“And what about my kids? They’re a package deal. A little nutty, but they’re my nutty bunch. They’re my life and I won’t be made to choose. Ever.”
Before I can utter another word, I find myself lost in another toe-curling kiss but this time I allow myself to fall deep into it, into Miles, and into his embrace.
When Miles breaks the kiss, the next words that come out of his mouth tilts my entire world.
“I’d never make you choose.” Miles’ reply makes my heart squeeze. “This life, Nina. I don’t want to do this life alone. I want all the crazy, all the chaos, and all the insane fuckery you can dish out. I’m all in if you are.”
I smile, and I swear to the moon and back that I just might burst at the seams.
“What do you say?” Miles asks, as his smile reaches his eyes. “Wanna take a ride on the crazy train?”
“Uh...”
Chapter Ten
Eight months later…or close enough to it.
“Yes! Yes! Yes!”
“Like that?” Miles asks with a grin on his face.
“Right there! For the love of all things fucking fantastic, right there!”
“How does that feel, baby?”
“Like you’re reaching into my soul! Fuck don’t stop!”
A low chuckle travels up to my ears, causing goosebumps to prickle my skin.
“How about just a little bit deeper, huh?” Miles’ grin is followed by an arch of his brow. “Maybe even a little bit harder?”
“Oh, oh, hell yes! Do it harder! Ooh, right there!”
“Here?” he asks in a low voice. “Right. Here?”
“Oh, hell yes!”
“Let’s see what happens when I do this.”
“No, don’t do that! Don’t do that! Oh shit, ya went and done it!”
Gagging noises ensue just as a jolt shoots up my body and I start to see stars.
“Ah, heck no!” Sebastian hollers out as he enters the family room. “Can’t you do this in your bedroom?”
“Really, Mom? Out here in the open?” Ozella says with her arms outstretched to her sides. “Someone get the spray.”
“Oh geez! It stinks like my gym bag in here! That ain’t right, Mom. Nope. You need to cover those up.”
And just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse.
“What in the ever-loving hell is going on in here?”
“Mom’s trying to kill my coach,” Vincent replies as he shakes his head. “Coach, you should really get your face away from there.”
“Would all of you just shut the hell up?”
As soon as I move, another jolt shoots up my body and it takes everything I have in me not to involuntarily kick Miles in the crotch.
“Move, move, move! Charlie horse!”
I hate it when that happens, especially when I’m getting the most amazing foot massage ever in the history of foot massages by my sexy as sin boyfriend.
“Dang it, baby, I keep forgetting about that spot. You okay?”
No, I am not okay. This shit hurts like a son of a bitch and every time I move, another muscle starts to spaz out.
In a split second, I say the first thing that comes out of my mouth, a sure-fire, effective trick that gets rid of my Charlie horse’s every single time.
“Hit me!”
“What the? What do you mean hit you?” Miles asks with wide eyes and a fierce shake of his head. “I’m not gonna hit you, Nina.”
“Oh, for the love of Pete, just hit me in the damn foot!” I yell out, pointing to the spot that’s cramping. “Right there! Punch it! Punch it hard!”
“Here,” Miles says as he stands over top of me and outstretches his hand. “Let’s just walk it off.”
“Oh, move outta the way, sissy boy,” Sam says, moving toward me a little too eagerly. “I’ll hit the bitch.”
As soon as Sam comes into view, she quickly straddles me in a reverse cowgirl position and cracks her knuckles.
“Where the hell did you come from?” I ask.
“That’s not important,” Sam replies, as she quickly rolls her sleeves up to her elbows. “But what is important is that I’m gonna beat yo ass.”
“What the hell? Why are you rolling your sleeves up? I’m not giving birth you weirdo!”
“Nah, but I’m gonna enjoy the fuck outta this.”
“Just do it already!”
Seven punches to the soft, inner part of my foot and the Charlie horse finally disappears. Sore and feeling like I just got the crap beat out of me, I roll to my side as soon as Sam crawls off of me. When I sit up, every person in the room is staring at me. From shaking their heads to plugging their noses, their expressions mirror one another.
“All of you suck,” I say, as I get to my feet and limp out of the room. “Suckiest of suckers!”
