Page 92 of Devious Kingpin
“No, Wildling. I want you alive, not dead.”
She blew out a frustrated breath. “Fine. Then what can I do safely?”
I took in the five-year-olds and their little makeshift hill.
“That’s a hump,” she hissed. “It barely reaches my knees.”
“When you can go over it without falling, then we can try the hill again.”
She puffed out a breath, clouding the air in front of her. “Fine.”
Her eyes burned with irritation as she pushed herself off me and got to her feet very ungracefully. I pushed myself up, my mouth curved up into a wide grin. My wife was adorable when she was pouting.
“Want me to help you?” I offered.
“It’s a baby hill,” she hissed. “I can manage.”
I’d give Juliette one thing… she was definitely goal-oriented, putting all her determination into it. But it was clear after the twentieth time that she landed on her ass, skiing wasn’t her thing. The kids had all vacated onto the bigger slopes or went back to warm up inside.
“This isn’t working, Dante,” she groaned softly, sprawled on the snow faceup, the front of her skis vertical in the air. Then, for dramatics, she even face-planted into the soft powder. “Oh fuck, that’s cold,” she yelped, lifting her face up and rolling over.
I chuckled. “You think?”
A teenage boy flew by us on a snowboard, almost running into Juliette and bypassing her by a thread.
“Watch it,” I yelled after him. “You could have hurt my pregnant wife.”
The kid’s head whipped around and he lost his balance, tumbling over himself and down the hill. He landed on his ass, breathing heavily, although he had plenty of energy to flip us off.
“I guess I’m not the only one bad on snow,” Juliette drawled. “And pregnant? Seriously?”
I watched as she tried—and ultimately failed—to stifle her laugh before breaking out in a full-fledged cackle, unfazed by the glares shot our way.
This was what I wanted from the moment I’d laid eyes on this woman.
CHAPTER40
Juliette
The ride home was silent and I wondered what he was thinking. There was no telling with Dante. I debated asking him to share his thoughts, but then I wasn’t quite sure that I wanted to know.
Somehow it felt like we were headed down the road that would be hard to turn back from. Not that I thought I’d had that choice. There was one thing that was certain in the Syndicate. Divorce wasn’t an option. Not that I wanted it. I actually enjoyed getting to know him.
“Just so we’re clear,” I broke the silence, unable to keep quiet any longer, “I’m not having kids. Not yet anyhow.” Dante shot me a look that didn’t reveal much. “I’m not Wynter. I refuse to be knocked up.”
“Okay.”
I raised my eyebrow. “Is that all you have to say on the matter?”
He shrugged. “As long as you’re happy. If you want kids, we’ll have them. If you don’t want them, we won’t have them. I’m good with either, as long as you are here with me.”
His words sent my heart flipping in my chest, and I had to stop myself from squealing with girlish delight. Nobody had ever been able to make me feel this with mere words.
“You’d seriously give up having children if that’s what I wanted?” He nodded. “But what’s your feeling on having children? Do you like them?”
He tilted his head, keeping his eyes on the road. For some reason, it felt so easy to talk to him. Whether it was because his attention was on the road or because it was him—I wasn’t sure.
“I like them,” he stated matter-of-factly. “My childhood wasn’t the greatest. My mother was a shitty caretaker and hated us more than loved us.” My eyes widened. “I think it’s important we both want them. If we have kids, it’s a commitment. To give them happiness, safety, love. Everything a child should have.”
