Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
Tex was as good as his word, and at two o’clock the next day, a white CPS van pulled up in front of the house and Artem, Borysko, and Yana leaped out and ran toward MacGyver. He’d gotten a heads-up on when they would arrive and received permission to leave work early to be there. Of course, his entire team had wanted to come too, along with their women.
So it was a full house that met the kids and welcomed them home. It seemed as if they’d been gone for weeks instead of a single day.
Yana cried when MacGyver picked her up and held her, and Artem and Borysko didn’t look very steady themselves. To his relief, his friends all backed off after welcoming the trio, giving them some space to greet the kids privately.
MacGyver went to his knees in the grass and put Yana on her feet, including the two boys in his huge hug.
“They tooked us,” Borysko said, tears in his eyes.
“They did not tell us why. It was scary,” Artem told MacGyver.
His heart broke. “I know. I’m so sorry. I did everything I could to get you back as soon as possible.”
“Why did they take us?” Artem asked.
“Honestly? I don’t really know. All I can assume is that it may have something to do with how you came into the US. Someone obviously thought things weren’t legal and proper. But I promise you that I have friends who are making sure this doesn’t happen again.”
MacGyver hated the look of skepticism on both boys’ faces. They’d been let down too many times already in their short lives, and he wished he wasn’t another person adding to those feelings…even inadvertently.
“It was not because you decide you no want us?” Artem asked.
“No!” MacGyver said loudly. He took a deep breath to try to control his emotions. “I want you. All three of you. You saved my life back in the Ukraine. But even before that, something between us clicked. I felt as if you were meant to be mine. To come to the States and live with me and grow up to do amazing things. You’ll never know how sorry I am that you were taken away without a word from me. I didn’t know that was going to happen. I swear. And when I found out, I did what I could to get you back as soon as possible.”
Artem nodded. Then his little lips quirked up. “The lady who pick us up was very nice this morning. Asking many times if we were okay. She seemed…I do not know word.”
“Nervous? Anxious? Worried?” MacGyver suggested. He’d noticed the woman was being overly solicitous when she’d dropped off the kids. Had apologized for the mix-up several times and swore more than once that the kids had been well taken care of. He suspected Tex had put the fear of God into several people at CPS. He appreciated the men and women who did the job, because it had to be emotionally and physically stressful, but he wasn’t ready to forgive anyone who was involved in taking his kids away from him.
“Yes!” Artem said happily.
“Well, you’re home now, and Addy and I have arranged for a little party. She’s made your favorite foods, a special cake just for you guys, and Ellory has been fussing over the decorations.”
“A party? For us? We have never had party,” Borysko said, his eyes big in his face.
“Just for you,” MacGyver told him. “I’m so glad you’re home,” he added, feeling emotional about holding these three kids in his arms once more.
“Home!” Yana said. She had tear tracks on her face, but MacGyver was happy to see her smiling again.
He felt a touch on his shoulder and looked up to see Addison standing behind him.
“Addy!” Yana shouted, pulling away from MacGyver, circling around him to hug Addison. She snuggled into her, then lifted her head and said, “Cake!”
Artem and Borysko also hugged Addison.
“Yana is right. She smells like cake,” Artem said with a smile.
Addison laughed. “That’s because I’ve been in the kitchen making an extra-special cake for three extra-special children I know.”
“Us?” Borysko practically yelled.
“Yes.”
“We go inside now?” Artem asked.
“Yeah, go on. Remember to thank everyone for coming to your party,” MacGyver coaxed.
“Yes! Will!” Borysko said, then the three kids hurried for the front door and their party.
MacGyver slowly stood. “There are going to be some difficult times for them when the excitement dies down,” he said sadly.
“Yeah, but we’ll be here for them. We’ll make sure they understand that what happened was an anomaly,” Addison said, slipping her hand into his and leaning against him.
MacGyver immediately put his arm around her waist. He loved being able to touch her like this freely and without wondering if she thought he was overstepping some imaginary boundary. Now that she’d told him that he could touch her whenever he liked, he found he couldn’t keep his hands off her.