After a quick shower, I slap on a charcoal face mask, throw my hair up in a towel, toss on my trusty dusty robe, slip on my fat, plush unicorn slippers and head out the bathroom door. Once I make it down the hallway and reach the landing, I can’t help but notice how quiet it is. The silence is thick and almost eerie. When my feet hit the bottom of the staircase everything is empty, quiet, and dark, except for the twinkling lights coming from the backyard. The kids and I put them up last year but have rarely used them.
“Hello?” I call out into the dimly lit patio. “If any of you jump out and scare the crap out of me, I’ll be forced to punch you in the kneecap!”
I am stunned stupid when I look out in front of me. Pink rose petals cover the glass tabletop as my favorite bottle of wine chills in a bucket of ice next to a couple of wine glasses.
“You sure know how to rock a pair of unicorn slippers.”
I turn on my heel as I clutch my hand to my chest out of surprise when I see Miles standing in front of me. That cute, little wink and sexy crooked grin nearly send me fangirling like a mofo.
“Where is everyone?”
“Somewhere around here,” he says with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. “Have a relaxing shower?”
“Yes, I did,” I reply not appreciating his flat answers. “Miles, where are my kids?”
“I have to talk to you about something.” His reply does nothing to squash my sudden irritation, but concern takes a front seat when I start to notice sweat forming on his forehead. He looks clammy, pale, almost pasty.” Here, sit down please.”
“Are you okay?” I ask not sure if there’s something seriously wrong with him. “You don’t look so good.”
“I’m fine,” Miles says as he quickly gets to his feet and begins pacing like an expectant father. “I just need some air.”
I look around with wide eyes and my mouth partially open because I’m not sure how much more air this man might need because being outside should suffice.
“Okay, look,” he says as he continues to pace around like a freak, chomping down on his thumbnail. When he abruptly stops in front of me, I press my back firmly against the back of the chair not sure what to do. “It’s now or never.”
It’s now or never? What the fuck is going on here?
My heart takes a fast detour straight to my stomach when Miles drops to one knee and grips my both of my hands with his.
Oh, shit!
“I love you, Nina.” Miles’ hands shake nervously as he pulls in each breath with purpose. We’ve both expressed how much we love the other throughout our relationship, so this isn’t a surprise to me. But it’s when he removes one of his hands from mine and brings it down to his pants pocket that has me nearly hyperventilating. When he brings his eyes up to meet mine, it’s as if a calm instantly washes over him and fear, uncertainty, and nervousness is replaced with the same amount of adoration I have for this man. A few tears slide down his beautiful face and I can’t help but mirror him. “I am so completely, utterly and without one single doubt in love with you, Nina Charles, and I would love nothing more than to spend the rest of my life proving that love to you until my very last breath.”
Miles’ words
become all-consuming as our possible future flashes through my mind on autopilot, taking me on a quick journey of everything I’ve ever wanted in a happily-ever-after.
My breath hitches when he pulls out a small, beautifully carved box and opens the lid. I’ve never seen anything more stunning in my entire life.
“This was my grandmother’s wedding ring. When I was younger, she told me that the ring would be mine to give to my soulmate. I’ve held onto this since the day she passed away.” Miles takes a breath as he holds my right hand. “I was fifteen years old, and I haven’t let go of it since.”
“Ask me,” I say as hot tears begin to roll down my cheeks. “Ask me. Now.”
“What?”
“Ask me what you want to ask me. Right now, ask me.”
Miles clears his throat and his hands begin to shake again as he places a gentle kiss on my hand before looking up into my eyes.
“Nina Charles, will you do me the great honor of becoming my partner for the rest of our lives?”
I slowly slide my hand up the side of Miles’ face and, before placing a toe-curling kiss on his lips, I reply with, “Oh, hell yeah.”
To be continued…Maybe. Maybe not. Who knows? We’ll see.
Other Works by S.L. Romines
Click the links below to read these other books by S.L. Romines.
Available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited.
Bitter
Beautiful Ink
Sperm Donor Wanted
About the Author
S.L. Romines lives in a small town in Central California, and if you blink you just might miss it. She resides on a ranch with her family which she lovingly refers to as the funny farm. Between getting dish pan hands, listening to three bickering teenagers, pretending that she’s a gourmet chef (her family would like to disagree), and trying to tune out the sound of twenty-seven deranged Guinea fowl, somehow she finds the time to write about crazy characters that even make her laugh till she cries.
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