He had no reason to trust in those words. No reason whatsoever. Those words had been used to hurt, to maim, to scar...
Clearing his throat, he stated, "You know Janna?"
She blinked. "Yes. How could I forget? The Bitchzilla ex who screwed you all over."
Her wry tone had him laughing a little. "I was happy when she left."
"You were?" That surprised her. "The others weren't though, were they?"
He shook his head. "Nope. Sawyer was cut up about it. Her betrayal and everything. He really fell for her. The other women who..." He wafted a hand between them. "Did this with us, well, they didn't make as much of an impact because of Janna. We'd prepared ourselves to be hurt. Me included, though it was to a lesser extent."
"Why are you telling me this?" she asked gently.
"I'm trying to make you understand something."
"Well, get on with it," Andrei grumbled. "Some of us are trying to sleep, dammit, and we don’t want to hear about things no man should talk about to his partner."
Sascha elbowed him in the back. "Shut up, you. You can always go in another room."
He was silent a second, then he huffed. "I'm shutting up."
Devon's lips twitched at Andrei's easy capitulation. "In all these years, I've never met a woman who made me wish I believed 'I love you' was the cure all." He ducked his head, shifting his gaze from hers. "I want to tie you to us in every way I can, Sascha. I can give you the words, because they mean something to you. But to me, they're not enough."
Her frown was slowly clearing. "I understand."
"I highly doubt it," Devon answered glumly. "Still, I can try."
"You need to show me how you feel because the words aren't enough for you." She snorted. "I can keep up with this. I'm not that slow."
He smirked, reached over to trace her narrowed eyes—he'd pissed her off.
"Good." Leaning over, he pressed a kiss to her lips. "The baby is a link I'll always be grateful for. One that, no matter what we do—and we're men so we're capable of a lot of stupidity, even Sean—will always bind us together. Always remind us of how we felt at this moment. On this vacation when you told us we were truly becoming a family. Thank you for giving that to us."
He felt as well as saw her smile. "It was a happy accident."
"Sometimes, things happen for a reason," he countered. "We need this."
"Don't you think it's too soon?"
He shrugged. "Maybe. Some people need time, Sascha. We're not them. When you know what you need, and that answer is right in front of you, why delay?"
"We're going to be buried in diapers before I even have a chance to bring out the sexy lingerie."
Devon grinned. "We can afford a nanny to change the nappies. And we have to teach the baby proper English. None of this American stuff. Diapers," he scoffed.
"I refuse to use the word 'nappy,'" Sascha retorted.
He shrugged. "You can't stop me from teaching him only British English."
She pressed her nose to his. "And you can't stop me from teaching him American English."
"True." He grunted, whined, "He's English!"
"Stop whining," she teased. "And you don't know, he might be a she."
"I'd prefer a boy. Less of a worry," he said simply.
She chuckled. "I'll just have a word with my embryo, Devon. Let's see if I can put a word in for you."
He eyed her askance. "You know that won't work, don't you?" Sometimes, he couldn't tell when she was joking.
"Devon! Enough is enough!" Andrei burst, sitting up and glowering at him. "Some of us are trying to sleep!" he repeated for what felt like the hundredth time.
Devon rolled his eyes than curved his arms around Sascha, hauling her against his chest and pressing her closer by resting his hands on her ass.
She snuggled into him, and he smiled, utterly at peace with his world for once.
The baby had been a surprise. He'd miscalculated that particular likelihood. Still, it couldn't have worked out better.
They'd deny it all they wanted, but he knew his friends were relieved about the baby.
They were too accustomed to being left, being abandoned when things got complicated. Though they said ‘I love you’ and meant it, it was hard sometimes to hear those words in return and believe them. Believe in them and the woman who uttered them.
When a man had been taught a woman's word meant very little, it took a long time to combat that.
Sascha had time, and now she was with child, they had no reason to fear she'd leave.
Devon knew he could cope with anything this world could throw at him. Hadn't he lost his mother? Hadn't he seen her body in a bath of her own blood?
But he knew, point blank, he couldn't be in a world without Sascha.
His lips curved into a smile—maybe those words would substitute an 'I love you', he asked himself.
He'd have to give it a try in the morning.
Afterword
This series has found a place in so many people’s hearts.
I hope you’re as psyched as I am that Theirs To Cherish is now available on KU!
Also by Serena Akeroyd
Dragon Bound
Coven
Leman
Eight Wings Academy
Faeling for Them
Faeling Hard
Finally Faeling
HawkRidge High
Dare You To Love Me
Dare You To Keep Me
Hell’s Rebels MC
Their Sinner
Their Saint
The Sex Tape (Co-written with Helen Scott)
The Professor
The Caelum Academy
Seven Wishes
Eight Souls
Nine Lives
Naughty Nookie
Sinfully Theirs
Sinfully Mastered
The Gods Are Back In Town
Hotter than Hades
The Sun Revolves Around Apollo
Five Points, Hell’s Kitchen
A Screwed Duet
Screw You
Screw Me
Filthy Feckers
Filthy Hot (COMING SOON)
FourWinds
Queen of the Vamps
Kingdom of Veronia
Perry & Her Princes
Her Highness, Princess Perry
Long Live Queen Perry
QUINTESSENCE
Hers To Keep
Theirs To Cherish
Anchor Pride Series
Claimed by Caden
McKinnon’s Mate
The Corsakis
Three’s Never A Crowd
Old Enough to Know Better
The Federation
A Menage Made on Madison
La Belle sans La Bete Series
Menage Material
A Thoroughly Modern Menage
Forever Theirs
Secrets & Lies
The TriAlpha Chronicles
Origin
Trinity
Triskele
Triad
Triumph
Trierna
TriAlpha
Los Lobos
The Raw Touch
The Salsang Chronicles (written with Helen Scott)
Stained Egos
Stained Hearts
Stained Minds
Stained Bonds
Stained Souls
Hers To Keep: THE QUINTESSENCE COLLECTION I Page 61