When I snap back to reality, Marcus is looking at me with brows raised. “You know, it’s the sheer murder in your eyes that has me labelling you my dark rose, Lo.”
I look around the room. “Where’d Brody go?”
“I believe he called Dad a ‘stupid meanie, just like Ryker’ and took off down the hall when he heard Pepper scratching at Cam’s door.”
I snort. “Your dadisa stupid meanie…”
Marcus pops his shoulder, directing my eyes towards the glimpse of chest hair peeking out from the neckline of his dress. Then further down to the outline of his nipple rings, pressing against the tight knit. “That’s why he and Mom never get an invite here for pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving. Also, quit ogling my nips. Go. Shower.”
“Look at you putting on a dress and getting all bossy with me.”
He fixes me with an unimpressed look before swatting my ass. “You and I both know who wears the pants in this household.”
“Not you!” Brody teases from down the hall.
“Thanks, Captain Obvious!” Marcus tuts.
I squeal when he tosses me over his shoulder, as if I'm nothing more than a sack of potatoes, and hauls me into the bathroom. He does his best to give me a death-glare when he sets me down. "Don'tcome out until you're sufficiently bathed of all your stress and ready to return smelling like cucumbers and melons!"
A juxtaposition he is indeed. Gigantic bear of a man, wearing a dress, huffing at little ol' me to—of all things—sit in the shower until I’m relaxed. I just love him.
Chapter Twenty-Four
You know that moment right before something profound is about to happen in your life and you have this feeling of existential dread that has your stomach all twisted up in knots?
Yeah, hi. I’m here. I can send you a postcard, if you’d like.
Caleb slips into our bedroom—where I’m most definitelynotsitting, hiding, about to barf, wringing my hands on the edge of our bed—and fixes me with a sympathetic look.
“Shouldn’t you be in the bathroom if you’re about to throw up?” he teases.
“We only have the one. I can’t tie it up like that.”
He rolls his eyes, chuckling silently. He steps towards me, bending down and resting his palms on my thighs. Wordlessly, he kisses my cheek, then my lips. After holding me in the kiss for a few beats, he sits on the edge of the bed next to me.
“You have nothing to worry about. You’ve met my family before, Marcus. Well, aside from Danny and my niece and nephews, anyway.”
“I know, but, um, not ever wearingthis. And, not to mention, that wasbeforeI broke your heart.”
Caleb smirks. “Sugar, they will not care that you are wearing a dress. I mean, it’ll come as a shock at first, but I guarantee you they’d be absolutely fine with it. As for my broken heart? It’s not like I haven’t filled them in on all the ways you’ve more than grovelled and made it up to me.”
“You told them Igrovelled?” I question him. “How the hell have I grovelled?”
He quirks a brow up at me. “I didn’t get into specifics with them, but if you’d like, I’m more than happy to share how many times you’ve gotten on your knees for me and begged for my forgiveness…”
My eyes widen. “Youwouldn’t! Not in front of the kids! There’s an infant out there!”
Caleb laughs. “As much as it pains me to say this about my own sister, but you do realize that she and Danny have had to do some ‘grovelling’ of their own in order for that baby to be here, correct? I mean, I’m pretty sure that they understand that other people, besides just them, do the deed.”
That gets a chuckle out of me. Caleb grins. “I knew I could get you to lighten up a bit…”
I inhale deeply through my nose, puffing the breath back out through my lips. “Can I ask you for something stupid?”
“I’m not whipping out my dick in front of you right now, Marcus,” he signs with a droll expression on his face. “There are kids out there…”
I chuckle again. “No, not that. Can you hold my hand when we go out there?”
His features soften. “Of course, Sugar. That’s not a stupid request at all.”
