Book 4 - Page 65 (1/2)

Pulling out the chair at the kitchen table, I sat down in front of the laptop.

Jared smiled at me. “Hey, babe.”

My stomach fluttered. “Hi.” I smiled back, loving his wrinkled white dress s.h.i.+rt, messy hair, and loose necktie. “G.o.d, you look good,” I teased, ready to eat him with a side of fries.

Someone in the background gave him a clipboard to sign, and he glared at me as he took it. “Don’t start with me,” he warned. “I’ve been craving you like crazy. I’m tired, hungry, and h.o.r.n.y, and I can’t wait to get on that plane tonight.”

“Shhhh . . .” I laughed, looking around for Madoc and the kids. “This house is full of people. You can talk dirty to me later,” I told him.

Jared was in California, and from the view of the background with large crates and forklifts, he was in his warehouse. He had an office there, which Pasha normally ran, but he had to make visits every few months for meetings and quality-control checks for JT Racing—JT standing for Jared and Tate, as I later discovered.

He stood at a table with the bustle of the warehouse behind him, and I couldn’t get enough. Even at thirty, my husband was hot.

Hotter, actually. Why did men age so well?

“So how’s my son?” Jared handed the clipboard back to the guy at his side and looked at me with his full attention.

“Sitting defiantly on my bladder,” I joked, patting my belly. “Other than that, he’s doing well.”

“And you’re in the clear?” he asked. “The hospital has all of your appointments covered?”

“Yes.” I nodded. “My full attention is on my family for the next few months.”

I’d only recently gone on maternity leave, since the hospital was shorthanded. But as we were getting down to the wire now, I was glad when they finally took on extra staff. Now I could take my time off without worry.

Screeching hit my ears, and I winced as I twisted around, seeing Kade and Hunter chasing Dylan with a—I squinted my eyes—was that a plunger?

Dylan swerved around the island, her soft brown hair bouncing over her shoulders as she hurried away from their advance.

She crashed into my side, clearly seeking cover, and I put an arm around her.

The boys—both six—ran up and pulled to a halt, glowering down at her.

“Leave me alone!” she shouted, kicking out her right foot to keep them at bay.

Kade held up the plunger, and I shot my hand out as Dylan screamed. “Oh, no you don’t. Put it down,” I ordered him.

Just then, Madoc ran in, breathing hard and looking p.i.s.sed.

“Madoc!” Jared barked, jutting out his pointer finger. “You keep your sons away from my kid. I mean it.”

Madoc’s eyes rounded. “Keep them away?” he said, surprised. “Your little . . . ,” he gritted through his teeth but then stopped.

Stepping up to cover Dylan’s ears, he whispered to Jared, “I love her. I absolutely do, but she’s a viper, dude,” he growled low. “She filled her water gun with toilet water and was shooting them with it!”

Jared snorted and twisted away to laugh.

I rolled my eyes and jerked my head, telling Madoc to take his madmen elsewhere.

This was a cla.s.sic example of how Jared and Madoc parented. Neither one would ever admit that their kid could do any wrong. Madoc took as much pride in his sons as Jared did in Dylan.

And I’d warned Jared about not laughing at her antics in front of her. It only encouraged the behavior.