Not wanting to be left out, Matthew and Malcolm raced over and threw their arms around Marcus’s waist.
Samara’s heart melted as she watched her husband and children. She thanked God for them, and she couldn’t wait to tell Marcus about the coming addition to their family.
Smiling at the thought, she glanced at her diamond-encrusted Chopard watch, one of her Christmas gifts from Marcus.
It was almost five o’clock.
She smiled with quiet excitement.
Just two hours to go before show time.
12
At six o’clock, half of the women left to get ready for the evening’s entertainment. They took the children with them.
After watching them depart, Quentin turned to Marcus. “Do you know what they’ve got planned for us?”
Marcus grinned. “I have no idea. Samara’s been pretty hush-hush.”
Quentin chuckled. “So has Lexi.”
“So has Taylor,” Manning said, joining the conversation.
“Reese, too,” Michael added.
“Same with Maya and Zora,” Navarro and Zachary chimed in.
The six men traded speculative grins.
“Guess we’ll see what’s up soon enough,” Marcus drawled.
Forty minutes later, two uniformed servants appeared to escort everyone outside, where a huge deluxe tent had been erected on the back lawn of the château. Night had settled over the surrounding landscape, which consisted of scenic rolling hills and the lush vineyards that produced Asha’s world-class wines.
Inside the tent, an elevated stage and runway were flanked by rows of chairs draped with white linen. A massive crystal chandelier hung from the center of the tent while strings of fairy lights shimmered like diamonds caught in sunlight.
As soon as Marcus saw the runway, he was struck by a feeling of déjà vu.
Nearly a decade ago, he’d met Samara while attending one of her mother’s fashion shows with an old friend. He’d had to be dragged kicking and screaming to the spring premiere, and he’d grumbled all the way up to the moment Samara made her dramatic appearance on the runway. Crowned with a jeweled tiara and carried on the shoulders of two male models, she was so damn beautiful she’d taken Marcus’s breath away.
Since marrying her, he’d attended more celebrity-studded fashion shows than he cared to recall. It came with the territory when your wife was the daughter of an iconic fashion mogul. He’d been to Fashion Week in New York, Paris, London and Milan (where his youngest was conceived, hence her name). Seated in the coveted front row with Samara and Sterling, he’d watched as stick-thin models paraded up and down the runway in Asha’s latest designer collections. He’d smiled for the paparazzi and posed for selfies with every celebrity from Rihanna to Kim Kardashian.
The first chance he and his father got, they would sneak away to grab a cold beer and catch sports highlights on any TV they could find.
Attending fashion shows would never be Marcus’s favorite pastime. But if he hadn’t been at Asha’s premiere that fateful night, he never would have met Samara. And that was downright unthinkable.
A uniformed attendant ushered him to the front row. Michael and Magnum flanked him while the others filled up the row. Mason sat behind them, still booed up with the pretty nanny. The older couples were seated on the other side of the runway with Mama Wolf, who’d been smiling at Marcus even more than usual. As if she were privy to some secret.
Catching his great-grandmother’s eye, Marcus grinned and winked.
Mama Wolf patted her heart, smiling tenderly when he returned the gesture.
More people were arriving, filling up the tent. Asha’s household servants had brought their families. She’d also invited some friends from Paris, as well as her wealthy neighbors from the nearby châteaus and castles that dotted the French countryside.
Once everyone was seated, the tent suddenly went dark. An excited hush fell over the audience.
Out of the darkness, a woman began singing a hauntingly beautiful rendition of “O Holy Night.” A spotlight clicked on, drawing all eyes to a dais located to the right of the stage. The soloist stood on the raised platform, her voice a rich soprano that sent chills down Marcus’s spine. She was accompanied by Taylor playing the violin and Montana playing the saxophone. The harmonious blending of vocals and instrumental notes sent a burst of applause through the crowd.
Manning was beaming with pride as he stared at Taylor, who looked beautiful in a frothy white evening gown. She traded smiles with Montana, who’d changed into a tuxedo at some point.
