstop sex for almost a year. Never mind the fact that most of it was unprotected, damn you feel so good skin on skin,” he smiled and got lost in memories for a few moments. “I also know that you haven’t had a period in at least two months.”
“Well damn. I thought I was surprising you. I guess all this was for nothing.”
“Not for nothin’ sweetheart.” He bit into a mini pizza, taking half in just one bite. “I love that you went through all this to tell me we’re having another baby. But I don’t love that you weren’t sure of my reaction.”
“Well we hadn’t planned on children yet, and we only technically started living together today.”
“Babe we’ve been living together since August.”
True. “Okay so…we’re having a baby!”
His smile beamed so bright I might have gotten a tan. “Either that or you’re on a diet and we’re only eating tiny foods.”
“Smart ass.”
He smiled with a mouthful of chicken. “You love me.”
“I really, really do.”
“Right back atcha Jay-Jay.”