by E. L. Todd
We rented out one of the restaurants directly across from the beach. The terrace was underneath the stars and the Hawaiian air hinted of flowers and the exotic wildlife. The champagne was flowing and everyone was having a good time.
Slade was sitting beside me and he poured me a glass of champagne after he topped his off. Then he handed the bottle to Arsen, who filled his glass before he passed the booze along.
A slow song came on over the speakers, so Conrad and Lexie had their first dance next to the table. They wrapped their arms around one another and slowly danced. Their eyes were locked on each other and it didn’t seem like anyone else was there at all.
“You did a good job today.”
“Me?” Slade asked. “Yeah, I know.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m trying to give you a compliment, and you’re being arrogant.”
“What?” he asked. “I did do a good job. I’m just accepting your compliment.” He turned to Trinity beside him and took Ryan out of her arms. He held him against his chest with one hand, just as attached to the baby as she was.
Apollo stood off to the side while they danced, and he watched Conrad and Lexie move together.
“So cute,” I whispered. “That dog loves them so much.”
“That is a cool dog,” Arsen said. “Maybe we should get one.”
“I’d love a dog. Abby would too.” She was old enough to understand the responsibility of having a pet. Our baby would be too young, but they would have an older sister to look after it.
“Then let’s take a look when we get home,” Arsen said.
Conrad and Lexie finished their first song before they waved for other people to join them. Mike and Cassandra got up, as did Sean and Scarlet. Slade and Trinity danced together while Slade held Ryan against his chest.
Arsen and I stayed at the table. I’d rather watch my family have a good time than participate.
Clementine and Ward sat across from us, Ward Jr. sitting upright against Ward’s chest. “I’m happy for Con,” Clementine said. “He’s such a great guy.”
“He is.” I didn’t like Lexie after what she did to him, but I’d finally accepted the fact she wasn’t going anywhere. And she seemed to truly love him. If Apollo approved of her, then I could too.
Ward lifted his glass and clanked it against Arsen’s. “To family.”
“To family.” Arsen tapped their glasses together before he did the same to me. He took a long drink, finishing it off, before he returned it to the table.
Ward did the same. “That’s some pretty good stuff.”
“It really is.” Arsen turned to me and noticed I hadn’t even touched my glass. It was still fizzling and bubbling. “You aren’t going to try it?”
Why were people so obsessed with watching me drink? “I will later. I think I had enough from earlier today…” Hopefully, he would buy it.
Clementine narrowed her eyes, like she suspected the real problem.
I had to step away before this exploded in my face. “Man, I have to pee.” I excused myself from the table and headed to the bathroom as fast as possible without running. I loved having a drink every night with dinner. I only stopped because Arsen had an alcohol problem at one point. So the fact I wasn’t drinking at all was a red flag.
I got inside the bathroom and took a deep breath. I faced myself in the mirror and tried to calm myself. This baby was coming even if I wasn’t ready, so I had to find the confidence to believe in myself. If Dad believed I could do it, then I could. I took care of Abby every single day and I did a good job. I could do this. I knew I could.
I splashed on some cool water on my face before I fixed my hair. It was in curls and pined in an elegant bun. My chest expanded with the deep breaths I took and I concentrated on slowing them down.
The bathroom door flew up and Arsen walked inside.
My eyes met his in the mirror.
What the hell was he doing?
He shut the bathroom door and locked it behind him.
“Arsen, what’s going on?”
He grabbed me by the arm and forced me to look at him. He peered down into my face with an intense gaze, powerful and dark. It was the look he used to give me when he desperately wanted something—usually me. “Beauty, are you pregnant?”
Fuck.
He kept his grip on my arm as he waited for a response.
He finally connected the dots. Clementine probably made a comment when I walked away. All the clues were there. The stomach flu, the lack of drinking, my standoffish behavior. It was stupid of me to think I could hide it from him.
“Beauty?”
I wasn’t going to lie to him. That was something I refused to do. But I couldn’t say the words out loud. All I did was nod.
Arsen didn’t react. His jaw was still tense and he didn’t blink. Slowly, the realization sank into him. His features softened and his hold on my arm disappeared.
“I didn’t want to tell you because it’s Conrad’s day. And…it’s taken me a while to accept it. I was really scared at first and my dad talked some sense into me. I feel a little better now…but scared.”
“You told your dad before you told me?” His awed expression disappeared in light of what I said. “Why wouldn’t you tell me first?”
“I didn’t. He figured it out on his own.”
His anger dimmed again.
“I’m sorry…it was so unexpected. I’ve been on the same birth control for so long and—”
“Silke, what’s there to be scared of? You always have me. You always have your family. You’re going to be an amazing mother.”
“I guess…I don’t know.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “I feel better about it now. But I didn’t want to tell you like this. I wanted to wait until we were home.”
“Silke, I don’t care how I find out or when I find out. I’m just so happy this is happening at all.” His arms moved around my waist. “I couldn’t be happier. You know I’ve wanted to make babies with you for over a year now.” He pressed his face to mine and kissed the corner of my mouth.