The soloist began singing “O Come All Ye Faithful” as the spotlight swung to the stage. The curtain slid open to reveal an elaborate Nativity scene. What looked like a shaft of white moonlight beamed down on a man and woman gazing at a swaddled infant in the manger. They were dressed in golden biblical-era costumes, and their hair and skin were painted gold.
The figures were so perfectly still, they looked like gilded statues. So when they suddenly lifted their heads to smile at each other, a ripple of surprised laughter swept over the audience.
As the soloist’s melodic voice faded, the lights dimmed and thick clouds of vapor filled the stage, obscuring the Nativity scene. Two spotlights shone down on opposite ends of the stage.
A siren wailed, heightening the thrill of anticipation in the air.
Then out strutted Asha and Samara.
A roar of applause went up from the crowd.
Marcus broke into a huge grin as several hands pounded him on the back.
Asha and Samara looked stunningly chic in matching white pantsuits that featured plunging necklines and torso cutouts, baring just enough skin to tantalize without revealing too much. Their hair was slicked back from their faces, a sleek style that accentuated their exotically slanted eyes, high cheekbones and lush mouths. They looked so much alike it was scary.
Awestruck murmurs rippled through the crowd as mother and daughter met at center stage. They slowly circled each other, sizing each other up like two rivals who’d arrived at a party wearing the same outfit.
Scattered laughter could be heard around the tent.
With a haughty toss of their heads, Asha and Samara took off down the runway to the saucy techno beat of Nicki Minaj’s “Pound the Alarm.”
The crowd cheered wildly in approval.
Asha strutted her stuff with the fiercely regal confidence of a former supermodel who’d once ruled the catwalk. She hadn’t lost a step and looked good enough to return to modeling anytime she wanted.
Though not as experienced as her famous mother, Samara was definitely holding her own, strutting down the runway like a pro in her skyscraper heels. She even had the icy pout down pat.
Marcus was on the edge of his seat, grinning so hard it was a miracle his face didn’t split open.
At the end of the runway, Asha and Samara struck several model poses and executed graceful half pivots, sliding one hand into their pants pockets as they showed off their haute couture ensembles.
The crowd was on its feet, clapping and cheering and snapping a frenzy of pictures like fashion photographers. On the other side of the runway, Sterling was grinning from ear to ear. The love he felt for Asha was written all over his face. Marcus imagined he must look just as lovestruck.
Asha and Samara winked at their husbands, then exchanged double cheek kisses and hooked their arms around each other’s waist. Wolf whistles rang out as mother and daughter strutted back up the runway together, disappearing in a dramatic puff of smoke.
As the curtain came down, the audience erupted into thunderous applause punctuated by delighted exclamations of “What an opening!”
Marcus and the fellas exchanged incredulous glances.
“How did they keep all this a secret from us?” Quentin wondered.
The others laughed. “Good question.”
As new music started playing, the curtain opened. The crowd burst into applause at the sight of Lexi standing at center stage with he
r children. All three were decked out in white outfits. Lexi carried Alexandra in one arm while holding Junior’s hand. The handsome toddler took in the audience with a hazel-eyed stare that had all the women cooing and sighing.
As Lexi began walking the runway, Quentin hooted his approval and thumped his fist on his chest, drawing a round of appreciative laughter.
Reese came next with Savannah and MJ. As Michael whooped and whistled, Marcus grinned at his adorable niece and nephew, who elicited more sighs from the audience as they ambled along beside their gorgeous mother.
They were followed by Taylor, Micah, Maximilian and Malia, who looked like a chocolate baby doll. She pranced down the runway, long pigtails bouncing against her back as she switched her little hips.
The crowd ate it up, laughing and cheering boisterously.
“You better werkkk, baby girl!” someone shouted encouragingly.
“She better not!” Manning retorted, setting off rumbles of laughter.
