Beyond What is Given(124)

“Daddy!” Delaney cried and lunged. He caught her tiny frame easily and crushed her to him, his eyes closed in bliss for all of two seconds before he yanked me into his chest with his free arm.

God, he smelled like tangy metal from the aircraft and freshly applied deodorant. Nothing had ever been more of an aphrodisiac. I held on as tightly as possible, savoring the feel of him, the steady beat of his heart beneath my ear.

Contentment overpowered every other emotion.

I met his mouth in a crushing kiss, and just like that, the taste of him flooded me, consumed me. Our lips lingered, but we pulled back reluctantly and gave our attention to the gorgeous green-eyed spitfire who was already chatting Grayson’s ear off.

“And we made you signs, and they have glitter. Lots of glitter. Mommy said that you wouldn’t mind, even though you’re a boy, you like the sparkly signs.”

“Daddy loves sparkles, Delaney-bug.” Grayson smiled and kissed her cheek, gathering us all tightly together. “Oh, my girls. I missed you.”

“I missed you, Daddy. Can we go home?” She yawned into his neck.

“It’s an hour past her bed time,” I explained, rubbing her back.

“Let’s get her to bed,” Grayson said, then leaned to my ear and whispered, “so I can get you to bed.”

Oh yeah, we needed to find his bag now. He located the one labeled CPT Masters, and we headed to the car. I offered to carry Delaney, but he wouldn’t hear of it.

He hefted the huge duffel over his shoulder and cradled our daughter in his other arm, careful not to crush the tulle of her skirt.

My hormones went into overdrive. There was never anything as sexy as watching Grayson being so careful with our little girl.

I buckled her into her car seat while he loaded his bag and then shut the hatch. As I passed by on the way to my side of the car, he caught me, and pressed my back against the hatch of my SUV. The August breeze lifted my skirt slightly, and he slipped his hand discreetly up the back of my thigh before he kissed me.

This kiss left me raw and wanting in two seconds flat. He took possession of my mouth, his other hand tangled in my hair and slanted over me, finding the best angle. Our mouths joined perfectly, like they hadn’t spent the last nine months apart. Within a minute, I was ready to climb him in the parking lot.

“Take me home,” I whispered against his mouth, and arched my hips against his raging erection.

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied with another kiss. “God, I missed you, Samantha.”

“Good, because I missed the hell out of you, Grayson.”

We made it home in fifteen minutes. Delaney jumped out of the car and raced inside. We were slower, holding hands as we made our way down the hallway. She came back with a black sharpie. “Mommy said we had to wait until you were here.”

“So she did,” Grayson said, taking her hand and letting her tug him around the corner to the pantry door.

He opened it and waited for her to slip off her little ballet flats. He tickled her toes, and Delaney’s laughter echoed through our home. Then he leaned her up against the door and marked a line over her head, and dated it.

“Whoa! You grew a ton while I was gone!” he exclaimed, swinging her into his arms. “What have you been eating?”

“A lot of tacos,” she said with a very serious face that looked way too much like her father’s. “Can you cook tomorrow?” she whispered very loudly.

“Hey!” I joked. “It’s time for you to get to bed, young lady.”

“Can Daddy take me?”

I nodded, and Grayson kissed my cheek before running up the steps with our daughter. She was a perfect balance of us both, with Grayson’s reflexes, my sarcasm, and a stubbornness that rivaled us both.

I turned back to the door and smiled as I heard them giggle upstairs in her room. The door had come with us to Fort Rucker, then for a stint at Fort Bragg, and now was hanging again here at home in Colorado. On it were etched the tiny lines of Delaney’s life, and our story.

Grayson’s arms wrapped around me, and I jumped. “That was quick.”

He shook his head. “You’ve been zoned out for about ten minutes. Where are you?”

I turned in his arms. “Here. With you.”

“Good, because I need you.” He swept me into his arms and carried me up the stairs to our bedroom. We waited until the door was closed and locked before our clothes hit the ground.

I damn near shredded his uniform to get him out of it, and I know I heard more than a few rips in the fabric of my dress as he took it off.

His body was even more cut, defined, and my mouth watered. “You look amazing.” I sighed, running my fingertips along his abs.

“I pretty much worked out every time I wanted to jump my wife through the webcam. Hence, I worked out a lot. You’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever put eyes on, Samantha Masters.”

He picked me up, and words were forgotten in a flurry of hands, mouths, moans, and sighs. When we were finished, we got in the shower, and then started again. After we’d worn ourselves to the bone, and the sun began to warm the sky, I snuggled into his side. “Welcome home, baby.”

He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I’m so damn glad to be here.”

I smiled and let my eyes drift shut for the hour or two of sleep we could manage before Delaney knocked on the door, content for the first time since he’d left nine months ago.