Page 116 of Laila Manning
“More like Carly will be in my kitchen at sunrise eating Margaret’s Sunday morning spread.” Ellie said, and I chuckled.
“What time is that again?” I joked. “I think I’m free.”
“Mom.” Kade groaned, “We have plans.”
Be still, my heart. Even months later, hearing his sweet voice call me mom, still made my heart flutter.
“Ah,” I nodded like I'd forgotten, playing it cool. “Right. The plans. Um—” I pointed at him with my finger, “To do what exactly?”
“Ugh,” He groaned dramatically. “You’re impossible!”
I laughed, and Jed winked at me, rubbing his hand over Kade’s head as he came up the steps. “Oh yeah, the dirt bike.”
“Exactly.” Kade smirked, like he was glad I finally remembered. To be honest, I hadn’t thought of anything but it for days now, since Zeke told me that Kade had earned it, probably ten times over by now, and that he was going to buy it for him. I’d managed to drag my feet for over a year. It seemed as though I was out of time, though. “Let’s go, I’ve got to finish putting together the accessories that came in today.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I droned on, walking down the steps as he slung his arm over my shoulders, since he was taller than me now, and I only cringed slightly when his teenage body odor hit my nose. The boy had been working like a dog all day in the California heat, so I couldn’t hold it against him. “After a shower.”
“Pfft,” He scoffed, and I pinched his side. “Okay, fine!”
“Good.” I said as we fell into a comfortable silence, walking across Ryker’s backyard to the gate in the hedge to our yard next door. When Zeke had surprised me with the house last year, I had envisioned nights just like this in the dreamy fantasy that came to mind as soon as I saw the beautiful home.
We walked together as dusk fell, showing off the lightning bugs munching on the flower gardens I planted around the yard, and the peacefulness was palpable.
Kade must have felt it too, because as we got to the back patio of our house, he took a deep breath like he was soaking it all in before he jogged up the steps. “Tell Dad I’ll be ready by seven. The store opens at eight.” He looked over his shoulder at me, and I grinned, waving him off.
“Shower. Dinner. Sleep.” I reminded him, “And if you do all of that, then I will let Dad take you to buy your death trap.”
“Mom.” He groaned again, like I was the most tiresome person in the world. Once upon a time, he would have made some smart-ass comments about my rules or questions, calling me names or something to deflect my attention, but now he just pouted.
Like a normal kid.
“Kade.” Zeke’s deep timber voice warned from inside the kitchen as we walked through.
“Sorry.” Kade took a deep breath and gave me a small smile. “I’m just excited.”
“I know.” I gave him a smile back before winking at my husband across the room. “And I’m just giving you a hard time. Go get cleaned up. I’ll put your dinner in the oven to re-heat since you were too busy to come home in time earlier.”
Kade looked sheepish as he backed down the hallway to the stairs, “Sorry. Thank you!”
“Night.”
When he was out of earshot, Zeke looked at me, wiping his hands on a dishtowel at the sink. Watching my bogeyman doing something as normal and mundane as dishes, sent me down a rabbit hole of awe that I couldn’t quite label. “Dove.” He stated evenly, but the deep vibration of his voice sent shivers through my body. “Careful.”
Of course he picked up on my thoughts, without me even saying anything.
“What if I don’t want to be careful?” I licked my lips and leaned back on the counter, tipping my knee just right so my long summer skirt’s slit opened, showing off some skin. “What if I want to live dangerously?”
He stalked toward me, and I ate up the image of him, shirtless in a pair of jeans and barefoot as he slid so effortlessly into his dominantrole that I loved. “You want to feel danger on your skin tonight, Dove?”
“Yes.” I purred when he stopped right in front of me. “This boring housewife life you’ve provided for me doesn’t quite quench my thirst like I thought it would.”
He growled, and slid his fingers around my throat and bent me backward over the counter, hovering over me. “Be careful, or I’ll take your hungry little cunt right here on the kitchen counter and fill you up.”
Melting into his hold, I rubbed my hands up his washboard abs. “Please, Daddy.”
“Bed.” He said through clenched teeth. “Now.”
I grinned, having won what I wanted by poking at the monster in his chest enough to get him riled up and ready for me. “Good thing you soundproofed the walls, because tonight I’m going to ruin you in the best way possible.” Licking my lips, I tilted my chin down, and he let go, thinking I was going to do his bidding and run to our bedroom on the opposite side of the house from Kade’s room upstairs. Instead, I bit the webbing between his thumb and forefinger, and he hissed but didn’t pull away as I left a mark on his flesh. “Tonight, I want to be in charge.”
