Queen of Quarantine (Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep #4) - Caroline Peckham Page 0,266

mommy up?” Caesar pressed. “And what if his shark friends have got my brothers? Am I not allowed to kill sharks then?”

“That’s a tough one, brother,” Blake sniggered before blowing a raspberry on Rowan’s neck and making him giggle wildly.

Kyan considered that then sighed, scruffing Caesar’s hair. “Fine, then you can kill a shark.”

“Yay!” Caesar jumped up and Kyan caught him by the back of his shirt, yanking him back down into the sand before he could escape.

“One more minute. And you need to apologise to Rowan too,” Kyan said sternly, that fierce expression of his making me all tingly inside.

Caesar groaned, throwing himself down in the sand. I reckoned our family photo was gonna be interesting today. I didn’t think we had a single one where we all looked presentable. Saint hated that, but I freaking loved it. My children looked wild like the wolf pups they were. And I couldn’t be prouder.

Beau fell asleep and I pulled the blanket off of him, placing him in his cot which set up in the shade beside me and finding my dress was now wet with milk.

“Dammit,” I muttered, trying to wipe it off but it was no good. “I’d better change.”

Blake nodded as I got up. “Fetch the birthday boy while you’re at it.” He pinched my ass as I walked past him and Rowan reached out to try and do the same.

“You’re teaching him bad habits,” I sang and Blake grinned, leaning down to talk in his ear.

“Lemme teach you about a little word called consent…” Blake whispered.

Rowan threw his head forward and headbutted him in the face and I snorted a laugh as I left him to deal with that drama, walking into The Temple through the wide open glass doors.

I jogged upstairs and grabbed a white sundress, exchanging it for my ruined blue one before heading back down to the kitchen. The sound of the front door opening made my heart leap and I jogged along the hall. The tinkling of Saint’s piano carried to me from his music room, the beautiful piece filling the house.

I made it to the front hall just as Nash stepped inside with MJ in his arms looking like a mini version of me and him. He had bright blonde hair and blue eyes which shone like sapphires, his skin a deep golden colour. I ran forward to hug Nash and my little two-year-old, squeezing them tight and kissing my husband on the lips.

“Kees, kees, mommy,” MJ begged too and I leaned down to kiss his chubby little cheek.

“Hey baby, did you have fun with Dad?” I asked then looked to Nash when he nodded. “Was he good?”

“Well…he begged for an ice cream so we grabbed one from the surf and turf, then he ate it too fast and threw up everywhere.”

I laughed, looking to MJ who grinned cheekily. “Oh no.”

“Yeah, I had to do an outfit change in the trunk of the car then the little guy almost pissed on me, but I swerved so he pissed on a woman’s shorts who was passing by instead. She didn’t notice so…I’m calling it a win.” He smirked and I kissed him again as I laughed.

“Sounds like a success to me.” I grinned.

“Yeah and wait until you see the cake, princess.” He lifted the paper bag in his hand with a grin and I bounced on my toes excitedly.

“He’s gonna freak, isn’t he?”

“Yeah, it’s the best one yet. We’d better wear some of Blake’s football gear when we show him.”

We headed through to the kitchen and I pulled MJ into my arms as Nash took the cake out of the bag and placed it on the white marble counter. It was a huge red squid, each layer of the cake covered in iced tentacles that looked pretty damn realistic. Across the bottom of it were the words Happy Birthday Squid.

I roared a laugh and MJ giggled too, pointing at the cake. “Skid!”

“No, MJ. That’s Papa,” Nash corrected with a wicked grin.

“Papa,” MJ corrected, giggling again.

It was the cutest damn sound. It almost made me broody for another one. But then I remembered that giving birth was an utter bitch and I’d sworn not to forget that again. Four was enough. Four boys of course because what this house had needed was more testosterone – not that I would have wanted it any other way.

Somehow the memories of labour seemed to fade each time until I was tempted to do it all over again.