13. Pregnant Dads Should Be Treated Like Kings
13
PREGNANT DADS SHOULD BE TREATED LIKE KINGS
Ivo ran for the trees.
Ace hooked his arm around Ivo’s middle and swept him backward, off his feet. “No, not the trees.”
“But where else can I go?” Ivo cried.
Ace frowned. “My lair, sweetheart. I’d need to install lightning rods on the trees if you want to shelter there during a storm.”
They were quickly getting soaked. Ace arranged Ivo so he was cradled in one strong arm. Then he caught up with Harvey and tucked the shopping cart under his other arm, taking huge strides to the mansion. It was far quicker than Ivo could’ve managed.
They stepped onto the elegant porch with its beautiful white railings and pillars. The double front doors were wide and tall, decorated with clear glass panes that revealed an inviting foyer. Inside, lush green garlands had been wrapped around the grand staircase railings, dotted with golden fairy lights and red ribbons. Evergreen wreaths decorated the halls, and Ivo thought he saw a tinsel-wrapped pine tree through a doorway.
“It’s not Yuletide yet,” he blurted.
Ace grinned. “It’s Yuletide year-round in my lair.”
Ivo’s mouth fell open. “How?”
“Why not? My lair, my rules. I never want to stop feeling festive.”
“What about Raptor’s mansion?”
“Ah.” Ace smirked. “His lair is a different kind of festive.”
Maybe it was better for Ivo not to ask.
Harvey opened the front doors; Ace carried Ivo in. Gentle Yuletide music drifted over them.
“Hey,” Ace said when he set down the shopping cart. “Wipe off your wheels on the mat, like this.” He pushed the cart back and forth on the welcome mat, so most of the debris on its wheels fell off. “There. Do this every time you step into the house, okay?”
When he released the cart, it rolled back and forth by itself, as though it wanted to prove that it could obey instructions.
Ace grinned and patted its side. “Yup, you got it. Now you can go off and explore this place.”
They watched as the cart wheeled cautiously through the foyer and poked into the kitchen, like it was testing out this new space.
“I love shopping carts,” Ivo admitted.
“Wait ‘til it gets tangled up in a string of lights,” Ace said dryly. He led Ivo to a huge brick fireplace in the living room, where there were a few stockings hanging up.
“Don’t worry, I’ll add two for you and Mary,” Ace said.
He was watching Ivo intently again, and it stole Ivo’s breath away. “Oh. T-thanks.”
Ace beamed. “C’mon, let’s get you warmed up. Harvey, bring the towels. And a special one for Mary.”
“Why does Mary get a special towel and I don’t?” Ivo grumbled.
“Oh, you’re getting a different kind of special towel.” Ace’s smile widened. “Mine.”
Ivo’s insides shivered with heat.
Harvey returned with a huge stack of towels. Ace brought Ivo and Mary to a huge leather couch in front of the fireplace, wrapping a fluffy towel around them.
“It’s so warm,” Ivo moaned, squirming deeper into the towel. He’d never had the luxury of a warm towel on his bare skin, and it felt amazing.
“It came from Spicy Master’s own towel rack.” Harvey wriggled his eyebrows. “He may have been using it this morning.”
Oh. Ivo blushed. He ducked his head and sniffed at the towel; it smelled a little smoky, like Ace.
“Stop ruining my chances,” Ace hissed at Harvey. “Go away!”
Ace snatched a pastel blue towel off the towel pile, one embroidered with daisies, and offered it to Ivo eagerly. “This is for Mary.”
It was warm and soft, perfect for a baby. Ivo smiled and carefully wrapped it around Mary, letting her nurse from his chest. “Thank you.”
Ace watched them fondly.
“You need to have some pickup lines embroidered on your towels,” Harvey said. “So you can hold them open for Spicy Consort, and he can read the pickup lines without you messing them up.”
“Spicy Consort?” Ivo squawked.
Ace’s eyes darkened. “I would like that.”
Ivo blushed, trying to imagine living in this mansion with Ace. What would that be like?
