Chapter 14
Genevieve’s alarm went off, indicating it was her turn to take over Ian’s care.
She’d gone to bed at her usual nine p.m. and vaguely remembered hearing the baby fussing.
She yawned and slid her bare feet into slippers.
Although the upstairs was carpeted, the entire main floor was tile, and she hated cold feet.
Even the thought of trekking down to the kitchen and preparing a bottle gave her the shivers.
She wandered down the hall and peeked into the adorable bedroom, checking on her grandson.
The nightlight didn’t offer enough illumination for her to see the baby. Pausing quietly to peer into the crib, she held back the scream when she saw it was empty. Since they’d brought Ian home, he’d never left the room.
Had someone broken into the house, knocked out Evan, then they’d sneaked upstairs and stolen their grandson? Genevieve’s mind always conjured the worst possible scenario.
She flew down the stairs to find Evan and make sure he was all right. Together, they would find the baby.
But she was stopped short at the sight of her ex-husband stretched out on the couch holding the baby.
Both were sound asleep. Evan’s muscular chest was completely on display since he was wearing nothing but plaid sleep pants.
Ian was sprawled chest to chest with his grandfather in nothing but a diaper.
Where the hell was her phone when she needed to take a picture? Instead, she plopped down in the overstuffed chair to catch her breath and to slow her pounding heart.
Then she realized how silly that entire scenario was about someone stealing the baby. No one ever got the drop on her ex-husband. If somebody had tried to break in, there’d be a dead body in the living room. Only SEALs knew about the baby, and they would protect Ian with their lives.
For several minutes, she just watched the two.
Evan’s chest was now sprinkled with more than a few silver hairs matching those at his temples.
She had several gray hairs but had decided not to color her hair like so many other women her age.
She’d always considered hair dying on par with Botox and breast implants.
This was the body God gave her, and she was going to take care of it the best way she knew how, without enhancements.
This was the fifth night in a row Evan had slept on her couch.
As agreed, he took the early shift and would sleep for a few more hours before he went into the office while she took baby duty.
As he promised, he was always home by noon, allowing her several hours of free time every afternoon.
She knew that would change next week when he was expected to be at work all day.
She, too, should return to work on Monday, but Genevieve wasn’t sure she was ready to leave Ian to the care of someone else.
A tear slipped down her cheek. Kylie should be there taking care of her son.
But she was gone—memorialized and buried earlier that day.
According to the lieutenant’s wife who had stayed with Ian while they attended the services, he had slept a lot during the day.
That evening, nothing made him happy. Perhaps he felt the grief that permeated the house.
Both man and baby looked so peaceful in sleep. Evan looked sexy in nothing but sleep pants.
Nothing . That word rattled through her mind, kicking open doors that she’d slammed shut nearly ten years ago. He was naked underneath those sleep pants.
For the first time in too many years, Genevieve’s girl parts were very aware of the nearly naked man in the room.
Maybe it was the adrenaline letdown. Maybe it was the fact that they had been together nearly nonstop since last Friday night. Maybe it was because Evan held her the way she needed every time she’d cried, and that was a lot. It might’ve been because she still loved him.
It was time for her to admit the truth to herself—she’d never stopped loving Evan Hubbard.
She gently picked up the baby and took him upstairs to his room, but she had to come back down for the monitor. Evan looked cold so she pulled up the blankets, then brushed her lips over his.
Evan’s hands shot around her neck, his thumb on her windpipe and his eyes flew open. In an instant, the pressure was gone.
There was a long pause as they stared at each other, breathing hard.
“Did you just kiss me?”
Still in shock from his lightning-fast unexpected reaction, she couldn’t say a word, so she nodded.
“Thank Christ it was real. I thought I was having the best dream of my life.” Slowly he leaned up and she bent down until their lips touched. What started as gentle and sweet quickly escalated.
Genevieve felt like she did twenty years ago when they couldn’t keep their hands off each other. The old couch that sat in the same position as this new one had seen a lot of action. She hoped they’d christen this new couch.
When Evan started to lift her nightie, she put her hands over his. “I don’t have the body that I used to, so I don’t want you to be disappointed.”
“I could never be disappointed in you.” He lifted the light cotton over her head and took one of her nipples in his mouth.
Her head fell back as he rolled one nipple with his tongue and the other with his fingers. She had missed this so much. She ran her short nails through the patch of hair on his chest, and he purred like a cat.
When he ran his finger along the edge of her panties, down the curve of her thigh, she automatically widened her stance. This, too, was like slow dancing to a favorite song. When he slid two fingers into her, she rocked her hips, needing more.
Without moving from her slick channel, Evan sat up and pulled off his sleep pants. His erection stood proudly, the tiny drop on top begging for entrance.
Genevieve pulled down her panties and tossed them aside. She straddled his lap, sinking onto him slowly, savoring every inch. With his hands on her hips, he took a nipple into his mouth and started to suck as she rode him hard.
Ecstasy.
Before moving to the other nipple, he gently bit.
She couldn’t stop the orgasm if she’d wanted to.
