Page 108 of A Little Naughty

“Then how do I know when it’s boiling?”

“You’ll notice when it starts. In the meantime, we’ll peel the shrimp.”

I walk over to the living room while he shows her the correct way to hold a knife. Cass took care of having the house cleaned while we were at the hospital. She paid a service to scrub everything so there’s not a speck of blood. They even repaired the damage to the fence and the door.

A copy of the EurekaGazettefrom that day, Valentine’s Day, is on the coffee table, and I realize I’ve never even looked through all the personal ads I spent so much time arranging.

Piper finished up the last few, and I smile at the pictures of babies, high school sweethearts, elderly couples holding hands, Howard and his dog Bo…

Poor Howard needs a significant other. The thought passes through my mind as my eyes land on an ad I’ve never seen before. It’s a picture of me, and I’m smiling up at Raif.

He’s wearing a suit, and I’m in a white lace dress, and I realize it’s one of the pictures Monay took at our wedding at the justice of the peace. It looks like it’s right after we kissed.

Even in black and white newsprint, the emotion on my face is so pure, it aches in my chest to see it. It hurts even more to think we’re reaching the end.

Neither of us has said anything about it, but with Bill dead, there’s no reason to speed the adoption process. Technically, I don’t need his help anymore, but I can’t bear the thought of him not being here, teaching us to cook, planting flowers, saying how much he loves pink laundry.

Maybe we don’t need him for the adoption, but we need him to complete our family. Then I read the words below the photograph.

Jemima,

I knew the day I saw you, you’d change my life.

You never judged me. You simply put your hand in mine and said you’d follow where I led.

You said I was more than they thought, and I wanted to prove you right.

I wanted to make you proud, because I’m so proud to be by your side.

You’re beautiful, strong, sweet, and brave.

Every day, I want to be the man you see when you look at me this way.

I love you.

Your husband,

Raif

Swallowing the air in my throat, I look over my shoulder at him standing back as Nikki pours the penne into the boiling water. How long has he been waiting for me to see this? It’s been weeks since Valentine’s Day.

I love you…

My chest burns with so much emotion, I can’t wait anymore. Carrying the paper to the kitchen, I stop at the table and wait for him to look at me.

“Now you wait for it to return to a boil, then cut the heat all the way down and cover it.” He’s still talking when he glances at me.

Then he looks again.

He sees the newspaper in my hand, and he touches Nikki’s shoulder. “Keep everything going. I’ll be right back.”

Desire is in his eyes as he closes the space between us, covering my hand with his and leading me straight out the front door. As fast as it closes behind us, he turns, pulling me into his arms and meeting my mouth halfway.

The paper falls to the porch, and my arms go around his neck. Our mouths open, and as our tongues slide together, heat ignites between my thighs. A whimper slips from my throat, and I want him to lift me against the door and fuck me hard.

Of course he can’t do that. First, we’re on the front porch of our house facing Main Street, but more importantly, the doctor said no heavy lifting for at least six months.

“What would you have done if I’d never seen it?” My fingers thread in his hair.

---