my father? Your parents are wonderful, Harper. Nice, sane people. It’s clear they love you very much.”
“They do, don’t they?”
“And here you had me prepared for the worst. I wasn’t expecting them to be so ordinary.”
“I thought maybe that would be the problem,” the omega confessed. “I love my parents, and I wouldn’t trade them for the world. I just wasn’t sure what you’d make of them.”
William caught Harper around the waist, cupping the omega’s cheek with wet, soapy fingers.
“They want you to be happy. And anyone who cares about your happiness is someone I can get along with.”
They kissed, slow and sensual, breaking apart with a laugh when Zac wandered into the kitchen minutes later, wondering where they’d got to.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Harper was full and happy when they arrived back at William’s apartment. He had planned to stay at Zac’s, but William had been oddly insistent that he come home with him. The evening had gone better than he’d expected. His parents had been their normal lovely if embarrassing selves, but William seemed to find them endearing rather than boring. The last time Harper had introduced a boyfriend to his parents, they’d wound up breaking up a few days later. He could see now that it had been for the best, but at the time it had been devastating. He’d vowed to never let anyone make him feel ashamed of his parents again and had been far more careful about who he introduced them to. William had been great, charming both his dad and his pops, which wasn’t an easy thing to do. But then, anyone who could appreciate the true art of bricklaying would always have a place in his pop’s heart.
They stumbled inside, William locking the door as Harper got out of his coat and unwound his scarf. His pants had started feeling a little tight, his bump just visible depending on what he was wearing, and it gave him a little thrill every time he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror at just the right angle.
He was so busy looking at himself that he missed the fact that William was hovering nervously at his elbow.
“I want to show you something,” the alpha confessed. “It’s in the office.”
Harper followed him inside. “Is it a new project? Has inspiration struck again?” Sometimes, he marveled at what William could do with his talents and Harper’s omega charm.
“It’s actually something I’ve been working on for ages. It had stalled for over a year until you agreed to become my muse. Since then, I’ve had so many bursts of creativity about so many different things, but I always come back to this.”
He led Harper to a table in the back room, switching on the overhead lamp so they could better see what they were looking at. Harper was used to William’s projects being on a grand scale. He designed office blocks, hotels, museums. This was something different.
“It’s… a house?”
He glanced at William, the alpha’s eyes intent on him.
“It’s our house. For you and me.”
Harper stepped closer to the model, and William leaned in and lifted off the roof so he could see inside.
“It’s on three floors. There’s an attic, which I thought might be an office for me. Second floor has the bedrooms and bathrooms and the nursery, of course. The first floor has the living and dining rooms, utility, study. And the kitchen, where you can cook and bake to your heart's content.”
Harper gave him a bemused look. “Oh, and just where is this imaginary house?”
William grinned. “It’s not imaginary. Don’t you recognize it? Look closer, at the door.”
Harper dropped to a crouch and peered at the door. There was something strangely familiar about it. “But… isn’t that the house across the road from Beckett and Zac?”
“Uh-huh. I bought it a year ago. I’d always intended to settle in that neighborhood, but once I had it, it seemed too big and empty for just me. I’ve been renting it out until now, but the tenants have left, and it’s lying empty, just waiting for us to make it ours.”
Harper straightened, staring at William.
“Are you serious?”
“Of course. I may not have consciously been aware that you and I would end up together, but some part of me knew. I’ve been designing this since that first night you cooked for me, curled up on the couch beside me, and read to me. I was a little slow to take the hint.”
“And we’d be right next to Zac and Beckett?”
“Neighbors and friends.