“It’s okay. I don’t want a baby, James, and not because I don’t love you, but I’m past that part of life. I want us to enjoy it being just us. Maybe that makes me selfish, but we have Mila now. Trust me. East and Wylla are going to be calling on us to babysit.”
“I do like having you all to myself.”
“It has its perks. We don’t have to plan around a baby. We can go and do what we want when we want.”
“I can keep you naked.” His hand slides down to cup my bare ass.
“That too.”
“Get cleaned up and come on to bed.” James releases me, and I move around him to make use of the bathroom. “There’s some new toothbrushes in the top drawer. We’ll shower in the morning,” he says as though I don’t have a choice in the matter, but I decide its best not to argue with him for now.
Making do with what I call a whore’s bath I wash up in the sink then brush my teeth. When I return to my man, he’s kicked back naked on the bed eating the pizza from earlier.
“Need to recharge.” He grins and pizza sauce drips down his chin and onto his chest.
“You need a bib.” I grab a napkin from the stack on the table. “Here.” I hand it to him then crawl into bed.
“We got an appointment tomorrow to look at that property I got my eye on.”
“You’re serious?”
“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be? Want to get both houses on the market. That’s why you saw me talking to Holy’s sister. She’s in real estate. I’m ready to have this every night.” He reaches over and pinches my tit.
“Ow. Well who said I want this every night?” I wave my hand in his direction motioning to the naked Neanderthal getting pizza everywhere.
“You did.” He drops his pizza onto the nightstand and rolls over top me, planting a sloppy pizza kiss on my lips.
“Oh sick. You still got pizza in your mouth.” I shove against his chest but he only chuckles. “Ugh. If this is what I have to look forward to I’m so not moving in with you, mister.”
He moves away momentarily to wash down his pizza with the last of his beer. “Hate to break it to you. Not only are you moving in, but you’re gonna marry me, babe.” He threads his fingers with mine as he looms over me once more, pushing my legs apart with his knees.
“You asking or telling me?”
“Definitely telling.” His mouth closes in on mine. “You ready?”
“For what?” My breath hitches in my throat.
“It’s happening. I’m thinking tomorrow while everyone is here.”
“What?”
“Yeah. Tomorrow works.”
“Hello? Works for what? Am I included in this conversation?”
“Sorry. Was thinking of where I’m getting Roane to ink my brand on you.”
“I’m not getting a tattoo.”
“Yeah you are.”
“No. I’m not.”
“Not up for debate. I’ll hog tie you if I gotta, but my name’s going on your body.”
“I don’t need a tattoo.”
“You’re getting one....right...” his lips dip to my neck. One hand moves down my side and up under the t-shirt I’m swimming in trying to get away from his crazy ass. His palm splays across my ribs. “Want my name right here.”
“It’ll hurt.”
“I’ll hold your hand.”
“Oh gee thanks. How mighty of you.” I roll my eyes. James pushes off the bed and goes for his jeans. “Where are you going?
“Need to make sure Holy will be around tomorrow.”
“Holy? Why?”
“Need him to officiate.”
“Excuse me? We are not getting married tomorrow. There’s a process. Documents and a license or whatever. You can’t just...” he cuts me off with a kiss.
“Pretty girl, I can, and I will. So be thinking about what you want to wear.”
“We can’t do it tomorrow. Wylla Mae is still in the hospital.”
He frowns. “You got me there. All right this weekend then.”
“Slow down. We have time.”
“Nope. I’m not waiting. Want my ring on your finger. My bastard patch inked on your skin.”
“We’ve got time, James.”
“There will never be enough time for me with you in this life.” With that I melt under his touch and decide I’ll give this man what he wants. How can I deny him after something so damn sweet?
His cell phone buzzes from the nightstand. “Lily,” he mutters as he stares at the screen. “It’s late.” He pauses. “Right. I can do that.” He makes a face and slaps a palm to the back of his neck. I watch curiously as he makes another call. “Gamble. Yeah, it’s Murder. Listen, two of my guys are coming up North. Perfect, baby doll. Yeah. Talk soon.”
“Is Lily okay?”
“She will be. I think she found someone she’s been looking for.”
“Who’s that?”
“My niece.”
“I didn’t know Lily had any kids.”
“Lily was married. Malcom couldn’t handle the rape. It changed him. Changed their marriage. He became a miserable drunk. Every time he looked at her all he saw was the face of her rapist even though I killed that piece of shit. Lily wouldn’t give up on him or their marriage. She loved him. Thought a baby would fix him. Make him remember the man he once was. Only when she told him he blew his brains out. She gave the kid up for adoption. Girl named Hazel, about twenty-six years old.”
“And you always knew about her?”
“Lily didn’t talk about it for years. Only started looking a few years ago. It was a closed adoption.”
“Poor Lily.”
“Yeah. It’s been rough for her. Said she felt like a piece of her was missing. So when Ruthie pressed me for a kid that shit hit close. Made me think of Lily and all the hurt she carried. If I could give Ruthie what Malcom couldn’t do for Lily...I thought maybe it’d fix her, but it didn’t work out that way. Every time around the third or fifth month she’d lose them.”
“I can
