“Sure, baby.”
“We’ll talk when we wake up?”
“It’s a date.” I kiss her forehead and smile when she moans softly and I feel her body melt against me, limp in sleep. Before long I feel my own body relaxing and my eyes drift shut as Mer’s rhythmic breathing pulls me into sleep with her.
***
“Shit, we’re going to be late!”
I jerk awake to find Mer jumping out of the bed.
“Wake up, Mark! We overslept. We have to be at your mom and dad’s in twenty minutes.”
“Damn,” I mutter and scrub my hands over my face. “Well, at least we already showered.”
“And got dirty again.” She laughs.
“Can I persuade you to take another shower with me?”
“No. Get dressed, horny man.”
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you over the sound of us having loud, crazy sex in my head.”
She laughs and throws my shirt at me. “You’re insatiable.”
“With you, yes.” I tug on her waist, pulling her into my lap so I can kiss her neck. “I’ll never get enough of you.”
“Well you’ll have to wait,” she whispers and kisses my cheek. “Because we’re going to be late.”
She bounces out of my lap and finishes dressing. I don’t move, I just sit with my shirt in my hand and watch her pull on a long black skirt and black and white top, then step into black sandals. She brushes her hair out and leaves it loose around her face, then applies the smallest amount of makeup, but it makes her eyes even bluer and her lips shine.
“You’re not dressed.” She props her hands on her hips and watches me with amused eyes. “Mark?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re not dressed.”
“You’re so fucking beautiful it hurts to breathe.”
She blinks in surprise and crosses to me. “Are you okay?”
I take her hands in mine and kiss her knuckles softly, then stand and hug her close. “So fucking beautiful,” I whisper and tilt her head back and place an easy kiss on her lips, before I pull away to dress.
She looks shell-shocked as I quickly dress and lace up my shoes, then take her hand in mine and lead her to the car.
“What was all that for?” she asks.
“It wasn’t for anything. It’s how I feel.” I shrug and lace our fingers as I drive us to my mom and dad’s house.
***
As we pull up to the house that I grew up in, Sam and Leo pull in behind us in Leo’s black Camero.
“You’re late,” Sam says and glares at me.
“What does that make you?” I ask and clap Leo on the shoulder as he laughs at Sam.
“Fashionably late.”
She offers Mer a real smile, and Mer returns it happily.
“It’s good to see you, Sam.”
“Don’t let Mark make you late for everything. It’s a bad habit of his.” Sam links her arm through Mer’s and leads her into the house with Leo and me bringing up the rear. “How did it go with Starla?”
Meredith glances at Sam in surprise. “How did you know Jax and I were working with Starla?”
“Mark told me,” Sam replies.
“It was fun, but I’m happy to be home.”
But for how long are you going to be home?
“Hello, everyone!” Mom is holding a sleeping Keaton on her shoulder, swaying her hips back and forth, rocking him soothingly as Livie and Luke sit on the floor playing with a toy kitchen.
“Hi, Mom,” I say and kiss her cheek, then gesture to Meredith. “You remember Mer.”
“Of course. Hello, darling. I’m so glad you came.”
“Thank you for inviting me.” Mer grins and kisses Keaton’s head, then Mom’s cheek.
“My turn,” Dad announces as he joins us from the kitchen. He collects hugs from Sam and me and then lifts Mer off her feet in a big bear hug. “It’s so good to see you, Meredith.”
She grins and blinks back tears as he sets her on the ground, then moves on to shake Leo’s hand.
“You okay?” I whisper down to her. She replies with a quick nod and a brave smile.
“Hi, guys,” Nat says and waves from the dining table off the kitchen. She’s drinking a glass of wine and smiling happily.
“You must be done breastfeeding,” Sam guesses and joins her.
“Yes, ma’am. I figured it was for the best, especially with the Vegas trip this weekend.”
Liv stands and walks over to the bookshelves by the television in the family room that opens up to the kitchen.
“No, baby, you can’t have those,” Luke says and catches her before she can pull Mom’s glass bells off the shelf. “Mom, you have to babyproof this room. She’ll break these.”