by Mia Madison
“I’d like that. Is seven okay?”
“That’ll be fine,” he confirmed with a nod.
We exchanged another hug before he left and I darted around the house to tidy everything up for our guests, unable to hide my smile as I cleaned.
Dinner was rough.
It didn’t help matters that Owen had to stay late at work and I hadn’t remembered to text him a warning. When he arrived home a few minutes past seven to find me giving a tour of the house to my parents, it was pretty damn uncomfortable.
Everyone recovered quickly thanks to Mom’s upbeat attitude and I managed to drag him away for a brief moment to give him a rundown of the conversation I had with my dad earlier in the day. He was pleasantly surprised and agreed to be more hospitable in the hopes of a reconciliation.
The actual meal was more of Mom and I catching up while the men glared at each other across the table. I shoved my food down quickly and ran to the kitchen, grabbing two beers from the fridge and silently placing one in front of each of them.
After another minute of deathly silence—they both reached for their bottles and the tension started to break. It wasn’t gone entirely—but there was a definite shift.
They ran through the entire six-pack before we stood up from the table. Mom dragged me to the kitchen where I worriedly paced around and cracked my knuckles.
“Stop doing that. You’ll give yourself arthritis early,” Mom chided me.
“Sorry. I’m just nervous.”
It didn’t help that the front door had slammed shut a while ago—both of them having stepped outside to have a private conversation.
“It’s going to be fine. I made your father promise not to punch him again.”
Thankful that she had gotten him to agree—I forced myself to relax. Mom and I cleaned the dishes together and chatted about work and my excitement for my next year in college and she shared the local gossip she’d heard at the hair salon. She eventually managed to distract me from my nervousness altogether.
Until Dad came back inside and announced that they were leaving. Owen was nowhere in sight as I hugged my parents goodbye and I started to panic when I walked them to the door and still hadn’t spotted him.
I found him waiting on the porch as they stepped out. He and Dad exchanged a handshake and he gave a modest hug to my mom before he stepped over to wave them off with me. Once the car was down the street, I let out a long breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.
The worst was over. At least I hoped.
Spinning around, I tried to study Owen’s face using the dim porch light. He looked puzzled until I started randomly touching him, checking for sore spots. He laughed and took my wrists in his hands, dragging me inside.
“I suffered no injuries, I promise,” he assured me with a smile. His head tipped to the side and he added, “Your father didn’t either. Though I think we might end up giving him an ulcer at some point.”
“That’s real funny,” I said as I rolled my eyes and slapped his arm. “So?”
“So what?”
“So, what did he say? What did you say?”
“He pretty much told me exactly what you said he told you. He also asked how I felt about you living with me.”
I knew now that living together was a bit of a sore spot for Owen. He and Amber had gotten engaged before she moved in with him and the change ultimately led to their undoing.
“You never really know someone until you live with them,” I muttered, remembering my sister once saying the same thing in regards to her boyfriend before Charles. “So what’d you tell him? Or am I not allowed to know?”
“I told him…” he trailed off and stepped forward, dragging me into his embrace and running his fingers up my cheek until they found their way into my hair. “That I want to marry you.”
It wasn’t the first time that day that I was stunned—but it was the first time that I was stunned into complete silence. Instead of attempting to speak, I smiled and stared up at him in awe.
“Oh, look at that face,” he said with a fond chuckle. “Would you like that, princess?” I nodded mutely and he smiled. “Yeah? You’d be my queen?”
“Of course,” I breathed out as words finally returned to me. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
“Would you be up for ring shopping tomorrow?”
“Yes!” I exclaimed, getting excited at the prospect of being able to help pick out my ring.
It might not have been the most romantic way of doing it, but Owen knew me well enough to know that I’d prefer to have a hand in picking it out. It ensured that I’d get something simple that I’d be comfortable wearing every day.
“I plan to do a proper proposal,” he promised. “But I didn’t want to even mention the idea until I spoke to Landon first.”
“He was okay with it?”
Owen shrugged. “I think he was kind of relieved to have proof that I was serious about you. He was okay as he could be, given the circumstances.”
“We’re going to get married,” I whispered, totally blown away by the entire situation. “We… Owen.”
He seemed to understand that I couldn’t express how happy I was with words—and to my great relief and delight—he ended my struggle with a heated kiss. I snaked my arms around his neck and held him close. When it was clear that I had no intention of letting him go, he lifted me from the floor and carried me to bed.
“I love you, Charlotte,” he whispered as he laid me down.
“I love you, too.”
