Chapter 283

“Nanny! Oh, shit!”

Sawdust rains down on my head.

Beau drops to his knees in front of me immediately. “Gods, I didn’t hit you, did I?”

I pat myself over. My shoulders, my head, my arms, my legs. I think I’m in one piece. “I’m okay,” I finally conclude.

“I’m sorry,” he says, leaving no time for relief. “I was ready to fight whatever came through that door.”

Steven stands closer to Mia’s crib. He steps closer now that he can clearly see there’s no threat here. “What are you doing here? What happened with our father?”

I quickly fill in the blanks for them both, explaining that the laxative worked, more or less, and that the Alpha King and his goons have all left. “It’s safe now.”

“Just for now,” Steven says under his breath. “I should finish setting up the security systems.”

“You might want to actually speak with Isaac about it now,” I tell him, and explain Wyatt’s confession. “Isaac might be more receptive to the effort now.”

Steven nods. “Maybe it’s for the best that we get on the same page. It will be easier to protect the family if the whole family knows about it.”

Steven looks between me and Beau, who is still kneeling before me, his eyes worriedly looking me over.

“I take care of Beau,” I tell Steven so that he will not worry. Beau’s adrenaline is obviously maxed out. He looks like he’s about to buzz out of his own skin. “Mia okay?”

Steven motions toward the crib. Despite all the excitement and energy in the air around her, Mia is passed out, asleep. She really must have been worn out.

“I’ll see you downstairs,” Steven says. He sidesteps Beau and me and heads out into the hallway. Even after hearing Steven descend the stairs, Beau continues to look me over as if, now that we’re alone, fresh wounds will magically appear on my skin.

“Beau,” I say, as gently as I can. “I’m fine.”

He’s not convinced, eyes frantic.

I reach out and cup my palm against his cheek. I urge his gaze up to my face so that he can really see me. So that he can return to the moment we are in, and not the high-octane one where he has to be on edge every minute, ready to protect his brother and Mia.

“It’s over,” I say.

He exhales a shaky breath. “Oh.”

“Come on,” I say and push myself up to my feet. Beau follows my lead, standing. “Let’s go talk in my room so that we don’t wake Mia.”

“Okay.” We step out into the hallway.

Despite the damage to the doorframe, the door still shuts okay. Hopefully Steven can explain to Isaac and Mom what happened here before either of them actually see the damage. I’ll offer to pay for it myself, though I doubt Mom or Isaac will take me up on that offer.

Beau reaches out and slides his hand against mine, palm to palm, with our fingers lacing together.

Together, I lead him toward my bedroom. Once we are inside, he closes the door behind us. I look at the newly closed door and then at Beau. I lift my brow.

“You know,” he says, and I brace myself for whatever stupid thing is about to come out of his mouth right now. “Adrenaline really heightens sexual pleasure.”

I close my eyes and sigh. Of freaking course. Does Beau ever think about anything but sex?

“That really can’t be what you are thinking about right now,” I say in disbelief.

“Why not? I’m buzzing. My adrenaline’s kicking. My heartbeat’s out of control. Here.” He lifts the hand he’s holding, then twists his grip so that he is grabbing me around the wrist instead. He brings my palm flat to his chest. Beneath my hand, I feel the violent race of his heart.

“What I feel now is not so different than sex,” he says. “And why should we let all this pent up energy go to waste? Now that we’re safe… wouldn’t it be a good idea to burn all this off in a healthier way?”

I don’t roll my eyes at him but it is a very near thing. I certainly want to. Both our families are downstairs trying to figure out what to do next and he’s here trying to figure out how to get his dick wet.

“This really isn’t the time, Beau.”

He pouts a little, and damn it, I can already feel my resolve cracking. It’s not that I don’t want to have Beau slide between my thighs, and I’m well aware it would help calm him down. But, if everyone else is trying so hard to think of plans, shouldn’t we?

If we stayed up here and boned instead, wouldn’t everyone else be mad?

Beau’s gaze lowered slowly down the length of my body and I swear I could feel it like a touch. It lingered on my breasts and I could so nearly feel Beau’s hands on me, massaging.

“What might help calm us both down,” Beau says, “is if you put on that lingerie I bought for you. You want to model it for me, don’t you?”

Yes. Hell, yes, I do.

I close my eyes, imagining myself nearly naked, wrapped up like a nice little present, ready for Beau to unwrap.

It’s really not appropriate. Probably.

I’m starting to care less about that.

If we’re quiet. If we’re quick. Maybe no one will even notice that we’re gone.

I cave so quickly, I wonder why I tried pretending to put up a fight at all.

“Turn around,” I tell him. “I don’t want you to see until I’m ready.”

Beau’s eyes go wide. His face brightens like its Christmas morning. “Really?”

I make a circular motion with my finger. “Before I change my mind.”

At once, he swivels away from me and faces the wall.

With a sigh, half-exasperation, half-lust, I go to where I hid Beau’s gift and retrieve the lingerie. I check to make sure he’s not looking and then begin to undress.

I don’t see him look, but I still say, “No peeking!”

Beau immediately covers his eyes with both hands. “I swear I’m not!”

I hastily slide out of my clothes and set them aside. Then, I pull the thong up my legs and set it correctly, with the string pressing up into my folds. I put the bra on last. The cups add lift, pushing my tits up and together, making them look even bigger, like they are up on some kind of display.

I quickly check my hair in the vanity. It’s a bit wild from all the running around. But I guess it gives me a kind of windblown look that could be sexy. I wish I had some time to do something with my face, but I’m not making Beau or me wait for me to try to figure out what to do with makeup.

Instead, I take a deep breath and give myself a once over, front and back. I think I look okay.

There’s a lot of skin on display, I’m sure Beau will approve.

With that confidence, I stand up straighter and push my tits forward a little, trying to stand in a sexy way. It feels unnatural but whatever.

“Okay,” I tell him. “Turn around.”