“Couldn’t what?”

“Stay in bed with me the rest of your life. You’d be bored. I watch you, Trap, and if you don’t go into that laboratory, you start to get restless.”

That was true. There was no denying it. She was very observant. He loved that about her too, because never once had she objected. Even when he’d worked forty-eight hours straight. She’d brought him food and disappeared. Then she’d come in with bottles of water, and he’d fucked her on the floor. He hadn’t said a word to her, just caught her around the waist, ripped off her clothes and slammed inside of her. She was ready for him. Always ready. She’d left without a word between them, gathering up her clothes and leaving him to his work.

She’d returned at each meal, and she brought him coffee often. After the second time he’d ripped her clothes, she came in naked. He couldn’t remember how many times he’d fucked her, but it was often. Several times on the floor. Several times against the wall and twice on a table. He’d loved that because he had his mouth between her legs and got a long taste of her.

The memories poured steel into his cock and he found himself grinning. He’d always had a high sex drive, but being around her, thinking about her, touching her, hearing her voice, all of it, just added to his need of her.

“You don’t have to do this, Cayenne,” he said softly, as they emerged from the swamp. “We can make excuses and head home if you’re not ready.”

“I want to learn, Trap. Eventually I’ll work with you in the laboratory, but I don’t want you to hire a cook. You can bring in someone to clean a couple of times a week, but I want to take care of you myself. And when we have children, I want to take care of them. I used to stay in Nonny’s room because it felt like a home there. She has something intangible, but it’s there, and I want to learn how to have that for our family. She’s offered to give me cooking lessons. I’m not going to turn that down.”

There was determination in her voice. He ran his hand down the length of her glossy hair. “Thanks, baby. I haven’t had anyone caring for me since I lost my aunt.”

“I’m going to be good at it, you’ll see.”

She was starting with nothing. No patterns, no skills, no prior experience or knowledge to draw on, but he could see she was absolutely determined. He could also see that soft warmth in her eyes when she looked at him.

“I know you will, Cayenne,” he said as he walked with her up the stairs.

Nonny flung open the door, her faded eyes moving over the two of them. She smiled at Trap. “Missed you around here, boy. ’Bout time you brought your woman to meet me.”

Trap drew Cayenne in front of him, one arm around her, locked right under her breasts. “Nonny, this is my Cayenne. Baby, this is Wyatt’s grandmother. All of us call her Nonny.”

Cayenne smiled at the woman. Nonny was ageless. Timeless. Her hair was gray and she wore it in a braid wrapped around the back of her head in a bun. She had a few wrinkles, but not many. Her smile was quick and real as she stepped back to allow them entrance.

“Wyatt, Ezekiel and Mordichai are goin’ to take the girls out for a boat ride through the swamp. Wyatt’s been talkin’ to them about survival. He wants them to know all the dangers and also to give them a sense of direction just in case. Ginger likes to wander off, and we have to watch that one like a hawk because the other girls follow her lead.”

“They’re a handful,” Trap agreed, as if he had great knowledge of little girls. “We’re trying to have a baby, Nonny, so ours will grow up with Wyatt’s.”

Nonny spun around and fixed him with a glare. Both hands went to her hips, fists closed tight. “Trap Dawkins. You don’ get a woman pregnant without marryin’ her first. You do that, and you’ll understand the meanin’ of a shotgun weddin’.” She turned her complete attention on Cayenne. “Girl, you and me are goin’ to have a talk.”

Cayenne couldn’t possibly take offense. She found herself smiling and nodding. Trap’s hands closed over her shoulders.

“We’re dealing with the paperwork, Nonny. Jaimie and Flame are making certain that Cayenne has a complete history and everything is in order. Once they give us the go-ahead, we’ll get married. I give you my word.”

Nonny studied his face for a long moment and then she grunted and nodded, as if in approval. Cayenne let out her breath. She’s magnificent.

Yeah, she is.

Wyatt’s so lucky.

We all are. She treats us all like her family, and she means it.

Cayenne studied the older woman as she followed her into what was the sitting room. That, she was certain, was Nonny’s secret – she genuinely cared about the people around her. She welcomed them, took them at face value, and treated them as if they belonged to her. Cayenne wanted that for her own family.

Trap squeezed her hand as she sank into the chair Nonny gestured toward. “You’ll be okay, baby? I’m going to go with Wyatt if you’re comfortable with that. I need to be around his girls. I never thought I’d say this, but I miss them.”

“I’ll take good care of her,” Nonny promised.

Trap leaned down and brushed a kiss on top of Cayenne’s head. “Thanks, Nonny.” He straightened, running his knuckles gently along Cayenne’s face. “You two have fun.”

“We will,” Cayenne said, suddenly reluctant to let him out of her sight. She wasn’t good at small talk. At talk at all. She was used to being with Trap, and maybe Wyatt in small doses, but she was going to be alone in a house with two women she didn’t really know at all.

She pressed a hand to her churning stomach. She honestly hadn’t considered what she’d feel like without Trap close by. Still, she kept her mouth shut, refusing to be such a coward that she would call him back when it had been her suggestion that he find an excuse to leave her alone with them. She watched him leave. Looked out the window to see him join Wyatt and the other two men in the front. Trap reached down, picked up a little toddler and settled her on his hip. The sight turned her heart over.

She turned her gaze back to Nonny and found the woman watching her closely.

“You’re in love with him,” Nonny said approvingly.

Cayenne once more looked out the window, staring at the man she couldn’t imagine herself without. He was gorgeous. Tall and strong. His hair was always a mess, but she especially liked it that way. Every movement he made set his muscles rippling deliciously beneath his tight tee. The toddler on his hip looked tiny next to his large frame.