Chapter 31
RAINA
“Twins,” Alex says, befuddled. “We’re having twins.”
“That’s what the doctor said,” Max replies.
We’re outside the clinic, staring at the ultrasound print in my trembling hands. The four of us are stunned.
“I don’t know how they missed it at the hospital,” Vincent says.
“Doc said it’s not uncommon to miss one this early,” Max reminds him.
“I’m going to get so big,” I say after a long and heavy silence. “I mean, I knew I’d get big. Bigger. But twins? I’m going to be huge.”
“Hey, hey,” Alex rushes closer, always the first in such moments. “Hey, you’re going to be even more beautiful than you are now.”
I’m trying very hard not to panic. I’m on the verge of tears and close to hyperventilating, but the guys have a way of sandwiching me between their big, hard bodies.
They work better than breathing into a paper bag, for sure, because as their arms snake around me and I feel their sculpted muscles fitting perfectly against my curves, all the chaos dies out.
The sun is up and shining brightly. Spring announces itself in every nippy breeze, in every blossoming tree lining the streets of Portland.
I smell coffee from a café down the road.
Freshly baked pastries with vanilla cream and apricot compote.
I smell the subtle gas fumes of cars driving by.
The hint of disinfectant wafting out of the clinic when someone opens the front door.
I feel my heart beating steadily now as I rest my head on Alex’s chiseled shoulder.
“Is that what you’re worried about?” Alex asks, pulling me out of my whirlwind of multicolored thoughts. “Gaining weight?”
“Well, it kind of comes with the territory,” I replay with a deep sigh.
“And it’s completely natural. It’s the mark of a woman bringing two children into the world. Our children,” he says.
“Whatever you need, we’ve got you,” Max says, kissing my cheek softly. “Whatever it takes to keep you and the babies safe, happy… we’re here.”
“We’ll always be here,” Vincent adds.
“Always,” Max says and kisses me on the lips. “As for the babies, I say it’s a good thing. We start out with two, and we have a big family to work with right off the bat. It’ll be easier down the road.”
“Easier?” I laugh.
Vincent chuckles. “Yes. We’ll take turns, Raina. If you ever need a break from the kids, and I know you’ll need a break from the kids, one of us will always be there to pick up the slack.”
“If you need pampering on top of that, one of us will always be there for that, too,” Alex adds with a casual shrug. “And if all three of us are needed for anything pertaining to your or our children’s happiness, we’ve got Kaleb and Vivian ready and willing to help, too.”
I can’t help but smile, seeing how they’ve already thought this out in detail. They didn’t leave a single stone unturned, a single possibility ignored. My men certainly have their share covered in more ways than one, which makes my mini panic attack seem a tad irrelevant.
“So you’ve got everything covered then,” I say to Alex.
“Almost,” he replies. “But something’s still missing.”
I tilt my head as I ask, “And what is that, exactly?”
For the first time since they claimed me at Haus of Sin, I see that fiery spark in his eyes. The promise of delicious danger, of sweet darkness and bottomless pleasure rippling out from his gaze like an unstoppable heatwave.
“You’ll see,” he says, “when the time is right.”
The sun sets beautifully over the city. It’s mid-spring, so the scent of blooming flowers lingers when I open a window. It brings a smile to my lips, along with the fresh air.
A breeze swoops through The Black Swan’s dinner salon as I gaze out into the high street. We’re nowhere near ready to open yet. I’ve spent the past week trying out dishes for the first menu, and it’s been one hell of a ride.
“How’s the food coming along?” Carla, my personal assistant, asks as she walks into the kitchen. “We’re getting so many calls from all over about this place, but I honestly don’t know what to tell them about our cuisine.”
“Let me guess, gag order from the guys?” I laugh lightly and turn around to face her.
“Pretty much.”
Figures. They’re keeping a tight lid on everything to maximize the mystery around our upcoming grand opening.
“The more curious they are, the better,” I say, glancing down at my chef’s tunic, which features a mighty swab of soy sauce and mango reduction arching across my chest. “Let’s call it… fusion.”
“Fusion of what, exactly?” Carla asks with a wry smile.
“International fusion. We’re very experimental.
We bring bits and pieces from all over the world and work hard to find the perfect way to blend them into every dish,” I say while she takes copious notes.
“Every plate, every bowl, every cocktail we plan to serve will be a journey, because that’s what matters in life, the journey, not the destination. ”
Carla seems more than satisfied with what I’ve given her.
