Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 24538 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 123(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24538 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 123(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
“I know.” He vaulted into the basket with a grin. The hot air balloon pilot instructed the attendant to untie us, and Arrow wrapped his arms around my shoulders. Then he settled his other hand over my belly and said, “That’s why I promised him that I would put in a request for more leave in a few months. A lot can change before they’re home again.”
I waited until we were high in the sky, drifting over the valley, to press Arrow’s hand against my stomach again. “I have a feeling things will change sooner than you think.”
His lips curved into a wide grin as his eyes filled with happiness. “Are you trying to tell me you’re pregnant, baby?”
“Somewhat, yes. Or at least it’s highly likely that I might be.” I squeezed his hand. “I haven’t taken a test yet because I didn’t realize I was late until my mom started bawling over my engagement ring and mentioned how much she’s looking forward to having grandchildren. But considering how many times we’ve”—although the pilot wasn’t paying attention to us, I lowered my voice—“ahem…without any protection, I figured it’s fairly safe to assume it will be positive. I wanted to save the news for the perfect moment, and this seemed like the right one.”
“It absolutely was, baby.” He brushed his lips against mine and patted my belly before reaching for the picnic basket on the floor next to his feet. “And now that we have even more to celebrate, it’s a good thing I had them pack some sparkling grape juice to go along with the wine.”
“Yeah, no wine for me. I already had to pretend to sip my champagne earlier so my mom didn’t ask any questions. I wanted you to be the first to know.” My eyes widened when he unloaded the picnic basket, and I saw a chunk of Panquehue. “You got my favorite cheese?”
“Of course, I did.” He jerked his chin toward the landscape. “Why do you think I picked this stop during your parents’ cruise for our wedding? We could’ve gotten married in Panama or Peru instead, but I figured you’d appreciate the opportunity to try the Panquehue while you were in the country where it was made.”
“I barely even mentioned Chile in passing,” I gasped, my eyes filling with tears of pure joy and appreciation. “I can’t believe how close attention you pay to me.”
“I always will, baby,” he promised. “I’m an observant man, and you’re the center of my world.”
EPILOGUE
ARROW
“Open your eyes,” I murmured in Sage’s ear.
She blinked a few times, then gasped as she took in the beautiful log cabin in front of us. “Did you rent this for the week?” she asked, clapping her hands excitedly. “It reminds me so much of Merrick and Audrey’s place!”
I chuckled and wrapped my arms around her from behind. The kids were with her parents for a week, so it was perfect timing for my surprise. “Nope. This is ours.”
“What?” My wife wiggled around in my arms to look up at my face. “You bought it?”
I nodded, then pecked her on her rosebud mouth. “I got it for a steal because it wasn’t in great condition, and the bank was looking to offload it.” Although, I could have purchased it new. After living on base for nearly twenty years and having basically no expenses, I’d saved us an extremely nice nest egg.
She frowned, and I laughed. “Don’t worry, baby. I traded favors with some of the guys, and they helped me fix it up.”
Her mouth formed a cute little O, and I swallowed hard, thinking about my cock sliding between those lips. Shaking my head, I set those thoughts aside for later.
“But we didn’t do any decorating. I figured you’d want to make it ours.”
Tears filled Sage’s eyes, and I panicked. “We can sell it if you don’t like it. Don’t cry, baby. You know how much I hate it.”
She giggled and patted my chest. “These are happy tears, Arrow,” she assured me.
“I still don’t like it,” I grumbled.
“Sometimes I’m amazed that even after ten years, you still surprise me when you make me feel loved and cherished.”
I clutched the back of her shirt, pulling her in until I’d plastered our bodies together, then bent my head and kissed her passionately. We were both breathing hard when I pulled back, and I panted, “Because that’s what you are, baby. Loved, adored, and all mine.”
Sage beamed at me and giggled when I scooped her into my arms and carried her to the front door. After opening it, I took her over the threshold, set the alarm, and headed straight for the master suite.
I didn’t stop until we were in the bathroom, then I set her on the counter and stripped her naked. My eyes swept over her, and I rasped, “I swear, you get more beautiful every fucking day, baby.”