Page 51 of Lost in Love

“Is it working?”

Smirking, he steps back, swallowing as his chest expands with a deep breath. “Yep.” He nods to the shop behind him. “I’ll change your tire for ya, ma’am.”

“Ma’am?” I fight back laughter as I hold tightly onto Sevi’s hand.

Despite the fact we’ve been married for over ten years, my cheeks still heat when he flirts with me. “I expect payment later, with your costume on.”

“How are you going to change my tire with one hand?”

Noah chuckles, his eyes filled with teasing mischief I haven’t seen since our sex-tape night. “If you’re good, you only need one hand.”

Noah ends up changing the tire, and then I shuffle the kids back inside the car. It’s just as I’m leaving the dealership that he backs me up against my car door casting a shadow over me, one hand on the door, the other on my hip. “You know you have nothing to worry about with me, right?”

Clearly, he’s not meaning emotionally, because that part of his heart is off limits. The one, however, he’s talking about, I know his intentions are never deceitful or vindictive. “I know. I was just caught off guard by her. I mean, look at her.”

“I’m not.” His tone is final, as if there should never be a question to it.

Insecurities suck and unfortunately, I have them. I don’t like that I do, but they’re definitely something I’ve struggled with my entire life. It might have something to do with never being good enough for my mother, but regardless, I have them, and Noah is well aware of this. I raise my hand and run my fingertips over his embroidered name on his shirt. “She has perfect tits.”

He dips his head forward to catch my eyes. “So doyou.”

I snort. “I’ve breastfed five babies. Perfect is not something I’d use to describe them. Hazel told me they were hangy-down boobs the other day.”

Noah fights back laughter, the corners of his eyes wrinkling. “They nourished and provided for my children. That right there makes them the best tits around.”

“Okay, crazy. I have to go.”

“Wait.”

I arch an eyebrow. “What?”

He steals a kiss before backing up. “Make sure your costume reveals your hangy-down tits.”

I burst out laughing as I open the car door, Noah backing away with a smirk and then a wink, his laughter rolling off my skin. I’ve decided I’m going to wear the most revealing costume ever and see how this goes.

Seventeen

The Baby’s First Word Is…

(Parents of the year right here.)

“What exactly is a block party?”

Kate thinks about it for a moment as she applies another layer of eye shadow to her already heavy makeup and messes with her fake eyelashes. “It’s where we all get together in the street and party.”

“This is so exciting!” Ashlynn says. “I love Halloween. It’s my favorite holiday.”

“Yeah?” Gretchen snorts, unwrapping her third snack-sized Butterfinger of the night. “How come?”

“Because I get to dress up.”

Gretchen chews slowly, thinking about her answer, and then smiles. Her and Ashlynn are still not friends. I think it has something to do with her son watching one of Ashlynn’s pornos and her catching him. It was a mess. “Yes, because any other day you dressdownfor work.”

Ashlynn rolls her eyes and flips her hair at Gretchen. “Don’t blame me for your son being curious about me.” And then she turns to Kate and Charlee. “Do you guys have them every Halloween? Is it like a thing?”

“Yep.” Kate nods and then jabs her finger in her eye trying to fix the lashes. “Goddamn it. How do you do this?”

Ashlynn smiles. “Oh, honey. Easy there.” And then she’s helping Kate fix her fake lashes to complete her zombie bride outfit. There’s no wedding dress. It’s basically lingerie.

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