by Toni Aleo
“Who am I welcoming?”
Lacey twirled around quickly to see her husband standing in the doorway, looking deliciously wet from a shower and sporting a grin just for her. His shoulders took up most of the doorway, and her insides clenched at the thought of digging her nails into them. He was undeniably sexy.
“My father,” she said, causing his face to twist in horror. Smiling, she said into her phone, “I don’t know, but I’ll let you know in the next couple days so you can make plans one way or the other.”
“Fine, that’s reasonable. I guess I will let you go.”
“Yeah, Karson just got home and we are going shopping before dinner with some friends tonight. I’ll be in touch.”
“Okay, I love you,” he said.
“I love you too,” she said back and didn’t miss the way Karson looked at her. His look told her he was surprised by her sentiment to her father but also glad that she was talking to her dad. She had told her dad that Karson wouldn’t welcome him, but somewhere deep in her heart, she thought he would. He would do anything for her as long as it made her happy. She hoped he knew she would do the same for him.
Hanging up the phone, she set it on the counter before reaching for him. He came willingly, wrapping her up in his strong arms and lifting her off the ground as he kissed her senseless. Closing her eyes, she ran her fingers up the back of his neck into his hair where she held on as she kissed him long and hard. She had four days to collect all the kisses she could to get her through the two weeks without him. She wasn’t going to cheat herself of any of them.
Parting, Karson grinned down at her before saying, “Hey, wife.”
“Husband, how was practice?”
“I think I tweaked my hip, but I’m good.”
“Aw, want me to rub it later?” she said, waggling her eyebrows playfully.
He grinned as he nodded. “That’s exactly what I want. With your tongue. And then I want you to drift to the left and suck me off.”
Heat washed over her as his grin grew. “I can always depend on you to be direct,” she laughed.
“Always,” he said with a wink. “So what did your dad want? That’s odd that he called, right?”
“Yeah,” she said, twirling her fingers in the small, wet hairs at the base of his neck. “He called to say he missed me and wanted a relationship with me.”
“Really? Wow.”
“Yeah, he said he was wrong for calling your coach.”
“So he apologized? That’s surprising.”
Lacey thought for a second. “No, he never apologized.”
Karson scoffed as he shook his head. “Ha, didn’t expect him to.”
That bothered her. Why didn’t he apologize? And why hadn’t she noticed it until Karson mentioned it? Letting it go though, she said, “Yeah, he wants to come for Thanksgiving.”
He made a face that said it was a bad idea before saying, “Really? Why? My family will be here.”
“We’ve never spent a holiday apart, so I don’t know. He wants to come, and I said I’d talk to you about it,” she said, chewing on the inside of her lip.
“I don’t know, baby. Do you think it’s a good idea?”
She shrugged. It probably wasn’t, but she wanted her family and his all together. “I don’t know. I mean, it’s up to you. You made plans with your family; I don’t want to change them.”
His eyes darkened as he shook his head. “This is our first Thanksgiving as a couple in our new home. I want you to be happy.”
“I know, but I don’t want you to be uncomfortable,” she said, looking away.
Lifting her chin, he met her gaze and asked, “Do you want him to come?”
Still chewing on her lips, she knew she did. Like she had said, they’d never spent a holiday apart, and while it was probably time to grow up and allow that to happen, so much had already changed. Maybe spending holidays together could be the one thing that could stay the same, and maybe her family could figure out a way to tolerate Karson.
“Yeah, I think I do.”
“Then invite him. We have the room.”
A grin pulled at her lips as she met his gaze. “Are you sure?”
“If it makes you happy, yes,” he said, kissing the side of her mouth. “I can deal as long as you are smiling.”
Cupping his face, she kissed his bottom lip before beaming at him. “I love you, husband.”
“And I love you, wife.”
