Flames shot toward them, something exploding inside the house, and Wilhelm knew he couldn’t make it through that fire, not even for Juliette. Not even for the babies.
The babies.
Juliette.
“My family’s in there!” he shouted, his voice breaking as he pushed forward again, deciding that he didn’t care how hot the flames were, he’d get through them or die trying. Oh my God, Juliette …
His tiger howled as Wilhelm roared her name and tried to disentangle himself from the men shouting that he couldn’t go in there, that he needed to calm down. Grief and horror overwhelmed him, and he dropped to his knees, at least eight men hanging onto him in case he bolted forward.
“Wilhelm!” A sweet voice came from behind him, far behind him. “Wilhelm, we’re here!”
They let go of him enough that he could turn, and on the far curve of the driveway Juliette and Gunther emerged from behind an ambulance, each holding a baby. A healthy, whole baby. Juliette handed Leah to Gunther and ran for him.
“Juliette,” he breathed, then tore away from the hands that held him. In a few great bounds he reached her. He wrapped her in his arms and lifted her off her feet as he buried his face against her neck and sobbed. “Oh God, I thought I’d lost you. I thought I’d lost you all.”
“No,” she cried. “We were leaving when it happened. All of us are okay.” Her voice shook
with emotion that tore at Wilhelm’s heart. “I’m so sorry we couldn’t warn you. My phone died after we called for help and all these people just arrived and—”
Wilhelm kissed her, cutting off her explanation. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was she was there now, unharmed. He cupped her cheek in his hands. “All I care about is that you’re safe.”
He stroked her face, unashamed of the tears that streamed down his own. “The thought that you—that the babies—I thought I’d lose my mind. But you’re here. You’re all here.” He kissed her again, then lifted and spun her for the sheer joy of holding her close.
His family was safe. They were safe, and everything was going to be okay.
Chapter Eighteen
Wilhelm’s apartment was magnificent, but he’d warned Juliette it wasn’t very “homey” and he hadn’t been kidding. Metal and glass gave it a modern, sleek look, but it wasn’t a very comfortable place, especially not to raise babies.
“I’ll redecorate,” he said as she followed him in, pushing the babies in the two-seat stroller, with Gunther behind them carrying the things they’d packed in the car. Everything else was gone.
Wilhelm said he’d order new baby things, and the place would be suitable for the twins in no time. Juliette believed it. He seemed excited at the idea of a change, and after seeing so much pain in his eyes over the last few days, it was wonderful to see a glimmer of optimism there.
She never wanted to see pain in his eyes again, especially not the way he’d looked when he’d turned to her in the driveway after thinking she and the babies had been trapped inside the burning mansion. He’d looked so lost, so ruined … she couldn’t bear the thought of him hurting that way again.
Knowing he loved her and the babies enough to have been that distraught and out of his mind, knocking down police officers like bowling pins to run through fire for them, had only made her love him even more fiercely.
The portable cribs would do for tonight. The twins didn’t seem to mind, because they fell asleep as soon as they were put down. After Gunther left, Wilhelm took Juliette’s hand and pulled her into his lap.
“I love you, Juliette.”
She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and rested her forehead against his. “I love you.”
He breathed deeply for a few moments. “When I thought I’d lost you … I couldn’t …” He took one sharp breath and leaned back to look her in the eyes. “I don’t want to waste any more time. I want you in my life, in the twins’ lives. I want you, period. Live with me here. When the fire investigators are finished on the property, I’ll build us a house, any way you want it. We’ll have a big yard just for the cubs to play in. We’ll have a commercial kitchen, so you can create your pastries and candies even when you’re not at Bonbon. I’ll hire any kind of domestic help you want or need, and you can open a thousand shops or not a single extra one at all. I just need you with me, Juliette. Tell me what it’ll take to make that happen.”
Juliette blinked back tears and put her hand on Wilhelm’s cheek. “You’ve already made it happen, Wilhelm. I’m here. And I’m not going anywhere. I never thought I could be happy again. I never thought I’d risk my heart to love again. But you make me happy. The twins make me happy.”
She rubbed her nose against his. “I think you’re stuck with me.”
He beamed and shifted her so that she straddled his lap. Wilhelm squeezed one ass cheek to pull her tighter against him. His other hand sank into her hair. “Oh no, sounds awful,” he said softly.
Juliette laughed against his lips as he pulled her down for a kiss.
In moments, they were pulling their clothes off, and Wilhelm rose, still holding her as he walked them to his shower. All white tile, steel, and glass, it was as modern as the rest of his apartment, with three shower heads that turned a simple shower into a spa-like experience.
He stood behind her, his naked body pressed against hers, his cock nestled between her thighs. His hand slid down her stomach until his fingertips slipped into her heat. She sighed and leaned back against him and voiced the one niggling doubt that had kept her from giving in to his advances for months.
“You’re sure, Wilhelm? I mean, really sure?”