I closed my eyes and cherished the feel of him against me. All the fear disappeared when I saw the joy in his eyes. Together, we were going to have a child. We were going to love something so much our hearts couldn’t handle it. We were going to make our family bigger, to give Abby a brother or sister to love.
“I feel so lucky,” he whispered. “My mom didn’t take care of me and my father took off. But Abby and our baby are going to be loved so much by both of us. I can’t change what I’ve been through, but I can give them lives they deserve. And I’m so thankful I’m doing this with you.”
“Arsen…” I gripped his arms.
His hand moved to my stomach even though there wasn’t a bump to feel. “I love you, Beauty.” He cupped my face and looked me in the eye, the tears distantly forming.
“I love you too, Beast.”
He kissed my forehead and held me for minutes. Neither one of us wanted to leave the bathroom because the moment was too precious. We had a party to get back to but we just wanted this time together.
All my fear disappeared in light of his joy. There was nothing to be scared of when we were together. As long as we had each other, we would be okay. And our baby would be loved so much.
***
Arsen spun me around and danced with me on the small dance floor. The music was fast, and we laughed and had a good time as we moved together. Everyone else was dancing too. Covered in sweat and exhausted, we stopped to get some water.
We approached the bar and ordered two glasses.
Dad walked over, a knowing smile on his lips. “I’m glad you told him.”
I narrowed my eyes in surprise. “How did you know that?”
“I can tell by looking at him.” He extended his arms and embraced Arsen. “Congrats, man.”
Arsen hugged him tightly. “Thank you. I’m thrilled.”
Dad patted him on the back before he pulled away. “I’m glad she told you. I tr
ied to convince her to do it sooner but she wanted to wait.”
“It’s okay,” he said. “I’m too happy to really care.”
Dad turned to me. “Feel better now?”
“Actually, I do.” I shared a look with Arsen.
Dad watched us, a slight smile on his lips.
Arsen took a drink of his water before he returned it to the counter. “I probably shouldn’t ask this question…but I have to. Did you really kiss a guy?”
Dad laughed and ran his hand over the back of his neck. “No. I was just trying to get the attention off Silke.”
He breathed sigh of relief. “Alright. Just checking.”
Chapter Forty
Conrad
The honeymoon was amazing.
Despite the fact we saw our family members everywhere we went, it was still a blast. They constantly sent us breakfast via room service because they knew what we were doing every morning. When they saw us making out on the beach, they just turned their heads the other way instead of giving us shit for it.
We had a lot of sex that week.
We were both tan, drowning in booze, and stupidly happy. Lexie kept giving me those affectionate looks I couldn’t live without. Her hands were always all over me, and her wedding ring sparkled under the Hawaiian sun.
I wore a ring on my finger, and it was a weight I wasn’t used to carrying. It squeezed my finger with just the right amount of friction so it wouldn’t slip off into the water. It was silver like steel, and I loved how original it was.
I loved being married.
Apollo loved the beach. He was the child she and I never had, and he played in the water like a puppy. Whenever he wasn’t playing around, he laid beside us on the sand and napped. Never leaving our side, he was our silent companion.
We returned to New York a week later with heavy hearts. I’d never had a vacation like that and it was too beautiful to step away from. I wish I could stay on my honeymoon forever.
“You don’t have to go back to work, right?” Lexie set her suitcase on the floor of the bedroom. She was tan from the honeymoon, her normally fair skin bronze from the sun’s kisses.
“No. I can take a few more days off.”
“Oh good.” She moved into my chest and wrapped her arms around me. She buried her face into my chest and took a deep breath, inhaling my scent.
When I looked down at her, I didn’t see her the way I used to. She used to be my girlfriend or my fiancé. She was a beautiful woman I adored. My purpose was to take care of her and cherish her to the best of my ability.
But now I looked at her with new eyes.
She was so much more. She was my other half, the woman who carried my soul. She was Lexie Preston. “Mrs. Preston…I like the way that sounds.”
“I do too.”
I felt the steep curve in her back then let my hand migrated to her perky ass. I loved every inch of her womanly figure. Her wide hips and tiny waist got me going every time. “Want to hop in the shower?” The shower had always been our safe place. For years, it’d been the place where we had our intimate conversations. There was never any arguing, just talking and caressing.
And sex.
“That sounds like a good idea.” She reached behind my waist and grabbed my ass, giving it a playful squeeze.
“Did you just grab my ass?” I asked with a smile.
“So? That’s my ass now. I own half of it.”
“You own all of it.” I grabbed her ass in return. “Like I own this fine piece of realty.” I gave her a playful slap.
“Ooh…maybe you should spank me a little harder.”
The playfulness died inside me and my cock became rock-hard. “Mrs. Preston, if you keep talking like this we’ll never make it into the shower.”
“Maybe we should save the shower for later. You know…so we can wash off.”
“Who knew a gorgeous woman could be so smart.” I yanked up her dress then threw her on the bed.
She chuckled as she bounced on the mattress then turned over, showering her perky ass.
My eyes narrowed and I stopped breathing.
She wiggled her ass and looked at me over her shoulder. “Are you coming or what?”
“Oh…I’m coming.”
