“Aha!” He grabs something from his drawer.
He slides back between my legs, pushes my calves over his shoulders.
His tongue glides over my pussy once more. I let out an approving moan.
Then he stops again.
I wait.
Nothing.
I look up again. He’s staring at me over my barely-there baby-bump. He’s grinning like the cat that got the cream. But I guess he does have the cream.
I get to my elbows again. “Are you trying to kill me?”
He shakes his head and uses the tip of his tongue to circle my clit once more. Then he looks up, his mouth open enough for the glint of something to catch the light.
I frown. “What are you doing?”
He sticks out his tongue; a solitaire diamond ring is pushed over it like it’s a finger. He drags the tip along my slit, the ring cool on my labia, sending a little thrill over me as it trips over my clit.
I scramble away from him, and back up to the head board. “Danny!”
He pulls the ring off his tongue. “What? You said I might get a different answer; I just figured I’d work sex into the proposal to seal the deal. Will you marry me, Mona Lisa Clark? Please don’t say no this time.”
I giggle and roll my eyes. “You’re—you’re just—So. Bad.”
Epilogue
We take the floor for our first dance as man and wife. Mo fits in my arms perfectly. With my heart full and my love for her stronger than ever, I lean in close and kiss her just below her ear.
She’s flushed and bright. “So, everyone who asks—I’ve been telling them the under the stars proposal is the one I accepted.”
“Oops. I told Slade it was at the baseball game.”
She giggles. “Well, we need to get our stories straight. There’s no way our children are going to find out how it really happened.”
I stop, pull her into my arms, and kiss her. She tastes of strawberries and chocolate.
Applause erupts, and Slade calls out, “Hey, no one clinked their glass with a spoon.”
I flip him the bird, tighten my hold on my girl, and slip my tongue back into her mouth.
*
“Why do they make collars so fucking tight?” I hook a finger in mine and pull.
Mom tightens her grip on my hand as we twirl around the dance floor. “But you’re so handsome.”
I grin and return the squeeze to her hand. “You look pretty good yourself.”
And she does, better than she’s looked in years it seems.
She gives me a one eyebrow quirk. “That’s what having your dad behind bars and plenty of solid rest and rehab will do for you. I have some really good reasons to keep it together. I think this time, it’ll stick. ”
Her gaze travels around the room, landing on Rachel and darting back to me.
The music slows and I give Mom a hug and kiss her on the cheek. I lean closer to her ear, so only she can hear. “Yes, and soon you’ll have another reason.”
*
Later, I place my hand over Mo’s and we slice the cake. Weird, all these traditions. But I told Mo whatever she wants.
She smiles up at me, eyes shining. I slide my hand around to her belly, cupping the almost imperceptible swell there. Her body has changed since I first touched her, but my desire for her hasn’t waned in the least.
We smile for the photographer.
I whisper, “I love you, Mrs. Jennings.”
She leans against me. “I love you, too.”
Rach stands on the sidelines, waving at us with my chubby blonde’s tiny hand. Little Katrina’s dimples shine, and her one tooth glistens while slobber rolls down her chin. Before long, my little green-eyed charmer will be the big sister, not the baby.