by J. J. Murray
“I have never been better,” Lauren said.
“What did Todd want?” Patrick asked.
“He told me that Saturday Night Live has an opening,” Lauren said.
Patrick’s hand stopped moving. “And you just turned it down? I thought that’s what you’ve always wanted.”
Lauren rubbed her nose on his chest. “This is all I want. This is all I need.” And what I think is growing inside me is more than I’ll ever need, and she won’t stare into mirrors. She’ll stare into her daddy’s eyes, and she’ll watch her daddy’s hands. She’s going with us while we work, and that child will know how to repair anything and everything. And if she just happens to want to be in the class play, I’ll let her perform—but only once. Just to see. As tall as Patrick is, I hope she’s tall and plays the tree.
She let her hand wander around his stomach. “Do you mind if I spend the rest of my life earning your love?”
“Earning my love?” Patrick said. “We’ll earn each other’s love.”
“That’s going to be so much fun.” She kissed his neck. “I have to know something, though. Why did you really pick St. Louis for our first date?”
Patrick sighed. “I thought it was halfway between here and LA, but I was off by about five hundred miles.”
She moved on top of him, her knees tight against his hips. “Don’t know much about geography, huh?”
“No,” Patrick said. “I do know about biology, though.” He lifted her booty slightly until he was inside her.
“Yes, you do.” Do I tell him now? No. I can wait. I’m finally learning patience. This “now” with only my husband is too special. She started a slow grind. “Five hundred miles off. I thought you were good at measuring things.”
Patrick massaged her breasts. “Well, you were rushing me on the phone—”
Lauren grabbed his hands tightly. “Me? Rush you? Never!” She laughed as she kissed his hands. “I think you picked St. Louis on purpose.”
“It was a random moment,” Patrick said. “Omaha just didn’t sound as romantic as St. Louis did.”
She dropped his hands and braced herself on his chest. “It wasn’t a random moment, Patrick. You don’t do random. You were trying to meet me halfway, weren’t you?”
“I was trying,” Patrick said. “I just wasn’t succeeding.”
Lauren sat up straighter and arched her back. “But meeting someone halfway defines true love, doesn’t it?”
“It does,” Patrick said.
“We met each other halfway.” We shared each other’s worlds, and his world “won.” “Do you care to meet me halfway in this bed for the rest of the day?”
He sat up and wrapped his arms around her. “I’ll need lots of rehearsal time. I’m not much of an actor.”
“You’re too honest to be an actor,” Lauren said.
“That’s a good thing, right?” He nibbled on her neck.
“It’s a very good thing,” Lauren said. “Do you think you could take a lifetime of directions from me?”
“I could,” Patrick said, “but I might do some directing myself, too. I have plenty of ideas.”
“Codirectors,” Lauren said, resuming her grind. “That’s usually a problem.”
“Not when you’re raising children,” Patrick said.
Lauren bit her lip. And we might be raising a child very soon. We’ll have to get more Pop-Tarts soon. I know we have mustard and ketchup. Oh, salmon and Zagnut bars, too. “Give me some directions.”
“Put your hot body on mine,” Patrick said, smiling. “Let me . . . feel the love.”
Lauren laughed. “Oh, I got this. I think I’m going to love this movie. Is there lots of sex?”
“Yes,” Patrick said. “But mostly, there will be a lot of love.”
“I think I can live with that,” Lauren said.
For the rest of my once glamorous and now blessedly, blissfully contented, ordinary, and gloriously happy life.
KENSINGTON BOOKS are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018
Copyright © 2015 by J.J. Murray
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the Publisher and neither the Author nor the Publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”
Kensington and the K logo Reg. U.S. Pat & TM Off.
ISBN: 978-1-6177-3480-9
ISBN-10: 1-61773-480-2
First Kensington Mass Market Edition: May 2015
eISBN-13: 978-1-61773-481-6
eISBN-10: 1-61773-481-0
Kensington Electronic Edition: May 2015
