The Servant

by B. C. Burgess

  He’d stopped working and was looking at her. “I remember, but that was meant to help us celebrate our lives, not anticipate our deaths.”

  “I know, and maybe someday I’ll feel confident enough to stop looking over my shoulder and settle in, but as lovely as this time at home has been, it’s not a promise of permanence. It’s just a tease. We’ll be leaving it all behind soon.”

  “We’ll come back.”

  His gaze didn’t waver, proving he had no intention of backing down, and she didn’t want him to, so she uncurled her fists and smiled. “I hope so.”

  He relaxed and returned to his task. “You were saying something about Benzio growing up to look like his dad.”

  She nodded while glancing at the portrait. “It will be like seeing Zio again. It’s unfair that I’ll have that memory when Benzio won’t, but I love the idea of Zio living through his son. These images and Benzio are all that’s left of him. Without them, he’d be forgotten, and the only mark he’d leave on this world is the one on my heart.”

  “Zio inadvertently touched every life in this coven. We won’t let Benzio forget him.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and showed her the finished plaque. “Accurate enough?”

  “It’s gorgeous. I can’t believe you can do that in a matter of minutes.”

  “It’s easy when you have magic and a picture to work from.”

  She kissed his jaw and got to her feet. “I’ll finish my project while you finish yours. Then we’ll wrap. Did you already engrave their keepsakes?”

  “Yes.” He waved a hand toward the driftwood table, and a row of homemade jewelry boxes appeared.

  Layla glanced at them then did a double take. “Why are there five?”

  “I made Lilyana a ring.”

  Of course he did.

  Layla opened one of the keepsakes and examined the rhodium tag, noticing he’d filled the engravings with rose gold. Then she spent a long moment ogling Lilyana’s ring, which was set with a colorful black opal and had diamonds lining the band. Another small bag lay in the bottom of the ring box, and Layla tipped it over her palm, catching extra diamonds and a tiny bar of rose gold.

  “For when she grows,” Quin explained. “She’ll need to make the band bigger.”

  Layla laughed as she put everything back and returned to the easel. “You’re already showering her in jewelry.”

  “Just wait until she’s old enough to wear it.”

  “She’ll need a whole room to store her accessories.”

  “Then I’ll build her one.”

  Layla shook her head while gathering Benzio’s portrait and frame. “How on earth will boys impress our little girl when her dad spoils her rotten?”

  “They better figure it out if they want her time and attention.”

  “They have their work cut out for them.”

  “It’s not hard work to love a woman.”

  “Not everyone’s as thoughtful and perceptive as you, Quin, and not everyone loves as deeply.”

  “If they can’t love deeply, they can’t have my daughter. She’s part you, part me. Think about what that means for her heart. When she falls in love, she’ll fall hard, and it’s my job to make sure she falls for someone who deserves her extraordinary love and knows how to properly return it.”

  Touched by his devotion, Layla blinked back tears so she could finish framing the portrait. Then she moved behind him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. With her cheek to his, she watched him attach the golden plaque to the top of a carved wooden box, which he’d made so Benzio would have a safe place to store his letters.

  “What do you think?” he asked, holding up the finished product.

  “I think you’re the best dad in the world. Our kids and I are lucky to have you.”

  He turned his head and touched his lips to her cheek. “That’s the best Christmas present ever.”

  Her face tickled with the vibrations of his deep voice, and she wrinkled her nose while withholding a giggle. “A compliment isn’t a gift.”

  “We’ll have to agree to disagree.”

  He swept his nose through her hair, grazing her throat with his lips, and her eyes drifted shut as tingles stretched down her chest and arms. “Wrapping,” she mumbled. “We’re supposed to be wrapping.”

  He emptied his hands and slid from his seat, picking her up into a hug. Then he took a few steps and perched her on the back of the sofa. She was still finding her wits when he took the nape of her neck, keeping her throat available for his kisses, and his other hand made quick work of the buttons running down the front of her gown.

