The Servant

by B. C. Burgess

  Her grandparents’ mouths fell open as they glanced at the large packages. “All of them?” Caitrin asked.

  “Yes,” Layla confirmed. “Two copies of every photo I brought with me, and I had the videos converted to DVDs. You can borrow our TV anytime.”

  Morrigan started bawling; Caitrin laughed as he wrapped her in a hug; Daleen blinked back tears while embracing a framed picture; and Serafin tore into one of the large gifts by the tree, as if he couldn’t believe his fortune until he laid eyes on it.

  “They’re all here,” he whispered, flipping through the photos.

  “I told you,” Layla laughed. “It’s not a big deal. I just wish I would have thought of it soon—”

  All four of them rushed her, cutting her off with hugs and kisses, and the burst of color and chaos distracted Lilyana and Farrow from their meal, but no one seemed to notice or care that Layla was exposed.

  Once her grandparents moved away, Layla reminded her babies to eat, and they clutched her breasts while latching on like pros. Layla smiled at them then mind searched Quin. ‘Find out if Benzio wants to go to Selena’s.’

  ‘Done,’ Quin responded. ‘He’s occupied until midnight.’

  Layla laughed at his excited grin and aroused aura. Then she looked at her grandparents, who continued to celebrate their gifts by thumbing through photos. “Do the four of you have plans for the next few hours?”

  They halted, and her grandmas hopefully held their breaths as Serafin answered. “The only plans we have are looking through these photos.”

  “Same here,” Caitrin agreed. “Why do you ask?”

  “Because we’re wondering if you’d like to babysit.”

  “Yes!” Daleen and Morrigan blurted.

  “The presents keep coming,” Serafin approved. “We’ll take care of them as long as you’ll let us.”

  “They’ll probably sleep the whole time,” Layla warned. “Bedtime is usually their longest stretch between nursing. They slept around four hours the other night.”

  “Then we’ll let them sleep,” Daleen assured. “But that won’t stop us from loving on them.”

  Quin didn’t even try to hide his elation as he passed Kaedan to Daleen. “Here. Love on this one while I get a bag and transfer the crib to Morrigan’s spare bedroom.”

  He left the deck without waiting for a response, and Layla blushed as she fumbled through an excuse. “Guess he’s ready for a break.”

  Morrigan and Daleen snickered, but their husbands remained passive, completely ignoring the sexual tension.

  While Layla finished nursing, Quin escorted Alec off the property. Then they said goodnight to the coven and left the snow-covered lawn behind.

  A sense of loneliness settled over Layla when she entered her dark house empty-handed, but then Quin’s aura wrapped her in a hug and squeezed the loneliness away.

  His breath drifted over the crown of her head as his fingertips lightly tickled the backs of her thighs. Then he took the hem of her dress and pulled it over her head, stripping her in the foyer.

  She laughed and cupped her boobs. “In a hurry?”

  “No. We have hours. Turn around and let me look at you.”

  She took a step and rotated. Then she lowered her arms, exposing herself for his viewing pleasure. He smiled while getting an eyeful, and she teased him further by vanishing her underwear.

  His chest expanded as his dimples deepened. Then he closed the distance between them and picked her up into a hug. She giggled and hugged him back, and he tickled her neck with kisses while carrying her to the bedroom.

  As excited as he was, she figured he’d aim for the bed, but he bypassed it and headed for the bathroom.

  “I don’t need to go,” she told him.

  He lowered her feet to the floor anyway. “I didn’t have time to shower this morning. Would you like to try out your new bath?”

  “Yes,” she answered, already pulling him toward the spiral staircase.

  He worked his magic as they descended into the grotto, lighting the fireplace and candles and filling the pool with fresh water. Then he checked the temperature with one foot while taking off his shirt.

  Layla watched his chest appear as she headed for the bar, trying not to trip over her own feet. She was in one of the most beautiful rooms she’d ever seen, yet it paled in his shadow, its architectural genius and artistic details diminishing in his commanding presence.

