I choked on the heavenly piece of chocolate cake, the half chewed crumbs stuck halfway between my throat and windpipe, as I looked at the birthday girl whose excited grin had turned into a frown. Bloody hell!

  "Mommy?" She tried to reach for the glass of water on the table, her chubby hands unable to quite reach it. A rough and familiar hand passed it to me as I tried to dislodge the stubborn crumbs from my throat.

  Dammit, get out- I need my throat. Now!

  "You..." I coughed again, and glanced at my insufferable statue of a husband nearly raising his eyebrow by 0.00038 inches at our favourite and only daughter, and then turning to give me a cool, smug look. I was pretty sure my cheeks were burning hot enough to fry an egg. "You wished for what, Emma?"

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   "Goodnight, Emma." I kissed her forehead and pulled up the blanket to her chin as her eyes were nearly closing, tired from all the excitement and fun today and I smiled as she mumbled a goodnight to both of us, half asleep already.

  We were silent all the way to our room and I was quite lost in my thoughts, which was why I didn't notice him lock the door behind us. The warm, comfortable bed- which I had literally forced Rick to buy, the miser was perfectly content with his thin mattress on a ten year old metal structure remotely resembling a bed- was nearly as tempting for me as a bar of chocolate, but for once, the thought of having to change the sheets tomorrow just because I was sweaty right now seemed too much of a trouble. Blast it!

  "Rick, I'll just take a bath..." The sight in front of me was enough to make me forget what I was saying. Well, don't blame me, the sight of a not-so-heartless-anymore stone statue shirtless standing just behind me even after five years of marriage was enough to silence the protests and grumbles of my inner feminist.

I wrenched my eyes away from the wonderful sight in front of me and met a pair of stormy sea coloured eyes looking at me with in a way that made a slight shiver travel down my spine and all musings of fresh sheets fly out of my mind. Strong arms enveloped me, pulling me closer to a familiar hard and muscular chest and I could hardly stop the small smile on my face.

  I discreetly grazed my lips against the warm, smooth skin in front of me, not breaking eye contact with him and listened to his cardiovascular organ speed up immediately, enjoying how a simple touch of mine affected the coldest and most ruthless financier in the entire kingdom.

  "Well, dear Dick, for what purpose have you initiated this superfluous contact?"

  With a look in his eyes torn between a cold glare and an annoyed reprimand, he chose to settle on the third and only option which worked when it came to handling yours truly. Swiftly capturing my lips with his, one of his hand pulled me even closer, if that was even possible, his other hands placed on places that would make a nun faint merely at their mention. Not that I minded. Not at all.

  "Well, you still didn't answer my question, Dick." Blast! My voice sounded a tad bit, hell, a lot breathy and dazed to even me. It was a wonder how much a kiss could still affect me so much even after five years of marriage to this stone headed, stubborn and miserly bastard I had grown to handle better than before.

  "How many times have I told you to not call me by that name?"

  "As many times as I have told you just shut up and shove you orders up where the sun doesn't shine. And stop changing the topic, my dearest Dick and answer my question."

  A growl rumbled through his chest before he nipped at my earlobe and peppering my neck with light teasing kisses, eliciting an animalistic noise from the back of my throat.

  "To answer your question, Mrs. Ambrose," A warmth spread through me at the addressal and my smile widened. It would hardly be appropriate to call your daughter's mother as 'Mr. Linton', after all. "Emma-" I cut him off with a deep, fierce and bruising kiss, the warmth from my inner core burning through my veins until I was sure my nerves would catch fire.

  When we finally pulled away, he rested his forehead against mine, taking slightly uneven breaths, but much more calm than my ragged ones. The room was silent except for my breathing, until I spoke. "What about her?"

  "Our daughter wished for a gift on her fourth birth anniversary today. Is it not our duty to grant her wish?" The temperature of my cheeks increased as I gave him a teasing smile.

  "Is it so, Dick?" His eyes darkened slightly at his detested nickname, pushing me behind till I felt the hard wall against my back as his hands caged me in my position.

  "Yes, indeed, Mrs. Ambrose." His lips stole away my breath with another searing kiss until I was only standing straight because of his hands tightly curled against my waist. Gulping large breaths of air, I pushed him towards the bed as he deftly dealt with the buttons at the back of my dress.

  "Time for some parently duties, then, Mr. Ambrose."

  I guess I'll just change the sheets tomorrow.

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  Dear ladies and gentlemen,

     I'm sorry this is a week late. I wanted to publish this as my birthday gift to all my spiffing readers, but I was so pissed off at the latest Radish chapter, I just couldn't make it. I swear when they had finally cleared all their problems, what is causing a delay now? A bloody epidemic? Of cholera?!

  Anyways, how was it? I know it was a bit short, bit still, all feedback is welcome!

  Aaaand, if anyone didn't get it, Emma asked for a sibling...er, just in case, you know.

  Don't forget to vote, comment and enjoy! Have a nice day!

  Yours truly,
  Ifrit5789.