Page 89 of Possessive Ink

Pinching Lemon’s chin with my finger and thumb, I lean down and press a hard kiss against her lips. “I love you,” I tell her. Then I curl my arm around her back and lead her toward the front door.

After opening the unlocked front door, Tori and Felix head in first, while Lemon and I follow behind them.

“Mom, Dad, we’re here,” Tori shouts.

“We’re in the backyard,” Mom shouts back.

“I forgot they were grilling. Be warned, Lemon. My mom is an experimental cook. Sometimes it’s great, sometimes it’s not. If it’s awful, don’t try to eat it, and we’ll get burgers on the way home,” Tori says with a laugh.

“Saturday is pot roast, not burgers,” Felix grumbles, his expression souring.

“Don’t worry, bro. If the food is a disaster, I’ll find you a pot roast,” I assure him.

His lips are still downturned, but he nods as we move as a group toward the back of the house. By the time we step into the backyard, Mom and Dad are wrapped in each other’s arms, dancing to music that apparently only they can hear.

For a moment, we all just stand and watch until Mom lifts her head and remembers that we’re here. “My babies,” she shrieks, batting away Dad’s hands in her haste to get to us. She reaches for Tori first. “Darling,” she coos, hugging my sister tightly.

“Hi, Mom,” Tori says.

Once she’s released Tori, she makes a beeline for Felix. “Felix, sweetheart, I missed you so much,” she gushes, wrapping her arms around my twin like an anaconda. Felix tolerates it, patting her lightly on the back until she finally lets him go.

When Mom turns to me, she sees Lemon and literally skids to a stop. “Hello, dear.”

“Hi, Mrs. Hoffman. I’m Lemon,” Lemon says sweetly.

“Pah! Amanda, please,” Mom corrects her. “Atticus, you said you were bringing someone, but you didn’t mention how stunning she was. You lucky, lucky boy,” Mom says as she pulls first Lemon, then me in for a hug.

Once Mom releases us, Dad steps forward. “It’s nice to meet you, Lemon. I’m Ron.”

“Hi,” Lemon says, leaning into me slightly, like she needs my support.

Before anyone else has a chance to speak, the front door crashes open, and moments later the twins burst into the backyard.

A new round of hellos starts with Jude scooping Tori off her feet and spinning her around while she giggles loudly. Without putting her down, he passes her to August, who spins her in the opposite direction. “Put me down. I’m going to throw up,” Tori exclaims, still laughing.

Jude hugs and presses a kiss to Mom’s cheek, then gives Dad a one-armed hug before he reaches Felix. Unlike the hug my twin gave my mom, when Jude wraps Felix in his arms, he hugs him back tightly, repeating the action again with August.

Once they both step away from Felix, they turn their identical faces on Lemon and me.

“Oh, you’re identical,” Lemon exclaims.

“Well, helllooo,” August purrs, elongating the word. “I’m August, this one’s better-looking brother.”

“Hi, August. I’m Lemon,” she says, relaxing a little against my side.

“Actually, I’m the better-looking one,” Jude says, checking his twin out of the way as he grabs Lemon’s hand and lifts it to his mouth, pressing a kiss against the back of it.

“Mine,” I growl, dragging Lemon’s hand away from my brother and pulling it to my chest.

Both twins’ eyes go wide before they glance at each other and start to chuckle. “Daddy Bear found a mate,” August says, his words full of amusement.

“Now that we’re all here, I have an announcement to make,” I say.

Lemon stiffens again, but I’d rather tell everyone our news now than wait.

“I asked Lemon to marry me, and she said yes. The wedding is in six weeks.”

For a moment there’s complete silence, then Tori starts to giggle, her lips split into a wide grin. “Congratulations, you guys. That’s incredible news.”