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  “How soon do you want to go?”

  “As soon as you can get some time off. I’m not asking you to upend your life just yet.” He wanted to but knew that would be a bad move.

  “What? I’m not ready to move to Virginia,” her voice rose volume.

  “No, you’re not. Not yet, anyway. The day will come when I’ll need to return to Virginia full-time. When I do, I want the two of you with me. I’m not willing to be away from the two of you for longer than I need to.”

  Lifting her head, she turned her body over, so they were facing each other. He wanted to smile at her red-rimmed eyes and swollen nose. Janae may think differently, but to him, she looked beautiful.

  “What about my family? My job? You can’t expect me to just give up my life here.”

  He knew this would be the bulk of her argument against moving to Virginia. Lifting one hand, he pushed a few strands of hair away from her face. “You’re amazing. You know that, right?”

  Smacking his hand, she rolled her eyes, a small smile on her lips. “Stop changing the subject.”

  “I’m not. Simply stating a fact. No matter what’s going on, you are the only woman for me. You’re beautiful in every way, even when you wake up in the morning with your eyes full of crusties and drool stains on your chin.” Her laughter at his words made him smile.

  “I don’t drool,” she exclaimed with a laugh. “Well, you’re the one who snores.” She harrumphed, casting her gaze down, her bottom lip pushed out in a pout.

  “Sweetness. Hear me when I say this,” Noah lifted her chin with his finger. “Too much time has been wasted. My fears and my lack of faith in our relationship kept us apart for too long. Those years could have been spent creating memories with each other, and our daughter. I know it may seem fast to you, but I’m not willing to walk away from you again. I know this would be a sacrifice. Your family is very important to you. But you are important to me. I want us to start our lives together, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen.”

  “I guess I hadn’t thought about what the future would hold. It makes sense that we’d live in the same place, of course. Traveling back and forth between Virginia and North Carolina won’t make sense long-term. I get it,” she paused, taking a deep breath. “What will I do in Norfolk while you’re gone?”

  “You wouldn’t be in Norfolk. You’d be at my home in Fairfax. That’s the home I’d retire to, the place where I want us to raise Nicole.”

  “Fairfax?” Janae became quiet, her face contemplative. “You seem to have this all planned out.”

  “Not all of it. The important stuff, yes. I need the two of you settled before I leave for my next assignment.” He knew this next part wouldn’t be easy for her. “My gut’s telling me I don’t have much longer. The time’s coming for me to go away soon. I can feel it. Before I leave US soil, I need to make sure you and Nicole are going to be okay.” As she opened her mouth to speak, he placed a finger on her lips. “No. No more fighting me on this. Not now. Not anymore. Baby, I’m serious about you being my wife one day. Hell, I’d rather it happen right this moment, but I know it’s not possible. I’ve never been more certain about anything in my life. I’ll give you as much time as I can, but you need to know, you’re mine. I’m never letting you go again. You will be my wife one day soon.”

  Her eyes were wide, the tears long gone. “That was some statement, Lieutenant Commander Braddock.”

  “You damn well know it.” Reaching a hand down to the waistband of her yoga pants, his fingers dipped inside, rubbing against her wet slit. “Now, make love to your man. They say make-up sex is the best kind.”

  “Mmmm,” she moaned. Using her own hands, she pushed her pants down, removing them from her body as he continued playing with her lower lips. “Wait.” She pushed back to look him in the eyes. “That was a marriage proposal, right?”

  “That was a marriage promise,” he said, just before sliding one digit inside her sweet, tight, delicious pussy. “Come here.” Rolling her onto her back, he slid one leg between her thighs. “Don’t you think Nicole needs a little brother or sister? Because I think it’s time we try for a second one.” Removing his finger from her wet channel, he coupled it with a second one before sliding them back inside. Fucking her hard with his hand, Noah looked down at the women writhing in his arms. Her moans filled the room, her scent permeated his nostrils. His mouth watered at the smell of her juices. “Oh, baby. I need to taste you.” Shifting his body down, he lifted both her legs, placing them over his shoulders. Taking a moment to enjoy the view, he pressed his nose into her mound and inhaled. His cock thickened in response.

