“Kiss her,” one of the firefighters yells out to us.
We both look over at him and start laughing. When we turn back to each other, the humor dies out and something hot replaces it. Flynn pulls me to him, framing my face with both hands. I love how he holds me this way and I close my eyes as his lips touch mine.
It’s soft at first, a gentle touch to remind me of all the care in the world he has for me. But then he deepens it and my arms wrap around his neck, melding my body to his. I can hear his co-workers yelling catcalls, but then it all dissolves into silence so I only hear the beating of our hearts.
We kiss and kiss and kiss, not wanting to let each other go.
Even when the speakers jolt to life, emitting several loud tones and then a buzzer, we continue to kiss. We ignore the pager that goes off on his hip, and he kisses me deeper.
I’m vaguely aware of the back door opening and more firefighters running through. I can hear them talking, putting on their turnout gear, but I ignore it all. I only think about kissing the man I love with my entire being.
“Goddamn it, Caldwell. Get your ass in gear!”
I jump back from Flynn and look over to see an angry man with snowy white hair glaring at him.
“Sure thing, Chief,” he says with a cocky grin but never taking his eyes off me.
Leaning down, Flynn gives me one more quick kiss and then starts trotting backward from me toward his turnout gear.
“Just wait ‘til I get off shift. I’m going to rock your world, baby.”
I blow a kiss to him. “You bet your sweet ass, you are.”
Turning away, I practically skip out of the fire station and start walking toward our apartment. Not thirty seconds later, two fire trucks go whizzing by me, sirens blaring. The engine honks its horn as it goes by me and I give a friendly wave toward my man as he heads off to work.
Epilogue
“I’m as big as fucking house,” I complain.
“No, you’re not,” Flynn assures me.
“Well... I’m as big as Capone,” I say, looking at the furry monster as he walks beside me.
“Not even.”
“I look like a whale,” I insist.
“You’re way more beautiful than a whale,” he tells me but I roll my eyes at him. “And you smell way better, too.”
“Thanks!” I say, nudging him in his side and he shoots me a grin.
We stroll across the green grass toward the group of people sitting in the distance. We decided to meet in Central Park and have an impromptu picnic get together.
“Hurry up, preggers,” Flynn urges. “I’m starving.”
“I’m hurrying as fast as a fat woman can waddle.”
Flynn turns to me and scoops me up in his arms. “You are not fat. You are decidedly pregnant with my child, and frankly... I like you like this. I think I might keep you pregnant from here on out.”
“No fucking way,” I assure him. “This is the only time I’m going through this.”
I’m seven months pregnant and I can’t believe I’m not ready to give birth yet. I feel like I’m ready to pop. My back hurts, my feet are swollen, and about the only good thing that has come out of this pregnancy is that Flynn seems to be hornier than normal so I get lots of sex.
He tells me that the fact I’m carrying his child in my belly makes him want to fuck me all the time. Which... now that thought makes
“Let’s go home and make love instead,” I say as he carries me across the grass.
Flynn’s eyes turn hot and he actually looks back over his shoulder to gauge the amount of time it would take to get back to the car. Then he shakes his head. “Nope. Sorry... we have people waiting for us. We’ll just need to make up for it later.”
“But, baby,” I whine. “I’m horny now.”
“You’re always horny,” he commiserates.
“Well... so are you,” I grumble but truth be told, I’m excited about this little outing.
It’s summertime, the air is warm, and my clan is reuniting.
Yes, my clan.
Because when I married Flynn Caldwell three years ago, I gained a new family, and it’s growing by leaps and bounds.
As we reach the group, Flynn sets me on my feet and I hurry—waddle—over to Danny, who struggles to her feet. She’s seven months pregnant too and we bump our bellies together in a show of camaraderie. We told our husbands we want to share a room when we go into labor but I don’t think they’re buying it.
Hugging me, she says, “You look gorgeous.”
“I look like a whale,” I whine again, so someone will validate me.
“No, you don’t,” Flynn mutters on autopilot, because he’s heard me bitch about my weight about twenty times a day. “Anyone up for throwing around the football? Please... anyone... to get me away from this crazy, hormonal woman.”
The guys all laugh and stand up in unison. Most of them have been there and they feel sorry for Flynn.
I watch as the gorgeous group of men head off to play boy games. Ryan, Nix, Linc, Cillian, and Flynn. Now dayum... that is some prime meat right there.
Oh, God. I’m so hormonally horny!
Amelia runs after the men, shouting, “Daddy... I want to play, too.”
Ryan turns around and scoops her up, tossing her into the air. She is the spitting image of Danny and screams in delight once she’s caught. He walks back and hands her to Danny. Kissing her on the head, he says, “Later, pumpkin. Right now the daddies are playing.”
She pouts but then she sees Capone standing there and scrabbles out of Danny’s arms to throw her arms around him. He flops on the ground and rolls on his back, groaning in delight when she starts scratching his belly.
“Can we get a dog, Mommy?”
“Ask your dad,” Danny answers.
“Dad,” Amelia yells, and Ryan turns around. “Can we get a dog?”
“Ask your mom,” he yells back.
I burst out laughing when Amelia rolls her eyes at her parents and goes back to loving on Capone.
“Come sit down, you two,” Renner calls out. She’s sitting on a blanket nursing Ben, who just turned six months old. She has a blanket strategically placed over her breast and looks peaceful and serene. She and Cillian are staying with her parents for a few months this summer while his band is on break.
I walk—waddle—over to the blanket and ease myself down beside Emily, who’s lying on her back with her hands tucked under her head. I find a comfortable position because I know I won’t be getting back up until Flynn gives me a hand.
“How’s the lima bean doing?” I ask her as I pat her tummy. Emily and Nix are almost seven weeks pregnant and they wasted no time in telling everyone. She made the calls while holding the stick she peed on she was so excited. Flynn and I waited until the three-month mark before we divulged our secret.
It was nice… sharing the most wonderful secret in the world with the man I love.
“He’s doing great… or at least, the doctor says so when she showed us the ultrasound. He looks like a bean to me.”
“Still convinced it’s a boy?” I ask.
“Yup. Absolutely convinced but I think that’s just because Nix wants a little boy so badly, he’s about ready to