Something still wasn’t sitting right about Nate Martin coming to Thanksgiving dinner. While he wanted to believe that he had Lacey’s best interest in mind, Karson couldn’t help thinking the asshole would come to sabotage their first holiday together. He didn’t want to think that of his father-in-law, but come on, the guy didn’t have a good track record. Usually, he would say tell the guy to fuck off, but he knew Lacey wanted this. Her dad was an asshole, but he was her dad. He just hoped that Nate had Lacey’s happiness in mind and not his own. Knowing him though, he probably didn’t. This was just a way to get close to her and push Karson away. But no matter how much Karson didn’t feel right about it, he’d do anything for her.
Even spend a holiday with Nate Martin.
He loved her, and as he drove to Shea and Elli Adler’s house, his hand in her lap, her fingers tangled with his, he knew he’d probably face a billion Nate Martins just for the chance to be near her. She was stunning. In a long, tight skirt, she had a white blouse on that was lacy at the top, giving a sexy but very classy view of her breasts. Her hair was in a high bun, her makeup heavy and dramatic, and her heels were tall and sexy. She looked like she had been taken out of some sort of city magazine before being placed in the seat beside him, and he couldn’t help but be turned on more than anything.
His wife was a hottie.
Squeezing her hand, he said, “You look gorgeous, sweetheart.”
She smiled over at him, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Thank you.”
With his brows coming in from her nervous grin, he asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I have to admit, I’m a little nervous to meet your friends.”
He laughed. “They are awesome. The guys are okay, I guess, but you’ll like the wives. Elli is great. She is friendly and you’ll love her. Audrey is nice, her sister Fallon is kinda bitchy, but that’s only when she is pregnant. Unfortunately, she’s pregnant right now. Piper and Reese are good people, so you should be good. Just make sure that Fallon is always eating, and you shouldn’t have a problem.”
She giggled. “Feed the pregnant woman and everyone is nice—I think I got it.”
He kissed the back of her hand and nodded. “I’m sure you’ll have a great time. They are really great people. They are my family here.”
“I’m excited to meet them,” she said just as they pulled into Shea’s driveway.
“Here we are,” he said, shutting the car off and getting out. Going around, he opened the door and helped her out. Taking in her long legs and killer shoes, his groin tightened even more. “Shit, woman, those heels are killing me.”
She gave him a sneaky grin before she whispered, “Maybe I’ll wear them to bed tonight.”
“Oh yes, please do,” he practically begged as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Looking deep into her sparkly green eyes, he could tell she was happy. He loved the grin that sat on her lips, the way her eyes shone with love, and how she just looked utterly blissful. He did that. He made sure his woman was the happiest she could be and he wouldn’t stop. His sole purpose in life was to make sure this woman was loved, supported, taken care of, and completely happy. He had done really well so far, and the future looked positive for them.
As long as Nate didn’t mess with them.
Holding her face, he ran his thumbs along her cheeks as his eyes locked with hers. He couldn’t believe that he was leaving her in a matter of days. After spending every waking moment with her, it was going to be as hard as it had been nine years ago to walk away from her. Yeah, he knew she was a ph
one call away, but he was going to miss her eyes, her lips, her body, everything.
“It’s gonna be hard leaving you for two weeks.”
Her grin dropped as she nodded. “It’s gonna suck. Hide me in your suitcase?”
He smiled. “I wish I could, but do you really want to share a room with me and JT?”
She shuddered as she shook her head quickly. “Hell, no. Not with Sir-Masturbates-A-Lot.”
He chuckled as he collected her up in his arms, running his lips along hers. “Then I guess we will have to resort to FaceTime.”
“Yup, and then we will be the ones masturbating,” she joked with an exaggerated wink.
He nodded, holding his grin in. “Yes, we will. How will we survive?”
“One orgasm at a time,” she said, her grin taking over her sweet face.
That had them both laughing as he squeezed her tightly to him. As their laughter subsided, he met her gaze and kissed her nose. He wasn’t going to make it without her. He really couldn’t get enough of her, and the thought of two long weeks without her had his stomach churning. He wasn’t ready to leave yet. He’d probably never be ready; he needed more Lacey. He always needed more.
