Sel wakes me up by jumping on the bed and shoving a heavy gift wrapped in shiny red paper at me. “Do you like it?” She tugs on the corner of her nail, her face creased with worry as I examine the pile of books she got me. They are all related to setting up your own business. She even registered a bunch of domain names for me, and I love that she remembers the conversation we had about setting up my own designer brand and the tentative names I had in mind.
I haul her into my lap. “I love it.” I press a kiss to her lips. “I love how much you support me following my dreams.”
“You support mine,” she replies. “And I want to see you scale those heady heights I know you’ll climb.”
“With you by my side, it feels like I can achieve anything.”
Her features soften as she wraps her arms around me. “I know the feeling,” she murmurs before dropping her mouth to mine.
And that’s the last talking we do for a while.
That evening, Selena cooks a French-inspired feast, preparing all of Sandrine’s old family recipes, and we eat like kings. The wine is flowing, conversation is lively, and it is hands down one of my best ever birthdays. Especially when my wife gives me a special birthday gift that night in bed.
Slinking out of the bathroom in another new nightie, she looks fucking sensational in a tiny black and red number she wore for all of four seconds before I pulled it off her. Watching my wife ride my cock is out of this world, and the obvious enjoyment she derives from taking control and giving me pleasure almost has me shooting my load prematurely.
Life is good, and I don’t want to leave this island, but it’s my parents’ marriage renewal ceremony next week, so we’re going back to Massachusetts for a few days.
* * *
Dad isbusy with celebratory preparations, so he sends Michael, his standby pilot, to collect us. We sleep for most of the flight, and when we set down in Boston, it’s the middle of the night, and unfortunately, we’re now all wide-awake.
We spend the night at the cabin on the grounds of my parents’ property. Cheryl and Keven stay there too, along with three of the bodyguards. The other three—the ones who drew the short straws—are guarding the grounds. Dad also has extra security on hand for the event tomorrow, so we’re safe and protected here, but I’m still uneasy, and I can sense Sel is too.
It was relatively easy to forget the danger of the situation in Santorini. But now we’re back home, it’s like a slap in the face.
Sinead and Colin come over early the next morning to brief us. Kev kept us updated the whole time we were away, but it’s good to sit down face to face with his team.
Lawrence is still under close FBI surveillance, and the team is working nonstop to try to find something to pin on him, but so far, nothing has turned up. Which means we’ll definitely be returning to Greece. Something I’m not in any way unhappy about. Neither is my wife.
After the agents leave, we walk to the main house to join the rest of the family for breakfast.
“Prepare yourself,” I warn Selena again as we near the back of the house. “My family is crazy and loud, and they’re going to want to smother you with love. I apologize in advance.”
“There is nothing to apologize for, K.” Selena squeezes my hand as we walk in the back door and I lead her through the house toward the open-plan kitchen. “They’re my family now, and I don’t want anyone to tread on eggshells around me anymore.”
“I hope you’re still saying that after today,” I joke, wrapping my arms around her as we enter mayhem.
“Uncle Kaynu!!! Uncle Keven!!” Hewson shrieks as he spots us, storming across the kitchen on his short, stubby legs. He can’t say my name properly yet, but it’s cute when he calls me Kaynu. I crouch down, and he throws himself at me, his chubby arms snaking around my neck. “Where’s my pwesent?” he asks, looking all around.
“What present?!” I tease, standing with him in my arms.
He spins around in my arms, and I barely manage to keep a hold of him. “Uncle Keven.Youhave my pwesent?”
Kev pretends to look all around him, frowning and scratching his chin. “I don’t see any present. Do you, Cheryl?”
“Stop it!” Cheryl shakes her finger at both of us. “Stop torturing the little cutie.” She slides the box wrapped in blue paper to Selena, nudging her forward.
“Who are you?” Hewson asks, noticing Selena for the first time.
“This is Selena,” I say.
“Auntie Selena!” Hewson wriggles in my arms, catching me off guard, and I nearly drop the little monster. “Doyouhave my pwesent?” he asks in a hopeful tone.
“Oh, boy,” Lana says, coming to our aid. “His manners seem to have done a disappearing act.”
My brother Kalvin comes up behind his wife, wrapping his arms around her growing baby bump. My sister-in-law is five months pregnant with their second child, and she’s due to give birth a couple months after Eva, my other sister-in-law.
Very soon, this house is going to be overrun with kids.
