Kyllian scrubbed his body quickly, then he rinsed the conditioner from her hair.After shutting the water off, he grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her hair before taking another and drying her off.Using the same towel, he swiped at his body only enough that he wasn’t dripping.Kyllian removed the towel from her hair and squeezed the excess water out.Knowing she hated leaving it tangled, he opened the top drawer, grabbed her brush, and gently set about running it through until her hair was sleek.Quinn studied his reflection in the mirror.His brow was furrowed as he contemplated whatever it was bothering him.
When he was satisfied with her hair, Kyllian put the brush away.He picked her up and carried her back to the bedroom, placing her on her feet long enough to pull the covers down.“Bed, Pretty Lady.”Quinn climbed onto the mattress and scooted over to her side.Once Kyllian was lying next to her, he pulled the sheet up to their waists, rolled to his back, and settled Quinn on top of him.
Like flipping a switch, Kyllian went from intense to tender.“Brandon moved to California.”
“Does that bother you?”Quinn had met the young sub on a couple occasions.She understood Kyllian’s need to help the man.Hell, Quinn wanted to adopt him, bring him home, and smother him with love.
“It did until he promised to find a good Dom to continue his therapy.”That’s what Kyllian called what he did for the man.Not a scene.Not kink.Therapy.Quinn got it.It took her seeing Brandon that night at Dominion go from sad to smiling after spending time in the back with Kyllian.He ran his fingers through her damp hair.“He was the last one.I turned all the others over to Gunnar.”
Quinn tried to push herself up to sitting, but Kyllian banded a strong arm around her, keeping her against his chest.“But why?I told you I was okay with it.”
“You did, and I believe you, but I need something else, Pretty Lady.Yes, I’m good at what I do, but I was no longer getting anything out of it.When I became a Dom, I needed that release.Not the sexual part but the part where I expended the energy.Whipping, flogging, caning, it all allowed me to release the tension of the day.It was an outlet for my frustrations.”Kyllian trailed his fingertips down her cheek.“I no longer need that.Spending any time away from you with someone else, even if it isn’t sexual, no longer sits well with me.You’re my mate.You deserve that time, even if it’s thirty minutes.I deserve my time to belong to me, and I want every spare moment with you I can get.We have enough in our lives taking us away from one another.”
Kyllian framed Quinn’s face with both hands, his eyes soft and shining with so much love.“Besides, I think it’s time we give Nikita a brother or sister.I know you said you wanted to get to know one another first, but I don’t want to wait, Quinn.The house will be done soon, and we can turn one of the bedrooms into a nursery.I want to see you round with my child.I want to add to our little family of three.Trouble’s growing up.She won’t live with us forever, and I don’t want to wait any longer.Please tell me you want that.”
Quinn was stunned.She had been so worried about the secret she was keeping, surprised Kyllian hadn’t caught on.“Stay right there,” she said, slipping from the bed.
Kyllian pushed up to rest on his elbows.“Where are you going?”
Quinn opened the top drawer of her dresser and pulled out what she now felt would be a welcomed surprise.Handing the plastic stick over, she waited.
“This...You...Quinn?”
“I wasn’t sure how to tell you.”
Kyllian threw the sheet off, tossed the positive pregnancy test on the bed, and grabbed her up in his arms.“You open that pretty mouth and say, ‘Kyll, we’re having a baby.’”
“Kyll, we’re having a baby,” Quinn whispered.
Kyllian grinned, then slid to his knees.He pressed soft kisses to her belly and whispered, “Hey, Little One.This is your papa.I can’t wait to meet you.You already have the best momma in the world carrying you around, and you have the most awesome big sister.She’s trouble, but in a good way.I hope you’re just like her.”Kyllian hugged Quinn’s legs and pressed his ear to her stomach.Quinn knew what he would hear because she’d already discovered that faint, rapid heartbeat.Her Wolf had alerted her to the fact she was pregnant, and once she really paid attention, Quinn detected the little life growing inside.He looked up at her, tears glistening.
“Thank you, Pretty Lady.For loving me.For giving me a daughter, and now for giving me what I never imagined I would be blessed with.”
“I’m the one who’s grateful.Before you walked through my front door, I was a shell.You gave me my life back, made me whole.You’ve given me everything.”
Kyllian stood and held up a finger.“Not everything.”He went to his own dresser, and when he turned around, he held out a stunning platinum ring topped with a sapphire surrounded by diamonds.Quinn held out her hand, and as he slipped the ring on her finger, he said, “As mates, we don’t need the ceremony to be bound to one another, but I want it anyway.Quinn Shepherd, will you marry me?”
“Yes.”
Kyllian kissed her until she couldn’t breathe.When he stepped back, he walked over to where he dropped his jeans earlier and pulled out his phone.A few seconds later, it rang.
“Hey, Dad.What’s up?”
“She said yes.”
“Woohoo!Best day ever.Well, best day after you saving me.Ooh, and after getting my sidecar.And maybe after—”
“Yeah, yeah, I get it.It’s up there in the top ten.”
Nikita laughed.“I’m happy for you both.Now you need to get busy and have me a little brother or sister.Thatwill be the best day ever.”
Kyllian grinned.“About that...”
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The End