Jacob(26)

Chief nodded. “Roger, Skipper.”

Jacob looked at Doc and smiled without humor. “Bring the big band-aids Doc. This one is going to separate the men from the boys.”

“Just for you, I’ll bring the Hello Kitty type with ouch-less pads.”

The team broke into laughter as they filtered out of the barn. Jacob turned and walked to the tack room and leaned on the door jamb looking at Frank as he repaired a bridle. “You get all of that, sir?”

Frank nodded. “Yep. Brought back memories.”

Jacob chuckled. “I figured. She know what you did?”

“That I was a SEAL—then Agency just like her?” Frank shook his head. “Nope. Never came up.”

Jacob nodded towards the house. “She suspected you knew what she did. Of course, you know I ran a check on you. Don’t worry. I haven’t told her anything. Your story to tell. Gonna be tough leaving here for us. You’re a good man. Thank you for opening your home.”

Frank continued to work on the frayed leather. “The girl’s mom…she was exquisite. Lord knows she was wild for life like Tori. She always wanted to make a difference. She was Navy Intelligence when I met her in San Diego. Lost contact for a year or so and found her again when I was working in the DC area. Elizabeth was processing Intel for the DoD at the Pentagon. She was damn good at it and she was so happy—a dynamic person and filled with a vibrancy that defied imagination.”

He put the bridle down and looked up at Jacob. “We got together and as things sometimes happen, I got her pregnant. Back then, a woman couldn’t go it alone and the Navy kicked her to the curb. I loved her and married her. Wasn’t going to be an absent father, so I loaded her up and brought her back here to the family ranch. We had Keelee and the next year we had Tori, but Elizabeth was never the same.”

Lowering his head again, he picked up the bridle. His hands braided a leather strap as he continued. “Hell, she said she was happy and she loved those girls, but I could tell she hated the ranch and the isolation. The life melted out of her as I watched. When the girls were young, she was bucked from a gelding and broke her neck. Died instantly they said, but I knew she had been dying piece by piece, for years.”

The older man looked up from the work of his hands. “If you care for that girl of mine as much as you profess, don’t you make her stop doing what she loves. I guarantee she will never make you stop. She knows what happened to her momma. They both do. I never kept that from them.”

Jacob looked at the older man. “I promise I’ll never stop her from being who she is or from doing what she wants. But I’ll stop if she asks me to and I will ride a desk if it means she is happy.”

Frank’s head whipped up. “Like hell you will! She’ll never ask you and don’t you volunteer to be a hero. Live your life. Let her live hers, and love her like there is no tomorrow, because son…there just may not be one.”



*



Tori opened the door as Jacob walked up the porch steps. His walk up from the barn had been very slow today. His head was down and his shoulders were hunched over. When he saw her, he straightened and smiled, but she could tell something was wrong. When he took her in his arms and kissed her the emotion in his embrace enveloped her, overpowering her with trepidation. Something had happened. She yielded to him as his tongue danced with hers and his arms tightened drawing her closer. His hands moved down her back to her ass where he grabbed her and lifted her up.

Tori wrapped her legs around his waist. “Hello, handsome. That kiss had some extra kick. What’s on your mind?”

He walked through the door and nudged it shut. He kissed her gently on the nose. “Hello gorgeous.” His arms squeezed her tightly as he buried his head into her neck. Tori ran her hands through his thick black hair, still damp from his intense workout.

“Okay, spill it. What’s wrong?”

Jacob lifted his head and gazed into her eyes. “Why do you think something is wrong?”

Tori’s fingers traced the firmness of his lips as she shrugged. “Call it woman’s intuition. You’re upset about something.” He let her down and kissed her forehead. She could feel the tension radiate off him.

“The situation overseas has tanked. We have to go. I anticipate flying back to DC tomorrow.”

Tori helped him out of his coat and hung it up in the closet. She watched him as he sat on the couch, putting his head in his hands. Walking behind the couch and she lifted her legs over the back straddling his broad shoulders. Gently she rubbed his tense muscles applying pressure to his neck, massaging his tight muscles as he relaxed back on the leather cushion, his head resting on her. She continued to manipulate the muscles in his shoulders until he breathed deeply, took one of her hands in each of his and pulled her down over his head.

