Eye Candy

So why is Mia using it right now? That doesn’t make sense.

I stand from the bed and tug on my sweatpants, staying shirtless for now, then I pick up Chase. “Come on, little man. Let’s go get Mommy.”

He wraps his hand around my neck and watches me closely as I carry him out into the hallway, blinking those big, round eyes at me while he continues sucking on his thumb. He giggles when I slowly lean in.

Goddamn, I got the cutest kids.

“Mia?” I knock on the bathroom door. “You better not be cleaning in there. You know I’ll do that.”

Mia does everything else. I think it’s only fair I handle the piss accidents.

The door unlocks and swings open, and before I have the chance to say anything else, question what Mia was doing in there, or simply take another breath, she’s grabbing my face with both hands, pulling me down, and kissing the shit out of me.

I no longer give one fuck about what she was doing in that bathroom.

Mia shoves her tongue inside my mouth and moans when she feels mine. I grip her soft waist through the shirt of mine she’s wearing, and tilt my head when she tilts hers. I tug her against me, groaning. She tastes like coffee and that sweet vanilla creamer she uses. So . . . fucking . . . good. And I’d keep kissing her. I would—it doesn’t even bother me that Chase is watching this happen. I’m sure he’s seen it plenty of times before. My boys should be immune to the PDA that goes on in this house. Besides, we’re clothed. Mostly. Mia isn’t wearing pants, but she’s covered. But she seems to get enough and drags her teeth across my bottom lip before finally dropping her arms and pulling away.

“Happy Halloween,” she says softly, grinning from ear to ear and looking like a damn temptress doing it.

I adjust my dick. “Jesus. It’s starting off good, that’s for sure.”

Mia giggles and looks at Chase when he reaches for her. “Hi, baby boy,” she coos, kissing his hands. “My little stubborn man. Are you ready to go trick-or-treating and get some candy?”

“I’m ready!” Nolan hollers, walking toward us. “We don’t need to wait until it’s dark outside. I’m pretty sure people are ready for us now.”

“We’re eating breakfast first, Nolan. No candy before breakfast,” Mia says.

“And we’ll go when it’s dark outside,” I tell him. “A lot of people wait to buy candy until the last minute. If you go too early, you’ll get what they have laying around, like apples and canned food.”

Nolan scrunches up his face. “Like those beans Mommy makes? They really give those out?”

“Yep.”

“Gross. Forget it. We’ll wait.”

“Baby,” Mia plucks Chase out of my arms, kisses his cheek, and then sets him on his feet. “Go with Nolan. You boys go ahead downstairs and play. Daddy and I will be down in a second.”

I give Mia a look. Quickie?

She blushes, her fingers pressing to her lips, and shakes her head no.

Damn.

Nolan grabs Chase’s hand and tugs him along. “Come on, Chasey. Let’s go make some pancakes.”

“Nolan, do we need to have another talk about messing with the stove?” I ask.

My son is in a hurry to be a man. He’s always doing shit he shouldn’t be doing yet.

“I was just kidding!” he yells. “I’m not gonna cook anything.”

Arms drawing across my chest, I shake my head and watch my boys disappear down the stairs.

Just kidding my ass.

I know my son. He’s one unsupervised meal away from burning the house down.

“Ben.”

I turn back to Mia and watch her slowly back away so she’s standing inside the bathroom again. She crooks her finger at me.

“Come here.”

I cock an eyebrow.

She bites her lip.

Fuck. Yes.

I move quickly, grabbing her waist and pressing her up against the sink. She moans when I lick her neck. Her fingertips dig into my shoulders.

“Ben.” She’s breathless.

“Mm?”

Mia gasps when I bite the soft skin above her collarbone. I squeeze her ass until she’s standing on her toes and tipping into me, her hip rubbing against my hard cock.

I groan. “Fuck, Mia . . .”

We fucked twice last night, but you wouldn’t know it. This need—this overwhelming desire to taste and touch and fuck this woman—never goes away. Never lessens in the slightest. It’s always there. A plea whispering in my ear. An itch underneath my skin. I need her.

I need this. Us. Always.

She reaches behind her back, and when I hear objects moving I think Mia’s clearing a space and giving us room to do this fast and now, right now, and I swear to God, I’m not going to last, but then she’s bringing her hand between us and whispering in my ear, “Look,” as she presses something hard against my chest.

I lean back enough to see what she’s trying to show me. I look at the object in her hand.

I blink.

I look.

I blink again . . .

What the fuck?

“Mia?”

Her soft laugh lifts my head. She has tears in her eyes and she’s nodding and telling me, “Yes,” like she knows what I’m going to ask her.

And I do. I need to ask. I need to hear her say it . . .

“You’re pregnant?”

“Yes.”

“Are you . . . holy fuck, are you sure? Really?” I take the test from her and look at it again, studying the two pink lines in the tiny window. I bring it closer to my face.

Why the fuck can’t they make this shit any bigger?

“Ben,” Mia giggles, grabbing my face with both hands and forcing me to look at her. “I’m sure. Two lines means I’m pregnant. I’m very pregnant. Look.”

She twists sideways and allows me to see the counter behind her. There’s another test lying there next to the sink.

“You took two?” I ask, setting the test in my hand down next to the other and studying them both now.

Four lines. Plain as day. Right there.

Fuck.

Holy fuck, this is happening.

“I wanted to be sure,” Mia answers, her hand wrapping softly around my arm. “I have more. I’ve been hiding them in here so you wouldn’t know I’ve been taking them. They’re in a bag underneath the sink.”

“What?”

She shrugs when I meet her eyes. “I wanted to surprise you. And I didn’t want you worrying if they weren’t positive. You know how you get, Ben.”

I straighten fully and give her a look, making her smile. “How long have you been taking tests?”

“Not long. Three months. No . . .” She tilts her head. “Four. I’ve been taking them for four months.”

“Four months?”

What the fuck? How did I not know?

I knew Mia stopped taking her birth control five months ago, the weekend of Reed’s wedding. We decided then we wanted more kids. And even though it’s not something we talk about every second, it’s constantly on my mind.

It’s there, in the back of my head, every time we’re together.

Did it work? Is this it?

How did I not know she was in here worrying all alone about this for the past four months? Where the fuck have I been?

“Ben.” Her hands cup my face again, lifting it.