Corpsman and the Nerd (37 page)

Max paced from the room, his heart
somewhere near his heels. He stupidly thought KC wanted what he
did. A permanent place in the other’s life. Obviously, he read her
all wrong. All that hoping and wanting for naught.

Then why had she kissed him
like that this morning? Why had she willingly entered his arms? She
loved him. He knew that. But apparently she wasn’t
in love
with him. A huge
difference. It was like an ocean still stood between
them.

Those kisses
though
. KC kissed him
with everything she possessed just yesterday, and every time since
when they could manage. He could feel her emotions. She couldn’t
have, nor would she have faked such weighty matters. A little voice
reminded him he hadn’t waited around for her to explain why she
didn’t want to stay with him. Why she had returned his kisses with
such fervor and sent him signals that made his heart swell with
joy.

He hadn’t given her much time to
explain because he was afraid. But then he remembered KC didn’t
excel at expressing her thoughts. Her words tended to tumble over
themselves and he usually had to step in and do the actual
explaining when something mattered to her. Not that he could have
today.

Afraid of what he might say,
Max knew he needed to exit because this mattered too much to him.
For once he and KC didn’t appear to be on the same page. Being
fearful of his actions, or more to the point, his
reaction
to her words,
he’d left.

Like a spineless
coward
.

KC had to be spazing right now. That
was her nature. Turning on his heel, he retraced his footsteps, and
stopped when he heard her crying.

“
No,” he said. He couldn’t
bear her tears, but suddenly, he couldn’t bear the thought of her
leaving him. He had already told her she could leave once, and she
had.
Once
. That
was all she was allowed.

She looked up when he crossed the
floor, but he didn’t give her much opportunity to do or say
anything.

Instead he scooped her out of the heap
she had collapsed into.

“
No.” He repeated the word.
That felt right. No more.
KC Gilmore was
his
.

KC looked up when she heard
Max say no. He cleared the space between them so quickly, she
blinked. He lifted her off the floor and into his arms. KC gaped at
him when he repeated the no.
Firmly
.

“
No, what?” she croaked.
Tears continued to flood her face, her mind blank of anything but
Max. She was back where she wanted to be, and as added insurance,
twined her arms around his neck. Binding him to her since her words
had utterly failed to do so.

“
No, you’re not leaving. I
told you,
once
.
You left. For eight months. That’s all the time away from Ryan and
me you get. No more. You’re staying.”

KC gaped at this new Max.
This possessive, all male version she had received mere glimpses of
in the past.
Wow
.
Her hormones fired up, but she tamped them down.

“
I’m staying?” she echoed
inanely.

“
Yes.” He used his
I’m-not-budging-on-this voice again. Spirals of excitement and
happiness intertwined to tie her to him.

“
But—”

He shook his head. “And to make it
official, we’re getting married. I’m not letting you out of my
life, KC. You’re mine. Ryan’s mine.” He looked so determined, so
sure, KC couldn’t help herself.

“
Now order me to kiss you,”
she said, a grin growing on her face.

“
Kiss me,” he demanded, but
his lips started to twitch.

KC did as she was told. She kissed
him, her tears making their kiss salty. But they were of joy now,
no longer sorrowful, because Max Morrison wanted her like she
wanted him.

“
Since you kissed me, I’m
assuming you’re not going to fight me on getting married?” Max sat
on the sofa, with her anchored on his lap by the arms he kept
tightly banded around her. He couldn’t let her go. She might
run.

She shook her head. “No way. That’s
what I was trying to say. I didn’t want to live with you without a
commitment. I was holding out for marriage.”

Max turned her until he could look
into her eyes. “You wanted to get married all along? That’s what
you were trying to tell me?” Even to his own ears, he sounded
incredulous. Disbelieving too.

“
Yep. I did a pretty good
job of messing the whole thing up, didn’t I?”

“
Spectacularly,” he agreed.
Happy to have her warm weight in his lap again.

She punched him. “Max
Morrison, you’re not supposed to
agree
with me.”

Laughing, he avoided her next swing.
“You did—”

KC stopped his statement with a kiss.
A heart stopping, wonderful kiss. His body responded, and he liked
the conversation their bodies were conducting. Especially now that
he knew she felt the same way.

“
Mmm, I needed
that.”

“
MMM, is you,” she murmured
in a dreamy voice.

“
What?”

“
Your initials are M-M-M,
and the girls said, ‘See, even his name spells yummy’.”

“
Even my name spells yummy?”
He thought he understood but wasn’t certain. Max didn’t
particularly care, not when her willing lips were so
close.

“
Yes, they decided that when
you tried on your new sweater from me and Lainy. They also saw the
picture she sent of you, Ryan, and Spuds asleep. I had to hide that
photo because of the drool.” KC shook her head sadly.

Max grinned. “Did you drool?” This was
one answer he definitely wanted as his heart pounded out an extra
beat.

“
Oh, yeah. I’d already
had... unsettling thoughts about you before I left. Then I see that
picture, and I realized I find you
very
attractive.” She stroked a
possessive hand down his chest.

“
Really?” Wow, ask a
question and you got an
answer
.

“
Yes. That first morning
with beard stubble, mmm, you looked especially yummy. Your hair was
all tussled. I think you blew my neurons. Not nice.” She mock
scowled at him.

He kissed her. Since he was on a roll,
might as well continue. Maybe he could blow some of his neurons
too. She moaned and he savored the sound. And her taste. He finally
could taste KC whenever he wanted to. Life was good.

