Luca quirks a grin as he’s behind me. “I promise Dad said I could keep it. One of the perks of the job and you being my wife.” He leans in and kisses me, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind. “Gives me perks too.”
I snort and playfully push him away, just as Zeke climbs out of his car seat.
I toss my head back, staring up at the sky, grumbling. My son is pushing my level of frustration.
Luca’s hands are back on my hips, his breath on my neck. If he’s trying to calm me down, it’s not working. “You’re not helping. Neither of you boys are helping.” I’m feeling beyond a tad bit annoyed with Zeke going through the terrible twos, which is extending for longer than I’d like.
“Mama, no car.”
“Can I try?” Luca’s voice is soft and gentle. It’s his calmness that, for some reason, irks me today.
“Be my guest.” I walk away, needing to cool down, while he manages to talk to Zeke and get him to sit in his car seat. The next thing I know, he’s buckling the kid up without protest.
What. The. Fuck.
Luca has become the toddler whisperer.
After he gets Zeke buckled, he drops a kiss to his forehead and pulls back, that cocky grin only irritating me further. “You’re welcome.” He’s all smiles, glowing practically.
I press my lips together to keep from making a smart-ass remark, and Luca leans in, stealing a kiss. His hands snake around my waist as he kisses me.
I’m careful, my fingers gentle against his chest because I know the bruises are healed, but I still worry about his cracked ribs.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to take him to the park?” Luca asks. “You could take a nice hot bubble bath, relax.”
My eyes tighten. I can’t stop myself from arguing with him. My hands ball into fists, irritated. “Are you telling me I need to relax?”
He smiles, his hands up in the air. “I’m saying I’m here to help. I’d never tell you that you need to relax or calm down. But you seem a bit … stressed.”
Luca leans in and kisses my lips, the tension inside melting away the longer his lips are on mine.
His hand snakes to my lower back, and he pulls me tighter, sliding his leg between mine and backing me against the car door. He pushes a strand of hair behind my ear, his mouth caressing the lobe. “You need a good fucking, don’t you, princess?”
The anger, frustration, all of it seeps out at the first part of his sentence, his words my undoing, until I hear him call me princess and sends it all flooding back.
Annoyance rains down on me. My top lip snarls, and he pulls back, chuckling.
“Worried I’ll bite you?” I pretend to lean in and snap my jaws at him.
Luca grins. “Only if your lips are wrapped around my cock.”
My breath catches in my throat. Just hearing him talk like that sends butterflies through my stomach and makes my skin warm.
I lean in, playfully tugging his bottom lip between my teeth, and hear him growl.
“Mama, what’s cock?” Zeke repeats, and I grimace.
There goes my mood again.
“Sorry,” Luca whispers and kisses my nose. He has the ability to bring the sunshine right back. I can’t stay mad at him. Not even playful mad.
“No, you’re not.” I kiss him one last time. “Okay, I need to go, or by the time I leave, it’ll be dusk.”
Zeke plays at the park for an hour before the wind kicks up and the air temperature drops a few degrees.
“Come on, Zeke. Time to go!” I shout for him, watching as he keeps running around the playground, chasing another little boy about his age through the sandbox.
From across the park, there’s a man in a long black coat and sunglasses watching us.