“No, I’m hungry, and I want to go out to dinner. How much time do I have? I want to put some makeup on.”
“To make our reservation in time, we need to leave in twenty minutes.”
“That’s all I need.”
He extends a hand to help me up, and I hurry into the bathroom to clean myself up and then put some makeup on. I’ve been lucky with this pregnancy in regard to my skin. Not being fully human has definitely awarded me with some benefits, like being in really good physical shape, a very high tolerance to alcohol, and impossibly clear skin. My cheeks get red every now and then, and my skin tone isn’t as even as I’d like, but overall, I can’t complain.
I fuss over my eyes, trying to get the eyeliner right three times before giving up, wiping it off, and going with earth tones for my eyeshadow along with mascara. I swipe some powder on my face and highlight my cheeks, trying to recall a makeup tutorial I watched on YouTube only a few days prior. Too bad Eliza wasn’t here to do my makeup for me.
Using magic, I curl my hair as I straighten out my dress in the mirror. I grab a pair of four-inch heels from my closet, knowing I’m going to most likely regret it later, but hey—at least I’ll look good while I’m hating my life choices, right?
Lucas fed my familiars and Scarlet for me while I was getting ready, and after letting Scarlet out, we take off. We’re not sure if we’re staying the night in Chicago or not, so I packed a small bag just in case. I have leggings and a black sweatshirt, my toothbrush, a vial of my morning sickness potion, prenatal vitamin, and maybe a small arsenal of magical supplies.
Because a girl can never be too careful.
I usually carry salt, at least one vanquishing potion, and some sort of weapon with me anyway. I’m just adding to what I already have, really. I grab a blanket off the back of the couch, put on my stupid heels, and don’t complain at all when Lucas picks me up, carrying me from the house to his black Mercedes, which hasn’t been driven in “far too long” according to him.
The seats heat up fast, and twenty minutes into our drive, I ditch my blanket.
“I was thinking that maybe going to the vineyard would be fun,” I say, adjusting my seat so I’m leaning back just a bit more. I’m not all that far along, but damn, my back is starting to hurt. “Maybe we could take a week and go.”
“If that is what you want, my love, then that is what we will do. I miss the smell of sunshine in your hair.”
“It hasn’t exactly been sunny here,” I grumble. “And when it has been, it’s so bitterly cold I’m not going outside.”
“Then we should go. You can invite Kristy and the twins.”
“You wouldn’t mind if they went with?”
“No, as long as they understood that I plan to fuck you in every room in that house, and on the patio when the moon is full and shining down upon your glorious naked body.”
“You always know how to make a girl blush,” I say with a giggle. “And that would be really fun. We could do, well, I don’t know, we could do something during the day.”
“You could take a private jet to Disneyland. It’s over an hour plane ride, though.”
“Hey, that’s not too bad. It can easily take us over an hour to drive to Chicago and yet we do that within a day.” I smile. “I’ve never been to Disneyland. Just Disney World. Tabatha took Evander and me as often as she could.”
“I’ve seen your photos.”
“That place is magic without magic.” I smile. “And my friends would love that. But I’d also love for you to come with me at night.”
“Then I will.”
He takes his eyes off the road, looking at me for way longer than he should be able to without crashing. It used to freak me out, and it still does, if I’m being honest. Lucas is so used to being invincible I think he forgets sometimes how fragile humans can be. “Whatever you want, my love, I will give to you.”
“And I want to give you whatever you want, too,” I say quickly. “I feel like this relationship is all take and not much give on my end.”
Lucas, still not looking at the road, slows, somehow seeing that traffic ahead of us is coming to a standstill. “First, you gave me the sun, Callie. Then you gave me love, which is something I didn’t think I was capable of giving or receiving. And now, now you’re giving me a child.” His hand rests on my stomach, and the slight pressure makes me feel like something is fluttering inside me again.