It's Our Time (Carolina Rebels 3)

She raises an eyebrow at me. “What if my plan is that I want to be married in six months and have another baby in the next two years? What if I’ve changed my mind altogether and I want to be a stay-at-home mom who home schools our kids? What if I want to move into a house before that baby comes and have my own library? What if—”

I interrupt her, shrugging and saying, “Sounds good to me.” I spit and rinse my mouth.

Her eyes widen as she openly stares at me. “You’d be okay with all of that?”

Don’t even need to think about it. “Yeah.”

A burst of air leaves her mouth and deflates her chest. “Wow.” She grabs the edge of the counter. “I think I might faint.” Her voice is so soft that I glance over just in time to see her sway. Fuck. She’s serious.

I step closer, lock an arm around her waist to hold her against me, and slide my hand between her hair and her neck, placing my thumb under her jaw to push and make her look at me. Her face is pale and her gaze isn’t quite right. Her arms are limp by her sides. “Babe, you okay?”

She blinks.

“Sydney?”

“Sydney.” His voice is harder now as his concern grows.

The black dots in my vision start to disappear and I blink a few more times as if that’ll help. I just can’t believe it. He would marry me in six months if that was my timeline? He would have another baby with me? He’d let me not work and stay at home with the kids if that’s what I wanted? I think my heart is beating too fast and my head is still woozy from hearing him have no hesitation. Hell, I was kidding!

“Just kiss me,” I finally whisper.

“No,” he says, rearing his head back like that’s the craziest thing I’ve said tonight. He’s ushered me into the bedroom and I’m sitting on the bed now. “Are you okay? You were for real about to faint.”

“I’m fine. I feel better.”

“Are you sure? Because that’s not normal, babe.”

“I’m fine,” I stress, grabbing his face. It’s not like I need to make him look at me because he already is, but I felt like I needed to do it. “You’d marry me in the next six months and have another baby with me?” I whisper.

“I’d marry you yesterday, and absolutely.” He says it so calmly and with such certainty. What the hell? I can’t handle this, even though I’m thrilled to hear it. My face grows hot and I start to feel lightheaded again. “Babe!” Ian grabs my shoulders. “What the fuck? You’re flushed now.”

“I’m overwhelmed.” I wave his concern away. “You’d be okay if I never worked?”

“If that’s what you wanted and if that’s what made you happy. Is that what you want?” His brows crinkle, which is no surprise because this has never come up before.

“I was just throwing shit out. The only thing I was for sure serious about was the library. I mean, you already know I want to get married and eventually have another baby, but there’s no timeline on those. Not really. I’ve never been able to entertain the idea of being a stay-at-home mom before. It’s a bit appealing, but I do want to use my degree.”

“Okay, okay. Let’s table this entire conversation for another day. You’re worrying me with your reaction, so I don’t want to discuss it anymore. Let’s go to bed.” He does actually look troubled and worried. I don’t want that. Not on his first night back after being away for ten days.

I pull him closer and kiss him. It’s a hard kiss to start, sure to get his attention and let him know my intentions. For possibly the first time ever, he hesitates. My tongue becomes more demanding in his mouth as it wars with his. To hopefully seal the deal, I reach down and cup him. Ian gives me a little groan. That’s all the warning I get before he picks me up and tosses me further onto the bed. He’s hovering over me within a second it seems, kissing down my neck as his hands slip under my shirt and grasp my breasts.

I sigh heavily with happiness. Ian, his mouth, his hands, his body. He is heaven. He’s everything. Has been since I met him and he told me my accent was cute.

“I love you.”

“Love you too, gorgeous,” he replies as he grabs the hem of my shirt and pulls it off. “Let’s get you undressed so I can feast on this body until you’re begging for me.”

I quickly get naked because that’s something I can’t wait to happen.

“Birthday breakfast! Birthday breakfast!” That’s what I hear a second before I feel Ian securing the blanket around us and making sure it’s up to my neck on the off chance that she notices my bare shoulders. We’re still naked. We were supposed to get dressed, or wake up before her, but that obviously didn’t happen. I open my eyes to see Savannah lifting herself onto the bed with a grunt as Ian’s bed sits a bit high, so it takes effort for her. “Get up,” she huffs once she’s made it.

“Don’t be bossy, little Miss,” Ian rumbles.

“I’m hungry.” She gives us a stern look as she folds her arms over her chest. “I want birthday breakfast.”

“Go find your tiara, buttercup, and we’ll be right there.”

“Oh! Yes! I want that!” She scrambles off the bed and runs out of the room.