Harvey whipped out a pink book immediately. “Pick out some lines. I will place a rush order.”
“Uh.” Ivo eyed that book suspiciously. He’d seen some of his rescuers’ butlers waving it around; the rumor was that 699 Pickup Lines For Your Wriggly Heart Muffin contained some of the cringiest lines known to mankind.
“Maybe later, Harvey,” Ace said distractedly. He was watching Ivo and Mary, leaning in halfway as though he wanted to join them, but wasn’t sure he was welcome.
Ivo patted the seat next to him, his heart skipping when Ace sat down quickly, their legs pressing together in a long line of heat.
“Hi,” Ace said, his smile open and eager.
“Hi,” Ivo whispered, ever so self-conscious.
“You look beautiful,” Ace said with such sincerity that Ivo could only gape.
Beautiful? Ivo?
“I’m... not.”
Ace frowned deeply. “You are. You’re strong and fierce and brave.”
“That doesn’t make a person beautiful.”
“Yes, it does,” Ace growled. “Besides, you have pretty lips. And your eye is pretty too. And your hair. If you’ll let me, I’ll tell you what other parts of you are pretty.”
Ivo froze, heat creeping up his face. “You’d... do that?”
“Yes.” Ace raked his gaze down Ivo’s body, but it was wrapped in his towel. “Slowly. I’ll kiss everything that’s pretty, too.”
Ivo’s face had to be bright red; he felt so hot. “I can’t imagine that.”
Ace’s mouth twitched. “But you’d let me show you?”
Ivo nodded.
“Good,” Ace purred in his ear. He kissed Ivo there and pulled back, his pupils dilated. “You’re so pretty.”
Ivo opened his mouth to protest. Ace pressed his fingers over Ivo’s lips.
“Shh. Just take the compliment.” Ace nudged Ivo’s mouth shut and smiled.
Mary chattered then, all tiny and black-furred. Before Ivo could kiss her, she shifted back into a human baby, grabbing his nose.
“Aww, how adorable.” Ace lowered his face to her level.
She sneezed on him immediately.
Ivo winced, but Ace only beamed. “Aren’t you the most perfect little girl?”
He seemed to like her a lot, so Ivo lifted her up. “You may carry her for a while.”
Ace breathed in sharply. He looked at Ivo again before carefully taking Mary into his arms, his eyes wide with awe. “Hi there. My name is Ace. You’re an incredible little girl. Can you say ‘Ace’?”
Mary wriggled and kicked. “Ah!”
“I like babies too,” Ace told her. “Do you like stuffed toys? May I buy you some?”
Mary stuffed her fingers into her mouth and made more sounds.
“Yes, we’ll definitely get you the cat toy, but I think you should also reconsider the killer whales,” Ace said.
Ivo squinted when Mary grunted around her fist. “You can’t be having an actual conversation with her.”
“Great, I’m glad you agreed to the orca,” Ace said to Mary, his mouth curving in a rakish smile.
Mary pulled her spit-covered hand out of her mouth and stuffed her fingers into Ace’s nose. Ace made a choked sound, flinching back.
Mary giggled.
“I think that’s her way of getting you back for making up conversations,” Ivo said, trying to bite down his smile.
“Oh well.” Ace laughed and rocked her in his arms. He peeked at Ivo, then lifted Mary to blow a raspberry on her stomach. Mary shrieked and giggled.
Ivo couldn’t help smiling. “I think you’re winning points with her.”
“Good.” Ace puffed out his chest.
Ivo almost asked if Ace was going to steal her again, except he remembered the way Ace had said, I’d put more babies inside you.
He shivered.
As though Ace could sense what Ivo had just thought, he looked up.
Ivo gulped and dropped his gaze.
Some minutes later, Mary began to squirm and reach for Ivo. Ace handed her back and stood up. “There’s something else I want to show you.”
He crouched in front of the fireplace, stoking the dying flames. Then he opened a cabinet to the side and pulled out a gold-streaked log.
