by David Welch
The door opened, and the two walked in. Des walked over to greet them. Athena smiled, then moved on toward the kitchen without a word. Des kissed Artemis on the cheek.
“I was only gone for a half hour,” she said.
“I know,” he replied, no hint of apology in his voice.
She grinned, then handed him the bags.
“So, what have the kids gotten into while we were away?” she asked.
“The pool, again,” he said.
She sighed and shook her head.
“So many people here,” she mused. “And Jed and his fiancée flying in later . . .”
“It’s Christmas, that’s how it works. Besides, how often will those kids get the chance to have a snowball fight in a swimming pool?”
“I know, I know. But sometimes it can be . . . inconvenient,” she said.
“Inconvenient?” he said with a raised eyebrow.
“Oh, I was just having some pleasant daydreams on the way home,” she said.
“The private kind?” he asked.
“The kind that are hard to make come true in a crowd,” she said, naughtiness slipping into her tone.
“How ’bout the whirlpool upstairs? You and me, tonight,” he said. “Will that do?”
“Well, you know how I like water,” she said.
They walked through the dining room. Desmond put the groceries down abruptly on the table and grasped Arty’s hand. He pulled her like a dancer into his arms, his fingers brushing up against the wedding ring on her left hand.
“Of course, we may not make it until tonight . . . ,” he said devilishly.
“My sister and brother are one room away,” she protested, but didn’t pull away. Desmond peppered a dozen quick kisses on her lips. Des felt her press her hips up against him . . .
A sharp wail filled the house. It was a baby’s cry—their daughter Diana. Des laughed at the timing, his forehead slumping down to rest against Arty’s.
“How long did she nap?” Artemis asked.
“Nearly two hours,” he said. “I’ll go get her.”
“Guess we’ll be waiting for tonight after all,” she replied.
“I guess so,” he replied, hugging her close. “Who needs sleep anyway?”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The author would like to thank Jason Kirk, 47North, and Amazon Publishing for their excellent work. In addition he would like to thank Nicci Jordan Hubert, Daniel Born, and Kim Mohan for their editing and proofreading services, as well as friends and family for their continued support.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
David Welch hails from the capital district of upstate New York, where he has lived all his life. He is a long-time fan of action-adventure tales in all genres, be they classic pulp tales, shoot-’em-up westerns, or ripping space operas. When not writing, he spends his time hiking, skiing, and exploring out-of-the-way places. His first book, Chaos Quarter, is also available thanks to Amazon and 47North Publishing.