Last night, when the movie was over and they’d woken up on the couch stiff and sore, he’d walked Ellory to her room, then joined Addison in bed. She hadn’t hesitated to curl into him, and this time she hadn’t been asleep. Last night wasn’t the right time to show her how attracted he was to her, but that moment was coming. Of that, he had no doubt. And the anticipation was both a blessing and a curse.
But one thing MacGyver knew was that he’d never take this woman for granted. In his eyes, she was Superwoman. She stepped up without any complaints. Working her ass off for not only her business, but to keep their household running smoothly and with as much love as she had in her heart. He couldn’t have chosen a better woman to marry. Their marriage of convenience was quickly turning into his dream relationship. Who would’ve thought?
The afternoon was full of laughter and way too much sugar. The kids stuffed themselves with the special cake Addison had made for them. By the time everyone went home, it was past seven o’clock.
“All right, anyone have homework they need to get done?” MacGyver asked.
Artem and Borysko looked at him as if he had three heads.
“We have party. No school.”
But MacGyver shook his head. “The party’s over. Things are going back to normal now. And that means chores and homework. How can you expect to get smarter if you don’t do your school stuff? Go grab your backpacks and we’ll see what’s in there,” he said in his no-nonsense tone.
Thirty minutes later, Ellory was sitting next to Borysko, helping him with his English homework, and Addison was with Artem, watching him do some math problems. MacGyver was on the couch with Yana in his lap, reading a book out loud to her.
He took a moment to sigh in contentment. For a moment there, he thought he’d lost this. That somehow the kids he’d learned to love as if they came from his own loins would be taken from him. But here they were. All under the same roof. Happy and healthy. Maybe a little more cautious about their immediate futures, but he hoped that would fade sooner rather than later.
He owed Tex big time. The man didn’t like to be thanked. Hated it, in fact. But he didn’t care. MacGyver would somehow show his appreciation in a way the former SEAL couldn’t complain about. But how did you thank someone for saving your family?
Bedtime was a little rough. Yana had a meltdown, and Artem and Borysko seemed to be afraid to turn off the light. But finally, after reading three books and making a huge nest of blankets and pillows on the floor of the boys’ room that all three kids and Ellory settled into, all was quiet.
Feeling more exhausted than he had after some of the missions he’d been on, MacGyver fell into bed.
“Whew,” Addison breathed as she lay next to him.
MacGyver didn’t hesitate, he reached over and pulled her closer. She came willingly. Her head rested on his shoulder as she sighed in contentment.
“I’ll talk to Yana’s teacher in the morning. Let her know what’s going on. It might be a good idea if you do the same when you drop off Artem and Borysko.”
“Of course,” MacGyver reassured her.
“It feels right.”
“What does?”
“Having them home.”
MacGyver couldn’t agree more. “Yeah. Is this gonna get easier?”
“What?”
“Raising them.”
Addison chuckled against him. “No.”
“No?”
“Nope. These are the easy years. When they actually like their parents and want to be around us. They don’t mind school, there aren’t many bullies. Learning is fun and they’re easily entertained. Wait until they get to be Ellory’s age. Hormones will kick in. Zits will happen. Little things will ruin their lives forever. Social media. Texting. Phones. It’s gonna be hell.”
MacGyver laughed. “Can’t wait.”
“Yeah, me either.”
Surprisingly, they were both sincere.
“One of these nights, when we have more energy, I’m gonna show you how happy I am to have you at my side for this adventure,” MacGyver said.
“So…like in fifteen years or so?” Addison joked.
MacGyver chortled. “Let’s hope it’s sooner than that.”
He felt Addison scoot a little closer. Her arm went over his abs and she moved her head slightly to kiss his chest. “Yeah,” she agreed.
Once again, MacGyver found himself holding his wife as she fell asleep against him. It was quickly becoming his favorite thing in the world. He had a brief vision of her doing the same thing, but after he’d exhausted her by making love to her over and over.
He fell asleep within minutes with a huge smile on his face.
* * *
Addison was surprised when their lives fell into a normal rhythm very quickly after the excitement of the kids being removed by CPS. Tex was attempting to fast track the adoption and, amazingly, after only a few hiccups, Artem, Borysko, and Yana settled back into the routines they had before.
