I smiled. “I can do that.”
“Okay, we’re here.”
Fern clapped excitedly as I eased off the blindfold she’d been wearing for hours. She squinted, wrinkling her nose, lookingadorably cute as she tried to focus on her new surroundings. Then she screamed, throwing her arms around me.
“I can’t believe you brought me back here. I love this place. And Thomas let us stay here for a month? Really?”
I shook my head, looking around at the familiar living room of the lighthouse. “No, Princess. He let me buy it from him. It’s ours.”
She stepped back, looking shocked. “Ours?”
A smile curled my lips. “Ours. We fell in love here. We both healed some of our past here. I couldn’t bear the thought of someone else being in here, so as soon as I proposed, I bought it and had the place renovated.”
She turned slowly on the spot. “But it looks exactly the same.”
Taking her hand in mine, dusting my thumb over the wedding band that now sat flush against her engagement ring, I leaned in and pressed a kiss behind her ear before whispering, “I’ve had new windows put in, there is underfloor heating in every room, including in the crows nest upstairs, so we don’t freeze while you make me watch thunderstorms. And I had a new bed brought in because I was convinced the old one would break and I need to be sure it could withstand all the filthy things I plan to do with you in it.”
She cupped her hand over where my very hard cock pressed against my jeans.
“And…” I took her by the hand and led her to the one thing we both wanted to change about this place. “It was the only casualty. The bath had to go.”
I’d left the rest of the place as it was, but the bathroom had been gutted, the tiny bath replaced by a wetroom, with a huge shower where I could pin her against the dark blue tiles and fuck her senseless.
“It’s perfect, Charlie. I can’t believe it’s ours.” She turned, popping the button on my jeans before lowering the zipper and freeing my cock.
“What are you doing, Princess?”
She looked up at me through her long lashes. “You bought us a lighthouse. I think the least I can do is help you christen the shower.”
“Well, if you insist, Mrs. Wyatt.”
“I absolutely do, Mr. Wyatt.”
Fern - 4 years later
I stood with my hands on my hips as I listened to Lea talk me through the running order for tomorrow night. It was the label’s annual party that she organized for us every year, despite how busy and in demand she was these days, and we were standing in the middle of the space that was currently being dressed by her team.
Suddenly, her eyes widened, and her words stuttered to a halt. “Well, that’s a sight to make your ovaries explode.” Confused, I followed her gaze.
Standing in the doorway was Charlie, sunglasses on, wearing a white t-shirt and jeans along with his black leather jacket, but what was causing our reaction was the sleeping fair haired baby strapped to his chest in a carrier.
“Hey, ladies. Sorry to bother you, but Marshall is on shift at the hospital and Kinley just threw up everywhere and Josh is running a temperature. Fox and Dawson are flapping like twoold women, so I thought I’d get Alex out of there and come and let you know, Lea.”
Lea’s face crumpled. “God, I hate vomit. Thanks, Charlie. You did the right thing, although you could have left him in the carseat and carried him in, you know.”
Charlie shook his head, unfastening the carrier and lifting Alex from his chest. A second later, his tiny face scrunched up and he wailed unhappily.
“It happens every time I try to put him down. The kid is even more obsessed with me than Kinley was.”
Just then Lea’s phone rang, and she pulled it from her back pocket, answering it quickly. “Dawson… Oh, God. Really? I don’t think they need to see a doctor, but I’m leaving now and I’ll call Marshall on the way and see what he thinks… No, work will be fine without me. That’s why I have assistants now. Don’t panic, Daddy. I’ll see you soon.”
She hung up, looking between Charlie and me apprehensively. Charlie took off his sunglasses, pushing them onto the top of his head. “Do you want Fern and I to take Alex? He can stay with us or we can drop him back later.”
“You don’t have anything he needs? Cot, bottles, milk…”
Charlie smiled. “Go, take care of the kids and I’ll send someone to pick up what we need.”
Lea blew me a kiss. “I’m keeping my distance in case the rugrats gave it to me too.” And then she turned to look at me. “Are you sure this is okay?”