“Oh, I got the private salon ready for your friends, by the way. They’re coming in tomorrow, right?” Carla asks, going over our text conversation on her phone. “Your brother and Vivian?”
“Yes,” I reply with a cool smile. “Their first date. I wanted to make it special.”
“We’re lucky the place is mostly ready to go then.”
“Lucky. Yes, we are. We’re talking about my brother and my best friend,” I tell Carla. “To be honest, I never saw it coming, but I couldn’t be happier.”
“And you’re their Cupid.”
“I doubt he’ll ever do better than Vivian. She’s as real as they come. Smart, beautiful, educated, strong. She’ll keep him on the straight and narrow, no matter what.”
“It’s nice, what you’re doing,” Carla says, “making sure their first date is perfect.”
“Oh, I’m going to make it perfect. I’ve got a special menu made up for them. If they don’t get married by next year, I’m the lousiest chef in this city.”
“Are you kidding?” she replies, almost laughing. “Most of the buzz around The Black Swan is about you, the young, ambitious new head chef. Which reminds me… I heard something. There’s a rumor going around in the hospitality industry.”
“What’s that?”
“The Kane. They’re miserable. They’ve been miserable since they let you go,” Carla says. “Maybe Alex can confirm, but I heard they made an offer for you. They wanted you back. Double or triple the salary, among other things.”
“Oh, I know,” I reply. “I turned them down over and over again. They’ll find someone else.”
“If I were Alex, I never would’ve told you. Risk losing you? No way.”
“They’d never lose me to The Kane. They’d never lose me, period.
Thanks to them, I got my mojo back. Haus of Sin, The Black Swan, that’s where I belong.
And the guys, they told me every time a new offer came in.
They figured I should be the one to decide.
Besides, The Kane’s management sent me private offers, too. The answer will always be no.”
Carla shakes her head slowly. “It’s incredible, the amount of damage one guy can do.”
“Yes, well, Jeremy’s not hurting anyone anymore, that’s for sure. And now that the truth is out, The Kane was left looking like a fool for dumping me. But that’s not my problem. I’ve got a dream gig going on right here.”
“Speaking of… Alex asked if you could meet him in the Cocktail Room,” Carla says. “When you’re done in the kitchen, that is.”
“Sure. Thanks.”
I smile at her and make my way across the restaurant’s main hall.
I peek into the private salon first, where I’ll be hosting Kaleb and Vivian on their date tomorrow night.
It looks wonderful. Private and cozy, yet luxurious and generously lit—though the latter is easily changed with a dimmer switch.
In contrast, the Cocktail Room is bigger, breezier, and more colorful.
Alex sits at the bar, nursing a whiskey. Max is behind the counter, drying tumbler glasses with a white cotton cloth. And Vincent waits by the window, gazing outside as the evening sets over the city with vibrant shades of pink and red.
“You asked to see me?” I say, then point at the stains on my tunic. “Pardon my appearance. I may have finally unlocked the perfect sauce for that duck breast.”
“And you look fantastic doing it,” Alex replies and sets the glass down.
“Is this about the grand opening? Are we any closer to a date? End of spring would be ideal,” I say.
He shakes his head slowly and gets up. “Not yet. We still have one thing we need to iron out before we can open the doors.”
“What’s that?” I ask, my mind already looking for possible answers.
“Making an honest woman out of you,” Alex says.
The answer takes me by surprise. I need a moment to register the words and their meaning.
The guys cautiously approach me with steady but certain steps.
I also need a moment to wrap my head around how good they look, with their silvery beards and ink tattoos peeking out from their unbuttoned shirts.
Just last night, I was tracing the contours with my fingers, planting hot kisses here and there. My lips tell a story of their own.
“Wait, what?” I manage.
“You’re as much a part of The Black Swan as you are of our lives,” Alex says. “It doesn’t feel right if we don’t make this official between us in every single aspect.”
“All across the board,” Max adds, making good use of one of his favorite business terms as he takes out a black velvet box and opens it.
My jaw drops at the sight of a gargantuan diamond crowned with small emeralds and mounted on a gorgeously intricate white gold ring. It’s perfect, the stuff of fairy tales. Any girl’s dream come true. And my breath just leaves me as I stare at it for what feels like forever.
“You’re it for us,” Alex says. “Our woman. Our best friend. Our partner in crime. Our head chef.”
“Our guilty pleasure. Our sinful delight,” Max says.
Vincent takes the ring out. “And should you say yes, our wife, too.”
“Oh wow.”