“And hot, and fuckable, with the best tits and an ass I plan to conquer.”
“Conquer? What am I, Mount Marlie?”
He laughed. “Mount Marlie. Yes, I think I will.”
It took her a moment. “Funny.”
Being with her, laughing with her and liking her so much, it was all he could do to hold his love inside.
Then another thought hit him. “Marlie?”
“Yeah?” she said sleepily.
“Um, I came inside you. I’m clean, and I know you are. But, ah, babies?”
“I’m on birth control.” She yawned again. “And I figured you’re clean or I wouldn’t have said we should go bareback. Maybe I can go down on you next time.”
Unfortunately, she moved, and he slid out of her. He hurried to grab a towel, because he’d left a huge mess behind. She was half asleep and so beautiful his heart hurt.
He promised himself not to screw this up. He couldn’t.
Not when images of Marlie, pregnant with their babies, felt so real he swore he envisioned the future and not just what he wanted with his last breath.
But first, he had to survive the gauntlet of possible doom—dinner with her family in less than twenty-four hours.
CHAPTER 28
Thursday evening, inside her parents’ house, Marlie sat with Damon, her parents, and her brothers around the dining table.
And yes, all of her brothers just happened to be available for a family dinner they normally didn’t attend unless it happened on the weekend or celebrated a special occasion. Marlie glanced at Damon, aware of his amusement with the situation.
Her mother still wore her work uniform, no doubt by design. Her father watched his wife, clearly entertained.
“What are you intentions with my daughter?” Mona asked before they began eating.
Marlie covered her face with her hand, peeking through her fingers. Her brothers watched Damon, waiting for the answer. Her father just grinned.
“Actually, Sheriff?—”
“Mona.”
“Mona, I’d like to know what her intentions are toward me. I have a bad a feeling she’s using me to get closer to my cats.”
Mona narrowed her eyes. “Cats? What cats?”
“Mom, really.” Marlie huffed. “We’re here for the food. Not an interrogation.”
“Zip it. I’m in charge of this interview.”
Will chuckled. Ed and Steve exchanged an anxious look, no doubt worried Damon might get offended and quit coaching them.
Reluctantly, Marlie opened her mouth to explain, but Damon beat her to it. “Well, Jeff had some kittens he needed help with, so I told him I could take two. But with my parents still healing from their car accident, I’m stashing the cats at Marlie’s place and watching them there.”
And sleeping over and “dicking her” to exhaustion every night. But Marlie had warned Damon not to mention any of that.
“Kittens? Aw. Any pictures?” Ed asked.
“She already named them.” Damon passed his phone to her brother. “One’s Larry, the other’s Bird.”
