“All day?”
“Tara has a gallery in the city. They spend a lot of time there,” said Halo.
“When you’re ready, I’d love to paint a mural on that wall.” Tara pointed to the one farthest from the front of the house. “I didn’t do it now because there will be fumes.”
“You’ve already done so much,” said Sloane, yawning when I lifted her into my arms.
“She really wants to do it, sis,” said Halo, putting his arm around Tara’s shoulders.
“Then, I’d really love it.”
“We’ll let ourselves out.” Halo walked over and kissed Sloane’s cheek. “Sorry about your face, dude.”
I caught Tara’s grimace, and so did he.
“I warned her.”
Tara shuddered. “I thought you were exaggerating.”
I eased Sloane onto the bed and pulled the blanket we kept at the end of it over her. “Can I get you anything?”
“No, but you can lie beside me.”
“Gladly.”
I kicked off my shoes and crawled in next to her. “How do you feel?”
“Happy.”
I’d expected tired, or even hungry. Happy caught me by surprise. “Me too.”
“Tackle, you don’t have to take the job with the State Department if you don’t want it.”
“They might not want me when they see the list of my demands.”
“What are they?”
“Let’s see. I only have to work when I want to. Unlimited paid time off. A million bucks a year plus bonuses.”
She swatted me.
“Ouch. You’re a brute just like your brother.”
“Be serious. Do you really have a list of demands?”
“I do, but it’s short.”
“What is it?”
“No travel and I work from home.”
She looked skeptical.
“Otherwise, it’s a no. I told you this at the hospital.”
“I know. I just want you to be happy.”
“As happy as you are?”
“Exactly.”
“All I need is you beside me to make that happen, Sloane.”
“How is she doing?” I asked my mom a few days later when she came downstairs and sat next to me at the dining room table.
“Fine. She and Carolina are looking at curtains for the baby’s room online.” My mom motioned to my computer. “Is this going to be your office?”
“No, I’m setting up something in the back bedroom so I’m closer to Sloane if she needs anything. The furniture should be here today.”
“You decided to take the job with State?”
“They agreed to everything I asked for, so I could hardly turn it down.”
“Ben mentioned something about you being the resident expert on the Middle East.”
I nodded. “As long as I never have to go back there.”
My mom rested her head in her hand and had a funny look on her face.
“What?”
“It’s so nice to see you so happy.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “It shows, huh?”
“Oh, yes. Although, I sense something is bothering you.”
“There is.”
“You wanna talk about it?”
I leaned forward and rested my forearms on the table. “Sloane doesn’t want to talk about marriage until after Landry’s born.”
“I still can’t believe that’s the name the two of you chose. I absolutely love it. But back to your dilemma. Part of Sloane still believes you’re only with her because of the baby.”
“What about all this?” I waved my arm around the house that we’d made into our home.
“What is obvious to you may not be obvious to a young woman who not only hasn’t been in a real relationship before but is also dealing with pregnancy hormones.”
“What should I do?”
“Make her believe.”
“How?” I put my head in my hands. “I’m so bad at this shit.”
“First of all, don’t ever let her hear you refer to romance as shit. Next, win her over, my son.”
“How?” I repeated.
“No one knows Sloane the way you do. You’ll figure it out.”
37
Sloane
I knew something was up the minute Tackle came into the bedroom and closed the door behind him. He walked over to the bed, sat beside me, and pulled a familiar-looking piece of silk out of his pocket. The heat emanating from him kept me silent as he covered my eyes.
He unfastened the buttons on the blouse I was wearing. I gasped when he pulled the cups of my bra down and took one of my nipples into his mouth.
“I need you naked, Sloane.”
I nodded but still didn’t speak even when I felt his hands on the waistband of my sweatpants. I lifted my bottom as he removed them along with my panties.
“Now this,” he said, unfastening my bra. When it was off and he put his hand on the back of my neck and kissed me, I whimpered with need.
“Tell me, Sloane, what are the rules when you’re naked?”
“Whatever you tell me to do, I do.”
“Mmm, that’s right. What’s the other rule?”
I could barely speak with how badly I wanted him. “Tell the truth.”
“You remember. That makes me very happy.”
“Tackle, please.”
“Shh.”
When I reached out to touch him, he grabbed my hand and licked my palm.
“I’m going to ask you another question, Sloane. If you tell me the truth, you’ll get a reward.”
My body started to writhe. “Okay,” I whined.
“Do you believe the only reason I want to marry you is because of the baby?”
“Tackle—”
He pinched my nipple, and I almost came off the bed. “Answer, peanut. The truth please.”
I rested my head against the pillow. I knew why he was doing this. He wanted answers, and I wanted his hands, lips, tongue, and cock. He would win this game, and he knew it.
“Yes.”
“Another honest answer, do you know how hard that makes me?”
I felt his fingers between my legs, spreading my folds; I opened for him.
“I want you to know that I spoke with Dr. Phillips. Everything I’m going to do to your body today is perfectly safe. It will not harm you or the baby.”
When he pinched my clit, I cried out. When I felt his tongue soothe the hardened nub, I orgasmed. He didn’t stop, though. Instead, he brought me right back to the brink.
“Next question. Do you believe me when I tell you I love you?”
“Y-y-yes.”
“Good girl.”
He moved, and the
