They moved in perfect unison. Mouths locked together, bodies joined, chests colliding. She didn’t come again, but when Cash did, crying out her name as he lost control, the joy that skyrocketed through her and filled her heart rivaled any orgasm.
Cash made a sound of pure contentment as he gently withdrew and rolled them over, tucking her back into his damp chest.
“That was nice,” he said hoarsely.
“Yeah,” she whispered, unable to fight the unsettling feeling in her gut.
They lay there spooning, and long after Cash had fallen asleep, Jen remained awake, staring at the wall. Cash was right. This hadn’t felt like fucking, and it definitely didn’t feel like a fling anymore.
How the hell had that happened?
She stirred restlessly, knowing there was really only one question she ought to be asking herself: What on earth was she supposed to do now?
Twenty-four hours later, Jen was still riddled with confusion. She’d hoped the girls’ night would stop her from overanalyzing what had happened with Cash last night, but the loud chatter of the five women around her wasn’t achieving the distraction she’d needed.
She kept wondering if she’d misinterpreted the look she’d seen in Cash’s eyes. The myriad of emotions flickering across his face. But why even bother putting a label on it? She didn’t need to hear the L-word to know that his feelings for her had evolved.
So had hers. Somehow in the last couple of weeks, she’d stopped thinking about Cash in terms of how many orgasms he could give her or all the naughty things they could do together. Now she associated him not just with sex, but with laughter, support, joy…
He was so right for her in so many ways, except for the grim fact that if she got seriously involved with him, he’d be gone half the time. Or worse, he’d die while serving their country and shatter her in the process.
God, how did military wives do it?
All the women sitting in Savannah Harte’s living room at the moment were in love with navy men. Shelby had lucked out—her husband had resigned his commission and was now employed by a security firm in San Diego, which meant that Garrett worked nine-to-five and came home to his wife and daughter every evening. That was the boat Jen wanted to be in.
“Enough with the long faces, you two,” Savannah announced, flipping her long blonde hair over her shoulder.
Jen snapped out of her thoughts, realizing she was one of the “two” Savannah had targeted.
“Well, I guess I can let you off the hook, since you have a stalker,” Savannah amended, grinning at Jen. “But what’s your excuse, Hol?”
Shifting her gaze, Jen saw Holly’s equally glum look. Her sister-in-law had barely said a word since she’d arrived at Savannah’s loft, which was located above Harte to Harte, the flower shop Savannah owned and ran. The change of scenery was nice, after being cooped up in Cash’s apartment for so long.
“Actually, I don’t have a stalker anymore,” Jen spoke up, which earned her a relieved look from Holly, who clearly hadn’t wanted to explain the reason for her unhappy mood.
Annabelle frowned. “Just because Cash and Seth beat him up doesn’t mean he won’t keep causing trouble. Nutcases like that don’t scare off easily.”
“But he left town,” Jen answered. “My dad has been keeping tabs on Brendan ever since he showed up at my parents’ place, and this morning Dad found out that Brendan’s work transfer happened earlier than scheduled. He was on a flight to Oakland last night. I’m hoping that means it’s the end of Psycho McGee.”
“Fingers crossed.” Annabelle held out her shot glass so Savannah could pour another round of tequila into it.
From her spot on the carpet, Jane released a happy sigh. “Man, it’s so nice to be out of the house for a while. Sadie was being super cranky today.”
“Like father, like daughter,” Savannah remarked dryly. “Seriously, though, Becker seems a tad possessive of that cute little baby of yours.”
“A tad? Understatement of the year. Sadie is the apple of her daddy’s eye. God help that sweet girl when she gets old enough to date.”
“John bought a shotgun the day after Penny was born,” Shelby confessed. “He’s ready to shoot the balls off any guy who looks at his daughter.”
Jen laughed. Unwittingly, she wondered how Cash would react if he had a daughter—would he be as protective as Becker and Garrett, or more laidback? She held back a snort. Right, like it was even a question. Navy SEAL and protective instincts went together like PB and J.
“What about you and Carson?” Shelby said, glancing at Holly. “John said you two have been talking about having kids.”
Holly stiffly rose from the overstuffed couch. “I need to use the washroom.”
She hurried off, leaving everyone but Jen staring after her in shock.
“Shit,” Shelby murmured. “What’d I say?”
Jen cleared her throat. “Babies are a touchy subject for her right now.”
The other women wore matching frowns. Even the perpetually laidback Savannah looked upset.