“Want to take a shower with me, Pretty Girl?”
She laughed. “You think I can walk after what you just did to me? I need a minute to just lay here and get the feeling back in my limbs.” Her hand raised an inch off the mattress and waved at him. “You should go. Don’t dry off when you get out. I have a wet Hawk fantasy we’re going to explore.”
“Just promise me you won’t run off like last time.”
“No way. I can’t even think about moving right now. Go. I’ll be a good girl, I promise.”
Hawk nodded, lingering for a few minutes to make sure she was actually okay and not completely freaking out at the huge issues a broken condom could make. And when he finally felt confident that her beautiful ass would be waiting for him in his bed, Hawk stepped into the shower.
But he should have known better. Because Jessie Ford was the ultimate dream for him. But no matter how good, or right, or perfect a dream felt, he always woke up. And when Hawk walked out of the bathroom to find his bed empty, he knew the dream was over.
Two
Seven weeks later…
“Shit, man. You’re not looking too good.” Hawk blew across the top of his coffee cup in the small kitchen at Montgomery Defense. Gunner was three shades whiter than normal, a thin sheen of sweat covering his forehead.
“Sage woke us up at three, screaming about her tummy. Threw up all over her bed and it took us a few hours to get her settled and back to sleep. I never knew a two-year-old could make such a mess.”
Hawk chuckled. “Yeah. I can only imagine. You could have stayed home today, you know?”
“I’m going to do a half day. She’s got a low grade fever too, so Lil wants to take her in to see Jake this afternoon if it doesn’t clear up. That nasty flu seems to be all over Silver Springs. I wouldn’t be surprised if she picked it up from thatdance class we took her to last week. I’m just glad Nash is out of the office still with Lacy and the baby.”
Shit. Yeah. Nash and Lacy had their daughter, Camilla, just two weeks after Gunner and Lily’s vow renewal. She was the cutest little thing, but they’d been extra careful about taking this time to just be a little family of four. And Hawk didn’t blame them, as much as he would have loved to get some more cuddles in. The flu around a newborn would be terrible.
“He’s still got a few more weeks of paternity leave. You know Cap will make sure he takes them all. And that should keep him out of the office and away from what feels like a rapidly growing germ pool.”
Gunner nodded.
“Speaking of Cap,” Hawk continued, “have you seen him around here today? We’re supposed to have a meeting in fifteen minutes and I haven’t heard from him yet.”
“That Cap, walking into the building right now?”
Hawk turned, sighing as he nodded. “Great timing on my part. Yeah, that Sebastian. Hope you and Sage feel better, Reap.”
“Thanks, man. See you around.”
Hawk made his way from the kitchen to the reception area, where Sebastian was busy chatting with Hawk’s sister.
“Mae, leave the man alone. He’s here to see me,” Hawk joked.
“I’ll have you know, Seb was askingmea question.”
“A very important one… about the next girls’ night.”
“Don’t even joke about that,” Hawk groaned. Everyone in the group was well aware of how awful things went any time the women planned a night out on the town together. Someone was bound to end up with a head wound, or separated from the group, or uncontrollably crying. “No more girls’ nights. Only family nights. Mae will host… right sis?”
“That’s actually what I was just telling him.” Her head tipped towards Seb. “I’d love to have everyone out to the house. Stone just finished the fire pit, and I know it’s still cold, but wouldn’t the kids all love to do a campfire and roast marshmallows?”
“I think it’s a great idea,” Sebastian said. “And, I love marshmallows too.”
“Good thing you’re going to marry a baker,” Hawk laughed.
“And it’s a good thing I own a gym to burn off all the sweets she feeds me.” That got a laugh out of everyone. “Alright, Phoenix, shall we talk in your office?”
“Yeah, of course.”
Cap rapped his knuckles against Mae’s desk. “Thanks for everything, Mae.”
