fucking lights out.”
A small laugh escapes Lex. “I have my moments, trust me. I’m not perfect.”
Pulling my drawer open, I reach in and grab the navy velvet box and place it on the table.
“I’ve been carrying this for months, even before she officially moved to LA. I bought it in Paris, the night after we… you know… I want to ask Kate to marry me.”
“So why haven’t you? You will make my life easier since Charlotte is waiting with bated breath for this to happen. Her words, not mine.”
“Because of life. We’re both so busy with work, traveling, then there was the move, plus trying to balance the kids. It’s been nonstop, and then you add all the goddamn nonsense of this weekend. I don’t want to think I’m just doing it just because we live together.”
“Of course, it’s understandable. You want it to be perfect. You know, our trip to France is in two weeks. The girls are excited to finally see their castle.”
“Yeah, I know. We’re looking forward to it. I know Kate has been desperate to finally get there and start tearing the inside apart.”
“Look, you’ll know when it’s right, and it’s going to be perfect no matter what because you’re marrying the woman you love,” he says wisely. “As for this weekend, keep your distance from Dominic but always remain one step ahead. Try to refrain from punching his face because no matter what the scenario, you’ll be to blame if you act first.”
I nod my head, sliding the box back into the drawer and closing it.
“Let’s make this call,” I tell him. “We need to get this sorted out before the weekend.”
***
I close the front door behind me, the aroma of home relaxing my tense muscles. Only a short distance away, I hear the chatter from the living room. I head to the room with small quiet steps but stop short of entering as I lean against the arch and watch quietly.
Kate is sitting on the floor, still in her work attire, but her hair is loose and her shoes removed. She always looks beautiful whether she is dressed in designer clothing or in a pair of sweats with a messy bun. But there is nothing sexier than the sight of her with my children.
Jessa is sitting beside her, brushing her doll’s hair, while Nash is between her legs, trying to eat the doll’s hair. The kid puts everything in his mouth. The second I make my appearance with a slight sound, Jessa’s eyes lift, shining so bright as she runs to me. I throw her into my arms, smelling her hair before kissing her forehead.
“Daddy, why are you so late?”
Jesus, talk about guilt, kid.
“I had to work, princess.”
Placing her down, she runs back to Kate, so I take Nash in my arms before leaning in to kiss Kate’s lips, giving her space to stretch her legs.
When it comes to the kids, Kate’s patience amazes me. She makes our family dynamic work so effortlessly, and given she’s never experienced living with children, she takes the time to learn, and I couldn’t do any of this without her.
Even more the reason to make her your wife.
“The kids are fed, bathed, and ready for bed soon.” Kate yawns, her normally vibrant eyes appearing tired. “As am I. It’s been a long day.”
We play with the kids a little while longer before we commence the grueling task of bedtime. Nash is much easier—the kid is knocked out by the lullaby’s second verse which plays in his room—but Jessa is much more demanding. She loves to read and will embellish the stories to drag it out, finding any excuse not to go to sleep.
After reading three stories and reminding her about the trip to the zoo with Morgan and Callum tomorrow, she finally agrees for me to leave the room but not until Kate comes to say good night.
We swap roles, Kate taking over while I head to our room and straight for the shower. The hot water is relaxing every part of me, though a blow job would be perfect right now. Three nights of sleeping alone in a hotel room is doing nothing to curb my fucking dick right now.
Knowing Jessa tends to walk into our room about a thousand times before she finally falls asleep, I place on my boxers and exit the bathroom to see Kate pulling down the zipper of her dress.
Standing behind her, I move her hair away from her neck and plant