Her cake business was booming and she had to make a hard decision to limit the number of orders she accepted. Ricky had sat her down one night recently and said that she was working herself to exhaustion, and he wasn’t willing to stand by and watch her do it anymore. Between the kids and baking, she’d reached her limit.
So she’d backed off to a maximum of two cakes a day, and she found she actually enjoyed the more reasonable pace. Decorating had become a chore, and now she was liking what she did once more. Only making one or two cakes a day also freed up some afternoons to run errands, meet up with the other women—which had become one of the highlights of her week—and participate in school activities when they came up.
Things had been going so well, Addison was able to put in the back of her mind the fact that Ricky and his team would be deployed soon. They’d been preparing for a mission for the last four weeks, and the countdown was on. He couldn’t say exactly when they’d be leaving, but he’d begun talking to the kids about him being gone for a while, making sure they understood that it was a part of his job and that he’d be back.
Addison didn’t want to think about how lonely she’d be without Ricky there. He was a huge help with the kids. Was a very hands-on dad. They’d all miss him tremendously when he was gone.
And somehow, even though it was obvious they both wanted to move their relationship forward physically, they hadn’t found the time or energy to do anything about it. Addison was certainly enjoying the kissing and snuggling they did. But she was also getting frustrated. It felt as if just when they made the decision to go for it, something always happened to put a kink in her plans.
Borysko getting sick and vomiting all over his bed, which necessitated them cleaning him up and stripping the bedding. Artem having a nightmare. Yana crying about something she couldn’t articulate very well. It was all a part of having kids, but exasperating all the same. She wanted her husband, and she was starting to contemplate shipping all four kids off to Caroline’s house for that sleepover she proposed, just so she could have some uninterrupted time with Ricky.
Some of her favorite moments were right before Ricky got up to head to base for PT. She’d gotten in the habit of waking up right before his alarm, and they enjoyed a few minutes of quiet conversation before he had to get up and she went back to sleep for a couple of hours.
This morning was no exception.
“You awake?” he whispered.
Addison nodded against him. As usual, she was plastered against his side. Sometime during the night, one of her legs had hitched over his thigh, and she could feel almost every inch of his hard body against the length of hers.
“I’m worried about Ellory’s appointment,” he admitted.
Addison was too, but she did her best to allay his fears. “It’s just a meeting to discuss the results of the upper GI test they did and the bowel rest program the doctor wants to try.”
“I know, but I don’t like the idea of her not being able to eat.”
“I think she’s actually looking forward to it. You know she’s been in more pain lately. Even when she eats exactly what’s on her approved list, she still has issues. This will be like fasting. She’ll get the nutrients she needs through the special drinks and hopefully no painful cramping or diarrhea.”
“I hate this for her.”
“Me too. But honestly, I think most of the time eating is very stressful for her. Because all she can think about is how that food is going to make her feel later.”
“What about at school? Will she be made fun of even more for not eating?”
Addison loved this man so much for being so worried for Ellory. “She’s going to spend the lunch hour in the library. It’s already been approved. You know how much she loves to read. It’s a win-win in her book.”
“The flower chick hasn’t been messing with her…more than usual, that is, has she?”
Addison chuckled at his nickname for Chrysanthemum. “Ellory claims she hasn’t. Ever since she used a few of the comebacks you taught her…which I’m not sure was the best idea, but since they seem to be working, I won’t scold you too much.”
“Hey, all I said was that when she insulted her, to come back with creative and unexpected responses. To confuse her. Like when Flower Girl said that she was smelly, and Ellory shrugged and said, ‘Good thing I’m nice.’ And when she told her that she’s skinny as a stick, our girl just smiled and said, ‘At least I’m not ugly. And I can always gain weight to change.’ Classic.”
Addison did her best not to laugh. “I’m just glad their encounters haven’t turned violent.”
“If they do, Ellory will wipe the floor with her,” Ricky said smugly.
He’d had a few self-defense lessons so far, and Ellory’s self-confidence seemed to increase after each session. While Addison wasn’t a fan of her daughter using violence to solve any kind of problem, she wasn’t so na?ve to believe it could never happen.
“So…doctor’s appointment today, then what?”