Ivo inhaled sharply. Every few years, his parents would splurge and buy a Yule log. When Yuletide rolled around, they would all sit in front of the fireplace to watch the log crackle and burn.
Those logs were expensive, though. Ivo had tried asking for one for his birthday, only for Mom to tell him that his Yule log would cost him three years’ worth of birthday presents. Ivo had agreed. It had been completely worth getting homemade apple pies as presents for his next two birthdays.
“Is this a special occasion?” Ivo asked.
Ace smiled over his shoulder. “You’re in my lair with me. I think that is special.”
He set the Yule log in the fireplace, rocking back on his heels as flames crept around the log and consumed it. The flames turned a deep crimson; the log’s gold streaks burned even brighter. Then it cracked and sent out a shower of golden sparks, followed by a low whistle.
Ivo’s heart thumped. He pointed out the log to Mary. “That’s a Yule log,” he whispered. “Your grandpa and grandma used to burn those during Yuletide.”
Ace’s smile turned sad. He returned to sit with Ivo on the couch, pressing a large hand to Ivo’s back. “I burn one every couple weeks. They make my heart happy.”
Every two weeks?! Ivo thought incredulously.
The log whistled a jaunty festive tune. As it burned, golden sparks gathered above it to form the shimmering outline of a tiny dragon. The dragon roared soundlessly and spread its wings, landing on the bricks in the fireplace to scowl at them.
“Wow,” Ivo breathed. “I’ve never seen a Yule log do that.”
Ace gave him a private smile. “These are custom-spelled. Would you like to see a mink in a Yule log?”
“You can make that happen?”
“Of course.”
How much would that even cost? “If—If you want.”
“I want.” Ace’s eyes darkened. “Also, you don’t have to ask to burn these logs. Put one into the fireplace at your discretion. Hell, put ten in at the same time, I don’t care.”
“That’s crazy!”
Ace shrugged. “If it makes you happy, I don’t mind.”
Ivo wasn’t sure he would take Ace up on that offer. He said anyway, “Thank you.”
Ace grinned.
They watched the burning log together, firelight bouncing off their faces. More sparks accumulated and became a second shimmering dragon. This dragon flew to the other side of the fireplace to stake its territory.
Mary leaned forward with her little fingers outstretched, trying to grab the dragons.
“I’ll have to get the fireplace spelled so she can’t crawl in,” Ace said thoughtfully. He glanced at Mary’s towel. “Did she get too cold from the rain?”
Ivo shook his head. “We’re semi-aquatic. She’ll be fine spending a while in the water, especially as a mink.”
“Oh.” Ace sat back, falling into a thoughtful silence. Then he frowned.
Ivo squirmed. “What’s wrong?”
Ace shook his head. “It’s—not something we have to discuss right now.”
“Does it involve Mary?”
Ace sighed. “Yes.”
“Tell me. I’d rather know.”
Ace watched him for a long moment. Then he seemed to give in. “She has an affinity with two elements—fire and water. No wonder she’s so valuable to the kidnappers.”
Ivo’s stomach squeezed. “Does that mean we can never leave this place?”
“I don’t want this to turn into a prison for you. It just means I’ll always accompany you when you leave.” Ace wrapped a strong arm around Ivo, pulling him closer. “I’ll protect you both with everything I have. All three of you.”
Ivo’s chest tightened. “Thank you.”
Ace smiled; his lips glistened in the firelight. They looked pink and full, and Ivo wanted to know what they’d feel like on his mouth. Or throat.
His finger was on Ace’s lips before he knew what he was doing.
Then he froze. Crap!
Ace raised an eyebrow, his warm breath rushing over Ivo’s hand. His mouth was so soft.
“Sorry!” Ivo snatched his finger back. “You, uh. You had something on your mouth.”
Ace snorted. “I can hear your heartbeat, you know. It skips when you lie.”
“Oh, gods.” Ivo hid his face in his hands. When Mary wriggled, Ivo peeked out through a crack in his fingers.
Ace was still watching him. “You’re a very lovely person, Ivo.”
You too, Ivo meant to say.
