Page 32 of Shielding his Legacy (Shattered SEALs #7)

The first daffodil was clawing its way through the dirt by the front steps of Gavin’s cabin, a defiant little thing with a solid green stem, prepared to battle snow if it needed to.

Gavin watched it from the porch, one foot propped on the rail, baby monitor hissing faint static beside him. The mountains were still frosted with snow in the distance, but the air smelled like wet soil and thawing pine. Spring was near.

He smiled, remembering the gummy grin the baby gave him even in mid-wail. She looked at him like he invented sunlight. Every coo, every shriek, every eager crawl across the cabin floor—she lit up when he entered the room, arms flailing and eyes shining with pure, undiluted joy.

He’d never earned something so good in his whole damn life.

The crunch of tires on gravel made him turn. A battered black SUV pulled into the drive, sun flashing across the windshield. Razorback.

Gavin stood as the door opened and the big man unfolded himself from the driver’s seat, surprised but not unhappy when Marina emerged from the passenger’s side.

They’d been meeting twice a week for virtual appointments online, and while he wasn’t one to count his chickens before they hatched, he had to admit he was feeling more in control of his life than he had in years.

Eva stepped out behind Gavin, baby monitor in one hand, burp cloth draped over her shoulder.

“Ian,” she greeted him with a smile, crossing to give him a kiss on the cheek.

She opened her arms wide to Marina, and the two of them embraced.

They’d become fast friends after the injury Marina sustained while pretending to be Eva.

“Hope you don’t mind us showing up unannounced,” Razorback said, the deference he showed Eva at complete odds with his hulking form.

Shaking his hand, Gavin said, “Not at all. What can we do for you two?”

Razorback handed over a thick folder. “NYPD wrapped up the internal investigation. They say Jacoby and the dead detective were acting alone. No systemic corruption. No mob connections. No one pulling strings above their heads.”

“I just came along for the ride,” said Marina. “I wanted to see this place for myself.”

Gavin had told her much about his cabin and his new life with Eva. He took the file, flipping it open to scan the top few pages. “How sure are we?”

Razorback nodded. “Video testimony, email trails. With Eva’s positive ID of the detective as the man who chased her from the safehouse, it looks airtight. They’re calling it case closed.”

“And you're calling it...?”

“Good. Moto double-checked their work. I don’t believe there’s any remaining threat to you two over the Jacoby incident.”

With a nod, Gavin said, “That’s good enough for me.”

Razorback and Marina refused Gavin’s offer to stay for supper and headed back to civilization. Eva didn’t say anything until the engine noise faded down the hill. Then she sighed, deep and low, and leaned her shoulder against Gavin’s.

“It’s weird,” she said. “I’ve been here so long I can’t tell if this is real life or some long, blurry dream.”

He kissed the top of her head. “It’s real.”

She looked down at the baby monitor, then up at him. “So, I guess I should think about getting my own place. I mean… we don’t need to stay together anymore.”

He didn’t move.

“Unless you want to,” she added, quieter now.

The wind rustled the trees. Inside, the baby started babbling—nonsense syllables that sounded suspiciously like “Dada.”

Gavin turned to her fully. “Want to? Eva, I bought a damn crib.”

“You did,” she whispered, smiling now.

“I bought diapers in bulk. I sang a song to Abby about poop this morning. I’m not letting you go find some one-bedroom walkup just because we’re no longer on the run.”

She raised an eyebrow. “So, what are you saying?”

“I’m saying,” he stepped in close, taking her face in his hands, “this is your place. Our place. You and Abby live here. If you want to.”

She rose up on tiptoe and kissed him, slow and sweet, the taste of her instantly getting his blood going. It had to be close to a hundred times he’d had her, and he still wanted more, couldn’t imagine ever getting enough of her body and her love. “Abby should sleep for another hour, at least.”

He scooped her up into his arms in one fluid motion, making her laugh. Nibbling her neck, he said, “I could sure use a nice hot shower with you in it.”

“Okay,” she said agreeably, tilting her head back to give him better access to her sensitive neck.

He carried her into the house, putting her down in the bathroom to strip them both naked while the water got nice and hot.

They stepped inside, washing each other with languid strokes and slippery hands, knowing where they were headed and taking their time to get there.

By the time she was done giving his balls the most thorough cleaning of his life, he was desperate to make love to her.

Lifting her, he pinned her body to the shower wall with his torso. “I’ve been thinking,” he said, pausing his determined efforts to get to this point.

Her eyes opened languidly, heavy lids and rose cheeks showing him she was ready for him. “What?”

“I want another baby.”

“When?”

He shrugged. “Now. Tomorrow. Next week.”

“It takes a little longer than that to make a baby.” She was glowing, the suggestion clearly agreeing with her, though he noticed she bit her bottom lip. Was that deliberation or sexual desperation? It was difficult to tell.

“Do you want to try?” he asked.

She nodded, the rest of his planned conversation falling out of his head like so much distraction. Catching her mouth with his, he kissed her deeply, loving the way her legs came around his hips and opened her body to him.

Steam filled the small space as he entered her, her body slick and tightening around him as she gasped with pleasure. He retreated and thrust into her, loving the firmness of the wall and how she angled her hips to meet his movements.

She was close already, he could feel it.

Pumping hard, he encouraged her release.

“Come for me, Baby. Let it happen.” Her channel tightened around him, clenching his shaft with a milking motion that threatened his ability to continue.

Slowly, he began to move once more, Eva moaning in his ear and making gentle noises that told him how much she was enjoying this.

There was more he wanted to say—so much more—but his body wouldn’t be denied. Beneath the punishing spray of his showerheads, he waited for the next crest to take over Eva’s body, then rode it like a wave all the way to shore and came deep inside her for the second time in his life.

It felt holy.

Sacred.

Their breath was labored, his heart galloping quickly. When he could speak, he said, “I want to go to Phoenix with you. I need to see my friend’s grave.” He swallowed against his fear. “I thought maybe we could visit your parents.”

Her legs fell off his hips. “Why my parents?”

“Because I see how much it hurts you that they’re not in your life. That you wish things hard turned out differently. Isn’t that true?”

“Yes.”

“Then come with me to Zion. We can hike to the Emerald Pools, and I can tell you how much I love you.”

“You would do that for me?”

“I would do anything for you.”

She kissed him firmly on the mouth. “When do we leave?”