Page 55 of Alfie: Part Two

I shrugged and scratched my nose. “If we were a little closer to restaurants and shit, I’d be more than happy to stay in Ardmore.” I removed a piece of lint from his shoulder. “You know, the Suburban Square or whatever it’s called—we could actually walk there if we lived nearby. Spontaneous dates, losing track of the kids, one shop at a time…”

He smiled and brushed his lips to mine. “Well, when you put it like that…”

“And I solemnly swear we’ll find a place far away enough that you won’t hear the train.”

“Sold.” He smiled before he deepened the kiss, and his hands went down to my ass. “I admit, it would be nice to get away from a neighborhood with the nosiest neighbors.”

Because there was nothing else to do out there!

“I admit, it would be nice if you railed me sometime soon,” I retorted. “I have needs.”

He rumbled a laugh into the kiss and pinched my ass. “I apologize for neglecting you.”

Okay, that was good to hear.

I settled in for a nice, tongue-teasing kiss that seduced me good and proper, but he ended it way too soon.

“Are you really sure about Ardmore, though?” he asked.

Hadn’t we just covered this?

“I understand wanting more of the hustle and bustle, but no matter where you live in Ardmore, it’s not going to be like Center City,” he finished.

Rather than dismissing him with a quick, “Yeah, I’m sure, and now we can make out again,” I eased back a little and looked him in the eye.

“Last time, I was scared I’d move too far away from everything I was used to,” I admitted. “It wasn’t just the location. It was losing my routines, my organized chaos?—”

“Which has never been very organized,” he teased.

I laughed through my nose. “But you catch my drift?”

He sobered and nodded. “A valid fear, in retrospect. I took too much from you.”

“You didn’t take shit, papi. I was a grown man. I agreed.”

He didn’t seem satisfied. “Nevertheless, we’re not moving anywhere unless we both love the place.”

I knew what would make me happy. We could live in the area he loved, a nice, quiet street within walking distance of civilization, without prolonging the short commute to the kids’ schools, as long as that home was really fuckingours. We both paid for it, we both decorated it, we both agreed that I should always be in charge of the music, and we both wanted a bulletin board in the kitchen for my map of Philly’s takeout favorites.

Not that my folder with sixty-seven restaurant apps wasn’t organized as fuck.

Finn and Liam chose that moment to come back in, and I pressed a kiss to West’s cheek before refocusing on breakfast. Busy morning and hopefully a sweaty night—I needed food.

I placed the smoked salmon and cream cheese closest to where I’d sit. “Oi, mates. While youse were out, West and I agreed to buy a new house and get married soon. How’s that for productive?”

Finn sat down, all business. “Good to hear. Add a couple extra kids to that too, and I’m happy.”

“What the… We havetwo,” I said. “Three, if you count Colby.”

“We can count him all you want,” he replied. “I’m thinking about our next generation of Sons here. I’d be nice if I wasn’t the only one doing that.”

I let out a laugh. “You’re outta your fucking mind if you think you’re recruiting Trip.”

He smirked and turned to Liam. “Should we tell him about the Daughters of Munster?”

The what?

“I reckon we’ll save that for another time,” Liam chuckled. “But Ellie will fit right in.”

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