Emily nodded, her smile salacious. “Oh, yes. It requires a very large battery.” Gavin lifted a curious brow, his grin widening. She hopped off the counter, grabbed Gavin’s hand, and started leading him toward the garage door. “Close your eyes,” she whispered.

“What are you doing?” Gavin probed, a devilish smirk curling his mouth.

With a quick hand, Emily pulled him by his necktie down to her mouth. Running her tongue along his irresistible lips, she swung her arm around his waist and squeezed his ass. Tight. “It may be your birthday, Mr. Blake, but I’m the one running the show. No questions. Got it?”

Yep, his wicked angel knew how to make Gavin’s stone harder. “I’m nothing but a peasant to your demands, sweets.” Smiling, Emily watched him close his eyes, proud of the authority she held. “But I’m definitely pulling the alpha caveman card on your pretty little ass during our sexcapade.”

Severely loving the authority he stripped from her, she ran over to her discarded apron. Picking it up, she shoved her hand into the pocket and whipped out the very blindfold he’d teased her with when he showed her Noah’s nursery and the house. Oh yes, payback was about to become Gavin’s bitch. Coming up behind him, she slid it over his face, making sure his intoxicating baby blues were covered.

Gavin tossed his head back, laughing. “Very sneaky. I like.”

Emily intertwined her fingers in his as she led him through the mudroom and into the garage. “I’ve learned from the best of them.”

“Can’t say I’d disagree with that statement.” Gavin crossed his arms, a grin lighting up his face. “I’ve taught you every single naughty thing you know.”

Shaking her head, Emily hit the garage door opener and smiled at not only Gavin’s over-confident remark, but her carefully thought out birthday gift. Sleek, as silver as a shiny bullet, and wrapped in a larger than life Yankees bow, Emily’s eyes scanned Gavin’s new… minivan. She couldn’t bring herself to purchase a forest green one. Nope. And being it wasn’t in the same class as the insanely priced sports cars Gavin was accustomed to driving, the Chrysler Town and Country would be something that would take some getting used to. However, considering the lower end vehicle held more meaning than she could ever imagine, Emily was pretty positive this color and model might fit the bill.

“Okay. Are you ready?” Emily draped her arms around Gavin’s neck, breathing in his cologne. Kissing his chin, she felt excitement rushing through her veins. “This is a… few gifts wrapped into one. I just want to make sure you’re prepared. I don’t need your old ass having a heart attack on me.”

Gavin shook his head, his dimpled smile as contagious as ever. “You’re turning into a certified—”

“Wiseass like you.” Emily ran her hands across his chest and pushed up on her tiptoes. Lips grazing Gavin’s ear, she closed her eyes and huskily dropped her voice. “I have a couple hot, delicious, naughty things to teach you, Mr. Blake.” She slowly slid the blindfold from his eyes. “Class starts in five.” She nipped his ear and backed away. Watching him blink open his eyes, his dimple deepening with his growing smile, Emily clapped as Gavin’s mouth dropped open.

“You didn’t,” he said, chuckling.

“Oh yes I did.” Emily wasted no time making her way over to the passenger side. Before opening the door, she reached into a utility closet and snatched the keys to the new ride. She chucked them over the roof and giggled when Gavin caught them. “Get in. We’re taking this bad boy for a spin. Oh, and check out your customized plates. They fit you to a T.”

Brow drawn up in curiosity, Gavin padded to the front of the vehicle, his eyes landing on the plate his certified wiseass wife had made for him. With a Baltimore Orioles emblem winking at him, Gavin scanned the letters BRDLVR. Belting out a laugh, Gavin tossed the keys in the air and caught them before he hopped into the driver’s seat.

“Am I good or what?” Emily questioned, a proud smile toying at her mouth. “I mean, you know you had it coming, right?”

Gavin shook his head and slid the keys into the ignition. “Yes. I had it coming.” Engine started, he leaned over the console and reached for Emily’s seatbelt. He clicked it in place and brought his lips to her ear. “So when does this class begin? I’m an eager student, more than willing to learn new tricks from the teacher.”

Goose bumps popped over Emily’s flesh as she stared into Gavin’s eyes. “I’m glad you’re an eager student,” she breathed, her body caught in his easy vortex of seduction. Damn. She swore he’d be able to pull this shit on her when they were well into their golden years. Wrinkled, barely able to walk, and sucking on an inhaler, she was convinced he’d never need Viagra. Ever. “But I’m not done giving you your gifts.”

A smirk formed at the corner of his lips. “I know. I’m trying to coax the others out of you right now.” Emily’s blood coursed violently through her veins as Gavin’s hand crept behind her head, his fingers melting through her hair. He teased his lips to hers, his voice a low whisper. “Am I doing a good job?” He didn’t let her answer. He probed her mouth with his tongue, seeking the sweet taste he could never get enough of, the sweet taste that would forever belong to him.

Emily’s limbs went pliant, her pulse racing as she gasped into their kiss. Lips locked in wanton indulgence, she breathed in everything that made Gavin. His touch, taste, and the spark of life that continued to light her world on fire time and time again. His presence soothed her. His arms protected her. His soul loved her. He was a cleansing, a purification, and a fresh start at a life she never believed she’d hold. He’d always know how to carefully stalk the fringes of her heart, how to steal her breath, and how to make her worries seep into the nothingness where they belonged. In a blink, he was there. In a flash, she’d almost lost him. But here, and now, he was hers. Leaving behind what once was, and no longer holding visual remnants of chaotic past that’d almost broken them, Emily slowly drew her lips away from his, her need to fill their present with continued happiness growing by the second.

“I love you, Gavin,” she whispered, her mind burning every precious second, minute, and hour they’d spent together into her memory. “You’ve given me everything I could’ve ever imagined and more. I hope I’ve done the same for you.” She paused and cupped his cheek, her pulse racing. “Your other gift’s waiting for you in the back seat.”

Gavin dragged his gaze from Emily’s, which had suddenly become teary, his eyes flicking from Noah’s car seat over to a smaller infant seat. The difference in size was so overwhelming, yet the two fit together like pieces to a puzzle. Side by side, an older brother and a younger sibling. Swallowing, Gavin felt his heart start to hammer in his chest, bursting with a mixture of fear, excitement, love, and joy. Each a delicious, vivid component of what it felt like to be a father. A father to a first, and now a second child.

Gavin’s trembling hand immediately flew to Emily’s stomach, his voice nearly trapped in his throat. “You’re pregnant?” The words rushed from his smiling lips.

Emily giggled, tears slipping from her eyes. “No. I usually make it a habit of buying a few spares just in case.” She unclicked her seat belt, climbed over the console, and deposited herself onto Gavin’s lap. He chuckled as she wrapped her arms around his neck and peppered kisses against his lips, nose, and cheeks. “Yes, I’m pregnant, Blake. It’s not funky forest green, but we’re filling this minivan with bucketloads of kids.”