“Everyone is already here,” she softly observes, looking through the windshield of my truck at the vehicles that line my parents’ driveway.
“Well, that’s what happens when your beast of a dog decides that he would rather hunt his own dinner than have that bag shit.”
She laughs nervously.
“Calm down. It’s going to be fine.”
Her head moves, but her eyes stay focused on the driveway.
“How many times do I have to remind you that this isn’t the first time they’ve seen us together?”
“My show doesn’t count. I hardly had time away from Annabelle parading me around to even be at your side.”
I hum, not responding. She has to work this out on her own, and nothing I say will ease her mind.
“Plus, this is so much different. This is our family, Nate. Someone is bound to say something. I just don’t want to cause any issues.”
Again, I just nod and make a noise in my throat.
“Then again, our parents are the only ones who it could cause issues with and they know about us, so it will probably be fine. I mean we’ve had the group over to the house and they’ve seen us together, so it’s not as if this is going to be shocking. But all of our parents, I mean … yeah, they haven’t really seen us together. But you know what, you’re right. We love each other and that’s all that matters. If someone has a problem with it, then screw them.”
Her head finally turns as she slides her hand into mine.
“Firecracker.”
She smiles brightly, happiness clear on her face, and I know she’s ready.
We walk up the driveway, having parked all the way at the end, hand in hand. I give her one more look before pushing the door open and stepping into my parents’ house. She follows behind; I’m not sure if she’s using me to hide behind or if I’m just too pumped to be here with her that I’m rushing, but when I stop walking a few feet in to shut the door behind us, she crashes into my back with an oomph.
I turn and look down at her. She looks up with a glare.
“Would you rather I just jump on your back so that you don’t have to drag me around?” she says sarcastically.
I drop her hand and bend to hold her face between my palms. “The only time I want you jumping on me is when you’re taking my cock in your tight cunt.” My voice is low, for her ears only. When her cheeks pink and eyes darken, I drop my mouth to hers for a deep, wet kiss. Her hands grab onto my tee shirt and I feel her try to pull me closer, completely forgetting where we are.
That is until a tiny little angelic voice screams out.
“OH! Mommy! Nate has his tongue in Ember’s mouth! That’s bad. Mommy and Daddy said so. You have to keep your tongue in your mouth and only when you are married can you do that! Oh, boy. You’re in trouble! Mommy!”
I regrettably break away from Ember and give her shocked eyes a wink before looking down at Molly. I’ve loved this kid since the day I met her, but right now, I’m having a hard time remembering why. I give her a smile before bending down. Not willing to give Ember a chance to freak out again, I grab her hand and pull her to my side. She almost stumbles but keeps her hand in mine while standing next to my crouched form. Molly’s eyes move from my face to our joined hands. Her mischievous expression gets a little wonky before she replaces it with a sickeningly sweet smile. Her little angelic act isn’t fooling me, though; I know she’s up to something.
“You have spit germs in your mouth now,” she scolds. “You could be sick.”
“I’m used to spit germs in my mouth.”
“You had your hand on her booty. That’s a no-touch place. Daddy said so.”
“I can touch her booty.”
“You might put a baby in her belly if you keep putting your tongue in her mouth, and Mommy said you have to be married to tongue touch spit germs and put babies in bellies. That’s how I got my baby Jack. Daddy told me so.”
“I think we’re going to be okay, Molly-Wolly.”
She tilts her head and studies my face. “I don’t like that lipstick on you.”
I look up at Ember at that, confused, and see her giggling. She points to her own dark pink lips before I realize what Molly means.
“My apologies, your highness. I vow to never wear another woman’s lipstick other than the one you deem worthy of my complexion.”
Molly giggles.
“Molly? Why don’t you let Nate and Ember come in now?”
I look up and see Molly’s mom, Megan, a few feet away. Behind her, I see my sister, Cohen, and Molly’s dad, Lee, losing the fight to keep their laughter in.
Assholes.
“It’s not that funny,” I tell them after Megan had taken Molly away from the group.
“It’s freaking hilarious,” Dani wheezes through her laughter. “Oh, Nate, I sure hope you didn’t tongue a baby into Ember.” She doubles over, and I narrow my eyes at her.
“Danielle Cage.”
She still doesn’t stop.
“I mean maybe you could keep wearing that pretty lipstick and your ‘tongue spit germ baby’ can call you mommy too.”
My jaw ticks.