Page 69 of The Dawning
I did as well. Nicki had a screw loose, but she was mild compared to Rianne Aberdeen.
“For sure. Anyway, no one followed us up here.” Another reason I was stoked Jordyn hadn’t come with us—the less knowledge Layla’s family members had of where the house was, the better.
The oven door squeaked as George inserted a cookie sheet filled with pancakes. “I’ll keep these warm for Layla. Do you think she’ll sleep late?”
I gulped down the water first. “Probably. She needs the rest.” I looked around the open floor plan as I sharpened my senses. Except for George’s room, which was downstairs on the other side of the house, the other bedrooms were upstairs. Layla’s heart rate was slow, telling me she was still asleep.
George brought me a plate of pancakes and a side of bacon. “You’re proposing tonight?”
I snagged a piece of bacon, nodding. “Jo tells me you’re the guru on handfasting. Can you tell me a bit about it? And would you be open to marrying Layla and me?”
He bowed his head. “I would be honored, of course. I’ll explain how it works after you propose. That way, I’ll have your attention as well as Layla’s.” He glanced out the accordion doors. “The wind should die down, and it’s a crescent moon tonight, which means the sky will be darker and the stars brighter. And don’t worry. I’ll make myself scarce.”
“A perfect setting, then,” I said as my stomach knotted in a good way, especially when I heard footsteps upstairs.
George started preparing a plate for Layla as I stuffed my face.
About five minutes later, Layla sashayed in, wearing blue pajama bottoms and one of my SEAL sweatshirts that hung down to her knees. Her auburn hair was pinned up on her head, and her blue eyes looked sleepy, but her smile that was reserved only for me was breathtaking.
My pulse was on a fast train to Layla-land as my cock jerked. The woman had my balls in one hand and my heart in the other. She owned my arrogant ass—mind, body, and soul.
“Morning,” she said, touching her face. “Is there something wrong? You two look like zombies.” She wound a path around the couch near the fireplace.
“We’re good,” George said.
Suddenly, I was on a quick mental jaunt back to the day I’d brought her up here and fucked her as she stuck her ass in the air behind that couch.
She kissed me on the ear. “You’re spacing out, vampire.”
I snaked my hand around her waist and pulled her to me, then rubbed her growing belly with my other hand as I pecked her on the lips. “You’re glowing, baby doll.”
“I feel rested,” she said. “It’s almost like the minute I got out of the car last night, my problems vanished.”
“This place will do that,” George said. “What would you like to drink?”
Layla slid onto the stool next to mine. “I prefer coffee with a shot of bourbon. But since I can’t have that, is there any herbal tea? Jo is starting to rub off on me. She thought I should try turmeric.”
“Jo keeps that handy here. Coming right up.” George went to work, preparing her tea.
“So, I thought I heard George say you’re nervous,” Layla said. “About what?”
The little minx might have preternatural hearing. Maybe that was another of her magical abilities to be added to her list of mind control and a banshee scream. She’d tested her hand at mind control with me a few days ago. No cigar. She thought her temporary powers only worked when she was angry or threatened.
“About being a father,” I said. That was the truth. Would I make a good one? Would I suffocate our children with my overprotective nature?
Layla rubbed my thigh. “Sam, you’re going to be a fantastic father. You might be arrogant and gruff on the outside, but inside, you’re a big teddy bear.” She batted her big blue eyes at me.
Well, fuck.I was reduced to a pile of mush. I leaned in and kissed her on the ear. “I’m your teddy bear.”
She swatted at me, flirting as she laughed.
“Have you thought of names?” George asked as the microwave dinged, and he removed the measuring cup of piping hot water.
“Sam has. If we have boys. Liam, Lucas, Lane, and Lincoln,” she singsonged.
“Those names kind of have a ring to them,” I added proudly.
George poured the hot water into a cup over a tea bag. “I like those. If I was to ever have children, I would name my girl Luna and my boy Andrew.”