“I only booked one cake today, so then it’s back here to get that done. Afterward, Yana has her meeting with the child psychologist, Artem and Borysko have soccer, I need to go grocery shopping, and in case you haven’t noticed, the dirty clothes are taking over this house.”
He chuckled. “I’ll put a load in before I head out this morning.”
“Thanks. Any word on when you might be leaving?”
He sighed. “Soon. That’s all we know right now.”
“Okay.”
They were both quiet for a moment. Then Ricky moved, gently pushing her onto her back and hovering over her. The nightlights they had in the room gave off enough glow for her to be able to see his face.
“Ricky?”
“You told me that I could touch you anywhere, anytime. Does that include now?” he asked.
Addison’s breath hitched in her throat. She couldn’t speak if her life depended on it. So she nodded.
His fingers brushed her hair back from her face, trailed down her cheek to her collarbone…then down her chest. Her nipples immediately hardened under the loose tank top she was wearing. But he didn’t stop there. His hand continued downward until it was resting on her belly.
“You are so damn beautiful,” he said reverently. “Every time I look at you, I have to wonder what the hell you’re doing with me.” His finger slipped under the waistband of the sleep shorts she wore.
Addison held her breath.
“Okay?” he asked.
Again, she could only nod.
“I want to make you feel good. Give you an orgasm. Will you let me?”
“You think you can?” The words popped out without thought. She cringed.
But Ricky simply smiled. “That sounded like a challenge.”
“It’s just that in my somewhat limited experience, men aren’t always good at being able to do that.”
“It’s a matter of following a woman’s cues. How she rolls her hips. What motions make her moan, what makes her thighs shake uncontrollably. How about this…you let me give it my best shot, and if I suck at it, you can tell me ‘I told you so’ afterward. Okay?”
Addison was breathing hard. It was all she could do not to push him onto his back and have her wicked way with him. But if he wanted to finger her to an orgasm, who was she to complain? At the very least it would feel nice. At best, she’d be extra relaxed to start her day. “Okay,” she whispered.
“Lift your hips,” he ordered.
She did, and he had her shorts over her hips and down her legs before she could blink. “Spread for me. Yeah, like that. Stay there. Don’t move,” he ordered.
His hand covered her pussy, and she couldn’t help but jerk a little under him.
“Easy, Addy. I’ve got you.”
“It’s been a while,” she admitted.
“For me too. It might take me a moment to get the hang of this again.”
“Are you going to be late for PT?” she couldn’t help but ask.
“Don’t care. Now hush.”
His fingers moved, lightly caressing, learning the feel of her. Then he flattened his hand over her, his fingers resting on her pubic area and his thumb right over her clit. He started out with a light caress, eventually adding more and more pressure.
Watching his face as he studied her, as he caressed her, was as intimate a thing as Addison had ever done. Everything he was thinking was reflected there. He licked his lips, frowned in concentration, smiled, and sighed in contentment when her juices flowed.
“That’s it. I’ve got you, Addy. Relax and enjoy.”
Oh, she was enjoying, that was for sure. Ricky knew exactly what he was doing. He’d pay attention to her clit for several moments, then move lower, his fingers dipping inside her body, before moving back to her clit.
When he shifted above her and straddled her thighs, she looked up at him in surprise. “I need both hands,” he said.
Looking down, Addison could see his erection under the boxers he wore to bed. He used to wear sweats, but lately he’d paired down to the boxers. She could feel the hair on his legs against her thighs, and it made her arousal ramp up all the more.
Ricky shifted again, moving so his knees were now on the inside of her thighs, forcing her legs to open wide.
“Okay?” he asked, pausing in his ministrations.
“Okay,” she confirmed. Addison felt very exposed, and she was grateful the only light in the room came from the nightlights. Then his thumb moved back to her clit, and she couldn’t think any more. She reached down and grabbed hold of his forearms. Not to stop him, but to have something to hold on to.
“That’s it. I’ve got you. You’re perfect. I can’t wait to see this pussy in the light. See your red pubic hair mesh with my dark. You’re so wet, hon. And you smell delicious. I wanna taste you. Would you like that? My lips on you? That’s it, rock those hips. Show me what you like.”
