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As Athena rubbed lotion onto her hands, she fought the urge to scoff at her husband, who thought his gaze was furtive. She felt it in the mirror’s reflection as he brushed his teeth beside her, but she waited until he had washed his face before confronting him.
“Is there something on my face,” she asked, trying to keep her tone light and teasing, “or is there something you’d like to talk about?” She rested her hip against the counter and smiled knowingly as he cleared his throat. “You’ve never been very subtle, baby.”
Bobby reached for the twin ties of her yellow floral robe and tugged her toward him, grinning when she giggled. “Maybe I just like looking at you.”
Athena dragged her fingernails along his jaw, enjoying his shiver and the texture of his stubble. “I hope you don’t just look.”
A war waged in Bobby’s eyes. He wanted her; she felt it in the delicious hum of his body and the heat of his gaze. But he wanted something else more.
That scared her.
“What is it?” she asked, trying to sound brave.
Between them, Bobby’s stomach expanded against her with the deep breath he took. “I just wanted…to ask you why you didn’t tell me about your allergies.”
At first, Athena thought she misheard him, but when his expression never changed, she stepped back and turned the bathroom light off on her way out. “Bobby, if you don’t want to have sex with me, just say it. Or come up with better excuses.”
“Babe?”
Athena yanked the covers back, jostling her nightstand and the photo and trinkets atop it. She knew she’d misunderstood him. She could hear it in his voice, but she was too embarrassed to admit defeat just yet.
“Athena, please look at me.”
Huffing, Athena whipped around with her arms crossed over her chest and stared her husband down. He stood in the bathroom doorway, shocked and a little hurt, looking especially adorable in his boxers and one of his oldest T-shirts. Athena deflated. “You really wanted to know the answer to that question, didn’t you?”
Bobby nodded. “Now I have a couple more questions, though.”
Athena slumped down onto the bed. “I’m sorry, Bobby. I’ve been overthinking a lot, and I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”
Bobby crawled onto their bed, leaned against their headboard, and beckoned to her. “Come here.”
After swinging her legs onto the mattress, Athena scooted over to Bobby and curled up against his side, sighing contentedly when he draped her legs over his thighs.
“Talk to me,” he murmured against her orange head wrap.
“I want to answer your question first.”
“Okay.”
“I lied about my allergies because you were so attached to the dog already, I didn’t want to disappoint you.”
Bobby paused. “This may surprise you, but I actually love you more than I love the dog I found three days ago.”
If she were in another mood, Athena might have laughed, but she only held Bobby tighter. “It’s just been so hard, lately, Bobby.”
“Hard to what?”
Athena hated how well he knew her. “To…support me.”
“What are you talking about?” Bobby sounded genuinely incredulous, but Athena didn’t want to move to look him in the eye, didn’t want to see his expression change when she laid it all out for him.
“Between Harry moving to Florida—” The memory of her baby leaving nearly cleaved her, even after all these months. “And our cruise being waylaid by Daddy’s stroke and being down in Florida when all that went down and everything with Junior.” She paused when Bobby squeezed her thigh. Everything with Junior certainly packed a punch she wasn’t ready to unpack. “And then we were apart while I stayed behind to help my parents. I just wanted to give you something.”
“Marriage isn’t a quid pro quo, angel,” Bobby reminded her gently. “We don’t keep score with each other. At least—I mean—do you think I do that?”
Athena shook her head against Bobby’s chest and squeezed her eyes shut. This was all wrong. She was doing this all wrong. “I know it doesn’t make sense. It’s just how I feel right now. It’ll pass. I’m just so messed up right now.”
“You’re perfect.”
Chuckling dryly, Athena pushed herself to a seated position. She worked up the courage to meet his eyes, so full of affection for her, but could only look for a few seconds before she began tracing the veins on the back of his hand. “I just want you to be happy.”
With a gentleness that brought tears to Athena’s eyes, Bobby tucked a curled finger under her chin and tilted her face toward his. “Every day, when I wake up with you or when I first hear your voice during one of our shifts or when I come home to you, you make me happy. You give me everything I want.”
Athena’s breath caught. Would she ever get used to him loving her through everything? Overwhelmed, she crawled fully into his lap so that she straddled him, and rested her forehead against his. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” she murmured. “I know our marriage is a partnership. I know we support each other because we love each other, not because we have to. I know these things, Bobby. I just feel so—bruised.” She broke off and took a shuddering breath, her tears dotting Bobby’s T-shirt as they fell from her cheeks.
Shushing her gently, Bobby let his hands rove over her back, and even though he’d held her thousands of times, being in his arms and hearing his voice and feeling him breathe right now comforted her more than this wondrous combination ever had.
“It’s okay if you need a good cry—”
“I don’t want a good cry.” For the first time tonight, Athena didn’t care that she sounded like a petulant child.
“Okay, baby.”
Athena pulled back, wiped away her remaining tears, and cradled her husband’s face in her hands. “I love you so much.”
Bobby reverently kissed one of Athena’s palms. “I know. I love you, Athena. Will you do a couple of things for me?” When she nodded, he settled his hands on her hips. “Please don’t ever put yourself at risk to try to make me happy, okay?”
“Oh, Bobby, my allergies aren’t that bad—”
Squeezing her hips, Bobby interrupted her. “It had been a while since you’d been exposed to a dog, and your allergies could have gotten worse over time. Anything could have happened.”
With a dramatic sigh, Athena acquiesced. “Deal. What else can I do for you, Captain?” Her only warning before being rocked onto her back was the glint in his eyes that usually meant good things waited for both of them. Athena laughed as Bobby threaded his fingers through hers and they wiggled into comfortable positions. “I guess I you’re tired of looking, huh?” she teased. When Bobby kissed his way down her body, he didn’t let go of her hands, so she let him guide their hands while she closed her eyes. They’d been married for almost four years, and if they were married for 100 more, she’d never get used to how he cherished her.
“I never get tired of looking at you,” Bobby murmured, pressing kisses to her belly. When he looked up at her, he flashed her a smile that set her aflame. “But I can look at you and make you feel good at the same time, Sergeant.”
“My, my,” Athena purred, squeezing his hands. “Don’t let me stop you.”