All's Fair in Love and Mastery (Masters Unleashed 5)

“I’m sure as they get older they’ll piece that together for themselves,” Tak pointed out.

“Good thing Banner’s wife is a therapist.” Kon laughed. “My kids are going to put their hypothetical kids through college.”

“Not conceived in a bed. Pfft. You call that kinky?” Will rolled his eyes, sitting down beside Konstantin and throwing an arm around his neck. “I’m so kinky I wasn’t even there when my kid was conceived.”

“Oh boo. Hiss.” Arabella glared at Will over her shoulder and almost caught Grant staring longingly at her heart-shaped ass. “Someone throw something at that man. I can’t get over there to kick him in the shins right now.”

She looked adorable in the black tux pants, with the black-button down shirt and the suspenders—like a badass little mob boss with blue and purple hair. Unable to resist, he fantasized about unbuttoning a few buttons of her shirt, just until he could see the swell of her breasts. Was she wearing a bra? He was guessing she was, considering they were there for a fitting, but with Dex there was just no knowing unless a person checked. Although sometimes her nipple piercings made themselves known if the shirt was tight enough . . .

“Hey, I’m allowed to make jokes about my own life even if you don’t like it,” Will shot back. “Besides, no matter how unconventionally she was conceived, she’s the best thing that ever happened to me. Just don’t tell Juliet.”

Grant snorted and took another drink from Tak’s flask—his own was empty—savoring the bite of whiskey. He liked to drink, which was why he seldom let himself do it.

“Oh, I think your wife-to-be is well aware she’s your second love,” Grant assured him. “Besides, she said the same thing about you last week when I was over there for supper. She loves Beau more than she loves you. I just didn’t have the heart to tell you so close to the wedding.”

They all laughed again, and Dex’s smile trapped his gaze for a moment before he could bring himself to look away. She always had such a mischievous smile. It made Dominants burn to know what she was up to, or what she was thinking. Lately, every smile she sent his way made him want to turn her over his knee and spank her. Little monster.

“Ah, babies.” Konstantin sighed. “They steal your heart and your sleep. What can you do?”

“What can you do?” Tarka laughed. “In your case I might recommend staying off your wife for five minutes. You do realize you don’t have to keep her continuously pregnant. There’s no breeding competition.”

“She keeps telling me it’s my husbandly duty,” Konstantin said innocently. “Who am I to argue?”

“Well, you wouldn’t want to be a neglectful husband,” Will agreed. “Contraceptives would be my next suggestion, but I know Varushka better than that. She won’t be content until you have at least ten kids.”

Konstantin rubbed a hand over his face. “I hope that number is a combination of children and goats. She’s up to six goats, so that would mean just one more baby, after the bun she’s baking right now.”

“You hope, but we all know who’ll have the final word there.” Richard said, after he pulled the pins from between his lips. “My brother thinks because Genevieve is my submissive it leaves me in charge of all of the decision-making. He doesn’t understand that when a Dominant’s in love he’ll do almost anything to make his submissive happy. The woman wants babies? Give her babies. It’s not like you can’t afford them.”

By the time the fitting was finished, Grant was feeling no pain.

They poured out of Richard’s shop into the cool night air. In the dim illumination from the streetlights, Will’s half of the wedding party looked like a bunch of hooligans, all in crappy T-shirts and jeans. Well, they looked like a group of hooligans with a small, adorable mascot.

Arabella leaned into Tarka’s one-armed shoulder hug, and settled against his side.

“How can you be cold, woman?” Tak asked her, chafing her bare arm with one of his big hands.

“I guess I should have worn a jacket, but it was so warm out when we got here it hadn’t crossed my mind. Besides I’m not feeling the cold at all.”

“That’s because you’re topped up with whiskey, Dex,” Kon reminded her, shaking his almost-empty flask.

Grant fought down the urge to shove Tarka away from Arabella and warm her up himself.

“My cab is going to be here any minute now. You want a lift home?” Tak asked her solicitously, shooting Grant a sly smile.

The nosy bastard seemed to suspect something was going on between them and had been prodding at them both to see what he could find out.

“I think I’m going to walk back to Catacombs with Will, but thanks for the off

er.”

Will frowned. “I thought we’d be done a lot earlier than this. I need to get home.”

Grant scowled at Will, feeling like this whole night had been lackluster at best. As his best man, Grant should have organized a real bachelor party for him, but his brother hadn’t wanted a huge party with strippers and all that shit. Instead, they’d gone out for dinner and then to the last fitting for their tuxes.

Not exactly the kind of epic send-off a brother like Will deserved.

He’d done everything for Grant over the years—tried to keep him safe and fed, and actually finished raising him. He’d taken the place of the family they should have had. No party would be enough to convey all the gratitude Grant felt toward him.