But first he needed to do something important for Viv. He let her watch some Saturday morning cartoons while he got everything ready. He’d framed a picture of Tammy, the one where she was nine months pregnant with St. Patrick’s Day cupcakes that had finally given him the answers he sought. Now he hung it in the hallway that led to the bedrooms. Then he hung a picture of their little family, him and Viv last Christmas, next to it.
When Viv’s show ended, something about puppies, he turned off the TV and scooped her up. “I’ve got something special to show you.” He carried her over to the picture and pointed. “That’s your mommy.”
Viv stared, brown eyes wide.
“And that’s you in her tummy. Later when you were born, I was so happy. I love you, baby.”
Viv scowled. “Not a baby. Big girl.” She was out of diapers—huge kudos to Lauren for making that happen—and damn proud of her big-girl status.
“Big girl. I love you, Viv.”
“Love you, Daddy.” Viv touched the picture. “Sleeping forever?”
“Yes. Sleeping forever in heaven.”
“Wake up!”
“No,” he said gently. “She’s with the angels now. But we can say hi sometimes. Hi, Mommy.”
“Hi.”
“Or we can tell her stuff whenever we want. Like guess what? I made a new friend named Kaitlin.”
“Thuper.”
“Sure. You can tell her about Super L.” He moved to the next picture. “And this is our family. You and me.”
“Yes. Hungry.”
And that was a two-year-old in a nutshell. Great! Next?
He took her to the kitchen. “I know you’re a smart girl with a lot more words in there. Say, I’m hungry. May I please have a snack?”
She hugged him tight around the neck. “Please, Daddy! Please!”
“May I have a snack, please?”
She let go of his neck and looked him in the eye. “Yes!”
“Say may I have a snack, please?”
“May I have a snack, puh-leze!” she demanded.
“Say it nicer, please. May I have a snack, please?”
Viv huffed and looked to the ceiling. That was Tammy right there. Defiant streak a mile wide, though Tammy had some legit reasons to rebel. He waited patiently.
“May I have a snack, please, Daddy?” Viv asked in the sweetest of tones, toddler lisp and all.
“Yes, you can. Raisins or yogurt?”
“Yogurt!”
He set her down. “You get the napkins. I’ll get the yogurt.”
They had a good day together just the two of them. But he hoped with everything in him that tonight Lauren would say yes and always be with them.
~ ~ ~
That night after he dropped off Viv at his dad’s house, he picked up Lauren at her apartment. They were going to dinner, where he planned to propose, and then heading to Garner’s for his honorary brother Zach’s welcome-back party.
She answered the door in her cute teal sundress with a sweet seductive smile on her face. He handed her a dozen red roses. “Thank you,” she said. “I’m not wearing panties.”
He kept a straight face and stepped inside with her. “Frankly, Lauren, I’m shocked.”
She frowned. “Really, you are?”
“Here I was about to declare my love with utmost sincerity and you try to turn it into a dirty—” he backed her into the door and pinned her there, pressing his body against all her softness and lowering his head to brush his lips against hers “—a dirty lusty thing.”
She sighed, wrapping her arms around his neck.
He pulled back just enough to meet her eyes. “I love you with everything I am. I’ve never felt like this before with anyone.”
“I love you too. So very much.”
And then he couldn’t help himself, he turned it into a dirty lusty thing too. He dropped to his knees and licked his lips.
She stared at him, lust in her eyes, which was exactly what he wanted.
“Lauren, will you marry me?”
She blinked. “What?”
He pulled the diamond ring from his pocket and offered it to her. It was a simple gold band with a round diamond. Classic, elegant, and beautiful. Like Lauren.
Her jaw dropped. He liked the shock and awe effect and really hoped it meant she was on board.
He spoke from the heart, the words raw, his voice rough through the tightness in his throat. “I know me and Viv will be okay just us. You’d be a bonus. You don’t have to be a substitute for anyone. But I really love you and Viv really loves you and I’m just hoping—”
“Yes!”
