Chapter 30
*[Grace's POV]**
(Two years later)
The massive, heavily fortified bedroom of the Reeves estate was completely silent, save for the steady, rhythmic breathing of the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.
I was currently trapped.
Alexander was fast asleep on his stomach, but his massive, heavy, arm was locked securely across my waist, pinning my back flush against his chest.
Even in his sleep, the man was terrifyingly possessive.
If I shifted even an inch, his grip instinctively tightened, pulling me closer until I was entirely enveloped in his body heat and the intoxicating scent of cedar and clean sheets.
I smiled, turning my head slightly to look at my left hand resting on the pillow. The massive diamond engagement ring and the platinum wedding band sparkled in the faint morning sunlight pouring through the bulletproof windows.
It had been exactly two years since Alexander dropped to his knees at the Capitol and shattered the internet.
Two years since the contract became a real, unbreakable marriage.
"Target is attempting to flee," a deep, sleep-rough, gravelly voice rumbled right against my ear, sending a familiar, full-body shiver straight down my spine.
I let out a soft laugh as Alexander buried his face in the crook of my neck, his morning stubble scratching gently against my skin. He pressed a hot, lingering kiss to my collarbone.
"The target just wants to make her husband breakfast," I whispered, reaching back to run my fingers through his dark, messy hair. "You have a security briefing at 0900, General."
"I will tell ethan to Cancel it," Alexander grumbled, his voice strictly commanding, though his lips were currently trailing up my jawline. "I am commandeering this bed for the rest of the day. Executive privilege."
"Alexander Reeves, you cannot cancel a Pentagon briefing just to cuddle," I scolded, though I was entirely melting against him. I finally managed to roll over, planting a firm kiss on his lips before successfully wriggling out of his iron grip.
He groaned, flopping back onto the pillows.
He watched me with those piercing, storm-gray eyes as I pulled his oversized black military t-shirt over my head, which swallowed my frame and fell mid-thigh.
The look in his eyes was so violently affectionate, so purely devoted, that it still made my courage crumble adorably, even after two years.
"Ten minutes," Alexander ordered bluntly, sitting up and throwing the blankets off his massive, scarred chest. "If you are not back in this bed in ten minutes, I am deploying a search and rescue team."
I just beamed at him and slipped out the door.
Ten minutes later, I was standing in our massive kitchen, humming happily to myself. I popped two slices of bread into the toaster. As I waited, I poured two mugs of coffee.
I had sent the chefs on vacation especially henri to spend substantial personal time with their families
So I have my kitchen to myself for now
*Pop.*
I looked at the toast. It was golden brown. Perfect.
I immediately pressed the lever back down and let it toast for another two minutes until the edges were thoroughly, undeniably burnt.
I set the blackened toast on a plate just as heavy, rhythmic footsteps echoed in the hallway.
Alexander walked into the kitchen, freshly showered, wearing his crisp, midnight-blue uniform trousers and a fitted black undershirt that stretched taut over his broad shoulders.
He looked imposing, dominant, and utterly lethal. As Always
Until he saw me.
The terrifying warlord aura instantly melted. He walked straight up to me, wrapping his massive hands around my waist and lifting me onto the marble kitchen island. He stepped between my knees, leaning in to give me a proper, breath-stealing morning kiss that tasted like mint and coffee.
"Good morning," I breathed, my cheeks flushed.
"Better now," he stated bluntly. He turned his attention to the plate beside me. He picked up the piece of heavily charred toast, took a massive bite, and chewed without even a flinch. "Outstanding as always, Mrs. Reeves."
I burst out laughing, wrapping my arms around his neck. "You know, two years later, you can admit that you hate burnt toast. I do it on purpose now just to see how far your military discipline will go."
Alexander paused, the burnt toast halfway to his mouth. A rare, devastatingly handsome smirk played at the corner of his lips. "I would eat gravel if you plated it for me, Grace. And we both know it."
Before I could kiss that stupid, perfect smirk off his face, the front doors of the estate slammed open.
"I am just saying, Colonel, if you relaxed your posture by a mere ten percent, you wouldn't look like you were perpetually preparing to fight a bear!"
Mia's chaotic, energetic voice echoed through the foyer, accompanied by the heavy, disciplined thud of combat boots.
Alexander sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I need to change the security codes."
"Be nice," I whispered, hopping off the counter just as Mia and Ethan marched into the kitchen.
Mia was wearing her bright pink pediatric scrubs, holding a massive iced coffee. Ethan was in his full formal uniform, looking as hyper-competent and terrifying as ever, holding a stack of classified folders.
But there was a distinct, faint smear of pink lip gloss on the corner of Colonel Ethan Brooks's very rigid mouth.
I gasped softly, my eyes darting between my best friend and the Colonel. "Mia..."
Mia took a sip of her iced coffee, entirely unbothered. "He picked me up for work. I made him take the scenic route. Establish dominance, G."
Alexander's storm-gray eyes narrowed into lethal slits. He stared at Ethan. Ethan instantly stiffened, snapping a razor-sharp salute, though the tips of his ears turned bright red.
"Brooks," Alexander commanded, his voice dropping into a dangerously low register. "Are you currently fraternizing with my wife's best friend?"
"Sir, I can explain-" Ethan stammered, terrified.
