“Fine. If it makes you feel better, I’ll ask. Scarlett, will you marry me for real?”
I don’t answer him right away, instead pulling him in for a kiss.
“Yes,” I whisper against his lips. “I’ll marry you for real.”
His hazel eyes have me entranced, I’m completely captivated by my future husband. Bennett’s smile momentarily lights up his face before his lips crash against mine.
He pushes me onto my back and groans when his cock glides against my drenched core. “Fuck, Scar. I’ll never get enough of you.”
“Well then I think it’s a good thing we’re getting married,” I muse.
A devastating smile eclipses his face. “You’re right, you’ll be mine for the rest of our lives.”
“And you’ll be mine,” I remind him.
“Forever.” He leans down to kiss the tip of my nose, then my chin, then my jaw, and the column of my neck.
“Damn, forever sounds good falling from your lips.”
“Come here and let me show you what else these lips can do for you, baby girl.”
23
January
After Bennett’s morning skate and team meeting, I decided to leave the office for the day and get lunch with him since tonight is a game night. We then went straight home hoping to get some alone time before the kids got home from school and completed his pregame routine.
Bennett hangs up our coats in the mudroom before scooping me into his arms, and then takes off in a mad dash for the steps to our bedroom.
“What’s gotten into you?” I ask through my fit of laughter.
“I’ve got plans for you, Red.”
“Is that so? Do share,” I quip as he kicks the door shut behind him.
Setting me on the edge of our bed, he steps back to pull his shirt over his head just as my phone begins to vibrate in my back pocket. I fish my phone from my jeans and see Gemma’s name flashing on my screen, which is weird because she should still be in school.
“Gemma’s calling me, hold that thought,” I tell Bennett and he freezes with his hands on the waistband of his sweats.
“Hello? Scarlett?” My stomach sinks when I hear a younger man’s voice instead of Gemma’s, and I’m immediately put on alert.
“Yes, this is Scarlett. Is this Colton? Are you with Gemma?”
“No.” There’s a clearing of a throat. “This is, uh, Nathan. Nathan Connelly.”
“Oh, hi . . . What’s going on? Where’s Gemma?”
“I’m with her at Maven West Hospital. We—we were skating and she just had a diabetic emergency. The paramedics were calling it ketoacidosis. Her phone was dead and I didn’t have your number, and Bennett’s went straight to voicemail. I couldn’t get a hold of you until they gave me a charger. We just got to the hospital. I’m so sorry—” he cuts off, frantic and clearly choked up.
“We’re on our way. Can you please put my phone number in your phone? And then text me what room number she’s in?”
“I will, but they won’t let me back there with her now. I-I kind of lied when we were in the ambulance. They thought I was her brother and I didn’t correct them—I was just too worried about her.”
“We should be there in about fifteen minutes. Hang tight,” I tell him as I gesture to Bennett to go start the car.
Minutes later, I sprint through the doors of the hospital and get a visitor’s pass from security before making my way to the third floor. I don’t bother waiting for the elevator, instead I sprint up the steps.
When I get to the third floor, the pediatric intermediate care unit, I find Nathan standing by the nurse’s station asking for an update on Gemma that they’re unable to give.
