She stills, like I’ve said something important. When she speaks, her voice is full of emotion. “Thank you. That means everything to me.”
My heart squeezes with love. Mum and I don’t share many moments like this, so this feels super special. “Gah. Now I’m all choked up.”
“Me too, and I can’t ruin my make-up, so you need to go and leave me to dry my hair.”
I smile. “I’m going!”
I head back out to J and Willow. They’re finished with her breakfast and J’s put her down on her playmat while he’s cleaning up the kitchen.
I move behind him and slide my arms around him, leaning against his back, suddenly craving this closeness.
“What did I do to deserve this?” he asks, taking hold of my hands that are clasped around his chest.
“I love you, J, but you need to understand that I’m not ready to get pregnant again.” I can’t wait to discuss this tonight; I need him to know it now.
Turning, he meets my gaze. The look in his eyes tells me he’s finally paying attention to what I’m saying. To what I’ve been trying to say for weeks now. “When are you thinking?”
“I honestly don’t know. I want time with Willow to really bond with her before she has a sibling. And I want us to have time too. It’s hard to find that time with one child. Imagine how much harder it’ll be with two.”
He thinks about this for a moment and then says, “I know I’m an impatient bastard. I just need to know itwillhappen.”
I smile up at him. “It will definitely happen. I want lots of kids with you.”
His hands slip around my waist and rest on my ass before he brings his mouth to mine. Kissing me like it’s his job, he says, “Lots is a good fucking word.”
I know my husband well, so I know where his brain has gone. “Because it means lots of sex?”
Heat flashes in his eyes. “You remember how much sex it took us to fall pregnant with Willow?”
“I’ll never forget it, baby.”
He kisses me again. “Okay, so we’ll delay getting pregnant.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Why was this so easy? You’ve been hardcore on wanting another child straight away.”
“I’m still hardcore on that, but I listened to you,” he says, his tone more serious than J ever gives me. “And I’m hearing what you’re saying. I agree that we need time together, and since I’m more hardcore on keeping us strong than I am about having another kid soon, we’ll delay.”
My tummy comes alive with butterflies at what he says. “I love you, Jason Reilly. You might drive me crazy some days, but you never fail to give me what I need.”
His lips brush mine again, and then he gives me the J I know and love and want to sometimes kill. “Don’t fucking think I’mpulling back on fucking you, Madison. If we only have one kid, we have all the fucking time in the world for sex.”
I roll my eyes. “Only you would think that.”
His grin as he smacks my ass and says, “Tonight, you’re mine” stays with me all day. J might do my head in at times, but God I love him and never want to do any of this without him.
5
BLADE & LAYLA
LAYLA
This scene takes place around the same time as the events in Gunnar’s book.
Iwipe down the bar as I watch Donovan enter. It’s just after 10:00 p.m. and I haven’t heard from him all day. A rare occurrence for us. We usually speak a couple of times throughout the day. Taking him in now, I can see the stress he’s carrying.
Grabbing the bottle of scotch I keep for him, I carry it and a glass to the table in the back that is his. Pouring a drink, I pass it to him when he reaches me.
Sliding his arm around my waist, he drops his lips to mine and kisses me before murmuring, “I’ve missed you today.”
