Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 76820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
“Forever,” I whisper against his lips right before he claims my mouth.
Epilogue
Viktor
Eleven years later…
We’re hosting a small gathering for the baptism of our baby boy.
Okay, so maybe it’s not as small as I thought it would be. With my entire family and the Priesthood at the house, the place is packed.
The women can’t get enough of Roman’s chubby cheeks and blood-red lips.
“You better hold on tight to your son,” Nikolas chuckles, where we’re standing on the lawn, grilling steaks. “One of them might try to steal him.”
“Where are the kids?” Luca asks.
I gesture to my house. “In the living room. They’re taking turns playing games.”
Lily, Liam’s daughter, comes out onto the patio and makes a beeline straight for Roman. “Can I play with him, Aunt Rosalie?”
“Fuck,” Liam mutters.
“She’s only twelve,” Nikolas chuckles. “Wait until she discovers hormones. Theresa just brought a boy home. I almost killed the poor fucker.”
Everyone bursts out with laughter.
Out of the Priesthood, only Gabriel, Liam and Nikolas have daughters. That might change in the future, though. I'd love to have a little girl who’s the spitting image of her mother.
We watch as Lily holds Roman’s hand, slowly walking him around the fountain. She stops and patiently waits every time he sees something interesting.
“She’s good with him,” I mention.
“She takes after her mother,” Liam murmurs, his voice full of love for his daughter.
Alya, Gabriel’s daughter walks closer to them and takes hold of Lily’s other hand, shyly smiling up at the older girl.
“Do your hearts also do this weird squeezing thing as if it’s being strangled, whenever your kids do something amazing?” Liam asks.
“All the fucking time,” Gabriel mutters, rubbing a hand over his chest as he watches his daughter warm up to Lily.
“What are you talking about?” Rosalie asks as she comes to take a seat on one of the chairs. The other women soon join her.
“The kids,” Nikolas answers as he wraps his arm around Tessa.
“I want a daughter,” I announce while flipping a steak.
“You’ll have to wait until everyone leaves and pray Roman takes a nap,” Rosalie teases me.
“Yes, please wait until we’re gone,” Luca chuckles, making the rest of the group laugh.
When the steaks are ready, and Mom comes out of the house with a large bowl of potato salad, Rosalie jumps up. “You should’ve called me, Mom. Let me take the bowl. Sit down and relax a little.”
“You spoil me,” Mom grins at her daughter-in-law. “Will you bring my glass of wine? It’s on the kitchen island.”
“Okay.” Rosalie sets the bowl down on the table, and when she goes into the house, I hand the grilling duties over to Luca and go after my wife.
I catch her as she turns around and wrap my arms around her. “So, what do you think?”
“About?” she asks, confusion fluttering over her face.
“Us having a girl.”
A soft smile curves her lips. “We can try, but I can’t guarantee you a little girl. You have to take whatever my womb gives you, Mr. Vetrov.”
“Then we’ll have to keep trying until we have one.”
She lets out a burst of laughter. “And what if it takes ten boys before we have a little girl?”
“I’m fine with that.”
She shakes her head at me. “I know I said I’ll give you as many kids as you want, but eleven is pushing the limit for me.”
I press a kiss to her mouth. “Okay, we’ll stop at five.”
“I can handle that.”
I give my wife another kiss, then suddenly, Roman’s cry registers. I let go of Rosalie and run outside. Lily’s rubbing sand off his knee, saying, “I’m sorry you fell.”
I crouch next to my son, and my entire hand covers his back. “Are you okay, little man?”
He sniffs and leans his head on my shoulder. “Thanks for watching him, Lily,” I say as I pick him up. I hug my son to my chest and press a kiss on his head. “Daddy’s got you.”
“Owie,” he sniffles, then he spots his mother, and he throws his body toward hers. “Ma!”
Rosalie comes to take him from me, pressing a kiss to his scraped knee. “All better?” she asks him.
He shakes his head so she’ll kiss his knee again.
“Yep, that’s my boy. Taking as much love as he can get from you.”