***
Dad and Uncle Sean both walked into my office after lunch. Different in so many ways but exactly the same, they brought power and strength into the room. They had the same height but different builds. Dad was bulky and muscular while Sean was lean and toned. But anyone could tell they were brothers.
And I looked just like my own father.
“Sad to be back at work?” Dad asked.
“I’m always sad to be back at work.”
“Want a few more days off?” Sean asked.
That sounded lovely. “No, it’s okay. She’ll be there when I get off work.” And I would have the rest of the day to do all the dirty stuff on my bucket list. Who knew married sex could be better than regular sex. “What’s up?” They probably had more work to pile on me.
“We wanted to talk about our retirement.” Dad sat in one chair and Sean sat in the other.
“What about it?” I was starting to think they would never leave.
“Our last day will be on Friday.” Sean rested his arms on the armrests and looked accepting. There was no hesitation in his voice when he spoke.
It took me a moment to understand what he said. “You’re leaving?”
“Yep,” Dad said. “Our last day will be Friday. We’ll be clearing out our offices for the next few days. Not sure what you wanted to do with them. We both have corner offices so maybe you prefer one of those.”
I couldn’t picture myself taking one of their rooms. I couldn’t even picture those rooms being empty. “Okay…”
“That’s okay?” Dad asked. “We just assumed you were ready.”
“I am ready. I just…I guess I thought you might never leave,” I answered.
Sean chuckled. “That would be a terrible day, wouldn’t it?”
I always teased them about being up in my business and annoying the shit out of me, but it was hard to imagine both of them not being there every day. They were just a phone call away but it wouldn’t be the same.
“Is that okay?” Dad asked. “Do you think you can handle it? Sean and I have no doubt you’ll be the leader we expect you to be.”
“Yeah, I got it.” I didn’t have any doubts about my ability to handle the job. I was just hit with a heavy weight about the sudden change. My life at work would never be the same. I would be the only CEO of PIXEL. I would be in charge of every single thing.
Dad and Sean shared a look before they turned back to me. “Are you sure you’re alright?” Dad asked. “You look like a ghost right now. If you want us to stay, we can stay longer.”
“No, I can handle it. I just…” I couldn’t believe I was going to say this. “I’ll miss you.”
Dad’s expression immediately softened.
Sean did the same. The corner of his lip rose in a smile at the affectionate words.
“You’ll still see us all the time, Con,” Dad said. “If you want to take a vacation, we don’t mind covering for you while you’re out. If you need anything at all, we’re just a phone call away. And we can get here in twenty-three minutes if we haul ass.”
“I know,” I said. “I’m not worried about that. I guess it’s really hitting me that I’m the CEO of PIXEL, I’m responsible for it, and…I’m an adult. I’m married with a wife and dog at home…I feel old.”
“You aren’t old,” Dad said with a chuckle. “You’re mature. Big difference.”
“You’ll be fine, Con,” Sean said. “Just don’t overthink it.”
I knew this day was coming so I needed to accept it and move on. It was sad to think about the changes I was going through, but they were right. They would always be there if I needed help. “What are you guys going to do during retirement?”
Sean shrugged. “Spend time with Scarlet, I suppose.�
��
“I’m going to be with Ryan 24/7,” Dad said. “I actually hope Trinity goes back to work so your mother and I can babysit all the time.”
“Stay busy,” I said. “And don’t let yourselves go either.”
Dad narrowed his eyes into a glare.
“When Lexie and I have kids you can babysit them all you like.” Except, I hoped Lexie would stay home for the rest of her life. She would want to be spend all her time with our kids, not hand them over to my parents.
“You think that will happen soon?” Dad asked hopefully.
“Not sure,” I answered. “We haven’t talked about it. We did just get married last week…”
“Hey,” Sean said. “You were the one who brought it up. Never bait your parents with the mention of grandchildren. You’re opening a can of worms.”
“Well, I learned my lesson,” I said.
Dad clapped his hands. “So, we’re good here? Friday?”
“Yep. Friday.” I would walk into this office every day by myself. Everyone would turn to me for direction, and I had to make decisions on the dot all day long. It was a lot to think about.
Dad must have detected my unease because he said, “Sean and I haven’t done anything in the past six months. All we’ve been doing is golfing, playing games on our phones, and going to lunch for two hours. You’ve been doing everything on your own already. We’ve only stayed to watch you. Con, you’re ready for this. Neither one of us are worried how you’ll handle the company our father built out of his garage. You’ve got this, son.”
I needed to hear that encouragement. I wasn’t someone who lacked confidence or ability, but the weight on my shoulders was beginning to crush me. But those words lessened the burden. In fact, the weight disappeared altogether. “Thanks.”
***
“Why do you always have Ryan? What is Trinity doing all day?” I sat across from Slade in the booth at Mega Shake. Cayson was beside him still wearing his suit.
“She had him all day, but I took him along because I thought you might want to see him.” Slade rolled his eyes. “My mistake.” He peeked into the car seat sitting on the table where Ryan lay. He kept his hand on the edge of the seat and rocked it gently, making the plastic keys overhead shake and entertain Ryan.