Page 40 of Not His Bride

“Most definitely. I want to see it every day.”

That does it. He takes off again, satisfied with himself.

Lilith looks across the kitchen at me, and the smile she gave Erik changes when it lands on me.

After all these years, I still know the difference.

I used to wonder if this part would eventually wear off. If marriage and children would turn love into something comfortable enough that I’d stop feeling it so damn hard.

It hasn’t. Miraculously, I’m more in love with her now than I was the day I married her.

Then our daughter yanks a fistful of my hair hard enough to make my eyes water.

“Shit, kid.”

Lilith laughs.

I turn as much as I can with a three-year-old sitting on my shoulders. “You think this is funny?”

“A little.”

“A lot, Daddy!” Raven announces from my shoulders, right before my three-year-old abandons me for the couch.

I recognize the look on her face a second too late. “Don’t—”

Too late. She’s already running. Her little body hits the middle cushion sideways. She bounces, shrieks with laughter, and starts getting into position to do it again.

Lilith looks over the top of her laptop. “That one is yours.”

“They’re all mine.”

“That one is especially yours.”

I can’t even argue.

My watch buzzes. I glance down long enough to see Latrice’s name and something about Lisbon. I type Handle it and silence the watch. Family time is everything to me.

I’ve spent most of my adult life being reachable. There was a time I would have stepped into another room to take the call without thinking twice. These days, if nobody is bleeding and nobody is threatening to walk away from a billion-dollar contract, then they can wait until I’ve had coffee and kissed my wife. Especially since my business is booming. When I first met Lilith, I was worth about one point one billion. Today, it’s closer to eight.

On the island, a Velvet Masquerade candle burns beside Lilith’s computer. Velvet Wine.

Our son climbs onto the stool beside her—safely away from the candle—to inspect his drawing again. The baby is babbling. Our daughter is down to one rainbow sock and is currently trying to convince Gumby to come out from under a chair.

He refuses. Like I said, he’s a smart cat.

I have a perfect opportunity to set Denali in her bouncer, so I do.

Lilith answers an email before kissing the top of Erik’s head and crossing the kitchen to wrap her arms around my neck.

Placing my hands on her hips, I tug her even closer.

“Hello, my love,” she whispers.

“Morning.” I kiss her gently. So perfect.

Prior to meeting Lilith, I thought I knew exactly what I wanted my life to look like.

I had absolutely no fucking idea.