Jules rolled her eyes. “You look so proud and yet you’re the last to do it in your band.”
Simon reached up to the iPad. “Always a joy to chat, Jules. Bye now.”
Jules tossed up a middle finger just as the video call ended.
“Simon.”
“What? We were just saving the best for last. Now we’ll get lavished with all the attention.” Simon curled his hand along her growing bump, then cupped her breast.
She peered up at him. “Excuse you.”
“Oh, these are still mine for a few more months.”
She groaned as he swiped his thumb over her nipple. They were always so sensitive now. The tiny spark that was always pleasure under the pain made her breath catch. “I thought you were working on the nursery.”
“Our handyman that’s been building all the furniture took away the extra drill I bought.”
“Because you keep putting holes in things you shouldn’t.”
“I’ll concede that I’m much better at filling them.” He lowered his mouth to her neck and nibbled right where he knew she couldn’t resist. “The house is finally empty. Hank and his crew cleared out. Why don’t you come upstairs and see what they worked on.” He cupped her breasts and plucked lightly at the tips. “I think you’ll like what you find.”
“Mmm-hmm. That’s what you always say when you try to lure me into a room to christen.”
He drew her up out of her seat. “Trust me.”
She rolled her eyes and followed him up the stairs. She was getting too big to crawl up on every surface Simon had in mind. Not that her husband wasn’t inventive with how he kept his pregnant wife pleasured.
It had taken a few weeks to get him to relax enough to touch her. To not look for the boogeyman in every corner. They didn’t want to drag out the kidnapping with the police. With Jerry and his associate dead, the links between all of the stalking pictures and ransom had been cauterized. The fact that Celeste had murdered both men in front of Simon had sealed her fate.
Simon’s mother hadn’t even tried to fight the murder charge. In the end, it had just been lawyers and a very quiet plea bargain that put Celeste in jail for the rest of her life.
She and Simon still had nightmares, but setting up their new house had given them each something to focus on. Initially, Simon hadn’t wanted to buy the house. He’d thought it was tainted by the kidnapping, but she wanted to replace all those memories with good ones.
With a house full of laughter.
With parties and a family she never knew she wanted. Simon had always been enough for her. And now, there was nothing but a wide open future waiting for them. One that included a daughter and cousins, both blood ones and in the extended families of her bandmates. So much to look forward to.
“Where are we going?”
“I know the house is new, but I’m pretty sure you’ve been down this hallway before.”
“Snarky shit,” she muttered.
“Heard that. You’re the one who told me to stop swearing around the baby.”
“I’m the house for said baby. I can do what I want.” Besides, she didn’t talk to her belly like Simon did. Though she did talk to the baby now more than ever. Just not rambling conversations full of f-bombs like Simon.
“Okay, close your eyes.”
She sighed. “Closed.”
He turned around. “Liar.”
She opened one. “Me? How could you say that?”
“Pregnancy has made you very snarky, Mrs. Kagan. Close ‘em.”
More like a near death situation had made some of the old stuffy Margo fall away.