A Marriage of Convenience (9 page)

Lauren did her best to explain how things worked in the military. She rationalised he’d most likely been disconnected and Ayanna hadn’t heard all he’d wanted to say. Ayanna didn’t know what to think. She wanted desperately to believe Lauren, but her mind kept coming up with vicious reasons for his absence.

Matters weren’t helped by Devon constantly running around crying “Da-da”. He didn’t understand why Michael wasn’t there and began to act out.

One night, two weeks after Michael had gone, the phone finally rang. Exhausted from working extra hours and from her studies, Ayanna wanted nothing but her bed. Sinking into the leather chair beside the phone, she answered wearily, “Lieutenant Taylor’s residence.”

“Ayanna? Baby is that you? Can you hear me?” Michael’s rich voice reached across the line and threaded itself deep in her system—a system that still desperately craved him.

“Hello, Michael,” she said softly as tears filled her eyes.

“I can’t talk long but I wanted to see how you and Devon are doing. Is everything okay?”

“We’re both fine. Thanks for asking.” The traitorous tears leaked down her face. His comforting voice broke through the shell she’d erected to keep her sanity.

“Ayanna?” he asked. “What’s wrong?”

She fought down a sniff as another rush of unexpected emotions swarmed her.
I have to keep strong. I can’t be weak.
“I’m fine. Devon’s doing well. How are you?” She heard the impersonal edge to her tone. Part of her longed to give in and cry but her pride demanded she stay and act strong.

“I’m okay. I miss you,” he paused. “Are you sure everything is fine at home?”

“Yes, I’m sure. Thanks for calling and letting me know how you were doing. Stay safe. Goodbye, Michael.” She replaced the cordless phone on the base and headed for bed.

* * * *

Michael looked at the phone like a foreign object. The droning of the dial tone reached him. She’d hung up. Just like that. Just a short goodbye and then…nothing. Her tone…so distant.

He replaced the receiver and wiped a hand down his face. He felt devastated. They really hadn’t ever talked about what being a Navy wife was going to be like. Every time he tried to bring up his job, she’d found a way to change the subject. She still kept a barrier between them. Sure, at night it was different, but she refused to share his room like a true married couple.

“Ayanna,” he mumbled as he left to go back to his quarters. Racer was in there when he walked in.

“You alright there, Taz?”

“Pete, man, I don’t know what to do. I’m torn.” Michael sat down heavily on his bunk.

“Wow, it must be serious. Look man, we’re supposed to be going home tomorrow. You’ll go home, take her in your arms and kiss the hell out of her. Sometime later, after you’re done loving her, you’ll explain how things are as a pilot’s wife.” Racer sent him an encouraging smile. “It’ll work out. Where’s your faith?”

Lying on his back, Michael looked at the ceiling. “I don’t know. She sounded so distant, dispassionate even.” Closing his eyes, he thought over his mission. They had flown over parts of South America to ‘tactically erase’ some terrorists that had gathered there, and they’d managed to do so without any other civilian causalities. But his mind still wandered back to Ayanna.

He needed to know that Ayanna understood his job and what it meant. Michael needed to know that she didn’t think he was out sleeping with anyone else. “I need her to know I love her and Devon.”

Laughter reached him and he opened his eyes and saw Racer standing over him. “Tell her man. Just tell her.”

“You’re right.” Michael sat up and saw his two wingmen and their RIO’s looking at him as well. “Get outta here guys. Grab some sleep, we’re haulin’ ass home tomorrow.”

The remaining crew waved and went to their own bunks. Michael went to sleep dreaming about Ayanna and Devon. The next afternoon when they launched from the flight deck a familiar rush went to his bones. At the same time, an extra one that told him he was soon going to be with his wife.

* * * *

The next day, work dragged on and on. Ayanna was exhausted from her restless night.

Her dreams had been haunted. She and Michael were kept separate by a chasm, a chasm that only grew each time she reached for him. By the time she’d woken, covered in sweat, the distance between them had grown from the size of a crack in the pavement to larger than the Grand Canyon, or so it seemed to her heavy heart.

Additionally, she was tense about hearing back on the practical exams that she’d taken, and all she wanted was get home to her son. It was a relief to finally walk through the door with Devon. At home, there was no need to pretend everything was alright. She let Devon play while she decided what to do about dinner. A picnic would be fun, but it would have to be inside since a late afternoon storm had rolled into the area.

She spread out a vinyl tablecloth on the floor and she sat on it with Devon to enjoy a fun dinner of finger foods. She watched her son build something out of cheese slices and grapes.

“Well, Devon. I’m done. Mama is almost a pharmacist. What do you think about that?” Ayanna asked as she dunked a carrot stick in some dip and ate it.

Big soulful eyes looked up at her and he grinned. Wrinkling his nose, he placed one finger across his lips, his sign for ‘quiet.’ Seconds after that, cheese squished between his fingers as he blew kisses to the room, his new, favourite thing to do.

Just as she grinned at his antics, he exclaimed, “Da-da.”

Dropping her head, she muttered, “Figures. That
would
be your answer. No love for mama.”

“Da-da!” he said again as he pushed from his seat on the floor.

“I don’t think he wants that piece of cheese. Eat your food.” She directed a wayward piece of cheese back to Devon’s mouth. “Not to mention your Da-da isn’t here right now.”

A deep masculine voice filled the kitchen. “Actually he is. And for the record, I would love a piece of cheese and am very proud that you’re almost a pharmacist.”

Devon
giggled as Ayanna jumped. The happy child ran to the gate she’d had put to keep him and the food in the kitchen. She turned in time to see Michael pick him up.

He was home!

Michael kissed Devon and stepped over the baby gate. “Hello, Ayanna.”

