“The birthday boy is still out like a light.”

Paige grinned at Tristan’s gleeful expression as he went back to bed, rubbing his hands together.

“Going back to sleep, huh?” she said.

“Sleep? Can’t you see I’m up?” Tristan pointed to the tent in his boxers created by his hard-on.

Paige laughed. Of course she knew what her husband wanted. Morning sex had become such an infrequent activity since Tanner was born that it excited her too when a chance presented itself. Not that night-time sex didn’t satisfy her—she was always more than satisfied in the sex department—but there was something about starting the day making love to the guy who meant the world to her.

“But there’s a lot to do today,” she teased. “The party organisers will be arriving soon to set up.”

Tristan snaked his hand under her nightie. “I want to play with my wife first before everyone else arrives to enjoy Tanner’s party.”

Well, she wanted that too. “Let’s start, then. We don’t have much time.”

Tristan chuckled. “Then don’t move.”

“Oh, yes, please,” she breathed, closing her eyes in anticipation, grabbing one of the bars of the headboard above her head.

She liked this little game, where she’d just lie there while Tristan did what he did best to her body. They’d tried tying up her hands to the headboard before, which she’d thoroughly enjoyed, but it had made things hard when Tanner suddenly started crying. So now, she simply became a good girl and didn’t move.

But they had to be quicker than usual. She wouldn’t want to be interrupted at the worst time.

Tristan kissed her passionately before trailing his lips down to her neck, leaving sensuous smacks as he kneaded her breasts. Then he pushed up her lingerie to bare her boobs. “I love these for breakfast,” he murmured, putting a nipple in his mouth and teasing it with his tongue.

Ahh!

She lay still, enjoying her husband kissing her all over her torso while his hands roamed her body. She was wet in no time. This man was still the hottest, hunkiest, most gorgeous, most unbelievable-in-bed guy she’d ever met. And he was hers!

Tristan lowered the bottom half of his body and she could feel the tip of his erection near her mound.

Ooh, if only he’d move a little lower so he’d hit her nub…

She shifted herself to see if she could get him in the position she wanted.

“Don’t move,” Tristan growled.

“Then why don’t you move down a little bit?”

Tristan reared up in surprise. “Already?”

She chuckled. “Well, I just want you to… rub me with your cock.”

Tristan smiled salaciously. “Demanding wifey. Not yet. The game is for you not to move until we’re both ready to come.”

“Okay,” she said resignedly. “Just don’t complain if Tanner wakes up and screams for us soon, or if the doorbell rings.”

Tristan glanced at the clock by their bedside table. “Grrr.”

She giggled. “Sorry, honey. I’d just hate for the both of us to be so horny, but not get to finish.”

“I bet that’s just your excuse,” Tristan murmured, holding his erection and running it against her clit.

She gasped and reached down to cup Tristan’s balls while he continued what he was doing.

Tristan hissed, sliding his rod into her entrance and pushing in a couple of inches, then going back to her clit.

She moaned. Ah, he was an expert in driving her wild with need.

“I want your mouth, sweetheart,” Tristan said.

She bit her lip, sitting up while giving Tristan a come-hither look.

Tristan kneeled in front of her and she gripped his magnificent manhood—one of her favourite things in the world. She put the head in her mouth, twirling her tongue at the tip before taking more of him, while her other hand cupped his balls.

“Ah, fuck, babe,” Tristan whispered, his hand caressing her breast. Soon, he was breathing harsher—and she was soaked.

She was so ready to put him inside of her.

Tristan moved away and pushed her back gently onto the bed, and she opened her legs for him.

But instead of his hips, Tristan put his head between her thighs. He teased her opening with his tongue before licking her swollen nub.

Paige’s body bucked from the bed at the shot of pleasure and desire that zipped through her. She squeezed the bar on the headboard, trying to absorb all that Tristan was giving. Her loud pants filled the room, mixing with Tristan’s moans of approval.

Then Tristan was on top of her. “We better not get interrupted,” he said, teasing her clit with his erection once again before pushing inside her.

“Oh, yes,” she gasped, welcoming his girth and length.

