Page 69 of The Fates We Tame

Again.

It seems I’m easily turned on. The view of his back from my seat on the bike? Hot.

The vibration of the bike between my legs? Hot.

The way he pushed and pulled the levers with his fingers? Hot.

The way he’d reach behind him and squeeze my calf? The hottest of all.

Even watching the way he was with little Avery. I’m not sure what my views were on children before today, but I’m solely in the camp oflet’s have lots of them.

When we step into the clubhouse, we’re greeted with a flurry of activity. There are balloons and banners. Gwen is instructing Clutch to move tables.

Saint and Spark are hanging streamers from the ceiling.

“Hey, pretty boy, get your fucking hands off Ari and blow up some more balloons,” Vex shouts from up a ladder.

I look over to the bar. The girl I assume is Ari is seated on it, and Halo is standing between her legs, kissing her in a way that I swear will lead to those kids I was just thinking about.

“You can’t be here,” Briar says. “We’re setting up for your wedding reception.”

“You don’t have to go to all this trouble,” I say. Guilt ripples through me at the thought they would do all this for us, when the marriage is one of convenience.

Iris unfolds a large white paper cloth that she drapes over a long table. “Gives us a reason to have a party. We love throwing them. So, the two of you need to get out of here until we can finish it.”

Rae bounces a baby, about twelve months old, on her hip. “Don’t interrupt Briar and Iris when they get on a roll. They’ve got a giant charcuterie table to build.”

I look to Theo, who grins.

“Guess we should do as they say.” He leans his head close to my ear. “Plus, I got a way we can kill time.”

Heat rises in my cheeks, but I let him take my hand and lead me back to our room. He stops by his old room and opens acouple of drawers before he finds what he was looking for in his bathroom.

A box of condoms.

“No pressure to use ‘em,” he says. “But in case I’m in any way unclear, I’d really fucking like to.”

I feel a heady combination of embarrassment and lust. I find it hard to admit what I want, but he’s being honest with me, so I offer him the same honesty in return. “I hope you have plenty.”

Theo grins at that. “I got the best fucking wife.”

“Who is still a little bit mad at you. Even though we just had an amazing ride.”

“I know, but can we go straight to the make up sex now and have the fight later? Because you on the back of my bike was something else.”

“You promise?”

“I do. We’re doing everything else backward, so why not the way we fight?”

As soon as we get to our room, Theo slams the door shut and pushes my back against the wall. His lips hit mine with an urgency he hasn’t shown me before.

It’s heady.

Powerful.

And I want so much more of it.

“You got any idea how much having you on the back of my bike turned me on?” Theo asks.