Page 84 of His Own Heaven

“Sure thing.” Toby smiled down at her then leaned in conspiratorially. “Okay, here goes. My sister Abby lives and works here as a blacksmith—”

“Which is insanely cool, by the way.”

“And her fiancé, Wolf, is a novelist and also her Dom.” Lucy nodded both in acknowledgment of the information and at the thought of meeting someone else like her. Maybe Toby was right and this wouldn’t be as scary as she imagined?

Toby continued, “My youngest brother, Oliver, is hard to miss. He’s almost as big as me but he looks like a Viking. He’s also a blacksmith and currently in residence at The Forge, much to Abby’s irritation. Expect bickering. He’s also the only blond in the family. If he flirts with you—which he will—do not engage.” His lips twisted. “Little shit will use any means to get under my skin. My father, Ulysses, is also in residence. He’s an incorrigible man-whore who will definitely flirt with you. Don’t pay him any attention.”

“But he’s your father and I’m his guest,” Lucy teased, a modicum of satisfaction swirling through her at her lover’s look of instant irritation.

“And I’m his son and you’remine,” Toby growled. “I don’t share. Not anymore.”

Lucy’s heart fluttered against her ribcage and she almost forgave him for the orgasm denial. “Yes, Master.”

“My older brother, Crispin, is here, too. He’s also easy to spot.” A sly grin played around Toby’s sensual mouth causing Lucy to narrow her eyes. He was definitely up to something, but she simply nodded and followed Toby up the steps to the veranda.

“You already know Charlie but today you’ll meet Josie and Diana, his twin girls. Just think of them as very tall, very excitable puppies. And then there’s Rafe and Jane, now officially—fuckingfinally—engaged, and already expecting their first babies. Rafe is a lawyer. He’s usually pretty reserved. Jane, on the other hand, is a chef who rarely has a thought she doesn’t immediately give voice to. I love her like a sister but she’s exhausting.”

Lucy laughed at the pained expression on Toby’s face. He looked tired already and she guessed being an introvert wasn’t something he could turn off just because he was dealing with his family, and she realised he needed her to get through this weekend as much as she needed him.

“Jane’s mum is also here. Mary.” He smiled in a way that filled his whole face with peace, and said, “She’s just about the closest thing to a real mother most of us ever had.”

“What about Isobel?” Lucy asked. Toby had avoided talking about the woman all week and Lucy’s curiosity was beyond piqued. Mostly because she wondered how anyone could possibly be a worse mother than her own.

But she realised she should have left well enough alone when the warmth in Toby’s expression instantly faded, replaced with a hatred that was frightening to see. He closed his eyes for a moment and Lucy watched his chest rise and fall as he took a deep breath, and when he stared down at her next he was back to his usual stoic self.

“Are you ready?” he asked quietly, turning her to face him as they stood in the open doorway. Isobel, or any mention of the woman, was seemingly forgotten.

Lucy took the hint. Casting one last nervous glance inside, she straightened her shoulders and gave Toby a quick, sure nod. “Let’s do this.”

Toby chuckled and swept her hair away from her face. She’d left it down, the way he liked it. “It’s going to be fine, baby. Trust me.”

“I do trust you,” Lucy said, the words slipping from her mouth without hesitation. For the first time in a very long time there was no forethought or second guessing or any doubt at all. She felt it down to her bones, deeper even than that.

Lucy trusted Toby.

And her heart beat more stridently at the thought because if she trusted him then there could be no further doubt.

LucylovedToby.

And it was on the tip of her tongue to say so when they were interrupted by a tall blond Viking. Oliver. “Oi!” he called out from the other end of the hallway. “Are you pair coming inside or what?”

A surprised laugh escaped Lucy, and Toby rolled his eyes. He lifted a hand in greeting. “We’ll be there in a minute.”

“Well hurry up or you’ll miss out,” Oliver continued. Toby wasn’t wrong about his brother’s size. He practically filled the doorway, especially as he stood there with his hands on his hips. “Jane’s already demolished the potato salad, and the way she’s eyeing the barbeque doesn’t bode well for the rest of us.” Then he raised his voice slightly and called over his shoulder, “Anyone would think she’s pregnant with an entire horde of kids, not just twins.”

A distant, yet shrill “I heard that” echoed through the house.

Oliver shook his head. “Welcome to the madhouse, Lucy.” Then turned around and walked in the direction of the shrieking woman.

Lucy tilted her head to one side. “Did he have flowers in his beard?”

Toby’s grin reappeared. “Yes he did. Come on. Let’s dump our gear and get something to eat while we still can.”

Toby handed his twin brother one of their home-brewed ginger beers, then took a seat beside him on the ancient daybed nestled against the back of the house. Lunch had long since finished and the rest of their family had scarpered off to do their own thing.

Rafe and Jane were taking a nap, Cris had taken the twins to the patisserie for milkshakes, Ulysses had disappeared into his studio, Wolf was working on his next bestseller, and the soft tinkle of piano keys echoing through the back door informed them of Oliver’s whereabouts. And Abby was giving Lucy a lesson in blacksmithing.

With the big oak doors of the forge thrown wide open, Toby had a clear view of his lover—and the huge smile stretched across her face—as he watched her bring the hammer down on the anvil in strong, controlled movements.

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