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Kingsley sucked his teeth. “I can be someone, you know. In my defense, he was shopping for fuckin’ baby socks.”
Ash smiled and clapped Kingsley on the back. “Y’all’re gonna be great dads. Savor every damn moment, because before you know it, they’re askin’ to borrow your car, another’s got a date, and they don’t wanna show affection in front of friends.”
“That right there,” Sloan agreed. “God forbid I try to hug our eldest when I drop him off at school.”
Fascinating topic.
Thank goodness there were no children allowed on this cruise.
I looked down the deck, wondering where Colt and Lucas had gone. We needed more Tops who didn’t yammer about kids.
KC and I had made it very simple for ourselves. Cam and Noa could bother with cutesy gifts, both now and at a future baby shower. They’d already handed over two stuffed animals to the happy fathers-to-be. KC’s and my gift to Tate and Kingsley would be savings bonds.
College was expensive.
I bit into my sandwich…and oh my God, that was the perfect crunch. It had to be tempura batter or something. Fucking delicious. Right amount of mayo and lettuce too. And the bun…
“I think we’re boring Lucian,” Greer laughed.
I smirked wryly and reached for my fries.
“Because he can’t relate,” KC chuckled. “Even when he was a kid, he was an old man.”
Oh, piss off.
They kept talking, and so be it. I had a beautiful view of the ocean, it was warm, I was on vacation, and the sky was blue.
Sometimes I forgot that KC could relate. After all, he’d swooped in as Noa’s stepdad when the boy had been eight years old or something.
* * *
That evening, I supposed I took everyone by surprise when I asked Noa out to dinner, just the two of us. But I had important matters to tend to, and I couldn’t think of a better partner in crime. So, while KC and Cam joined a few of the others to check out one of the buffets, Noa and I dressed up to go to a nice restaurant a couple floors above us.
“I guess this is practice for Tate and Master Kingsley’s wedding.” The boy tugged at his tie as we got into the elevator.
I smiled to myself and adjusted it for him. “You look very handsome, sweetheart.”
He’d thought he could troll me too. He’d put on a nice shirt, a tie, and polished shoes.
And his swim trunks.
I hadn’t said a word.
Two could play this game.
“Do you really think so?” He grinned up at me.
“Flawless.” I dipped down and kissed him.
Flawless wasn’t a lie. Noa was supposed to be the wild brat who did goofy things like this. I never wanted that to change.
Five or so minutes later, we arrived at the upscale Asian fusion place hand in hand, and the hostess did a slight double take at Noa’s outfit. Thankfully, she didn’t make any helpful suggestions, despite the dress code, and she showed us to our table on the upper deck.
It was a stunning night, and we had nothing but millions of stars over our heads.
“Holy crap, it’s gorgeous, Sir.”
“It truly is.” I pulled out his chair for him.
