Dangerous Beauty: Part Three: This is War

by Hardin, Michelle

  “I’m not talking about this with you right now, Nathan,” she whispered. She turned away from him and used her free arm to continue putting food away.

  Nathan frowned. Why was is always no before it was yes with her?

  Lucky for her the family came into the kitchen at that moment and she was off the hook for the moment. However, he planned on bringing it up again later …

  ~*~

  “Have you written Silas yet this week?”

  Gabriel looked over at Carter when she asked him the question and nodded. The majority of the guests had gone except for the guys and Gabriel, who had a home with Dante now. He and Carter were doing the dishes, while they guys were in the living room talking.

  “Yeah. I told him that I’d write him once a week about my life and I do.”

  While Carter did communicate with Silas for numerous reasons, Gabriel did not. Carter understood and she never pushed it. She respected Gabriel’s decision to never speak to Silas again. She had even gone as far as to tell him that she’d stop speaking to him as well if it bothered Gabriel, but being the man he is, he didn’t want to interfere with a decision that Carter needed to make for herself and she loved him for that.

  “I enjoy the letters he sends me, though,” Gabriel said. “He’s always had a way with words.”

  Carter nodded her agreement. “I’m glad you’ve started writing again.”

  His head cocked to the side as he regarded her, he nudged her. “I’m glad you convinced me to. Thank you. Writing Silas about everything really did help me move on.”

  Carter smiled. “Yelling at him helps me …”

  He laughed in reply, but quickly sobered. “Just promise you’ll be careful with Silas.”

  “I know, I know.” Carter rested her head on her shoulder. “He helps me with business stuff, that’s all.”

  “I’m not judging you, my love. It’s okay to want to know him, he’s our father. I just don’t want him to …” He looked at her with a concerned frown. “He’s known for disappointing the people he claims to love.”

  “I know,” Carter whispered. “If he hurts my feelings, do you promise to hold me?”

  Gabriel laughed softly at her playful pout. “Of course I will, my love.” He kissed her forehead then rested his against it. “I love you, Carterina.”

  “I love you, Gabriel.”

  He kissed both of her cheeks and her forehead once again before looking back to the dishes.

  Carter sighed. “In other news, Nathan wants another baby.”

  “What?” Gabriel exclaimed, and laughed loudly.

  ~*~

  “Aria and I broke up again last week …”

  The guys groaned, and Nathan couldn’t help but roll his eyes. He’d been telling Mickey ever since he and Aria started dating a year back that the he didn’t think it’d be a good idea. Ever since the moment they’d first began the relationship it had been a struggle for them. It wasn’t because they didn’t care for the other, because Nathan was pretty sure they loved each other. They had the attraction, the love, and the passion, but their relationship lacked what every relationship needed to survive: a connection … a true connection between them. Aria was not in love with a huge part of who Mickey was, a part of himself that he could never change, and Mickey was just bored with Aria. They didn’t connect. They weren’t for each other.

  “Wow, I guess no one cares to ask how I’m doing …”

  “Because we know that you two will get back together eventually,” Lucca said, sounding uninterested. “You always do.”

  “Maybe you two should try see other people, Mikilo,” Nathan sighed. “You’ll just keep ending up like this every week because—”

  “I get it, Nate.” Mickey frowned. “It is so easy for the happily married guy with three kids to tell me to just let the woman I love go.”

  “Mick, that’s not what I said.”

  “But it’s what you mean.” Mickey shrugged. “Guess what, Nate, I want a family, too. I want love, a wife, and some kids. I finally find a woman that I can see myself having all that with and you want me to let her see other people?”

  “I want you to realize that Aria is not the one, Mickey. That’s all.” Nathan leaned forward and rested his arms on his knees. “I’m the one that has what you want, Mickey, so if I offer you a little advice, the smartest thing to do is take it. You will know that you’re with the woman that will be your wife when she makes you want to be the best version of yourself, not a completely different person …”

  “Thank you,” Lucca said. “Listen to him.”