Addison felt like she was having an out-of-body experience. The man between her legs was playing her like a maestro. He was using one hand to strum her clit, and the other was spreading the wetness leaking out of her body.
She jerked as he eased a finger inside her.
“So tight. You’re going to strangle my cock when you take me. It’s gonna feel amazing. That’s it, squeeze me. You feel so damn good. Let’s see if I can find…there? No, apparently not. Here…?”
Addison wasn’t sure what he was looking for, but what his thumb was doing to her clit felt so good, she couldn’t concentrate on much of anything else.
But when he twisted his hand and added another finger inside her body, she jolted almost violently when he touched something deep within her.
“Ahhhh, there it is.”
He sounded smug and so proud of himself, but all Addison could do was feel. It felt as if he had a shock stick or something inside her. It was almost painful, but so damn good.
His fingers began moving faster, pumping in and out, touching whatever that spot was inside her over and over.
“Ricky!” she exclaimed.
“Shhhhh, don’t wake the kids,” he warned with a little laugh.
Horrified that they might be interrupted, Addison slammed her lips together and did her best not to moan too loudly.
“Come for me, sweetheart. Don’t hold back. Give it to me.”
She had no thought of holding anything back. She couldn’t. She was putty in this man’s hands. Her thighs began to shake, just as he’d talked about. Looking down her body, she saw that Ricky was staring between her thighs with a…reverence…she’d never seen on a man’s face before.
Then before she was ready, her body seemed to detonate from the inside out. She let out a little squeak, and her entire body seized up. She bore down on his fingers as every muscle tensed. The orgasm he’d wrung from her felt as if it had changed her irrevocably.
His fingers stilled inside her as she pulsed against him, and it wasn’t until she let out a moan of protest that his thumb ceased its movement over her clit.
She felt as if she’d just run a marathon. Her breaths came out in harsh pants as her heartbeat almost out of her chest. All she could do was lie bonelessly under him with her legs spread wide open.
“One taste to tide me over,” Ricky murmured, before he dipped down.
Addison felt his tongue glide from her slit to her clit, licking her copious juices. Then he sat up and licked his lips, as if he’d just had the most decadent dessert imaginable.
“So damn good,” he said. He leaned over her, his hands at her shoulders, his cock hard and throbbing against her still extremely sensitive pussy.
“Good morning, sweetheart,” he said huskily, before doing a kind of push-up and lowering himself to kiss her. Addison could taste herself on his lips, and surprisingly, it turned her on more rather than embarrassing her.
One of her hands tried to circle his cock. She wanted him. Inside her. Now. She was going to die if she didn’t feel him deep inside her body right this second. But he caught her hand and brought it up to his lips.
He kissed her knuckles and said, “No time. I really need to get to work.”
The whine that escaped wasn’t something Addison was proud of, but she couldn’t hold it back.
“Soon,” he whispered. “When we make love, it won’t be anything that’s hurried or rushed because either of us have to be somewhere. I’m going to want to take my time. Once I get inside that hot, wet cunt, I’m not going to want to leave. The way you squeezed my fingers? Yeah, I can’t wait to feel that on my cock. Sleep, Addy. You have a long day ahead of you. Let me know how the meeting with Ellory’s doctor goes?”
She immediately nodded. “Of course.”
“Good. I’ll start the laundry and see you at breakfast.”
Then he kissed her forehead sweetly and climbed off her. But not before Addison saw how the front of his boxers were tented.
“I can take care of that before you go,” she offered.
But Ricky simply smiled. “Again, if you touch me, I won’t be able to get out of this bed. I’ll take care of it in the shower. Won’t take more than thirty seconds.” Then he winked at her and headed for the bathroom.
The orgasm had done what he’d intended, made Addison feel mellow and tired. She heard the shower come on and, like he said, not a minute later, the water shut off. He appeared over her not too long after that, dressed in the T-shirt and shorts he wore to work out with his SEAL team.
He leaned over her and kissed her once more. Long and deep. By the time he pulled back, Addison wanted him all over again.
“Love seeing you like this in our bed. Sleepy, sated, and greedy for more,” he murmured.
Then he turned and disappeared through the door. Addison knew he’d poke his head in the other rooms, checking on the kids before heading out for PT. She heard the washing machine start up, and then she knew no more as she fell back asleep.
