and I rushed over to Beast before I couldn’t stay composed. He opened his arms and I cuddled close.
“She do that often?” he asked, his voice low enough my dad wouldn’t hear.
“Yep. And he falls for it every single time. It’s a thing of beauty to watch.”
He smacked my ass. “Don’t go getting any ideas.”
I looked up at him. “But I don’t need to trick you into doing what I want. All I ever do is ask and you give me anything and everything I could ever want or need.”
His lips grazed mine, then he kissed me fully. “Because I love you and I want you to be happy. Should we show them what else we’ve been building?”
I nodded. Instead of making an in-law suite out of the empty room out back, Beast had decided to put up a set of guest cottages. Even though I was the only one with family who would come visit, sooner or later we’d have more families here. If the women who fell for the other Reckless Kings had big families like mine, they’d need a place with plenty of room when their family stopped by. The first cottage was complete and the second was already underway.
“If you two are finished, we have something to show you,” Beast said, raising his voice to be heard over my brother and sisters.
We walked a little farther down the road past our house. Beast stopped in front of the completed cottage and handed my dad a key.
“What’s this for?” my dad asked.
“The cottage is yours to use while you’re here. I’ll need the key back when you leave. It’s the first of three guest homes we’re putting in. Lyssa wanted to make sure you had plenty of space when you came to visit, and I think she’s hoping some of my brothers will settle down. She wants more women around, which could mean more families visiting.” Beast placed his hand over my baby bump. “Besides, you’ll want to come back when little Madison is born, won’t you?”
My mother was already nodding. “Of course we will! I can’t wait to hold my first granddaughter.”
Torch looked heavenward and sighed before coming to shake Beast’s hand. “Looks like I can’t get rid of you now. You not only knocked up my daughter, but you’ve made my wife happy. Welcome to the family, Beast.”
Portia shyly approached, the look she gave Beast was full of adoration. “Does that mean you’re my big brother now?”
He released me to kneel down to her level. “Absolutely, Sprite. I hope you come to visit us often. Your sister has been fixing up one of the rooms at our house just for you. Maybe after the baby is here, and we’ve adjusted to being parents, you can come stay for a week or two. Would you like that?”
Portia nodded eagerly.
“Can I go play with the ferrets some more?” she asked.
“Sure you can,” Beast said.
“I’m heading back to the house,” I said, feeling an ache start in my lower back. I’d found that standing or walking for long periods of time didn’t agree with me during my pregnancy. If I’d known all those months ago, when I’d left with Tony, that I’d been carrying Beast’s baby, I might have rethought my strategy. Thankfully, the drugs I’d been given hadn’t hurt our child, and my old man had come for me before anything worse happened.
I still had the occasional nightmare from that day, but Beast was always there to chase the shadows away. I loved him more and more each day. When I’d come here that first day, I’d only hoped for some help getting Tony to leave me alone. Yeah, I’d fallen in love with the idea of him when I’d first heard about his part in saving Lilian. It had been about the same as falling for a movie or book character. Meeting him in person had changed things. I never thought I’d find my soulmate. There wasn’t any other way to think of Beast. He completed me, as sappy as that sounded.
He looped my arm through his and led me home, my family following with excited chatter from Portia and Hadrian. Little Ivy was quiet. I figured she wasn’t sure what to make of Beast and the other Reckless Kings just yet. Eventually, she’d come to trust them and realize they were family.
“Thank you,” I murmured.
“For making sure you don’t trip over your own feet?” he asked.
“No. For loving me. The day you made me yours