Tristan cupped her boob, thumbing her nipple while he drove into her slowly but purposefully.

“So good,” she whispered, getting lustier as her pleasure rose up to higher levels. “More, please. More of you.”

“Yesss,” Tristan hissed, his own breathing becoming laboured. “I love fucking my wife.”

“Yes, fuck me more,” she breathed, always loving it when Tristan talked dirty.

Tristan groaned. “I love fucking your wet pussy with my hard cock,” he whispered in her ear as he drove into her faster.

“Oh, God… Tristan…”

Then their talking ceased as they both let themselves be carried away by the tide of pleasure and love that no words could ever express.

Paige wrapped her arms around her husband, feeling him with every inch of her, all the way to the bottom of her heart. With a voiceless cry, she trembled violently as she reached her peak, followed by Tristan, who groaned out his breaths as he emptied himself inside of her.

After a delicious moment of unceasing wonder at how perfect they were together, Tristan pulled out, kissing her tenderly.

“Thank God for no interruptions,” he murmured.

She giggled, and the baby monitor came alive.

“Dada,” Tanner called out.

* * *

Paige pointed her phone towards the jumping castle and took several pictures from different angles.

“I now know why you guys hired a giant jumping castle,” Erin said wryly as she watched Brad walk inside the inflatable structure with their six-month-old Aimee. “All the big boys want to play in it.”

Paige laughed. “Tristan was definitely more excited than Tanner when it was being set up.” But she was thrilled to see her son’s face so lit up right now as he sat inside next to his dada, clapping as he watched his older playmates try to shoot balls into a plastic hoop with the help of their daddies and uncles.

“Uh, what’s he doing?” Marilyn murmured, placing her hand over her mouth as she anxiously watched Jarryd bounce up and down while carrying their daughter Marissa, five months.

“It’s stable, honey!” Jarryd called out with a laugh, noticing Marilyn’s expression.

“Don’t fall on the kids and don’t drop ours,” Marilyn replied.

“Hey, Marilyn!” Tristan said. “Remember when you got so scared of being inside one of these when we were kids?”

Marilyn rolled her eyes. “Because you bumped me and then kept on jumping so I couldn’t find my footing while much bigger kids were running all round me.”

“I didn’t know that,” Jarryd said. “Come on in, sweetheart. I’ll make sure you don’t fall.”

Marilyn shook her head. “Just look after Marissa.”

Jarryd came out and took his wife’s hand. “Come on, join us inside.”

Marilyn sighed, taking off her heels. “Fine. I’m not really that scared, you know. I just don’t like being in one of them.”

“I’d like to go in,” Geri said, rubbing her very pregnant belly. “But I don’t think I should.”

“Nope,” Simon said through the soft window, shaking his head.

“Bernie’s scared of jumping castles too,” Paige said, wagging her eyebrows at her best friend. “This is the time to get over your fear, Bern.”

“Nah-uh,” Bernadette said. “No way.”

“So what’s your story?” Derek said, giving the ball he was holding to Nate to join in the conversation.

“Similar to what Marilyn went through, but much worse because of my humiliation.”

Derek left the jumping castle. “Now I’m intrigued. Pray tell.”

Paige exchanged glances with Bernadette, swallowing her smile. Her best friend had reset her sights on Derek after breaking up with her boyfriend three months ago, but her flirtations had been ignored. Was Derek coming around?

“Well,” Bernadette said, taking a sip of her wine—to cover up her nerves, Paige thought.

“I was twelve,” Bernadette continued. “I went in one of those and jumped around, waving to Paige and a couple of other friends who were too shy to join me because of the boys who were being rambunctious inside. I lost my footing and couldn’t get back up because those stupid boys decided to jump harder, so I stayed on my hands and knees—with my undies showing because my skirt had ridden up. I was teased for months, and I’ve hated jumping castles since then—especially with boys inside.”

“Aw, come on,” Lucas said. “We’re not bad.”

“We’re nice!” Julian added.

Bernadette laughed. “I know you are, darling,” she said to Julian.

“Come on in, then,” Derek said.

“It’s okay. Thanks.”

