Page 15 of Seal My Fate

He takes a cookie, and then returns the way he came, leaving us alone.

I finally let out the laugh I’ve been holding in. “I didn’t know there were guards on patrol!” I protest, hitting him playfully.

Saint grins. “Why, would that have made you hotter?”

I pause. “Probably,” I admit, smirking.

“Is it the uniform, or…?”

“Saint!” I laugh again, and he raises the champagne bottle.

“Unexpected blessings, hmm?” he says, echoing my earlier toast.

I beam, snuggling against him. There’s definitely nothing expected about life with Anthony St. Clair…

I just have to hope he likes surprises as much as I do.

Because I meant what I said to him when I promised not to keep secrets anymore. I touch the jeweled pendant dangling from my throat. The bird, in flight. Wren. He wanted me to keep her close, but the truth is, she’s closer than he ever could imagine.

And when I tell him, I know that everything could change.

Chapter5

Saint

Icould get used to this…

I wake in bed, with Tessa sprawled naked beside me. She’s sleeping soundly, perfectly at peace. I like to think I played a part in that, wearing her out so thoroughly last night with my hands, my tongue, my cock…

I smile, watching her slumber, hair spilled in a halo around her head and her breasts bared, already making my cock stir beneath the sheets. Christ, this woman… She’s a whirl of contradictions and playful new discoveries, and even though I’ve spent my life in search of novelty and adventure, I know that I’ve barely scratched the surface of her delightful, sexy imagination.

And now she’s here. Not just in my bed, but in my home, too. Her clothes in the closet, her books and papers mingling with mine on the shelves. Her favorite brand of American biscuits in the pantry, and her shampoo perched on the bathroom ledge. I’ve been half-expecting to have a moment of regret since she moved in—the natural reaction of a man who’s spent his life living entirely on his own terms—but instead, the second thoughts haven’t so much as crossed my mind. All I am is…

Happy.

No restless itch, no brain working overtime, just that simple contentment settling deep in my bones that I haven’t felt in years. As if everything has finally clicked into place for me, and now I finally know my place in the world after a lifetime of reckless searching.

No longer the disappointing second son, the rebel heir, or wayward professor.

Justher man.

I finally get out of bed and go take a shower. Work at Ashford HQ is at a breakneck speed these days, and I know everyone is buzzing for the publication of the test results review, coming any day now. Finally, a treatment for Alzheimer’s… I’m on top of the world just thinking about it, and the difference it’s going to make, the lives it’ll help. I may have spent my life resisting my family name, but now, I’m actually proud of the work they’ve been doing. Of course, their motive has always been profit, not progress, but this time, the end results will be the same.

I just wish my older brother, Edward, was alive to share in this moment. Fuck, he’d be so happy, knowing that the St. Clair family was making a positive mark on the world, following his selfless example and commitment to help people, and using our privilege and wealth for something good. Already, I’m thinking ahead to the ways we can use these results to direct other research in related fields, degenerative neurological diseases like Parkinson’s, Huntington’s…

I could spearhead it all. Come into the Ashford fold, the way my parents always wanted—but on my own terms. And with Tessa by my side, doing her own philanthropic work at the Foundation…

Maybe this can be the start of a whole new chapter for us all.

I’m still smiling when I dress, and step back into the bedroom to find Tessa awake, doing something on her phone. She sees me, and quickly tucks it away, giving me a sleepy, satisfied smile that’s like a bolt to my heart.

“Good morning,” she says softly.

“Yes…” I say, moving over to give her a kiss. Her body is warm, and curls against me like she was made to fit. “It is.”

“I had that dream of yours,” she says, stretching again.

“Which one?” I ask, distracted by the curve of her ass. Hell, this moment right now feels like a dream. The prelude to a particularly filthy one…

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