Page 63 of Knight's Fall

“Sydney and the other women told me I should plan a grand gesture, but that’s not me. You know I don’t always know the right things to say, and I sure as hell haven’t ever proposed to someone before. I do know I love you, and I want to marry you. I don’t even care what my life looks like from now on, as long as you’re in it and with me.”

Tears pricked her eyes. “For someone who doesn’t always say the right thing, you just said the perfect thing. Yes, I’ll marry you.”

They sealed their engagement with a kiss then decided to wait to announce it. Courtlyn wasn’t going to steal her best friend’s thunder by announcing an engagement on Olivia’s wedding day.

Their announcement came later with much celebration from their loved ones. Their nuptials were simple and quiet, held in Kat and Tristin’s back yard with a party to follow that went long into the night.

Thirteen months later, they had bought a house away from the neighborhood where they’d met, renovated it to be just what they wanted, and created a home that was as perfect as it could be for them.

Courtlyn’s favorite part was the view of the backyard. It was her retreat when she needed to relax, and since Wings left with his teammates on a mission, it had become her refuge as she waited for her husband to come home to her. The details of this case were confidential, but Owen had been able to assure her of the Alpha Team’s safety each day they were gone.

She had no way to know for sure how long she would be without Wings. So far, the last eight days were some of the loneliest she’d experienced. The first couple of days, she’d had the support of the other women, and the investigators watched out for all of them while the team was gone. She’d been to dinner at Jordan and Stella’s, and while she enjoyed the meal and the company, she longed to be in the arms of her husband.

After that, she tried to keep busy. She cleaned their house from top to bottom. She repainted their living room a calming sage that she thought Wings would like.

When she’d found a food truck for sale that met her budget, she’d almost bought it and thrown herself into getting it ready. But she couldn’t bring herself to make the purchase without Wings there to support her. He’d wanted to give her the remaining money she needed to buy the truck, but she’d declined. The truck was a dream she’d held long before she met Wings, and she wanted to be the one to make it come true.

But she wanted Wings there by her side when she did.

She resigned from the diner while he was gone. Sissy had come back to work, and she was more bitter than before. She blamed Courtlyn for what happened to her. Courtlyn was the reason Malcolm came into their lives. She had befriended him. She’d offered suggestions for homes he could live in, though he never chose any of the ones she suggested. Instead, he had picked an abandoned house close to her, but Sissy was never going to admit that Courtlyn was just as much a victim as she was.

Now, that life was behind her. She gave up her rental house. Wings sold his fixer upper, and they used that money to buy their permanent home.

Mrs. Dobbs found a teenager in the neighborhood to walk Bogie. She’d been heartbroken to find out Courtlyn had been abducted because she’d been out trying to find the wayward Corgi, and she’d pulled back from Courtlyn out of guilt. Courtlyn hated to lose that friendship, but it meant she could move forward with her new life without a need to go backward.

Her phone pinged with a notification that someone had arrived at her home. Expecting to see one of the investigators on the security camera that spanned the property, she was stunned to find her visitor wasn’t who she expected.

She dashed back into the house and flung open her front door. Barefoot, she sprinted across the porch and down the steps, meeting him in the middle of their driveway.

Wings dropped his pack when he saw her coming. Scooping her up into his arms, he crushed her mouth with his. Their kiss was intense, and thankfully their neighbors didn’t live close enough to witness their very public display of affection.

She wrapped her legs around his waist and clung to him. He started walking, his muscle memory guiding him into the house. He would worry about his pack later.

Heading straight for their bedroom, they broke their contact long enough to shed their clothes. They fell onto the bed in a tangle of limbs, but they didn’t care.

Their reunion was hot and powerful. They couldn’t get enough of each other, and their orgasms surged through them fast and hard. As they rode out their release, Wings collapsed on the bed beside her. Courtlyn settled her body limply on top of him. Their panting was the only sound in the room for several minutes.

Courtlyn wanted to cry at having her husband home safe and sound, but she was too exhausted to muster up even one single tear.

Wings chuckled, and Courtlyn closed her eyes to savor the rumble in his chest.

“I wanted to take a shower and eat dinner with my wife when I got home. I didn’t expect to be attacked as soon as I hit the damn driveway.”

She giggled. “What can I say? We missed you.”

His tone still sounded amused. “We?”

She propped her elbow in the center of his chest and rested her head in her hand. “Yes, I said we. We’re having a baby, Wings.”

She squeaked when he flipped her over and stared intently into her face. “Tell me.”

“I went for an annual check-up while you were gone. They called today with the results of my blood work. I’m all healthy, and we’ll welcome a little baby is seven and a half months.”

“Oh, shit, and we just…I just…Shit! Did I hurt you?”

She cradled his face between her hands. “No, baby. You made me feel great. The doctor said we’re good to enjoy our normal activities. Having amazing sex will not harm the baby. It will, however, make the mother very, very, very happy.”

He grinned and kissed her again, and Courtlyn could feel the love behind the kiss all the way to her toes. When he broke the contact, he rested his forehead against hers, his hand caressing her stomach.

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