Page 65 of Mercilessly Bred


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“It’s my home. I can do whatever I want.” He winked playfully. “Besides, you’re halfway naked as well.”

Looking down at the plush blanket that I had draped around myself upon leaving the bed, I was relieved my private bits were covered, mostly.

“Come on, let’s go back upstairs so I can reset the alarm,” he said.

I didn’t argue. I’d had my snack, and I was ready to get off my feet.

“At least Fiona isn’t here,” I said as we walked up the stairs. “She would have freaked when the alarm went off.”

She hated the alarm, which made me feel more guilty the last two times I accidentally triggered it.

But Fiona moved out of the castle last week.

After we found my sister and brought her here, Maxwell took an interest in her, and it took both of us by surprise. I’d always known Maxwell as a man of business, driven and ruthless in his pursuits. I never suspected that he possessed a softer side, let alone an interest in starting a family or pursuing marriage.

I was unsure if that kind of attention was something that Fiona was ready for at all, but Sebastian gave Maxwell permission to go for it, as long as he treaded lightly.

And he did.

It started with just talking. Then, dating. Now Fiona had moved in with him. It was still new. She only left last week, but I missed her. I knew she was safe with Maxwell, but it was hard to let go of my fear for her safety after everything we’d been through. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever fully move past that part of it. It was because I loved her so much, and I didn’t want her to be hurt again,ever.

In order for me to feel at ease about Fiona leaving the castle, we had arranged a texting schedule to maintain constant communication. This agreement was crucial to my peace of mind, and so far, we had stuck to it.

We reached our wing, and Sebastian placed a hand on my lower back as we walked down the hall. But he didn’t lead me into the bedroom. We bypassed it and went straight for the nursery, one door down.

Despite the pregnancy draining my energy, I wasn’t sleeping well. It was a struggle to get into bed at all.

Instead, I hobbled around the nursery with my swollen ankles. I was just about ready to pop, and I couldn’t wait to meet my little ones. Being in this room brought me peace, knowing that they’d be here soon.

The nursery was big with gray paint with a hint of olive. There were two of everything, from the cribs to the stuffed animals to the little dressers already stuffed full of clothes. The view out the window was amazing, showing off the mountains and pine trees in the distance.

I love this room. It was exactly as I dreamed. When the designer showed up at the castle and asked me what I wanted, I was overjoyed. Sebastian had left it completely up to me, which was a dream come true.

One of my favorite elements of the nursery was the rocking chair I picked out. Plush and comfy, it also gave massages at the push of a button.

As I made my way toward the chair, my feet sank into the plush fibers of the carpet with each step. I settled into the welcoming embrace of the chair, its soft upholstery enveloping me in warmth and comfort. Sebastian came over and raised the footrest, allowing me to fully recline. Happiness bloomed inside of me as he draped a thick, warm blanket over me, its weight and texture comforting to my senses. In a show of thoughtfulness, he brought my phone from the bedroom and plugged it into the charger.

I basked in the feeling of being completely taken care of, my heart overflowing with love as I gazed at the man who did it all, the one person I could always count on. He leaned over me, his warm breath brushing my skin as he pressed a lingering kiss to my forehead before heading toward the door. As he walked away, a sense of contentment washed over me, spreading from the tips of my toes to the top of my head. A smile slowly formed on my lips, a physical manifestation of the happiness and gratitude I felt toward him.

When he disappeared down the hall, I lifted my eyes to the starlight ceiling. It was beautiful and exactly what my sons were going to see every night.

As my fingers traced gentle circles on my stomach, I couldn’t help but reflect on my past. A year ago, I was lost, broken, and suffocating under the weight of abuse and loneliness. But now, I was here, in a grand castle, surrounded by love and warmth, with the man who had saved me and given me a new lease on life. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes as I marveled at how far I had come. And as the realization of my present circumstances hit me, a smile spread across my face, and my heart swelled with a deep sense of gratitude and joy.

I guess fairytales really do come true.

* * *

The castle was so quiet without the children here. I’d grown used to the sounds of Henry and Liam, their babbling and the few words that they could say. That was mostly limited to “dada” and “bye-bye,” but I was pretty sure that Liam was trying to say “mama” recently.

Or maybe that was just wishful thinking. I’d been so eager to hear the twins say that since the moment they were born. I was trying to stay patient, though. They were barely walking at this point. Although, the doctor said that they were both ahead of the curve when it came to hitting their developmental milestones. The memory of that checkup made me smile. Sebastian had been so proud.

“What are you thinking so hard about?” Sebastian asked as I pushed my roasted chicken around on my plate with my fork without eating much of it.

It wasn’t surprising that he noticed I was lost in thought. Even a year after I’d given birth, he still monitored my eating habits, always so worried about me. He also loved the way my body filled out with my pregnancy and wanted to make sure I kept my curvy shape. The way he looked at me like I was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen made me want that, too.

“Just thinking about the boys,” I admitted. “Do you think they miss us?”

Sebastian reached over and squeezed my hand. “Of course, they do. I know it’s hard for you to be away from them, but they are going to have a blast visiting Fiona and Maxwell, and we could use a break.”

I knew he was right. The separation anxiety was normal, according to what I’d read online, but it was also nice to have a bit of a break from parenting for a few days. I wouldn’t trade motherhood for anything, but it could be exhausting, especially with twins. They would turn a year old in a month, and this was the first time I’d been away from them for any amount of time. Sebastian insisted that we have the twins with us at all times, not even considering full-time nanny support, even though he could certainly afford it. It was so important to him that the boys know we love them. So, they were with us all the time. Even when Sebastian had to travel for work, we brought the kids along, but we had a part-time nanny that traveled with us, just to make life a little easier.

Today was different, though…..

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