Page 4 of Forever We Embrace: The Later Years
“I’m done, Papa.”
“Thank you for taking care of it.” Blake draws him close long enough to kiss his hair before Samuel returns to the castle.
Luca turns and presses his mouth to Blake’s cheek, pulling the Delta back into the moment. Blake’s fingers curl more firmly beneath Luca’s shirt as Luca settles against him again without saying anything.
I dry my hands while Maceo folds the towel over the oven handle. “We should stop this before Rosalie decides the cane needs a crown too.”
Maceo moves behind me and slides an arm around my waist. “She’d ask Blake first.”
“You have far more faith in her restraint than I do.”
His quiet laugh warms the back of my neck. He rests his chin on my shoulder while we watch Samuel and James repair one of the walls Rosalie has knocked down to make room for her throne.
“They’re happy,” he says.
I cover the hand resting over my stomach. “So are you.”
Maceo is silent for a moment, but he doesn’t retreat from the question or loosen his hold. “I am.”
I turn in his arms and kiss him, first at the corner of his mouth and then fully when he follows me. His hand slips beneath the hem of my shirt, his palm warm against my side as he draws me closer.
“Ah! The castle is tired!” Rosalie screams before her small whine tapers off into a sigh. The kind of sigh that tells me it’s bedtime.
I rest my forehead against Maceo’s for another second before we separate and begin the slow process of getting everyone tobed. James gathers the cushions while Samuel carries the toys back to their bin. Rosalie raises both arms toward Maceo, and he lifts her without being asked. Her crown slips into his hand, but she catches his collar before he can set it aside.
“It sleeps by me.”
“I’ll put it next to your bed, sweetie.”
She settles against his shoulder, satisfied, while I collect the cups and abandoned socks scattered across the room. Luca slides off the couch, no doubt moving to the dresser in our room for pajamas, but not before he presses another kiss to Blake’s forehead.
He sits up a little, his eyes darkening lightly before they land on me, remembering the promise he made to all of us. That he wouldn’t work any harder than he needs to, that he’s not worthless if he can’t do everything for us.
“I think a few someones forgot to say goodnight to their Papa.”
Rosalie squeals from Maceo’s arms before pushing out of his embrace and rushing back over to Blake. Samuel and James look back at each other before hopping onto the couch as well, each of them wrapping their arms around whatever they can reach.
Luca returns with a tangle of clothes, grinning at the mess, the rest of us watching as Blake’s smile widens across his entire face. Our Omega approaches, handing Blake Rosalie’s tutu pjs as the twins plop into Luca’s lap. Luther moves in behind me, wrapping an arm around my waist as Maceo presses against my side, trying to hold our laughter.
“Papa, that’s where my leg goes.”
“Rosie, please stop squirming.”
“James, that’s Samuel’s. See? It has the engines on it.”
“But I want to wear engines!”
“I hate yellow. Why did you pick yellow, Daddy?”
Blake gets Rosalie dressed first before stealing Samuel from Luca, our baby girl racing to Maceo. I narrowly manage to catchJames while Luther takes Samuel from Blake a moment later. A few steps down the hallway, Blake drags Luca close, his lips slotting over the Omega’s like the whole nighttime routine didn’t just happen.
By the time we get the kids down, Luther stays back to take a call, and I return to the living room, sitting a few cushions over from Blake and Luca. Luca’s almost fully across Blake now, one knee tucked between his legs and his face beneath Blake’s chin. Blake’s glasses are resting on the side table while he kisses along Luca’s temple, pausing whenever Luca tilts his face up for another kiss.
Maceo sits beside me in the nearby chair, close enough that his thigh presses against mine. I take his hand again and run my thumb over his knuckles while we watch the two of them disappear into each other.
Luther enters a few minutes later, pulling his tie free as he looks from the couch to where Maceo and I are sitting. “I’m feeling left out. Someone come here and give me kisses because I’m not sure I’ll be able to pry our Omegas apart.”
Luca raises one hand from Blake’s chest but makes no effort to move, and Blake catches his palm to kiss it. Their refusal draws laughter from the rest of us.
