Stout (Men of Lovibond 2)

“Yeah. That good.”

I sit next to her and cup her hands around mine, bringing them to my lips for a kiss. “I love you, sweet girl.”

“I love you too.”

We both jolt when the bridal room door suddenly swings open, my new mother-in-law standing in the doorway. Fuck, Rachel. My pants are wide open. “There you are. Everything okay in here?”

Adelyn jerks around to look at me. This is a new expression I’ve not yet seen. The seriously-you-didn’t-lock-the-door face.

I locked that fucker. I know I did.

“Fine, Mama. My feet were hurting so I was taking a quick break.”

“Okay. Just checking.” Mrs. Maxwell’s eyes meet mine. “Michael wants to speak with you for a minute before y’all leave.” I can do without my father-in-law’s private conversations.

“Yes ma’am.”

Adelyn waits until her mother is gone to slap my chest. “She almost walked in on us. Do you know what she’d have done if she saw you choking me against the wall while you fucked me from behind? From. Behind. Oliver. She probably would have assumed you were putting it in my ass.”

“I locked it. You saw me.”

“Then how did she open it?”

I chuckle as I picture the scene had she come in two minutes earlier. Boy, that would be a hard one to explain to my mother-in-law. “I don’t know, baby. Maybe she got the key or maybe the door didn’t catch all the way.”

“That can’t happen again.”

“I hope you don’t mean the fucking against the wall part because I loved the hell out of that.”

“You know very well what I mean.” She stands and straightens her dress. “Come on. We have guests to entertain.”

I see my father-in-law as soon as we leave the bridal room. “What do you think your dad wants to talk about?”

“Honeymoon pointers?” She giggles but I’m not as entertained as her. I don’t enjoy sex talks with my wife’s father. Especially when I was just inside her less than five minutes ago. Sure I smell like sex.

“I hope to hell not.” I think that might be more uncomfortable than him telling me about popping Mrs. Maxwell’s cherry. Whatever it is, might as well get it over with. “I’m going to see what he wants.”

“Don’t worry, Thorn. Probably just wants to tell you how proud he is to have you for a son-in-law.” One can hope.

Brother Maxwell pats me on the back. “Come, Oliver. I want a private word with you.”

I follow my father-in-law to the room where I just fucked his daughter from behind against the wall. “I wanted to tell you how happy I am to have you as my son-in-law.” What a fucking relief. I was almost thinking he wanted to talk about our wedding night.

“I’m glad to hear that, Brother Maxwell.”

“Call me Michael.” I nod but that’s going to take some getting used to. I’ve only been around my father-in-law a handful of times over the last year.

He sits on the sofa and I follow suit. Don’t guess this is going to be the quick conversation I was hoping for. So glad I didn’t take her on the sofa. Awkward.

“I once asked you to not break Adelyn’s heart or ruin her for the man who’d want to be her husband. I thank you for keeping your word.” Pretty sure I did both of those things. Broke her heart when she found out about Vance. Glad we’re beyond that now.

I know for a fact I ruined her for every other man in the world. Not sorry about that one though.

“She’s been my girl for twenty-eight years but now I’m entrusting her to you. Her soul belongs to God but she’s your girl now. Her heart. Her body.” She’s been my girl since the day she stood in my driveway holding a basket of baked goods.

“Adelyn has all of my heart. I’m going to take care of her. I’ll never hurt her.” We’re going to have a happy life together.

“Anyone can see how much you love her. I know you will be the amazing man she deserves.” My father-in-law puts his hand on my shoulder. “A little wedding night advice, son?”

“Of course.” Because that’s not weird at all. I think he still believes Adelyn is a virgin.

“I know you’ll be eager to have her but take things slow. Easy. You only get to have your wife beneath you for the first time once.” Oh, Michael. You only get to fuck your wife against a wall for the first time once as well. And we did just fine at that.