"Because if you compromise her," Alexander continued smoothly, stepping entirely into his Supreme Commander persona, "I will have you permanently reassigned to a submarine in the Mariana Trench. Is that understood?"
"Crystal clear, Sir!" Ethan barked.
"Oh, relax, General," Mia waved her hand dismissively, completely immune to Alexander's terrifying aura after two years. "He's a perfect gentleman. Except for his aggressive driving. Now, where is Eleanor? She told me to be here by 0830."
Right on cue, the elegant *click-clack* of heels announced the arrival of Grandmother Eleanor. She swept into the kitchen wearing a pristine cream-colored suit, flanked by Richard Reeves, who was grumbling about the morning traffic.
"I am here, Mia, darling," Eleanor announced, kissing my cheek before eyeing Alexander's burnt toast with mild horror. "Good heavens, Alexander, you are a billionaire, hire an extra team of chefs."
"I like her cooking," Alexander defended bluntly, eating the last charred crust just to prove a point.
I looked around my kitchen. Mia and Ethan were bickering quietly in the corner about military vehicle speed limits.
Richard was pouring himself a cup of coffee.
Eleanor was adjusting the pearls on her neck.
And Alexander... Alexander was standing right beside me, his hand resting a heavy, warm weight on the small of my back, anchoring me.
My heart swelled with so much love it physically ached. It was chaotic. It was loud. It was family.
"Actually," I said, my voice cutting through the chatter. My hands suddenly felt very clammy. "Since everyone is here... I have something I need to give to Alexander. A... a debriefing file."
The kitchen went dead silent.
Alexander immediately turned his full attention to me, his brow furrowing. "A debriefing file?"
I nodded, my heart hammering a frantic rhythm against my ribs. I reached into the pocket of his oversized shirt that I was still wearing, pulling out a small, crisp manila envelope. I had written *CLASSIFIED* across the front in red sharpie.
I handed it to him. My hands were shaking.
Alexander took the envelope. He looked at me, sensing the sudden spike in my heart rate. He ripped the top of the envelope off with clinical precision and slid the contents into his massive, calloused palm.
It was a small, black-and-white ultrasound strip. And resting right on top of it was a tiny, custom-made olive-green baby onesie that read: *General's Newest Recruit.*
For ten agonizing seconds, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces completely stopped breathing.
He stared at the tiny onesie. He stared at the ultrasound. His storm-gray eyes widened, the absolute shock crashing through his impenetrable military armor.
"Oh my god," Mia whispered, clamping a hand over her mouth.
Eleanor let out a sharp, elegant gasp, immediately grabbing Richard's arm. "Richard! A great-grandchild!"
But Alexander didn't hear them. He slowly, reverently looked up from the ultrasound, his eyes locking onto mine. They were shining with unshed tears. The absolute, fierce, devastating love in his gaze knocked the breath straight from my lungs.
"Grace...?" he rasped, his deep voice breaking completely. "You're... we're..."
"Ten weeks," I whispered, tears spilling over my lashes. "I found out yesterday."
The terrifying warlord didn't care who was watching. He didn't care about decorum.
Alexander closed the distance between us in a fraction of a second. He dropped the envelope onto the counter, wrapped his massive arms around my waist, and lifted me completely off the ground. He buried his face into my neck, exhaling a ragged, shaking breath that felt like a sob.
"I've got you," he whispered fiercely, repeating the vow he had made to me in the dark hallway all those months ago. "I've got you, Grace. Both of you. Forever."
He set me down carefully, as if I were made of spun glass, and then immediately dropped to one knee right there in the kitchen. He pressed a shockingly tender, lingering kiss to my completely flat stomach.
"Hello, little recruit," Alexander murmured, his voice rumbling with pure, unfiltered devotion. "I am your father. And I promise you, no harm will ever come to you as long as I draw breath."
He stood back up, his face instantly shifting from vulnerable father to the Supreme Commander in less than a second.
"Brooks!" Alexander barked, his voice echoing off the marble.
Ethan snapped to attention, though he was grinning ear to ear. "Sir!"
"Cancel the Pentagon briefing. In fact, clear my schedule for the next week," Alexander commanded rapidly. "Contact engineering. I want every single sharp corner in this estate padded. I want the security perimeter tripled. And get me the top pediatric specialists in the country on standby."
"Alexander!" I laughed, grabbing his arm. "I am ten weeks along, I don't need a specialist on standby!"
"You will have an entire medical battalion on standby, Mrs. Reeves, and that is a direct order," Alexander stated bluntly, though the devastatingly beautiful smile that broke across his face ruined all his authority.
Mia was cheering, hugging Ethan. Eleanor was openly weeping, demanding Richard call the country club to boast.
Alexander pulled me flush against his chest again, resting his chin on the top of my head, holding me so tightly I could hear the heavy, frantic, joyful beating of his heart.
I closed my eyes, letting the absolute safety of his arms swallow me whole.
I had signed a one-year contract to save my father, terrified of the imposing, dominant General who lived in this cold fortress. But my dad had known exactly what he was doing. He hadn't just secured my future; he had given me my soulmate.
The storm was over. The contract was history.
MY FATHER GAVE ME A GIFT I WILL ALWAYS BE GRATEFUL FOR
FOR THE REST OF MY DAYS
And as Alexander tipped my chin up to kiss me deeply, fiercely, in front of our beautifully chaotic family, I knew that the General'sBride had finally, truly, become his entire world.
THE END