Liam

 

I was pretty damn happy with myself.

It was a damn good wedding I pulled off and an even better wedding night. I knew marriage wouldn’t be all fun and games, but damn, we were off to a pretty epic start. I kept my wife up past her bedtime, so it was no surprise she was sleeping late.

I was already awake, having grown used to crack-of-dawn training times, but I’d been content to lay there curled around her body. My hand cradled her stomach, and a sense of peace I’d never quite achieved before filled me.

I guess putting a ring on it truly made it mine. At least officially.

And honestly?

I fucking loved Bells having my name. It was just another layer of protection, another way of making sure she was safe. I had no intention of going anywhere, but life taught me to be prepared. My father’s untimely death hammered home the lesson.

Perry Crone was set to be released literally any day now, and all my attempts at blocking that son of a bitch failed. Crone owned a lot of people in high places. Either that or a lot of people were really terrified of him.

If something happened to me, as my wife, Bellamy would be taken care of. Everything would go to her. On top of that, the Mattison name would shield her, open doors that might otherwise remain closed.

I knew I told her it didn’t matter what people around here said, and it really didn’t, not to me. But like it or not, there was another level to it. Life’s politics were in effect even in this wintery resort town. By slipping that ring on her finger, I put a barrier around her. I sealed her position and basically silently demanded she have the respect she deserved.

Not to mention, my son would be the rightful heir to all of this.

Call it archaic. Call it staking my claim. I didn’t give a fuck because I was doing what I had to do to protect me and mine.

Life was short. Life was difficult. Why not grab on to some joy, too? Bells was my joy, and being married to her was better than winning an Olympic medal.

She stirred and slowly rolled to her back and smiled. Lifting my hand up over her head, she fingered the steel band wrapped around my finger.

“It wasn’t a dream,” she murmured, pulling my hand into her chest and holding it there.

“Nope. You’re stuck with me for life.”

“I can live with that.”

I leaned down and kissed her, then pulled back and snagged the phone off a nearby table and called down to the kitchen.

“It’s Liam,” I said when they answered.

“Congratulations on your marriage!” the person on the line sang.

I chuckled and glanced at Bellamy lying there looking at me. “Thank you. You can go ahead and get my order ready and sent up.”

“Right away,” they replied and then hung up.

“Your order?” Bellamy inquired, stretching like a cat.

“Part of my duties as a husband is to make sure you are fed. Breakfast will be up soon.”

“You’re a pretty good husband.”

I flashed a smile. “Just pretty good?”

She pretended to think it over, and I leaned over her, brushing a kiss across her lips.

“Pretty great.” She amended against my lips.

My tongue slid against hers, coaxing a deeper kiss that lingered for several long heartbeats. Bellamy turned her face, breaking the kiss, and I moved down her cheek and jaw.

“Epically amazing,” she murmured.

My hand closed around her breast.

“Best ever.” She went on.

“That’s better.” I agreed.

We made out until the bell on the door rang, and I groaned. “Wait.” She cajoled, wrapping her legs around my waist when I tried to get up.

I chuckled and let her have some of my weight again, making her sigh, content.

“Don’t you want some French toast? Bacon? Hot chocolate?”

“I’d rather have more of you.” Her hand slid down my body and landed on my bare ass.

“Your body needs a break, sweetheart. I went at you more than once last night. And you need to feed my son.”

Her lower lip stuck out in a pout, and I sucked it between mine. We kissed another moment. Then I slipped out of bed and grabbed my boxers off the end of the bed.

“Hurry back,” she called.

I paused to look through the peephole, making sure the staff just left the tray there and wasn’t waiting on the other side.

No one was there, so I pulled it open, expecting to find a large room service cart.

It wasn’t there.

Instead, there was a small white gift on the floor in front of me, a large red satin bow tied around the package. Even though the hallway was empty, I glanced around anyway, as if the person who left it would just be hanging around.

I bent and picked it up, noting there was no tag.

The elevator dinged, and I glanced up. A large cart draped in white linens emerged from the elevator first, followed by a young woman in a pressed uniform. She jerked to a stop when she saw me there. Her cheeks went bright red as she tried to avert her gaze.

I have to say, she must not have tried very hard because her eyes fastened on my abs and chest like glue.

“Morning,” I said, not bothering to jump around and try and cover the fact I was only wearing boxer briefs. I did move the gift down in front of my package because I was still rocking a semi hard-on.

She cleared her throat and forced her eyes down to the cart. “Good morning, Mr. Mattison.”

I usually told people to call me Liam, but it seemed pretty inappropriate to correct a girl who was not my wife to call me by my first name while I stood there in my skivvies.

When she drew close enough, I grasped the end of the cart and pulled it close. “Did you leave this outside the door?” I asked.

She glanced at the gift and shook her head. “No, sir.”

