Chapter 5 #4
Knowing Jordan, he was going to be insanely nervous to meet Nathan, and I figured a vanilla setting would take the pressure off. Because once Jordan set foot in the rope dojo at Mclean, that environment could make Nathan look more intimidating than necessary.
“Sure, sounds good.” He inclined his head. Then he glanced back at the kids. “I forgot to mention one thing earlier. Starting this weekend, your father and I are going to have a weekly date night.”
We were?
Oh, fuck yeah, we were. What a brilliant fucking idea. The kids were old enough. We’d earned this, dammit. Hallie was a pro at babysitting too.
“If we’re only gone for a few hours, Hallie will keep an eye on things, for the most part,” Nathan went on. “If it’s for a sleepover, Nana and Pop-Pop will be there. Sometimes, Grandma and Grandpa will drive down too.”
Fucking A. I loved this development. Whether Nate and I spent that time at Mclean or we went off on our own, it was precisely what we needed.
“You had a thing tomorrow too, right?” Hallie asked. “You mentioned something about three hours.”
Nathan inclined his head. “Correct. We’re meeting up with a couple of friends.”
That was one way of putting it.
“Okay, but can I have a baby sister?” Lily asked—out of the fucking blue.
What the shit?
“I, uh, I think we’re set when it comes to children, darling,” Nathan answered carefully. “Where did that come from?”
She shrugged. “Just thought of it.”
Eyes on the road.
I exhaled. Whimsical little shit.
“Four is the perfect number,” I stated. “We can’t squeeze another kid into this car anyway.”
“You can buy a bigger car,” Lily pointed out.
“And one day, you will learn about gas mileage,” I muttered under my breath.
“I like that we’re two boys and two girls,” Mikey mentioned.
“Excellent point, little man,” I agreed.
They had no clue how many hours I had to crunch at the gym in order to keep up with them. I was forty-six years old, goddammit. I was done changing diapers.
“What about a puppy?” Lily asked next.
Nate looked back at her. “We just got a cat.”
“But he won’t sit when I tell him to!” she yelled.
“Easy, girl,” I warned. Even though I wanted to laugh my ass off. “That’s enough with the attitude. Am I making myself clear?”
I eyed her in the side-view mirror.
She sat there, sulking.
Poor girl didn’t have an easy life.
Nathan Riley
As soon as I got back in the car, I texted Ash.
Picked up Micah and Lily. Did James and Jordan confirm they’re coming over?
“Everyone buckled in and ready?” I asked in the rearview.
Micah smirked. “You already checked our seat belts, Dad.”
Oh, silly me.
“Can I have my grapes?” Lily asked. “Please.”
She remembered to add the please. I was impressed.
She’d received a reminder about politeness last night from Ash.
I grabbed the pink silicone container from the passenger’s seat and eased it back to her until she could reach it.
“Thank you!”
“You’re very welcome, sweetheart.” I started the engine and backed out. “You sure you don’t want your snack now, Micah?” I gave him a glance in the rearview. He was usually starving after school.
“Yeah, I’m sure. I’m gonna eat with Dylan at the new house.”
Was that so? Well, if Micah was disappointed with Dylan’s usual after-school snacks, I was ready.
If not, even better. It was a daily struggle to get Micah interested in fruits and vegetables.
At the same time, most children his age were like that.
We knew that from all the times parents brought snacks and food to various games.
Juice boxes, sandwiches, and hot dogs flew off the shelves, so to speak. Apples and bananas, not so much.
“Grapes are the best,” Lily said with her mouth full.
The first part of the journey, we did our usual thing.
I asked them about school, if Micah had any homework, if they wanted to make plans with friends, and so on.
Micah was easy—a single question could get him to ramble.
With Lily, I had to ask direct questions, because she stayed on topic like a pro.
Ash replied to my message, but I couldn’t check it until I reached a stoplight.
“So, I’ll call Jayla’s mom later tonight,” I said to Lily. “We’ll see about this weekend since you’ll be with Nana and Pop-Pop.”
“Okay.”
I eyed the text.
I only talked to James. Jordan gets nervous, so I thought I’d give him less time to worry and just go over and grab him once you’re there. I’ll be at the house in ten minutes. Hallie and Dylan are on their way too.
I was a bit nervous myself, to be honest.
Meeting someone in a kinky setting was so different, because in the dojo, I let another side of me take charge.
This was different. I was meeting the men Ash called neighbors, friends, and potential partners.
Our children would be there. James and Jordan would become part of our lives.
Dylan had already met them. Hallie had seen them in passing.
