“Well, what the fuck are you waiting for?”
Pausing for a beat, I glance around the house and take in all the toys that are haphazardly scattered everywhere. The sound of Eric and Robert’s laughter bounces off the walls as they chase each other around with the balloons. It’s chaos…beautiful fucking chaos.
Knowing I’m probably going to regret the words that come out of my mouth next, I turn to Riggs.
“How do you do it?”
Crossing his arms against his chest, he contemplates his response.
“We get a lot of help from her mother. If Mama Leone didn’t take them once a week, I’d never get it in. Well, that’s not entirely true. There’s always the shower. We do most of our sexing under water these days.”
Gritting my teeth, I shake my head.
“That’s not what I meant,” I grunt. “You got it, man, you got everything, and you make it work. How?”
Flitting his gaze to me, he suddenly becomes very serious.
“Are you asking me for advice?”
“Don’t make me regret it.”
“Man, I gotta document this somehow.”
“Just answer the fucking question.”
He remains silent for a moment before glancing at Lauren.
“You just do it,” he answers honestly. “If someone would’ve told me years ago, I’d be a father of three, I would’ve told them they were out of their fucking mind. I mean, you were there when I found out Lauren was pregnant, you watched me lose my shit.”
Yeah, I did.
It seems like it was just yesterday the little shit was rocking in a corner, fearing fatherhood. Now, here he is, owning the role like it’s what he was born to do.
“After Eric was born…” his voice trails and I’m caught by surprise as his face fills with emotion. Riggs sails through life with a smile on his face, ready to fire a joke on command. He doesn’t break. He doesn’t even bend. “Man, I never felt anything like what I felt when I held him. I knew I didn’t deserve him, that I’d probably fuck it all up but once he wrapped his little hand around my finger, I knew I never lived a fucking second until he was born. There’s nothing like it and as long as Lauren’s willing, I’ll keep having kids just to feel that love. I’ll populate the whole goddamn world.”
He turns to me and his expression grows serious.
“That doesn’t mean I don’t walk out that door every day with my fucking heart in my throat. I watched my woman get shot while she was seven months pregnant. I held my son for the first time, not sure he or his mother would survive, and I buried my best friend. A man doesn’t forget that. He wakes every day and chooses not to cower to fear, knowing if he does the enemy wins and fuck that shit. That Chinese cunt took enough from me. He doesn’t get to take this too.”
“Yeah?”
“Fuck, yeah.”
“Then how come it’s taking you so damn long to wife your Kitten?” I quip, elbowing him in the side. He punches my shoulder and my lips quirk before I fix him with a look. “I’m fucking proud of you.”
“Stop, you’re going to make me blush.”
“I mean it, Riggs, and if Bones was here, he’d say the same. You’re a great father.”
“Blackie,” Lacey calls, drawing my attention away from Riggs. My gaze settles on her as she rises to her feet, gently rocking the baby in her arms. “Come hold him.”
“Yeah, big guy, go hold the baby,” Riggs encourages, patting me on the back. “I just changed his diaper so he shouldn’t shit on you but if he does, consider yourself blessed.”
Fucking Riggs.
Chapter Eight
Lacey
Most married people try to set aside one night a week for date night. Maybe they go out for a fancy dinner or check out a movie they’ve been dying to see, but for me and Blackie, date night consists of powering off our phones and sprawling out on the couch. We order take-out, most of the time it’s Chinese and binge on Netflix. However, we don’t call it date night. For us, it’s Leather and Lace night and it’s my favorite night of the week.
“What’s it going to be tonight?” Blackie questions, folding his hands behind his head as he kicks his bare feet onto the coffee table. My eyes rake over his naked chest, taking in the patch of hair that trails into his low riding sweats.
“How is it possible that your abs are still visible after all the salt we just consumed?” I ask. I don’t mean to ignore his question, I’m legitimately curious. He can devour a pint of Lo-Mein and still manage to look like a Greek God but the minute I take a bite of an egg roll, my fingers swell, and my rings become a size too small.
Pulling my feet onto his lap, his lips quirk.
“Pick a movie, Lace, or I’m picking.”
“Oh, hell no,” I say. “I am not suffering through another Sci-Fi flick.”
Snapping out of my trance, I peel my eyes away from the happy trail and silently promise myself to let my tongue travel that path before the night ends. Blackie starts to massage my feet as I lean over and swipe the remote from the table. Bypassing Netflix altogether, I pull up the Google Play app on the Smart TV and purchase A Star Is Born.
Blackie continues to work my feet as the movie begins to stream and a moan slips from my lips.
“That feels amazing,” I murmur softly.
“Yeah?”
Meeting his gaze, I pull my lower lip between my teeth and nod. He keeps his eyes on mine as a sly grin spreads across his mouth and I watch as he dips his head and takes my big toe into his mouth. Immediately I release my lip and bark out a laugh as he sucks on my toe.
“Blackie!”
“Hmm?” he questions in that teasing tone of his. A second later he releases my toe with a pop and I playfully kick him.
“I can’t believe you just did that.”
“Why? I’ve sucked on every other part of your body. Your toe was probably feeling neglected.”
“I assure you my toe was just fine,” I volley. “Now, behave and watch the movie or I won’t give you your surprise.”
Lifting an eyebrow, his eyes rake the length of my body as he reaches across and fingers the hem of my silk nightie.
“I thought this was my surprise,” he says, inching the silk over my thighs.
“Oh, baby, you haven’t seen nothing yet,” I whisper, covering his hand with mine. Slowly I guide him all the way under the nightie. His fingers slide between my legs and a groan sounds from his throat when he finds me bare.
The heel of my foot finds his hardening cock and I press softly against the cotton pants shielding him.
“Christ, girl,” he hisses. “You’re killing me.”
“I promise to take good care of you, babe,” I tease, moving my foot back to his lap. “Right after the movie is over. I’ll make it good, so fucking good.”
“It’s always good with you,” he says, running his index finger along the seam of my pussy. Before I can swat his hand away, he does it himself and through hooded eyes, I watch him bring his fingertip to his nose. Biting the inside of his cheek, he takes in a deep breath and meets my gaze.