Sinking to the floor beside Kathleen, Tanner let his head fall to rest on her knee. Best seat in the house.
Kathleen feathered gentle fingers over his brow. "Good flight?"
"Routine. But, yeah, good. Breaking in a new copilot. You know how they are."
"That I do." She squeezed his shoulder. "Love you."
He returned the words with as much ease as she'd delivered them. "Love you, too."
Kathleen draped a rag over Tanner's shoulder and transferred Tara into his waiting hands. "Your turn, hotshot. Do you have the jet?"
"Yes, ma'am, I've got the jet." Tanner cradled Tara in his hands with a newly acquired confidence. He brought Tara to his shoulder and patted her tiny back until she burped. "Oh, yeah, a new little crew dog in the making."
Both hands securing his daughter, Tanner rose to set her down for the night. Side by side he and Kathleen watched their daughter, Tanner smoothing a hand along her back until her lashes fluttered, opened, then settled closed. For countless minutes longer they stood still and watched.
"Tanner," Kathleen whispered.
"Yeah, Kathleen?"
"Race you to the bedroom."
Excitement kicked right back into overdrive within him. "Winner gets to be jumped."
"Ready, set…" She sprinted ahead, making it all the way to the hall before he caught her, scooping her up.
"Hey, Athena, that was cheating."
"Just bending the rules in my favor to keep you on your toes, hotshot. Wouldn't want to become too predictable."
"Not a chance of that."
Clothes flew, landing in haphazard piles. His flight suit made one hell of a great resting place for mint-green panties.
He lowered her to the bed before sliding across the mattress beside her. "Have I told you lately how much I love every unpredictable inch of you—just the way you are?"
"As a matter of fact you have, but I could always use a reminder."
Kathleen snagged the rumpled bedspread and whipped it over them. Tanner tucked his wife to his chest and kissed her until sighs and moans swirled in their tented darkness. Along with contentment, heat and love. And, oh yeah, more heat…
There was nothing he enjoyed more than taking cover for an uninterrupted hour with Major Kathleen O'Connell-Bennett.