Page 102 of A Duke for Stealing
Rose watched, happiness flowing through her as her friend looked up at her husband with absolute devotion.
“Never,” Theo replied, “But we are a tad weary. Come join us?”
“You need not even ask,” Alistair replied.
“Perhaps we should all retire for the afternoon,” Everett stated, giving Rose’s hand a warm squeeze. “Come together again at supper, all refreshed and ready for the evening.”
Rose did her best to hide her smirk. She knew her husband had no intention of falling asleep —and neither did she.
“Supper at six?” Hugo asked, rising to escort his wife inside.
“Do make it seven,” Theo said with another yawn.
“Seven it is,” Everett agreed, and they all left the patio to retire to their rooms.
In the privacy of their quarters, Everett pulled Rose into his arms and gave her a long, affectionate kiss. She sighed as he did so, sinking into his tight embrace.
“I knew you did not want to sleep,” Rose playfully stated as he began to untie her dress.
“Did you?” He asked, pulling the loosened gown down her arms.
Smiling, Rose shook her head.
“No,” she confessed, pulling his jacket off of him, “There are many better things we can do than rest.”
“My deviant wife,” Everett chuckled, then kissed her again. “I do love the way you think.”
Two hours later and spent from their lovemaking, Rose lay curled against Everett’s chest, tracing the outline of his muscles with her fingertips as he traced up and down her outer thigh.
“So, shall we join them?” Everett asked, breaking the peaceful silence.
“For dinner?” Rose asked, looking up at him, “We have an entire hour yet before we need to do so.”
“No,” Everett chuckled, then kissed her forehead, “I mean in parenthood.”
Rose’s brows flew up as she leaned up on her arm to get a better look at her husband’s face. The man was still surprising her.
“You want more than our girls?” She asked.
Everett sat up, urging her to sit between his legs with her back against his chest. He dropped a kiss to her shoulder as his fingertips delicately traced over her flat belly.
“I used to never think that fatherhood would be suited for me,” Everett confessed, “But now that I have you. Now that I understand the true joy that comes with raising the twins, I can see why my friends are truly happy with their lives. Their wives, their children. They make them feel as if their life is complete.”
Rose smiled at her husband’s words and huddled further into his chest.
“In truth, I have been thinking of such a thing myself,” she confessed. “I never pictured myself being a wife, let alone a mother, before we married. But now? I sometimes think of our future children.”
“You do?” Everett asked, nuzzling his chin against her head.
“Mhmm.”
“Tell me,” he implored, then kissed her temple.
Rose’s smile widened as she placed her hands over Everett’s, which were still tracing over her belly.
“A little boy with your green eyes and dark curls,” Rose explained. “A little girl with my blue eyes and smile. I should like to try for a golden-haired boy or girl with your green eyes.”
“So many,” Everett said with a chuckle.
