Enticing (Red Lips & White Lies, #3)

by Bella Matthews

She didn’t survive the storm. She became it. —Leo’s Secret Thoughts

“I didn’t realize she’d be running already.” Hendrix laughs as I chase my baby girl across my parents’ backyard, while she squeals like it’s the greatest thing ever. Lucky for her, her daddy is the fastest player in the NHL for the second year in a row, and I catch her before she can fall flat on her face. “Da Da.” She squishes my cheeks. I toss her high in the air and catch her as she comes down, loving her big belly laughs.

Nixon joins the two of us, a shit-eating grin on his face. “What did you do?” I ask, and that grin only grows. “I asked Everly to grab me some Advil for Kenzie. I told her she had a headache.” He laughs, and Henny and I look at him funny. “You know where Mom keeps the meds, right?” “Does she still keep them in her bathroom closet?” Henny asks. “I think so,” I answer. “Nixon!” Everly yells from the back door, and the whole party stops and stares at Nix. Everly marches her pregnant ass toward us as Mom rushes to the backdoor behind her, and her hair is a mess.

“Gross, man. You fucking didn’t,” I laugh. Henny fist-bumps Nix. “Oh yeah, he did. Good job.” “I’m going to kick your ass from here to the Jersey shore, you shithead. You knew they were having sex, and you still sent me up there.” “How could I have known?” Nix asks innocently. Nixon is a whole lot of things, but innocent isn’t one of them. “I’ll get you back, you evil little cockroach,” she growls as Cross walks over. “Remember what the doctor said about your blood pressure, Cinderella.” He runs his hand up and down her back. But my sister spins on him, like Linda Blair in the fucking Exorcist. Did you just walk in on your mother on her knees in front of your father?” she snaps, and Hendrix, Nixon, and I fucking die, we laugh so hard. “My dad’s been dead for a few years,” he tries to reason with his wife, and we all laugh harder. “I will make you all pay,” she warns us. “Hey. We didn’t do anything,” Hendrix argues. Everly’s eyes narrow to two tiny slits. “Guilt by association, dickhead. You will all feel my wrath.” “Shit, man. She’s going apocalyptic.” I can’t help myself, and I’m pretty sure if looks could kill, I’d be a dead man. “I think I hear Izzy calling for me.” I slowly slink away. “That’s it. Run away like a little bitch,” Everly yells, and every eye in the backyard is back on her again. “Pretty much,” I agree and jog over to where Addie is talking to Callen and Caitlin and their baby girl, Anastasia. “Excuse me for a minute. I need my wife.”

“What does that have to do with us, Leo?” “Promise me something, Addie . . . Promise me we’ll still be sneaking away to have crazy bathroom sex twenty years from now. Even when all our kids are downstairs, and we’re supposed to be adulting. Promise me we’ll still be so hot for each other that we still sneak away.” I drag her juices up to her clit and play. “How many kids are we talking, husband?” she asks through a shaky breath. “I’m thinking at least four. I missed out on you being pregnant the first two times. And I mean . . .” I pinch her clit, and she grabs my shoulders and drops her head back against the bookshelf. “We’re so good at the practicing part, I figured we’re going to be great at making the babies.”

“Well . . . Izzy just punched Griffin Hayes in the face.” “Easton’s son?” Addie snaps and pushes me away, then yanks the door open, not giving a shit about my raging boner or my sex-covered fingers. “Why the hell did she do that?” Gracie looks right at me. “Because apparently, the bonehead you married told the girls that boys are bad, and that’s what you’re supposed to do if they tell you you’re pretty.” Oh shit. “I’ve got this.” I drop a kiss on her lips. “Still think you want four?” she calls out after me. “Five, I yell back. All beautiful girls, just like their mom.” Addie laughs at me, but I mean every word of it.