  “This isn’t wrapping,” she breathed.

  He abandoned her neck and moved closer, fluttering her tummy with a sexy smile and a heart-melting wink. “Unwrapping.”

  Chapter Seven

  The triplets awoke before Benzio Christmas morning, so Layla nursed them in bed, only half awake until Quin kissed her cheek and summoned a cup of coffee.

  “Merry Christmas.”

  “Merry Christmas,” she returned, noticing the coffee had cream.

  He held a baby in one hand while balancing the hot beverage in the other, yet he still managed to spoil her. “Would you like to share this with me?”

  “Yes.” She barely drank coffee anymore, but her love for a sweet and strong jolt of caffeine hadn’t dulled.

  By the time she finished feeding the triplets, the coffee mug was empty and her bladder wasn’t, so she passed Farrow to his dad and rolled out of bed.

  Quin held his breath as he watched her go, his little lookalike propped on his chest as Kaedan and Lilyana cooed from his lap. When Layla reached for the bathroom doorknob, Quin raised his eyebrows and whispered in Farrow’s ear. “Here we go. Either she’ll love it or steam will come out her ears.”

  With the door halfway open, Layla came to an abrupt halt, stopping Quin’s heart. Then she tilted her head and glanced over her shoulder, as if trying to remember where she was. “Quin!”

  His heart resumed with a jolt, but he tried to maintain a calm look of innocence as he patted Farrow’s back.

  She continued shouting from the bathroom, forgetting Benzio was asleep. “What did you do?”

  “How does it look?” Quin asked, watching Benzio stir.

  Layla turned into the bedroom, her eyes huge as she held out a hand. “What do you mean how does it look? Did you do that?”

  “I had help.”

  “Apparently. When did this happen?”

  “I’ve been planning for a while, but most of the changes were made last night.”

  “By who? You were in bed with me every time I woke up and fell asleep.”

  “Several people helped. It’s what I wanted for Christmas.”

  “Your gift from our family was help with my present? I told you not to do this.”

  “It’s a gift for both of us, and you told me no construction. Do you see any construction?”

  She scowled, but her chest had deflated, and her pursed lips twitched with a smile.

  “So how does it look?” he pressed.

  She shook her head in humorous defeat. “I don’t know yet. I haven’t gotten a good look at it.”

  “At what?” Benzio asked, rubbing his eyes.

  Arabella shook and leapt off his bed, and Layla magically donned a t-shirt while rushing to give him a hug. “Merry Christmas, Benz!”

  His sleepiness drained away as he beamed back. “Oh, yeah! Merry Christmas.”

  “Did you sleep well?”

  “Yes. Do we get to start Christmas right away?”

  “So it would seem,” Layla answered, throwing a glance at Quin. “I already got one of my presents.”

  Benzio’s face and aura lit up with intrigue. “What did you get?”

  “A new bathroom.”

  A look of recollection crossed the toddler’s face. Then he gave Layla a smug grin. “I already knew about that one.”

  “You did? You must be a good secret keeper.”

&n
bsp; He proudly nodded. “Very good.”

  Quin settled the full and happy triplets in their crib. Then he lifted Benzio into a hug. “Not only is he a good secret keeper, he’s an excellent helper. Merry Christmas, Benz.”

  Benzio’s aura grew as he squeezed Quin’s neck. Then they both looked at Layla.

  “Let’s go see it,” Quin suggested.

  Despite Layla’s stance against redecorating, her tummy fluttered with excitement as she moved into Quin’s open arm and let him escort her to the bathroom. “I can’t believe you did this.”

  “Yes, you can,” he returned, motioning for her to enter. “Ladies first. Right, Benz?”

  The toddler bobbed his head. “Right.”

