A small grin started to creep up on me when I asked, “You mean it?”
“Yes. I can’t wait.” He laughed, true joy lighting up his handsome features. Then his expression sobered. “In fact, we just got this really nice minivan at the lot, and maybe we should think about trading the SUV in.”
I groaned. I’d sworn so many times that I would never be the minivan mom. I was the leggings mom, the messy-bun mom, the I-can’t-live-without-my-coffee mom. But the minivan just seemed like it was too far past the ledge of uncool.
“Hear me out,” he insisted. “It has a vacuum cleaner built in.” Pulling me further onto his lap, he began kissing my neck. “Heated seats.” Kiss. “Remote start.” Kiss. “DVD player.”
I let out a breathy giggle when he bit my earlobe.
“Dad! Stop kissing mom,” Amelia shrieked, covering her eyes.
“Gross!” Alex copied his sister’s sentiment.
I rolled my eyes, then started laughing when Carter placed a rebellious, smacking smooch on my cheek.
Squealing, the kids retreated to the clubhouse attached to their swing set.
I loved this. Maybe they thought we were disgusting, but we were setting the best example. Someday they would be able to recognize love when it was in front of them because we showed them what it looked like.
There were times when Carter still struggled with self-doubt. He worried that he wasn’t communicating enough, wasn’t being romantic enough, wasn’t doing everything possible to make me happy.
But I was always there to pull him back from that dark place. Sometimes he needed a little extra reassurance, both verbal and physical, and I was more than willing to give it to him.
“I guess the van is inevitable,” I conceded with a sigh because Carter was right. “What color is it?”
A smile spread over his face before he nuzzled my neck again. “Red, of course.”
“It’ll make road trips a lot easier.” My breathing picked up.
Carter nodded, his scruff scraping against my skin. “The DVD player alone will be a life saver.”
Not surprisingly, our kids weren’t overly impressed with Las Vegas, so our vacations usually took place at other destinations. Just like me, this city was what they knew. It was old news. It was home.
We made at least one trip a year to Oklahoma to see Scott, Stephanie, and their four kids. Their marriage was just as strong as ours. Scott frequently gave Carter shit about the cynical things he’d said about love that first morning we met—right before he went and fell head over heels for me. It was a running joke in the family now.
“I’m all about that vacuum,” I said, getting more excited by the second, and not just because I was turned on. Honestly, if I had to pick up one more Cheerio off the floor of our car, I might lose my shit.
Landing one last kiss on the tip of my nose, Carter placed his hand over my lower stomach and gave me one of his looks.
The kind of look that could communicate exactly how he was feeling.
The smile on his lips said he was happy. The tenderness in his expression said he adored me. And the love in his eyes was a promise that he always would.
THE END
Fill a champagne glass with one part sparkling white wine and one part orange juice. Add a splash of grenadine, imagine you’re in Vegas, and enjoy!
It’s time to get drunk on love! The Cocktail Girls is a shared world between 14 of your favorite romance authors! Each novella is a stand-alone story set in the city of sin. Grab your kindle, a cocktail, and get ready to meet our new swoon-worthy alphas. Cheers!
His Sloe Screw by Alexandria Hunt
His Old Fashioned by Frankie Love
His Redheaded Slut by Vivian Ward
His Whiskey Sour by Kim Loraine
His Hurricane by Alexis Adaire
His Perfect Martini by Angel Devlin
His Manhattan by Tracy Lorraine
His Long Island Iced Tea by Roxy Sinclaire
His Gin and Juice by Alexx Andria
His Irish Coffee by Jessica Lake
His Blushing Bride by Emilia Beaumont
His Champagne by Dori Lavelle
His Vegas Bomb by Derek Masters
The Good Guys Series
Trucker
A Trucker’s Christmas
Dancer
Dropout
Outcast
Standalone Romantic Comedy
Untamable
My dedication at the beginning of this book is 100% true. Drew, you did ask me to marry you way too soon. And I was probably crazy for saying yes, but I think I chose wisely. You’re the best dad to our kids, and your crazy rivals mine. I think we make a good pair.
To my betas—Liz, Amber, Miranda, and Amie. Thanks for being the first to read His Mimosa and reassure me that it wasn’t complete crap.
To Christine at The Hype PR—Thank you for being so incredibly generous. You know what you did, and I appreciate you!
And I have to give a shout out to Frankie Love for thinking of this project in the first place. I’m so happy to be included in The Cocktail Girls!
To the readers—I hope you enjoyed this novella as much as I enjoyed writing it. This was a fun change of pace, and I’m excited for what’s coming next. Please keep in touch!
Jamie Schlosser grew up on a farm in Illinois, surrounded by cornfields. Although she no longer lives in the country, her dream is to return to rural living someday. As a stay-at-home mom, she spends most of her days running back and forth between her two wonderful kids and her laptop. She loves her family, iced coffee, and happily-ever-afters. You can find out more about Jamie and her books by visiting these links:
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