Her Dominant SEAL(73)
They meandered out of the living room.
“What’s up?” Trenda asked.
“I want Piper with me,” Drake said.
“I told you, for the next two weeks-”
“I meant permanently. But I’m afraid I’m stepping on your tail, or asking her to do something she doesn’t want, or doing the wrong thing, or maybe I need to stay here.” He raked his fingers through his hair.
“Drake-”
“But honestly, Trenda, my feelings don’t matter, it’s Piper who matters. But I just think she would do well with me. But then again, there are the times I’m gone, I’ll have to deal with that.”
“I’d be there when you’re not,” a soft voice said.
Everything in him relaxed.
Trenda was beaming.
“Look, I can’t answer for Piper, but you’re not stepping on my tail Drake.” Trenda went over to Karen and took Bella out of her arms. “I would be fine signing over consent for Piper.”
“Thanks Sis.”
“We’ve got to go. I’ll see you next weekend when Maddie comes to visit.” She was down the hall, and they heard the door close.
“How much of that did you hear?” Drake asked as he walked up to stand beside her.
“Enough to know that you want what’s best for everybody, as usual. So, you want Piper to live with you?”
He brushed an auburn stand of hair away from her face. “Marry me.”
“Why?”
“Because I love you. No other reason. No Piper. No emotional baggage. Not even a bad case of blue balls. I look into your eyes, and I see my hopes and dreams, Karen. I see the brightest future imaginable because you’re beside me. On the downside for you? I want to protect you, care for you and wrap you in cotton wool, can you put up with that?”
Ah, God, she was tearing up. What did that mean? Where was the Woman Playbook?
“Stop panicking. I love you too. I told you that days ago. I want sixty years, Drake. And it goes both ways, I want to protect and care for you too. Can you handle that?”
He stood still.
“Do I still get sex?”
“Yes Drake, you get sex.”
“Okay then.”
***
She couldn’t push people out of the Chalet fast enough. Evie, damn her, knew it. She’d loitered until eleven o’clock keeping the twins up hours after the point they had been yawning. Finally, she said she needed to leave. But of course, Drake put his foot down and said it was too icy and late for her to be driving, so a fight had ensued. In order to stop the argument, she slipped off her socks, showing off her purple toenails. It worked. Drake stopped yelling. As soon as Drake wasn’t yelling, Evie was reasonable. Problem solved.
When they went upstairs, Karen went towards her room, but Drake tugged her hand and pointed to his. She followed.
“Why your room?” she asked once they were inside.
“It’s the corner room, with yours in between this one and Piper’s. We have more privacy this way.”
“Good thinking.” She smiled.
“How are your ribs doing?” he asked.
“How’s your chest? Your arm?”
“How about we don’t do medical intake forms?” he murmured against her hair as he circled his big arms around her shoulders.
She sighed against his chest. “Do I sound nervous?”
“A little. This is supposed to be fun, remember?”
She was silent. “About that.”
“Tell me, Honey, you can tell me anything. You’ve been my rock, I want to be your safe place.”
“Well, it’s kind of funny actually.” She didn’t sound like she found it funny.
He bent his knees so that they were nose to nose, and he brushed his lips against hers, surprising a smile out of her.
“Now spill it, Eastman.”
“Once. I’ve done this once.” Her eyes were shut tight. “I wanted to be good at this for you.”
***
The word ‘once’ reverberated in his head and he broke out in a sweat. Then her last words penetrated the fog in his brain.
He looked at her and smiled indulgently. He brushed kisses across her closed lids. They fluttered open.
“You’re always doing that.”
“Here’s another replay,” he said picking her up. He pulled back the covers and laid her gently down on the sky-blue sheets. He settled beside her. “I have a secret, just kissing you has been better than any other experience I’ve ever had.”
Karen grinned and snorted a laugh.
He knelt and stared down at her until she quit smiling. “Are you ready to listen?” He waited for her nod. Then he said, “Our kisses have been sacred.”
Her eyes filled with tears. He had to swallow. Please say she understood.