“Slow. Easy. Got it.” Maybe that’ll put his mind at ease, believing his virginal daughter isn’t the lamb coming to the lion between the sheets.

Instead, she’ll be coming to her alpha.

Adelyn Maxwell Thorn

22 months later

Oliver pokes me in the leg with his toes. “He’s crying for you.”

“No. I think he’s crying for you.”

I feel the bed shift as Oliver rolls to look at the clock. “Fuck, it’s only five. Why is he waking up so early?”

“You said he went to sleep at eight. That means he’s had a full night of sleep. The boy’s ready to eat and play.”

Oliver groans as he slides off the bed. “I’ll get him since you had a late night.”

I haven’t had a late night event in a long time but last night’s was one of my biggest jobs ever. Michelle does a magnificent job of managing the events. She has taken so much from my shoulders but even she couldn’t have handled everything without my help.

“Bring him to me,” I call out to Oliver. It’s been too long since I’ve held that precious boy.

I sit up and straighten my shirt, holding my arms out for him. “Hey there, cutie.”

Emeric latches on to the bottle’s nipple and sucks hard. Poor little thing looks like he’s starving. “Lawrence said he hates taking a bottle, and would probably fuss about it, but he seems content enough.”

“He’s part Thorn. He’ll take food any way he can get it.”

“Have you heard from them?”

“Of course. Lawry FaceTimed three times yesterday so she could see him. She cried the last time because he was already asleep and couldn’t hear her voice.”

A mother’s love is precious. “I know they hated to leave him but it’s good for them to have alone time.” Life was rough for Tap and Lawrence before Emeric was born. They lost two babies within six months. Thank God for this little guy.

“It’s only a couple of months until our anniversary.” Two years. I can’t believe the way time has flown. “Should we take a trip?”

“I don’t know. Have something in mind?”

“I was thinking we might have one of these little guys, or least one on the way, by the time our anniversary rolls around next year.” My heart leaps into my throat. And I feel like I need to throw up. “Maybe we should take advantage and do an extended international trip this year. I was thinkin

g a few days in Dublin and then Edinburgh before hopping over to London and Paris.”

Oliver loves taking me places. Reminds me so much of how Quentin loves showing Libby the world.

“You want one of these little guys that soon, huh?” I hear the tremor in my voice even if he doesn’t.

“Yeah. Emeric needs a cousin. I don’t want to wait until they’re so far apart in age they won’t be close growing up. They’ll one day run Lovibond together. They should be buddies from the beginning.”

“You sound like you think it’ll automatically be a boy.”

“Emeric can be tight with a girl cousin. A daughter could run Lovibond as well as a son. Look at Lawry and all she’s accomplished.” Lawrence has made BCC highly successful.

Oliver introducing the idea of getting pregnant before our next anniversary is news to me. “Having a baby next year will put them two years apart. Maybe two and a half. Don’t you think they’d be better pals if they were more like fourteen months apart?” I’ve already done the math in my head.

“Of course but that would mean you’d have to get pregnant really soon.”

“Or I’d have to already be pregnant. Like maybe six or seven weeks.”

Oliver stares at me, his brow wrinkled. I gulp as I await his response. My fate. I don’t know what I’ll do if he isn’t as thrilled as me.

“Are you?”

The knot in my throat aches from holding in my tears. “I’ve known for a week but I didn’t know how to tell you.” The last word leaves my mouth and I burst into tears. Like a baby.

I’ve gone over this moment in my head a million times since I peed on that stick and two lines appeared.

“Why are you crying, Max?”

I don’t want to taint this moment but I have to be real. “You said you weren’t ready the last time we talked about getting pregnant.” He straight up told me he didn’t want a baby yet. That was when Emeric was born five months ago. We’re not ready for a baby, Max. We have plenty of time. No need to be in a hurry.

The missed period. Nausea. Tender breasts. And then the positive pregnancy test. I was shocked. And then at a loss for words when I tried to think of a way to tell Oliver.