He intertwined our fingers together before he kissed me again and my entire world narrowed to just me, him, and the love I felt between us.
12
Two months later…
“We’re going to be late!”
“Just a minute!” I shouted down the hall, grumbling under my breath as Owen groaned.
Right as I finished fussing with my hair, he yelled, “Layla just pulled up! Let’s roll, princess!”
“Coming!”
I grabbed my purse and ran down the hall, smiling when Owen turned to me and his eyes went wide. He let out a low whistle as he stepped close enough to touch and he trailed his fingertips all over my new dress.
“Damn. When’d you get this?”
“When I went shopping with Ava last week. There’s also something new underneath it,” I said with a flirty wink, batting his hands away when he tried to pull up the hem to see. “Uh-uh. We’re going to be late.”
He growled and waited for me to walk by before he smacked me on the ass.
“You’re in for a hell of a spanking later, my little cock tease.”
“Looking forward to it.”
“I know you are,” he quietly muttered as he opened the front door to reveal Layla, her fist held in midair.
“Guess I don’t have to knock after all.”
“We do appreciate you not honking the horn,” Owen dryly said. “The neighbors were starting to glare at me every time I went to the mailbox.”
I brushed past Owen, ignoring him as I linked arms with Layla. We walked toward his truck while he locked up the house.
“Thanks for coming.”
“You kidding? I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”
She seemed to be in a good mood, but there was a bit of sadness in her eyes. I knew she probably didn’t want to talk about it, but I wanted to make sure she knew I was here if she needed to.
“No date?”
“Not tonight,” she said with a sigh. “But I’m hoping that might change soon.”
“Really? That’s great! When did—”
“Don’t say anything,” she said, glancing at Owen as he jogged to catch up with us. “To anyone. Not yet.”
“I won’t,” I swore, dropping the subject when Owen got within hearing range.
We chatted on the ride to the house—all three of us excited to see Finley and Charles in the flesh for the first time in a long while. As we rode, I showed Layla the photo my sister had texted me a week ea
rlier.
“What the fuck?” she asked, roaring with laughter as I explained the picture.
Brooke and Finley were sitting beside each other while Charles and Joshua flanked them. Brooke had a sunny smile on her face and her hand on Finley’s huge stomach while Finley glared at the camera as she held up her ‘godson.’
“His name is Snickers,” I explained as I zoomed in on the kitten’s face. “Brooke and Joshua got him from a shelter two weeks ago and Brooke made them take a family photo with both of their god-children.”
“Please send me that picture,” Layla said, laughing as she handed back my phone. “God, I love Brooke. How’s she doing?”
“From what I’ve heard—Brooke, Joshua, and Snickers are living a blissfully happy life together. He’s still teaching and Brooke took a position at Charles’ firm. She’s not working for him directly, but he was impressed enough during the interview to give her a prominent position in accounting. She’s some kind of superhero when it comes to numbers.”
“That’s good to hear. I’d ask about your sister, but I guess we’ll find that out soon enough,” Layla said with a chuckle.
I knew Finley never cared much for Layla, which made it all the more surprising when she suggested bringing her to our family reunion dinner. Though part of me was certain Layla’s attendance was more for comedic relief considering Finley was finally going to drop the bomb on my parents.
The six-month overdue bomb.
“This is going to be a shit show,” I said with horror.
Owen snorted. “You just realized that?”
I’d expected it to be awkward. Otherwise, I hadn’t put much thought into how it would go. Not until we were pulling into the driveway.
“She’s not here yet.”
“The calm before the storm. Enjoy it while it lasts, ladies.”
I frowned at Owen as he hopped out of the truck and offered me his hand. I slid out the driver’s side while Layla exited the passenger door and the three of us walked to the door of the house like we were walking the plank.
When the front door opened and Mom happily greeted us, I started to feel less nervous. When Dad patted Owen on the shoulder and handed him a beer, I felt even better. Layla smiled encouragingly at me and I felt myself relax.
Until the front door flew open and Charles stepped in—staring blankly at us all standing around for a moment before stepping back to let my sister step inside.
“Hey everyone,” she sheepishly greeted with a small wave.
“MY BABY!”
Everyone in the room winced as Mom screamed and rushed over to give the most awkwardly positioned hug in life. But as she cried into my sister’s hair, the rest of us turned to Dad.
His face was white as a sheet as he stared at his pregnant daughter.
For a moment, I was absolutely certain that he was going to faint.
Then he looked at Charles and roared, “YOU!”