He let out a whoop and slid the ring on her finger. Lauren dropped to her knees and hugged him. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her hair, overwhelmed with emotion, his eyes tearing up.
Lauren pulled back and looked at him, tears spilling out of her eyes. “I know I could never substitute for Viv’s mom, but I love you and I love Viv. I’d love to share in her life and yours.”
He cupped her face with both hands. “Ours. Now it’s ours. For the rest of our lives.”
She nodded, tears still leaking out. He brushed away her tears and kissed her. And then he needed more, so he stood, pulling her with him to the bedroom. Dinner forgotten.
Once there, he peeled off her dress and admired her for a long moment. “So beautiful.”
She tugged at his shirt and he yanked it off. They slammed together, mouths hungry, hands greedy for skin on skin. He pulled away long enough to get them both undressed, condom on, and they tumbled into the bed. He rolled on top of her, bracing himself above her and looked down into her green eyes hazy with lust and love. He entwined his fingers with hers, pressing them into the mattress as he slowly thrust inside her. She lifted her hips to meet him, her legs wrapping high around his waist. Tight. Hot. Wet. Perfection.
He kept his eyes open, gazing into hers as he made love to her, climbing higher and higher, her soft sounds urging him on. And then he felt it—that soul connection. It zinged through him in a flash of recognition. She was his. He was hers.
He brushed his lips against hers. “I feel it.”
She smiled. “Me too. Body, heart, and soul.”
“Yes.”
And then there were no more words. He tried to take it slow, but Lauren urged him on with her dirty words and tight hot body arching up to meet him, clenching around him. He took her on a heart-pounding exhilarating ride that had them both shouting in exultation and then collapsing.
He rolled to his side and wrapped his arms around her in a hug. She hugged him back as always. As close as two people could get.
Chapter Twenty
Lauren dressed, freshened her makeup, and brushed out her hair, hoping she didn’t look too much like a woman who’d just been well fucked. They still had to get over to Zach’s welcome-back party at Garner’s. She stepped into the bedroom, where Alex was still lying in bed, naked, his hands clasped behind his head.
“Why aren’t you dressed?” she asked.
He crooked his finger at her.
She shook her head and eased a step back.
He sat up. “Don’t make me come get you.”
A tingle of anticipation raced down her spine. “We’re going to be late.” Come get me.
His feet hit the floor. “Engaged people are always late.”
“They are not.” She backed toward the door. “It’s rude,” she added. Come get me.
He stood, a predatory gleam in his eye and, down below, a rapidly rising erection. She stared for a moment, shocked he was ready for round two so fast. He lurched toward her suddenly and she jumped, a squeak escaping. Then she turned and ran around the other side of the bed to give him more room to chase.
He caught her easily, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. “Not done with you yet, beautiful.” He kissed along her neck and she tilted her head to give him better access. “Unfortunately, we have a party to get to. I can’t miss it. Zach hasn’t been hom
e in years.” He started walking toward the bathroom, one arm around her waist, her back plastered to his front. “Shower sex, then coffee, and we’re on our way.”
“Okay, but it has to be a fierce alpha wall banger of a fuck. No time for the sweet stuff.”
“Yes, angel.”
By the time they made it to Garner’s, the party was in full swing. She and Alex first went to welcome back Zach, a tall lean man in his thirties with thick dark brown hair and a beard. He was reserved and surprisingly quiet given how boisterous all the guys were with him.
A short while later, Lauren got her second wind after some hot appetizers, surrounded by her friends again. Carrie was all made up and beautiful in a cute purple V-neck wrap dress that clung to her curves. And no glasses! Her delicate features were suddenly in full view with big blue eyes and a cute button nose.
“Did you get contacts?” Lauren asked.
“Yup,” Carrie said. “New dress too. I’m all set.” She scanned the room full of single men.
Lauren tamped down the urge to warn her away from certain men she had dirt on and instead said, “You look beautiful.”
“Thanks! You too!” Carrie did a double take and grabbed Lauren’s hand. “Omigod! Did you get engaged?”