  Tearing her gaze from his abs, she searched the contents of the bar. Then she poured herself a glass of juice and fixed him a scotch. She turned to catch him staring at her ass, but as she approached, he watched her face instead of her breasts.

  She vanished his pants with a glance. Then she pressed her body to his while handing over his drink. “Maybe you won’t feel guilty for drinking if I place the glass in your hand.”

  Following a swig, he sent the glass to a tray next to the bath and filled his palms with her backside. “I prefer getting drunk on you.”

  She grinned and kissed his heart, her blood igniting as she anticipated getting smashed on his intoxicating love. “It’s fortunate my favorite drug poses no harm to my breast milk. I can do without caffeine, cannabis and booze, but there’s no kicking an addiction to you.”

  He laughed as he sent away her juice. Then he scooped her into a cradle hold and waded into the water. The middle of the pool had a seating area that was carved from stone and smooth like marble – two submerged benches and a curvy slab that dipped into the water like a wave. Quin sat on the latter and reclined against the arch. Then he shifted Layla’s back to his chest and kissed the top of her head. “Ready for another surprise?”

  She flipped her gaze up, finding his upside-down eyes. “Is surprise a euphemism for sex?”

  He laughed and hugged her waist. “The fact that I’m about to have my way with your body shouldn’t come as a surprise to you.”

  “Good point.”

  He kissed her forehead then leaned back. “Look up.”

  She obeyed, gazing beyond the spiral stairs to the high ceiling, which disappeared, exposing the cavern to cloudy moonlight and fluffy snow. Layla gawked at the glittery flakes as they drifted closer to the rising steam. Then she grinned while catching one on the tip of her nose.

  “It’s beautiful,” she approved. “But what if someone flies by while we’re in here?”

  “They’ll just see a roof, and they can’t drop in. Same for creatures. If a bird lands, it will be like watching it through a glass ceiling.”

  “Are you making the snow?”

  “Yes.”

  She caught a flake in her palm. Then she watched it melt before reaching for another.

  They lay that way for several minutes, soaking up the serene atmosphere as the water eased their tension, but then he let her go and patted her thigh. “Let’s wash up and get out of here. There’s something I want to show you before I toss you on the bed and have my way with you.”

  “Mm… if I wasn’t already turned on, that would have done the trick.”

  “I’ll remember that.”

  “So what are you going to show me? Some secret passage to a brand new addition of my already gorgeous home?”

  He halted, and when he failed to respond, she looked up to find him watching her in confusion. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  He tilted his head and searched the air around her. “Where did you get that?”

  “Get what?”

  “Your guess about what I plan to show you.”

  “I don’t know. It was a joke, because you surprised me with this bath and the kids’ room. Why?”

  He eyed her for a few more seconds. Then he shook his head and shifted her legs to one side. “Let’s wash.”

  “Okay,” she agreed, but she continued to search him for the answers he wouldn’t offer. When an explanation finally hit her, her mouth fell open. “Oh my god. I’m right. My guess was right.”

  He lathered her chest with soap, neither confirming nor denying her
theory, but his smile gave him away.

  “Seriously, Quin? Don’t you think you’ve done enough?”

  “It’s already done,” he confessed, “so, yeah, I think I’ve done enough. For now.”

  “What is it? Where is it? And does it really have a secret passage?”

  The idea made her giddy, and her face must have shown it, because he laughed as he soaped up her back. “You can’t see it, can you?”

  “See what?”

  “Because it’s secret.”

  Her eyes widened as she realized he was referring to the passage. “It’s in here?” She flipped her gaze around, scanning the walls for abnormalities, but she didn’t find any, so she hopped off his lap and waded across the pool to check under the stairs.

  “Hey,” he called after her, holding up sudsy hands.

  “I have to know,” she excused. “It’s too exciting.”

  She heard him rise, but ignored his approach until he hooked her around the waist and toppled backward. She sucked in a big breath right before going under water. Then she came up laughing and splashing him, but her aim was awful since her hair had fallen over her face.