After kissing her lips softly, he whispered, “I haven’t even left yet and I miss you.”
Her eyes clouded a tad as she nodded. “It’s going to be hell.”
“But we will get through it,” he said with a nod. “I’ll be back before you know it.”
“Let’s keep telling ourselves that. Maybe it will work,” she said sadly and he hated that.
“I wouldn’t leave if I didn’t have to,” he said, hoping to ease some of her anxiety. Or maybe his.
“I know, Karson, and this is your job. I knew that from the beginning,” she said, cupping his face. She kissed his lips, her lips moving ever so softly against his and curling his toes as he held her tight. Pulling back, she met his gaze and said, “And when you get home, I’ll be waiting.”
“Naked?”
“Naked,” she agreed with a grin, kissing his lips again.
“Okay, let’s get inside before I take you back home,” he teased and she grinned, her cheeks coloring sweetly.
“Okay,” she agreed as he took her hand and started for the house.
As they reached the door, he looked over at her and smiled. “Warning, there are like a billion kids. Each of them has an average of like three kids,” he said with a chuckle. The Assassins men were fertile. “But you like kids, right?”
“Yeah, love them,” she said, returning the grin.
“Good,” he said with a nod. Looking deep into her eyes, he squeezed her hand and said, “You know, we should talk about having some soon, don’t you think?”
Her grin was gone within seconds and soon replaced with a straight line. Her eyes went dull as she looked away, bringing her lip into her teeth. Cocking his head to the side, he asked, “What’s that look about?”
“Nothing,” she said with a shake of her head. “It’s just, um—”
“Hey, y’all!”
Karson looked over to see his boss standing in front of him in all her beautiful glory. His boss was not only a knockout but also the greatest person alive. She would do anything for anyone, and everyone loved Elli. You had to; it was a rule or something. One that if you broke would bring Shea Adler after you. And no one wanted Shea Adler after them.
Glancing from Elli to Lacey, he saw that she had changed her worried expression to a bright grin that only he knew was fake. One he didn’t like nor understand the need for. He didn’t know what he had said. He asked if she wanted to talk about having kids. What was wrong with that?
What the hell just happened?
Lacey’s heart was slamming against her ribs harder than a wrecking ball.
Cue the Miley Cyrus song.
Her hands were clammy as she twirled her ring around her fingers, but she couldn’t help it. She couldn’t sit still for anything. As she stood in the middle of the room, all Karson’s friends staring at her and introducing themselves, all she could do was think about what he said:
You know, we should talk about having some soon, don’t you think?
As Elli talked about loving her shoes, Lacey’s head was swimming with her own panicked thoughts. There was a reason why people dated before they got married, and while yes, they’d dated as kids, they weren’t the people now they were then. She loved Karson. She loved who he was now; he was a great man. But from that single question, Lacey knew one thing that she wished she would have known before she’d married him.
That he wanted kids.
But the problem was, she didn’t.
To say she was internally freaking out was an understatement. She was more like having a full-out anxiety attack. People got divorced over the issue of kids. It was a deal-breaker. Lacey had completely invested herself into their relationship, and now it could all come to a crumbling end. She had left her home, her family, her business all behind for him, and now that could be for nothing. She wasn’t sure how hell-bent Karson was, but she saw the yearning in his eyes when he said it. When they were back in Chicago, he had been in heaven as they cuddled with her nephews. He loved kids.
He wanted them.
And shit, his parents wanted grandchildren, and he was all about pleasing his parents. She then remembered hearing him say to the Realtor that the house was big enough for a least three kids, but she’d paid him no mind. She was too busy looking at the sinks. Why didn’t she pay attention! The signs were all there. But they never talked about it, and now…now she could lose everything.
“Menfolk, let’s go to the deck for a beer. Let the beautiful women get to know our newest addition to the Assassins family,” Shea called out, making Lacey jump.