  “I’m not ready for another baby,” she moaned. “Marriage first.”

  Using the tip of his tongue, he swiped at her hardening clit. “Does that mean you won’t make me wait to marry you? I want you as my wife, Janae.” He licked her pussy from the bottom to the top. Her moan was loud and guttural. “Want to see you pregnant with my child.” Noah sucked her clit into his mouth, sucking the flesh hard, flicking his tongue on the hardened nub. Janae widened her legs. Her hands attempted to grab at him. Although she was speaking, he didn’t think it was real words coming from her mouth. The only thing he understood was his name. Releasing her flesh from his mouth, he swiped his tongue along her nether lips. “Come to Virginia.”

  “Yes!”

  Lick. Suck.

  “Meet my family,” he cajoled.

  Suck. Lick.

  “Fuck. Noah! Yes. Anything you want.”

  He inserted a finger into her dripping passage, resulting in a keening moan escaping Janae’s lips.

  “Marry me. Give me what I need. Don’t ever leave me, Baby. I’ll never let you go again. You belong to me. Always have.”

  His fingers continued to drive inside her pulsating channel. Hips lifting from the bed, she began humping his digits, her body careening toward an orgasm. Using his other hand, he removed his boxers. His cock was leaking precum, ready to claim his woman.

  Janae’s mouth opened in a silent scream, her fingers grabbed the sheets underneath her, and her body tensed. Noah could feel the wetness flowing from her body. Removing his fingers, he positioned his hips between her thighs. Pressing her body down against the mattress, he grabbed his cock, placing it at her clenching slit. Pushing inside, he groaned at the sensation. “So tight. Yeah, that’s it, Sweetheart. Take all this cock.”

  Her eyes opened, a smile came over her lips, and her hands reached up to hold him around the waist. “I’m never letting you go again. You’re mine, Noah.”

  “Damned right, I am,” he whispered. Instinct took over from that point. He drove his cock into her body as if nothing else mattered. And to him, at this moment, nothing did.

  Noah knew being with her was the right thing for him. He felt complete. He’d been waiting for this moment his entire life. Now all he had to do was get a ring on her finger before the government called him to do their bidding again.

  CHAPTER 21

  Noah

  “Tell me the plan for the week again?”

  Noah could hear the nervous tenor of Janae’s voice when she spoke. Driving up the interstate always soothed him. The open road, the lull of the music as he allowed his brain a moment to rest. Well, that was how it used to be, before an important little human rode in the backseat of his truck and the woman he loved sat next to him.

  Grabbing Janae’s hand in his, he placed a soft kiss on her soft skin. Lifting his eyes to look in the rearview mirror, he smiled at Nicole’s sleeping form. His heart constricted as he thought about what they were doing. “Baby, stop worrying. We’re gonna spend time with the guys and their families, plus Adele and hers. That’s it. I want you to relax, be yourself, and give them a chance to get to know you.”

  Noah focused again on the road ahead of him. He held up a brave front for Janae, but this was the first time in years his stomach clenched with nervous anticipation. Facing the enemy was easy. Admi
tting to his friends he’d had a child he didn’t know about was the kind of shit that made him wince in embarrassment.

  “I’m just nervous. After what you went through while staying with me in Jacksonville, I’m almost afraid of what will happen. Will your friends accept Nicole and me? I won’t have her treated poorly, Noah.”

  Shaking his head, he squeezed her hand in his. “Just two more hours. You’ll see. Everything will be fine,” he promised, a tinge of hope in his voice. Thinking about the confrontation he knew was coming, he wanted to avoid having Janae see any of it. She wouldn’t understand what was happening or why his friends were so angry. At least, not at first. He took a deep inhale, focusing his mind on the task at hand.