Life was excellent.

“
Any more confessions you’d
like to make?” He couldn’t imagine being happier.

“
Yeah. I love
you.”

Okay, so maybe he could actually burst
from happiness. “Oh, baby, I love you too.”

“
For how long?”

“
I’ve loved you since the
first time we met.”

“
What?” KC reared back and
stared at him. Her huge eyes and slightly gaping mouth were the
loveliest sight he had ever seen.

“
KC, I bought Gilmore
Products because of you.”

“
Because of me?” She looked
and sounded utterly shell-shocked. After fighting a war for eight
months, he managed to do at home what Kuwait hadn’t.
Go, him
.

“
I did. Even if there was no
way to salvage the company, which by the way, you somehow managed
to do, I still would have bought in.”

“
I poured every penny of my
inheritance into the company. You won’t be getting an heiress,” she
warned.

“
I figured that’s what you’d
done. But I am getting an heiress. Already we’re seeing some very
nice profits.”

“
We are?”

“
Of course. You’ll get
everything back you put into Gilmore Products, plus.”

“
While that’s wonderful
news, I don’t care.”

His turn to be surprised.
“Oh?”

“
I like the benefits
more.”

He felt things respond to the hot look
she sent him.

“
The benefits?” His voice
sounded uncomfortable.

“
Yeah. I’m planning to sleep
with the boss.” Her voice was extra husky.

He really liked the sound of that.
“That can be arranged.”

Chapter 46

“
Bye, Mommy and Daddy!” Ryan
waved enthusiastically before he disappeared into the big yellow
bus. Max heard KC’s smothered sob and wrapped her closer. They
waved until the bus turned a corner and then KC crumpled into
him.

“
I knew you’d be a basket
case,” Max said cheerfully, and folded his wife into both
arms.

She sniffed and wrapped her arms
around him. “I’m not a basket case. Our son just went off to
kindergarten. He’s in school now. Where has the time
gone?”

“
Honey, he’s six. He’s
supposed to go to school. That’s what happens at age
six.”

“
I know! It’s just hard. We
won’t be able to go visit him at work anymore.”

“
No. But that’s okay. He
needs this experience.”

“
At least he’ll know nearly
all his classmates.”

Max laughed. “Yeah, that poor teacher.
All those Morrison kids.”

“
Well, Mitch and Lainy’s
daughter won’t be going to school for a few more years, at
least.”

“
I can’t believe how ga ga
Mitch is over Alexis.” Max shook his head like it was all
wrong.

“
She’s his daughter. Of
course he’s crazy about her.”

“
Yeah, I know. It’s just
strange to see him go all gooey.”

“
Um, may I remind you, Dr.
Morrison, how crazy you are about your son?”

“
I am not.”

“
You cried when the papers
came through making Ryan officially yours.”

“
Ryan Morrison sounds good.”
He didn’t even challenge that statement. He had teared up a bit
when Ryan officially became his son. The same as he had done when
KC happily became his wife. She had shed some tears too. Both
times. Happy, joyous tears from both of them.

“
And you’re going to be just
as bad when the baby comes.”

“
What?” Max spun to stare at
KC. His eyes wide. “What baby?”

“
We’re...um...pregnant.” She
grinned, her face a little pink and really happy. His heart
contracted.

“
A baby...” he repeated, and
he grabbed her, swinging her around and around. Gently, already
taking her condition into consideration. KC melted into him, so
happy to be in his arms. Grateful for this shared time together.
She had waited a long time for this man.

“
Happy?” she asked, needing
to know as he set her back on her feet. She did know, but this was
a big step for them. They started back up their driveway to the
house, hand in hand.

“
Oh, yeah. When did it
happen?” He still looked flabbergasted. But also
excited.

“
In Will’s closet.” KC sent
him a knowing look as they walked, their entwined hands
swinging.

“
Oh.” He blinked a few
times.

“
This leaves Ben as the last
Morrison man to not make a baby in Will’s closet. Since you forgot
protection when we tried the place out the last time,” KC
stated.

“
Maybe I forgot, maybe I
didn’t.”

She turned to stare open mouthed at
him and stopped in the middle of their driveway. “What?”

“
I don’t know for certain.
I’m still trying to figure out whether that was an
accidental-on-purpose mistake.” He nudged her to encourage her to
start walking again.

“
Are you kidding?” She
narrowed her eyes.

He wasn’t fooled and sent her a smug
male smile. “No.”

“
Max Morrison!” KC
started.

“
KC Morrison!” He obviously
liked the sound of her new name, since he used it often. She rather
liked it herself.

KC stared at this man who made her so
happy she could burst from the joy. He gently scooped her into his
arms when they arrived at their front door. “Let’s take this
discussion inside.”

Her eyes laughed up at him. “Have I
told you I love you yet today?”

“
No, I don’t think you have.
I love you too.”

“
So, show me.”

Later that morning KC yawned and
rolled over. Right into a hard, warm, masculine body. Her husband
and the father of her children. Smiling, she cuddled closer and
remembered her wish of more than a year ago. She longed to spend
her cold, lonely nights in the arms of a man who would heat things
up for her.

She had to go to Kuwait and back, but
someone who worked for fate had heard her. And granted her wish.
Max certainly heated up her nights. Actually, since becoming
pregnant, KC couldn’t remember being cool.