“Enjoy your day, princess,” King said before chuckling. “I’ll make sure to let the others know.”
“King…” But he was already gone. Yates offered me a cheery smile as he put down his phone.
“See, bunny? Nothing to worry about. Now take your medicine and eat.”
Staring at him for a minute in disbelief, I muttered under my breath about him being bossy…before doing what he told me to do.
I took the last pill and then began to pick at the assortment of pastries and fruit on the table, knowing that if I didn’t, the combination of my pill, antibiotics, and pain medicine would make me sick to my stomach.
While I ate, Yates continued to look over a document, and honestly it made me feel a lot more comfortable to eat without eyes on me. Although, I couldn’t lie, there had been a large shift inside of me since the other night. While I knew my issues with control and body image were far from gone, my eating issues and Abby seemed like a world away compared to the imminent danger we faced. They just didn’t seem as big while I worried about not only my life, but the life of my boys and my family. It was a concern that paled in comparison.
We sat for a while in comfortable silence, and by the end of my second cup of coffee and some food, I was feeling ready for the day.
“I’m done,” I announced, standing up. Yates’s eyes darted to the tray of food that was surprisingly half gone, relief filling his gaze before he stood and offered me a hand. I had no idea where we were going, but I followed him easily, loving the moment of solitude we had managed to find.
As we walked through the large bedroom and out into the hall, I realized what it was about this place that made it feel a bit off—it was largely empty. Even though our estates were large back home, there was always someone doing something, but here even the housekeepers seemed to keep themselves scarce. The entire place had a very heavy tone to it.
“It’s so quiet here.” I looked up at Yates. “Is it always?”
“Every time I’ve been here it has been.” Yates squeezed my hand. “It isn’t a place that has seen a lot of happiness. It serves a purpose, but that’s where it starts and ends.”
As we stepped through a large archway into the back yard, I noticed that the property was huge and that a line of trees far in the distance most likely marked the property line. It made me wonder just how many acres this compound was. Despite his words, I saw the potential in this place.
I spoke quietly, “Do you think sometimes that it could be something more? Somewhere that people could form happy memories, even if it still serves a larger purpose?”
“I think we would have to be careful to make sure the two don’t come together, but I think it’s possible,” Yates admitted. “What’s on your mind, bunny?”
I nibbled on my lip. “Okay, I am going to assume this won’t freak you out and just tell you exactly what popped into my head. Promise you won’t think I’m crazy?”
Yates’s eyes jumped with amusement. “There isn’t anything you could say that would freak me out.”
“Unlikely,” I countered.
He stopped me and cupped my jaw. “Trust me. There is nothing.”
I blinked, realizing he was serious, and then tugged his hand so we could keep walking. “Okay, fine. So, assuming that we have kids one day…would we be able to bring them here? Safely? Could they play out here? Would we be able to hold family parties like back home? I want their lives to be filled with as much happiness and closeness as ours was, and I worry that this place won’t be able to be like that. I know that we won’t live here, but I want them to travel, I want them to see how beautiful it is here… And I know it won’t be an ‘all the time’ type of thing, but this will be at least one-seventh of their extended family. I don’t know, I realize that eventually they will have to understand what comes with being in the family, but until then I want them to be able to enjoy themselves here.”
Before he could answer, I continued, “I mean, we are going to have to host a lot of holidays as it is, because I am not about to travel six or seven places just to see extended family. I don’t know… I mean, I do know, but I am just rambling now… I guess what I’m saying is that I want to make sure our kids still get to have freedom and safety while traveling and experiencing things… What?”
I had finally looked up at Yates, who had a ridiculously stunning smile on his face. Before I could question him further, he surged forward and seared my lips in a kiss. When he pulled away, I was breathless, and his smile was huge and happy still. Crap. He should not be able to smile like that.
“What was that?” I asked, my voice a bit breathless.
“I love you. And I really fucking love you talking about our future family and kids like that.” He wrapped me up, nuzzling his nose in my hair. “I can promise you, Dahlia, that whatever you want for our family, you’ll have. They may have to have the best security known to man surrounding them, but we will make it happen. Hell, I would shut down an entire fucking city if it meant you wanting to go there. Okay?”
I examined his face and nodded, blushing. “Okay.”
His words made me feel far better, I wouldn’t lie.
“Come on, I have something to show you.” He gently tugged my hand, and when we turned a corner, my eyes went wide at the large hedges that rose above me like some grand entrance into a hall. I followed him as we walked through the manicured greenery, the rustling of leaves having me look down to where an adorable bunny hopped past, making Yates chuckle.
I scowled at him, knowing that it had to do with my nickname.
“What is this?” I asked curiously before we finally turned a corner to find a gorgeous garden of bright flowers and benches surrounding a large open space and fountain.
Yates’s expression turned momentarily vulnerable, and he shrugged. “When you were talking about the kids, I just thought of this place immediately…”
He paused, and I raised my brows before he grunted, “I have thought about it before now. Imagining you here with all of us and our future family.”
“Yeah?” I leaned close to him, unable to stop myself from smiling.
“Yeah, bunny.” He brushed my nose with his own. “I have wanted this, all of this, for far too long to be rational.”
What he didn’t realize is that I had too.
“Yates, this is exactly what I want and where I want to be.”
There was no doubt about that.