Page 70 of Knight Life In Vegas

I drew her back into my arms once I’d pulled up my pants and settled my ass in the straw. “I love having a happy omega. Purr away. I like knowing I did something to please you.”

Somehow it didn’t feel odd at all to transition from ruining her to cuddling her on my lap. Enveloping her in my arms and letting my own purr free while I scent marked all over her hair seemed so natural, so I didn’t fight it.

She giggled, shoving playfully at me. “You’re combing my hair with your stubble.”

“I’m helping with your beauty routine,” I replied. “It’s only right I tidy you up after what we just did.”

“Incoming!” Eduardo called from the far end of the stable. His words were immediately followed by the tromping of children’s feet. “We don’t run around the horses.”

The steps slowed, but the stable was only so big.

“Shit.” Charlotte tensed, fighting her way to standing and glancing frantically at the straw.

I shook out my shirt and pulled it on, ignoring the stab of straw that had refused to let go, and then spotted her panties a half second before her kids appeared. I stuffed the offending garment into my pocket and turned to greet them with a smile.

“Mommy, are you playing horsies?” Ollie asked.

Charlotte and I shared a glance. That was certainly one way to describe our activities.

“You caught us.” I grinned at the boys, their eyes just visible over the edge of the gate. “Have to make sure the straw is comfy enough for the horses, and what better way to do that than to pretend to be one?”

“Can we be horsies too? I want to see if the nuggies are good. Sugar Snap makes them look so nummy.”

“Those are horse snacks, not people snacks,” I told him. “But you can play horses anytime. Did you have fun doing your knight racing in the arena?”

“I beat him!” Sammy announced.

“You did not!” Ollie moved to whack him, but Eduardo was quicker, snatching up Ollie’s tiny fist.

“No running and no hitting around the horses. No hitting ever, really. We have to be nice to our brothers.” While the boys pouted, Eduardo gave me a knowing look. I beamed back and looped my arm around Charlotte’s waist.

“Think we should go snoop on your other matches, princess?”

“Why’re you calling Mommy princess?” asked Sammy.

Ollie’s whole face lit up. “Is Mommy going to be a princess in the knight show?”

“You know what?” I ruffled his hair. “I think she’d be absolutely perfect at that.”

“Ithink I love her.” Dylan flopped back over the couch between Eduardo and me.

“You barely know her,” I pointed out. “You can’t love her yet.”

“I can do anything I put my mind to. She’s flawless."

“She comes as a package,” I reminded him.

“Yeah, thewholepackage.” Dylan beamed at me. “I’m not stupid. I know she’s got kids. I like them, too.”

Liking all of them wasn’t the problem. Charlotte had been hurt, and she needed partners to step up while being terrified to let them do that. “We have to approach this differently. Her wanting us is not the problem. It’s everything else.”

“Are we in the same school district as her?” Eduardo asked.

“Fuck if I know.”

“I’ll look it up.” Eduardo was already on his phone. “On the edge of it. Her kids wouldn’t have to switch schools…”

“Were you planning on her moving in with us? That’s kind of something you should run by everyone.”

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