Owen was there to step between them—knowing all too well what was about to happen. Charles simply rolled his eyes before returning to my sister’s side and wrapping an arm around her back and resting his hand protectively—or was that possessively?—over her stomach.
“We’re having a baby,” Charles needlessly announced with a dry tone. Dad struggled to get Owen to release him and Charles continued, “We’ve decided to name him Nathan Landon King.”
Dad stopped jerking in Owen’s grasp and turned his gaze to Finley.
“You… Really?”
“Yeah. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”
Mom was trying to sniffle discretely as Dad gaped at the two of them. We were all frozen while we waited for his reaction. The only person who seemed entirely at ease was Charles.
“I’m going to be a grandpa,” Dad said as he closed his eyes, a small smile pulling at the corners of his lips. “Oh, sweetheart.”
Finley ran to Dad and hugged him as best as she could in her condition and I smiled when she waved me to join them. Mom was next to join the group hug and before I could ask Owen to come—Layla slung her arms around us.
“I love you guys,” she said, sniffling a little. “This is such a beautiful moment.”
“You’re wrecking it,” Finley mumbled from somewhere in the pile-up of bodies.
Everyone laughed just as the click of a shutter caught our attention. Owen pulled the phone down and smiled at the photo, showing Mom when she went to his side to see. Charles came over and patted my father on the shoulder and the two of them shared a good-natured—though still uncomfortable—moment of silence.
“Ah, hell. Everyone get in the dining room! We need to toast to my future grandson.”
“Did Finley tell you she’s a godmother?” I asked Mom with an innocent smile.
Mom gasped and smiled while Finley groaned. I stifled a laugh as Mom started hounding my sister for details as they moved into the dining room.
“Must you tease her?” Charles asked with an amused smirk.
“It’s my sisterly duty.”
He let out a short laugh and I used the opportunity to introduce him to Owen. He greeted Layla and the two of them followed the group into the dining room, leaving me alone with my fiancé.
“That went surprisingly well,” Owen said with a hint of disbelief.
“It was the middle name,” I said surely, nodding to myself. “A very smart move on Finley’s part. Well-played, sister.”
“Damn. Any ideas on how to get that good of a reception when we decide to have kids?”
“That’s a little while off,” I said as I pushed at his chest. “I’m not going off the pill until after I finish college.”
“Because you’re a smart girl,” he replied proudly. “Come on.”
I started to follow him when my phone chimed in my purse. I held up a finger as I dug for it, frowning when I saw a text from Ava.
‘I have some oddly timed news.’
Owen returned to my side and looked down at the message while I tried to type out a reply, but another text came in right behind the first. My eyes went wide and I gasped at the picture.
“Is that a—”
“Yeah, it is,” I whispered in shock.
“Would you two hurry up? I’m fucking hungry,” Layla said as she came around the corner. When she saw the look on our faces, her expression turned serious. “What’s wrong?”
I turned the phone around and showed her the screen just as her own phone chimed with what I assumed were the same two messages.
“No fucking way!” she yelled, drawing the attention of the others. “Ava’s pregnant too?!” She let out a guffaw just as everyone else came into the room and she pointed at me and dubbed, “You’re next, sugar plum. Mark my words—you’ll be knocked up by Christmas.”
Mom squealed with excitement while Dad—standing in the back of the room—promptly fainted.
The End
About the Author
In the mood for something decadent, delicious, and provocative? Meet Mia Madison, purveyor of Forbidden Fantasies Romance. Come in, sit back, and relax. The candles are lit, and the dancing shadows on the wall promise sexy, seductive tales of spine-tingling love, leading to a pleasure-drenched happy-ever-after.
You'll discover young women eager for experience, who have scorching encounters with older men who know exactly what they're doing between the sheets. In Mia Madison's world, anything can—and does—happen. So leave your inhibitions at the door and come along for the ride.
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No problem. Check out any of these delicious stories available on Amazon.
Touch & Taste (Love at First Sight #1)
Work & Play (Love at First Sight #2)
Protect & Serve (Love at First Sight #3)
Tempting Tonio (The Adamos Book 1)
Kissing Kosta (The Adamos Book 2)
Craving Carlo (The Adamos Book 3)
Vexing Victor (The Adamos Book 4)
A Day and Forever
Bossy Valentine
Dad’s Billionaire Buddy
Business with Pleasure
My Cocky Cowboy
My Filthy Fireman
Playing With Fire
Burning For You
On Fire
My Dad’s Boss
My Boss’s Boss
Bossy Christmas Party
Forever My Lady
Zayum Zaddy
Marcus Mine
Latin Spice