Page 30 of My Forever Soldier

Charlie nodded.

“I’ll be on your team, so you can have me all to yourself.”

He dropped Charlie to the ground and followed him out. There was still a lot he didn’t know about parenthood, but trying to make his son feel secure was a lesson he knew only too well. He’d had no one in his own life who cared enough about keeping him safe, but with Charlie, he could change that pattern. Had to change it.

Because otherwise he was just as bad as the foster parents who’d treated him like he wasn’t worth the space he took up in their homes.

Olivia hadan unfamiliar flutter tickle her throat. In all the time she’d been in charge of Charlie, been his number one, she’d never seen him look like this. Perhaps it was the party, maybe even the excitement of being that much older and enjoying his birthday, but deep down she guessed it was more serious.

Charlie was besotted with his father, that much was obvious, and it only made her fear deepen. It took hold with an iron fist inside her, and made her worry more than she’d ever known was possible. That dread within her that reminded her how quickly this could all disappear, how heartbroken her boy could be, with her left to pick up the pieces. She wanted so badly to push the thoughts away, to live in the now and take her husband for the man he was being right now. But being a mom changed everything.

Her son was her world, was her top priority in life, and seeing him so happy, so overawed by his father, only made her worry increase. It would affect him for the rest of his life to get to know his dad and then have him leave. And having him here at this age, knowing what it was like to have his dad at home, was worse than never knowing him. Charlie would never forget this time they’d spent together. Never.

Ollie looked up when she felt eyes upon her. Not just anyone’s eyes, but the deep, dark eyes of her husband. She put down the knife she was holding, covered in chocolate icing,

“That’s a good-looking cake.”

She smiled. It was a great cake. But it wasn’t the cake she was thinking about.

“Mmm-hmm.”

She raised her head and Luke winked at her. It sent a shiver down her spine even more delicious than the chocolate she was looking at.

“Need a hand carrying it?” he asked.

She nodded. “Please.”

Luke moved toward her, his tall frame engulfing the small space. She was suffocated by his presence, like an insect caught in a spider’s sticky web. Her feet were rooted to the spot, and although she wanted to move, to flee, memories of the night before kept her stuck like glue.

He brushed against her as he moved past, just the softest touch of his bare arm against hers. It made the tiny hairs prickle, her skin grow taut…and suddenly all she could think about was what they’d been doing in the kitchen barely twelve hours earlier. “We’ve got to stop meeting like this.”

Luke paused before picking up the cake. “Am I doing okay?”

His question took her by surprise. “You’re doing fine, Luke,” she said, “Really fine.”

He turned to her, his eyebrows forming a crease as he searched her face. “Really?”

She nodded.

“Because I feel like I could be making an idiot out of myself here and not know it.”

Ollie tried not to laugh. She squeezed his arm, then ran her fingers lightly over his skin.

“We’re doing okay, Luke. At least I think we are.”

She braved a look, just one look at his warm, dark eyes. It was a mistake, but then she’d known that being in here with him again was dangerous. That she needed distance from him to avoid a repeat of losing control with him.

She opened her mouth to speak, but he shook his head, so slightly she could have been mistaken. Nothing seemed to move, yet he was closer to her, achingly close, and she wanted so desperately to have him against her. Last night hadn’t been enough for her. Too much and not enough all at once.

Luke placed one finger to her lips, the roughness of his skin sending a shiver of pleasure like fireflies through her belly. She wanted him; she wasn’t going to pretend otherwise. But the danger of it, the worry, made her want to run just as much.

“Luke, we need to take the cake in.” Her voice was barely a whisper.

He smiled. “I know.”

Ollie jumped a pace backward, her thighs connecting with the tower of presents stacked behind her. Luke was still watching her, not breaking that connection, but she felt the pull toward Charlie. Especially as she heard the squeals and shouts of the kids, just outside the room. It was his birthday, his special day, yet here she was, hoping Luke would jump her in the kitchen.

She gave him a half smile as her heart fluttered back to normal speed, her body was catching on to the fact that nothing was going to happen between them. At least not right now.

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