“I’ve got to go meet with the guys and go over some shit. You good here for a while?” King asks.
“I’m good. Everything okay?” I ask.
“It will be,” he responds, but I see worry in his eyes that wasn’t there before. I’m about to ask him what’s bothering him, besides the impending storm, but before I can get the question out of my mouth, we’re interrupted by a small head of long blonde curls.
“Mommy! Daddy, remember when you got mawwied wifout us!” Max calls to us with her bottom lip stuck out in an adorable pout.
I smile at King. “The kids are still kind of pissed at us for getting married at the courthouse. They wanted to be there. They’re more pissed about that than they were when I told them they can’t play outside tomorrow because of the storm.”
King gently places his hand on my throat. A possessive hold that I’ve come to love. “Yeah, but I couldn’t wait any longer to marry you.”
“Me, either,” I admit.
He leans in and presses a soft kiss to my lips.
“Ewwwwwww!” Sammy cries.
We break apart and look to Sammy, who is pointing at us, wrinkling his little nose. “That’s gross.”
King laughs. “Mind your business, boy. You won’t always think it’s gross. Someday, you might even want to kiss a girl yourself.”
Sammy shakes his head. “No way. It is gross, and I’m not changing my mind. Not now! Not ever!”
Max pops out from behind the thick trunk of the oak tree in the center of the yard and squirts Sammy from behind with her water gun. He lets out a shriek of surprise then takes off after her.
“Maybe, they need to see us get married,” King suggests. “When all this shit is over.”
My head snaps to him. “What?”
He watches the kids for a moment longer before turning to look at me. “I want them to see what’s between us for what it is. Something good. Something strong.” He stands and grabs my hand, pulling me up with him. His hand goes back to my throat and the other to my belly. “Go pick out a white dress, Pup. ‘Cause after the sky clears and the baby is here, you and I are having ourselves a real wedding.” He kisses me slowly, but it’s not tender. It’s a slow possession of my mouth and body. He pulls away, leaving me breathless. His eyes heavily lidded. “Now that you’re mine in every way, I think that’s something worth celebrating. Don’t you?”
All I can do is nod because just like every time he kisses me, he’s stolen my breath away.
“See you in a bit,” he chuckles. “I’ve got to get some more screws for the shutters. I’ll be back soon.” He heads down the porch steps and runs up behind Sammy, lifting him up into the air so that Max can get a good shot at him. He puts down Sammy, and the kids take off running yet again.
King places a kiss on top of Nicole Grace’s little icy-blonde head then walks over to his bike. Every stride he takes makes my breath quicken. He straddles the big black bike, and the engine roars to life. He flips his baseball cap around then takes off down the driveway.
I’m left gaping at him like a school kid with a crush because damn that man is still the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
I go down into the yard and scoop up Nicole Grace, setting her on my hip. I yell to the other two kids that I’m going to put the younger one down for a nap.
When I emerge from the house a few moments later, Max and Sammy are sitting in the grass, watching ladybugs crawl over dandelions.
A car that I don’t recognize pulls up on the driveway. My shoulders stiffen. My mind on full alert.
“Sammy, Max! Get inside, now!”
Sammy and Max do exactly as I order. Standing up and running past me into the house because they know my serious voice. They also know that mama doesn’t play around when there’s even a small possibility of a threat, especially when it comes to my kids.
I watch as a woman steps out from the shiny black BMW. She’s beautiful and blonde. Thin with not a hair out of place. She’s tall, wearing trendy large sunglasses and sky-high heels not meant for a gravel driveway, but somehow, she tackles the walk without a stumble.
“Is King around?” she asks, with a sweet southern drawl that makes my arm hairs stand on end. She glances up at the house and surrounding area before looking back up to me.
“Around here, we introduce ourselves before we ask questions,” I tell her, crossing my arms over my chest.
She doesn’t answer. Because she’s distracted by something. She takes off her glasses and stares up into the front window where Max and Sammy are peering out over the top of the couch.