I was just about to pick her up and carry her to our bed when a throat cleared and my mum said, “Sorry to interrupt you two, but I brought a casserole over for your dinner. I’m just going to take it inside and put it in your fridge.”

After she left us, Harlow’s lips curled into a smile while still on mine, and she murmured, “I love your Mum, but this is the worst timing.”

Before she could move her face away from mine, I murmured back, “Yeah, but now you don’t have to cook that pie you were gonna make for dinner, so I can spend that time fucking you instead.”

“That wasn’t just any pie I was going to make you. In fact, it wasn’t a pie I was making, it was Sex In A Pan.”

“What the fuck is Sex In A Pan?”

“It’s a cake made with ingredients you can rub all over your body, so I figured we could actually make it together…”

Her eyes glazed over with desire as her voice trailed off and I decided I couldn’t wait until later to have her. I needed her now, which meant I had to get rid of my mother.

A minute later, I stood in my kitchen staring at Mum as she rifled through our fridge. “What are you doing?”

Her head popped up so she could look at me. “It’s your rubbish day tomorrow so I thought I’d clean out your fridge. Saves you doing it when I know you’ve got other things you’d rather be doing.”

Harlow moved behind me and wrapped her arms around my waist. She pressed her face against my back and muffled her soft chuckle.

“Mum, we really appreciate everything you’ve been doing for us over the last couple of days, but there’s no need.” She had almost suffocated us with kindness and I couldn’t figure out what her actions were all about.

And I really need you to leave now so I can fuck my fiancé.

She waved me away. “I don’t mind doing it. I love helping you.” Her voice cracked a little when she added, “I can’t imagine not being able to do these things for you.”

Clarity hit me. “I’m not going anywhere,” I said quietly.

Her eyes found mine and I took in the rapid rise and fall of her chest, and her teary eyes. “I know,” she whispered, “but everything that’s happened just reminded me of how dangerous club life can sometimes be.”

Harlow let me go and I knew why. I walked to where Mum stood and embraced her. “I love you,” I said. Words I hadn’t said to my mother in far too long.

She sobbed quietly in my arms and I knew this wasn’t only about her worry for me – this was for all the time we’d lost over the last couple of years. We’d lost each other for a while there, but we’d weathered the storm and come out stronger for it. She wiped her eyes and looked up at me. “I love you, too.”

I smiled.

Everything’s going to be all right.

She closed the fridge, grabbed the bag of rubbish she had, and said, “I’ll take this out for you and then I promise I’ll leave you guys alone.”

Yes.

If I were a praying man, I would have sent a fucking prayer of thanks up to heaven.

Harlow made a strange noise behind me, and when I turned to see what was wrong, she scrunched her face up at me and nodded her head towards Mum.

“What?” I mouthed.

“Ask her to stay for dinner?” she mouthed back.

Fuck.

I bent so I could say quietly, “That’s gonna cut into my time with your pussy. You sure you’re good with that?”

She smacked me lightly on my chest. “Just ask her, Scott! She obviously wants to spend time with you.”

I flattened my lips. “For fuck’s sake…the shit I do to keep my women happy,” I muttered. Turning back to Mum, I said, “Stay for dinner.”

Harlow had been right to insist Mum stayed for dinner. As soon as the words left my mouth, she hit me with the biggest smile I’d seen on her in a long time. “Sounds good,” she agreed and then left us to take the rubbish out.

I dragged Harlow to me, pressing her body tight to mine. “I was thinking we should get married on Saturday.”

Her jaw dropped open. “That’s only four days away!”

“My point exactly. I want to marry you as soon as possible and I figure a Saturday is the best option for everyone to be able to make it.”

“We need to lodge a marriage application form or something to get married, Scott. And I think that has to be lodged a month before the wedding.”

I grinned. “Good thing I already lodged one.”

“What? How? Did you forge my signature?”

“No. I was able to sign it and lodge it, and so long as you sign it before the wedding, we’re all good.”

Her palms landed on my chest and she attempted to push out of my hold, but I held her tighter so she couldn’t.

“Don’t fight me, baby. I’m done waiting. I want that ring on your finger,” I growled.

She gazed up at me with a smile in her eyes. “I’m not fighting you. I’m just starting to panic, that’s all. I need to call Cassie and Madison because I’m going to need help getting a dress, and hair, and shoes, and makeup and all the things a girl needs, to be at her best, on the day she finally marries the man she loves.”

I eased my hold on her, but only a little bit. “I’d marry you without all that shit. I want you clean or dirty, perfectly styled hair or with bedhead, a face full of makeup or straight out of bed in the morning, wedding dress or pyjamas, heels or barefoot, rich or poor.” I paused and placed my hand over her heart. “I want this with all of that or none of it. You are perfect to me however you come, Harlow.”