Castle Hill (On Dublin Street 3.5)

“I thought you liked that bikini. ”

“I do like that bikini, but so does every man on this resort with a dick he knows how to use. ”

“Hmm, okay. ”

He snorted. “You know I hate to point this out since we’re speaking again, but you’ve acted worse when you’ve found women flirting with me. ”

Dammit.

“Okay, true. But I thought we were trying to be grown-ups now that we’re married. ”

“Is that what you were doing at the airport?” He chuckled again. “Being a grownup?”

He had a freaking answer for everything. “Fine,” I grumbled. “I’m sorry for being pissed. I guess I was a little edgy. . . . ”

“Because I mentioned kids again?”

I tensed against him. “I just . . . I want to wait a few years, but I don’t want you to be upset about that. I don’t want to disappoint you. ”

I quickly found myself on my back, my husband braced over me. “You’re not,” he promised. “We’ll wait. ”

In answer I kissed him.

Thinking back on it, I kissed him so I didn’t have to see the disappointment he was trying so hard to hide.

Chapter 6

The Homecoming

Something nudged me into consciousness, but I refused to open my eyes. Instead I kept my face buried in the warm, familiar skin of Braden’s neck.

It became clear that the thing that woke me was my husband. I could feel him trying to extricate himself from my hold as gently as possible.

I held on tighter.

Braden shook against me, his tone rumbling with laughter as he asked, “Am I not allowed out of bed this morning?”

“Nope,” I mumbled against his skin. “If you move, I’ll have to move. If I have to move it means facing the fact that we’re no longer in Hawaii. I don’t know if I’m ready to deal with that. ”

He rolled me onto my back, laughing at the fact that I refused to open my eyes. “So is the plan to stay here forever?”

“Yes. ”

“That might become a problem. ”

I shook my head against the pillows. “I don’t foresee any problems. It’s a sound plan. ”

“Well. ” Braden sighed. “We will eventually start to smell. And needing the toilet might become a problem. And with your issues with flatulence—”

I punched him on the arm, opening my eyes so I didn’t miss. My husband fought me off, laughing as though he was the funniest man on earth.

“One year,” I growled at him. “All I’m asking for is one year without you bringing that up!”

“You getting adorably embarrassed when you fart in front of me?”

After throwing him a narrow-eyed glare, I rolled off the bed. “I am not adorable,” I snapped, stomping out of the bedroom.

“You’re fucking adorable!” he called to me as I made my way into the kitchen. I rolled my eyes. Braden could be pretty adorable, too, but he’d like it even less than me if I told him that.

I reached for the kettle, about to call through and ask if he wanted coffee when a wave of nausea caught me completely off guard and I found myself swaying against the counter.

“Babe, you okay?” Braden rushed to my side, grasping my hip in his hand.

Breathing through my nose, I fought to hold the sickness down. After a moment I rested my forehead on his chest. “I don’t feel so great. ”

I felt his lips in my hair. “Jet lag. Sit down. ” He ushered me toward the kitchen table and planted my ass at it. As he began to make the coffee the nausea rose again and I knew this time there was no fighting it. Without a word I shot up from the table and rushed out of the kitchen to the bathroom.

The toilet lid was barely up when I heaved everything inside me into it.

“Jocelyn?” I could feel Braden behind me.

I waved him off. “I’ll be okay. ”

Sensing I wanted privacy, he left.

After waiting a few moments to make sure the nausea was dealt with, I got up on shaky legs and washed and brushed my teeth. Seeing my pale face in the mirror, I glowered at it.

Home sweet freaking home.

“Better?” Braden asked as I entered the kitchen.

“Yeah,” I smiled, gratefully accepting the coffee. “Much. ”

***

Sitting in the waiting room, listening to people cough and sniffle, I felt breakable for the first time in a long time. My chest was heavy, like the air all around me was much too thin, and my thoughts were too harried, making me feel like a crazy person.

I just needed to know one way or the other.

If I knew . . .

I just needed to know.