I smile at the image. “I hope they’re just like their daddy.”
He gives me a sweet smile and kisses me until nothing else exists outside of this moment.
“Come on,besyonok.” He starts to carry me back to the house, giving a sharp whistle so Nyx will follow us in. “Let’s go tell everyone the good news.”
I kiss his neck and laugh when Nyx joins us, wet and sandy and looking very pleased with herself. While he carries me upthe path, I wiggle my fingers and watch the way the sunstones sparkle when the light hits them.
“I’m really glad you decided to come for a visit,” I tell him, making him laugh.
“Me too, baby.” He turns his face so I can kiss him before we tell everyone the good news.
Chapter 23
Damien
“Ican’t believe my little brother is getting married and going to be a dad.”
I grin at my older brother and take one last look in the mirror, making sure everything looks okay. The tux is top of the line and tailored to fit me like a glove. Not even my bare feet can take away from the elegant lines of the thing.
“It feels too good to be true,” I admit. “Like any day now she’s going to come to her senses and realize she can do better.”
Luka shakes his head. “No way, man. Sitka is head over heels for you, and there is no one better for her than you. She lights up every time she sees you. That’s why you two couldn’t keep it a secret and your asses got caught,” he reminds me.
He laughs at the smile I can’t hide and squeezes my shoulder before pulling me in for a hug. “I love you, Damien, and I’m so fucking happy for you.”
I hug him back, telling myself to not start crying like a fucking baby. “I love you too,” I tell him.
We both turn when we hear a sob coming from the doorway. Our mom is standing there watching us, tears already falling while our dad wraps an arm around her and kisses her head.
“You boys are making your mom cry,” our dad says, but I can tell from his voice that he’s just as emotional as she is. He’s just much better at hiding it.
“Sorry, Mom,” I say, right before Luka does the same.
She smiles and leans into my dad. “Are you kidding? These are the best kind of tears. Don’t ever apologize for the happy ones.”
She walks over and wraps us both in a hug. She’s over a foot shorter, but she still manages to pull us both down so she can kiss our cheeks and squeeze us tighter. “I’m so proud of you two,” she says. “And I love you both so much.”
“We love you too, Mom,” I tell her.
Stepping back, she wipes the tears from her cheeks while our dad gives us each a hug. He smiles at me and says, “Your mom and I are happy for you, son. Sitka’s a great girl, and we couldn’t be happier about being grandparents again.”
“We’re so excited,” our mom says, beaming at the thought of a new baby to hold and spoil in all the best ways.
“I’m pretty excited about it too,” I say, making them all give me a sappy smile. They all know I haven’t stopped smiling since Sitka told me she was pregnant two weeks ago. Our families have been great, working like crazy to help us plan the wedding and make sure everyone could fly out to see it. It’s been hectic but not a single moment has been bad or stressful. It’s the good kind of chaos, and I wouldn’t change a second of it. Things will slow down after the wedding. We’re going to spend a couple of weeks here, enjoying the coast while we make plans to build a house on the property, and then we’ll fly to New York.
I can’t avoid work forever. I already feel bad enough for staying away for so long, even though my family’s told me over and over again that everything is fine and for me to stop worrying. Niki’s already secured us a penthouse that’s in between my parents’ and Luka’s building so Sitka will only be afew minutes from either of them. For security reasons, none of our properties are listed under our names, and a bodyguard has already been assigned to Sitka. She will always be protected, but the city isn’t like here. I won’t have acres of land, locked down and secure where she can wander around on her own. It’s far more hectic and unsafe where I’m taking her, and the thought terrifies me.
My dad puts his hand on my shoulder and gives it a squeeze. When I meet his eyes, he says, “Stop borrowing trouble. She’ll be safe. You think I’d keep your mom there if it wasn’t?”
I’m not surprised he can tell what I’m thinking. He knows me too well, and he and my brother and I are all very similar people, especially now that I’m about to become a husband and father. The need to protect those we love runs deep in all of us.
“I know you’d never keep her anywhere unsafe,” I tell my dad.
“Yeah, me too,” Luka says. “My wife and kids are in the city. I think you know me well enough to know I’d never let anything happen to them.”
“Yeah, I know. We’ll make it work, and she’ll have Nyx, so that’s basically like having a team of bodyguards,” I say.
“We should probably keep her away from Chort,” Luka says.
