Page 166 of X's and O's

“You think anyone would notice if we left early?”

I glanced down at her with a raised eyebrow. “You want to skip out on your own wedding reception?”

She laughed. “We only have the place ’til eleven. And it’s already ten.” She stepped in closer. “I’m ready for it to just be the four of us.”

I kissed her perfect fucking mouth. “Say less.” I drew back and put two fingers to my mouth, blasting out a short, sharp whistle between them. “Nash! Scythe! Time to go!”

Bliss rolled her eyes. “Subtle.”

I grinned and grabbed her curvy hips. “You’re going to love this then.” I hoisted her up into my arms.

She laughed, wrapping her arms around my neck. “You aren’t even going to let me say goodbye to everyone?”

“Eh, we’ll send thank you notes.”

Nash and Scythe came over carrying our girls, and Bliss and I both kissed them goodbye, but they were too eager to get back to the dance floor and ran off happily. Rebel and Queenie both waved us off, and I knew none of us were worried about leaving the kids in their care for a couple of nights.

They would be one-thousand-percent loved and safe with our extended family.

But right now, I needed their mother.

Preferably naked in a bed.

I wasn’t putting her down until it was on a mattress.

I carried her through the hotel and up to the honeymoon suite we’d booked out for the next three days because that was exactly how long I planned on worshipping her body.

Scythe got the door open, and Nash walked in ahead of us, pulling off his tie and surveying the room. “I think someone’s garden exploded in here.”

I was too busy carrying my woman over the threshold to notice.

“Hey, wifey.” I set her down on her feet and let Scythe close the door behind her.

She smiled at me happily. “Hey, husband.”

No words had ever sounded sweeter on her lips.

All four of us stared at each other.

“So…” Scythe said eventually. “What do you guys want to do? Play Monopoly? Watch the slideshow I put together of all the reasons Nash needs to stop wearing flannel so often?”

Nash gave him the middle finger.

“All I want to do is get out of this dress,” Bliss complained. “It’s beautiful but it’s heavy, and my feet are killing me.”

I dragged out a chair from beneath the small round table. “Sit.”

She did so gratefully. Her head tipped back, and she closed her eyes. “That was the best night of my life. But I’m exhausted.”

I leaned down and kissed her sweet lips. “Rest. Let us take care of you.”

She sighed contentedly as Nash knelt at her feet and removed her shoes. He rubbed her feet, and she sighed happily at the touch.

Scythe moved her arm out of the way and went to work on the hundred tiny buttons that held her dress together.

I stood behind her, painstakingly removing what felt like a thousand pins and freeing her long auburn hair from the twists and turns a hairdresser had put in hours earlier.

The hotel had left a cheese and fruit platter in the refrigerator for us, and she picked at pieces from it, while sipping from a wine glass, my fingers stroking and massaging her scalp.