Even Micah had met James—for about five seconds at “Dad’s work. ”
Exactly how close had Ash grown to the Hacketts? Did they eat dinner together? Did they sit on the porch and drink beer in the sunset? Any inside jokes yet? Did Jordan know what made my husband tick? Had he gotten under Ash’s skin? Did they miss each other during the day when they were at work?
I swallowed and drummed my fingers along the wheel.
I had nothing to worry about. Ash loved me. We were recovering. Our marriage was strong.
I rubbed a fist over my chest.
Fuck.
“Oh wow, is that the house? It’s so big, Dad!” Micah exclaimed.
I pulled in next to Ash’s truck. That hubby of mine was sitting on the porch steps with a smile on his face.
While Micah was quick to run out and cross the front lawn, Lily seemed to be rummaging through her backpack.
I undid my seat belt and peered back at her. “Everything okay?”
“I need to find my ruler. The sparkly one Grandma gave me.”
I felt my forehead wrinkle. “What do you need that for now, honey?”
“Aha!” She held it up, triumphant. “I gots to see how many rulers big the pool is.” With that, she scrambled over to the other side and disappeared out the same door Micah had used.
I chuckled and scrubbed a hand over my mouth, watching as Ash threw Micah over his shoulder and then barreled toward Lily. Micah guffawed and smacked at Ash’s back.
“Nooo, Daddy!” Lily squealed. “Don’t chase me!”
God, I couldn’t lose him again. Never again.
The question I had to ask myself now was, could I share him?
Playtime and kinky fun were one thing, but this was what he’d warned me about over the years. He didn’t know the boundaries of his inner Daddy Dom. He didn’t know how that part of him would evolve in the right settings—with the right person.
I’d pushed for this very scenario, and now we were here. I was about to find out just how much of my husband I was gonna have to share with another couple.
I took a breath and left the car.
Ash was currently flat on his back on the lawn with two of our children wrestling him.
“I surrender! I surrender!” he laughed gruffly. “Put down the ruler!”
Promise me we’ll stay together for as long as we live.
I plastered a smile on my face and picked up the pace, ready to rescue my man from two tickling terrors.
Lily was closest, so I rushed over and picked her up. She flailed and squealed all over, and as she squirmed around in my arms, her blouse rode up. I obviously had no choice—I had to defend Ash’s honor by blowing raspberries on her tummy.
“Oh g-gosh, nooo, Daddy!” she wheezed through her laughter.
“So you think you can attack Daddy and get away with it, huh?” I growled playfully and smooched her on the forehead. “Bring that ruler inside and start measuring instead.”
“Okay!” She giggled and panted as I let her down, and she wasted no time. She darted up the porch steps, with Micah close behind.
“I’m coming too!” he called.
“Your rooms are upstairs!” Ash hollered. “Feel free to explore.”
I blew out a breath and extended my hand to him.
He quirked a sexy grin and grabbed on.
I pulled him up, and once he was on his feet again, he did exactly what I needed. I needed it more than I thought I did, even. He hauled me in for the tightest hug and said all the right words.
“I’ve thought about you all day,” he murmured. “If I hadn’t been stuck out in Fairfax, I woulda crashed your lunch hour.”
I locked my arms around his neck and buried my face against his warm skin. I loved that new cologne on him, fresh and masculine with just enough spice.
“I would’ve loved that.” I breathed him in and pressed a kiss to his neck. “Especially since we got cockblocked this morning.”
“I know, right? Since when does Lily wake up that early? Fucking Christ.”
I grinned and eased back to look him in the eye. No fucking words—seeing his happiness, the crinkles at the corners of his eyes, the laugh lines, the silver in his scruff… But it was his eyes and his smile that did it for me. The most, I should say.
“I thought about you all day too.” I cupped his cheek and brushed the pad of my thumb over the faint scar on his cheekbone. A childhood bet settled on the playground, with Ash and Theo against two other neighborhood boys.
Every scar told a story.
He leaned in and kissed me and rested our foreheads together.
Even though his fears had almost wrecked us, they were also one of the most important reasons I loved this man with every fiber of my being. Because he was so protective of us, of me, that he’d go to war against anyone who hurt me, including himself.
“Is everything okay?”
I nodded once and kissed him again. “Yes. But…I had a moment of… I don’t even know what to call it. I was unsettled on the way over.”
He inched back a little. “About what, the house? Us?”
“No. God, no. About…about what we’re about to embark on, I suppose.” I cleared my throat. That was a lot of about in a few words. Damn nerves. Damn unease. “Seeing you with someone you’ve grown to care for—someone who can fill a pair of shoes that I can’t.”