“She’s your daughter, Pet. You actually think she’d give me anything less than hell?”
“No, I plan to teach her just how to do it,” I admitted. And I planned on it.
“My sister wants us to hurry with the wedding,” he said offhandedly. “I am anxious as well, since you seem to be bipolar,” he laughed.
“You did not just call me bipolar.”
“I did, and if you’d like me to give you an example…I have many to choose from.”
“Suck it, Fairy. I’m not the only bipolar headache in this room,” I said as I picked up Zander. “I’m actually hoping they plan the whole thing and that we only have to show up.”
“You won’t get that lucky. Ciara is a diva, as your people call women who are over-the-top. She will make your head spin.”
“Maybe, but I’m more worried about Ristan. I think Olivia was trying to tell us some of the truth, and I can’t shake this feeling. I know I said I wouldn’t interfere, but…”
“Stay out of it, or I will spank you.”
“Shit, that’s incentive!” I joked with a smile on my lips. “You hear that little man? Daddy is going to spank to mommy!”
I paused as my throat grew tight with an emotion I hadn’t felt in a while. Pride at something I had done—in this case, created. “Shit,” I said and then paused. “Crap! Don’t say that,” I watched as a small smile played on Zander’s tiny lips.
“I’m not sure you should be speaking of spankings with our children,” he whispered as he leaned over to kiss my cheek softly.
“We’re parents,” I whispered. “Like, we made little people,” I sat up with Zander held against my chest. “Three of them,” I mumbled.
“Motherhood just hitting you?” he asked with a seductive smile.
“No, it’s the reality of it. How are we ever going to have sex again?”
He threw his head back and laughed.
“Like this,” he whispered as he placed Kahleena on the bed, and clapped his hands.
I watched silently as the handmaidens I no longer needed for myself walked in and started picking up my children. Darynda paused in front of me and smiled. “Can I have the little one? I promise to protect him,” she said and I noticed she had a smile on her lips that I hadn’t seen on them before. It looked nice, and I wondered if she’d settled whatever was going on between her and Zahruk.
“Here,” I said as I stood and kissed Zander’s cheek before doing the same with his brother and sister. When they’d left the room, I smiled. “Well shit, that was actually pretty easy. I’ve heard horror stories about no alone time with babies, and yet you seemed to accomplish the impossible with a simple clap of your hands,” I said as I turned and looked down at him.
“We will need the time to start on the next batch,” he said as he sifted to stand behind me, and his lips nibbled at the sensitive flesh below my ear.
“I swear to everything that is holy, Ryder, if you get me pregnant and make me sit out this war, I’ll neuter you and the beast!”