Derek’s lips curved up as he approached Bernadette. “Sorry, I don’t take no for an answer.”

Bernadette let out a sigh—which sounded like a swoon to Paige—and took Derek’s hand.

Paige watched as her best friend went inside the jumping castle with her husband’s best friend.

She’d tried to get more information from Tristan about Derek, since the guy was such a closed book, but Tristan had said Derek was just the quiet type. However, even her dear husband became tight-lipped when it came to Derek’s love life.

The guys had always teased Derek about his on-again, off-again girlfriend that no one had ever met. It was very strange that Derek never wanted any of his closest friends to get to know this girl. But Paige guessed that could be good news for her best friend.

Anyway, right now, said best friend was laughing her nervousness out. Bernadette was clinging onto Derek’s arm as they jumped, with Derek encouraging her to go higher and higher.

Marilyn left the castle and sat back with them. “Well, that wasn’t so bad. I’m cured,” she said with a chuckle.

“Bernie seems to be getting cured too,” Lexie said in a teasing voice.

“We-ell,” Marilyn said, glancing back at Derek and Bernadette. “Do you guys know that everyone in our gang bet on Derek for this round of our Captured by Love game?”

“Really?” they all said.

“Yeah. I got so distracted by so many things that I’d forgotten to tell you about it. I think that we should make it more interesting, since I have a feeling this will be our last round.”

“Okay.”

“How about we bet on when Derek is likely to start a permanent relationship? The person who nominates the closest date will win.”

“I like that idea,” Geri said.

Everyone else echoed her.

“Okay, let’s do it!” Marilyn said.

“Hey,” Jade said. “Does anyone know if Derek is still with his invisible girlfriend?”

“You know, we should really get him to bring her to one of our get-togethers,” Cassie said.

“Yes, let’s do that,” Paige said, glancing at Bernadette. “How, though? He’s not exactly very open about his dating life.”

“He never used to be like that,” Marilyn said. “I’ve met at least three of his previous girlfriends. Then, this woman that he’s supposedly been dating on and off for a couple of years now hasn’t made an appearance at any of our gatherings. Funny how no amount of teasing and cajoling could get Derek to introduce her to us.”

Paige was thoroughly intrigued.

“What’s up, girls?” Tristan asked, walking to them.

“Where’s Tanner?” Paige asked.

“The grandmothers have taken over,” Tristan said.

Paige smiled, spotting both Jennie and Debbie in the jumping castle with the others, seemingly enjoying themselves too. Ever since Dan Yap had been caught two months ago, Tristan’s folks had been spending plenty of time with her parents. They’d hit it off from the beginning with their shared love of gardening.

“Tristan,” Marilyn said, “you’re Derek’s very best friend among us. What do you know about his girlfriend?”

Tristan shrugged. “It’s the same old story. He’s not serious about her, and they’re more often off than on, so he doesn’t want to give her the wrong impression by introducing her to us.”

“It seems really strange, though, don’t you think?” Paige said to her husband.

“Yeah,” Tristan said with a frown. “To be honest, that’s the only topic that I can’t make him share with me.”

“Well, we’re thinking of getting him to introduce us to her—and not letting him get away with saying no,” Paige said.

Tristan stared at her, then at Derek and Bernadette. “Okay.”

Marilyn clapped her hands. “Great. Let’s plan this.”

Tristan laughed. “I’ll leave it to you girls, so I won’t have to lie to Derek if he happens to ask me something.”

“Good idea. Could you go away, then?” Marilyn shooed Tristan away with her hands.

Tristan rolled his eyes. “Fine. I’ll go back to my castle.”

Paige grabbed Tristan’s hand and went with him. “I better not be part of the secret plan,” she said to the girls. “So I don’t have to keep a secret from my husband.”

Tristan placed his arm around her waist. “That’s so sweet,” he whispered in her ear. “I love you.”

“I love you more,” she said, dipping her head on his shoulder.

“Not possible.”

She giggled, touching his grandparents’ interlinked wedding rings. They were now a pendant hanging on a gold chain around her neck, given to her by Tristan on their first wedding anniversary.

“I love you equally, then,” she said.