The SEAL's Surprise Son (The Admiral's Seals, #1) - Leslie North Page 0,27

reminded him of good times with the Admiral, and it seemed right that he would share them with his son. She could almost read his thoughts, and that made her feel warm and bubbly inside.

Once during the movie, Austin jumped off the couch to imitate the antics of the actors, making Zach laugh. Grabbing his daddy’s hand, Austin pulled him up so they could pretend to fall down together. Carolyn stayed where she was, watching her guys. Her guys. She liked the sound of that in her head.

By the end of the movie, Austin was nodding off Zach’s arms. He no longer asked to put their son to bed. It was a task he’d taken over, freeing her to clean up the house or check her email. That night, she wanted to bring down some old business files she’d stored in the attic while the store was being refurbished. She was slowly working her way through the papers, determining which documents to shred and which should be scanned for preservation.

She climbed to the attic, entering it through a door in the upstairs hall. As she picked up a box, she looked around the space. Dormer windows faced each direction, and the wide-planked wood floor was sturdy. With a little paint and some furniture, it would make a great playroom for kids. She noticed with a little hiccup in her heart that she’d thought kids. Plural. One wasn’t enough, but more children depended on what happened between her and Zach.

With a hopeful sigh, she headed down. She was outside Austin’s room when she tripped over the edge of a rug. Surprised and struggling to keep her footing, she let go of the box. It crashed to the floor, its contents spilling out.

Instantly, Zach was in the doorway of Austin’s room with the sleeping boy on his shoulder. His mouth opened to speak, but she gestured for him to be silent so he wouldn’t wake the baby. She couldn’t help smiling at the sight of this hunky, handsome man holding his sweet baby boy. Something inside her shifted, and she felt a giant swell of love for both of them. Any lingering worry about Zach and their past evaporated. Her fingers trembled as she picked up the scattered papers while Zach returned to the nursery.

She was blindly tossing papers into the box when one caught her attention. “Dissolution of Business” was printed boldly across the top, causing her to look more closely. The business had been a jewelry store, and her mother’s name was listed as one of the partners. She didn’t recognize the other partner’s name—not surprising, since she saw the date was over twenty years ago. She would have been just a little girl at the time. Funny that she’d never heard her mother mention this store.

Carolyn placed the paper in the box, planning to ask her mother about it, and carried the box downstairs before returning to the nursery to kiss Austin good night. Zach had just placed him in the crib, where he was stretched out, looking happy and peaceful. She touched the child’s cheek and kissed his forehead before leaving the room. Zach adjusted the lights and followed her into the hall, closing the nursery door behind him.

She smiled at him, letting the emotions she’d felt that night show on her face. She couldn’t hide how she felt. Zach didn’t hesitate to pull her into his arms. He kissed her lips, her throat, the little spot near her ear, all the places he knew she liked. But kisses were no longer enough. She put a little space between them and pulled his T-shirt over his head, tossing it to the floor.

She ran her hands over his chest, which was even more muscled than it had been. God, his body was amazing. She hadn’t let herself remember that in the two years they’d been separated. She traced her finger over a new scar on his left pec, but she didn’t ask how he got it. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered but the two of them together at that moment.

“Carolyn?” His voice was soft, questioning.

“My room.” She took a step back, pulling him with her into the bedroom.

“I’ve missed this,” he murmured against her ear as his hands slid under her tank top to unclasp her bra. Shirt and bra went over her head, flying off to a corner of the room. He cupped her breasts, running his thumb over the nipples as he kissed her lips. She moaned