Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 85277 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85277 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
“That’s a lot.” Rachel stretches out her arms as wide as she can. “It’s big, really big, like this, right?”
He squeezes my arm again. “Bigger.”
“Do you want pancakes?” Rachel asks Austin, then whispers to him, “If you want, you can ask for chocolate and bananas. Those are the bestest ones that Mommy makes,” she informs him as she climbs over him to get up. “Mommy puts chocolate spread on them and then she cuts bananas in a smile.” She nods her head to convince him, as if it is something unbelievable. “Ask her.”
“Will you make me pancakes, Lauren?” He’s almost whispering.
I nod my head, the lump in my throat threatening to dislodge and let loose the sob it’s holding back. “I need the washroom,” I say, rushing into the bathroom and locking the door behind me. I slide down the door, listening to Austin tell Rachel that she could go downstairs and start taking out the bowls. Once I hear her running out of the room and then downstairs, I listen for Austin’s steps.
I don’t hear anything until there’s a soft knock at the door. “Baby, open the door,” he urges softly.
“Um, I’ll meet you downstairs,” I say, trying to get my voice to come out without cracking.
“Baby, open the door, please,” he whispers into the crack of the door.
I get up and slowly unlock the door, opening it slightly. “I’m okay.”
“I didn’t want to tell you like that.” He pushes the door open and grabs me around the waist to carry me over to the vanity, where he sets me down. He pushes the hair from around my face, tucking it behind my ears. “I wanted to tell you in some romantic way.” He opens my legs, stepping in between them, while I put my hands on his waist. “But this is our normal now.” He smirks at me. “And I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love you. I love how much you love your children. I love how much you put up with from your sister, who is crazy, by the way.” I smile at that comment, thinking of last week when she made tofu burgers and didn’t tell him, and they were half raw inside. “I love how selfless you are, always putting everyone before yourself.” He kisses my lips softly, his lips lingering on mine.
“I love you,” I whisper. “I love how much you love my kids. I love how you took us all on. I love that you don’t actually kill Kaleigh every day, even though I’m sure you want to.” I smile. “But most of all, I love how you love me. I love how safe you make me feel. How you make me feel so sexy and, most of all, so loved that it’s overwhelming.” I give him a smile that I’m sure lights my eyes, because my heart is soaring and I feel like the happiest person in the world.
“Now, wasn’t that romantic?” he whispers to me, and I can feel him smiling while he kisses my lips.
“Very. Much better than when you tried to woo me.” I nip his lip.
“None of that now. We have Rachel searching for bowls.” His hands cup my face. “Now, let’s go make pancakes.”
“You are totally getting the best blowjob of the year as soon as the kids go to school and I call in sick.”
“Oh, and we’re totally playing hooky today and having sex all day long,” he informs me.
“That we are, Mr. Mackenzie, that we are,” I agree as I get down from the vanity and walk out of the bathroom to head downstairs. Once there, I see that Rachel has started by getting the mixing bowl out as well as the box of pancake mix, which must have fallen on the floor, because there is powder all over the place with little footprints in it.
“I’m ready!” she shouts excitedly, standing on a chair that she pushed to the counter.
“What is all the noise for?” Gabe says, dragging his feet as he comes downstairs, rubbing the sleep from his eyes that are squinting as they adjust to the light.
“We are making pancakes with chocolate and bananas!” Rachel yells at him, far too loudly for this hour of the morning.
“Hey, Austin.” He looks right at him. “You didn’t leave yet?”
“Leave?” Austin questions him right back.
He smirks at him. “I know you sleep here and sneak out.” He smiles at both of us. I’m too busy with my mouth hanging open to answer. “I got up early last week, and you guys were sleeping, but then he was gone in the morning.”
“Um… ahh… well, um…” Austin stutters, not sure what to say.
“It’s cool,” Gabe says. “If Ms. Camilla can sleep over naked at Dad’s, it’s ok that you sleep here.” He shrugs before going over to the refrigerator and grabbing the orange juice.