I arch a brow. “Is that so, Miss Bradford?”
“What? Don’t think I can save you, Rowan?” She smirks, and I brush her hair out of her face.
I love seeing her like this, properly fucked and carefree. Her smile grows when she sees me watching her, and I want everything to stay like this. No outside bullshit while we celebrate her and our babies.
Babies. I still can’t believe we’re going to be parents. There have been moments when I’ve wondered who the father is. I have a feeling, but I can’t be sure.
Samantha tampering with the condoms in my nightstand drawer still pisses me off. We’re so young, and Samantha stole the choice from us, but she can’t steal our love for the twins and their mother.
Emma stills, and I watch as her focus shifts to my arm. Her gaze volleys between my tattoo and my face a few times before she finally speaks. “That’s. . . you got a. . . that’s a-” I smirk at her loss for words.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispers as I admire her. She is the lioness-fiercely loyal, majestic, and protective of her pride.
Cupping her jaw, I run my thumb over her lips before bending and gently kissing them. “I wanted to capture the beauty in your strength. Something that symbolizes how I see you,” I explain when I break our connection.
Emma tilts her chin up, studying me. “You have such a way with words, Rowan. I truly love it,” she confesses, and I get lost in her captivating silvery eyes-eyes that have witnessed so much but remain steadfast.
“Are you still with me there, big guy?” Emma teases, snapping me from my thoughts. I chuckle as I lift her, positioning her to straddle my lap.
I can’t say I ever thought I’d like the idea of fucking a baby into my woman and watching her belly grow our children, but fuck if my dick isn’t hard again at the thought.
“There’s no place I’d rather be,” I murmur, bending and capturing her nipple in my mouth.
She groans, grinding her bare pussy against my erection as she tugs my hair, pressing my face into her breast.
Emma’s hips roll, moving faster up and down my shaft, and I can feel her arousal coating my cock.
“Fuck,” she whimpers, her breath hitching when I bite her nipple.
Needing more, I grab my length, pulling my mouth from her breasts as I thrust up into her, impaling her on my cock.
Emma gasps, throwing her head back as I piston in and out of her as I growl, “That’s exactly what I plan to do.”
KARL
“Do we remember the rules,” Reign asks, narrowing his glare on us.
“We’re not five, asshat. There’s no need to go over security protocol for the tenth time,” Sebastian snaps.
It’s the first day back to class, and I’m already feeling stabby. I’m convinced Elias, Fernando, and Reign have a death wish.
“Apparently, you are because one of the first things we covered was not giving us a hard time. Emma’s safety is number one. Everything and everyone else is inconsequential,” Reign retorts.
We’re all standing in the middle of the entryway, arguing over the semantics for when we’re on campus. “And what, you think we want something different?” Rowan sneers.
“No, but we know you’re all prone to rash decisions, and we can’t afford that,” Elias explains, checking his watch before he continues. “We need to be out of here in the next fifteen minutes. Just do what you’re told, and we won’t have any issues today.”
Tilting my head, I study the pricks ordering us around. Elias, Reign, and Fernando continue to rattle off their rules.
Don’t go anywhere unguarded. Don’t try to slip the security detail. Wait for us to clear all buildings, rooms, and vehicles. And on and on they go. My hand twitches at my side, itching to pull Mary’s ornate handle from its holster. It’s been too long since she’s tasted blood, and I think it’s time to rectify that-starting with these fucks.
“Can we hurry this along?” August demands, smirking at all of us like he’s in on some secret none of us are aware of. “It’s a waste of all our breaths to continue to debate this. Thomas has outlined what needs to be done. We’ll follow those protocols. Save the bickering for something that hasn’t already been agreed upon.”
“Exactly,” Emma states, and I turn in time to see her and Shay walk down the stairs. “We’ll follow the rules, and you’ll all stop the alpha pissing contest so we can get to school.”
Sharp gray eyes survey the room as she descends the final step.
She’s fucking breathtaking. She’s wearing black leggings, a cream-colored sweater with a collar that droops enough to see her delicious freckled skin, and knee-high burnt orange leather boots. Her body is changing, and I’m pissed I missed the first signs-time we’ll never get back-my jaw clenches at the reminder of time lost.
“Won’t you?” Emma persists when none of us respond to her reprimand.
“As long as it keeps you safe. Otherwise, all bets are off,” Rowan declares as Emma and Shay stand by the table. Rowan hardens his gaze when Emma meets his stare head-on. A silent exchange passes between them, making me smile.
Since the night Rowan and Emma had their fight, he’s been different-they both have. The electricity passing between them is infectious, and I have to remember to control my dick.
Rowan flexes his jaw, refusing to back down while Emma meets his eyes in challenge. I feel like a voyeur watching their exchange as the silence between them stretches, making my cock lengthen uncomfortably.
“We need to go,” Sebastian announces, breaking the spell.
Emma blinks, and her cheeks flush scarlet as awareness of the people around the room observing them sets in.
“I’ll meet you assholes in the car,” Emma mutters, tugging Shay’s hand and stomping off. Fernando and Elias quickly move to precede them.
“Don’t take long. We need enough time to check her classroom,” Reign instructs, then turns, leaving us inside.
Sebastian scowls at Reign’s retreating form. “Dibs on Reign,” he huffs, and I snort. Though the idea is extremely tempting, and their deaths play on a loop in my head, they keep my angel safe. So, for now, they remain alive.
“You’re all still letting them get to you. They aren’t, nor have they ever been, a threat to us,” August begins, sliding his arm through the straps of his backpack. “Everything they’ve done has been to make all of us pay for the hurt we, intentionally or unintentionally, caused her.”
August’s halfway to the front door when Liam clears his throat. “You’ve always known who they were to her but never said a word,” Liam states. His statement isn’t accusatory. It’s more of a confirmation. August always holds information about Emma close to his chest until he believes we’re worthy enough to share.
Pausing, August peers over his shoulder. “Most of you are only just getting your heads out of your asses.” His hand wraps around the door handle. “Now, don’t fuck it up, and then I won’t have to keep shit from you.” Then, he steps through the door, leaving us to stew.
“We seriously need to tie his ass up,” Rowan mutters as he whirls around and exits the house.
I’d agree if I didn’t know August has only the best intentions for Emma. We all do, and we all have and will continue to take care of her. I am going to nick the smug fucker, though.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.