  First, get his family to his home in Fairfax. Second, call Adele to let her know he was back and had some people for her to meet. Third, gather everyone at one spot to introduce Janae and Nicole. One… Two… Three. He wasn’t nervous at all. This weekend would be easy as pie.

  Hell, even he wasn’t crazy enough to believe that bullshit line.

  *****

  “What the fuck do you mean, you have a child?” Ethan’s loud voice carried through the backyard and into the house.

  Noah was already at his tipping point. The meeting with Adele and Stefano had been good, after some fast-talking. It took a lot of explaining to get Adele on board. That alone conveyed how important the two people sitting in her home were to Noah. He didn’t usually explain himself to anyone. Few people made him want to give anything more than a cursory statement. Adele was one of them. Plus, he needed Janae and Nicole to be accepted into the family. He had a feeling he was working on limited time. His girls needed to be with the family when he left this time.

  Ethan’s attitude wasn’t helping the situation one bit. Noah brought his hard gaze to Ethan, bristling at the anger wafting off the other man. Noah stormed over to Ethan, coming within inches of the other man’s face. “Say one more fucking word, and I’ll put you on your ass. That’s my goddamn daughter in that house. You’re my brother, Ethan, and I love you, man. But I will fuck you up if you say one more thing about Janae or Nicole.” Tension filled the air as the two men stood toe-to-toe, chests heaving with harsh breaths.

  “Enough,” a loud yell startled the group of men. Daniel stood off to the side, one leg hitched up on a bench situated around a pond in the backyard. “What the fuck, Ethan? Why are you always the one losing your shit? I expect it from Tyler or even Tony, but I thought you’d calmed that shit down.”

  “Hey! What’d I do?” Tyler called out.

  Tony lifted his beer. “Leave me outta this shit. I haven’t said one word, so don’t bring me into Ethan’s bullshit. Not this time, bro.”

  After a few moments of silence, Ethan exhaled loudly, and his head fell forward on his shoulders. He took some deep breaths before lifting his head to stare at Noah. Hurt was reflected in his gaze. “You have a daughter. A little girl you’ve known about for over three months. Yet, today is the first time we’re meeting her. We’re supposed to be family.”

  Noah understood more than the others why issues with family impacted Ethan harder than the others. The man still held demons inside from the murder of his sister by her abusive husband. Ethan’s wife, Vanessa, had calmed some of the storm raging inside him, but there was still enough inside him to cause moments of concern. It was situations like this, the fear of his family dynamic changing, when Ethan flared, and his emotions became volatile.

  Stefano Indellicati stepped up to the small group. As Adele’s husband, he was given some leeway with Noah and his brothers, but not much. Ethan and Tony still wanted to get him in the boxing ring and kick his ass. Noah was tempted to give the green light but knew their sister would never forgive them.

  “Ethan, if anyone would know better, it would be you. You’ve known Noah longer than any of us, know him better than any of us could.” Stefano tilted his beer toward Noah. “He didn’t know about Nicole until a few months ago. Now that he does, he’s doing the right thing. The first step is introducing Janae and their beautiful little girl in there.”

  Eyes full of hurt and anger, Ethan glared at the man trying to bring calm to a volatile situation. Even during a Saturday afternoon cookout with family and friends, Stefano looked ready for a magazine shoot. Noah rolled his eyes at the man who was never seen with a hair out of place.

  “Whatever, Jarhead,” Ethan smirked before stepping back. “She’s my niece first. You’re just related by marriage.”

  And there he was. Ethan had gotten over his moment and was back to his normal, ball-busting self.

  Daniel jumped in, “So, what’s the plan? They here to stay? Is she ready for what this life might bring to her doorstep?”

