I smile against her skin. “Always the smartass.”
“Always.” She laughs, her body vibrating against me.
Sheer… fucking… perfection.
Bonus Scene
Bennett Babe Baby Revolution Cult
Mathis
22 Months Later
“I can’t wait until Riley turns one! Payback is hell, and Nick is going to regret this,” I hear Claire telling Grace followed by loud huff. On this, I will agree. Nick insisted on choosing the cakes for today’s celebration and, stupidly, we agreed. Teal and orange icing mixed with two overexcited one-year-olds was a disaster.
At the sound of her voice, my sons lift their heads from my shoulders and look around. I kiss each of their foreheads and round the corner to the kitchen. Grace is scrubbing a wall while my mom and Bizzy clean the floors. Through the back doors, I spot Mitch and Dad hosing off the high chairs. Nick and Shaw are chasing their kids on the beach as the dog runs after them.
Claire is leaning on the counter, her hands on her slightly swollen stomach, and when she sees us, her eyes grow warm. “How bad was bath duty?”
“I had to wash their hair twice, and I’m pretty sure their outfits are ruined.”
“Ranger licked the majority of the cake off the floor before I could stop him.”
“He’ll be okay.”
“Good, I’d hate to kill your brother for poisoning my dog.”
Caleb and Lucas lurch for her at the same time, and I tighten my hold to keep them from tumbling. “Go sit down.”
“Why?”
“Because these boys want you.”
“So give them to me.” She spreads her arms.
“I’m not going to argue about this again. They weigh over forty pounds. That’s too much for you right now.”
She rolls her eyes but goes to the sofa. Both boys give her about three seconds of attention before crawling down and tottering to the back door to bang on the glass.
“I’ll take them out,” Kelly offers.
“Fine with me.”
“Are you going to bathe them again when they roll in the sand?” Claire raises an eyebrow.
“Yep.”
She nods to her mom, and Kelly scoops them up, covering them with kisses as she goes outside.
“I think we have it all,” Bizzy announces, blowing out a deep breath. “I don’t remember pink icing ever being this hard to clean.”
“Because it isn’t. Can we please call a truce? I’m not sure I can handle your payback after Kayla’s birthday. I’m still cleaning up glitter,” Grace pleads, her eyes on me to reason with Claire.
I sit next to her, scooting her gently onto my lap and placing my hand on her stomach. “Let’s call it even.”
“I’m not sure you’re in a position to ask for favors.”
“There’s no way I can control these things.”