Alex slid an arm around Lauren’s shoulders and grinned. “Sure did.”
Lauren beamed. “I’m so happy.”
“You’re glowing!” Hailey exclaimed. “Congratulations to you both!”
All the women exclaimed over her happy glow and congratulated them.
“Thank you,” Lauren said, turning to gaze at Alex. “He made love bloom.”
Her friends awwed, except Mad, who stuck her finger down her throat in a gagging motion.
“Looks like my plan worked!” Hailey declared. “Who’s next for my Make Love Bloom service?”
“It’s legit,” Alex said with a straight face. “Trademark and everything.”
Lauren nodded solemnly. She and Alex grinned like lovesick fools at each other.
Surprisingly, nobody volunteered for Hailey’s service. Hailey narrowed her eyes and speculatively studied each of the single women, who shifted uneasily.
Ethan came over to greet Alex, heard the happy news, and congratulated them both.
“Looks like Viv let you out on good behavior,” Ethan said with a wink. “Enjoy the freedom.” Cop humor. He hitched a thumb over to the bar, where some of the guys were toasting Zach. “He’s finally back from no man’s land.”
“No man’s land,” Carrie said under her breath, her eyes gleaming. Then she added, “Wait, do you mean jail?”
Ethan stared at her, seeming surprised at the question. “No.”
“But he’s bad?” Carrie pressed, her voice rising in excitement.
“Understatement,” Ethan said, exchanging a look with Alex.
“Uh, Carrie—” Lauren started, putting her hand on Carrie’s arm to hold her back. Her friend had sworn to get herself a bad boy despite Lauren’s repeated warnings against it.
Ethan went on. “He’s got a history, but don’t we all?”
Carrie squeed.
“He straightened out,” Alex said.
Ethan lifted a shoulder. “More or less.”
Carrie pulled free of Lauren and made a beeline for Zach, saying something to him that made him look at her speculatively before a slow smile spread across his handsome features.
Lauren turned to Alex. “Should I go over there?”
Alex kissed her temple. “She’s in good hands.”
Lauren sighed. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”
Epilogue
“When two people love each other a whole lot, they want to be very close.”
Alex shot Lauren a dark look for quietly laughing at his explanation of marriage to Viv. He was aware it was beginning to sound like a birds and the bees talk. He was also keenly aware that tomorrow was move-in day for Lauren and all her stuff at his house. It was the end of August and he wanted her settled before she started the new school year. They planned to marry in October. He would’ve been fine with a quickie wedding at the courthouse, but Lauren had other ideas—the kind of wedding she’d been dreaming of since she was a little girl—so they’d be married in October at Ludbury House with Hailey as both wedding coordinator and maid of honor. All he cared about was Lauren’s happiness. And Viv’s. His heart squeezed painfully, throat tight, eyes stinging. It was impossible to contain the deep well of emotion once he opened to it, and he wouldn’t have it any other way for his two favorite people in the world.
Viv nodded solemnly from her perch on the sofa, seeming aware a life-changing announcement was in the works. Her pigtails were crooked, her red T-shirt was on inside out (she’d insisted on dressing herself this morning), and her blue leggings had one side up and one side down. Her socks were white with grass stains on the bottom from a previous run through the backyard. He’d given up trying to keep her socks white. But damn, he’d never forget how precious she looked on this momentous occasion.
He and Lauren stood together in front of Viv, mostly because Lauren had a present hiding behind her back. He put an arm around Lauren. “I love Lauren very much.”
“Thuper,” Viv said.
“Yes, Thuper,” Alex said. “I mean Super.”
Lauren jumped in. “And I love your daddy very much too. We’re getting married.”
Viv cocked her head. “Mawwied?”
“Yes,” Alex said. “That means we promise to love each other forever. And love you too.”
“I love you, Viv,” Lauren said with a big smile.
“I love you too,” Alex told Viv over the lump in his throat.
Viv nodded and busied herself pulling off her sock.
