Page 46 of Dark As Coal

Eyes I loved with every fiber of my being.

What we all missed, and I mean what we all missed, was something that I should have thought about the very day my contract ended.

And that something became a something exactly five weeks after our wedding.

Coal

Without warning, the door to church opened, and if there was one thing that could get every weapon in a room pointed at you, that was to open the door to church.

The moment I saw who it was, I was out of my chair, my body blocking hers.

I felt the guns lowering as I wrapped my hand around the side of Adeline’s neck, “Soulshine, just cause you’re my ol’ lady doesn’t give you the right to interrupt church.”

I hated doing it, berating her.

But it had to be said.

Only, when I stared into her eyes, I knew that she wasn’t bothered by my words.

Not. A. Fucking. Thing.

“I know. But I also know you. And I vowed on our wedding day, that I’d protect you. Protect every part of you. And I knew that if I didn’t tell you this the moment it happened, and you found out I kept it to myself for even a minute longer, that it would hurt you.”

I couldn’t fault that logic.

And she knew it.

That was why she shot me that beaming smile, and I was a sucker for it.

Irrevocably so.

“Okay, Soulshine. You’re right.” I tagged her hand and started to pull her with me until she stopped me.

“Coal baby, you’re not going to want to sit down.”

I lifted a brow, “And why is that?”

“Because you’re bound to wrap me in your arms and twirl me around and I’m wanting to have as long as I can with you, and that means you need to be able to pick me up and fuck me against the wall every chance we get because it turns me on. Like majorly turns me on. And sitting down, and then rising super-fast is only going to put stress on your knees.”

And that was when Asher said in that particular tone that he used when he was getting aggravated, “Darlin’, for those of us that don’t get the dynamic between the two of you, other than y’all are fucking perfect for each other. Can you get to why you interrupted church?”

Adeline did nothing but smile, and then she pointed one finger at Asher and said, “Look here, you told me that when I first came here, I had nothing to be afraid of. So, don’t you use that voice on me. Also, the only person in this room that will be guaranteed to walk out of here, is me.”

And yes, she finished that equally true statement with her arms crossed over her chest and her eyebrow raised.

Then, I took in the eyes of everyone in the room and saw it, they knew it.

She would be the only one to walk out of this room still breathing, and not a hair on her body touched.

That was when Adeline turned to me, tagged my hand, and then placed it on the very last part of her body I expected.

On. Her. Stomach.

Thankfully, it didn’t take my brain to come to terms with what she was telling me, and then, I lifted my brow at her, “You were right about everything you said earlier. Except one thing.”

Her eyes twinkled and a brow lifted, “And that is?”

“You were precious cargo before you walked in this room, and you're even more precious cargo now. So, no way in hell am I going to risk anything happening to you and the baby by twirling you around.”

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