His mouth moved to my throat. “Don’t care about that either.”

“His girl wants cantaloupe.”

His lips hit mine. “Really don’t care about that.”

“Prea—”

He kissed me.

I stopped teasing.

He started, but a different, much, much better way.

And he ended the tease from the back, taking me on our knees, me genuflected before him, stretched like a cat, pushing back to get as much of him as I could.

“Get there, Lyla,” he ordered roughly.

I met his slams.

“Fuck, get there, baby,” he groaned.

I pressed both hands to the wall, reaching for him as I gasped my stunning orgasm.

His thrusts came hard as he grunted his.

He glided gently for a while before he pulled out, muttered, “Fuck, love my woman’s ass,” and slapped it lightly before he bent and sunk his teeth into a cheek.

My eyes drifted closed.

He kissed the small of my back, shoved me down to my side and left the bed.

He came back and made us both tangled in sheets, and each other, within about ten seconds.

“You get to explain to Shawn why he doesn’t have his preferred breakfast,” I mumbled, cuddling closer.

Preacher chuckled.

I loved that sound, so I pressed even closer.

“You know, it sucks when you have to leave me after, so maybe we should get me an appointment so I can get on the Pill.”

He didn’t reply.

I pulled my face out of his throat and tipped my head back. “Preacher?”

“I should get tested,” he muttered.

Hmm.

“Yes, and after we’ll both be…careful.”

“Sorry?”

“We’ll both be careful.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

It was then I felt what I felt when Jesse had called out that first day at the house, alluding that maybe Preacher had a girl other than me with him.

A weird cold that was also hot.

“You said you’d get tested,” I pointed out.

“Yeah, ’cause I fucked around before you. Not after you came back, so it’s been a while. A long fuckin’ while of no one but you. And I’m not a fuckin’ moron so I never went in ungloved. But once we know I’m clean, it won’t matter, ’cause it’s you and it’s me and that’s all it’s ever gonna be.”

There it was.

That’s all it’s ever gonna be.

He’d mentioned decorating a bedroom for our girls like Mom did for Sonia and me.

And I knew it to the depths of my heart that was where we were at, and, as crazy as it seemed, I knew this from the very beginning.

And I loved it that those words came out of his mouth.

But I could not bask in that considering his tone, his expression, and his dark, heavy mood that seemed to shadow the bright room.

“I know, honey, but—”

“But what?”

“But—” I tried again.