  “You’re not yourself when you’re with Aria, Mickey, and that’s the truth.” Nathan shrugged and sat back in his seat.

  “Shit,” Mickey muttered as he laid on the floor and stared at the ceiling.

  “Da-da …”

  Nathan glanced over to the entrance of the living room as soon as he heard his son’s voice. Josef stood at the entrance of the living room in his Mickey Mouse pajamas with one hand in his hair twisting his blond curls and the other hand in his mouth.

  “Da-da,” he whined again, walking across the living room to Nathan.

  “What is it, bambino?”

  Big eyes—identical to his mother’s, except in color—widened and filled with tears. “Da-da.”

  “Come here, son.” Nathan stood and met Josef halfway. Lifting his son into an embrace, he kissed his cheek three times. “Its bedtime, isn’t it?”

  Much like his brothers, Josef got weepy when he was sleepy and the house wasn’t in order to accommodate him. All three of the boys usually liked to go to sleep in the bedroom upstairs, cuddling in bed with Nathan and Carter, and that was after their walk in the garden.

  Josef rested his head on Nathan’s shoulder. “Seep, Da-da. Ma-ma, too.”

  Translation: kick all of these bastards out so I can go to sleep with my parents.

  “Papa?”

  Nathan had known they were coming next. Carter and Nathan had a system at home, just like they did at work, and according to the schedule, it was time for the house to be empty of guests and Mommy and Papa to be spending time with them.

  They had identical spaceship pajamas on as they looked around the living room in confusion.

  “Papa, its bedtime now,” Maksim said with frown. “Where is Mama?”

  “You’re son looks like Lucca, Nate,” Kyle chuckled. “It’s in the frown.”

  Nathan rolled his eyes when Lucca and Kyle chuckled.

  Aleksandr yawned. “Are we going to the garden, too?”

  “Then we can go night-night, Papa …”

  “Jo Jo, Sandr, and Maksi are sleepy now.”

  “Papa,” Sofia chirped, suddenly bouncing into the living room. She jumped into her father’s lap. “Can we go home now? I’m tired.”

  Kyle kissed her cheek and stood up with her in his arms. “Of course, lady bug.”

  Nathan motioned for the twins to say goodnight to everyone and they went around giving their famous raspberry kisses. Nathan didn’t even try to get Josef to say a word.

  After the goodnights were all complete, they went to search of Carter, their children now ready to spend some time with just their parents.

  ~*~

  “What about there? What do you remember about that?”

  “That’s where I hid from you. I barely remember, but you got so mad, you practically dragged me back to the picnic table.”

  Nathan chuckled. “What about there?”

  Carter looked up at him with a smile, and in return he gazed down at her with those beautiful eyes that she loved so much. “You kissed me.”

  “I did kiss you. I think that was the moment I knew …”

  “Knew what?”

  “That you were mine. That I wanted you forever. That kiss was a mark, woman.” Carter giggled and he continued. “No other man could have you because you belong to me.”

  “And you belong to me …”

  Carter rested her head on his shoulder and
kissed Aleksandr’s forehead. The garden was dazzling at night. Lighted pathways and the gorgeous water fountains. This part of the night was always her favorite. They would sit with the boys until they either fell asleep or got very tired. Tonight, all three of her baby boys had fallen to sleep. Josef and Aleksandr on Nathan’s lap, and Maksim or Carter’s.

  “Do you want to talk nicely about what we discussed earlier, my beautiful rose?”

  Carter looked up at Nathan when he spoke, knowing he was talking about the baby. He wanted another, and secretly, so did she.

  She smiled. “Do you remember our vows, Nathan?”

  He nodded and chuckled. “Yes, baby. I’ll never forget them.”

  “Me either …” It had been the most—in the words of the priest—interesting vow exchanged in the history of weddings. But it was also beautiful. “It seems like so long ago now. We have three kids, we basically adopted Isabella, and we both work. I want those ten kids that you made me promise you in our wedding vows, but I’m afraid.”

  Nathan shifted a little. “Talk to me, honey.”