What came out of his mouth was, “I think so too.”
Ace gave a belly laugh. Ivo groaned, trying to disappear into the couch.
“I hate my mouth! That was not what I meant!” Ivo lifted Mary so he could hide his face in her belly.
“I happen to like your mouth.”
Ivo blushed harder. He blew a raspberry into Mary’s belly and hid in her laughter, eventually scraping up enough courage to pull himself away.
Ace was watching him more fondly than anyone should. With the rain pattering on the window panes and the fire crackling in the hearth, everything felt so much more intimate between them.
“I have a crib for when Mary falls asleep,” Ace murmured.
She was starting to grow sleepy. Ivo wrinkled his nose when he realized she needed a diaper change; Ace wrinkled his nose too. “Do you have somewhere I could...?”
“Yeah, there’s space in the hallway bathroom. I had Harvey leave some supplies there. C’mon, I’ll show you where it is.”
Ace stood first, offering his hand to pull Ivo to his feet. He stayed by Ivo’s side and led him to the bathroom, folding up a towel so Mary could lie on the counter. In fact, he handed Ivo the wet wipes and held out the trash can, and made faces at Mary to distract her.
Ivo had never known diaper-changing could be this nice.
Secretly, he wanted more of it.
He washed his hands and scooped Mary up when they were done, rocking her in his arms.
“Does she need a lullaby?” Ace asked.
“Are you volunteering?”
“Sing the terrible ones,” came Harvey’s voice from elsewhere in the mansion.
“Maybe when Mary’s asleep,” Ace said dryly. Ivo laughed. “I’ll show you where the nursery is.”
“You have a nursery?” Ivo asked.
Ace’s ears turned pink. “When I built the mansion, I’d thought... maybe I should be prepared.”
Ivo swallowed hard, needing to burrow into Ace’s arms. Instead, he followed Ace up the elegant stairs to a room with cartoon animals painted on the pastel walls. There was a crib in the middle of the room, and a mobile with tiny dragons attached to it.
It was all incredibly adorable.
“It’s all fireproof,” Ace said softly. “I want to hear the lullabies you sing to her.”
So Ivo did. He cradled Mary in his arms and hummed the melodies from his childhood. He sang the ones he’d begged his parents to sing on repeat—about minks in rivers catching fish, and the stars in the night sky twinkling over the forest.
“Someday, she’ll ask me to sing them over and over, for hours on end,” Ivo said with a quiet laugh.
“I’ll take over so you can have a break,” Ace offered.
Ivo’s heart stuttered. Ace grinned. When Mary finally fell asleep, Ivo set her gently down in the crib.
Then he stepped away, and Ace was suddenly in his space, backing him up against the wall.
“Got any plans, sweetheart?” Ace purred, trailing his fingertips up Ivo’s side.
Ivo forgot how to breathe. “Um. Maybe?”
“What kind of plans?” Ace’s grin was all sharp teeth. He trapped Ivo with his hot, hard body, sending a bolt of shivery heat between Ivo’s legs.
“I—I don’t know.” Ivo bit down his moan when Ace dragged his palm down his back, cupping Ivo’s ass with both his hands.
Ace lifted him off his feet. Ivo squeaked. “Hang on to me,” Ace whispered. “I promise I won’t let you fall.”
He carried Ivo into a different room and closed the double doors. Then he set Ivo on a plush, soft bed. Ivo shivered; the covers were silky against his skin, soft like a cloud.
Ace clambered onto the bed along with Ivo, his gaze dark, his body bronzed and muscular. This close, Ivo saw the corded muscle of his shoulders, the bulge of his biceps, the lush expanse of his pecs. A small black dragon tattoo covered the base of Ace’s neck, its wings spread and its mouth open.
“Like what you see?” Ace’s mouth curved in a sinful smirk.
Ivo moaned and squirmed; Ace’s pupils blew wide.
“I think it’s time I bred you properly,” Ace murmured, reaching down to stroke his growing cock. “Fill you the way you were supposed to be, that very first night.”