“I suppose this means you’re retiring.” Monty held Spencer to his chest, cradling him slowly back and forth while Spencer slept. Mom, who’d flown down to welcome Spencer into the world, was asleep in the next room, jet lagged. Since I wasn’t living in the condo anymore, we’d decided to use it as a guest house for Mom, and we’d met there today for dinner. Troy had stayed home to sleep a little, although I wasn’t sure why. The horrors I’d heard about newborns weren’t true—Spencer didn’t cry all the time. He slept, and ate, and slept, then pooped, and slept and ate some more. Well, maybe there was a little more pooping. To be honest, I tried to block that out.

I guess being older than me didn’t help Troy’s case. My body was ready to bounce back, but his was more set in its ways. Hopefully, in the next little while, he’d get it figured out—Mom had been gracious enough to inform me that once Spencer reached two years old, all bets were off. Unholy terror would unleash itself upon our household, and we’d feel run ragged at the best of times.

I was ready, and I expected Troy to bring his A game as well. If not, there would be consequences.

I smirked.

God, did I love that man. I’d been reluctant to come out to dinner tonight without him, but now I had our reunion to look forward to. We didn’t spend much time apart these days, and that was the way I liked it. My stubborn, pigheaded soon-to-be-husband was someone I couldn’t get enough of, and in everything he said and did, I knew the sentiment went both ways.

“I am,” I replied at last. “Not that I was doing any work for you, anyway. Troy was my one-and-done.”

“Is Spencer?”

I looked to the side and smiled. Was it weird to have baby fever after just having a baby? Yeah, probably. It didn’t stop me, though. The thought of having more children with Troy appealed to me an insane amount. The feelings I got when I saw him hold Spencer close and kiss his forehead were second to none, and I could easily imagine in the future, when Spencer was older, how I’d melt while Troy snuggled up to a toddler with our newborn son or daughter in his arms.

“I’ll take that as a no,” Monty said in good humor. He looked down at Spencer with adoration. “I don’t mind being an uncle several times over. You and Troy make cute children. Who would have thought?”

“Who would have thought indeed.” I cuddled back against the couch, getting comfy while thoughts of Troy threatened to distract me. “I’ll have you know that I’m not full-on retiring, by the way. I’m still going to be working in the executive offices of The Palisade, keeping an eye on Troy. He’s done a fine job unlearning all his archaic business habits, but I think he can do better. If you’d like, once I get a handle on being a dad and a professional, I’d love to come back to Rent-a-Dom, too, as an executive, of course. I feel like I’ve got a new perspective, now that I’ve put in some time at the casino. You think you can handle me?”

“Me?” Monty chuckled. “I don’t know, little brother—you’re in the big leagues now. I’m not sure I can keep up.”

I held back a laugh. “Then I’ll whip you into shape. I’m qualified.”

“Fat chance.” Monty touched a finger very lightly to Spencer’s nose. “Besides, you said it yourself—you’re retiring. The only one on the receiving end of your whip is going to be your husband-to-be. Poor submissive alphas everywhere weep.”

“Shut up.” If he hadn’t been holding Spencer, I would have elbowed him. “It’s not that big a deal. I landed you a whopping one contract. I’m not exactly a career Dom. Besides, like I said, I’d only be going back in at an executive level. I am not open to taking any more contracts. It doesn’t matter who the sub is.”

Monty’s question did, however, prompt my mind to wander. Retirement, families, babies…

“Do you have plans to retire soon?” I asked, making it totally transparent that I was prodding him. “You’ve been away on business trips a lot, taking on at least one client that I know of…”

Monty shot me a look that would have killed a stone. “No.”

“I think the lady doth—”

“No,” he stated again. Then, in his usual wise, musing tone, said, “Not for a while. There are too many things I want to see and do before I think about ‘retiring.’”

“So no chance at a cousin for Spencer to grow up with?”

More stones died. “Robin.”

I snorted. While his Dom voice was all the right kinds of intimidating, it was too close to my own to take seriously.

“I’m done, I’m done.” I waved him off. “I’m just giving you a hard time.”

“I know. And really? I’m glad for it. It means that you’re home again—that we’re back in the same place, at the same time.” Monty smiled. “No more phone conversations.”

“No more tape over your webcam,” I added.

Monty shrugged. “I mean, the tape is still there, but you don’t have to worry about it anymore.”

“You’re so paranoid.”

“And you’re not careful enough.” Monty shook his head. “But that’s neither here nor there. The illusion stands, and that’s what’s important. This year is Rent-a-Dom’s fourth anniversary—can you believe it? Next year will be the big half-decade mark.”

“Has it really been that long?” I scrunched my nose. “It feels like it hasn’t been any time at all.”

“I know. I’m still trying to decide what we should do about it.” Monty grinned, looking down at Spencer. “Wouldn’t it be something to hold a birthday party?”

I held back a laugh. “Pin the butt plug on the sub?”

Monty nodded. “You don’t want to know what I have planned for the piñata.”

I choked back a laugh, both for Mom’s sake, and for Spencer’s.

“But for now,” Monty said, “I’m just happy all of us are together again. You, me, Mom, Spencer, and now Troy. It feels right somehow—like the world isn’t so wide and scary.”

“We made it, Monty.” I took Spencer from him, holding my son to my chest. He shifted in his sleep and made small smacking sounds with his lips. Everything he did was so stinking cute I could barely take it. “We beat the odds.”

“And we’re going to keep winning,” Monty promised. “I know it.”

I grinned and caught his eye, identical to my own in every way.

“Of course we are,” I said. “We’re Mills—it’s in our genes.”