* * *
Later that day, Addison could still remember the feel of Ricky’s fingers moving in and out of her body. It was unsettling because she usually wasn’t so…aware of her womanly parts as she went about her normal everyday activities. She was sitting in the waiting room at the hospital on base, waiting to see Ellory’s doctor. Her daughter was on the other side of the room, playing with a kid who was probably around two or three. Addison had no idea why the toddler was there, but her mom looked relieved to have someone else entertaining her son for a few minutes.
Addison was lost in her own head, recalling what had happened that morning, when she heard someone saying her name.
“Addison? Addison Wentz? Is that you?”
Looking up, she saw the face of someone she never thought she’d see again in her life.
Her ex.
Brady Vogel.
Seeing him was a shock. Never in a million years did she think he’d ever be back here in Riverton. He’d left right after telling her that he wasn’t cut out to be a father, but he’d be sure to send money to help out. She’d never heard from him again.
And now here he was.
He wore a pair of scrubs with a name badge attached to his hip. He quickly sat in the chair next to hers and smiled as if he hadn’t simply left her high and dry to raise their child on her own. He’d been twenty when they’d met. She’d been twenty-three. They were both so young. So damn young. But still, by the time Ellory was born, he’d been twenty-one, and more than capable of stepping up and being the father Ellory needed…and a man Addison could lean on. But that had ended pretty quickly. He’d found out that having a baby around wasn’t all fun and games, and that was that. He was gone.
“Brady,” she said.
“It’s so good to see you. You look great. I see that red hair of yours hasn’t toned down at all, huh?”
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Are you a doctor?” she asked, not sure what he was doing here.
“Oh, no.” He laughed a little too loudly. “I’m a domestic attendant.”
Addison barely resisted the urge to snort. “A janitor.”
“Well yeah, but it pays really well. Especially in healthcare. You’d be surprised by how many people turn up their noses at cleaning a little blood or other bodily fluids. I’m surprisingly immune to the sight of poop these days.”
That was especially ironic, considering he used to gag when Addison changed Ellory’s diapers.
“What are you doing here? Wait, are you sick?” he asked.
“No. I’m here with Ellory,” Addison said, gesturing across the room where her daughter was still playing with the toddler, oblivious to the fact her biological father was in the same room as her for the first time since she was a month old.
His head turned, and the way his eyes widened was almost comical. “Holy crap. She looks exactly like you. What is she, like eight now?”
“Twelve,” Addison informed him, the irritation easy to hear in her voice. The fact that he had no idea how old his own daughter was shouldn’t have been such a surprise to her, and yet it was.
“I want to meet her,” Brady said.
Immediately, Addison’s stomach tightened. She wasn’t ready for this. And she definitely wasn’t going to spring Ellory’s father on her out of the blue. She’d just opened her mouth to tell him that now wasn’t the time when she was saved by a nurse coming into the waiting room, calling Ellory’s name.
“We have to go, sorry,” she told Brady as she stood, not feeling sorry at all.
“Wait—”
“Can’t, we have an appointment.”
“Can I call you?”
She wanted to say no. That he hadn’t shown any interest in his daughter for twelve years, and she didn’t see why now would be any different…but the fact of the matter was, the man was Ellory’s biological father. If her daughter wanted him in her life, that was up to her. But within boundaries that Addison put in place. She wouldn’t allow Ellory to get hurt. Not with everything else she had to deal with.
She reached into her purse and pulled out a receipt and a pen, quickly scrawling her number on the back. “Here’s my number. Text me later so I have yours, and we’ll talk about it.”
“Great! Thanks. It was good to see you, Addison. You really do look great. Maybe we can go out for dinner or something and catch up.”
“Sorry, I’m married. Talk later.”
It felt amazing to be able to say that to her ex. To not have to make up an excuse about why she didn’t want to have dinner with him. Addison hurried over to where Ellory was waiting in the doorway with the nurse. She looked back before the door shut behind them and saw Brady staring at their daughter. He had a look in his eyes that she couldn’t interpret, but she didn’t have time to think too much about it; she needed to concentrate on Ellory and her appointment.
