Page 54 of Peacock Me Like a Hurricane

He gives me a sheepish look and shrugs, “I doubt you’d be interested in what I was pondering.”

Rolling my eyes at him, I give him a stern glance. “I’m interested. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You probably aren’t so-”

“Just say it, you big bird!” I screech, crossing my arms over my chest and giving him an impatient expression.

He glares and growls, “I’m trying to ask you to marry me and have my bloody kid, so I was figuring out the right way to ask, thanks ever so.”

I gape at him. The only thing I can think of to say is, “Baby, you eat kids.”

“I wouldn’t eat the nipper. Probably,” he says, his eyes twinkling with amusement. I must look like someone hit me in the face with a brick because he chuckles. “I’d have its mum for that, wouldn’t I?”

Is he serious? He can’t be.

I shrug, unsure how to deal with this. “You sample from the dessert cart enough for that to be true.”

He flips us over and pins me, kissing my nose. “You are a pain in my nicely rounded and tight ass. I love you with everything I have inside me.”

“I love you, even if you are an ass,” I reply, pinching my favorite part off his anatomy.

“Marry me. Have my rug cat.” He laughs softly when my expression returns to gob smacked.

“Quit making fun of me.”

“I’m serious, but like I said—I knew you wouldn’t be interested, so don’t worry about it.”

I blink again, my brain frantically trying to process what I’m hearing. “You-you’re serious?”

“Okay, the married part might be redundant, all things considered. A ceremony might be nice, though.”

I soften and run my knuckle over his cheek. “Yeah, it might.” Warmth spreads through me and I feel everything in me go squish.

Shrugging self-consciously, he mumbles, “Having a little you running around now and again wouldn’t be so bad, I suppose. It takes a while to grow one of those, so it’s not like a decision has to get made right away.”

My finger traces around his lips. “You’d really want to donate baby batter to me, baby?”

His eyebrows arch and he grins wickedly. “Depends on the method of donation, baby.”

“The usual one, of course.”

“You sound like you don’t hate the idea.”

Shrugging a bit, I scrunch. “I don’t hate it.”

He nods. “But you’re not crazy about it—I understand.”

I wrinkle my nose and shake my head. “No, I didn’t say that.” Biting my lip, I shrug one shoulder up self-consciously, mumbling, “I kind of like it, but I was… making sure you wanted to before I said anything.”

His eyes are gentle and his smile is tender as he traces the lines of my face then leans down to kiss me. I feel him open up to me, his heart connecting to mine in a way that melts me.

~I’m sure, ~he breathes.

It sinks in as everything clicks inside. Sucking in a deep breath, I smile crookedly.~I guess I’m going to get really round.~

His face lights up, the smile just about breaking his face.~Are you sure, baby? You’re not doing this because I’ve got a burr up my butt? ~

I nod slowly.~I’m sure. Very sure. ~

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