Page 88 of Heston
“I intend to,” Mark replied as he ducked out the door with Libby in tow.
Alex handed Bradley to Mother. “Here. Hold him while I put Kelsey to bed.”
“B-b-but…” Mother stuttered as a little boy joined the wiggling little girl already in her arms.
“Like riding a bike, it’ll all come back to you,” Alex told her as he strode over to Kelsey, leaned forward, and lifted her carefully out of the easy chair she was sunk into. “You. Bed. Now.”
She circled one arm around his neck and leaned into him. “Thank you. I am tired.”
“I can see that.” He hip-checked their bedroom door open and took Kelsey to her side of what would be their bed until she was strong enough to go home. Which might take weeks. He pulled back the blankets and carefully laid her down. “Need help changing?”
“Yes, please.”
Alex closed the door, then proceeded to help his wife undress. By the time he had her in sleep pants and a tank top, she was drained, and he’d gotten an eyeful of the purple thong she was wearing. He winked salaciously. “You want to ask me something?”
Strenuous activity like sex wasn’t in Kelsey’s immediate future, not until her ribs, hip, wrist, clavicle, and fingers healed. She’d insisted on visiting London, but in no way was she ready for intimacy. How on earth had she gotten that thong on anyway?
Her mouth opened wide with a yawn. “I had plans, Alex. Good plans. I wanted you all to myself tonight. But then Mark showed up with the kids, and I needed time with Lexie and Bradley, and before you know it…” With a huff, she sent the dark brown tendrils that had escaped her braid flying.
Settling on the edge of the bed, Alex curled his index finger over her ear and tucked that silken lock back where it belonged. “When did you eat last, sweetheart?”
Kelsey ran an index finger under her eye, catching the tear before it fell.
“Just before you came from Tom’s place. Libby grilled hamburgers, and Mark made enough German potato salad to feed the entire TEAM. It was good. You should try some.”
Alex loved that she called the White House Tom’s place, like visiting the most powerful man in the world was no big deal. He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. “But did you eat enough?”
“Yes. Half a burger and a spoonful of salad. You should’ve seen Bradley chow down on that salad. You would’ve thought he was starving the way he gobbled it up and wanted more. Mark laughed his head off.”
“You know how us guys love bacon.” Alex tucked the blanket under his wife’s chin. “If the kids are too much for you to handle, I can hire someone to—”
Screech! Stop the damned train. If the kids are too much forherto handle?Hisrowdy kids? After she’d survived what should’ve been her death? Oh, hell no.“Never mind,” he said, mentally chastising himself for being as dumb as ever. “I’m not going anywhere. I’ll take care of you and the kids.”Me. Just me for a change.“And the day you’re ready to play, I’m your guy.”
The tiniest smile brightened her pretty face. “Well, of course you’re my guy. Who else would I play with? Could we at least kiss like we used to?”
That he could do. Alex leaned over his wife, took her jaw gently between his hands, and started out slow. Which lasted for all of two seconds. Kelsey bit his bottom lip, licked it, then pushed her tongue into his mouth, and that started a fire. His hands slid down her shoulders to her hips, then onto herbackside. Her hands slid up his chest to his neck and around it. She held onto him just as tightly as he was holding onto her. They were both breathing hard when he came to his senses and slowed the roll. He stopped squeezing her ass. With one last provocative lick across his lips, she eased off, too.
Alex tucked her back under his chin, against his pounding heart. “What you do to me. How am I supposed to walk into the other room with a spike in my pants?”
He felt her lips curl into a smile against his neck. “Thanks for letting me have my way with you, even for a few minutes.”
“This downtime won’t last long, sweetheart, you’ll see. You’re getting better every day.”
Kelsey’s shoulders lifted with an unconvinced sigh. “I want it all behind me, Alex. I want my life back. I want to go home to our house. I want our kids playing in their back yard. I never minded running your dad to the clinic or running Raymond’s Place.”
“Hey, save room for me on that to-do list, because from now on—”
She pulled back far enough to stare up at him. “You turned Tom down?”
“I did. VP isn’t anything I ever wanted. I don’t like people enough. In fact, most days I don’t like people at all.”
“I am so, so glad. I never wanted to be a VP’s wife, either. Although, if that VP was you—”
“Not me. Nope. Never.” He couldn’t help it. Alex grinned like a lunatic. It’d been years since he’d felt this free. “I’m retired.”
Her brows lifted to her hairline. “Sorry, but you’ll have to convince me of that, buddy. I’ve heard it before.”
“No, really,” he said sincerely. “Mark’s managed TEAM One for years now, and Murphy’s done great with TEAM Two. They’re both better than I ever was at pulling in men and women from all services.”
