Chapter 40
Brielle
I knew when I left Ohio I could never go back to Nathan the same way I left him.
But it wasn”t until I allowed myself to believe that Beck really loved me that I regretted making sure I could never provide Nathan Adair with an heir.
Watching all the kids run around the clubhouse with noise makers wearing sparkly glasses as they celebrate New Year”s makes my gut swim with regret.
”We could get a dog,” Beck offers, knowing where my mind is as I watch Gigi”s oldest daughter help her little brother try to figure out the toy he was given earlier in the day.
”Allergic,” I say, but then I freeze and turn toward him. ”But that was something I was always told, so there”s a chance I”m not.”
”Jinx has a dog. It”s been staying across the street with Drew and Izzy. We can find out tomorrow.”
I love how this man just rolls with the punches. I also think he”d give me anything he has the power to acquire.
I press my lips to his.
”I think this is going to be the best year of my life,” I tell him.
”And I think every year after will only get better. You and me, baby. That”s all we need.”
We chat and dance to the music playing softly from the jukebox in the corner as kids and parents make their way all over the clubhouse.
I grin at Beth when she and Oracle dance close to us.
She lied to me, but only in the best way. I still have a few classes left to complete, but we”re already friends. We didn”t have to wait until I graduated.
I take a moment to look around the room. There are so many happy couples here tonight. Everyone has a smile on their face. I don”t see one upset person or anyone I would suspect of having plans on ruining such a perfect evening, and that”s a huge change from every other gathering I”ve been to before coming to Cerberus.
I”ve been welcomed with open arms, and even though there are days that I struggle, I know that Beck”s confidence in me will not waver. He”s as solid as a rock and able to carry me when I”m too weak with regret and fear to walk on my own. He never gets frustrated to carry the weight and is always quick to ask me if there”s more that he can do. More often than not, all I need is his arms around me and him repeating those words I”ve been too afraid to speak in fear that it will be the catalyst that ruins everything we have.
”You”ve got something on your mind,” he whispers.
”And so do you,” I say, bumping up against the evidence of where his mind is.
”That”s your fault,” he says, no hint of accusation in his tone.
”My fault?” I scoff.
”Shouldn”t be so sexy,” he says, shrugging his shoulders just before pulling me closer.
”There are children here,” I argue.
”And so long as you stay right where you are then no one will be the wiser.”
I pretend like I”m going to take a step away, making his hand slide from my back to my ass. He grips a handful before moving it back to a respectable place.
”We should go to the room.”
”We”ll miss the countdown,” I tell him.
”The countdown isn”t for another hour and a half. I can fuck you twice in that amount of time and still have time for foreplay and aftercare.” He waggles his eyebrows in that comical way that always makes me laugh.
”Be strong,” Beth says just before squealing when Oracle spins her away from us.
We”ve had more than one conversation about how hungry our men are for us, and we jokingly agreed to hold out for forty-eight hours.
I could tell by the pink in her cheeks at breakfast and the way she couldn”t look me in the eye that she didn”t even last twelve hours.
”Want to explain that?” Beck asks as he spins me closer to the mouth of the hallway.
”No,” I tell him, then roll my lips between my teeth.
It won”t keep me from confessing if he really wants to know.
”Tell me,” he says.
”I love you.”
We freeze mid-spin.
My throat threatens to seize as he blinks down at me before leaning in closer.
”I love you, too, baby,” he says, pressing a soft kiss to my lips.
I was afraid he”d make a big production out of it, but I think he handled it in the perfect way.
I lean my head on his shoulder, reveling in the fact that the clubhouse isn”t hit with a nuclear weapon. Nathan doesn”t jump from behind the bar and start shooting everyone.
My confession doesn”t ruin anything.
We dance and laugh, holding each other closely, but the bliss only lasts about fifteen minutes before Beck stiffens in my arms.
”What”s wrong?” he says, and I turn to see Kincaid walking toward the conference room with Shadow, his VP right behind him.
”Hemlock was stabbed,” Kincaid says.
”Fuck,” Beck snaps. ”What are we going to do?”
Kincaid looks at me as if I”m the one who asked the question before looking up at Beck and answering.
”Nothing. He”s no longer part of the club.”
Cerberus is branching out!