  They all knew the words were intentional. If Noah died in battle after he and Janae were married, she’d get a visit from a military chaplain on her doorstep to tell her the news. Noah hadn’t prepared her for that eventuality. Not really. The possibility of him being injured was something they’d talked ad nauseum, but not his true death. Could he really deal with the thought of leaving them on their own? What if he died and left them on their own? His heart twisted in his chest at the thought. Rubbing a hand down his face, Noah sighed. “I need her connected to us. Nicole and Janae mean everything to me now,” he stated. “Brothers, it’s been too long since I’ve been pulled out. I feel it coming soon. Last time I left her, she was carrying my child. This time, I need her to know she’s not alone.” He walked over to the cooler and grabbed another cold beer. “My little girl takes ballet. Can you believe that shit? Wears a pink tutu and ballet slippers. She’s pretty good, too.” A smile covered his face as he pictured his daughter’s smile.

  “What the fuck? You going soft on us, Ghost?” Tyler laughed, slapping him on the back.”

  “Hell, no. Not for the shit that counts.” He paused, looking over his shoulder. “You know, when Vanessa and Monica came into our lives, I was happy for you guys,” he said, nodding at Ethan and Tyler. “But, honestly, I didn’t fully understand.” He smiled, “Now I do.”

  Head nods and smiles were all around. Even from Tony and Daniel, who were both semi-single. Daniel was doing a not-so-secret mating dance with Monica’s sister, Charity. Tony was still fighting his attraction to a woman who wanted nothing to do with him, but one who Tony couldn’t stay away from. They all knew what it felt like to find the person who made them complete. Noah lost his woman years ago to his own selfishness. He wasn’t letting that shit happen again.

  Draining his beer, Noah threw the empty bottle in the trash. “I need to check on my girls.” He gave a two-finger salute to the guys and walked to the back door, entering Stefano and Adele’s home.

  “No, Janae. You’re not going anywhere. Noah brought you here to meet his family. That means something.” Adele and Vanessa stood next to Janae, while Monica leaned against the counter a few feet away from them. The laughter and yells of the children could be heard from the other room.

  Noah never expected to be happy to hear a child’s laugh. Today, he was, and it was the best fucking sound he’d heard all day. What bothered him was the discussion between the women. Was Janae really trying to leave? “What’s going on? Why are you trying to leave?”

  Four sets of eyes turned to him but no one spoke. They all knew who the question was spoken to.

  “How about we go into the other room?” Vanessa gave a soft pat to Janae’s shoulder while giving her a sympathetic look.

  “Sure,” Adele agreed, before giving Noah a tight smile. “Seems like maybe you two need some time to talk.”

  “Why do I have to leave? I wanna see what happens,” Monica quipped, before popping a pinwheel wrap in her mouth. At the dropped jaws around the room, Monica’s eyes went wide as she chewed her food. She shrugged her shoulders and attempted an innocent look. “What? I’m just asking. Damn, y’all never let me have any fun.”

  “Get your pregnant behind in the living room. Don’t
make me call Tyler in here.” Adele lifted one arm and pointed her finger towards the open space. “Get going wobble-wobble.”

  “Ugh, I hate it when you guys gang up on me. Hold on, let me grab more food. This baby is like a garbage disposal.” Monica grabbed a plate and began loading food on top as the other ladies kept shooing her out of the kitchen.

  Noah took everything in with a neutral expression on his face. Their antics would often bring a smile to his face. Not today. Not when he didn’t know what the hell was going on and why Janae was trying to leave. They’d just arrived. Once it was only the two of them, he walked over to her. “What was that about?” Janae looked everywhere but at him. Grabbing her chin within his hand, he lifted her face so he could look into her eyes. “Talk to me.”

  Janae shook her head, a look of frustration on her face. “I told you I wouldn’t put my daughter in a situation where she wouldn’t be accepted. I told you that!”

  “And she’s not. Have you heard the laughter coming from the other room? Our little girl is surrounded by people who want her to be happy.” Noah knew Janae was feeling out of her element, but she had no reason to. These men would protect her with their lives. Treat her with the same respect they would their own wives.

  “Your voices carried from outside. The windows are open. What happened out there? It sounded as if you were about to come to blows. So, explain to me why your friends are so angry? Because if you can’t, then Nicole and I are out of here. Your choice.”

  CHAPTER 22

  Noah