“Oh, yeah?” Connor nips at my lips. “I can toss the key since we’re never going back there, but I’m afraid I can’t do the same with the panties. Not unless you give me something to replace them.” His finger plays with the waistband of my shorts.
I crook a finger at him so I can whisper in his ear. “You want them? Take them off yourself.”
A smile tips up one side of his mouth as he works his way down my body. “My little wildcat.”
Chapter twenty-seven
Connor
AnamariaandElijahlooklike little frogs as they have their afternoon tummy time outside on a play mat. Toto inches closer on his belly, fooling no one as he gets closer to the unsuspecting babies.
“No, Toto,” Rosanna scolds. “Leave their feet alone!”
The dog folds his ears back at her tone, but sneaks in a lick to Ana’s bare toes all the same. She jolts, her little arms and legs stiffening straight out behind her as her eyes and mouth widen in surprise. Toto chuffs and lowers his head on his paws, satisfied to have gotten one more lick. Baby feet must taste good, I suppose.
Not to be left out of the attention, Bagheera sniffs above Eli’s mouth. This is gonna be bad because of the whiskers, I just know it.
And it happens.
Eli sneezes right into Baggy’s furry little face and sends him scurrying for the safety of the porch.
Rascal.
When Eli puckers his mouth for a cry, Rosanna and I know tummy time’s over. “Come here, son.” I pick him up while she grabs Ana and faces her out to look at the warbling birds flying around the feeder that hangs from a low limb. Life doesn’t get much fucking better than this.
“You know,” Rosanna begins slowly, “I’ve been thinking. Why didn’t you just tell me about your...family tradition?”
“Oh, kitten.” I grab her hand for a kiss. “You were pregnant. There was no way I was gonna risk your pregnancy to tell you something that might upset you.”
“Might? Okay, I can get on board with that. That was rather...considerate...of you.” Her lips tilt wryly. “And what about when I asked you if I could leave whenever I wanted? Do you remember what you said?”
I’ll take you wherever you want to go.“I sure do.”
Three heartbeats pass with nothing but the sounds of nature and the occasional happy squealing of a baby.
“You sidestepped the question then.” My wife narrows her eyes at me. “And it looks like you’re doing the same thing now. Fine. I’ll allow it. At any rate, we need to get a car.”
Okay. Not where I thought she was going with this.
“Or a van so I can take the babies to doctor appointments or to go get groceries.”
My, my. How demanding my little kitten is. But she’s right, to a degree. “Kiss me first.”
“Connor...” She rolls her eyes, but I still get the prize of claiming her mouth.
I pull back, licking my lips. She’s sweet, but not as sweet as her milk. “You’re stuck with me forever, woman. No getting away from me. But I agree that we need another vehicle. Not that I’m gonna let you go to the doctor alone.”
“But—”
“Think about it. You want to lug both car seats and diaper bags and potentially have to feed them on your own? Not that I think you can’t, but why wouldn’t you want me there? Iwantto be there with you. With them.” Eli gives me a gummy smile before gnawing on my finger with his toothless mouth.
“I’m grateful that I’m able to pick and choose my hours and which projects I work on. If there’s anything I love almost as much as you, it’s being a parent with you. I want to be there for all the milestones, and I want Ana and Eli to grow up remembering that Momma and Daddy were always there together for them. And any other babies we have between now and then.” I eye her lower half and raise an eyebrow.
“Hmm. You smooth talker, you.” She pulls me by my shirt to peck my lips. “My stalkery, kleptomaniac husband.”
The rest of the day goes by much like the others. Rosanna gets a little bit of bookwork done for the “job” I gave her. I can’t deny, though, that I was a terrible bookkeeper, so it really was a legit position. I’ve told her she doesn’t have to keep doing it now that she got it started for me, but it makes her happy.
And if it makes her happy, then it fucking makes me happy.
