Page 115 of The Maxwell Brothers
“You’re going to be my mom. And then we can do mommy things together. We already did some, but now it will beofficial.”
“Yes, it will,” I said, smiling at her catchy enthusiasm.
"I'm going to tell Grandma and Grandpa the good news and that they can come in," she exclaimed.
Tate kissed her forehead before she darted toward the back door.
He rose to his feet, his eyes trained on me. His gaze seemed even more intense than a few seconds ago. It was still full of emotion and radiating heat, and I was melting under its weight.
He reached out for me, one hand on my cheek, the other on my hip. His lips were hot and determined against mine, moving desperately, like no matter how close he was, it wasn't enough. No matter how much he kissed me, it wasn't enough.
I felt the same. My whole body was alive with excitement; it vibrated through me. Happiness coursed through my veins. A small tremor took hold of me as I skimmed my hands down his muscular arms. He was wearing a T-shirt, and all those delicious muscles were mine to touch. I was smiling when we paused to breathe.
"Did you time everything?" I asked in a shaky tone.
"Yeah, except how much time I had for this kiss," he said as the back door opened and Paisley’s and his parents' voices reached us. "Should have told my parents to keep Paisley outside for a while."
"How many helpers did you have, exactly? Your parents, Tyler, Reese, Paisley…"
"Hey. I needed the element of surprise, and I couldn't do it on my own, so I got everyone involved. We each have our set of skills. Reese is an excellent planner, Tyler can distract even the most suspicious of us, and Paisley is quickly learning something from everyone.”
"Obviously," I said with a chuckle. I couldn't believe all this. I still couldn't believe the ring on my finger or that this beautiful man wanted to spend his life with me. He’d thought he couldn’t open up to love again, but he’d let me inall the way.
And Paisley wants me to be her mom.
My eyes stung a bit, and Tate didn’t miss it. He touched my cheek with the backs of his fingers, keeping his eyes fixed on me.
"I love you, Lexi. I love you so much. I can't imagine my life without you, babe. You've made me such a happy man today." He gave me another kiss, but this one was short and chaste, because the trio was close enough that we could hear what they were saying clearly.
They entered the living room the next second.
Paisley ran straight to us and hugged us both, looking up at me with a dreamy smile. I’d made this little girl happy, and Tate too. There was no better feeling in the world.
"We hear congratulations are in order," Emmett said, coming up to us. "Well done, son." He clapped a hand on Tate's shoulder before hugging me and kissing each of my cheeks.
Lena hugged me too, and she held on tight for a few seconds. My heart was so happy and full.
“You two make such a lovely pair.” Stepping back, Lena looked between Tate and me and then at Paisley. "Paisley, is your backpack ready? If we leave now, we still have time for a movie tonight.”
“It’s ready,” I replied. “We packed it before the party started and put it next to the front door.”
“Then I suggest we go. The yard is clean,” Lena went on.
Emmett nodded. “That’s right. No reason to linger.”
My cheeks were a bit red. I mean, I was sure Lena and Emmett just wanted to give us privacy, but I was equally certain that Tate was already harboring sexy thoughts. I could feel it in the stance of his body, the heat radiating off him, the way he put an arm around my shoulders, brushing his fingers up and down my upper arm.
"Okay. What are we going to watch?" Paisley asked.
“Whatever you want, poppet,” Lena said. She put a hand at the back of Paisley’s neck, steering her toward the front door. Emmett walked out next to them. Tate and I trailed behind, chuckling when Paisley started to negotiate. She wanted to watch two movies.
I had to admit, I wasn't totally listening to the conversation going on. I was too lost in my happiness. But once they left and we were alone, all my senses went into overdrive. Especially when Tate wrapped his arms around my waist, whispering, “We’re alone. Finally.”
I giggled. “You’ve been waiting for a while, huh?”
“The whole damn day. I wanted Paisley to be part of the proposal, but now it’s just you and me, and I want to tell you a few more things.”
“I’m listening.” I suspected my man was going to make me swoon again.