  Quin easily dodged her blind attacks while making his way into her bright aura, which flowed over him like sunshine and illuminated her like a star. “Over here,” he whispered, once again snagging her waist, but instead of dunking her, he pulled her close and parted the curtain of curls hiding her face.

  She blinked her eyes open over a lively grin then gave him another splash. “You used to warn me before plunging me into water.”

  “You were soapy.”

  “I was walking away from you.”

  “That, too.”

  She giggled, more carefree than she’d been in months, and her exuberant smile sang to him like a rare bird, captivating his gaze while drawing his touch. She softened when she noticed his fascination, but rather than discourage the attention, she thrived on it, growing brighter and warmer than before.

  She walked her fingers up his chest and traced his jaw. “Are you going to show me a secret passage or not?”

  “After we wash.” He took her hand and twirled her around. “Tip your head back.”

  “You’re cruel,” she accused, but her smile remained as he shampooed and conditioned her hair.

  While she rinsed, he started washing himself, and rather than help him finish, she swam to the tray and grabbed her juice. She was in the deepest part of the pool with water lapping over her shoulders, so her head was about even with his hips, and she wasn’t shy about staring.

  He laughed and let her watch, relieved the water wasn’t cold and he was far from bored.

  “So where does the passage lead?” she asked.

  He glanced up. “It’s a surprise.”

  “You won’t tell me?”

  “I’ll show you.”

  Layla smirked, but she didn’t pester him. She just sipped her juice while watching him wash and rinse his lower half, immensely enjoying the private show.

  As soon as he finished, he swam across the pool and drained his drink. Then he carried her from the water and landed near the fireplace. After drying her with magic, he wrapped her in a new silk robe and grinned. “Ready?”

  Her eyes and smile widened as she hopped. “Yes! I’m so excited.”

  He laughed while drying himself and securing a towel around his waist. Then he summoned their drinks. After passing hers over, he took her hand and walked toward the stairs. “Benzio doesn’t know about this part yet. I wanted to surprise him, too.”

  She wrapped his arm in a hug and flashed a youthful grin. “If I’m this excited, I can’t imagine how excited Benzio will be. Secret passages are so fascinating. If I were a kid, I’d be pretending we’re on a grand adventure for lost treasure or something.”

  “Sounds fun. Maybe I’ll connect it to the kids’ bedroom someday.” He halted at the bottom step and reached for one of the blue tiles that formed waves on the stone wall.

  Layla craned her neck. “Is that how you open it?”

  “Yeah. I didn’t want someone to push it on accident. You’ll have to float to trigger it. Just remember it’s the crest of the wave.”

  She searched the wall for an opening, but then he pointed toward the floor, which had slid back to reveal more winding stairs.

  Her mouth fell open as she leaned over and gazed into the dark hole. “Where does it go?”

  He pulled her close and led her further underground. “You’ll see.”

  The secret staircase twisted the opposite direction of the grotto staircase, and it only had one turn before leveling out into a roomy cave. As they walked, colored lights came to life along the base of the walls, illuminating the way with a soothing rainbow, and the path steadily inclined toward the surface.

  “Benzio will love this,” Layla approved. “How far does it go?”

  “We’re almost to the end, but I can expand it and build more entrances when the kids get older.” He motioned to what appeared to be a dead end. “We’re on the main level now. There’s a button to the right of the last light fixture. Push it with your toe.”

  She did, and a square section of stone separated from the rest, silent and smooth as it slid out and to the left. Moonlight flooded in as flora sweetened the air and the trickling of water echoed through the cave, but the gap in the rocky wall wasn’t wide enough to reveal all the surprises ahead.

  “Watch your step,” he warned. “Stay to the right or you’ll get your feet wet.”

  Her pulse quickened with excitement as she followed a narrow path of white marble out of the passage into a semi-circle room. “It’s your solarium,” she exclaimed. “The one I saw at your parents’ warehouse.”

