Chapter Two

Smothering an eye-watering yawn, Taya kept her fingers laced with Nathan’s as he led her to the front door of his commander’s house for the team gathering. The sexy half-smile he shot her sent a wave of warmth washing through her, but didn’t erase the combination of excitement and anxiety fluttering in the pit of her belly.

She’d planned to tell him the news when she’d gotten home from San Francisco late last night, but the moment they’d walked into their condo he’d pounced on her, making it impossible to think at all, let alone talk. Afterward, she’d fallen straight into a deep, dreamless sleep that had kept her under until it was time to get ready to come here. She’d started to bring it up on the drive here, but he’d wound on the phone for the last half of it.

She couldn’t wait much longer. He and the guys were leaving again tomorrow for another training thing down in Florida. So after the barbecue was over, she was going to tell him. She couldn’t tell him one piece without the other, and his possible reaction to the first part kept making her hesitate.

Noticing her attempt to hide the yawn, Nathan raised a dark auburn eyebrow at her as they stepped up onto the front porch. “You gonna make it? You only slept what, twelve hours since you got home last night?”

Her lips curved at his teasing. “I’ll do my best.” The slight jetlag wasn’t helping matters.

A baby’s happy gurgle came from behind them on the street. Taya looked over her shoulder as Clay Bauer appeared at the foot of the brick walkway with his five-month old daughter in the crook of one muscular arm. Her heart squeezed at the sight. “Hey, you two. Where’s Zoe?”

“She’ll be here in a bit. Had to grab some stuff from the store.” He shifted the strap of the diaper bag over his shoulder and loped up the steps to join them. “Okay, Miss Liberty, let’s do this.” Libby grinned up at him, her eyes locked on his with complete reverence.

Someone had their badass daddy wrapped securely around her little finger. Clay might be six-four and well over two hundred pounds, but one look at that baby’s smile and every one of his harsh edges softened. It was too freaking adorable. Without a doubt Nathan would be exactly the same when his turn came.

Taya glanced at him as they entered the house, indecision warring with her normal common sense. Should she pull him aside and come clean right now? Maybe he wouldn’t be upset about the first part. Then she could just tell him the rest and enjoy the evening.

Or he might be furious. She had a feeling he might.

Yeah, she’d wait until they left.

They all walked through the bright living room/kitchen together and out through the French doors that led onto the expansive wood deck outside. Shading her eyes, Taya took in the sight of Nathan’s teammates and some of the significant others all gathered around the deck and yard. The scent of grilling meat made her mouth water. She’d slept so late she’d missed breakfast and lunch.

“Well, if it isn’t Bauer and the Schroders,” Commander Matt DeLuca said, adjusting the brim of his Chargers ball cap as he manned the grill. “‘Bout time. We were starting to think you guys weren’t coming.”

Nathan tugged her toward his boss. “Yeah, I had trouble dragging someone out of bed because I guess I must have worn her out last night.” His eyes gleamed at her with pure male pride.

“Too much information,” Matt said, his attention on the grilling food.

“Way too much,” Taya agreed, nudging Nathan with her elbow in warning.

“I’ve got a real excuse,” Clay said. “Libby and I had a major diaper incident that required a type one hazmat response as we were getting into my truck. I had to take her back inside, throw out what she was wearing and hose her down. And now I so deserve a beer.”

Matt cracked a laugh. “That sounds pretty bad.”

“It was the shits.”

Taya chuckled at Clay’s wit. It was always a surprise, seeing someone as hard and serious as him cracking a joke. He’d sure warmed up a lot since Libby had come along, though his wife deserved most of the credit. Zoe was one of a kind, and a force to be reckoned with.

“Good to see it didn’t damage your sense of humor,” said Nathan.

Most people would say Clay didn’t have one to damage, but then most people never got to know him the way they did.

Clay shrugged. “Good news is, she’s empty for at least a day now.” He aimed a proud grin at his daughter, who peered up at him with bright blue eyes identical to his own. “Zoe’s on her way, she just had to stop and grab something else for the appetizer.”

Matt waved his grill tongs at them. “You guys grab a drink and relax. Food’ll be ready in two shakes.”