Tori giggled as he lifted her arranging her in his lap as if she was a feather. “You know I’ve never felt petite before, but you make me feel absolutely tiny!”

He pulled her close and kissed her neck. “You are the perfect size. If you were any smaller I would be afraid of hurting you when we made love.”

Tori sighed and whispered in his ear before she kissed his cheek, “You would never hurt me more than I wanted it to hurt. I know that without a doubt.”

Lying in his lap staring up at him she smiled and traced over his face with her fingertips. “I know you, Jacob. You’re a good man.”

She watched his reaction as he closed his eyes. His deep voice rumbled through her body as she lay on his lap. “Honey, I’m not a good man. Good men don’t do what I do. Good men go home to their wives every night. They have normal families, not a team of mercenaries. Good men live ordinary lives.”

Tori slugged his arm. Hard. “That statement was complete and utter bullshit through and through. You and I are not wired like normal people. Working a nine-to-five job would kill both of us. You are a good man. You’re my man, and you’re the razor sharp point of this team’s entire reason for existence. They are our family. Period. What kind of woman would expect her man to allow others to suffer just to make sure he was home at night with her? Whatever kind of woman that is, we both know I’m not her. I’ll be waiting for you when you come home. Just promise to come back.”

He stood, bringing her with him. “I will, baby, but right now I’m going to show you how much I love you.” She wrapped her arms around him as he effortlessly carried her up the stairs to the room they now openly shared.

“You need a shower, cowboy.” Tori’s nose wrinkled. “And now so do I.”

Carefully holding out her shirt from her skin with her fingers, the material’s wetness was obvious. “It would appear you have sweated enough for both of us this morning.”

“Indeed? Well, would the future Mrs. King care to join me in the shower? I believe conservation of water is our civic duty. Don’t you?” Pulling her close to him, he deliberately ground his entire body against hers. Her laughter pealed through the room.

“Oh absolutely, Mr. King. We must take care of the environment. What would our future children think of us if we didn’t do our part?” Tori watched carefully to gauge Jacob’s reaction. Her gut clenched hoping he too would want a family. He came from a large family and he was close to his brothers, but maybe she misjudged him? The way he froze and looked down at her. What did his silence mean? Oh God, she had always wanted children…what if he didn’t? She hadn’t thought for a second he wouldn’t want a family. Of course, she had assumed it. Yeah right, ass-u-me making an ass of you and me, Tori. Damn it why hadn’t she discussed this with him? Great, just spring the idea of kids on the man. Not like he doesn’t have enough on his mind, right?

Jacob froze. “Children?”

“I know we haven’t actually discussed a family. I shouldn’t have dumped that on you.” She caught her lower lip between her teeth and worried her it as she lowered her eyes to his chest. Guilt caused her hands to tremble as she ran her fingers across the sweat dampened material of his t-shirt. “Let’s just pretend I never mentioned it. We can talk about it when you get back. I have my dream. I have you.”

Slowly he traced a finger from her hand, up her arm, and to her cheek. Forcing her chin up with the same finger, he waited until she looked at him. “I want a family, with you. What I don’t want is you to give up what you love doing to give me one.”

A wry smile spread across her face. “Jacob, this is actually the twenty-first century. It really is possible for a woman to have a family and still have a profession if she wants one. I’ll make that decision when the time comes.”

Her hands went under his t-shirt and pulled it up. Thankfully he helped her and shrugged out of the wet material that clung to his skin, reluctant to separate from his body. If she could, she’d wrap herself around him just as tightly. Her hands traced the heavily cut and corded muscle of his chest and abs as they traveled to his waistband.

“And how many babies do you foresee us having?” His hands worked the buttons of her shirt with nimble speed.

“Oh, at least six. Four boys and two girls. Of course, God is going to have to work with me on the gender thing, but who knows?” Her answer stilled his hands.