Maya and Zora sashayed onto the stage in stylish red dresses. They each had three young kids with fair complexions and straight or curly hair that came courtesy of their white and Native American fathers.
The audience clapped and whistled as the twin sisters paraded down the catwalk with their children, turning this way and that to show off their outfits while Navarro and Zachary cheered proudly.
As they left the stage, the curtain came down.
An expectant hush fell over the crowd.
At least two minutes passed, drawing out the suspense.
When the curtain parted again, a spotlight was trained on a humongous gift-wrapped box topped with a giant red bow.
Rustles of curious whispers ran through the crowd.
As Tchaikovsky’s “Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy” began playing, a panel opened at the front of the gold box, lowering to the stage like a ramp extending from an aircraft.
When Matthew, Malcolm and Milan suddenly appeared, the audience burst into applause.
The boys looked dapper in gold tuxedos while Milan resembled a fairy princess in a billowy gold dress with gold ribbons in her curly black hair. The three of them looked like golden figurines come to life.
Marcus grinned broadly, his chest swelling with pride as he watched the twins take their baby sister by the hand and escort her down the ramp. They had the entire audience going “Aww” and smiling from ear to ear.
The Nutcracker song faded as an angelic soprano voice rose from the dais. As the talented soloist sang the opening notes of “Ave Maria,” Samara emerged from the giant box.
The audience let out a gasp.
Marcus lost his breath.
If Milan looked like a fairy princess, her mother was the fairy queen, luminously beautiful in a strapless gold ball gown that shimmered under the spotlight. She wore a diamond choker and a diamond tiara on her head that gave Marcus flashbacks to the magical night they met.
She commanded everyone’s attention as she wafted down the ramp, the sweep of her gold gown floating around her as appreciative murmurs spread through the crowd.
At the bottom of the ramp, Matthew and Malcolm bowed gallantly to their mother. Milan curtsied and then crooked her little finger.
When Samara bent down, her daughter kissed her sweetly on the cheek.
More sighs and choruses of “Aww” floated from the crowd.
Marcus swallowed around the lump in his throat. Someone—probably Magnum—clapped him on the shoulder.
He couldn’t take his eyes off the stage as Samara and their children started down the runway together. It was fitting that they’d stepped out of a gift box, because they were four of the best gifts he’d ever received in his life.
Just as they reached the end of the runway, a feral roar pierced the air.
Samara whirled, her gown billowing around her.
Marcus sat up straighter, his eyes riveted to the stage as excited whispers broke out around him.
Suddenly a massive tiger came prowling out of the box.
The audience gasped.
Marcus couldn’t believe his eyes. It was déjà vu all over again.
The sleekly powerful Bengal tiger was led on a chain by a man dressed as a safari guide. As the huge animal prowled toward Samara and the children, a nervous giggle rose from the crowd.
Marcus tried to calm his breathing, telling himself to relax.
The kids weren’t remotely nervous or scared. They were watching the tiger with the same fascinated glee Marcus had seen on their faces during their safari adventure.
Halfway down the runway, the man stopped with the tiger.
The audience sat enthralled, waiting to see what would happen next.
Suddenly a small tiger cub wandered out of the box.
It was followed by another. Then another.
The audience broke into delighted laughter.
As the three tiger cubs joined their mother, Samara and her three children walked up the runway to greet the family of tigers. The mother lay down on the stage, tail swishing contentedly as Samara—ever the tiger whisperer—knelt to scratch the animal behind the ear. When the tiger rubbed its massive head against Samara’s shoulder, the crowd reacted with awed exclamations and enthusiastic applause.
At the other end of the stage, another safari guide suddenly stepped out of the giant box. To everyone’s surprised delight, she was carrying a baby cub in her arms.
She walked right up to Samara and showed her the small cub, reminding Marcus of a nurse presenting a newborn baby to his mother.
Wait a minute...
Marcus got slowly to his feet, his pulse thundering as the pieces began falling into place.