“Sounds good to me,” Nathan said, squeezing her hand.

She, Nathan and Clay took the wooden steps down to where the rest of the team and their ladies were either sitting on lawn chairs and chaises or standing around talking. “Hey,” she said to everyone, glad to be part of such an amazing group of people. And even gladder for the distraction of her impending conversation with her husband.

A chorus of voices called back in greeting. Nathan let go of her hand to fish out his phone and take a picture of Clay and Libby gazing intently at each other. He examined his handiwork, a smug expression on his ruggedly handsome face. He was just so damn sexy, could still give her butterflies with a single look or touch. “This shot is just too awesome. Seeing you with her never gets old, man. Big, badass Bauer with a baby on his hip and carting around a diaper bag.”

“Yeah? Well how about big, badass Bauer goes and gets himself a cold one while you hold the baby,” Clay said, thrusting Libby at him.

Nathan’s smile slipped and a hint of alarm crept into his hazel eyes, his hand frozen around the phone he was in the process of shoving back into his front jeans pocket. “Uh, well—”

“Here.” Clay shoved Libby at him, didn’t even try to hold back a grin as Nathan held her at arm’s length with a look of pure panic on his face while he and Libby stared in astonishment at one another. “Be back in a few.” He dropped the diaper bag on the grass next to Nathan’s feet.

Taya couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh, for crying out loud, Nathan. You look like he just handed you a live grenade or something.” It was pretty funny. He was great with kids, but babies apparently made him nervous. Well, it was time he got over it. “Give that precious angel to me.” She held out her arms toward Libby, a big smile on her face. She loved babies, and they all spent enough time together that Libby knew her. It was impossible not to love the little sweetheart.

Instead of handing her over, Nathan cradled Libby closer. “No, it’s okay. I’m good.” Lowering himself onto a lawn chaise, he turned Libby around and sat her on his lap, her back resting against his wide, powerful chest. “I like your outfit, Libby.”

Her little black onesie had a frog skeleton on the front and the words My Dad Can Kick Your Dad’s Ass beneath it. Libby craned her head back to gaze up at Nathan, stared at him for a second, then grinned.

Taya swore her uterus swooned, the sight before her turning her entire body to mush. God, I want to tell him. It was tying her in knots. “Well since you two look so cozy, I’ll go get us some drinks.”

She headed back up onto the deck and grabbed an ice-cold bottle of Nathan’s favorite beer from the cooler at Matt’s feet just as his wife, Briar, sauntered out of the kitchen with a platter of sliced watermelon in her hands. Her face brightened when she saw Taya. “Hey, you came!”

The reaction touched Taya deeply. Briar was a true loner, which made a lot of sense considering her former role as a sniper—and from what Taya had heard she’d been every bit as deadly as her Marine Scout/Sniper husband. She had become more comfortable with gatherings like this over the past year or so, but seemed especially at ease with Taya.

Taya smiled at her, curbing the impulse to give her a hug. Hugs sometimes still made Briar a bit uncomfortable. “Hi. Can I help with anything?”

“No, Matt and I’ve got it under control.” Briar’s sharp, dark gaze did a sweep of the yard and stopped on Nathan and Libby. Her eyes widened. “Wow, will you look at that.” She cocked her head a little as she watched them. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think he kind of likes it.”

“He does. It’s so sweet I can hardly take it,” Taya said, a tangle of emotions balling up in her chest. “I think he was just afraid of accidentally breaking her when she was first born, because he seems fine with holding her now.”

Snagging a beer from the cooler, Clay shrugged and twisted off the cap. “Good, because I didn’t give him a choice. You guys need a hand here?” he asked Briar and Matt.

“No, we’re good. Go relax,” Matt told him, catching his wife around the waist and hauling her in for a quick kiss. He got a playful, narrow-eyed look from Briar in return for the public display of affection that just made him grin.

After delivering Nathan’s beer and with Libby safe in his capable hands, Taya and Clay went around to say hi to the others. Adam Blackwell and his wife Summer were off to one side, two-month-old baby Sam on his daddy’s lap as they talked with Ethan Cruz and Marisol. From the way Soli was watching baby Sam with such undisguised yearning, Taya didn’t think it would be too long until those two got hitched and started a family of their own.

