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“It’s nice to see you both again,” she said, completely breaking her embrace with Carter. She gave them both a hug in greeting. “Come on, I’ll show you our room,” she said to Tessman.
“Lead the way,” he said, twining his fingers with hers.
She walked him through the open-air lobby, through the lush grounds, around both pools, to the far building closest to the water. They took the elevator to the top floor, floor five, and walked the open-air hallway to the room she’d been in alone for the past four days since she’d arrived. She swung the door open and excitedly pulled him inside.
Tessman let out a long whistle, seeing the beautiful room. “This is nice!” He and Wilson never stayed at a place this nice. The wall in front of them was all windows, sliding glass doors, with a balcony. The ocean spread out, meeting the sky at the horizon, turquoise waters meeting the beautiful afternoon, dark blue sky.
“It’s a beautiful view,” she agreed.
His gaze shifted to her. “Not as beautiful as the view in here,” he said. He set his backpack on the floor and took her into his arms. “I’ll take looking into your eyes over the view out there any day. I missed you, Becca,” he confessed.
“I missed you. But you’re here now and I have a surprise for you.”
His lips turned up in an erotic smile. “You do?” He would love anything she had planned for the bedroom.
“I talked to Shepherd earlier today. He offered me a permanent position, which I accepted. I start next week.”
His grin spread over his face. “You did. Are you ready for that? A regular work gig?”
“Yes, I am. I can honestly say my head is in the right place now. I told him I’d be back in town next week. He told me to contact Angel and let her know when I’d like to start. My first day at the job is up to me. I think he’s going to be very flexible with my schedule.”
“He is with the others who are in the support positions. As long as you get the job done, he usually doesn’t care how or where you do it.”
“Yes, I talked to both Angel and Brielle about it before contacting him and accepting the position. They’re both very happy in their positions and find the work and family balance even.”
“Family?” Tessman asked, caught a bit off guard by the word.
She took a step back and took hold of both his hands. “Sit with me,” she prompted, pulling him towards the bed. “Carter, I’ve gone to school and worked, focused on both, always believing there would be time for my personal life, for a family. I loved my nieces and I’ve always wanted children and believed in time I would get married and have children. If the last few months have taught me anything, it’s that there is no guarantee of tomorrow. The other thing with my life is that I hadn’t met a man who I ever could see forever with, a home and children, until I met you. I want you in my life, but I have to know your destination is the same as mine. If not right away, at least soon.”
In that second, everything clicked into place for Tessman. He now understood how Wilson had moved in with and proposed to Rae so quickly and why his teammate, Burke, was commuting to Virginia to spend time with Donna and play daddy to her three children. It wasn’t about how long either had known either woman. It wasn’t about timing or what a natural progression of a relationship was supposed to be. It was about feelings and knowing what was right when it was in your life.
It was exactly how he felt about Becca. His heart didn’t need a set or prescribed amount of time to know it loved her. There was no magical timeline that living together, getting married, or having a kid should follow. He could see it all so clearly, his life with her, just as Jackson had said he’d seen before getting involved with Angel.
“I’m in love with you and that’s never going to change,” he said, professing his love for her for the first time. And it came out so easily, with no fear of rejection, no second guessing himself if that was how he felt. He knew he was in love with her. “Yes, that’s my destination as soon as you’re ready for it. I’ll put a ring on your finger whenever you want it there.”
“Did you just propose to me?” she asked.
Tessman grinned, the most contented smile he ever smiled. “Yeah, I think I just did.” A thought that would have scared the crap out of him just a few months ago felt so perfect. “Though I think, actually, you proposed to me first.”
He gripped her cheeks with both his hands, and he leaned in and kissed her. A soft, gentle kiss turned into something ravenous very quickly. They had a month’s worth of love to make, both needing the connection, both hungry for the other. Hands got reacquainted with each other’s body, clothes got stripped away. Exploration and passion coalesced in the most incredible sensations they brought to each other. There were no second thoughts. There was no stopping until they were both quaking with spectacular, fulfilling releases, breathless and clinging to each other.
And after, they lay in each other’s arms while their heart rates returned to normal.
“You do realize St. Thomas is known for the jewelers and duty-free shops that line the downtown area.”
She smiled a guilty grin. “Why do you think I picked St. Thomas to end my travels and propose to you?”
Tessman chuckled. “I love how you think, Becca.”
“I love you, Carter. And I love the future I believe we’ll share.”
“So, you want to have kids?” he asked.
“Yes, not necessarily right away, but I know I do want to have a baby, your baby.”
“I was over at Lambchop and Michaela’s last week. I’ve seen the big man hold other babies, but watching him with his little girl…it made me think about having one of my own, probably for the first time ever. He and Michaela are so happy,” he said. “Let’s pick up a little gold necklace with a cross on it for Stephanie when we’re out in town getting your rings.”
Becca laughed. “You still need to teach me how to dive. Will we have time for it all in the four days we have here?”
“Yeah, we will,” Tessman guaranteed her. Then he kissed her again. “But we’re going to do a lot of this too, and we’re going to do it with no condom. No condom ever again.” He kissed her and then slid his suddenly re-hardened cock back into her. Round two would be the best sex he’d ever had. He was making love to his fiancé, the woman he loved, who would have his child. That thought fueled him and he spent the rest of that afternoon showing her how much he loved her.
The End