But for some reason, an uneasy feeling settled in her gut. Brady hadn’t been the best boyfriend, and he was obviously a horrible father. She reluctantly had to give him credit for immediately asking to meet his daughter. She had no idea what would happen in the future in regard to him and Ellory…but like everything else in life, she supposed she’d just have to hang on for the ride.
* * *
“How’d it go?” MacGyver asked when he saw Addison’s name on his caller ID.
“The visit with the doctor…good. He went over the results from the upper GI. She’s going to start the bowel rest protocol today. Liquids first for a few days, then lots of high protein, high but good fats and low to no fiber. If that doesn’t help alleviate some of her symptoms, we’ll see about extending the fasting.”
“Is that healthy?” MacGyver asked worriedly.
“We’ll monitor her closely. And she’ll need to go in to see the doctor for blood tests regularly. The main concern is her weight.”
“Right. So…what else happened?”
“What do you mean? How do you know something else happened?” Addison asked.
“You said that the visit with the doctor went well, indicating that something else didn’t?” MacGyver said.
She sighed. “It’s not something I want to talk about over the phone.”
“Are you all right? The other kids?” MacGyver asked urgently.
“We’re fine. I just ran into someone from my past today, and I want to talk to you about it. Later.”
“Okay. Are you sure you’re all right?”
“I’m sure. How’s your day been? Any more word?”
MacGyver knew Addison was going to ask that. And he wished he had a definite date when they’d be headed out on their mission to the Middle East, but tensions were high there these days and the Navy had a lot of irons in the fire. So things were pretty fluid right now. But the truth was, the entire team was ready. They’d studied and researched and trained and were ready to head out to take down the HVT, the high-value target they’d been tracking. He wasn’t a good guy, and no one would be sorry when he was gone.
“Soon, sweetheart. That’s all I can say right now.”
“Okay. Anything in particular you want for dinner?”
MacGyver adored this woman. He supposed it was partly because she’d been a single mother for so long, but she could go with the flow so easily. He had no worries about leaving her behind when he was deployed. Well, no worries about her being able to handle four kids, a business, and keeping her sanity. He definitely worried about her well-being, but he did that every time he left her side. It was an odd feeling, one he’d never had about anyone before, but after talking with Kevlar, Safe, Blink, and Preacher, he realized that it was simply a part of loving someone more than you could ever imagine loving another human being.
Love.
He did love Addison. The feeling had been there from the start, when he’d asked her to marry him, but it had grown exponentially since then. Every day he’d spent with her, the more he’d gotten to know her, the more sure he became that she was the perfect woman for him. Now he just had to figure out how to make her love him back the same way. That was the rub. He had no idea how to accomplish that.
“Ricky? Dinner?”
“Sorry, no. Whatever you make, I’ll eat.”
“Liver and onions?”
MacGyver almost gagged simply at hearing the words. “Um…”
She let him off the hook and giggled. “Kidding. I know how much you hate that stuff. I haven’t forgotten the story you told me about having to choke it down while at a dignitary’s house overseas. How about hamburgers?”
“Sounds perfect. Addy…are you really okay?”
“Yeah. Thanks. And we’ll talk tonight. Promise.”
“Okay. Have a good rest of the day and let me know if you need me.”
“I always need you, but I think I’ll manage.”
His dick twitched at her words. She had no idea what she did to him. Then she giggled again…and he figured that maybe she did know, and was enjoying the power she had over him.
“Killin’ me, Addy,” he said.
“Just keeping you on your toes. See you when you get home. Be safe.”
“Always. Later.”
“Bye.”
It was a struggle not to end their conversations with “I love you,” but the last thing he wanted to do was freak her out, so he’d keep his feelings to himself…for now. But after this morning, after feeling her come apart under and around him, MacGyver felt better that he could show her how much she meant to him, at least, even if he couldn’t say the words yet. There was no going back after this morning. Not after feeling how wet she got for him. Tasting her.
Smiling, MacGyver headed back up the stairs to the conference room he and his team were using today. They had a few more things to go over and then they’d be done for the day. There was nothing he wanted to do less than leave the country, now that things with his wife were finally progressing physically, but he’d waited this long. He could wait a little longer to make Addison his in every way.