Rare and Precious Things (The Blackstone Affair #4)(63)
Author: Raine Miller

“So you had trouble with the sleeper again?” I said, as I opened the flap on the nursing bra I now wore around the clock. Wearing it was better than waking up in a puddle of milk.

“Yeah. It’s hard to get her arms into the sleeves.”

“I know. I heard you.” As soon as Laurel smelled the milk she started rooting for my nipple. Her little bow lips latched on and she started to suckle, her tiny hand fisting above my breast. “I heard that sweet little f-bomb you sang to her, too.”

“Shit,” he muttered. I looked over at him and laughed. “I’m going to have to work on that with her. Sorry. My mouth is filth.”

“I love your mouth, but yeah, it is filthy, and this little angel will copy everything you say and do. She’s her daddy’s girl.”

He looked happy at my prediction, his blue eyes lighting up in a smile. “You think so?” he asked softly.

“I know so, baby.”

“I love you both so much,” he said slowly, his simple words full of deep emotion, and heartfelt truth. He brought his lips to mine and kissed me lovingly, and then he leaned back into the pillows and watched over us both.

DAWN was breaking as I woke. I was alone in our bedroom. When I saw the lavender roses, I remembered the day and smiled. Valentine’s Day. Our first one, in fact. I looked at what had been left out for me by my romantic husband.

Beneath the vase of flowers, an envelope was propped beside a black velvet jewelry box. I opened the box first. It was another vintage piece from his family’s collection no doubt, and it was beautiful—a filigree butterfly pendant with a large ruby for its body. So perfect for me. I slipped the chain over my head and admired it. I would love wearing this necklace as a reminder of my butterfly angel.

I reached for his letter and read it.

My Beauty,

Every day since the first day, you have made my life worth living. You make me wake up every single day knowing that I am a blessed man. With you, I am real. You made me real when you walked into that gallery and looked up to see me. You are the only one. The only person ever able to really see me. I want to spend every day of the rest of my life loving you. That’s all I want, all I need.

Forever yours,

E

Brushing the joyful tears from my face, I got out of bed, and went to find my loving husband, so I could thank him for his precious gift.

28th February

London

“DO you know what today is?” I asked from my spot on the rug.

“Of course I know. I’m good with dates,” she said smugly.

“All right then, what is today, missus?”

“It’s Laurel’s original due date, mister.”

Not a surprise to me that she knew. Brynne remembered the important things. Our baby girl was three weeks old today, and growing like a weed. She had gained nearly a pound too, which was a good thing, because she was simply too tiny when she was born, in my opinion. But she was a strong little nurser. A fighter, just like her mum.

Right now, the two of us were indulging Mummy as she organized us for a photograph she wanted. Brynne was becoming quite the photographer, and took pictures of Laurel and me all the time now. This particular shot was one she’d seen on a pinning site and showed to me, asking if she could recreate the scene with our baby once it was born. Today was the day, apparently.

The first step had been to nurse Laurel into a milk-coma. Then Brynne strategically placed her on my back while she was asleep, so my tattooed wings appeared to be hers, making her look like a little baby angel. She already was anyway, so why not have a photograph of her as one?

“How do we look?” I asked, her camera clicking away.

“Like a smokin’ hot daddy with a newborn baby sleeping on his back,” she sassed.

“Somebody needs to have her mouth kept busy, I think.”

She laughed at me. “I hope that’s a promise you’re going to keep later,” she said sexily.

“My c**k heard that, baby,” I teased, expecting some kind of sarcastic rebuttal in return. But the thing with Brynne was that she was not terribly predictable. And really f**kin’ quick on the draw with comebacks. So, usually, when I thought I had the upper hand in a verbal sparring? She swooped in and trumped my hand. Did it all the time.

I heard her catch her breath, though. Made me wonder if she was thinking about my cock, and if it was making her consider other things. I sure thought about it, but the reasonable portion of my brain realized she was still healing from a major surgery. I’d just have to wait until she let me know she was ready.

“I am finished here,” she said, abruptly, setting her camera on the table. “And someone is ready for her crib while she sleeps it off.” The baby was lifted away, and then the clack of the door as she left the room told me I was alone.

I rolled over onto my back and stared up at the ceiling, thinking about how changed my life was from a year ago. The man from last year was two months away from receiving Tom Bennett’s email. He was somebody I didn’t even recognize anymore. And thank Christ for that, because I had no desire to ever return to such an empty life.

The door opened again, and in Brynne walked, interrupting my reminiscent ramblings.

Understatement. Of. The. Year.

She stood over me with sexy eyes that looked rather green at the moment, and slowly reached for the hem of her shirt.

I felt the breath empty out of my lungs.

She lifted her shirt up and over her head, and dropped it on the floor. Then she shimmied out of her soft leggings and flung them over her shoulder. Left in nothing but some skimpy pink knickers and a bra, she looked nearly the same as she did before she’d become pregnant, with the exception of her scar and a magnificent set of tits that were even more spectacular now.

I put my hands behind my head and grinned up at her, unable to come up with anything particularly clever or witty to say, but mostly because my mouth went dry when she reached behind her back and unhooked her bra.

My beautiful girl let me know, and showed me, yet again, what a rarity I possessed in her love, as she had from the very first.

Rare.

Brynne’s love was something rare—a gift.

A precious gift I’d been given, by some divine twist of fate that had brought her into my world…and changed everything about me. About how I saw things, about what I dreamed for the future, about my capacity to move beyond the shadows of my past.

Brynne’s love changed absolutely everything.

Part Four

SPRING

Take me down, take me down by the water, water,