Epilogue

 

Alexei

 

One year later

 

I’m standing on the low bluff overlooking Honeysuckle Bay, frowning as I watch my wife scan the pebble shore for shells and sea glass. She shouldn’t be out in this wind, not in her condition. The problem is, I can’t call her back in without letting on that I know, and I really don’t want to spoil her surprise. Not if I don’t have to. So I’m watching her every move like a hawk, ready to swoop in and carry her away to safety at the slightest hint of danger. Mostly she just rolls her eyes at me and keeps doing whatever it was she was doing that made me nervous.

I want her to be the one to tell me she’s pregnant. I’ve known for about three weeks. You can’t make love to your wife on a daily basis and not know when her breasts are fuller, more tender or, sadly, when she can’t take your cock in her mouth even slightly without gagging. A small price to pay, given how long I’ve wanted to see her belly round with my child. It’s not logical, but it’s a deep primal instinct that says a baby makes everything permanent. A forever link between us. I need her to tell me.

Thank fuck she at least took herself to the doctor last week. But she only smiled when I asked her and said it was ‘routine’. And when I swung by Dr. Mason’s clinic on my way back from the hardware store, I practically growled in frustration when he wouldn’t tell me anything. He at least relented sufficiently to tell me she was fine. Which, according to him, was already crossing a line regarding privacy. I sigh, watching her bend to pick up something interesting from the beach, turning it over and over between her fingers before slipping it into her bag with a smile.

Mia makes her way slowly up the beach towards where I’m standing, pushing her curls out of her face as she turns away from the wind. She’s glowing, and I greet her with a deep kiss when she joins me.

“Mia…” I can’t take it anymore.

“Alexei, love, you’ve lasted way longer than I thought you would. Yes, you knocked me up. Yes, everything is fine and I hope you’ve learned a lesson.”

“You were testing me?” I mock growl in her ear as I hold her close against me, my arms locked around her.

“Nooo, trying to train you, maybe. You did pretty well the last few weeks, keeping the overprotectiveness mostly in check. Notice I said mostly, you’re still pretty bad.”

I’m frowning again. “Baby…”

“No. Alexei, the baby, not just me, needs me to live a normal, healthy life. Unless or until a doctor says otherwise. That’s why I didn’t tell you right away so you could see that everything’s going fine without me sitting around all day.”

She hugs me tight. “I wanted to, you know, as soon as I knew. But you knew already didn’t you?”

I nod jerkily. “Probably. Your body started changing, your appetite is different too.”

“God, I know it. I’m freaking starving.”

“Then let’s go feed you.” I start to drag her towards the house, but she stops me with a laugh.

“This, Alexei, that’s what I don’t need. Don’t get me wrong, it’s sweet, but I don’t need to be smothered. I can make myself a sandwich when I’m ready.”

“Tell me you’re at least going to cut back on work?”

Now she’s frowning. “We’ll see. The new manager is making things difficult. Sarah offered me a job with the war games people, taking over part of her role. The part that can be done remotely. She’s cutting back on her hours too now that they have a kid.”

“Remotely.” I chew over that word. “So no flirting.”

She goes up on her tiptoes to kiss my cheek. “Only with you, Alexei, and no spying either, and no Russian goons.” She adds as an afterthought.

We walk back to our house, an old 1930s farmhouse we purchased directly from ACI, along with the five acres of land that surround it when we took over as caretakers of the Embrace Island facility. It took some hard negotiating, but we weren’t going to invest our money and muscle into renovating a house we didn’t own. ACI had no problem with that once they realized it meant we were much less likely to move off the island in six months like the last five people in the job.

The facility isn’t used for much these days. It was an old airbase back when people were worried about the Japanese invading but once that was over the Army decided it didn’t need it anymore. So they sold it off to Alpha Corps, which grabbed it for a song because nobody knew the west coast was going to blow up in population and popularity. Mostly ACI just sits on it protectively like a dragon with a hoard. But they need someone out here to make sure trespassers don’t cause any trouble and occasionally to give a tour to some exec that spots it on an asset list and wants to know more.

Island living is different, but it suits us. For one, it’s a lot harder for any strangers to sneak onto the island without being noticed. They instantly stand out like a sore thumb, especially in winter. So while I know Mia is aware that the Russians coming back is extremely low probability, she feels better here than in the city. And whatever makes Mia happy… except when she overdoes things.

 

 

Mia

 

3 years later

 

“Alexei!” I shout from the back door, not sure where he and our twin toddler daughters have gotten to.

“We’re coming,” he calls back and I wait impatiently, bouncing on the balls of my feet over the email I just received from Sarah.

Two small human spheres wearing matching red jackets gyrate up the path to the house. I don’t know why it is that little kids can’t move in a straight line. Or maybe they just don’t want to. Either way, it’s funny as heck. Eventually the girls reach me, each giving one of my legs a hug like they’ve been gone for days. It’s been maybe forty-five minutes. I help them off with their jackets, shaking my head over their absolute insistence, before they could even talk, that critical items like coats and shoes had to match. Amazing what two toddlers crying in a store will get a mom to do. Yeah, I didn’t stand a chance. Matching jackets is not the hill to die on.

Alexei brings up the rear and leans in for a kiss. His lips are warm but his face is wind chilled. I finger that cleft in his chin that still has me going weak in the knees. He cocks an eyebrow of inquiry.

“The war games are going to be here this year.”

“You’re f…” he catches himself just in time, “kidding me?” he concludes lamely, rolling his eyes at Amelie and Geneva, who are watching us like hawks.

I shake my head with a grin. “Nope, apparently everything is in the works for July, starting with a celebratory 4th of July company party, moving into the war games and then some other stuff they have planned. They’re talking two months in total. They’ll be sending out an advance team to do the logistics for the tents and electricity, all that kind of jazz. Isn’t it cool?”

Alexei is frowning slightly. “Maybe. You’re not thinking about trying out spying again, are you?”

“No, love. I’m a little past that phase of life, don’t you think?”

“We going to have to revisit that lesson on just how precious you are, kitten?”

I swallow hard. Even with two small kids around, Alexei can have me wet and wanting in seconds. He always finds some way to make sure I don’t have to suffer for very long, even if it involves calling in a favor from our nearest neighbor to watch the kids. Sascha never asks why, she just grins and leads the girls away. I blush, Alexei smirks, and the world keeps turning.

He taps my butt in warning. He’s still never delivered on the threatened spanking, but he likes to bring it up now and then. I think he knows the idea gets my imagination going. And a few other things…

“Ha, just so you know, I’m determined to find Sascha the perfect guy, and this might be a golden opportunity. So don’t count on having your emergency babysitter forever.”

“For that, you’re going to have to wait until after dinner.”

I pout, although not really seriously. After dinner will be fine, the girls look worn out from playing on the beach, hopefully they’ll be fast asleep right after bath time.

I have my own ways of returning the torture, though. I lean in to kiss him and say softly, “So I was thinking this might be a good time to have another one.” I cast a meaningful glance down at the two dark heads dancing around us. They got their daddy’s hair, lucky ducks. Alexei’s eyes start doing that weird glow thing they do when he’s clamping down on his control.

“I’ll take care of bath time and the story tonight. You just get ready for me. Turn the heat up too, make it like Hawaii if you want, because you’re going to be too busy to get under the covers for quite a while, kitten. I don’t want you getting cold.”

With Alexei, it comes out sounding like both a threat and a promise. Probably why a shiver of delight scoots down my spine and starts my clit throbbing. I sigh with happiness as I turn towards the kitchen to start dinner. It’s a lucky woman who can say her husband is better than all of her previous fantasies. Combined.

 

 

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