The Arrangement Book 6

ANGELA

I pushed forward through the shocked partygoers and grabbed my kids.

Leah was unrepentant, smiling as I pulled her away inside.

Ace stumbled along, his little feet shuffling as he struggled to keep up. He was probably finding it hard to see with his glasses covered in frosting.

I brought them into the grand room, their feet squishing with cake bits on the hardwood floors.

I crossed my arms and stared at them, waiting for an explanation.

“It was Leah’s idea,” Ace said, taking off his glasses to wipe away the cream. “It’s always Leah’s idea.”

My daughter just shrugged.

It was true.

She was always getting the two of them into trouble. Ace, for his part though, always went along with his sister.

A united front of little troublemakers.

“And what made you want to ruin the cake for everybody?” I asked, my voice stern.

Leah folded her arms in front of herself defensively. It was a gesture she’d picked up from me. Her eyebrows came together in frustration as she looked up defiantly at me. Something she’d picked up from Xavier.

I sighed, crouching down so I was at eye level with my kids.

These mini versions of Xavier and me.

Leah took after Xavier. She had his eyes. His confidence. She was adventurous and curious and always needed to be doing.

Ace took after me. My little boy was quiet and thoughtful. His head was always in the clouds, and he liked to think things through before acting. He was careful and cautious.

And that helped, because he loved doing a lot of little experiments.

But my children weren’t just copies of me and my husband. They were their own people.

And it was up to me to raise them properly.

I sighed, changing tactics.

“Mommy worked really hard on this party,” I said. “And that cake was for DaVinci’s very special day.”

And it was really expensive…

Leah looked down, and I could see the guilt on her face.

“Why did you mess up the cake?”

“The cake for our birthday wasn’t like that…,” she said.

I closed my eyes. I could feel a headache coming on.

“Leah…”

“It’s not like DaVinci even noticed,” she said. “He’s only two.” She picked off a piece of cake from her cheek. “I could give him this and he’d be happy.”

“Leah, that’s not the point.”

“The cake wasn’t just for DaVinci,” Ace added. “It was for Uncle Dustin and Jake too.”

“You aren’t in a position to lecture your sister either, mister,” I told Ace. “You’re just as guilty as she is.”

“Not as guilty,” Ace said. “Still guilty, but—”

“I don’t want to hear it,” I said. “Now both of you are going to go out there and apologize to everyone.”

“But Mom,” they groaned together.

“No buts. The two of you made a mistake, and now you have to own up to—”

“Ah, there they are!” Xavier walked in with a big smile on his face. “Come here and give Daddy a hug. I missed you two.”

Leah and Ace jumped at the opportunity to escape. They ran into Xavier’s arms, and he picked them up and spun them around, the remains of the cake smearing his tailored suit.

I smiled despite myself. I loved seeing Xavier with the kids. But they had to be disciplined properly.

“Leah and Ace were about to go out and apologize to everyone,” I told Xavier.

My husband stopped spinning and looked at the kids. “Oh?”

Leah and Ace hung their heads.

“I think it’s fine,” Xavier said. He laughed. “It was just a little joke, right?”

Leah and Ace perked up immediately, and my mouth dropped open in shock.

“Xavier, the party is ruined!”

“No, everything’s taken care of,” he assured me. “I ordered an ice-cream truck for everyone. It’s outside right now.”

“Ice cream?!” Leah gasped.

“They’ve got a chocolate-vanilla swirl.” Xavier winked.

Leah and Ace squirmed out of his arms and ran outside, all thoughts of an apology gone from their minds.

“Xavier!” I said, frustration building within me. “Don’t encourage them! How are they going to learn if you reward them with ice cream after they do something wrong?”

Xavier watched them go with a smile before turning his ice-blue eyes my way. A thrill of excitement ran through me.

He’d been gone on a business trip for a few days, and damn did he look good in that suit…

He walked up to me, his strong arms winding around my waist. I breathed in the scent of his cologne.

I tried to push away, but he might as well have been made of steel. I couldn’t budge him an inch.

“Hey, beautiful,” he whispered, sending a shiver of desire down my spine.

I shook my head.

Oh, no. You can’t just distract me with your deep, husky voice…

“I was trying to discipline the kids…,” I started.

I felt his lips curl into a smile on my neck. “They’re only five,” he reminded me. “Let them mess around.”

I tried to resist the lust that I felt rising within me.

“We can’t let them do whatever they want, Xavier. The party—”

“Is completely fine,” he interrupted. He pulled away and smiled at me. “Just relax, all right angel?”

Before I could respond, I heard Zoe calling for me outside.

“Angela!” she called. “Dustin wants you to meet somebody!”

I sighed, dropping the issue—temporarily.

Xavier had saved the day with the ice cream truck…but we needed to be on the same page when it came to our kids.

I walked outside, slipping back into my patented event planner extraordinaire face.

My conversation with Xavier could wait.

XAVIER

I closed the bedroom door gently behind me.

