Iggy hummed happily into my mouth, sweet and relaxed.
“And you’re too drunk to consent,” I said, nudging his nose. “And I never,everwant to hurt you.”
“You don’t hurt me,” Iggy said, suddenly dead serious in the way only drunk people and toddlers could be. “You’re so gentle. I always feel safe with you.”
“You’ll understand in the morning,” I said, stroking his hair again and wincing internally at how much that sounded likeyou’ll understand when you’re older.
When did I turn into my dad?
Iggy made an unhappy sound against my chest, but a few heartbeats passed and he lifted his head for another kiss, disappointment clearly forgotten.
“I’m not as drink as you think I am,” Iggy said, then frowned. “As think as you drunk I am?” he tried again, a line forming between his brows as he concentrated.
“You’re exactly as drink as I thunk you are,” I teased, pressing a kiss to his forehead.
At least he’d had a good night. That was all I wanted.
Iggy kissed me again like this was his last night on earth, eager and clingy, and I didn’t have the heart to say no to him. Even knowing he probably wouldn’t remember—and if hedid, he really would understand in the morning.
I didn’t want to leave him with the impression that I’d been anything but warm and affectionate. That was what I’d promised him, and I’d been making good on that to this point.
This little pocket of time where I got to do that was so precious, and I didn’t want to screw it up. I wanted us both to walk away with this as a happy memory, something we’d always have of each other.
“Okay,” I murmured once he let me have the use of my mouth again. “I think it’s time for good little Iggies to go to bed, hmm?”
“Are you coming too?” Iggy whispered against my lips, looking up at me from under long, dark lashes.
“You trying to seduce me, Beaumont?” I asked, grinning at him.
“Is it working?” Iggy asked, eyes wide and innocent again, as though he’d never been anything but.
“Not as well as you think,” I teased. “What if we just cuddle tonight?”
Iggy’s whole face lit up like I’d offered him a billion dollars and a dozen puppies.
“Now?” he asked, breathless.
“Soon,” I said. “Gotta get to the car first.”
The sound of jingling registered distantly, but I didn’t realize what it meant until Iggy held my keys up.
And then bolted.
* * *
Wranglingboth Iggy and Theo into the car at the same time had proved to be about the same difficulty level as wrangling the goats into the pickup earlier, only the goats didn’t have nearly as many hands and weren’t even a tenth as determined to kiss me.
We’d gotten as far as the farm gate before Iggy had started snoring, Theo sitting peacefully on top of him and occasionally looking at me as though this was all my fault.
I didn’t necessarily disagree with him.
The wedding venue was only a twenty-minute drive from Iggy’s place, which obviously meant that the car started making worrying noises ten minutes in.
I ignored them for two minutes, until the headlights shut themselves off and a labored whirr that sounded like a large animal dying under the hood forced me to pull over.
Great.Great. Just what I needed right now.
“Home?” Iggy asked, starting awake just as the car rolled to a stop.
