Chapter 25

A day spent at the beach and then the pool had worn Haisley out. She wanted a snack and sleep. It was good that Mel wanted to spend time with her this week. There were tons of questions about babies and birth she needed answers for. The birth thing scared her.

“I was going to make a sandwich. Do you want anything?” Peach asked.

“I could eat a sandwich. Would you like a slice of tomato?” Haisley asked.

“Sure, if you’re cutting one.”

She grabbed the tomato from the refrigerator and began cutting off thin slices. She grabbed a container to store the tomato just as Peach turned. They bumped into each other, but she wasn’t knocked off balance.

“Sorry,” Peach said. “I should have been looking before moving.”

“It’s okay. I should have anticipated you turning.”

Peach chuckled. “You couldn’t have known. The kitchen isn’t huge. I mean, the house is great, but it is small. ”

“I like it. It’s easy to clean.”

“Yeah. And speaking of that, you really don’t have to keep cleaning. I can vacuum on the weekends or after work.”

“I know, but it’s easy for me to do. And I like it. I know that’s weird, but cleaning is calming.”

His chuckle raked over her nerves, leaving her feeling exposed. She needed to get it together and not read anything into his words or looks.

“Want to sit outside?” Peach asked.

“Sure. It’s in the shade, right?”

“Sure is.”

Haisley grabbed two plastic cups and poured herself some tea. “Would you like tea?”

“Yeah, tea is good.”

Peach opened the door and then helped her get outside. As they ate, they chatted about the day and his friends. She felt more confident about the names of the guys but knew it would take time to get them all correct.

After they finished their meal, they both went inside. She wiped down the countertops while Peach cleaned the dishes. It was weird having him helping so much. It was amazing to her that he wanted to help. This was so different from anything she'd ever experienced before.

As they finished cleaning, her heart filled with happiness. She owed this man so much, and he was offering everything to her without a cost.

“Thank you for helping me out.”

He glanced over, his lips quirking up in the corners. “Of course. I like you. You’re a good person.”

“People keep saying that, and I just don’t know. I mean, I’ve screwed up everything.”

"We all make mistakes. "

“But not everyone has to pay for them long after the mistake happens.”

Peach wiped his hands on a kitchen towel as he leaned against the counter. He hooked one ankle over the other, and he looked relaxed at first, but then she noticed the pained look on his face. Haisley took a step closer to him as worry filled her.

"My first mission after becoming a SEAL, I wasn't on a team but was filling in, so I didn't know the guys as well, but we were going in on a moonless night. It was a jungle. Snakes, predators, and other shit that could kill us. But it was the pilot of the helicopter who made a critical error. Four guys died on the ground that night. I was last in line, following up on the rear to keep everyone else safe. Had I gone first, I wouldn't be here talking to you."

She closed the distance and put her hand on his arm, her lungs clenching as her heart thundered. “Oh, that’s awful.”

“The pilot made a mistake that took four men. He and his copilot died. Once we got home and the postmortem was done on the mission, they found that he made mistakes. If he’d lived, he probably would have lost his job. It was a hard lesson. I learned that you could do everything right and be taken out by the mistakes others make.”

She couldn’t imagine how hard it was for Peach. He was so brave and strong. The dangers and pressures of his job had to be enormous. She wanted to hug him close and hold on to him. If something happened to him, she would be devastated.

“I couldn’t imagine something happening to you.”

He huffed out a laugh. “My job is dangerous, but I’m careful. And my team is excellent. We work hard to make sure we’re doing exactly what we need to do when we need to do it. They really are the best group of men I’ve ever known.”

She nodded. “It’s easy to see.”

“All of that to say that your mistake, if you want to call it that, is small. It’s not what you wanted, but to me, you seem to be making the most of the situation.”

Worry filled her, and she couldn't keep looking at him, so she turned away.

He put his hands on her shoulders, and she glanced back, surprised by the heat in his gaze. The words she wanted to say dried up like water spilled on hot concrete in the middle of August.

She had a decision to make. If she were wise, she would step away and go to bed. He couldn’t fault her for walking away. They hadn’t done anything other than talk about heavy subjects. But she wanted to turn in his arms and see what happened. It had been forever since someone had kissed her with love or touched her because they wanted to give her pleasure.

If Peach's gaze hadn't flicked to her lips, she might have walked away. But the thrill of desire shot through her, and she couldn't hold back.

Haisley slowly turned, and Peach kept his arms around her. His breathing had gotten deeper as his gaze searched hers. His hands came up and cupped her cheeks.

“If you don’t want me to kiss you, walk away.”

His words sent a shiver through her, and she clutched his shirt as if she wanted to make sure he didn't get away. Her lips were dry, so she licked them, loving how his eyes widened as he watched her tongue slip out between her lips.

The heat in his eyes urged her on, and she inched closer and lifted up on her toes, closing the distance between them .

“I want your kisses,” Haisley whispered.

His lips came down on hers, gentle at first, then demanding as his tongue slid over the seam, begging for entrance. No reason to hold back came to mind, so she opened and met his tongue swipe for swipe.

He moaned, and his hands slid from her face down to her shoulders and then around her back, pulling her closer. It had been forever since she'd kissed someone who cared about her—maybe she never had. It felt nice having him wrapped around her, but also a little weird with the pressure of the baby between them.

The thought pulled her out of the desire, and she froze. Peach noticed and pulled back, concern evident in his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” Haisley said as she stepped back. “I’m having someone else’s baby and you deserve more. I can’t drag you down.”

“You aren’t dragging me down.”

“But—“

Again, he was there cupping her face and staring into her eyes, something like love shining straight from his soul to hers.

“I know you aren’t using me.”

She shook her head. “No, I’m not using you.”

His lips tipped up in a wobbly smile. "This may not be ideal, but there's something between us. You feel it, right? Tell me I'm imagining it, and I'll walk away."

“I should. I should protect you.”

“I don’t need protecting.”

“You are too good.”

"I'm not. I'm really not. I'm a guy, and I make mistakes. I let lust rule me, but this is more than lust. This is deeper and stronger. I think about you when I'm going to bed, in the middle of the night, while I'm at work. You're on my mind and in my soul. It's deeper than just wanting to touch you and hold you and make love to you. I want you. I want the good days and the hard days. I want to help you through the difficult times and celebrate when good things happen."

"I'm a mess, though."

“We’re all our own messes. Life is messy.”

“But you seem to have it all together. You’ve handled everything so well.”

"Babe, we all have ups and downs. There will be days I need help. Right now, it's your turn to have things fall apart."

His words were too convincing. She moved to him and snuggled against his chest, clinging to him as she just breathed in his goodness.

After a moment, she glanced up. Peach looked down, his eyes smoldering with desire. Holding back would be impossible.

Their lips met in a fiery kiss that left her shaking. When she had any ability to think, she tugged up the hem of his shirt and slid her fingers under the material, raking her fingers up his back and then around to his pecs.

If they were going to do this, she wanted him to know how much she wanted him. He was the sexiest man she'd ever seen, and touching his body like this was making her incredibly hot. She needed more and moved her hands down his torso to the waistband of his pants. She leaned back and caught his gaze. The heat made her want to get on her knees and worship him. This was getting hot fast.