“I don’t disagree,” I reply. “You’re an amazing mother, Nat. No one is saying differently.”

“I know.” She smiles up at me. “Did you thank your parents profusely for taking them all?”

“Of course.” She tries to turn back to her wardrobe options, but I hold her firm.

“Luke, I have to get ready. The girls will be here soon.”

“How soon?”

“In less than an hour.”

I feel the smile grow over my lips and Nat’s eyes narrow on me. “We don’t have time for this.”

“Of course we do, baby.” I nibble the side of her mouth, my fingertips barely grazing down her ribs to her hips. “We have plenty of time. You’re already undressed.”

She snorts as I lift her in my arms and carry her to the bed.

“Have I mentioned that I love your taste in undergarments?” I ask as I peel her panties down her legs.

“Only about four thousand times in the past six years.”

“That’s all?” I frown and press a wet kiss to her inner thigh, making her sigh in pleasure. She’s added tattoos here over the years, the names of our children intertwined in a delicate design. I nibble my way to the apex of her legs and grin when her flesh erupts in goose bumps. “I love your underwear. I love it even more when it’s wadded up on my floor.”

She giggles and plunges her fingers in my hair, holding on as I drag my nose along the crease of her leg and over her shaved pussy, where she has ink etched on her mound.

I fucking love to trace her tattoos.

I kiss my way up to her belly and feel her tense. I know she’s self conscious of the changes that four children brings to a woman’s body.

“You’re tensing.”

She sighs. “The lights are on.”

“Fuck yes, they are,” I reply, kissing over the tattoo on her ribs. “I love looking at you, baby.”

“I know, just consider it a woman thing.”

“Your body has changed over the past six years, that’s true,” I murmur before licking the underside of the swell of her breast, making her sigh. “It’s fascinating and beautiful.”

“I wish I could get the stretch marks to go away.”

“They’re a road map,” I reply simply. “A beautiful reminder of what your body went through to give us four healthy babies. I don’t mind them in the least.”

“You’re sweet,” she murmurs, then arches her back when I tug a taut nipple between my teeth. “And biased.”

“I’m so fucking taken with you,” I reply and let my hands glide over her skin, soaking in every delectable inch of her. “Everything about you, Nat. Your skin, your voice, the way you laugh. The way you sound when I do this.”

I push two fingers inside her and make a come here motion, sending her body into a tailspin. She moans and grips the sheets in her fists, writhing on the bed. I plant my thumb over her clit and bite her neck, and that’s all it takes to make her break apart into a thousand pieces, panting and biting her lip.

“That was one,” I whisper into her ear.

“I really don’t have time for more,” she gasps, but I smile against her skin.

“Too bad. There’s more.”

Her hands are taking a journey over my body, up and down my back, over my ass, and up my sides. My cock is throbbing against my pants.

I need her.

I never stop needing her.

I reach between us and unfasten my fly, releasing my dick, and without hesitation, I slide inside her.

I slide home.

“Jesus,” she moans, her hips already pulsing with the need to move, and I’m too fucking impatient to disappoint her.

“You’re all I fucking think about,” I growl as I lean on my elbows, cradling her head in my hands, and fucking her until we’re both almost blind with it. “I never get enough of you.”

“Jesus, Luke,” she cries out and hitches her legs up around my hips, opening herself wider so I can push deeper, making me cross-eyed in sensation.

“That’s right, baby,” I whisper next to her ear. “I want you to come around me.”

I reach between us to press on her clit once again, and I feel her begin to quiver as her orgasm moves through her. Her pussy is tight around me, milking me for all she’s worth, and I know that I’m about to go over the edge with her.

We’re panting, trying to catch our breath and return to earth. I’m still over her, but I’ve lifted onto my elbows again so I’m not crushing her.

“Know what else I love?” I ask her as I press a kiss on her swollen lips.

“Mm?”

“I love that you wear my pearls,” I whisper. “Even when you’re just staying in for a night with the girls.”

“I love these pearls,” she says with a soft smile. “I wear them with a lot of things.”

“I know.” I nuzzle her nose with mine, then roll away so we can start to get dressed again. “The kids are with my parents until tomorrow. I’m not staying away all night.”

“Of course not,” she says with a laugh as she pulls on her panties and adjusts her bra. “We can do some of this again later. In fact, I’ll be pretty buzzed when you get home, so we can have drunk sex.”

“You do enjoy the drunk sex,” I reply and push her dark hair over her shoulder.

“And I’ve been pregnant for about twelve years, so we haven’t had much of it lately.”

“That might be an exaggeration.” I wink at her and follow her back into the closet, where she chooses some skinny jeans and a simple black V-neck T-shirt.

With her pearls.

And somehow, on my Natalie, it works perfectly.

“Jules will be here soon,” she says as she hurries to smooth her hair and brushes some gloss over her lips. “In fact, everyone will be here soon. But I think it’s all ready.”

“You’ll have fun. You always do.”

I follow her down to the kitchen, which is open to the living space. She’s set the food up on the dining room table, and has a space prepared on the buffet for drinks.

“That’s a lot of liquor.”

She cocks an eyebrow. “Have you met us?”

“I’m glad you’re staying home.”

“We never drive when we have girls night,” she reminds me. The doorbell rings, and I open the door to find Jules on the other side. She scowls when she sees me.

“No husbands tonight,” she says. “It said so on Nat’s invitation.”

“I’m leaving,” I assure her, closing the door behind her as she hurries in with a bag full of goodies.

“Everyone’s on their way,” Jules says with a smile. “And I do mean everyone. No one is sick, or has a sick kid, or is out of town.”

“Awesome,” Nat says with a happy shimmy. “We haven’t had everyone together in a long time.”

“And Anastasia hasn’t been to a girls night since moving back to Seattle, so this will be a treat for her,” Jules adds, referring to her cousin, who moved home earlier this year.

“I’m so glad I bought extra liquor. And food,” Nat says.

She’s in hostess mode now, and I know it’s time for me to go. I’m going to spend the evening with some of the Montgomery brothers for poker night at Steven’s house.

We haven’t done that in a while either, and I’ve been looking forward to it.

“I’d better go, baby,” I say as I pull Nat in for a kiss. “I’ll see you later.”

“Have fun,” she says and stands on tip-toe to press her lips to mine. “I’ll let you know if I need anything.”

“Good.”

“Ugh,” Jules says, rolling her eyes. “Seriously, get a room. Or, better yet, you go.”

She shoos her hand at me, making me laugh. Jules has always hated our public displays of affection.

I don’t give a fuck.

Natalie

“It’s never changed,” Jules says after Luke leaves and I hear his car pull away from the house.

“What hasn’t?” I ask.