Lauren went on. “We’re going to be a family. I’ll live here with you and take care of you. You can call me Super L or Mommy, whichever one you like best.”
Viv tossed the sock behind her. It hit the big picture window and fell behind the sofa. Alex restrained himself from stopping Viv’s sock tossing because Lauren was approaching Viv with the present.
“I got you a present for being my new daughter,” Lauren said, sitting next to Viv with a large flat box with bright red paper and a gold bow.
Viv yanked the other sock off, dropped it, and accepted the gift. “Thank you!”
Lauren smiled. “You’re welcome. Go ahead and—”
Viv didn’t need any encouragement. She ripped the paper to shreds. What a mess. Lauren helped her lift the top off the box and pull out the tiara and dress.
Viv’s jaw dropped, brown eyes wide. “Princess Kei-Kei!” she hollered.
The dress was hideous and all Lauren’s idea. It was pink satin on top with puffy sleeves, huge neon green bows on the shoulders and waist, with a pink tutu covered in a pattern of ugly neon green elves (they looked more like trolls). It came with a silver rhinestone tiara with a picture of Kei-Kei and the head elf in the center.
He watched as Lauren helped Viv put the dress on over her T-shirt and leggings. Then she added the tiara. Viv went to the open area of the living room and did a few twirls, letting the dress puff out.
“Fabulous!” Lauren declared.
“Daddy!”
“Fantastic,” he said with as much enthusiasm as he could. He hoped this outfit was strictly for home. He really didn’t want to take her out in it or to her new preschool next month.
“Dance party!” Viv hollered, jumping up and down.
“Not yet,” he said. “I have a present for you to give to Lauren. Come on.”
He led the way to his studio. Over the past few weeks, he’d had Lauren pose with Viv so he could sketch them. Not easy with a squirmy giggling two-year-old, but over the course of several sessions he’d finally captured their likeness. Alex did a self-portrait, putting himself into it too, turning it into a digital painting that he had printed in high resolution onto a canvas. He’d tied a fat red ribbon around the top and made a bow.
“Help me carry i
t,” he told Viv. They each took a side, though it wasn’t heavy. He just wanted her to be part of it.
By the time they got to the living room, Viv ran out of patience, dropped her side and raced to Lauren, climbing up next to her on the sofa. “Present!”
Alex handed it to Lauren. “An early wedding present from both of us.”
“Oh, Alex! I love it!” Lauren exclaimed, sliding off the bow. She turned to Viv, who was leaning into her side. “Thank you so much for this beautiful painting! Who is this family?”
“Family!” Viv exclaimed happily, pointing at each of them. “Mommy, Daddy, Viv.”
“That’s right,” Alex told her.
“Two mommies!” Viv exclaimed.
Lauren beamed. “What a smart girl you are.” She tapped Viv on the nose. “And so lucky to have two mommies.”
“Well, not at the same time,” Alex muttered. He could see having to explain that scenario soon, as Viv would likely blab to all her new friends at preschool. He’d cross that bridge when they came to it.
Lauren must’ve really loved the portrait because a week later she’d had the image transferred to a blanket, a pair of matching mugs, and a keychain. He figured it would probably be on their Christmas cards too.
Of course, the original hung in the hallway next to the other family pictures—Tammy, Alex and Viv, and the three of them. All of Viv’s different families. One day in the not too distant future, she’d have a brother or sister—that was the plan after his and Lauren’s one-year anniversary. He’d already warned Lauren that, while he was happy to be a dad, he was probably going to be an overprotective (mildly) irritating husband throughout her pregnancy because of what had happened with Tammy and fully expected to pass out during the birth. Lauren assured him she expected nothing less of her sweet alpha and declared it endearing. She also assured him she’d have a support person at the birth for both of them. Her complete acceptance and understanding touched him deeply. She was his soul mate, the one person perfect for him, that he never believed existed. He still couldn’t believe he got so lucky to find her.
Two months later, they married.
Formal Arrangement Page 21