  “We’re happy right now. Everything is perfect, we’ve settled into a daily schedule that works for us, for our kids. I just don’t want us to take on more than we can handle. What if we had another set of twins?”

  “Then I’d be as excited as I was the first time around, baby.”

  “But what if it all becomes too much? With work, the kids, our marriage. We have so many responsibilities and neither of us are even thirty yet. I don’t want to put any strain on us. I don’t want to be that family that took on too much too soon then has regrets ten years down the line.”

  “Carter, that will never be us, I promise you.”

  “You can’t promise me that.”

  “I can and I did, Carterina.” Nathan frowned for a moment, then looked into her eyes. “I want to make another vow to you …”

  Carter’s expression turned to one of confusion. “What?”

  “I have another vow.”

  “Nathan, we’re already married.”

  “Please just listen, okay?”

  Sighing, she reluctantly nodded. “Fine, go ahead.”

  Nathan grasped her free hand and met her gaze, honesty apparent in his eyes. “Carterina Anastacia Salerno, my beautiful wife. I vow to be a husband and a father first …”

  Carter’s heart skipped a beat as a soft smile appeared on her lips. “Since the moment I told you I was pregnant with the twins you have put me first.”

  “Then you should trust in me. There will never be a day that I regret all that we share. I love you, I love the love that we make and beautiful life it brings into the world. There will never be too much because I can’t get enough. I want it all with you, baby.”

  Carter laughed softly.

  “It’s true, Carterina. I want every one of the rooms in our house occupied by our offspring. I want the noise, the packed breakfast and dinner table, I want the refrigerator covered in magnet letters, horrible artwork, and star student awards …”

  “Me too.” She kissed his cheek. “I want it all with you, too, Nathan Salerno.”

  “Yeah?” he asked, excitement in his voice.

  She nodded. “Yes.”

  He brought his smiling lips to hers and kissed her. “You mean the world to me.”

  “As do you, bubby.”

  She wished that words felt like enough, but sometimes they just didn’t. She loved him more than mere words could express, so she made a silent vow to spend every day showing him. She’d show him by making him proud to have her as his wife, by being a good mother to his children.

  Even after almost five years and three kids Carter’s heart still skipped a beat every time he told her he loved her, every time he kissed her, or held her in his arms. Even after everything they’d been through, the love that Nathan and Carter shared was still the same. They were still the same …

  They were still the same Nathan and Carter that spent the day together in the garden. The same Nathan and Carter that caused a traffic jam because they couldn’t tear their eyes away from one another. The same Nathan and Carter that confessed their love for one another mere hours after seeing each other again after nineteen years apart. She moved in with him just weeks after that; married him six months later, and brought two new lives into the world the following year.

  Carter knew their love story was unconventional, but it was their story. It was shocking, heartbreaking, tragic, exciting, funny, and beautiful . . . a dangerous beauty, but a beauty nonetheless. It was unlike any other story ever told, and Carter wouldn’t trade it for anything. She wanted more just like he did, and they’d have it.

  “What do you say? We get started on that baby tonight …”

  Giving him a wicked smile, Carter rose and adjusted Maksim in her arms before motioning for Nathan to get up. “I say you better get a move on it, Nathan the Don. Your sexy little French maid is ready play.”

  Nathan smiled a sexy crooked smile as he stood from his seat. “Mmm … After we play that, can we play Nathan the Dominant?”

  Carter giggled as they descended the steps and began the journey back to the house. “You know how much I love Nathan the Dominant.”

  “And you know how much I love his sexy little submissive.”

  “No, Papa … shu-up.” As soon as Maksim whined the words Nathan and Carter laughed.

  “Shut-up?” Nathan feigned outrage, reaching over to pinch that grumpy toddler’s cheek. “Is that anyway to talk to your father, bambino?”

  Maksim held on to Carter tighter and whined, never opening his eyes. “Go sleep, Papa. It night-night time.”

  “You go to sleep. Papa will stay up to rock Mama to sleep.”

