Duke

“You’re welcome,” he says, my sarcasm completely lost on him causing me to chuckle.

I take the box from the clerk and put it into my pocket and Prince, and I head back toward our cars. We met for lunch before, so I am anxious to get back home and propose.

“What’s going on with you?” I ask, needing to know what’s up with him.

“Nothing. Why does everyone keep asking me that?” he asks, finally putting his phone away.

“Because we know you,” I tell him.

“Everything is fine,” he says, effectively ending the conversation.

“Sure,” I say as we get back to the cars and go our separate ways. He’s a barrel of laughs these days, but I have more important things on my mind right now.“Esther?” I shout as soon as I walk in the house. I hear faint music coming from the direction of our bedroom. When I get in there, the bathroom door is open, and she is singing. I stand in the doorway and watch as she sings and dances, while she takes a shower. I groan when she runs her fingers through her wet folds and moans. Fuck. Her sexy ass little moan almost does me in where I stand.

“Shit. Duke. I didn’t hear you come in,” she says clutching her chest.

“Sorry, baby.”

“Are you just going to stand there and watch me?”

“Yes.”

“Suit yourself,” she says going back to her folds, only this time she’s staring right at me. My cock gets hard as I watch her tease herself but gets frustrated when she can’t come like that. Only I can make her come.

“Come out here, baby. Let me help you,” I growl after she gives up. She flashes me a sly smile before turning the water off. Wrapping her towel around her body, she walks towards me.

“Where’d you go today? I thought we’d spend the day in bed together,” she says dropping her towel.

“I had an errand to run,” I reply, pulling my shirt over my head. I kick my shoes and socks off and open my jeans before reaching into my pocket.

“Yeah? What kind of errand made you leave me all alone, missing you?” she asks, hands on her hips.

“The kind that makes you my wife,” I say, taking the box out of my pocket.

“What?” she gasps.

“Marry me, Esther. I love you and I need to spend the rest of my life with you. Say yes.”

“Yes,” she says instantly. “Of course, Duke. Holy shit. Of course,” she says as I place the ring on her finger, where it fucking belongs. “Oh my God. I love you too. This is amazing.” She wraps her wet naked body around me, and I breathe in her scent. The woman I love just agreed to marry me. I can’t wait for that to happen, so I don’t. I don't know how Baron and Marquise waited as long as they did. It’s literally the only thing I can think of right now. It’s a primal chant coursing through my blood.

“You are amazing. Marry me now,” I demand.

“Like right now? It’s four in the afternoon on a Sunday. We can’t possibly put something together that quickly.”

“Vegas can.”

“Vegas? Las Vegas?

“Do you know of any other Vegas?” I ask.

“No, but I’ve never been.”

“You’ll love it, baby,” I promise her.

Before I know it, we are standing in front of a pirate minister saying our vows. Now, the rest of our lives can begin. We don’t spend more than the night in Vegas, as Esther has a doctor’s appointment on Monday. Instead, we spend our first day as husband and wife at my parent’s house for our weekly dinner.

“Congratulations on your engagement,” Mom says as soon as she sees us in the kitchen. She’s pulling something out of the oven.

We let ourselves in and head straight back to the epicenter of the noise. Frannie and Chrissy are playing charades, but loudly in the dining room. Baron and Marquise are watching. Not so shockingly, Prince is on the phone on the patio, but he waves through the window. Mom pulls Esther into a hug and then me. Trepidatiously, I am looking at Esther knowing my mom is going to lose it one me, I try to whisper.

“Actually, we got married,” I say as she stops squeezing the shit out of me.

“You what? Where? When? Why? How?” she sputters.

“If you are done naming problem-solving tools, I’ll tell you,” I reply as she lets me go.

“Okay, I am done.” Her voice is mad and sarcastic. I smile seeing her with her hands on her hips.

“We got married last night in Vegas. Because we wanted to,” I say, chuckling.

“I’m pregnant,” Esther blurts out. Her face pink.

“This is a lot of information to process. You didn’t want a big wedding?” she asks Esther. I didn’t even think to ask that.

“Nope. I just want Duke.”