My Peace (Beautifully Broken 5)

Three bubbles. You wish.

I laugh now, and this is my favorite part of my day… when I get to see Mila. She’s just the right combination of sassy and sweet, sexy and innocent. She’s perfect, and deep down, I know I don’t deserve her. But she’s stayed with me anyway.

Soon, the car glides up to the curb in front of the Wounded Minnow, and I get out.

“You don’t need to wait. I’ll drive home with my wife.”

Roger nods. “Have a good night, boss.”

“You, too.”

I push through the front door of the bar, and search the crowded room. Mila stands up at a booth in the back and her face lights up when she smiles, her green eyes bright.

She’s with her sister and brother-in-law, Madison and Gabe. They all wave, and I weave through the crowded room to get to them. When I do, Mila stands up on her tiptoes to kiss me, her soft lips pressed to mine. She smells like lavender and vanilla, like all things good in the world.

She smells like home.

“Hey, babe,” I murmur against her lips, and my hands stretch around to press her hips into mine. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too,” she answers, and she wiggles up against me.

“God, get a room,” Madison groans from the table, and we break apart, laughing.

“It’s not my fault that your husband is too tired to…”

“Watch it,” Gabe interrupts me, glaring over his whiskey glass. “When you have a two-month old again, one who doesn’t want to sleep, you can give me shit about being tired. Until then, bite me.”

His eyes are red, there are bags under them, and the whole thing cracks me up.

“Odd that Maddy looks as gorgeous as usual,” I point out, sliding into the booth and kissing my sister-in-law on the cheek. She really does look gorgeous, tall and blonde. She is the polar opposite of my wife, who is petite and brunette. But they are both beautiful.

“Flattery gets you everywhere,” Maddy promises me, and she signals for the bartender. “He needs a drink,” she announces to him.

“Just club soda,” I tell him.

Maddy rolls her eyes. “You can let loose tonight,” she tells me. “We’re celebrating.”

“What exactly are we celebrating?” I ask as Mila settles into the crook of my arm, her hand on my thigh. Her fingers slide upward a little, toward my groin, and I give her side-eye. The evil minx grins from ear to ear.

“You know… your contract with Defense Tech,” Mila reminds me, as though her fingers aren’t a quarter of an inch from my penis.

I swallow. “Oh, yes. Another year of me keeping Gabe in a job.”

Gabe cackles, and rolls his eyes because it’s not true and we both know it. His business has grown exponentially, and without my business, his body armor company would still be fine. I did give him his start, though. And I’m never one to pass up taking credit for something.

“Whatever,” he grunts. “You’re lucky to have me

and you know it, dude.”

We laugh and chat for the next hour, and it feels so fucking good to be sitting around a table in a dingy little bar with the people I love the most.

“How was ZuZu today?” I ask my wife.

“Same as when you left this morning. Four going on fourteen.”

“That’s my girl,” I grin.

“I’m still pissed that you aren’t calling her Maddy,” Madison complains. “You named her after me. I feel cheated.”