Page 41 of Bewitched

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Two Weeks Later

Blake walked through the house on his way to the kitchen and enjoyed the river of satisfaction that ran through his body. He’d been adding a framed picture of Paige and him together every couple of days for the last two weeks. He had managed to place eight pictures strategically in the bookcase and felt damn proud of himself.

If she didn’t come back to San Diego with him right away, then he was making sure that he was firmly planted in her life. Like a tree that couldn’t be uprooted. He’d finally met all the sisters and gained their approval and had met as many of her friends as he could. As far as he could tell, everyone accepted him as a permanent fixture in Paige’s life. The only person who seemed to be struggling with it was Paige. So he quit pushing.

It was all he could come up with after talking had gotten him nowhere. The more he brought up their future, the more she resisted. So he did the only logical thing and shut his mouth. If he didn’t bring up any plans, then she had nothing to argue with. And argue she would.

The moment he quit, she relaxed. And a relaxed Paige was a happy Paige, which he discovered made them both happy.

Since they had given up arguing, they had a lot of free time, and he discovered that Paige liked to spend it in the bedroom. He wasn’t sure if baby hormones were making her so enthusiastic or it was him, and quite frankly, he didn’t care. Whatever it was, he prayed they could keep it going. They were bonding, and he hoped like hell that at some point she was going to discover that she couldn’t live without him.

Walking into the kitchen, he opened the fridge and pulled out two bottles of water. When it closed, he noticed the reminder for her next doctor’s appointment. It was in two weeks and he wouldn’t be here. He was due back in San Diego for his final medical evaluation and it couldn’t be rescheduled.

Surprisingly, he’d thought very little about what his next step would be if he wasn’t cleared for active duty. Paige and their son had taken over everything, and he realized what a blessing it had been. If he’d been home, he would have thought about little else, which made him think of what Mark had been talking about when he told him to find something else beyond the Teams. It was hard to believe that he actually had, considering that for the last twelve years, his career had been his sole focus.

Being the best SEAL he could be was all he’d cared about, and it had served him well. He’d given everything he had to his country, his team, and his brothers and had left everything on the battlefield. Hell, he’d happily go back and give more, but he doubted that was going to be an option.

His shoulder had been ripped to shreds on the last op, and he knew in his heart that his chances of a full recovery were slim. Rubbing his chest, he realized the thought didn’t scare the shit out of him like it normally did. For the first time in his life, he had something more important than his career that needed his focus and attention.

He moved back to their bedroom, stood in the doorway, and watched Paige sleep. If anyone was going to help him move past being an active SEAL, it was going to be her and their son.

Walking quietly into the room, he set a bottle of water on her bedside table and pulled the blanket over her shoulder. He checked his watch and figured she’d sleep for another hour. It was three, and she usually slept for two or three hours in the afternoon.

Today she might need a longer nap because he wore her out after lunch. Or she wore him out. He wasn’t sure who had started what. All he knew was that they’d spent a couple of hours lost in one another’s bodies. Sliding into bed, he drank his bottle of water and then lay down. Rolling on his side, he ran his hand over Paige’s stomach as overwhelming love surged through his heart.

If he told Paige about his feelings, she would tell him they were caused by the baby, which was true. But they were also about her and the bond they were starting to develop.

She was smart, funny, brave, and beautiful. If had to draw up a list of things he was looking for in a woman, he would include all her qualities. Even her smart mouth, awful sense of humor, and lousy taste in football teams.

He realized that she was the one he’d been waiting for. There had been a place deep within his heart that could be filled only by her. And here she was…but not ready for any of it.

Patience—that was going to be his best friend through this process. If he tried to rush her, then she was going to dig her heels in and they were never going to get where they needed to be, which for him was the two of them being irrevocably tied together. The baby did that in some way, but he wanted to know that she would choose him regardless of the circumstances.

She started to move around, and he figured she was starting to have the dream again. He drew closer, wrapped her in his arms, and started speaking quietly. When she whimpered, he continued to say her name and tell her she was okay. Sometimes it took five minutes for her to settle and other times it took twenty. He never said anything when she woke up and hoped like hell it was the right choice.

There hadn’t been any screaming nightmares in three weeks, and he liked to think the reason was a combination of the therapist she was seeing and the fact that she slept in his arms every night. Whatever it was, it seemed to be working for the most part.

Closing his eyes, he felt Paige relax back into sleep, and he decided to join her. Maybe when they woke up, she’d feel like repeating what they did earlier. He knew he sure would.

***

Paige woke up surrounded by Blake. She must have slept longer than usual because the room was almost dark. Stretching, she felt him move against her and run his hand over her hip. “What are you doing?” she asked quietly.

“Exploring,” he answered. “A good soldier always learns the lay of the land before he begins any mission. I’m exploring my new land so I know what makes her happy.”

His hand moved toward her bump. “This is Bravo white, where our son is floating around.” Sliding his hand along her stomach, he moved it to her neck. “This is Charlie white. I can feel your pulse against your neck and I know that whatever I’m doing is working.”

“Sailor, can you explain what you’re talking about?” Turning in his arm, she faced him. “Teach me something about being a soldier.”

Okay, I’ll teach you spotter’s language. Soldiers need a way to communicate in the field, and they need a language that can convey location quickly and accurately. So there’s a code that has been developed.” Rubbing his foot against hers, he grinned. This is Alpha.” He placed his hand on her bump again and winked. “Bravo.” Pulling her head forward, he pressed a kiss to her mouth. “Charlie.”

“Let me see if I’ve got this. I’ll think of a table. Anything below the table is Alpha, the table is Bravo, and above it is Charlie.”

“That’s it, honey. You could be a spotter.”

Scrunching her nose, she shook her head. “No, I don’t think so.”

“There’s more. Let’s add the colors. The front is white, the back is black, the left-hand side is red and the right-hand side is green.” He kissed her and murmured, “Charlie white,” then slid his hand around and cupped her ass, Bravo black. “This is one of my favorites, by the way.”

“Let me.” Pressing her hand over his heart, she said, “Charlie red,” and then slid her hand between their bodies and cupped his balls. When he groaned, she slid her finger back and forth. “Mmm, Bravo white?”

“Paige, I think you’re getting the idea.” He moved away from her hand and turned her on her side. Sliding his hand over her hip, he eased his fingers into her folds. “So wet. Let me see if you like it when I put my Bravo white into your Bravo black.”

Before she could figure out exactly what he meant, he lifted her leg and slid his very large Bravo white into her body. She moaned when he filled her completely. “God, Blake. That feels so good. I think your Bravo and my Bravo fit perfectly together.”

“We’re a perfect match.”

Soon she lost the power of speech as Blake took her mind and body to a place she’d never been before. He was right—they were a perfect pair. But how they would make it work was beyond her.

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