Page 155 of Pucking Strong

“I’m not wearing a costume,” I declare.

He catches my reflection in the mirror, eyes narrowing. Slowly, he sets the curling iron aside. Kissing the top of Karro’s wig, he leaves her at the counter. “Hold still a minute, honey bun.”

“Morbror, look! We have shells for my hair,” she calls in Swedish, holding up a pair of colorful starfish.

“Very pretty,” I call back.

Teddy comes out of the bathroom, his gaze taking me in from the wet hair on my head to my bare toes. He stops right in front of me, his hands on his hips. “You have something to say?”

Why do I feel like I’ve already lost this argument? I dare to hold my ground. “I’m not wearing a costume.”

It looks like he’s already wearing his costume. It’s a T-shirt with yellow and blue stripes and a pair of matching blue shorts. Behindhim, Karolina stands at the counter dressed as a red-haired mermaid. It’s not hard for me to put the pieces of this tableau together. But I will not go before the whole of the sports world dressed as Sebastian the Crab.

“I’ll still go,” I quickly add. “I want to go.”

He crosses his arms, waiting.

I groan. “Teddy, come on.”

He raises a brow, still waiting.

Perhaps he’ll allow a compromise. It’s worth a try. “Fine, but I’m not wearing the hat.”

He glances around the room. “Who do you actually think you’re talking to right now?”

Rubbing the back of my neck, I stifle another groan. “Teddy …”

“No, because I’m confused. What part of this seems open to negotiation?”

I stand here, utterly defeated.

He knows it too. Smiling, he steps forward and wraps his hand around the top of my towel. Reeling me in, he presses a soft kiss to my lips. My hands can’t help but reach for him. Leaning closer, he makes a hungry sound low in his throat that sharpens all my senses. “You know I can’t resist you in a towel,” he whispers, his tone full of heat. “So, here’s my compromise: Be a good little crab for me, and later tonight, I’ll suck on your balls until you scream. Deal?”

Fuck.

My husband really doesn’t know how to play fair.

“Hey, Karlsson!” Langley waves me down. “Whoa, fun costume, guys.”

I wave back.

He’s dressed in a medieval-looking costume, with a short red cape and a red hat. Behind him, Tess wanders closer, walking hand in hand with their daughter, Emma.

Ah,Sleeping Beauty. I see it now. Tess is the witch, Maleficent, complete with horns and a walking staff. Emma drops her hand and comes running up in a pink Aurora dress. “Wow, Lina!”

The girls talk excitedly as Karro shows her all the decorative pieces of her costume. Teddy went all out for this, covering Karro’s wheelchair to make it look like a rock in the ocean. Karro is perched on the chair in her mermaid costume, red hair flowing down her back. It’s charming.

And, yes, I’m in my full crab costume. Dressed as Flounder, Teddy pushes the chair while I fumble at passing out candy with these damn mitten claws.

We’re at the Rays’ annual Boo-tacular Trunk-or-Treat event. Poppy and her team have been hosting it for years. Each year, they pick a community to support, and the whole team comes out to the parking lot of the practice center. We invite members of that community and do a mix of trunk-or-treating and food banking. The kids go home with candy, and their parents get a month’s worth of groceries.

“Smile, everyone!” A photographer holds up a camera, and Tess and Langley step in to either side of us, posing for a picture.

“Have you seen the new baby?” asks Tess.

“What new baby?” I reply.

“Poppy’s new baby.”

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