  Aleksandr lifted his head from Nathan’s shoulder at the mention of rocking someone to sleep. “I can rock you to sleeping, Papa.”

  “It’s just sleep, baby. Not sleeping,” Carter corrected.

  “I can rock you to sleep, Papa,” he said again.

  “Papa’s okay tonight, bambino. You can rock me to sleep another night.”

  “Mommy will sing to you, Papa?” he yawned.

  Nathan nodded. “As soon you and your brothers are sound asleep, I will make Mama sing for me all night—”

  Carter hit Nathan’s arm. “Stop it!” He was such an idiot.

  Nathan laughed.

  “Shu-up, Papa.”

  Now Carter laughed.

  Nathan shot him a playful glare. “You’re this close to feeling the wrath of your papa, boy.”

  Maksim opened his sleepy gray eyes and smiled.

  “Maksim, stop telling your father to shut up,” Carter said through laughter.

  “Can I jump on Papa’s bed first?” Aleksandr asked.

  Josef’s head popped up from Nathan’s shoulder at the mention of jumping on the bed.

  “Jump,” he said, rubbing his tired eyes. “Jump, Mama?”

  Carter laughed. “Oh my God.” She looked up at Nathan. “I bet you twenty they’ll be up for the next two hours …”

  He laughed. “We were so close this time.” Lifting his eyes to the sky he groaned.

  She took his hand. “I think I read somewhere that chances are better for a baby girl in the morning anyway …”

  “I wana baby girl, too,” Aleksandr said. “Maksi. D-do you wana baby girl?”

  “No.”

  “No,” Josef repeated.

  “Where’s ’reature?” Aleksandr asked with a frown.

  Nathan and Carter chuckled. Their kids were crazy … but perfect.

  He looked over at her with a gorgeous smile and gave her hand a light squeeze. “A little girl it is then …”

  Carter smiled and briefly rested her head on his shoulder before they continued their walk to the house with their boys.

  It was really funny how life seemed to always be three steps ahead of them. Carter and Nathan had only just decided to bring another child into the world that night, but little did they know Natalia Alessandr
a Salerno was already walking with them, healthy and five weeks along, nestled safely in her mother’s womb.

  The end … for now.

  About Michelle Hardin

  Born and raised in Missouri, I am a dreamer with an active imagination. I am in my 20's and have a bachelor's degree in Psychology. My dream is to one day make a mark in this world. I have a big heart, and even bigger smile, and I love to read a good story. A perfect evening for me would include a glass of wine, chocolate, and a romance novel on my kindle. I have an overactive imagination and enjoy putting together a good story with raw emotion and shocking secrets.

  If you enjoyed this book please recommend this series to your friends and family, and leave a review on your purchase site and goodreads. If you are interested in being the first to know about my upcoming works, events, etc. email “subscribe” to michellehluvs@gmail.com or just follow my blog at michellehluvs.com. Feel free to email me with any questions or comments you may have, or just leave the comment on my website. I enjoy hearing from readers and always write back. Thank you again for reading!

  Acknowledgments

  To my beautiful mother. Thank you for you relentless support of my many dreams. Thank you for putting up with me for the past 25 years and being the best mother a girl could ask for. I love so much my mumzie.

  To my father. Thank you for always pushing me to be the best me that I can be. Thank you for the countless lessons you have taught me. And thank you for always reminding how important it is for me to work hard to achieve my dreams. Your encouraging words always make me work that much harder to reach my full potential. Thank you.

  To Timesha (my reading buddy). Thank you for your support, love, and hugs. Get ready love, I’m about to fill our kindle with a bunch of new books for us to read together. I love you more than words can express.

  To Celeste. Thank you for being such a wonderful big sister. Thank you for your support, love, and encouragement. I love you with my whole heart Lester.

  To Latricia. Thank you for always making me laugh when I’m stressed out. Thank you for helping me out with this last book too … but this still doesn’t mean you’re off the hook for the other two. Get the reading procrastinator. I love you more than cookies!