  He emerged from the cave, and the loose section of granite slid back in place, blending in with the rest of the wall. “Our solarium,” he corrected. “It’s better than the original.”

  He hadn’t turned on any lights, but aside from the granite wall and flooring, the room was made of clear glass, so the glow of the night sky guided them.

  To the right of the passageway, a waterfall cascaded down zigzagging stone into a stream, which flowed to a pond in the middle of the room. Layla moved to the pool, spying flashes of light as fish swam through moonbeams. Then she followed the water’s edge to a second stream. “You extended the pond.”

  The water flowed all the way across the room and under the glass to the outdoors, so the floor was divided, but a cute little bridge spanned the new addition of the stream.

  Quin led her across the bridge to a glass door, which opened to the backyard and a trail of stepping-stones that followed the water. “I connected the stream to your parents’ pond.” He returned her attention to the solarium and pointed out a gap to the right of the waterfall. “That leads to the library.”

  She took note of the entrance then slowly spun in a circle, finding beautiful details she’d missed before. Though much of the design was similar to the model he’d built at work, this one was decorated with her tastes in mind. The artwork was created by her mom and grandparents; the frames on the tables displayed photos of her kids, Katherine, and the coven; and all the wooden furniture were pieces she’d admired at her grandparents’ gallery. The bulk of the color scheme was on the light side to keep the room bright and airy, but he’d incorporated splashes of her favorite colors.

  Tearing her gaze from the gorgeous room, she found the handsome man who built it for her. “It’s perfect. I can’t wait to see it in the daylight.”

  “Then we’ll have breakfast in here.”

  He led her to a chaise and got comfortable. Then he pulled her onto his lap and pointed out the view through the clear ceiling. The tall timber stood like a sturdy wall, and the moon hovered over snow-dusted branches and smoky-blue clouds.

  “I feel like I’m in the pages of a magazine,” she whispered, unwilling to disturb the peaceful nature around them. “I thought I’d live my whole life only catching views like this while flipping thro
ugh articles in waiting rooms. Who knew I’d someday live in a palace?”

  “It’s not a palace,” he laughed. “Not even close.”

  “You’re right. It’s better than a palace. It’s home.”

  He tightened his arms around her waist and lowered his lips to her hair. “That right there, that’s why I did this.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The remodeling. I rushed it for a reason.”

  “Because we’re leaving soon?”

  “No, because we’re coming back.” He shifted her around so he could see her face. “You’ve been here for over nine months now, and you still haven’t made this your home. I know you feel at home when you’re here, and you’ve considered this home for a while, but you won’t settle in.”

  She opened her mouth to argue, but he laid a finger over her lips.

  “Don’t,” he insisted. “I understand why, but I won’t sit back and let it be that way. You’re scared, Layla. I get it. I’m scared, too. The possibilities we face are terrifying, but you can’t live your life expecting every turn to be the last. Everything good in your life – your family, this house, me – you feel like it’s temporary, like it will all disappear in the blink of an eye. Maybe that’s an advantage when it comes to appreciating what you have, but it’s kept you from laying down permanent roots. For months I’ve watched you avoid attachment to this house, and it’s painfully clear to me, because I’ve been waiting for you to settle in since the night I brought you here. I counted the days until you unpacked your luggage, but it never happened. Your grandmas did it for you. There wasn’t one photo of you or Katherine displayed until I added some to this room. You’ve never purchased, requested or made anything for this house; you’ve never moved or changed the furniture; and you fought me on redecorating. Even when we started working on the old nursery, you avoided giving me input. I can’t count the times I’ve begged the Heavens for forever with you, yet you’re always anticipating the day you’ll leave. I don’t want it that way, love. I won’t demand you marry me, but I need you to share a home with me, a forever kind of home, one that reflects our children and us. I want you to look at our house and be able to see yourself growing old in it, and when we’re forced to leave it all behind, I want you to miss it.”