That was when Samara turned and looked directly at him.
With a glowing smile on her face, she rubbed her stomach in slow circles as the words and baby makes six! flashed in neon lights on the backdrop of the stage.
Marcus stared at her, stunned speechless as a roar of applause and cheers erupted from the audience.
The fellas were whooping raucously, shouting congratulations and pounding Marcus on the back.
And then he was bounding up to the stage and hopping onto the runway. Samara laughed as he grabbed her face in his hands and kissed her as cameras flashed from all directions.
He kissed her until they were both breathless, until the chorus of cheers, whistles and catcalls grew loud enough to penetrate his euphoric bubble.
Lifting his mouth from Samara’s, he gazed down at her and whispered wonderingly, “You’re really pregnant?”
Her eyes glimmered. “You think I put on this big production just to play a joke on you?”
He laughed exultantly, then picked her up and spun her around, loving the sound of her rapturous laughter.
When he put her down, she beamed up at him, her eyes shining with tears of joy. “Congratulations, sweetheart,” she whispered.
His heart swelled to bursting. He was just about to kiss her again when he felt a tug on his suit jacket. He glanced down to see three grinning faces peering up at him.
“Mommy’s having a baby,” Milan gleefully announced.
“He knows,” Matthew retorted, rolling his eyes at her. “It’s not a secret anymore.”
Laughing, Marcus picked up his daughter and tweaked her little nose. “You did a great job keeping Mommy’s secret.”
“Only ’cause we just found out before the show.” Malcolm grinned. “Did you like it, Dad?”
“I loved it,” Marcus affirmed, smiling at Samara. “It was amazing.”
“And fun!” Matthew raved excitedly. “Can we have a tiger?”
Marcus and Samara laughed.
“Shadow is the only pet you boys need for now,” Marcus said humorously.
Matthew grinned at his twin brother as if to say, It was worth a shot.
Milan pointed shyly to Samara’s head. “Can I wear your pretty crown, Mommy?”
“Of course, baby.” Samara took off her tiara and carefully settled it on Milan’s head.
The little girl’s smile shone brighter than the crown’s sparkling diamonds.
Their family and friends joined them on the stage, a swarm of hugs and kisses and boisterous congratulations. The men were grinning from ear to ear. All the women had tears in their eyes.
Sterling and Asha, arms wrapped around each other’s waist, thanked Marcus and Samara for giving them another grandbaby to spoil rotten.
“And we’re gonna do just that,” Sterling warned, “so don’t try to stop us.”
Everyone laughed warmly.
As Marcus looked at the sea of smiling faces around him, it was hard not to feel overwhelmed with gratitude. He’d been blessed with more than any man could ever hope for. And just when he’d thought he couldn’t possibly get any luckier, God had surprised him with another precious miracle.
As the others drifted off to mingle, Marcus gazed down at his radiantly beautiful wife. “I love you,” he said in a voice filled with husky emotion. “I love you so damn much.”
Her eyes were soft and glowing. “I love you too, Marcus.”
He leaned down and kissed her.
There was an immediate chorus of catcalls, whistles and lewd teasing.
Marcus and Samara pulled apart laughing.
Then Marcus took her hand and winked, and together they left the stage to join the others for the unfolding after-party.
They had much to celebrate tonight…and for many years to come.
13
Long after the festivities were over and everyone had gone to bed, Marcus and Samara cuddled up by a cozy fire, quietly continuing their celebration.
The room was dark save for the flames glowing in the hearth, spreading warmth through the elegantly furnished bedchamber. They were sitting on a thick Persian rug in front of the crackling fireplace. Marcus was leaning back against an antique wing chair as Samara sat astride his outstretched legs with her arms looped around his neck. Their faces were close together as they talked and laughed and shared lingering kisses.
“So how’re you feeling?” Marcus murmured.
“I feel wonderful,” Samara said with a contented sigh.
Oh Baby: A Holiday Novella (Wolf Pack Book 9) Page 10