Embattled SEAL (17 page)

He winced and walked around the bed, shucking his clothes as he went. “I do, but you guys are more important to me. If I’m going to commit to being with you, it’s going to be anywhere. I’ll find a job doing something.”

Cat shook her head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. You’ve built a life here with men you respect. I see how your face lights up when you talk about them. Do you think you would be able to find anything comparable anywhere else?”

He shrugged, dropping to the mattress. He leaned back against the headboard, feet stretched out in front of him. “I don’t know. LNF is a unique set-up. Finding somebody willing to hire a half-blind, paranoid former sniper may be a little difficult.”

Cat lifted a brow at the way he said that and he shrugged.

“I think,” she told him slowly, “that we shouldn’t rule anything out. I have to say I’m a little excited at the thought of moving north. As much as I appreciate the SEAL community in Virginia I feel like it’s kind of done for us. I’m not saying you shouldn’t get together with your old team sometime, but I feel like we’re ready to move on. The kids are at a good age to adapt to anything we do. And my parents will just have to learn to travel more.” She shrugged. “I can do my work anywhere.”

Harper nodded and tugged her down to lie against him. “Okay. We’ll start looking for a house, then.”

The kids still dragged their feet a little, but Dillon brought up something that Cat hadn’t even considered. They were sitting on the sofa watching a new Disney movie, Dillon curled into Cat’s side. Tate was sprawled on the floor, chin in his hands.

“At least if we move they’ll quit calling us liars.”

Cat didn’t think she’d heard right. She looked at her daughter sharply. “What do you mean they call you liars?”

Dillon seemed to sense she’d bumbled because she tried to backpedal. “Nothing, Mom.”

Cat shifted her daughter to sit up. “No, explain that. Who calls you a liar?”

Dillon sighed, looking down at her hands. Harper paused the movie. “Just some of the kids at school. Dad’s been gone so long that they think we made up reasons why he was gone, but there are a lot of other military kids there. They knew he wasn’t on deployment or anything.” She shrugged uncomfortably.

Cat swiped the angry tears from her eyes. Why hadn’t she thought of that? “I’m sorry, honey. I should have known kids would be mean.”

Harper moved from the recliner and knelt down in front of Dillon on the couch. “I never meant to cause you so much grief, honey. I really didn’t.” He rested his big hand on her folded knee.

Dillon shrugged. “It’s no big deal. It doesn’t matter now that you’re back. They can believe whatever they want.”

Cat could tell that it had bugged Dillon though.

A
nd it bugged
Harper. Even hours later after everyone had gone to sleep he sprawled on the bed, arm folded under his head. “Maybe I should go to her school,” he murmured, rocking his head to look at her.

Cat appreciated that he wanted to make things better for her. “That’s very fatherly of you. But if we move it won’t matter.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

She ran her hand up the tight muscles of his arm. “I’m usually right.”

Harper rocked his head toward her and gave her a narrow-eyed look, then rolled his whole body to loom over top of her. “You know,” he said softly, “you are right most of the time. I have to admit that. I just hope you’re right about us being together in a home again. I’m worried. For months I blocked myself off from that hope, but it’s creeping in again.”

Wrapping her arms around him, she leaned up to press a kiss to his chin. When he’d taken a shower earlier he’d shaved again. He knew she loved the feel of his smooth skin over his strong jaw, especially while kissing. “Then let it creep in. I’ll fight for that hope. And the kids will too. You know that. These past couple days have been blissful for me because we’re all finally together. You are the final piece to our puzzle.”

She pressed her lips to his, trying to convey how much she needed him. They’d made love at least every night since they’d started, if not more, but it was never enough. Sometimes she would catch him looking at her like this was all a dream. Like she would disappear if he reached out to touch her. In those instances
she
reached out for
him
.

When he came to her with need and determination in his eyes, she welcomed him with open arms. He needed to believe that she would always be here for him.

As he stripped her nightshirt from her body, kissing every inch of skin he exposed, she cradled him to her. But she needed to convey something to him tonight.

Cat pushed up on his shoulders and slid out from beneath him. She dropped her panties to the floor then crawled back toward him across the mattress. As his gaze focused on her swaying breasts they both smiled because the effect on his body was instantaneous. Cat kissed her way up his thighs and around the growing bulge in his underwear. Moving deliberately she straddled his hips and leaned over him, her gaze connecting to his. Slowly she lowered herself to kiss his right eye, then did little nibbling kisses across the few fading scars there. “I love you, Harper.”

His hands reached up but he only cupped her hips, letting her continue on her journey. She pressed a kiss to the scar across his right deltoid, an old injury from one of his first deployments, then his left collarbone, broken on a training trip to California. Then, moving carefully, she pressed kisses to the new scar still healing on his chest. That one had been too close to taking his life. Thank goodness he had been able to receive medical care as quickly as he did.

