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Grams nodded, still plainly staring at my husband. “Yep. Grateful for it too.” She absently patted my leg as she said it and Adam turned, giving me a sweet smile from where he stood, keeping watch over the kids.
Bailey trotted out of the house in search of his favorite girl, sidling up to Daniela, announcing his presence to her by pressing his nose into her hand. He had taken it upon himself to act as her shadow and only when he succumbed to a nap was she allowed out of his sight.
A small triangle of pita bread slapped against my cheek and fell to my lap and I looked up to see Steve winding up to chuck another piece down the front of Kennedy’s shirt.
“Victory!” he exclaimed when it slid down her cleavage and disappeared into her shirt. “Now if you’ll all excuse me,” he announced as he marched over to his wife, “I need to go on a fact-finding mission.”
“Here’s a fact.” Kennedy reached under her shirt and yanked out the bread, throwing it back at Steve. “You’ll be missing a testicle if you even think about manhandling my boobs in front of the family.”
He stuck out his lower lip in an exaggerated pout just as Rhys wrapped himself around his mother’s leg. Kennedy scooped him up into her lap and he leaned immediately into her chest as she cuddled him.
“Not even fair,” Steve huffed good naturedly, and Grams nodded like she was in complete agreement.
There was a delighted little grin on Adam’s face a few hours later, as he watched Steve back a minivan full of children down the driveway. He waved, then looked down his shoulder at me. “Is it a coincidence that the cousin sleepover is occurring on my birthday?”
“Maybe.” I turned and walked back into the house, pulling my shirt over my head to drop on the floor the second I was through the door. “It’ll definitely be easier to give you your birthday gifts without worrying one of the kids is going to walk into the room.”
Daniela was a master of stealth mode, and she’d walked in on us more than once.
“Birthday gifts, plural?” He looked interested, hurrying into the house behind me and shutting the door as I tugged off my leggings.
“Yup.” I grinned at him, popping the clasp on my bra because I loved watching his eyes glaze over whenever I got naked. “You get your first present right here, in the kitchen.”
He licked his lips as I pushed down my underwear, and finally it seemed to dawn on him that he was still fully clothed.
“Is this a show or a tell kind of present?” He asked, quickly stripping his own shirt over his head and I moved toward him, slipping several fingers of each hand into the waistband of his pants to pull him to me.
“Telling you would ruin the fun,” I teased as I leaned up and caught his earlobe between my teeth, and a deep sound rumbled from his throat.
Instead I proceeded to show him, dropping his pants before pushing him into a kitchen chair and kneeling between his knees.
“What are you doing?” he asked dazedly and I grinned up at him as I skated both hands up his thighs.
“You know exactly what I’m doing. I’m making this a birthday to remember, so start thinking of some wishes you’d like me to grant.”
“Come here, Mrs. Beckman.” He leaned down and gathered me into his arms, lifting to settle me on his lap. “Every day you make my wish come true, just by being here with me.” He cupped my face gently with one hand and brought my mouth down to his.
“You’ve given me things I didn’t even know I wanted,” he said almost against my lips, and I tipped my forehead to his. “A home,” he whispered. “A family. This is what it is to be truly wealthy, baby. We’ve found something a lot of people spend their whole lives looking for.”
“Turned out it was right in front of me the whole time.” My voice caught a little as I smoothed a hand over his hair. “I’m so glad you saved me from myself.”
“I told you I’d always protect you.” There was such a sweet, loving expression on his face, one that made my heart expand with joy. I’d never been able to get enough of him, something I knew would always be the case, and when he rose from the chair and carried me down the hallway, I didn’t fuss at him. I let him have what he wanted, because apparently all he’d ever wanted was me.
The End.
If you’re curious about Big Mike’s story, you’re in luck. Keep turning to read sample chapters from Unrecognizable, out in February of 2023.
Unrecognizable - Michael
“Ican’tdothisanymore.”
My wife choked on a sob.
“I clearly can’t be what he needs, so I need to set him free and let him find whatever or whoever it is that can help.”
Our therapist shifted uncomfortably before gesturing she should continue.
“My sweet husband is intensely loyal, so the only way I can free him is to request a divorce.”
