Page 97 of Reckless King

Cole’s expression turns sly. “You’d be surprised how well it goes with a good bottle of wine.”

Delilah chokes at what is obviously a private joke. “Cole,do you mind getting me some water?”

With a kiss to her head, he turns to the fridge and pulls out a bottle. As he’s pouring it into a glass, he offers us drinks. Once we’re set up with glasses of red wine, we sit at the island and chat as Delilah and Cole finish cooking and plate our meals.

The food is absolutely delicious. As is the wine. The conversation flows freely, and the four of us chat about various topics. It’s impossible not to talk about work, and we discuss Genesis-1, the opening of the King Group’s most recent chain of hotels—the one Delilah was working on when she met Cole—and how Violet’s hard work with True Brew is paying off.

Delilah peppers Violet with questions about the shop and her upcoming tasting night. Violet’s eyes are bright and her smile is wide as she explains the details. I love watching her talking so easily to my brother and soon-to-be sister-in-law. I reach over and rest my hand on her thigh, just below the hem of her dress, my thumb rubbing slow circles over her warm skin.

Her lips tip up in a hint of a smile as she covers my hand with hers. And fuck, I think I’m in love. No, not think.Am. I can’t even pinpoint when it happened. Maybe part of me always sensed this was inevitable. From the moment I saw her at Onyx, I was drawn to her. And yes, maybe there was a subconscious part of me that recognized her, but I don’t think even that explains it. All I know is that I love her. I love her, and I don’t want to let her go. The minute our agreement ends, I’m going to make this real.

Cole catches my eye and arches one dark brow while that same too-knowing smile lifts one corner of his lips. I smirk back at him, but my brother isn’t stupid. He knows.

After dinner, Delilah produces an apple pie with ice cream that’s just as delicious as the meal.

We’re just about finished when Cole clears his throat. “We had another reason for inviting you here tonight.”

Beside me, Violet straightens, focusing expectantly on Delilah, who’s now biting her bottom lip and fidgeting with her napkin.

I look between her and Cole, doing my best to read the situation, but coming up with nothing. What is going on?

Cole cups the back of Delilah’s neck and angles his head down to hers. “Do you want to tell them, kitten?”

With a deep breath, she looks up at us and smiles. “Well, it turns out, I’m pregnant.”

What? I stare at her, then at Cole.

“Congratulations! That’s so exciting!” Violet says, practically vibrating with excitement in her seat.

My brain finishes short-circuiting, and I clear my throat. “Congratulations.”

“How far along are you?” Violet asks.

Delilah splays a hand over her flat stomach. “Twelve weeks.” There’s so much happiness emanating from her, she’s practically glowing.

The way Cole watches her, with a love and protectiveness that’s almost fierce in its intensity, hits me hard in the chest. I should be asking questions like Violet is, but I’m finding it hard to focus, my brain fixated on that expression on my brother’s face. There’s no way Dad ever looked at my mom like that. God knows if my real father did. It’s hard to imagine. If he had, would he have been in my life? Would he have wanted me?

Those intrusive thoughts steal some of the joy of the moment, pulling me down like a weight in my chest.

Violet puts her hand on my leg and squeezes, a question in her eyes. As if she senses the strange disconnect vibrating through me.

I pull myself together. “I didn’t expect to be an uncle so soon. But I think we all know who mini-Cole or mini-Delilah’s favorite is going to be. Roman doesn’t stand a chance.”

Delilah smiles over at me. “You and Roman will both make wonderful uncles.”

Cole turns his head, his eyes narrowed. “You’d better learn to be.” Then he pulls Delilah on to his lap and murmurs something to her that makes her smile.

Violet glances at me, her lips twisting to hold back her own smile. “Maybe we should go,” she whispers.

I smirk at her, even though it doesn’t feel right on my face. “Maybe someone needs to explain to them that it’s impossible to conceive baby number two before number one is out.”

“I’ll let you do that,” she says with an eye roll. But when I pull her to me, press my nose to her hair and breathe her in, she wraps her arms around me as if she knows how much I’m craving her touch. When I let her go, she searches my gaze, smiles softly, then turns back to Delilah. “Would you like help cleaning up?”

Delilah climbs off Cole’s lap and brushes down her dress, her chin tucked and her cheeks pink with embarrassment.

“Thank you so much, but no, we’ll take care of it.”

“The bare minimum,” Cole growls in her ear, unfortunately loud enough for me to overhear. He smirks at me. “We might not be able to conceive number two yet, but we can practice.”

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