Page 70 of Adoring Delaney

“You better make it forty-five,” Carter added.

With a knowing chuckle Logan made his way to the door. “Always figured you’d be a minute-man, Church.”

Logan exited the apartment and closed the door behind him. His laughter was so loud I could hear it as he made his way to the exterior stairs.

“Church?” I asked.

“My nickname.”

“Why Church?”

“Told you I’ve never touched another woman. Never even looked. But that doesn’t mean there haven’t been many that have tried to get my attention. The guys started callin’ me Church after the first few months of watching me turn women down.”

“Oh.”

I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. Elated because he had never taken a woman up on her offer to warm his bed. Or jealous as hell that women offered.

“You’re gonna hear a lotta stories today. Most will be completely false, some will be fabricated, and a few may be true. But no matter what you hear, promise me you won’t bail.”

“They’ll lie to me about you?”

What the hell? Those didn’t sound like good friends.

“No, babe, they’re gonna tell you I’m some sort of a Captain America superhero that has single-handedly saved the world. They’re gonna do this in an effort to make me look good in front of you. They’ll juice up the stories and by doing so they’re gonna make them sound more dangerous than they were. Don’t listen to them. And if there’s something you need to talk about later, I’ll answer whatever questions you have.”

“Oh, well, I already know what kind of hero you are. I don’t need them telling me wild stories.”

“Babe.”

“Seriously, Carter. You think I’m some sort of bubbly, naïve airhead who doesn’t understand what a Navy SEAL does. Just because I didn’t know details, doesn’t mean I didn’t know you were out saving the world. It didn’t mean I wasn’t damn proud of you. And it doesn’t mean I wasn’t scared for you. But I’ve always known you were a superhero and that started when I was five and you rescued my babies from the bottom of Lindsey’s pool when her horrible brother threw them in the deep end because he knew I was too afraid to dive in and get them. You dove in though. And after you gave me back my dolls, you shoved her brother in the pool and got in trouble. I knew then who you’d be. A crusader, a champion for those who couldn’t do for themselves, a rescuer, and a fighter. And thirteen years after you saved my Barbies from a life in the deep end you left for the Naval Academy and started your journey. I’d never been prouder of you. And every time you walked away from me, it ripped me to shreds but I was proud of you then, too.”

“Shower, Laney,” he grunted.

“What?”

“Shower, so I can fuck you and still have you ready by the time Logan gets back.”

“Oh.”

“You didn’t think you were gonna give me the superhero speech and I wasn’t gonna have the overwhelming need to be inside of you, did you?”

My pulse started to race and I smiled. My eyes left his and I gazed around the room one more time.

“What are you looking for?”

“My panties.”

Carter reached into his pocket and pulled out the scrap of pale blue lace.

“These?”

“Yes,” I sighed in relief and held my hand out.

“Shower, Laney.”

“Can I have them back first?”

“Nope.”

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