It was almost surreal. Her gaze travelled over him as he stood there in his flight suit. She noticed a slight hesitation or even fear in his eyes as his dark brown gaze stared back at her. Almost as if he was unsure of her reaction.

I love him.

Ayanna smiled as the realisation hit her. She loved him. And he loved her.

True, there were many things they had to discuss, things she couldn’t continue to run away from. The life of a military wife, more specifically a pilot’s wife.
Because, that’s what I am. A US Navy pilot’s wife.

Finally getting up off the floor, she walked towards him as he held their child and looked so devastatingly handsome. He took her breath away.

“Hi,” she managed to mumble.

One strong arm reached out and pulled her to his body. Their lips met and even Devon’s rambles faded into the background.

* * * *

Upon arrival at NAS Oceana the foul weather had delayed landing a tiny bit. Michael had sent his wingmen in first, making sure they’d gotten down safely before he’d taken himself out of the sky.

Farewells had been brief as he’d had the craving to get home and see his family. Rushing home, he’d parked his vehicle and run to the house, where he’d let himself in. He’d dropped his bag in the entryway and he listened for Devon and Ayanna.

He’d easily pinpointed their location in the kitchen and hurried to join them. Standing behind the baby gate, he’d taken in the scene. The table was off to the side, and Ayanna had placed a tablecloth down on the floor.

Her back had been to him, so his eyes had travelled over her, soaking up the vision she offered in a pale green tank top and dark grey pants.

His son had seen him and immediately Michael had put his finger across his lips. An action that Devon had mimicked before blowing kisses and chortling, “Da-da.” Michael had blinked back tears at the love in Devon’s eyes.

The moment he’d spoken and Ayanna had turned to look at him, Michael had known he’d come home for good. This was what life was all about.

As he kissed his wife, he thanked God she was still here. “We have to talk.”
I love her so much!

“I know.” She snuggled closer to him, her arms slipping around his waist.

Michael kissed the top of her head and then bounced Devon in his arm. “And how was he while I was gone?”

“Difficult,” she answered. “Have you eaten?”

“No. We landed and I came home as soon as I could.” He ran his hand up her exposed arm. “I’m starving though,” he said, his deep tone full of another meaning. He knew she could feel his swollen cock pressing into her side.

Her body shuddered with arousal.

“Let me go change and I’ll be right back,” he said.

He took Devon with him upstairs, chatting about he expected him to behave better the next time da-da was gone.

He changed into grey Navy sweats and a blue shirt while Devon laughed and talked up a storm. In no time, he was on his way back downstairs.

The gentle strands of IL DIVO played through the room. Ayanna sang along to the song,
Amour Venme A Buscar
.

As they sat back down on the floor to eat, he reached across the space separating them and took her hand. When her lighter eyes met his, he swallowed. “I love you, Ayanna.”

Her eyes grew big. “What?”

Michael manoeuvred to kneel before her. He cupped her face in his large hands. “I love you. I. Love. You.”

“I love you, too, Michael. I love you, too.”

A growl of satisfaction erupted from his throat as he lifted her to straddle his lap. “Do you know how much I’ve longed to hear those words from your mouth?”

“I love you,” she said over and over as their mouths met with a blinding passion. Her stomach grumbled. Loudly. She pulled back from him and tucked her head into his neck.

“Hungry, dear?” he asked with a chuckle.
As much as I want to make love to her, just being with her is more than perfect.

“Starved.”

“Guess that means I should set you down, so we can get to the meal.”

“I suppose,” She replied, disappointment heavy in her tone.

Reluctantly he set her beside him and they began to eat. After a few moments, he spoke. “You do know we aren’t having separate rooms anymore, don’t you?”

She laughed. “I hope not. I’ve missed you.”

“When is Devon’s bedtime again?” Michael asked.

“Not for a while,” she responded as she trailed one finger along his jaw.

He shivered at her simple touch. “Keep that up, and he’ll be going to bed much earlier than normal.”

“Impatient?”

“You have no idea,” he said.

“Good. Now, eat up.”

“I plan on it.” Picking up a carrot stick, he offered it to her. “You’re gonna need your energy.”

“Really? So pilots can go for a long time?” Her thick lashes fluttered.

“This one can,” he growled. “And I’ve never failed to deliver.”

Laughing, they both ate and enjoyed just being together until they could reunite in the way their bodies craved.
Later, as Michael watched his wife put their son down for the night, everything about her called to him.

His gaze lingered over the way her full hips moved when she walked. How her breasts seemed to almost spill out of her shirt, but manage to look classy at the same time. Ayanna Genat Taylor was all he could ever want and more. If he had thought doing 7Gs in his jet sent him spinning, then from now on, it wouldn’t affect him. The woman in his arms affected him much more than that.

As she shut Devon’s door behind her, he pulled her close. Trailing his lips along the skin of her neck, he grew hard as the taste of her skin filled his mouth. “I want to love you.”

He lifted her and carried her easily down the darkened hall to his bedroom.

Ayanna shivered.

The pleasure which erupted within her simply by being held close to his chest was mind-blowing. The deeply sexual tone he spoke in warmed her to the point of being single-handedly capable of melting a polar ice cap.

“Yes,” she murmured. “Love me, Michael.”

A slow seductive smile crossed his face as he closed the door behind them, creating the private sanctuary she longed for.

“All night long, baby,” he promised. He set her down, searing her with the explosive heat in his gaze. “First things first. Let’s get rid of these clothes.”

Ayanna missed his touch the second he set her down. She whimpered softly and was blessed by another wicked grin from the tall man before her.

His callused hands skated up her bare arms to her collarbone. She trembled as her sensitive nipples tightened with anticipation. He unbuttoned her sleeveless blouse, slipping it off her shoulders. Without a word, one strong hand reached around her ribcage and expertly undid her bra.