Page 81 of The Temptation
“Good plan. It sounds like your grovel was sadly lacking in inflatable dinosaurs,” Liam observed with a smirk.
I released a very fake sigh. “It was. But I’m sure one of us will eventually fuck up and will need to apologize. That’s an opportunity to get a dinosaur suit, then.”
Liam winked. “If you need help, give me a shout.”
We settled into an easy conversation for several minutes until I noticed Byron staring over my shoulder. I assumed Sebastian had returned with Declan and Pierce from checkingout the mural. I turned to gaze in the same direction, and my heart stopped in my chest.
Pierce stood next to Sebastian, chatting about something, but he was holding Joy.
No, not simply holding her. She was cuddled against his chest, her head on his shoulder while one fist gripped the collar of his shirt as she comfortably dozed. He looked like an utter natural at it, as if he’d held her a thousand times before. I knew he had twin nephews, and logic stated that he had to have held them. But there was a world of difference between intellectually knowing something and seeing it in action.
“Oh my God,” I gasped, still unable to get my brain fully functioning.
“Adorable, isn’t it?” Byron murmured as he lifted his phone to snap a picture.
I wanted to do the same, but I couldn’t get my hands to work. The best I could manage was a mumbled “Send that to me, please.”
“Done,” Byron agreed as he tapped on his phone. “She loves playing with Sebastian and Rome because they can match her high energy, but when she’s tired, she’ll go to Declan, Parker, or Pierce to be held.”
“My heart,” I whispered. My arms started working again, only to slap my right hand to my chest. “Have you ever seen something that made you want to change all your plans for life?”
“Every time Sebastian smiles at me. But then, he thinks the same thing about me.”
In all my big plans and goals for life, I’d never once considered kids. For me, it had been about traveling the world and playing for bigger and bigger audiences in all the great cities. It was composing symphonies that would rival the works of Mendelssohn, Mozart, Beethoven, and Tchaikovsky.
On a personal level, my dreams had begun and ended with Pierce loving me. There had been no step two.
But seeing him holding Joy had kicked open a new door, leading to an entirely different world. The traveling and playing in front of immense crowds paled in comparison to seeing Pierce playing on the floor with our baby son. Or holding our daughter in his arms while he swayed to a soft love song. Instead of concertos, I wanted to write lullabies.
I wanted to build a family; an entire messy, complicated life with him. I would still compose my concertos and sonatas, but it would come in between raising our kids. This was the life I wanted.
Pierce’s eyes lifted and met mine across the room. As if he could read my mind, the wonderful man smiled at me and nodded. The next adventure in life, we would embark on together.
BONUS EPILOGUE
PIERCE SUTTON
The sun had set morethan an hour ago, and downtown Cincinnati was awash in streetlights and glowing skyscrapers against a black sky. Winter’s chill had finally backed off, and there was the tiniest hint of spring, though all the locals knew deep in their bones that this was only a cruel fake-out. A second winter was waiting for them around the corner with more frigid temperatures and freezing rain.
If it weren’t for Simon’s busy schedule with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra over the next several weeks, I would have kidnapped my boyfriend and whisked him off to someplace warm and tropical. Preferably a secluded place where we could lounge on the beach together and listen to the gentle waves crashing into the sand. But not right now.
Just as I was reaching for the shining glass doors of Courtland Enterprises, a familiar voice called out.
“Hey, Pierce! Wait up!”
I turned toward the voice to find Rome walking briskly up the sidewalk toward me. With a smirk, I pulled open one of the doors and partially bowed as I motioned for him to precede me.
“After you, milord.”
Rome snorted as he strolled past. “Smartass.”
I grinned silently at Rome’s back as I followed him inside. Most of the employees at Courtland Enterprises had already left for the day. Only the night security team and the cleaning crew appeared to be on hand.
“Evening, Mr. Sutton. Mr. Ashbridge,” the guard said as he waved us through.
With polite nods, we automatically headed to the bank of elevators that went straight to the upper floors.
“Do you have any clue why Sebastian asked us to meet him at his office?” I inquired as I carefully unwrapped the new scarf Simon had just bought for me. It was deep blue, like his eyes, with hints of gray. It didn’t match a damn thing I owned, but I loved it because Simon had picked it out for me, and I intended to wear it whenever it was the slightest bit cold. “We’re supposed to be meeting up for dinner with our significant others in an hour.”
