Page 26

Five years later

It’s been the freaking day from hell, I think to myself as I finish up my last patient call of the day. There’s a flu outbreak in Silver Spoon Falls, and I’ve spent the entire day reassuring terrified parents that a runny nose and low-grade fever aren’t reasons to bring their children to the hospital.

“Did you convince Margie Toliver that she doesn’t need to take little Marcus to the ER?” Mariah, one of the other nurses in the office, sticks her head around the corner and asks.

“It took three calls for me to hold her off.” Most of Tate’s patients were born with some sort of heart defect, but that doesn’t mean a simple cold is a disaster. In fact, taking a delicate infant to a germ-infested ER isn’t a great idea unless it’s completely necessary.

“How’s Gray handling Emilia going to kindergarten?” she asks, but I’m pretty sure she already knows the answer to that question since there are no secrets when it comes to the Silver Spoon Falls grapevine.

“He’s getting better. Having two-year-old twin boys and a six-month-old helps keep him occupied.” We don’t have the most conventional family arrangement, but we make it work. My husband took to fatherhood like a duck to water. In all honesty, he handles disasters much better than me. He swears years of dealing with spoiled athletes taught him the skills to understand toddlers.

On the three days a week I work, he runs the house like a drill sergeant and keeps everything under control. After taking Emilia to school, and Jason and Jared go to Mother’s Day Out, actually, Father’s Day Out in this case, he spends the morning with Jana, our youngest.

By the time I escape from the office, it’s after seven o’clock. Cold and flu season sucks.

I walk through the back door, expecting to find chaos, but the house is eerily quiet. “Hello,” I call out, wondering where they are. I parked my car next to Gray’s SUV, so I know my family should be at home.

I find a folded note on the breakfast bar.

I’m waiting for you in the bedroom.

Naked.

G.

I have no idea what’s going on, but I don’t care. I drop my purse on the counter and pull off my coat before rushing down the hall.

When I step into my bedroom, I find my husband lying naked across the bed. There are candles lit on the dresser with a huge bouquet of red roses sitting between them. “What’s all this?” I ask while stripping out of my work scrubs. His huge cock jumps against his stomach and my mouth goes dry. Even at forty-three, he still has the body of an athlete. His six pack ripples as he sits up, and I forget everything else except him.

“Our anniversary.” His eyes darken a little more with each piece of clothing I remove.

“No, it isn’t.”

“The anniversary of the night we met,” he explains, and I almost melt into a pile of goo. Even after five years and four kids, my Neanderthal still has the ability to melt my heart and make my lady bits sing.

“Oh.” I kick my pants and undies away. I don’t want to lay in our bed without showering so I ask him, “Will you come shower all the work germs off with me?”

“Definitely.” My husband follows me into the bathroom and turns the water on. When we step under the hot spray, he pulls me against his hard body and smiles down at me. “I love you, Mrs. Marrow.”

“Why don’t you show me how much?” I reach between us and lightly stroke his erection.

“Fuck,” he growls against my wet skin before biting down gently at the base of my throat. “I’m one lucky man.”

I don’t resist when he wraps his hands around my butt cheeks and lifts me against his wet, hard body. “I’m the lucky one.” I sigh and wrap my legs around his waist.

He kisses me and his tongue slips into my mouth to tangle with mine. When he rolls my nipple between his fingers, I nearly come as sparks of electricity run up my spine. He lifts me a little and his cock settles at my opening.

As he slowly circles his hips, I wrap my arms around his strong shoulders and hold on while he slowly thrusts over and over. He leans me against the cool marble wall, but there’s enough body heat coming from his muscular body to keep me toasty warm.

He increases the speed of his movements, and this position ensures that his cock presses against the spot that drives me crazy with each thrust. Tingling starts in the soles of my feet and moves up my body.

My husband isn’t happy until he’s given me three mind-blowing orgasms. As the last one blasts through my body, he comes shouting my name.

After a few minutes, I’m able to stand on my wobbly legs and he sets me on my feet. “That was the first period.” He reaches around me for the bottle of body wash. “After I get you cleaned up, we can head to the bedroom for the second period.”

“How many periods are you planning to have tonight?” I ask as he runs the soapy sponge across my chest and down the front of my body.

“You’re the wife of a former hockey coach. You should know there are always three periods,” he teases and kisses the spot under my ear that drives me nuts.

“Not always.” I reach between us and grasp his cock. It grows iron-hard as I run my thumb across the head. “Sometimes, you have an overtime period.”

“I love the way you think, Tigress.”

“I love you, too.” I lay my head against his shoulder, realizing how lucky I got when I decided to attend the Psychedelic Squad concert all those years ago. Missing the concert was the best thing I ever did. A thought suddenly occurs to me. “Where are the kids?”

“Dillon said he’d do whatever I asked if I called in a few favors and got him the owner’s suite at one of the Falcon games.” My husband’s muscular body shakes from laughter. “He had no idea I’d ask him to keep all the kids for the night so I could celebrate with my wife. Needless to say, my request put me back on his shit list.”

“You’re a very bad man, Grayson Marrow.”

“Your very bad man, Tigress.” He winks at me, and I throw back my head to laugh.

“All mine.”