Page 53 of Starts With a Bang

“I’m not heading back to Fort Collins,” John said. “I’ll stay in Vail with Faith.”

“You can drive my car back,” Christian told Emerson.

“But you and Janet will be stranded here.”

“No, they won’t,” I said. “Sven and I will take a detour to Fort Collins on our way home.”

Christian held my gaze for several seconds. “Thank you.”

“That should be a fun ride,” Emerson said. “You guys can all talk smack about me.”

Sven pivoted on his stool to stare down Emerson. “The fuck we will. We’re going to do carpool karaoke all the way home. I’ll start on a playlist soon. Name your genre, Janet.”

“Anything from the seventies!” she replied.

“Disco is always a fun time,” Sven said as he picked up his phone. “Christian?”

“I’m real partial to music from the nineties,” my cousin said. “Bet I know all the words to every TLC song.”

Emerson acknowledged his dismissal with a huff and stomped from the room. John stared at Janet as if really seeing her for the first time.

“Better get going,” she said. “Don’t want to keep Faith waiting, and congratulations on your pending fatherhood.”

Everyone in the room gasped. Plot twist!

“Dickhead,” Nana growled.

John blanched. “How did you…”

“Know?” Janet finished. “She’s been dropping hints all over her social media for the past few weeks.” She shrugged and walked away from him. “And your plans to leave me prove it. You’re not in love with that child. You love how she makes you feel young. But all the other mistresses did too. There could’ve only been one difference between Faith and them. It wasn’t hard to figure out you were dumb enough to get her pregnant.” Janetreached the island and turned to face him once more. “I’m about to live my best life, and you’re about to ruin yours. Late-night feedings and diapers at your age. You’ll be in your eighties when he or she graduates from high school.”

“We’ll have money to hire a nanny to help us with the baby.”

Janet toasted him with her sparkling water. “Not after I get done with you.”

I didn’t think John’s pallor could get worse, but I was wrong. He looked like the walking dead when he shuffled down the hallway to pack his things.

Sven looped his arm around Janet’s waist. “You’re a badass.”

“Not yet, but I will be.” She looked at Christian, and her expression sobered. “I’m sorry. This is a double whammy for you.”

He nodded mutely, looking shell-shocked for several moments. “I’m going to have a sibling?” He shook his head as if trying to shake the shattered pieces of his mind back into place. Then Christian met my gaze. “Can you and I find some time to talk later?”

“Yeah, of course.”

Everyone started talking at once, and I used the diversion to sneak Sven back to our room.

Sven

Ilaunched myself into Dom’s arms as soon as he shut the bedroom door. He stumbled from the impact but remained upright. Gripping my ass, he hauled me up, and I wrapped my legs around his waist. Our lips met in an all-consuming kiss that stole my breath and my restraint. My holiday goodwill to all evaporated as soon as Dom’s wicked tongue rasped over mine. Come hell or high water, I was going to have this man and the new beginning he promised me. Dom took several steps toward the bed but then stopped and backtracked to the door. I pulled my mouth away and searched his gorgeous green eyes.

“Forgot to lock it.” Dom released my ass long enough to correct his oversight, but he didn’t immediately start toward the bed afterward.

“Good thinking. I adore Helen, but I won’t be held responsible for my actions if she interrupts us again. I want that do-over you promised.” Waggling my brows, I slid my hand into his hair to massage his scalp. Dom’s eyes drooped, and his lips parted on a moan. “I’m going to do you over sooooo good.” I bounced in his embrace. “Take me to bed before someone comes looking for us.”

Dom chuckled as he carried me to the bed and deposited me onto the mattress. “Don’t worry about interruptions. They have plenty to talk about and won’t even notice we’re missing.” Dom crawled onto the mattress, and I scooted back to make room for the rambunctious activities I had planned.

“Good.”

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