When her brain resurfaced, she was lying flat on her back, Evan still buried deep inside her.
“Welcome back.” He grinned at down at her. “You ready to do that again?” He started to move within her.
“I can’t.” With her toys, she was one and done.
“Oh, yes you can. I haven’t even touched your clit.” They had never talked much during sex except grunted words like I’m close . Evan using the word ‘clit’ seemed to light a fire from the burning embers of her first man-made orgasm in a decade.
“I can feel the heat and moisture pour from you. Does my Vivi now like a little dirty talk?” He slowed his strokes and leaned on one elbow, freeing his other hand to find her clitoris. “Do you like it when I circle that little nub? Or rub it hard?”
“Rub,” she gasped out as he increased his pressure. Her hips automatically rocked up, forcing him deeper.
“Come again,” he demanded. “I need to feel you contract around me.”
He curled the tip of his finger, catching the underside of her swollen bundle of nerves. She leaped off the cliff as her entire body shook with ecstasy. His release came a stroke later as he arched his back, so deep inside her.
As she slid into sleep, she swore she heard him mumble the word love.
When she awoke, warm arms and naked man surrounded her. It felt so right to have Evan next to her. Their lovemaking had always been spectacular. Out of bed, they hadn’t gotten along, the more missions he’d been on. But that had been partially her fault.
He’d come home from some missions so moody she didn’t want to be in the same room with him.
She couldn’t seem to do anything right. Kylie’s crying frustrated him.
And he couldn’t talk to her about anything.
Or so he’d said. Then he’d be called out on the next mission.
She never knew how long he’d be gone, where he was going, what he was doing, and the cycle would begin again.
When he’d been offered the command of a troop on the East Coast, she’d considered it perfect timing. He could leave. Forever. She and Kylie spent most of their time alone anyway. Being separated by an entire continent wouldn’t make much difference.
Her mind wandered to what he’d said back in the hospital. He’d dated…a lot.
Genevieve shot straight up. “We didn’t use a condom.”
Evan was half-a-second behind her, reaching for the gun under the couch. “What’s wrong?” He didn’t look at her but scanned the room.
“We didn’t use a condom,” she repeated herself.
“Aren’t you still on the pill?” He asked.
“I’m not worried about getting pregnant. I’m worried about catching a disease.”
“I’ve never gone unprotected.” He pulled her to him, her nipples rubbing against the hair on his chest. “I would never do anything to endanger your health…or mine. I haven’t slept with anyone in nearly a year.
You know we’re tested constantly. I’m clean.
” He pinned her with a stare. “What about you?”
“The last man I slept with is naked on this couch.” She watched his jaw drop.
“In nine years, you haven’t been with anyone?” Incredulity laced his voice.
“I’ve dated,” she said defensively. “After you left, I had a lot of first dates.” She giggled and told him about the disastrous date with Lieutenant Commander Jamison.
“I knew that man was a dog. Every time you left the room, he couldn’t take his eyes off your ass.” Evan squeezed said ass. “You still have one of the best asses I’ve ever seen.”
“Yoga. And I don’t want to give that up.”
“I don’t want to give up morning runs with my men,” he countered. “We’ll alternate mornings then.”
“You’re being very agreeable. Should I be worried?” Genevieve stared at him. This wasn’t like Evan. Well, at least the Evan she’d known before.
“So, none of those first dates ever made it to date number two?” He pushed a stray tendril of hair off her forehead.
“A few did, but the problem was, nobody ever compared to you.” She laid her hand on his cheek. Was she brave enough to tell him? Hell. She’d been bold enough to have sex with him on her couch. She went for it. “I couldn’t fall in love with someone else when I was still in love with you.”
“Was?” There was so much hope in his eyes.
“I still am in love with you. Even more after what we’ve been through this past week. I meant it when I said I couldn’t have done this without you.”
He pulled her to him once again. “I love you. I don’t think I ever stopped loving you.
This past week has been the worst, and the best, in my life.
I will miss our little girl until the day I join her in heaven, but she gave us the best parting gift we could have.
That little boy has already wormed his way into my heart. ”
As though he knew they were talking about him, noises came from Ian’s bedroom through the intercom.
“It’s my turn to take care of him.” She looked at the uncomfortable couch. “I never got rid of our bed. Why don’t you come on upstairs?”
By the time Evan reached the baby’s room with a fresh bottle, she already had Ian changed—and it was a doozy of a dirty diaper. “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” she teased.
“I have no control over his bowels.” Evan headed toward the stairs.
“No. I want you in our bed.” She sat down in the rocker and their grandson immediately started to drink.
“If I sleep in that bed, I’m not leaving.”
“If you tried to leave me again, I’d chase you down.” She held his gaze. “I’m never going to let you go, not again.”
In three long strides, Evan was beside her on his knees. He gently moved her to face him. “I love you and always have.”
She had missed his kisses, and the way he told her often that he loved her. Genevieve hadn’t felt loved since the tractor-trailer containing all his possessions pulled away from their house.