“Yeah, by the way, again, thanks for having us. It was a wonderful time.”

“It was. You guys are always welcome.”

“Thanks. Okay, well, Zander is pulling me to the garage, so I’ll call you later. Love you.”

“Love you,” she answered back before hanging up the phone. Turning in Karson’s arms, she kissed his jaw. “I love you, husband.”

He smiled as his hand traveled down her body to her ass. “I love you, wife. You okay?”

She nodded. “Of course. I didn’t want to go anyway. I don’t want to watch my dad marry someone else.”

“And because he is an asshole,” Karson added and Lacey smiled.

“That too,” she agreed, holding him closer to her. “Anyone who tries to take you away from me isn’t worth my time.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” he whispered, kissing the top of her head. He held her for a long time, and as she closed her eyes, she didn’t want to be anywhere but in her husband’s strong arms. Kissing his chest, she snuggled closer and just felt complete. So much had changed since she’d met him. Her life had been completely turned upside down. It used to scare her, but now, she knew there was no other way. She was meant to love Karson Jett King, and everything else just fell into place.

“My mom is driving me crazy. I wish you wouldn’t have told her that we aren’t trying but we aren’t preventing. She seriously just told me to make sure to hold your legs up after sex. It was awkward.”

Lacey giggled against his chest as she shook her head. “Your mother is a hoot.”

“No, she’s batshit crazy.”

Laughing harder now, she looked at him and couldn’t fathom how much she loved him. It was as natural as breathing, and he was everything she could ever wish for. Their first Christmas had been magnificent. They had beautiful, hot sex and then rushed downstairs where Regina was cooking a hefty breakfast. After eating with their families, they opened presents and enjoyed being together. She loved watching her nephews open presents and could honestly see a child of their own ripping paper away to find the gift that Mommy and Daddy had gotten them.

It was insane that she had been so against the idea of having her own baby before. It was the fear, but now, she wouldn’t say she wasn’t scared still, but she was open to the idea. Karson was right when he said they would raise a fighter because she was one. She had started counseling, and it was helping so much. Especially since Karson sat right next to her and held her hand as she relived all the horror the cancer brought on. They talked out everything and she felt much better. She even joined an After Breast Cancer program at the YMCA. She wished she had done it years ago, but she felt like a whole different person now that she had been getting help.

She not only felt like a better woman but also a better wife, and maybe one day, a great mom. Like her mom had been. Looking deep into Karson’s eyes, she knew that as long as she was with him, she would be the best.

Because he brought out the greatness in her.

As she did for him.

Karson loved his wife.

He was convinced he was the luckiest man on earth to be able to watch her make her way down the stairs of their home looking like a billion bucks. In a gold sequined dress that was long-sleeved and hugged every single inch of her sexy body, her legs went on for days in black tights with high black heels. Her hair was up in a twist and her makeup was dramatic and smoky, bringing out the flecks of gold in her green eyes. She was stunning.

And all fucking his.

“Damn, woman! I’m supposed to take you out when you are that damn hot?”

A sneaky grin came over her face as she took his hand. “Yes. I spent two hours getting this hot. You are taking me out.”

His heart pounding in his chest as he brought her in close, his mouth dusted against her glossed-up lips. “Or, I can take you upstairs and ring in the new year by banging into you.”

She gasped against his lips as his hands cupped her sweet ass. “While I would love that—because you know they say what you are doing and who you are with on New Year’s is how you’ll spend that year, I have to say, I want to go out and enjoy the night that Fallon has worked so hard on,” she said and he groaned in protest. “Plus, we find out if Kacey makes the team tonight, and if we are banging all night, we won’t answer the phone.”

He smiled as he nodded. “Smart woman I am married to.”

“Damn right,” she said, kissing his lips. “Now off we go. I want to shake my booty!”

She pulled from his grip, but he snatched her back in, pressing his growing erection against the swell of her ass and nipping at her earlobe. “No shaking. I can’t handle that.”

Her laughter was airy. “Why not? Won’t it turn you on?”

“More than you’ll ever know, and then I’ll be hard all night wanting to be inside that sweet ass.”

“Mmm,” she moaned as his fingers danced on the outside of her thighs. Slowly she moved her ass against him but then broke away, a teasing grin on her face. “Guess you’ll have to want me all night.”

He scoffed “Baby, I want you every fucking second of the day. Come here, let me get a piece real quick.”

“No way. We are leaving, come on,” she said, walking away quickly and then out the door without waiting for him.

Man. She drove him insane.

And he loved every second of it.

The Assassins’ New Year’s party was the biggest event of the year.