And she completely understood that same yearning.

Sawyer Vance sauntered down from the deck wearing his trademark black Stetson. “Where’s your better half?” Clay asked him.

“Carm’s been at a medical tradeshow all week. Her plane should be landing in another hour or two. She’s catching a shuttle home with her boss.” He smiled at Taya. “Heard you just got back from a road trip yourself.”

“Yes, last night. It’s good to be home.”

“I hear ya. Coming home never gets old.”

No, not when the person you loved most in the whole world was there waiting for you.

Clay tipped his beer to his mouth and took a long sip, eyeing Sawyer. “Heard Mama Cruz is coming into town tomorrow.”

“Yep.” A blindingly-white grin broke across his deep brown face.

Clay shook his head and smothered a laugh. “You’re seriously the only guy I know who loves having his mother-in-law around all the time.”

Sawyer shrugged. “Future mother-in-law,” he corrected.

“They’re sickening together,” Ethan said, one arm draped around Marisol’s shoulders. “Can’t get enough of each other, always texting or talking on the phone.”

“You’re just jealous,” Sawyer said with a smug grin.

“Dude, I’m relieved,” Ethan corrected. “Means she always stays with you guys whenever she comes into town.” He lowered his voice and waggled his eyebrows at Marisol. “Which means we get a lot of privacy.”

“Oh, my God, Ethan,” Marisol gasped, swatting him across the chest.

“What? It’s true. And you love having privacy, because that way we can run around naked and do whatever we want wherever—”

Taya bit her lip to keep from laughing as Marisol clapped a hand over Ethan’s mouth to stop whatever else he was going to say. Her cheeks were bright pink, her blue-green eyes shooting fire at him. “Honestly, I can’t take him anywhere.”

Ethan just chuckled and kissed her palm before tugging her hand away from his mouth. “No, for real, I’m happy she’s coming up to help you guys with the wedding plans,” he said to Sawyer.

“How long now?” Adam asked Sawyer, deftly shifting Sam to his other arm. Taya mentally shook her head. Watching these guys with their babies was enough to send any woman of childbearing age into instant ovulation.

“Little over four months,” Sawyer answered, then leveled a hard look at Ethan and Marisol. “When are you guys gonna set a date, anyway?”

“Right after we see how things go with your wedding,” Ethan answered without missing a beat. “Then we’ll know if we should just go elope instead.”

“You should totally elope,” Matt called out from over by the grill. “So much easier, and cheaper. Right, honey?” he said to Briar.

“Oh, it’s the only way to go,” she answered.

Ethan raised his eyebrows at Sawyer, a gratified smile curving his lips. “They might be onto something.”

Taya frowned at Marisol. “Would your families be okay with that?” They were a close-knit bunch, and pretty religious. Elopement didn’t seem to fit with what Taya knew about them.

Soli shrugged. “Probably not. But I’m with Ethan on this one. We’re in wait and see mode.” Her eyes brimmed with laughter as she raised a bottle of hard cider to her lips.

“Oh, good, y’all didn’t start eating without me.”

They all turned at the sound of that familiar Louisiana-tinted female voice behind them. Zoe Bauer sailed through the French doors in her full Victorian Goth glory, bearing a tray of appies, a big grin on her shocking-red lips.

Today she had on a black ruffled Victorian-style skirt that was short in front, showing off her killer legs to above the knee, the back of it trailing out behind her in a short train. A bright purple corset-style top bearing the picture of a book with the words “Smart girls read romance” on the cover stretched taut across her chest. She’d dyed the top half of her hair a bright turquoise and left the long bottom layer black, and she had her trademark smoky eye shadow and liner on, making her amber eyes seem twice as bright.

Clay slung an arm around his wife’s shoulders when she waltzed up to him in her bat wedge sandals. “Libby’s not constipated anymore,” he told her.

Those golden eyes locked with his, a smile lurking in their depths. “Oh?”

“We’re down one dress, a onesie, and the car seat liner though. I couldn’t save ‘em.”

Zoe laughed, that distinctive husky, dirty edge to it. She was a romantic horror author, so it suited her perfectly. “I see our daughter’s already making the rounds.” She nodded toward the yard, where Jake Evers and his girlfriend Rachel had Libby now.