  Layla crossed the threshold, her soles finding smooth marble, but the calm palette and fluid lighting made her feel as if she’d dove into the sea. Shades of gray and white dominated larger surfaces, like the pearl-gray floor and the slate-gray tile backing the large walk-in shower, and there were artistic splashes of blue and green everywhere. Mosaic tiles in oceanic colors made waves on the shower floor, and the same tiles accented the vanity and framed the artwork, most of which was created by her mom – feminine nudes and waterscapes drawn in pencil, a perfect match to the various shades of gray. The vanity countertop was made of blue glass that looked like churning water, and it was cut to curve like a wave under a granite vessel sink. The shower sat to the right and had clear glass on three sides, but Layla couldn’t see any pipes or faucets, just a gray bench protruding from the back wall. As she approached for a closer look, Quin waved a hand, and water rained from the shower ceiling, which was illuminated by teal lights.

  “There are multiple settings,” he revealed. “There’s a panel on the back wall with a temperature dial and flow controls.” He waved once more, and the area of the spray shrank as the lights turned white, making it look more like a shower and less like an art installation.

  Layla tore her gaze away to search for the toilet, which she found behind a divider tiled to match the shower, but there wasn’t a bathtub. Just two openings in the wall – one that curved behind the vanity, and one that seemed to lead into the nursery.

  “You look confused,” Quin noted.

  “I am.” She dropped her hand from her mouth and turned toward him. “First of all, it’s stunning, the most beautiful bathroom I’ve ever seen. The artwork, the lighting, the colors – they’re perfect. I can tell you were thinking about me when you designed it, and I love that. But I don’t understand where you got all this space. How did you make it bigger?”

  “I’ll show you, but let’s finish the tour of the bathroom first.”

  “There’s more?”

  He motioned toward the gap that curved behind the vanity, and she rounded the corner into a short corridor. Built-in shelves to the left stowed towels and other bathroom supplies, and the color scheme lightened as she approached the next turn. She ended up in her closet, but it wasn’t the closet she remembered.

  “Oh my god,” she mumbled, spinning in a circle.

  The shelves and walls matched the lighter colors in the bathroom – silvery-gray, pearly-white, and muted shades of blue – and they boasted more of Rhosewen’s artwork. Platinum framed full-length mirrors brightened every corner; and a round sofa upholstered in dark-gray velvet sat beneath a new chandelier, which had aqua gems dangling from intricately woven silver wires.

  He’d somehow expanded this room, as well, leaving multiple racks empty, and Layla laughed while pointing at them. “I don’t even have enough clothes to fill it.”

  “Not yet,” Quin replied, carrying Benzio back to the bathroom. “Time for the best part.”

  Layla took a few more seconds to gawk at her closet before following. “You mean I haven’t seen the best part?”

  “Aren’t you wondering why I took away your bathtub?”

  “Yes, but I didn’t want to complain. Besides, you’re out of room. How did you manage to expand the bathroom and the closet?”

  “You’ll see.” He passed the shower and toilet. Then he disappeared through the second curved opening.

  Layla followed, wondering why they were heading for the nursery, but after veering right then left, she found herself at the top of a spiral staircase. “What the…”

  She peered up, finding a recessed ceiling. Then she returned her attention to the staircase. Waves of mosaic tiles flowed from the bathroom and down the granite wall, and they corkscrewed at least fifteen feet underground before disappearing into a sparkling pool.

  Layla swallowed, speechless as she gawked at what could only be described as a grotto. In her house!

  She blinked then glanced at Quin, realizing he was holding his breath while waiting for her response, but she didn’t know what to say. She opened her mouth, yet nothing came out, and his forehead wrinkled as he scanned her aura.

  “Give me something, love.”

  “I… I don’t know what to say.”

  “Say you’ll accept it.”

  “It’s already here.”

  “I can put everything back the way it was. I’ll do it while you’re sleeping or nursing.”

  “No,” she blurted, stung by the thought of him erasing his hard work.

