Sweet Rome (Sweet Home, #1.5)(107)

Backing away with her palms held up, Molly warned, “Oh, no. Don’t you even think about it, I don’t have time…”

My eyebrows danced as I said, “Kids, Momma is getting away. Defense, are you with me? One, two, three, break…”

Yells of agreement echoed around the large room as the five of us launched to a chase. With a scream, Mol turned and ran toward the kitchen, beelining for the huge backyard. She’d made it onto the first patch of grass when I hit her from behind, protecting her from being hurt with my body as we tumbled to the ground, our four crazy children piling on top.

“Do you give?” I shouted as we all tickled her into submission, her body jumping and jerking on the soft grass.

“I give, I give!” She choked on hysterical laughter, unable to stand the tickles to her ribs—it was her weak spot.

“Kids, go get a pigskin. Me and Momma need to get everything ready for the party,” I ordered and, still hyper, all four of our beautiful kids ran to the game shed and out of our sight. Taylor glanced back at me and threw me a small, apologetic smile—we were good again.

Looking down at my hot and flustered wife, I pinned her arms above her head and straddled her hips. “Mmm… I’m kinda liking this position I got you in.”

Molly bucked her hips, trying in vain to throw me off, pursing her soft lips.

Shaking my head disapprovingly, I whispered, “You want it rough, baby?”

“Romeo!” she screamed again, and I cut her off by slamming my lips against hers, my tongue immediately plunging into her hot mouth. Groaning against the assault, Mol let out a reluctant whimper, and I pulled back, teasingly licking the edge of her cupid’s bow.

“Hey, Mol,” I said with a smile.

Feeling her racing heart against my chest, she answered, “Hey, you.”

“You gonna give up that lucky sweet kiss?”

Mol couldn’t contain her giggle at the use of our old pre-game ritual. “If that’s what you want.”

My face broke out in the biggest f*cking smile, and I replied, “Oh, it most definitely f*ckin’ is!” Releasing Molly’s trapped arms, I cupped her cheek, moving in for the softest of kisses.

But all good things never last, or should I say they get cut short by a loud-mouthed, friggin’ Texan. “Hot damn, guys! Get a f*ckin’ room!”

Sighing against Molly’s lips, I withdrew my head a fraction. “Looks like our friends are here early,” I announced with mock-disappointment. A pair of black cowboy boots landed next to our heads, and Cass looked down at the two of us, grinding her hips and biting her lip. “Still f*ckin’ like rabbits, I see! ‘Yeah, Rome, yeahhhhh!!!’“

“Hey, Cass,” Molly said, slumping back in frustration, ignoring Cass’s usual inappropriate jokes. I began getting to my feet, smirking at Cass and hoisting Mol off the floor as I did so.

“Hey, Molls! I’ve missed you, honey!” Cass screamed, holding out her hands and pulling Molly to her huge chest, the impact robbing her of her breath.

A hand slapped on my back, and when I turned around, Jimmy-Don was holding out his arms. “Bullet, get the hell here, boy!”

I couldn’t help but laugh as he jerked me in for a full-body hug, only withdrawing to say, “Everyone’s here, guys. The adults are already inside drinking beer.”

“Fuck, Yeah! We’re gonna get wasted!” Cass hollered and, eying me with affection, proceeded to bear hug me too.

“Where are all the kids?” I heard Molly ask, waving to Lexi, Austin, Ally, and her husband inside the house. Ally’s husband. Shit. I still struggled with who that was.

“Playing ball behind the trees. They’re all having a blast, don’t worry!” Cass said and, with a wink and a slap on my ass, walked ahead to take Jimmy-Don’s proffered arm and set off toward the house.

I walked over to my wife, hooking an arm around her neck, and laid a soft kiss on her head, whispering, “God, I f*ckin’ love you, baby. We’ll be finishing what we started later.”

“I f*cking love you too. And I can’t bloody wait,” Mol whispered back, squeezing both of her arms around my stomach, and I couldn’t help but chuckle at that proper English accent cussing.

She was so f*cking cute.

Laughter from all our best friends spilled out from inside of our house, echoes of our children’s laughter carried on the summer breeze, and I held on tight to the most perfect gal in the world.

All was how it should be, how it was meant to be. We had happiness, we had a family, we always had each other, and as I tucked my amazing wife under the protection of my arm, I felt like the luckiest bastard in the world.

Molly Juliet Prince is, and always will be, my home.




The End





Bonus Chapter


Molly

Aged Twenty-Six

Seattle, Washington



“Molly… Molly… Wake up for me, darling… Come on now…”

I was floating weightlessly in some transient dream, but a distant voice had me slamming back to my body with a jolt, and my eyes rolled open to fix on a blurry white ceiling.

“Welcome back, Mrs. Prince.” A blond woman wearing peach scrubs was above me, coaxing me back to consciousness. I glanced around the room with heavy eyes and noted we were alone.