Tuck was there with his wife Celida as well, all of them talking with Nathan. Once again, she marveled at her husband. Nathan drew people to him without even trying, his natural charisma pulling them in. “She’s already turning into a party animal.”

“Well, she’s got to be a hangry party animal, so I’m going to feed her so we can avoid a meltdown. Hey, Taya. Good to see you.” Zoe held out her arms expectantly.

Taya stepped into the hug, Zoe’s floral-musk perfume wafting around her. She was the most physically affectionate person Taya had ever met, and it was always genuine. “You too. You look fantastic, by the way.”

“Yeah, she does,” Clay murmured, giving his wife a wolfish, approving look. With his arm around her he led her over to their daughter, Taya trailing behind them. The moment Libby saw Zoe, her eyes went wide and she twisted in Rachel’s hold, arms reaching out, her expression desperate.

“There’s my little raven,” Zoe cooed, and scooped her from Rachel.

“Jeez, she didn’t even try to be subtle about it,” Rachel said with a laugh.

“Don’t take it personally. I’m her only food source,” Zoe joked. “And even still, I’m not her favorite human anyway. That’s all daddy.” She aimed a sidelong look at Clay, adoration clear in her gaze. “I swear she already thinks he hung the moon just for her.”

At her words Taya shifted her gaze over to Nathan, who stared back at her with a smile so full of love it made her breath catch. Oh, man she wanted to drag him out to the truck and get it all off her chest.

“Wouldn’t put it past him,” Jake said with a smirk. “She’s got him wound around her little finger so tight it’s a wonder he can breathe.”

“Can’t help it,” Clay said, smiling at his daughter, who was patting Zoe’s face with her tiny hands. “When your little girl wants something, you give it to her.”

“Are you gonna feed her, or can I have a turn holding her?” Celida asked, handing Tuck her drink before approaching them. She gave Libby a silly, open-mouthed smile that stretched the bullet scar on her right cheek, and the baby grinned back, delighted.

“She can wait a few minutes longer,” Zoe said, handing her over.

While the women fussed and cooed over Libby, Taya sank into her husband’s lap and draped her arms around his neck. “Hi,” she breathed, leaning in for a kiss. The nerves were still there, but not as strong now. Even if he was mad about one of the things she told him, maybe his reaction to the other would smooth things over. She hoped it would.

“Hi.” He slid his hand into the back of her hair, his warm, full lips lingering on hers. “You still tired?”

“A little, but I’m glad you dragged me out of bed for this. I love it when we all get together.” With the guys’ intense training and ops schedule it didn’t happen often, especially since she and a few of the other women traveled a lot for their own jobs. It was so nice to be together in a relaxed setting and spend time with the people who had become like family to her and Nathan.

“Hey, get a room if you’re gonna do that kinda thing,” Clay called out. “I got my young, impressionable daughter over here watching you two.”

Taya flushed a little but Nathan only laughed. “You’re just jealous because we’re getting eight hours of sleep a night.”

“I’m so damn jealous,” Clay said, deadpan.

Zoe curled an arm around his waist and leaned her head on his chest. “Remember when we used to sleep that much?”

“Nope.”

She looked up at him in surprise, then laughed when she caught his not-so-subtle meaning. “Ah, the good old days.”

No. These were the best days, watching their daughter grow, and anyone who saw them would know it instantly. Taya couldn’t wait to experience it firsthand with Nathan.

He ran a hand over her back. “You hungry?”

“Yes.” And about to burst. How long until they left?

“You stay put. I’ll grab us some grub.”

“Okay.” She finally got a turn to hold Libby, cuddling her and playing peek-a-boo, her heart squeezing when the baby let out a belly laugh.

“Here, trade you.” Nathan handed her a loaded paper plate and scooped Libby up, making a silly face. The baby squealed and reached her tiny hands out to pat at his face, her expression turning to amazement when she rubbed over the dark bristle on his cheeks.

In that moment Taya fell in love with him all over again, invisible fingers squeezing around her heart until her chest ached.

I have something I need to tell you…

For now, all she could do was wait.