“Do you know who did? The staff maybe?”

She shook her head. “Not that I know of.”

“No worries,” I said, but inwardly, I was wondering where it came from. I mean, no one knew we were staying here last night except our close family and the minister.

I set the box on the edge of the cart, noting the arrangement of red roses in the center. “That’s a nice touch.”

“That is from the staff. Along with the cake in your room.”

“My wife loves that, by the way,” I said, picking up the service tab and signing my name. Then I added a generous tip.

When I looked up and held it out, she glanced away quickly, having been caught staring again. “Thank you.”

Keeping her eyes averted, she took the slip and scurried toward the elevator.

I pulled the cart into the room and shut the door.

Bellamy came out of the bedroom, a thick white robe tied loosely around her. “I’m starving,” she said, going straight for the cart.

“Oh, what’s this?” she asked, distracted by the gift. “Liam, you’ve already given me far too much.”

She reached for it, smiling. A sick, wary feeling washed over me as she did. Moving fast, I snatched it out of reach. “It’s not from me.”

She frowned. “From the staff, then?”

“It was in the hall when I opened the door. The room service girl said it wasn’t from the staff.”

“A surprise?” she said, a little excitement in her eyes, but very quickly, it changed, wilting and dying a swift death.

Bellamy looked at the gift as if it were a bomb about to detonate at any moment. My girl did not have a good track record of good things just showing up at her door.

And the way my instincts were screaming at me?

This wasn’t a good thing.

“Is there a tag?” she whispered.

“No.”

“Did you tell people about the wedding?”

“No.”

“Liam…” she said warily, fear plain in her voice. I couldn’t help but notice the way her hand went straight to her rounded belly.

There was only one way to really know what was inside and who it was from. In one swift move, I tugged the ribbon right off the box and lifted the lid.

Bellamy shifted nervously from foot to foot as I cleared away some of the white tissue paper and reached inside.

There were three cotton bundles tied together, so I pulled them out and set aside the box. I unrolled the first to reveal a black T-shirt in a size big enough for me. I held it up so we could both see the back.

KING

01

I unrolled the next, which was the same black T-shirt but in a size meant for Bellamy.

QUEEN

01

The third wasn’t a T-shirt, but a black onesie for a baby.

PRINCE

01

“Is that all there is?” Bellamy asked, holding back any reaction.

I set aside the shirts and lifted the box, pushing around in the tissue paper. “That’s it.” I confirmed.

“Oh,” she said, relieved. “Well, I have to admit it’s all pretty adorable. She came over and picked up the onesie, and I had to fight not to snatch it away from her. Holding up the tiny garment, she cooed. “Just look how tiny!” She held it up to her stomach and mine lurched. “Someone sent you a present, pumpkin,” she told the baby. “Someday, you’ll be big enough to wear it. My little prince.”

Bellamy glanced up at me, smiling with a soft light in her eyes. “It was probably from someone on the staff. I’m sure word got around last night that you were up here and why you had the black diamond run shut down. After all, everyone says you’re the king.”

“Yeah, probably,” I said, taking the baby outfit from her and placing it with the other two. I added, “I’ll ask around tomorrow.”

“Yes, definitely. I’d love to send a thank-you card to who sent it. How adorable, our little family has matching outfits now.”

She was standing there cradling her baby bump with a happy glow lighting up her face. My wife.

“How about some breakfast in bed?” I smiled, grabbing the handle of the cart.

I followed behind her toward the bedroom, stopping only long enough to toss the clothes on the counter on the way. We ate our fill of the elaborate breakfast I’d ordered the night before. Watching Bells lick warm syrup off her fingers and lips made me forget all about the gift.

After I’d given in and made gentle love to her on the pillows and blankets, I held her while she dozed back to sleep.

Slipping out from beneath her, I crept back into the main room, past the shirts, and to the box I’d said was empty.

Yep. I lied.

There was something else inside the box.

Something I didn’t want to ruin Bellamy’s wedding night. Christ, we hadn’t even had a full day as a married couple. She looked so happy and at peace. I couldn’t take it away from her.

It was my job to shield her from this shit. Her and my son.

After glancing behind me to make sure she hadn’t followed, I picked up the note left in the bottom of the box.

William,

Much congratulations on the marriage and pending arrival of your son. It seems that living with the death of your father and the reason for it hasn’t proved as difficult for either of you as I predicted. It’s a shame your embraced happiness didn’t make it easier for you to embrace mine. I was rather disappointed to hear of all the noise you’ve been creating about my release. Perhaps you should have focused more on your wife and unborn child, because if you had, I wouldn’t have to.

Long live the king.

PC

I stared at the note a long time, reading the words over and over again. Correction. Not words. Threat. Perry Crone just threatened my family.

As smart of a man as he was, this was very, very stupid.