Cat moved down Harper’s muscled abs and the slim line of black hair there. “I think everything about you is beautiful.”

He puffed out a little laugh but she looked up at him with reproach. “I do. Your body is superb, even wounded. It always has been. That’s why I always have to beat the nurses off you.” She flashed him a grin. “Your mind is devious and brilliant, but I love that. The loyalty to your family and your men is humbling.” She stroked a finger over the tattoo that echoed those sentiments on his right pectoral. “Your unfailing courage in the face of everything that has happened is astounding. I know whatever we have to face you will conquer with that same indomitable, dogged, Navy SEAL will. And your heart,” she moved back up his chest to press a kiss to his sternum, “your heart is more loving and willing to try than I ever could have hoped. We’re going to put our family back together,” she promised.

Harper stared up at her for several long seconds before he closed his eyes, but not before she’d seen the shine of moisture in their depths. He pulled her down on top of him, burying his face into her neck. “You are every bit the woman you’ve always been, calm and understanding, willing to put up with my shit. And I have to tell you. All of those things you see in me? I wouldn’t be any of them without you. And I mean that. You’ve supported me through everything. You flew across the country to be at my bedside even though you didn’t know the kind of reaction you’d receive. It amazes me that you would take that chance. But I’m so glad you did. I love you, Catherine Marie Preston. I always have.”

She flashed a smile at the use of her full name. “And I love you, Harper Broderick Preston. I always will.”

They kissed like they always did, as if they were twenty-two again and had just fallen in love. Cat loved it when he cupped her head and guided her mouth over his own. Reaching down, she shoved his underwear away and cupped him in her quivering hand.

When she positioned him beneath her and sank down the communion felt almost spiritual. With his words he had aroused her like nothing else could and she could feel her release dancing within reach.

Harper bent his knees behind her and gripped her hips in his massive hands. Cat watched his muscles bulge beneath her as he took control of their movements. She had never seen a more glorious man.

Harper’s face grew lax as he lost himself to the drives of her body flexing over his. One of his hands left her hips to cup her breast, tweaking the nipple. Cat moaned, wondering how long she could hold out. That sharp edge of tingling heat continued to build.

Harper began to pant. Cat knew that he loved the look of her body over top of his own. She leaned forward, her breasts bouncing a few inches from his face as he began to piston into her hard from beneath. That delight, the need she saw etched into his face had to echo her own.

And because they were in such synchronicity when he began to orgasm she did as well. Sublime pleasure arched her body over top of his and, unable to help herself, she sobbed. The release was emotional as well as physical and she would always cherish this night.

And as many more as they had ahead of them.

Though she had
paid for two weeks in the rental house, they completely scrapped all previous plans and left two days early to head to Denver. At the end of the weekend she and the kids would fly back home and wait for Harper to find them a house. The kids had a month and a half left of school before they were out for summer break. The situation wasn’t ideal but she didn’t think there was any easier way to do it. Moving across country with two kids, a dog and a household was going to be a pain in the ass no matter how she did it.

Harper dismantled all his little cameras and doodads, re-boxing them to take back to his boss. Cat packed the truck, suddenly struck with nervousness.

They were about to completely flip their lives on end on the mere hope that they could be together as a family again. Her parents were not going to be overjoyed.

Just then Harper walked out of the house. His straight dark hair was almost an inch long now, but it looked really good on him. For years it had never been much longer than a half inch. The granny shades had been retired, replaced with a reflective set of wraparound Oakleys. When he had those glasses on you couldn’t even see the scars. That sharp jaw had been shaved clean, just like she liked it.

His body was well on the mend. Every once in a while she caught him wincing as he reached for something, but those times were fewer and farther between. As he hefted his duffle into the back of the truck her eyes traced down his magnificent body. The new blue jeans cupped his ass to perfection and the knife she had given him was snugged into the corner of his pocket. The Damascus blade had been packed away with care. The black Henley shirt he had stretched on over his massive chest and taut abs made his eyes look even more silver. He considered the color tactical but she just considered it sexy.

When he looked up at her and graced her with one of his rare smiles she couldn’t help but return it. Yes, she had hope. More than enough for all of them.

Harper was attacked
with nerves as he pulled into the parking lot for LNF a few hours later. Duncan would be in his office, he knew. Seemed like the man never left it. There was something inside of him urging him to claim his family in front of one of the best buddies he’d ever had. Duncan had been his original friend out here and it was only proper that he introduce them first. Yes, he’d met Cat at the hospital, but Harper didn’t know if he was even aware of the kids.