Page 216 of Wild Card

I glance back at my sleeping nephew, torn. Realistically, he’s passed out for at least ten hours and has Wolf in case he wakes up.

A pillow zips through the air, landing perfectly on the lounger. He comes to help me up, pressing me flush to his warmed body.

“We’ll sleep out here in case he wakes up.”

“You sure?”

“Baby, he’s hyped up on sugar and adrenaline. He’s crashed now, but who knows what the night will bring. He wakes up in a strange place, don’t want him scared out of his mind.”

“I could sleep out here. You don’t need to be cramped on the couch.”

Even in the dim light, I can see the storm brewing in his eyes. He maneuvers us around the air mattress, falling backward onto the sofa. The move is so smooth, I don’t flinch when landing on top of him. “Not fucking sleeping without you.”

“I want you to be comfortable.”

He rolls, tucking me to his side and propping up on an elbow to stare down at me. “Sleep on a bed of nails if you were in my arms.”

I scale my fingers through his wet hair, bringing them down to rub his jawline. “Thank you for today.”

“Why are you thanking me?”

“Because you took in my nephew and gave him the funnest day of his little life.”

He copies my move, cupping my cheek and running his thumb along the skin. “Wyatt’s a cool kid, but more so, he means the world to you. Which means he means something to me.”

“You’re great with kids.”

His gaze heats. “Saw you with Maverick today.”

“He’s an angel.”

“Levi, Koby, Dylan—all of them. You’re a fucking natural.”

“Snuggling babies isn’t a chore. Nothing like keeping eight active kids busy for hours.”

“I liked watching you with them.”

My heart skips a beat at the intensity piercing into me.

“What are you saying, honey?”

“How many kids do you want, Princess?”

“I haven’t thought about it.”

This is mostly the truth. Kids are in my life plan, but graduating and establishing my career were always my first priorities.

“Four.”

“Four what?”

“Never had a problem being an only child. But when I met Ace, Ford, and Major, knew what it felt to have brothers.”

“You want four kids?”

“You agree?”

“Four is a lot, baby.”