“Shit, I’m so sorry. Are you okay? Did that hurt you? Or the baby?”
A snicker escaped as she reached up to cradle my face with her soft palm. I clutched her forearm. Then I turned her arm to press a kiss over the little hourglass that was framed by PROPERTY OF on the top and GHOST on the bottom. It was a reminder that life was short, time passed quickly, and to enjoy every minute.
“I love you, Laila. Can we get married now?” She had been planning our wedding since I proposed on Valentine’s Day. The proposal part had been great. The rest of what transpired was par for the course of our club.
She tapped her finger on her pursed lips as she appeared to think. “I suppose.”
“You suppose?” I growled as I leaned down and rubbed my short beard all over her cleavage and neck, eliciting a giggle from her.
Suddenly, I heard the scamper of nails on the hardwood floor, and a fluffy black fur ball barreled into my legs. His paws hit my knee, and his tongue lolled out the side of his mouth.
That was when I saw a small lacy red pile in the hall behind Laila. My eyes darted to Dexter, then I folded my lips between my teeth to keep from laughing.
“What?” Laila asked suspiciously as she reached down to scratch behind his ears. Of course, the little shit ate it up.
I shook my head. “Did he already go out?”
She nodded, but her eyes were nearly slits.
Then I looked at Dexter. “Treat?”
His mouth snapped shut, his front paws hit the floor, and he sat still as could be with his little head cocked to the side.
“Well, kennel up, then,” I said, and he was off like a shot, damn near knocking the kennel over with the force of his body slamming inside. I chuckled and got one of his special biscuits that Eliska had started making. Once he was happily munching on it, I closed the door and turned to the stunning woman I loved.
“Uh-oh,” I mumbled as I saw her nostrils flare and her boots clicked across the floor.
“Dexterrrrr!” she shouted as she picked up the red scraps of her panties. She shook them at me. “This is the eighth pair this week!”
“You wanted him,” I said with a chuckle before she tossed the bits of lace at me with a huff. I swore he was so naughty because she went with the name Blade suggested.
She pointed at him, and he had the gall to lay his head on his paws and look up at her through his kennel door with the saddest puppy-dog eyes I’d ever seen.
I hooked an arm around her waist and brought her attention to me.
“I love you.”
“I love you too,” she grumped, causing me to smile.
“I love our naughty dog,” I continued.
“Me too,” she said as she tried to hide the twitch of her lips.
“And I’m going to love our baby,” I added, then kissed her red lips. “No, that’s not true.”
Her eyes widened in horror, and I laughed.
“I already do,” I clarified, and she melted.
“Me too” was her soft reply. Then she looked me up and down. A frown wrinkled her brow.
“Where’s your costume? We need to leave!”
“Right here,” I said as I grabbed the white sheet from the couch and dropped it over my head. I’d cut two holes for my eyes. Then I disappeared.
Her face went deadpan as she blinked at the man-shaped sheet that appeared to have nothing under it.
“Really?” she drily questioned.