He was a big man, demanding the attention of the room, but as she looked around, she realized all the men did. Tate was a giant and Lucas had shoulders like Karson’s. Phillip and Erik were thick with muscle, but they were lean, obviously for the speed on the ice. All of them were good-looking too, but then as her eyes met Karson’s, she knew that no one could hold a candle to him. Her man was all kinds of sexy, and soon her eyes stung with tears at the thought of losing him.
How could she tell him she didn’t want kids?
Would it break him? Would he completely throw her away and go find someone who would have babies? He loved her, but was their love strong enough to replace his need for children? She knew how men were; they needed to spread their seed, but Lacey just wasn’t for it. She couldn’t do it.
Snaking his arm around his waist, he put his mouth to her ear. “You okay?”
She nodded. “Fine.”
“She’ll be fine, Karson. Go on now. We need to get to know each other,” Elli said with a bright grin.
Karson laughed. “I know, just checking on her, boss.”
Lacey smiled as his lips met the side of her mouth. “Are you sure?” he whispered.
Taking his jaw in her hand, she met his eyes with hers and did her best to lie. “Yes, everything is fine. Go get some beer.”
He eyed her, and she was sure he could see she was lying. She didn’t even know why she tried. She couldn’t lie to him. Never had been able to. He saw right through her and that made her more than nervous. It terrified her. She guessed he’d decided to wait to interrogate her, and he kissed her softly on her mouth before saying, “All right, sweetheart. Have fun.”
Smiling, she watched as he walked away. His beautiful back muscles flexing with each step he took, his ass that of a god, and those legs carrying him like he was a feather. He was honestly a thing of beauty, one whom she loved and was horrified to lose.
“You two are adorable,” Elli said and Lacey beamed over at her. Elli was a beautiful woman, long auburn hair and green eyes that made Lacey feel at home. She was on the thicker side, but it worked for her. All of the women were beautiful, actually, and it was very intimidating.
“Thank you. We are very happy,” she said as all of them sized her
up.
“Good, we want that. Come on, we’ll all have some wine and cheese while we wait for the chicken to finish cookin’,” Elli said, taking Lacey’s arm with hers and leading her through the large home. Lacey wasn’t one for big houses, but the Adler home was flawless and very well lived-in. There were toys everywhere along with hockey equipment and everything that a family would have. It was evident that the home was full of love.
As she was led toward the kitchen, Lacey took in all the pictures of all the children and pictures of Elli and Shea through the years. Their wedding pictures were the ones that stood out the most. She couldn’t wait to get her prints back from their wedding so she could adorn their home with them, but then her chest hurt at the thought of Karson kicking her to the curb before that could happen.
For a split second though, Lacey considered the idea of having a child just so she wouldn’t lose Karson, but then her eyes met a little girl’s eyes in a picture, and she remembered exactly why she didn’t want a child.
“Your daughter?” Lacey asked, stopping and pointing to the little girl. She looked a lot like Shea but had Elli’s green eyes.
“Yes, that’s our sweet girl, Shelli. She’s seven,” she said, pride pouring out of her pores. She then pointed to another picture of all five children. “Then we have Posey, six, the twins, Owen and Evan, are five, and Quinn is two, almost three.”
“Wow, packed house,” Lacey said with a grin as Elli laughed.
“Yup, couldn’t be happier.”
“Will you have more?” she asked as they started toward the kitchen.
Everyone laughed as Elli began shaking her head almost violently. “Hell-to-the-fuck no. I got my tubes tied, and Shea got his stuff snipped. We are fertile as hell, had to take double precautions. I even try to get him to use condoms still, just to be sure,” she said, causing everyone to laugh again and soon Lacey was laughing too. Elli’s laughter was contagious.
“Where are they now?”
“Shea’s parents are in town, so they are all hanging out at his sister’s house since we had this planned before they came in,” she said, pouring Lacey a glass of wine.