Page 62 of When We Collide

“Baby,” Dean walks over and presses a kiss to the nape of my neck and I sigh, closing my eyes. “DJ was far too young to be affected by all that. Look at him, he’s a beautiful, happy little boy.”

Opening my eyes I look at our precious boy smile. He truly is a happy baby. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right, but I think we should start using the word mama around him more to encourage him. Instead of calling me baby or baby girl, call me mama or mummy for a while.”

I hear Dean emit a low groan as he leans in to speak into my ear. “I can certainly get on board with that,mama.” The deep burr ofhis voice mixed with the heat of his breath against my skin has me visibly quaking. “You like that?” I bite my lip and nod.

“Mm, my kitty seems to like it very much.” Dean laughs, grabs my face with his large hands and plants a hard kiss on my lips. I’m not a fan of the term ‘kitty’ to denote my vagina, but now DJ is starting to talk and is picking up words we are trying to keep our vocabulary clean when we are around him.

“Good, because I’m going to sneak back here and ravish yourkittylater.” The academy must surely be aware of his nightly escapades, as he sneaks out at least four times a week to return home and...ravishme. The rule is that during periods of intense training, officers are required to remain on base for anywhere from one to five weeks.

The gruelling sessions can occur at any hour of the day or night, leaving little time for rest or breaks. But despite the strict guidelines, Dean always finds a way to sneak away and visit me. Our love and need for one another simply can’t be contained within the boundaries of rules and regulations. And though we know the risks involved, we can’t resist the temptation of those steamy, late-night forbidden visits.

“I look forward to it,Daddy.” I reply, dropping my tone to a sultry one that has Dean’s gaze darkening with desire.

“Stop that, you’re going to send me off to an intense ten hour-long training session with a raging hard on.”

I pout, “Aw, allow me to take the edge off for you.” My fingers curl around his nape and I draw his mouth to mine and kiss him ardently. A primal growl travels up Dean’s throat when my tongue teases his and his hand comes up and grips my throat deepening the kiss further. My hazy brain remembers that DJis in the room with us, so I break off the kiss leaving Dean in a stupor. When his eyes flutter open, his eyes are almost black with need and they hold the promise of a wild night later which has my insides quaking with exhilaration.

“I’ll see you after midnight, mama,” Dean burrs, dragging his thumb across my lower lip while I gaze up at him sultrily. “No touching yourself. I want you naked, wet and legs spread wide ready for me to dive in.”

“Yes, Daddy.”

As the months flew by,Dean's intense training neared its completion and our time in Florida drew to a close. Our initial struggle upon moving here eventually gave way to a deep sense of belonging and contentment. Though I still long for home at times, the warm sun and tranquil atmosphere of this place has truly won me over. The beach is just a five-minute drive away where we spend most weekends with DJ. It certainly is a stark contrast to the grey and dreary weather we are used to in London.

My heart aches for my family and our old life, but a part of me can’t help but want to stay here forever with just the three of us. Everything feels so serene and perfect in this little bubble we’ve created. And to add to that perfection, Dean surprised me with a romantic sunset ceremony on the beach where we re-tied the knot a couple of weeks ago. He flew out Ashlyn, Shane, and Oz without my knowledge, making it an impromptu butunforgettable wedding. I think it was even more magical than our first one, with only the ocean as our witness and the gentle sea breeze as our music.

The life we have built here in the space of a year is the life I always envisioned having with Dean, but as with all good things, it has come to an end.

We head back for London in a couple of weeks where Dean will go back to the Air Force and put all his new skills and tactics to use. I’m just not looking forward to the long months apart whenever he’s called for deployment. At least here it was just weeks at a time and thankfully the operations he was part of weren’t all that dangerous.

“JJ?”

My eyes snap open when I hear Dean’s voice calling my name. Damn, I must have dosed off on the back porch swing while reading. The sound of the raindrops hitting the small lake that’s stretched outside the back and birds chirping must have lulled me to sleep.

“Out here.” I call out to Dean. I can hear the thudding of his heavy boots as he walks through the house toward the back porch.

“What are you doing out here, baby, it’s raining?” Dean questions as he steps outside and walks over to me.

“I was reading and must have fallen asleep.” I frown when I realise he’s not due to be home for another three days. “What are you doing here? You weren’t due back till Thursday.”

“We wrapped up early.” Because the swing isn’t big enough for two people, Dean lifts me off the swing, sits down and sets me on his lap.

I smile and snuggle into him when he wraps his arms around me. “Oh, well in that case. Welcome home, Captain.” Dean returns my smile with a sexy one of his own and presses a lingering kiss to my lips.

“I’ve missed you like crazy this week,” Dean breathes, his soft lips brushing against mine with every whispered word.

“I miss you like crazy always.” My fingers trace the line of his jaw and slowly drift up to play with his hair while his lips fondle mine.

Dean moans softly, his voice a low rumble in the quiet room. “Mmm, before you distract me any more with those sexy little touches, we need to talk about something important.” The shift in his tone—from playful to serious—sends a small shiver down my spine. I pull back slightly, searching his face for any hint of what’s coming.

“Should I be worried?” I ask cautiously, my voice barely above a whisper. “Because every time you say something like that, I never like what comes next.”

Dean smirks, the corners of his mouth lifting just enough to reassure me, but the flicker of seriousness in his eyes keeps my heart in my throat. He shakes his head, his fingers brushing through the stands of my hair.

“No, don’t worry, it’s nothing bad,” he says, his voice warm and steady. The tension that had been coiling tight in my belly begins to ease, but there’s still an undercurrent of anxiety simmering just beneath the surface. What has happened now? We’ve beensettled and happy, it was only a matter of time before something bad happened to ruin it all.

“You know the training program is wrapping up in two weeks, right?” he continues, his gaze locking onto mine with an intensity that makes it almost impossible to look away. I nod, my attention solely focused on him, hanging on every word. “Well,” he says, taking a deep breath, “I got called into the office today. They asked if I’d consider staying on to finish the training—and then, eventually, becoming an instructor.”

For a moment, his words linger in the air between us, heavy with implication. I blink, my mind struggling to catch up with what he’s saying. “Staying on?” I repeat, my voice sounding distant, almost foreign to my own ears. “What, like permanently?” He nods, regarding me closely.

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