Chapter 43 Chapter 22 (i)
Fae
“Drive safely,” I told him and gave him a peck on the cheek. He was already in his suit, and I was back in my robe, my knees a little wobbly. I planned to go back to bed and sleep the morning away once he was gone.
“Yes, babe. If you promise you will eat your lunch on time, send me messages about your day, and not cry while I’m at the office.”
I almost choked on my laugh before I pinched him lightly where I held him. He made a small noise as he grinned down at me cheekily, his eyes holding a memory of the heat we’d shared since we woke up.
Then we stared at each other.
I cleared my throat and pushed him away. “Go to work, please. I don’t want to be a bad influence on you.”
“You’re going to be a good wife.”
Ugh! He just wouldn’t stop! “I don’t know how to cook.”
“I’ll cook.”
I gave him a sweet smile. “You’re going to be a great husband, then.”
“Marry me, babe.”
I glared at him. “Jigo!”
His eyebrows shot up. Then he pouted.
Spencer Jigo Myrick was pouting.
“Not calling me ‘baby’ anymore?”
“Because you’re being ridiculous.”
“I want you to call me ‘baby’ regardless.”
“You’re like a child,” I said, but my heart was pounding in... what? Happiness? It felt strange. Was this connected to our deal to date exclusively earlier? I thought I wouldn’t care any differently after the fact. But this was just... too fast, being happy like this.
Like what? Like the headiness that comes when someone I love seems to... love me back?
He laughed. “No one has ever told me that,” he said. Then he frowned. “What’s wrong, babe?”
I blinked. “Nothing.” Then I smiled back at him. “Well, I can imagine. You’ve always been so serious and silent, I would never have guessed you could be this silly.”
He stared for a moment, then let it go. He grinned at me indulgently. “Don’t you like it?”
“Hmm. I think I like it.”
“Enough to consider me a husband?”
My heart stopped for a moment, then thudded with a more vigorous beat. Why would he come back to that? “Stop joking about that!”
He shrugged. “I like the idea. I could finally bring you to my house and my bed, because there’s no way Grandma Leah would let something like that happen without hounding us to death about getting married first.”
“How would she even...” Oh, yes. Grandma Leah would have eyes in her grandson’s house. So... how did I feel about him hinting he wanted to bring me to his house? God! What was with all these feelings now? “Go to work, Jigo!” I ordered.
“Yes, wifey.”
My face flushed. “My god...!”
“Call me ‘hubby’ when it’s just the two of us,” he cajoled while lightly kissing the side of my face. “Please...”
That so-intimate voice... it made me melt all over him. I fought and pushed back. “If you don’t go to work now, I won’t let you in the door later.”
He got serious. Then he ran a hand over his face. “We’re not even married yet, and I’m already in trouble.”
I couldn’t help laughing again. “Why haven’t I ever thought you were this crazy?”
My breath caught when he pulled me back into his embrace. “Why is it so hard to believe I can be this crazy about you?” He ran his fingers through my hair. I looked up at him, reeling from the whiplash of that one sweet movement. A part of me just wanted to pull him back to my bed so he could sleep the morning away with me. So when he gently pulled my hair to raise my chin higher and kissed my lips, I wasn’t even thinking about how I was supposed to be pushing him away ages ago. He didn’t deepen it; it was slow and sweet. But there was something special about that kiss and the new warmth in his eyes when he lifted his head.
“I’m going before Maria goes crazy and leaves me,” he said, suddenly sober.
“Sure. Will you take care... driving...?” Wait. Didn’t I say that already?
His lips slowly stretched into a smile again. I wondered if he’d smiled this long and often before. I surely hadn’t. “I will, wifey. Don’t worry.”
My face burned. He let me go and put his hands in his pockets, walking backward toward the door.
“Finish your breakfast. Okay?” Wifey. He didn’t say it, but I could hear that he was thinking it.
I shook my head, rolling my eyes a little. “Okay,” I said softly. Hubby.
After another gorgeous smile, he turned and headed for the door.
I closed my eyes and covered my heated face with my hands, my heart merrily pounding as I heard the door open. I peeked between my fingers, and it was his drop-dead, gorgeously smiling face that I saw before he closed the door behind him.