Page 132 of Conception
Though my wife pretends to glare at me, the way her shoulders shake tells me she’s trying to hide her laughter just the way I am.
I bring Chloe’s eyes directly to mine. “Nothing we can say around Gramma, okay?”
“’Kay.” She squeals when I give her belly a tickle and place a kiss on her nose.
“Where’s your brother?” I ask.
“On the potty.”
“Of course he is.” I set her down on the ground. “Go grab your shoes. It’s time to go to Gramma and Grampa’s. Ready to go play with your cousins?”
Her laughter echoes through the hall as she races towards her bedroom. Charlie grins at me.
“Why are you looking at me like that? She’s all you, sweetheart.”
“Knox, that girl may have my dark hair and eyes, but she got her stubborn streak from you.”
“You’re joking, right? You’re the stubborn one out of the two of us.”
I’m teasing. We’re both stubborn as hell. I’m just a little more so than my wife. Still, it’s fun to rile the woman up.
She finishes clasping her earring and turns to me, her hands impatiently settling on her hips. “Me? You’re the one who took five hundred years to kiss me for the first time.”
“You’re the one who wouldn’t tell me you wanted to kiss me.”
“Yeah, well, you’re the one who wouldn’t have sex with me when I was pregnant with the twins, even though the doctor said it was fine.”
I cross the room, placing my hands on Charlie’s cheeks as soon as I’m near enough. “You win. She gets it from both of us, but mostly me. Except that last one? Fairly sure that was out of terror, not stubbornness.”
“And I was stubborn enough to make you see the error of your ways.”
“Sweetheart, I just got my cock deflated. Do you have to go putting those images in my head?”
She smiles apologetically, though she’s not sorry in the slightest. “I love you, you know?”
“Love you more.”
“Love you most,” she says with a tease. Then she wiggles away from me.
I roll my eyes. “She gets it from you.”
Charlie erupts into a fit of giggles. Then she stands at the edge of the bed, her eyes softening. “As for your earlier question, yeah, I’m all for it. I think it’s a great idea.”
Fuck, every time I think I can’t love this woman more, she proves me wrong.
“I want you to be absolutely on board with this decision,” I say. “You’re the only reason my family’s whole again, Charlie. I can’t imagine a better way to honor my father than with this, but only if you’re one hundred percent sure.”
“Hey, don’t sell yourself short. You’re the one who took the step. I just gave you a little nudge. Not to mention, we never would’ve met if Cohen hadn’t gotten involved. He deserves some credit, too.”
“Never been so grateful for prying little asshole brothers.”
Charlie grins. “I’ll make sure to tell him you said that. And yes, Knox. I think it’s amazing what you suggested.”
“Then it’s settled?”
“It’s settled.”
It takes everything in me not to scoop her up, toss her onto the bed, and show her my endless gratitude. Since I already told my little brown-haired spitfire she’s about to have fun with her cousins, it’s only a matter of time before she bursts back into the room.
