Page 135 of Shots Fired

He hooks the dress back on the rack and stalks toward me, tipping my chin up with his finger. “Well, right now, all I can think about is how fucking stunning you are.” His free hand splays across my stomach. “And all I want to do is see you in that lingerie set I just bought.”

My cheeks heat when he presses his mouth to mine, festive music playing in the background. For the day before Christmas,the shops are pretty quiet, and I’ve had the best time baby and clothes shopping.

“You realize I’m right here, don’t you?” Jack groans from beside us. “And there is zero reason why you need to pet in public.”

I twist my head and look at my brother. Being able to spend time with him without feeling like I’m hiding my whole life is everything, but having him accept Archer as the man I want and will make me happy? That makes me a whole new level of content.

“Pet?” I reply. “Who even says that word anymore? Do you mean make out or get it on?”

Jack closes his eyes and groans again. “It’s seeing you all over each other. I don’t want to think about my sister and best friend … you know … getting it on.” He finishes the last part of the sentence in a pained way.

“Oh my God, check out these cute maternity dresses!” Kendra comes barreling toward me with two versions of the same maxi dress. One yellow, one blue.

I step away from Archer, and she holds them up against me, twisting her lips to the side in thought.

“I mean, they’re definitely cute. I’m not sold on how horizontal stripes will look.” Her face lights up. “I genuinely think you’re going to be huge in your third trimester.”

“Thanks,” I reply dryly, taking a dress from her and inspecting how stretchy the material is.

“You’re going to be fucking stunning in your third trimester.” Archer leans into my ear, his voice low and gravelly. “Although we might need to fuck doggy style more often because of, you know, logistics.”

“Still here,” Jack sings.

“You don’t need to be,” Archer chimes back.

Jack pushes his jacket sleeve up his arm, checking the time. “Regardless of where I am right now, we need to be at the steak house in thirty minutes for the table I booked.”

I scrunch my nose up at the thought of a slab of red meat. Well cooked or not, it grosses me out. I remember Kate turned vegetarian when she was pregnant with the twins, and now I’m beginning to see why. How in the hell I’m going to get through a full Christmas dinner tomorrow, I have no idea.

“You want Taco Bell, don’t you?”

“Yes,” I whisper back at my husband. “With extra cheese sauce, rice, and beans.”

When I turn to locate my brother and Kendra, they’re across the other side of the store, Kendra showing him more maternity clothes as he nods along agreeably.

My shoulders deflate as I stare up at Archer. “The exhaustion is really starting to set in now. Between work and the holiday season, I’m … I’m struggling. All I want is Taco Bell, a soft blanket, and my favorite movies on repeat.”

Archer looks down at the bags he’s holding from previous stores we visited. Anything I remotely liked, he took it straight to the counter, whether it was a cute romper set for Emily or sexy underwear for me.

He really is that freaking perfect.

“Then why don’t we do that? I noticed they have this really cool documentary about Alan Turing on Netflix. He’s the guy fromThe Imitation Game.” He winks proudly, and I can’t help the giggle as it escapes my chest.

Archer presses a kiss across the bridge of my nose. “All I want is for you to be happy and comfortable. If I were any good at editing, I’d do your job for you too. Somehow, I think Janine might notice a decline in quality though.”

I giggle again, losing count of how often my husband makes me laugh. “I’ve never been happier, truly. I think I just need tosleep for a thousand years once tomorrow is over. Jon has gone to a lot of trouble with the dinner, and I’m looking forward to seeing your mum again. I don’t want to let anyone down.”

He takes the maxi dresses from me and hangs them over his shoulder. “I don’t think you could ever let anyone down, Darcy. My sister genuinely thought you were one of the best people she’d ever met. My mom can’t stop talking about you every time I call her. And I know when my dad finally meets you, he’ll love you too.”

If there’s one thing about pregnancy I’ve learned so far, it’s that one second you can be ready to cry your eyes out, craving the comfort of your partner. Whereas, in the next, all you can think about is his cock and how you’re desperate to ride it. This is especially accurate when your husband is Archer Moore.

My eyes rove the empty store, Jack and Kendra still busy shopping and the assistant distracted with her phone, fully in holiday mode.

I lace my fingers through his. “Follow me.”

Guiding him toward the changing rooms, I find a large corner cubicle and pull back the curtain.

“Take a seat,” I instruct, pointing at a plush couch in the corner.

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