Back

He carried me from the taxi up to my unit like I weighed nothing. He gently laid me on the bed, and when he was about to move away from me, I pulled him away. "Stay," I said. I put my head in his arm, and he embraced me and kissed my hair. My stomach grumbled, and he laughed. "I will prepare dinner; do you want something to eat?" he asked. "I want fried chicken, spaghetti, and fruit salad," I said.

I took a shower and changed into an oversized cotton white shirt and shorts. I blow-dried my hair and went to the kitchen. Pom was waiting for me; she smiled when she saw me. "I brought Pad Thai for you; we will stay at our new apartment," she said. "Thank you, Pom; send my regards to Pam," I said and hugged her. "We thank you for your kindness to us; call me if you need anything," she said with her teary eyes. She went to the guest room and packed her things. I like Pom and Pam; they don't hover, they respect my privacy, and they are honest and kind. I got Pam's account, and I plan to deposit money on it. I also plan to have some scholars from the victims of human trafficking recommended by the NGO's

Mitch was busy preparing dinner, and I opened the plastic bag brought by Pom and put it on the plate. I started to eat them. I looked at Mitch, and he raised his brow. "Well, don't worry, I can still eat all the spaghetti and chicken after this, with your help, of course," I said.

He laughed and continued cooking. Pom said goodbye to us, and I waved my hand while my mouth was still full. I fed him Pad Thai and asked, "Do you think you can cook this for me? I am lazy these days. I love this food; I eat it every day," I said. "I will cook anything for you, sweetheart," he said. I kissed him on the lips, and his eyes turned into something. "I am hungry," I murmured. He laughed again. "I am hungry too," he said with double meaning. I love the sound of his laughter.

We were having good times at the dining table when he suddenly said, "I don't like your doctor; change him." My eyes went wide. "what? why? He is the best doctor here," I said in surprise. "Choose a female doctor; I don't like men hovering and touching your body, even a doctor," he said with a serious tone.

"Ok, how about we make a list of the things you don't like about me?" I said. He stared at me and said, "I love everything about you; I don't want you to change. Just tell me what's on your mind," he said. "Ok, I don't want your gentle, manly behavior towards women. I don't care if you're rude to them; don't assist them; don't give your sympathy to them even if they cry in front of you; and don't give your brightest smile to them," I said with my balled fist on the table without noticing it.

He laughed so hard. "You're scaring me, pepper; I will give my best to become stiff in front of women," he said with eyes twinkling with amusement. "I don't want you to share the food I prepared for you with other women like you did before," I said before I drank the mango smoothie. He frowned. "I didn't share any food with anyone, especially women," he said. I looked at him guiltily. "Well, when I called you, Jessica insinuated that she ate the food," I said.

"What happened that day when you got shot? Mrs. Langley told me that you saved Jessica and her baby. I asked him to change the subject. He sighed. "We were on a mission, and I did it because it was the right thing to do. I will have plenty of time to be with you, Pepper; I applied for early retirement three months ago," he said happily.

I looked at him wide-eyed, and tears suddenly ran down my face. I cried loudly, "This is my fault; you did it because of me. I am so sorry I left you. I will never do it again." I said this while sobbing. He went to my side and embraced me. "Hey, sweetheart, don't cry; I was thinking about it before I met you; it's not your fault; please don't cry," he said while wiping my tears with his hands.

I made him sit, and I sat on his lap while I cried loudly again. He rubbed my back while I cried on her shoulder for a few moments. When I looked at him, I saw his love in his eyes, but I was so stupid that I didn't recognize it.

"What happened to Jessica's baby?" I asked him. He sighed. "She had a miscarriage, and she blamed her mother for it. She got married two months ago with her boyfriend and moved out of her parents house. Gen. Langley was remorseful; he thought the reason I got out of the service was because of my disappointment in him. I didn't say a thing about it; I let him think that way," he explained.

"I love you," I said, and I kissed him hungrily. He looked at me with love and said, "I love you more." We poured our longing into the kiss, and I can feel his reaction down there. I held the edge of his shirt and was about to pull it up when he said, "I don't want to hurt you and the baby, sweetheart."

I winked at him. "This is good for my hormones; the baby needs to acquire some features from you; maybe this will help a lot," I said. He laughed and kissed me on the lips. "I love you so much, Pepper." He carried me to the bedroom.

"I'm huge," I said, full of insecurity.

"You are so beautiful, sweetheart, and my heart ached with how much I miss you," he said.

"I want you, Mitch, but I felt like an elephant," I said, about to cry again.

