Page 69 of Daddy's Mail Order Mate

“How?”

She flashes a cheeky smirk at me and all that expression makes me want to do is kiss her.

“I mean, do you think you’d have gotten around to telling me the truth if I hadn’t almost died?”

“I was planning on having that conversation when I got back even before all that,” I insist.

“Well then. I guess I’ll just have to be grateful that it helps me match you.”

“What do you mean?”

She giggles and taps at the pale scar on her neck.

“Now I have a big badass scar to match the collection you’ve got.”

I stare at her for a second before my love and amusement wells up enough that I can only laugh. That makes her grin and beam with pride, and she reaches out to brush her hand across my cheek.

“You’re so cute when you laugh.”

“Cute? God. I don’t think anyone’s called me cute since—”

“Me during our first go around, I’m guessing?”

“Yeah.”

“Good,” she declares smugly before leaning in to peck me on the cheek.

I swing my arms around her in an ambushing embrace and that gets her giggling just like when we were young. Her smile mingles with mine in a kiss of ease and adoration. But when we part from it, there’s a warm magnetism that keeps our faces close.

“So…”

Her hands stroke down my back in a soft, teasing way.

“Want to maybe pick this up after dinner and Rowan’s down for the night?”

I hum in pleasant hunger and steal a little flash of tongue along her lower lip; the way she gasps has me ready to go now, but she is right that we still have to take care of Rowan for the night.

“Sounds like a plan, doe,” I reply before setting her down.

Gwen lingers against me for a moment more, but both of us are far too practical to get carried awayquiteyet. The lovely expectation of enjoying each other later certainly makes the mundane humdrum pass by with a bit of extra enthusiasm. We share loving looks and brief affectionate touches all throughout; I suppose I finally know what people mean by being in a honeymoon phase. It takes a great deal of effort to think of anything but her, and every moment she’s in my vicinity, I just want to take her in my arms and enjoy every aspect of our bond for as long as possible.

Dinner is made by both of us working as a team, rotating between tasks and making sure Rowan is content all throughout. And when we sit together, joking and doting over my son together as we eat the meal we made together, it truly does feel like I finally have a family of my own. As much as I appreciate the atmosphere when I’m visiting Paige, I’d always felt like a guest in that atmosphere no matter how much she urges me that I’m part of the fold. Now I have a little unit all of my own to cherish and look after.

When we finish, she stands and starts to gather plates, but I stop her with a rub on her back.

“No; you go relax. I’ll handle the clean up and putting Rowan to bed.”

“What’ll I do?”

“Relax,” I repeat plainly.

She gives me a softly cross look.

“Let me help.”

“No. You go rest.”

“I can help!”

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