Soldier's Christmas (Wingmen Warriors 8)

She unsealed the tape with careful precision, taking her time as if she wanted to extend the moment. The long silk scarf slithered out in a sheath of white. Her smile rivaled the gleam of the brass sextant. Her fingers traced along the personalized stitching at the tail end of the fabric. Vogue. "Oh, my God, is this ever awesome or what?"

With Alicia flair, she draped the aviator scarf around her neck, trailing it all the way down to her knees past her red velvet miniskirt.

Unexpected.

Perfect.

Worth fighting for, and more important, worth waiting for. He'd spent his life on fast-forward. Having Alicia in his life was too important to risk losing by rushing.

She stepped into his arms. "I love you, Rose-Bud."

He wouldn't rush her, but he sure would keep up as fast as she wanted to run. "I love you, too."

He met her halfway for a kiss, the fire heating the back of his legs nothing in comparison to his hot wife heating the front of him.

She wriggled closer. "Let's make a baby."

"Right now?" Not that he was adverse to making love to her, but her quick turnaround on the topic left his head spinning.

"Well, as soon as I check in with my doc, but yes."

He could feel her tremble in his arms. She was scared? Nervous? And in that moment he realized reconciling was just as important to her. Relief kicked through him.

He sketched his hands up and down her back. "I've been thinking about the two of us."

Panic flared in her eyes.

"Whoa! Hold on. This is good stuff coming up, Vogue."

She relaxed under his hands.

"I do want children. But you were right before that I was rushing, and I think that had something to do with the fact I was afraid of losing you. That's the wrong reason for getting pregnant."

Her eyes widened again, but with surprise. "I was right? And you're admitting it?"

"Yes, you were. I knew that here." He thumped his heart. "I was just having trouble getting my head to shut up long enough to listen."

"No? Really?" Her impish smile matched those funky ankle elf boots of hers. "I've been doing some thinking myself."

"And?"

"Having a plan is good, too. How about this? We know how to be friends." She tucked her hands in his back pockets and urged him closer. "We know how to make love. We just need to work on being in love and building a relationship. Let's make this next year a twelve-month gift to each other."

"You're a wise woman."

"I'm learning. This is uncharted territory for me."

"Me, too." He'd managed alone fine for more than thirty years, but since meeting Alicia, he couldn't return to his old way.

"How about this time next year we make that baby?"

Already he could see her in crazy-colored maternity clothes, could imagine the wonder of watching his baby grow inside her. "Sounds like a perfect timetable for me."

"And then the next Christmas we could work on another. And then maybe we could work on a July

Fourth baby one year."

"Hey, how many kids are we talking about here?"