Total pages in book: 235
Estimated words: 227851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1139(@200wpm)___ 911(@250wpm)___ 760(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 227851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1139(@200wpm)___ 911(@250wpm)___ 760(@300wpm)
“And you should watch your language, Jesse Ward,” she mutters, smacking the top of my menu. “Wait!”
“For what?” Joseph asks.
Yes, what drama has she thought up now?
“You said babies, plural,” she says, her usually arched brows straight from her frown.
Oh.
“You said our babies.”
“Twins.” I find Ava’s belly and rub it, smiling. “Two babies. Two grandchildren.”
Joseph laughs. “Well, I’ll be damned. Now, that really is very special. Congratulations!”
Agree, Joseph. Really special. And Ava’s smiling, finally.
“Twins?” Elizabeth gasps. I watch in disappointment as my wife’s smile fades. “Oh, Ava, darling, you are going to be exhausted. What—”
“No, she won’t,” I snap before she gets going again. “She’s got me. End of.”
Elizabeth takes the warning, backing off. Have we finally reached an understanding? Take the opportunity, Elizabeth. Make it count.
She softens, her body and her face. “And you have us, darling. I’m so sorry. It’s just a bit of a shock. You’ll always have us,” she says, reaching for Ava and taking her hand.
Smiling fondly, I watch mother and daughter come together, but I can see the wave of uncertainty ripple across Ava’s face. God damn you, Elizabeth.
I get her attention and move in closer, holding her hand tight. Never to be let go. “You have me.” I will be there day and night, be hands-on, do all the things. She’ll never feel lonely, she’ll never feel unappreciated. Everything I am and have will be put into our future. I’ll probably drive her crazy. Standard. And she’ll undoubtedly continue to push my buttons. It’s who we are. What we do.
“Have you decided?” a waitress asks.
I return her enthusiastic smile, feeling Ava’s palm find its way onto my leg. “I’ll have the steak, please,” she says. I look at Ava, who’s forcing a smile at the waitress. I look at the waitress, who’s not forcing a smile at me. It’s a natural smile. Coy.
Oh.
I sink into my chair, looking between them, bracing myself.
“I’ll have the steak,” Ava says again, slow and clearly. “Medium.”
I glance at the waitress briefly, mentally yelling at her not to poke the bear.
“Pardon?”
“The steak,” Ava grates. “Medium. Would you like me to write it down for you?”
I laugh under my breath, despite myself. I shouldn’t love it when she gets all possessive. But I do.
“Oh, of course.” The waitress snaps out of her daze. “And for you?”
“Mussels for me.” Joseph raises his brows at me, and I shrug, remembering one of the first things he said to me as his eyes climbed my body. You’re an impressive human, aren’t you? What can I say?
Elizabeth places her menu down, giving me a similar interested look. I shrug at her too. “The seafood platter for me. And I’ll have another wine.”
“And for you, sir?” the waitress asks, still writing. And smiling at me again.
Shouldn’t. I really shouldn’t. But . . . “What would you recommend?” I ask.
“The lamb is good.”
“He’ll have the same as me,” Ava snaps, snatching the menus up and thrusting them at her. I chuckle. “Medium.”
“The wife has spoken,” I muse, pulling Ava closer. “I do as I’m told, so it looks like I’m having the steak.”
Ava jerks in my hold, and I look at her fondly as her parents laugh at our shenanigans. “You’re impossible,” she mumbles while I dedicate a bit of time to her throat with my lips. “And since when do you do what you’re told?”
“Ava, that was really quite rude. Jesse can make his own meal choices,” Elizabeth says. And she loves me again.
“It’s okay.” I don’t come up for air. “She knows what I like.”
“You like to be impossible.”
“I love watching you in trampling action.” I nip at her ear, smiling when she shudders. “I could bend you over this table and fuck you really hard.” And my mother-in-law would hate me again. Do I care?
Ava gathers herself and turns the tables. “Stop saying the word fuck, unless you’re going to fuck me,” she whispers.
“Watch your mouth.”
“No.”
“Cheeky.”
“Let’s raise a toast!” Joseph sings, forcing me away from mauling Ava’s cheek. “To twins.”
“To twins,” Elizabeth says, prompting me to lift my glass of water. Ava’s smiling again. I scrunch my nose, squeeze her knee, and hit my glass with the others. “Excuse me, I need the men’s,” I say, getting up and leaving the table. I feel Ava’s eyes follow me, so I look back, finding her dark gaze on my arse. She’s asking for it. And I know she’s going to ask for it at her parents’ house. And I know she’s going to want it hard.
I ponder how I might handle that while I search for the waitress to tell her to make sure Ava’s steak is well-done. But to tell her it’s medium when it’s served.
29
As I expected, she threw her temptress skills at me left and right when we got back to her parents’ last night. So I gagged her and fucked her as delicately as I could.