I would sacrifice anything for him. Everything. I would’ve fought for Nolan five minutes after meeting him.
“Mia, hey.” With a firm hand, Ben grabs onto my elbow, halting my hurried steps and tugging me against him. His other palm forms to my cheek. “Stop. Talk to me. Why are you upset about this? This is a good thing.”
Is it?
I stare into his eyes, seeking understanding, thinking about this a little longer than the second I took before I started moving around like a mental patient.
Angie isn’t going to fight us. She isn’t going to try and keep Nolan away from his father again. From Chase or me. She’s going to let Nolan decide if and when they spend any time together.
It’s his decision. She understands that now.
We aren’t losing Nolan.
We aren’t losing him.
My world slows. Clarity, warm and comforting, blankets me like the softest cloak.
With a shuddering breath I collapse against Ben, suddenly feeling weightless and relieved of the heaviest burden. I drop my head against his chest and bury my face there, whimpering when he wraps his strong arms around me, sliding my hands around his waist to his back and clutching at his shirt.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper against his neck, standing on my toes to get closer. “I’m so sorry. You’re right. I’m ruining this. I’ve just been so stressed out about it, Ben. I was so worried she’d try and take Nolan from us. God, I was worried. I’m just in shock, I guess. I’m sorry.”
He lifts me off the ground. “Stop saying you’re sorry.”
“Okay. I’m sorry.”
Laughing, he presses his lips against my cheek, then slides them over my mouth.
“You ready for your surprise?” he asks.
I lean away, my feet dangling in the air. “My surprise? Now?” I inhale a quick breath, remembering his odd behavior on the drive over here. “Oh, my God. Is that why you were humming?”
“Sure as fuck wasn’t because of this,” he grunts, reaching over and opening the passenger door. He sits me on the seat. “But we did get Nolan.”
“Yeah, we did,” I reply, grinning, grabbing his shirt and kissing all over his face, sliding my hands to his shoulders as I press my lips to his ear. “I’m so happy.”
“Me too, baby.”
“Please tell me my surprise involves cookies,” I whisper.
He groans and nips at my neck. “God, yes.”
Ben
“WAIT. WHAT ARE WE DOING here?”
Mia looks over at me after I shift the truck into park and cut the engine.
So adorably inquisitive. She still has no idea what my plans are for us, only that it involves hours and hours . . . and hours of me worshipping her perfect fucking body. I won’t give her any more details. Not yet.
I don’t need to. It’ll all become clear in a minute anyway.
With her nose wrinkled and her finger tapping her chin, she stares ahead out the window, then leans close enough to whisper, “Is this where we’re having sex? Like . . . in one of their rooms where they can hear us?”
I give her a hard look as I unbuckle my seat belt.
Is she fucking crazy?
“Yeah, baby. I called up Reed too. Figured he’d want to listen again.”
Her eyes widen. Smiling, a quiet giggle bubbles in her throat. She brings a hand to her mouth and reaches for me with the other, wrapping her fingers around my wrist and squeezing.
“Ben, what’s going on?” she asks.
“You’ll see. Will you grab Chase? My hands are going to be full.”
Mia looks around the back seat, no doubt wondering what the fuck I’m talking about. It’s practically empty back there.
“Um . . . yeah, sure.”
I step out of the truck, hearing the shrill snap of a screen door closing.
Luke and Tessa pad down the driveway toward us while Max barrels around the yard.
Nolan leans forward and starts bouncing in his seat the moment I open the back door.
“Uncle Luke!” He grasps frantically at his harness. “Daddy, how much time do we have? I wanna show Uncle Luke my new dragon and this cool game I just downloaded. It’s got the minions in it. You race them. I bet he’ll love it.”
I glance at Mia across the seat.
She’s unstrapping Chase, her absorbing eyes drawn down to my mouth.
“You’re spending the night, Buddy. You and Chase. You get two nights with Uncle Luke,” I answer, smiling as I lift Nolan out of the truck.
“Oh, yeah! Sleepover! Boo-yah!”
I hand him his iPad and he scurries excitedly up the driveway, yelling out for Luke.
“What?” Mia gapes at me, pulling a slowly awakening Chase against her. He rubs his sleepy face into her neck. “They are? Why?”
I grin and unhook the booster seat, holding it with one hand while I lift the bench and reveal the bags I packed and stored here earlier, unbeknownst to Mia. Two for us, along with a smaller cinch tote concealing a few personal items Mia keeps tucked in the back of her panty drawer at home.
Massage oil. Warming lube. Those sex dice she got as a gift at her bridal shower.
Suck this. Lick this. Kiss this. Fuck THIS.
Goddamn. I wanna rip into that bag right now. This four hour drive might feel like torture.
I grab the duffle for Nolan and Chase and hoist it out of the truck.
“Hey, lovebirds.” Tessa steps up behind Mia. She ties her red hair back into a messy knot and reaches for Chase. “Gimme that cuteness.”