Leah and Ace were tucked in and fast asleep. The party had gone on into the night and, despite the cake fiasco, had been a huge success.

After all, who doesn’t like ice cream?

It had been a sweet gesture from Angela to host a party for Dustin and Jake’s new family, but I couldn’t wait to be alone with my beautiful wife.

And I have a surprise that she’s going to love…

I walked into our bedroom, a smile on my face. I clapped twice, and the smart lights instantly dimmed to a low, sexy glow; the wall-mounted fireplace flared to life.

Angela was already waiting for me in bed, and I felt myself hardening in anticipation.

“Xavier, we need to talk.”

My smile faded.

Instant boner kill.

Uh-oh.

“What about?” I asked, sitting next to her.

“About earlier, with Leah and Ace.” Angela laced her fingers in between mine. “We need to be on the same page with our kids. When I’m trying to teach them a lesson, you can’t just come in and dismiss it.”

I remained silent, taking in her words.

The old Xavier would’ve gotten defensive and started arguing right away, his back against the wall.

But the old Xavier was gone.

I could tell that Angela was seriously bothered about what I’d done. And even though it didn’t seem like a big deal to me, it clearly was for her.

“Okay,” I said. “You’re right. I’ll remember that for next time.”

Angela rested her head against my shoulder, a small sigh of happiness escaping her. “Thank you.”

“But I do think you’re putting too much stress on yourself, angel.” I leaned back to look her in the eyes. “You’ve been taking care of the kids twenty-four seven. You’ve been planning Dustin’s party for weeks. How much sleep have you been getting?”

“Enough,” Angela said, sounding completely unconvincing.

“You need to relax,” I said, a devious smile curling my lips. “And I can help you with that.”

ANGELA

I gasped as the oil dripped onto my back.

Where Xavier had gotten a massage table from I had no idea. He’d even lit up the room with aroma candles: the scent of jasmine and peach wafted through the air.

He’d turned our bedroom into an exotic massage parlor.

Not that I minded.

It seemed like my husband was still full of surprises.

He began to spread the oil over my body with his strong, calloused hands, and I couldn’t stop a moan from escaping my lips.

I blushed a deep red.

This is supposed to relax you, Angela. Not get you all hot and bothered.

“Tell me if this feels good,” Xavier said, his voice low and husky. He ran his hands over my skin, the cold oil beginning to get hotter.

And that’s not the only thing warming up…

Xavier took his time.

He started at my shoulders, working his way down my arms and to my palms. He moved on to my back, his touch massaging in slow, sensual circles.

I bit my lip, trying my best to keep my voice in.

His hands massaged my lower back, brushing lightly over my bare ass and down my legs. I felt the goosebumps rise along my skin.

His powerful fingers moved down the back of my thighs and over my calves, massaging my feet and then drifting back up again…

Closer and closer to my inner thighs…

Oh god…

My breathing got more and more labored, and I squirmed underneath his touch.

Almost there…

He stopped, moving back down my leg.

I moaned in frustration.

“Xavier…”

“Hm?”

Is it just me or did I sense a smile in his voice?

He traced his fingers over my ass, and a wave of desire flowed through me.

“Give it to me,” I begged.

As if on cue, I felt his cock nestle itself in between my thighs, hot and heavy. I pushed my ass up to grind into his wide girth, and the groan that Xavier let out just got me even hornier.

I reached back and spread myself open for him. I wanted him inside me. And I was already wet and waiting from the oil…

Xavier slowly buried his massive cock inside. He pushed himself further and further, letting his weight fall on top of me, his sculpted abs pressing against my back.

“Oh, God!” I cried out.

He was so powerful and heavy that I was trapped in the cage of his arms. Not that I wanted to get out. He began to thrust his hips, and every movement had me seeing stars.

“Fuck, you’re so tight,” he growled into my ear as he pumped himself into me again.

Xavier began to move faster, and I desperately pushed my ass up into him, euphoric in the feeling of him filling me up.

Our ragged breaths and heavy moans started to build.

I was going to cum.

Hard.

“Xavier,” I gasped. “Xavier, I—”

He reached underneath me, his fingers rubbing frantic circles into my clit.

That was too much.

“XAVIER!” I screamed, my body convulsing with pleasure. I felt my pussy squeezing around his manhood, trying to milk him dry.

Xavier let out an animalistic grunt as he pumped his hot cum deep inside of me, and the sensation was enough to send me screaming into another orgasm.

He collapsed on top of me on the massage table, and I tried desperately to catch my breath. My head was spinning. My heart was beating so hard I was sure it would burst.

I was so lost in the afterglow that I swore I could hear alarm sirens going off in my mind.

I could even smell the smoke…

I gasped, trying to scramble out from underneath Xavier. I wasn’t imagining the sirens.

He realized it at the same time, and together we scrambled upward, only to be choked by black smoke. All of this couldn’t be from the scented candles...

That was the fire alarm…

The house was on fire!