Mia freezes at the top of the stairs when she sees me, her pale blue eyes widening and her red lips rounding. “Ohhhhh,” she says in that voice that tells me her pussy is warming up and a new fantasy is playing out in her head. “I always forget how amazing you look in a tux. You should really wear one more often.”

“You don’t forget how I look,” I tell her gruffly. “It’s just that after watching you slink around in gowns like that every New Year’s Eve, I’m so goddamn hard for you by the end of the night that I fuck the memory out of your head.”

And the gown she has this year…Christ. It’s a shimmering silver that covers everything from her diamond-encircled throat to her pretty little feet, but clings so close to every inch in-between that it doesn’t conceal a damn thing. Not the perfect roundness of her tits. Not the hot curve of her ass. Not the swollen mound of her belly.

“I remember exactly what we did last year,” she purrs in that husky voice as she gracefully descends the stairs.

So do I. And just like last year, there’s a good chance that the first time I take her won’t be after the gala. More likely I’ll just fuck her at the bottom of these stairs.

Or maybe not. Because the soft patter of little feet announces the waddling arrival of our son, clad only in a diaper. My heart swells up at the sight of him, just like it does every time. Little Nicholas has Mia’s black hair and pale blue eyes, and owns my heart as completely as his mother does. He’s drooling and chewing on his fist, but his beautiful little face breaks into a smile when he sees me. His single tooth gleams as he laughs and lifts his chubby arms toward me in a silent demand as irresistible as it is cute.

“Come here, you little bug.” I sweep his cuddly little body up against my chest, and when I glance up at Mia she’s doing that Oooooh thing with her velvet red lips again. A big man in a tux holding a baby is pushing all her fantasy buttons. But then, she seems to make that face whenever I hold the baby, which is pretty damn often. “Give us a kiss goodnight.”

He lands a wet smack on my chin, then on Mia’s cheek. And she’s smiling, but I see the moment of indecision and regret flash through her eyes when I hand little Nick over to Carol, who’s been helping us out around the house ever since he was born. Because Mia would like to do it all—and she could do it all—but after the forensic accountant she hired a few years back found exactly what Mia expected him to find, to the tune of millions of dollars of embezzled funds, suddenly a heap of new responsibilities landed on her shoulders. Even after delegating and sharing that burden with Jason, simply being the Bennet in this city carries a lot of weight and obligation. So I’ve tried to lighten her load as much as I can—which included persuading her to hire Carol, who eases the burden here at home.

A burden that had increased now that we’re living in this big house. With the baby coming and with a new role for Mia to play, we both realized we needed something larger than our apartments. Did it grate on my pride when Mia outright bought a house that I could never afford?

Not a damn bit. Because it was what she needed. So it was what we needed. And together we’ve spent two and a half years making it our home. And that’s what this place is really worth to me. Not the price tag, but the life we’ve built here together.

For the same reason, she’ll probably never return to the Bennet mansion. Because the life she lived there isn’t one that she ever wants to revisit. Instead Jason resides in the mansion, since he’s the heart of the Bennet Foundation right now and that location is convenient for everyone involved, and that seems to please Mia. Partially because he loves living in that mansion, and she loves knowing he’s happy. Partially because it’s a slap in her father’s face.

No surprise, John Bennet didn’t end up serving much jail time. Fuckers like him almost never do. But he’ll never be much of anything in this town again.

And Patricia, she followed Mia’s advice and divorced his ass just before the shit hit the fan, then got the hell out of town. I don’t know where she is now. Don’t care, either.

The only thing I care about is right here. “He’ll be all right,” I tell Mia.

“I know,” she sighs. “I just hate leaving him.”

Every time. Me, too.

Softly I kiss her, then reach for our coats. The limo’s waiting outside, and Mia holds my hand as we walk down the front steps to the circular driveway. The front of our big house still blazes with colorful Christmas lights—though this year, I didn’t let Mia help, except to tell me which decorations she wanted where. I barely survived multiple heart attacks last year, coming home to find her on a ladder, fastening a string of lights to the eaves on the third floor. Trying to do it six months pregnant? No fucking way was I going to let that happen. Which means we might soon become one of those families that leaves their holiday lights up all year.

A flash of long leg peeks through the shimmering silver as Mia steps into the car. I slide into the soft leather seat across from her, because I fucking love looking at my wife.

She loves looking back. “I still like your face,” she says huskily, then pushes the button to close the privacy screen.

We’ve gotten real familiar with the locations of those buttons.

And even with that swollen belly she’s so damn graceful, hiking up her dress and straddling me in a smooth movement. It’s pure sweet torture when she does this. Because she’s got her hair done up and her lipstick perfect, and the drive to the gala doesn’t take too long—not long enough to fix them up again. And it’s no one’s goddamn business if I’m fucking my wife in the limo. So I don’t like to mess her all up.

Her arms link around my neck and her mouth is so close to mine, teasing with every warm breath. “I’ve figured out a plan for our empty-nest years.”

After the babies are grown up. After she’s gone back to med school and become a medical examiner.

“What’s the plan?” I hope it involves a lot of fucking.

“Well…” She reaches between us and slowly unzips my trousers. “I think we should become a crime-solving duo.”

I let out a quiet grunt of pleasure as her soft hand grips my length. The past years, she’s gotten a whole lot better at getting my big cock out of my pants just by dragging it through the zipper opening.

“What about Huertas?”

“He can still be your partner when you’re on-duty,” she says, and her hot tongue flicks out to tease my bottom lip. Groaning, I chase her mouth but she leans back, denying me. “But this will be when you’re off-duty. Like if someone ever gets stabbed while we’re at the gala, but there are no witnesses. I’ll examine the body and tell you what kind of person must have done it—how tall, how strong. Whether they’re right-handed or left-handed. And you’ll use your deductive skills to solve the crime. Then we’ll find a private room and celebrate our victory when you bend me over a table.”

My breath hisses through my teeth when she drags the tip of my dick through the scalding wetness of her cunt. “This is a damn good plan.”

“I know.” Her head falls back as she sinks down, burying half my cock within the tight clasp of her pussy. “Oh god. That feels so good.”

And even after three years, I barely have any goddamn control. My hands clamp over her hips and I ram up between her thighs, forcing myself deeper on a hard stroke. Mia cries out, her fingers gripping the lapels of my coat, then rides me back down.

“Fuck, angel,” I groan against her exposed throat. “Your pussy takes my cock so good. Every goddamn time.”

Every time. Every way. Every day. I fuck her hard but it could be slow and be just as perfect, and just being with her will always be the best part of it all. I take her now and love her more with every thrust, waiting until she trembles and screams, then empty my entire heart and soul into her pussy when I come.

She falls against me, her chest heaving, the belly rounded with our baby pressing against my stomach. “This is the dirtiest thing we’ve ever done,” she claims, panting.

Not even close. “Pretty damn sure we did this last year. And the year before.”

“Yes.” Lightly she kisses my mouth. “But we cleaned up. And this time, I’ll be walking around all night with your cum between my legs, while I’m all knocked up with your baby.”

Holy fuck. My spent dick jerks inside her, as if trying to squeeze out a few more drops.

She laughs merrily, looking down into my eyes. And this moment, fuck. It’s like my heart just tries to burst through my chest. Because she’s my angel. Always my angel.

And every single day with her is heaven.