His fingers trailed over her chin to her jaw, where the fist of the man he killed had grazed her. Then he

He delved into the hair over her ear, his hand cupping the back of my head in his possessive grasp. My most important duty is to see to the wishes of my wife." He cupped the area of my cheek where the bastard had struck me, and his gaze darkened.

"Kiss me."

His lips found mine, and he drank deeply, rubbing his tongue over my mouth until I opened to let him in. "Say that you love me," he whispered.

"I love you."

He gathered me in his arms and walked me back until my legs touched the edge of the bed. He swept me down and then rolled me until I was delicately sprawled atop him. He pushed at my clothes, exposing my shoulders and then my arms. He grabbed my upper arms and pulled me down, nuzzling her neck. But his lips were magical.

She bent and ran my tongue over the thick cords in his neck, determined that he wouldn't be the only one torturing. I sank her teeth into his flesh, inhaling his male scent, while smiling, when he flinched and went rigid beneath me. I savored his flavor, running my tongue across every line and dip. I assisted him in taking my and his clothes. I am now open to his gaze.

He gripped my hips and lifted me to place me over his groin.

"Let me fit you to me." He moved me, holding me still as the tip of his manhood brushed against my damp heat. Then he discovered the entrance and slid in just a little bit. My eyes popped open, and she tensed as he approached my opening.

"Relax," he soothed.

He led me down, and I took his hand in mine and placed both palms on his chest. As his fingers slid from my hips over her buttocks, I leaned forward. As he slid deeper, he gripped my flesh and spread me wider. With one final push, my bottom brushed up against the tops of his thighs. Being speared, so full with no relief, was a strange sensation. My body buzzed with delight. My nipples clenched into hard points, pouting and pleading for his touch.

He left my hips and feathered his fingers over my protruding belly up until he cupped both breasts in his palms. When he flicked the taut buds, little sparks of fire burned through my body.

"Ride me," he said quietly. The thought of doing something like that erupted in my head. A hot flush ran through my body, causing her to squirm. Mitch's grip tightened even more in my sheath. I began to move, hesitantly at first, eager to do his bidding. I felt awkward and shy, but Mitch's eyes gave me all the confidence I needed to keep going. We both made contented sounds that grew more desperate and urgent as my pace increased.

We found release with my lips fused to his as tightly as their bodies were joined. I swallowed his triumphant cry as he drank my ecstasy as their bodies were joined. I swallowed his triumphant cry as he drank my ecstasy. His fingers dug into my hips, and he drew her down, holding me in place while he emptied himself into my body.

I sighed and collapsed on top of him, burrowing into his warmth. His heart pounded frantically against mine until I couldn't tell who was faster. He encircled me and kissed the crown of my head.

"I love you so much, wife."

Tears welled up in my eyes as I got up, my hair falling over his chest as I gazed down at him in awe. "Say it again?" I asked quietly. He smiled as he heard my own words thrown back at him.

"I love you more than my life," he replied, and she cried again. Tears of happiness

We were having our midnight snack, or rather, my midnight snack, when I asked him something. "How many past girlfriends do you have?" He kissed my hair and rubbed his hand on my bare arms. "I don't do girlfriend things, sweetheart. Though I lost count of the women I tangled with, for the record, you are my first girlfriend," he said.

I grinned when I heard it. "I will work at Primestone Pepper as part of the training team. I really wanted to work with Lance and Simone. I will have plenty of time with you, and Zach can hover over me at all times," he said, smiling. I rolled my eyes and frowned. "How come they didn't call me up until now?" I said, looking at him. "I begged Zach and Simone to talk to you first and convince you of my pure intention and love; though Zach was adamant, Simone swayed him."

My eyes started to water again. "I am sorry I made you suffer," I said, crying again. Damn hormones! He hugged me and kissed me again; the kiss turned into a heated collision of body and feelings.

I called Zach. Hi," I said, and he was silent for a few moments. "I miss you, Brie; please come home; your nephew wanted to meet you," he said with emotion. I cried again, and I heard Simone's voice. "Hi love, please come home; we wanted to see our niece on her first day in this world." I didn't say anything, but I could hear Dom and Belle talking loudly. "Aunt Brie, I helped Dad change the nappies of our little brother!" Dom shouted. "I played piano for him," Belle said, trying to join the conversation. "I miss you all," I said in a croaked voice.

Kevin, Daniel, Tiffany, and Eloise called; they were all excited to see me. I sighed. My life will be back to normal now. There will be difficulties in the future, but I know how to handle them now with Mitch by my side. I was blinded by my doubts and prejudices before, and we both suffered from them. I now understand Simone and Kevin's perception of Mitch; they trusted him fully because they knew what was inside him. I was ashamed; I didn't recognize it.