Going Down Easy (Boys of the Big Easy #1)(76)

She laughed. “Well . . . if we feed them pasta and run them around for a while, they’ll drop off to sleep early.”

He shook his head. “Diabolical. And brilliant.”

“Huge piles of spaghetti coming right up.”

“Ad?” he asked as she turned away. She looked over her shoulder. “Thank you.”

Her heart expanded so quickly at the sight of him with their children on either side, looking tired and turned on and gorgeous and in love with her. In love with her. That’s what she was seeing in his eyes, and she knew that she wanted to see that for the rest of her life.

“Ditto,” she said softly.

It was nearly two hours later before both kids were asleep on the couch. Cooper was stretched out on his stomach, one arm and one leg flung over the edge. Stella was tucked up against Gabe, her head against his chest and his arm around her. And Gabe was looking pretty sleepy as well, his eyes fixed on the kids’ show they’d been watching even though both kids’ eyes were firmly shut. Addison sat, her legs tucked under her, watching them all. Addison was going to have to take Stella home at some point, but she just couldn’t end this moment yet.

This really was a lot. She hadn’t been lying about that. Taking care of Stella, making sure she was happy and fulfilled and healthy and safe—that was a lot. Now she was looking at tripling that because, yeah, Gabe needed her, too.

But there was nothing she wanted more in the world than to be here for these people.

“Gabe?” she asked softly.

He rolled his head toward her.

“Marry me.” She wasn’t sure she’d ever said two more important words in her life.

Suddenly all sleepiness vanished. “You sure?”

“God, yes,” she said, feeling tears pricking at her eyelids. “Right in the middle of all of this. All of this mess, all of the confusion, all of the what-the-hell-are-we-doing. I want you and Cooper.”

He stared at her for a moment. Then he gently peeled her daughter away from his side and slid off the cushion, laying her down with her head near Cooper’s. He stretched to his feet, grabbed Addison’s hand, and pulled her up.

She thought he was going to kiss her, or at least hug her, but instead he started down the hallway.

Toward the laundry room.

He pushed her inside, shut the door, and immediately backed her up against the wall. The room was smaller than hers, so there was less space to move, but within seconds Gabe had her top and bra off and tossed over his shoulder, her breasts in his hands, her nipples between his thumbs and fingers.

She let her head fall back against the door, the physical sensations coupled with the overwhelming love she felt for him washing over her.

“I love you, Addison Sloan,” he told her gruffly. “I think I’ve loved you from the first time you had powdered sugar on your chin.”

She laughed, then moaned as he plucked at her nipple and kissed her neck. “I love you, too, Gabe Trahan. Probably from the first time you let me hand you a wet wipe to wipe the powdered sugar off your chin.”

He lifted his head, grinning. “We’re perfect for each other, obviously.”

“Obviously.”

And then they stopped talking. Addison’s pants and panties ended up on the floor. Gabe’s pants ended up around his knees. And, as always, her ass ended up in his hands.

The height of the dryer was perfect, and the sex was fast, and hot, and sweet.

And by the time Caroline came in through the front door and Stella stirred on the couch, Gabe and Addison were back in their spots, their eyes on the television set.

And no one mentioned that Addison’s shirt was on backward or that Gabe had blue powder on his pants that looked a lot like laundry detergent.

Six months later

“Did you know that every giraffe has a different spot pattern?” Cooper asked from the back seat. “They’re like fingerprints. No two are alike.”

Gabe and Addison shared a look from the front seat. Giraffes were Cooper’s new Favorite Thing of All Time. He was reading from a book Stella had found in the library the other day.

“We should go to Africa on a safari someday!” Stella told him. “We could see giraffes in the wild.”

Gabe looked up into the rearview mirror. He watched his son’s eyes get big and round.

“There are lions on safaris, too,” Cooper told her, with a tone that clearly said, That’s a very good reason not to go.

Stella nodded excitedly. “I know! That would be so cool.”

Which was exactly what Gabe would have expected from his daughter.

Well, his almost-daughter. In about an hour, she’d be his. His heart expanded so quickly at the thought it was almost painful. Three months ago, he’d officially made Addison his wife. Now they were on the way to the courthouse, and he was making Stella his daughter. And Cooper, Addison’s son.

Gabe reached over to take Addison’s hand. “Mom of two . . . you ready for this?”

She gave him a wobbly smile in return. “Absolutely. Totally easy. Piece of cake.”

He laughed. “Totally easy,” he agreed. Though, honestly, together they were feeling pretty invincible.

“So”—she blew out a big breath—“how would you feel about challenging ourselves?”

Gabe glanced over. “Challenging ourselves?”