Blaze (Virtues & Lies 3)

“When you’re ready. I’m pretty certain that they’ve knocked a few times already, but it’s still early.”

“Eager beavers.” A sly smile cuts his face as he opens one sleepy eye.

“You want to be the jilted groom?”

“Harsh.”

His thumb strokes over the top of my knickers. Back and forth. Back and forth. Until every pore is aflame and my heart is thundering hard enough that Grace squirms between us in protest for a peaceful feed.

“Did you manage to get a hold of Freddie?”

“No. He’s ignoring all of us. Francis said that he was going to get Emily on his case. We need him onto this, but he’s so fucking stubborn…”

“You’re all stubborn. You all think you’re right all the time. Your superiority complex is terrible.” I pluck Grace from one nipple, tucking the pillow beneath her to raise her to the other so she can carry on.

“I don’t have a superiority complex,” Casper grumbles, squeezing my hip. “Besides, it’s not a complex if it’s true.”

“Is that what you’re going to teach Grace?”

“Fuck yeah. She’s going to know her worth from the off.” He says that with so much fire behind it that I can’t argue it. “She’s going to know that she’s special, important, the best thing about this world.”

“God, you’re a right mother hen.”

He peers at me with screwed eyes and a sulky pout. “You know male hens are cocks, right?”

“Cocks are dicks…sums you up nicely, Casper Gladstone. You’re a dick.”

“Daddy dick to you.” His low rumbling chuckle has Grace pulling away from my breast in search of him.

Casper holds her to his bare chest, turning onto his back as he slips the arm stretched across the pillows beneath my head, drawing me into his side as he rubs Grace’s back to get all the wind out of her.

“Have you given any thought to who you want to walk you down the aisle?” His question breaks the silence.

“I probably would’ve asked Francis. He’s the closest thing I have to a father now. But then I feel terrible not asking Lucian because he was so kind to me and he loved Mum. In a way it would be like having a part of her there…”

He doesn’t say anything. I thought he would tell me who to choose instead or at least tell me who he thinks should do it. He doesn’t.

“But Lucian isn’t my dad, and I don’t want to hurt Leo.”

“Leo isn’t a part of this decision. He doesn’t factor into your choice. You get to be selfish about this, fuck anyone else. What do you want?”

“I could ask Christopher.”

“Don’t settle, Trouble.” He kisses the top of my head, holding me tighter to him.

“Well, Francis is out. Christopher is the obvious choice, and he was all for giving me the speech last night about how if you step out of line, he’ll handle you for me…” I laugh at that just as I did when Christopher was being the alpha of the pack. “So, you’re warned.”

“I’m so fucking scared, maybe we shouldn’t do this after all…”

“Pussy.”

“That’s no way to talk to your almost husband, wench.” The vibration of his chuckle sets off a long, loud burp from Grace to which we both laugh.

“How can something so small be so disgusting at times?”

“She takes after her mummy.”

“Shut up! She does not!”