  She calmed her pulse and closed the distance between them, holding his bicep as she leaned over the silver handrail and studied her… pool. “I’m not saying I don’t like it. It’s…” She straightened and found his eyes. “It’s the most phenomenal thing I’ve ever seen in a house, and it’s in my house. That’s insane, Quin. I need a minute to absorb what’s happening.”

  “Hmm…” He continued to search her eyes and aura for several more seconds. Then he smiled at Benzio. “Benz likes it. Don’t you?”

  “It’s my favorite part,” Benzio agreed, but he was less bewildered than Layla, and she figured he must have been privy to this part of Quin’s plan.

  “Let’s get a closer look,” Quin urged. “Maybe that will help you absorb it.”

  They descended the stairs, and as they took the final turn, Layla realized the cavern was much bigger than it appeared from above. Tables and benches had been carved out of stone then decorated with artwork and cushions; a warm fire crackled in a deep groove cut into a wall near the water; and a built-in bar was stocked with booze, coffee and a bouquet of red roses. The pool dwarfed average bathtubs, taking up most of the space, and the edge by the stairwell gently sloped toward a deep end.

  “Insane,” Layla repeated, wading in past her ankles. The water was warm and blue like the surface of a tropical ocean.

  Quin lowered Benzio’s feet to the ground, and the toddler jumped and splashed at the water’s edge. “I want to take a bath. May I take a bath?”

  “Before bed,” Quin answered, moving to Layla’s side. “If our angel lets us keep it.”

  She laughed as she met his stare. “Of course we can keep it. This is incredible, Quin. Not only does it showcase your talent and artistry, the details prove how much you care about me. I never imagined having something like this in my house, but now that I do, I love it. It’s beautiful and romantic, and when I look at it, I see you. Thank you.”

  His tension eased as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “You’re welcome, but it’s my pleasure. I had a good time putting it together. It’s a project I’ve wanted to play with for years.”

  “Like my library.”

  “Yep.”

  His work was magnificent, and she loved that he wanted to work for her. Not because she demanded it, but because he enjoyed giving her the world. “I’m a lucky woman,” she whispered, looking forward to bath time.

  He kissed her head before letting go. Then he gathered Benzio from the water and magically dried his pajamas. “The triplets are getting restless, and Belle needs to go out.”

  He carried Benzio upstairs, and Layla started to follow, but then she halted and curiously glanced around. “Wait a minute… you never told me how you got all this space.” Her eyes widened as her mouth fell
open. “You stole the nursery!”

  “Yes.”

  “Quin!”

  “Don’t get mad.”

  He hadn’t stopped, so she rushed to catch up. “But I want the nursery close to us. I don’t want them upstairs.”

  “I know.”

  “Then why did you do this? I need my kids more than I need a fancy bath, and you know that.”

  “I do know that.”

  He halted to help Benzio place a stool in front of the toilet. Then he left Layla stewing and headed for the bedroom. She walked to the threshold, waiting for an explanation while watching him pick up Arabella, but he left the room without another word on the subject.

  Layla huffed and tossed her hands in the air. Then she glanced at Benzio. “When you’re done, wash your hands and come in here. It’s not safe to go downstairs or into the bath without a grownup. Understand?”

  “Yes,” he answered, but Layla left the door open as she moved to the crib, just in case he decided to disobey for the first time since she took him in.

  When Quin returned, he checked on Benzio. Then he approached Layla and filled his arms with infants.

  “Am I going to get an explanation?” she asked, trying not to sound like a bitch.

  “Yes,” he assured. “A good one, so stop worrying. As soon as Benzio gets in here, I’ll show you.”

  “Show me?”

  “Yes.”

  Layla wasn’t sure how he’d fix this, and she was impatient to figure it out. “Do you need help, Benz?”

  “No, thank you,” he maturely called back. “I can do it myself.”

  Layla smiled despite her anxiousness, but when Benzio strolled from the bathroom, proud of his solo accomplishment, she gave Quin a pointed look, daring him to make her wait longer.