Page 25 of This Is Why

“That’s right, my friend.”

Except he’s not just my friend. He’s myson.

The words hit me like a ton of bricks in the chest. I’ve been a captain in the Marine Corps for years now. I’ve lead people through damn near impossible situations and when there wasn’t a way through, I made a way. I’ve made decisions when no one around me could. I’ve entered enemy territory and come right back out again. I’ve won awards and received praise and none of it, none of it, lives up to staring this kid in the face and watching him absorb a life lesson I had the honor of teaching him. I don’t know what’s happening to me, but I will not leave Brookside as the same man I was when I arrived.

“You guys close to wrapping this up?” Lexi checks the time on her phone and Gabe groans.

“I don’t want to go to bed, Mom. Not with Tyhere.”

I stand and put a hand on his head. “Come on then. If your mom says it’s bedtime, then it’s bedtime.”

“Besides, Ty will be back and the two of you can hang out then.” Lexi looks at me. “Right?”

“That’s right. And you know what? I’m kind of, maybe, sort of, a little good at football. I’d be happy to show you a few things so the next time you see what’s his name at daycare you can be the one with all the cool tricks to showoff.”

Gabe smiles and expresses his excitement. It takes a bit, but Lexi herds him through the bedtime process. Gabe keeps stopping what he’s doing to ask questions about Lego house building and football until finally Lexi manages to get him settled down enough to slide into bed. She kisses him goodnight and I wave at him from the doorway and damn if this evening didn’t do a number on my heart. Seeing them like this, my Lexi and my boy, just living their normal lives, it’s a special kind of wonderful I wasn’t preparedfor.

The moment we’re outside his room and she closes the door behind her, I pull her into me and kiss those sweet, red lips. She wraps her arms around my shoulders, pulling me even closer, and angles her head, deepening the kiss. I take her bottom lip between my teeth and pull gently before caressing her tongue withmine.

Her breasts push against my chest and her fingers dig into my back and I run my hands down her waist and cup her ass. I squeeze those perky cheeks and press my hips into hers, grinding my erection into her stomach.

I wanther.

I want to carry her into the bedroom, lay her across the bed, and fuck her until she begs for mercy. And then I want to pick her up and flip her over, enter her from behind and fuck her until she screams my name. I want to let her ride me, twisting and thrusting these lush hips, her tits bouncing and her hands in her hair until she comes so hard she can’t move and then I’ll roll us over and fuck her until I come, shooting my seed into her while she quivers and clenches aroundme.

I want it so bad I almost throw caution to the wind and sweep her into my arms, but damn it. Now is not the time. When I finally take Lexi to bed—and I will take Lexi to bed—she’ll want me so bad she won’t be able to wait. Her hands will tremble with need and desire and my name will be the only thing on herlips.

I pull back and rest my forehead against hers. “So now what?” I ask and then kiss her again because how can I not? When those lips are right there and they taste just as sweet as I remember from all those years ago in KeyWest?

“Will you stay?” she asks, her lips brushingmine.

“As long as you’ll haveme.”

---