“This isn’t funny.”
He’s giving me a sexy, crooked grin, his eyes sparkling with mirth. “Actually, it is a bit. And you’re not saying no.”
“I thought you said you weren’t proposing.”
“Would you say yes if I did?”
“No!”
“No?”
“Well, um, I… Ah!” My hands fly through the air. “I can’t do this right now. I can’t think about this right now.”
“Fine.” He rubs my shoulders and up and down my upper arms, trying to calm me down. “Maybe this was a bit much to dump on you after the day you’ve had. How about you consider the notion of marrying me, and I’ll ponder the proper way to propose, and we’ll table all this for now.”
“Yes. Good. That.”
“I’d still like to tell the children we’re together.”
“We can do that.” Then something hits me. “Wait, are you talking about all this because Rowan thinks marrying me will break the curse?”
“Rowan thinks uslovingeach other will break the curse. He believes that’s the difference. I understand that you’re young, much younger than I am, but I’ve waited all my life to find you. Even when it was a path I never knew I wanted. When you find the person you’re meant to be with forever, you want forever to start as quickly as it can, and you don’t want to wait anymore. I want to have babies with you and have you as the stepmother to my children. I want you beside me in family portraits and I want the world to know and acknowledge you as my queen. I want a life with you, Bellamy. A future no one can strike at.”
All I can do after that speech is kiss him. Because I wantthat, too. And I’ve spent too many hours convincing myself that this wasn’t ever going to be anything more than it is as a way to protect myself. Only that was impossible and absurd. There was no protection from this man. He blew in like a storm, unearthing me from the ground I never felt settled in. He’s replanted me in his world, embedded my roots so deep there is no other place for me than with him.
After kissing and snuggling for a bit longer, we drive the rest of the way home. And when we arrive, Sebastian is already a man on a mission. No shocker there. The man does not understand patience or finesse. He’s aclub you over the head until you submitsort of man, and this situation is proving no different. He takes my hand and drags me through the palace until we locate the children, who have been playing in the library with Althea and Emily.
“Now?” I hiss at him.
He gives me a side-eye. “I told you I was done waiting.”
He gets on all fours and crawls over to where they’re playing tea party and dinosaurs on a blanket. Taking Zayer in his hands, he drops him on his lap and scoots Phaedra and Sabrina closer. They’re giving him curious looks, sensing something is up. Especially as he reaches his hand out for me and drags me down onto the blanket with them.
“We’ll give you some alone time,” Althea says, and she and Emily leave us.
“What’s wrong, Papa?” Phaedra asks.
Sebastian smiles, running his fingers along her blonde hair. “Nothing is wrong, sweetheart. Actually, everything is wonderful. Bellamy and I have something to tell you. Something we hope you’ll find just as wonderful as we do.”
“What?” Sabrina asks, scrambling herself onto my lap and bouncing as she always does.
Sebastian looks at me, and even though my heart is pounding out of my chest, I give him a solid nod. He turns backto the children and with a smile tells them, “Since Bellamy came to us, she’s become an essential part of us. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Essential?”
“Important,” he corrects when Sabrina scrunches her nose, not understanding the word.
“Yes. Are you leaving? Because that’s not wonderful,” Phaedra says, her eyes instantly glassing over.
“No, honey. She’s not leaving. In fact, what I wanted to tell you is that she’s not just an important part of us. She’s an important part of me. Someone I love. Do you understand?”
“You love her the way you loved Mama?” Phaedra questions with those big green eyes on him.
Oh hell.
He holds her close, shifting Zayer so he can look at each of them in turn. “Different, honey. I loved Mama in a very special way, and no one will ever replace her in our hearts. Ever. I’m hoping Bellamy can become something new for us. Something special. I’m hoping one day we can all become a new family. With her as my queen.”
Way to drop that bomb. Again, no subtlety with this guy.
