“Anything you want. I’ll follow you anywhere,” I said again.
She tipped her chin and kissed me. “Thank you. For showing me that asking for help doesn’t make me weak.”
Silently, I nodded.
“I’m so lucky to have you. Tonight proved that. Because I need a lot of help. Not just with the baby, but with the business and the FBI and Celine. I definitely want to hire Parker to take down Donny, but do you think she’d be willing to help with the issues at Hebert Timber?”
“She might. But if not, we can find other PIs. Law enforcement can only do so much.”
Her eyes welled, but she blinked the tears away. “I just don’t want anyone in danger. I want our family safe.”
“We will get it done.” With a deep breath out, I sank lower into the cushion.
“I think we should do a review of the files and then—”
“Stop,” I said. “Thank you for wanting to share your burdens with me, but we don’t need to share all of them tonight. How about I hold you for a little bit, and we pick back up with the planning and strategy tomorrow?”
“Fine,” she huffed, giving me a sassy eye roll. “But I don’t know what the future will hold. I may have to go back to Seattle or travel after the baby is born.”
I held a finger to her lips. “I’m all-in, Dragonfly. It’ll be okay. I go where you go, and it’ll all work out. Our family comes first for me.”
My heart soared as she snuggled into me. She wanted to be here, with me. Our little family was all I needed, and I’d do everything in my power to protect them.
“Just out of curiosity,” I asked, stoking her hair. “When you say you need me, which parts are we talking about?”
She pinched my side. “Watch the ego, Hebert.”
“It’s my cock, right? You need my cock.”
She giggled and snuggled up closer.
“Or my tongue?” I mused, kissing the top of her head.
“I need all of you, you big, grumpy lumberjack,” she said. “Now shut up and snuggle your wife.”
“Ex-wife,” I said under my breath.
“We’ll see.”
Chapter 36Gus3 weeks later
“Ican’t believe we’re doing this.” Chloe laughed at my side as I carried our bags through the lobby. The Bellagio was the most over-the-top, wild place I’d ever seen. Marble columns, fountains, and Renaissance sculptures everywhere I looked. It was all gold and sparkly and so… Vegas.
But Chloe was beaming. At fifteen weeks, it was safe to say that the morning sickness had passed. She wasn’t really showing, but she had a tiny bump that I was obsessed with. Every morning, we woke up to our view of the lake and the mountains, and I talked to my little bean. According to the books, all of which I’d now read, it couldn’t hear me yet, but I did it anyway. Talking to her belly never got old.
“Can we go to the botanical garden?” Chloe asked. “The girls and I have spa appointments later.”
I beamed at her. Vegas was not my idea of a good time, but Owen was attending a construction conference here and had invited us all to spend the weekend with him and Lila so we could celebrate their engagement. They planned to wait until after Lila finished graduate school before they got married, but since Finn and Adele had recently gotten engaged too, it seemed like a great time for a family adventure.
Even my mom had come and was getting into the Vegas spirit. Owen had paid for everything and planned out all kinds of fun, culminating in a private dinner with some world-famous chef tomorrow night. Although I was out of my element, knowing we’d all be together made it worth it. Even Noah was due to arrive later. Since fire season was over, he was back in Portland and had a little downtime.
We waved to a couple of my brothers, who were milling around the lobby, and headed up to our suite. The place was insane. Massive windows looked out at the strip, and there was an oversized tub right smack in the middle of the suite.
“Gus, look at this shower,” Chloe called from the bathroom.
It was enormous and had multiple showerheads. “Oh, babe. Now I’m getting ideas.” With a kiss, I picked her up, then deposited her on the bed.
“Look at this place,” she said, spreading out on the mattress.
“All I can look at is you,” I said. “And how fucking sexy you look carrying my baby.”
“You say that now. But pregnancy is not kind to short girls. We don’t get cute bumps. I’m going to be round before long. Spherical really.”
I kissed her again. “Sexy.”
“I’m gonna look like Violet Beauregard from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” she protested as I pinned her to the bed, one hand already under her dress.
“Then it’s a good thing I had a crush on her as a kid.”
“After she turns into a blueberry?”
“If you’re trying to scare me away, it’s not working.” I chuckled into her neck. “I’m obsessed with you and will continue to be so until the end of time.” I teased her inner thigh with my fingers.
Giggling, she wiggled beneath me. “I actually believe you.”
“You should,” I said, kissing down the column of her neck as I gently teased her clit. “Because I’m already planning the next one.”
