That day…

Wow.

That day had been one of the best in all my days of sexual experience. Q had stocked up on new supplies while I’d fumbled through my last trimester and he was only too happy to try them out now I was unencumbered with his child.

In a nine hour session, Q orgasmed four times and I doubled him with eight. Lino had to be given a bottle by Suzette that night rather than my breast because I could barely lift my head from the blissful subspace I swam in.

A month after Lino was born, we travelled to the man who’d done Q’s chest piece, Louis. There, Q had another bird added to his tattoo, only this one wrapped around his back, splaying its feathered wings over his shoulder blades. The ink was grey-blue for my eyes, and its claws held two ribbons floating behind it with my name and our son’s.

For so long, Q decorated his body with mementos of helping others. And now, he’d been able to ink his future rather than his past. Solidifying our family into his flesh forever.

Not wanting to be left out, I asked for a tattoo of a family of sparrows flying over my arm in honour of Q, the wings he’d given me, and the children we would hopefully conceive in the future.

Bringing my thoughts back to the present, I smiled, utterly content in the sleepy afternoon.

Lino played on his stomach in the French sunshine beside me, surrounded by Courage and the other puppies who were now all full grown. The dark blue jumpsuit Lino wore set off his chubby skin and dark wispy hair. For a baby, he was beautiful and I saw so much of Q in his pale innocent eyes. There was no doubt these Mercer men would break me by being so handsome and incredible.

Courage broke away from Lino, depositing a saliva drenched tennis ball by my feet. “Again? Really?”

The black French bulldog barked, running in a circle. I’d lost count how many times I’d thrown this ratty thing but Lino loved it. He squealed every time one of his guard dogs barreled past, chasing such a silly thing.

Wrenching my arm back, I threw as hard I could. Courage took off, leaping over Lino and his pack mates in his rush.

Q came out of the house, a brilliant smile cracking his lips. He’d been working this morning but now he would take the afternoon off to spend with us.

Noticing me lounging on the deck chair, he kissed my head before scooping up our son and blowing kisses on his neck.

The squirmy form of his baby swelled my heart until I glowed with gratefulness and overwhelming love.

Q met my gaze, hugging Lino close. His body language promised an evening of debauchery while his face promised me everything that he was. He’d worshipped me before with his whips and chains but it was nothing to how he treated me now. How he watched me as if I were the very reason his heart beat. How he touched Lino with reverence reserved for only the holiest of things.

He was in love with me.

I would never ever take that for granted.

Holding out my hand, I clutched Lino’s bare foot dangling from my husband’s embrace. Q wrapped his warm fingers around my wrist, squeezing just enough to remind me I belonged to him.

I would always belong to him.

Ducking, his lips met mine in a sensual kiss. My heart pattered and my nipples tingled for a session with my master rather than provide nutrition for our son.

Murmuring into our kiss, Q said, “Every hour makes me love you more. Every year, every minute, every moment we spend together. Tess…you do more than complete me. You heal me. And I’ll spend my entire life making sure you understand that.”

He’d said such words before. But they never lost the depth of meaning or sincerity.

My reply was a similar echo but in no way lacking the love I held for him. “Every hour I fall harder for you. Every year, every minute, every moment we live side by side is the best minute of my existence. I love you, Q, and I’ll dedicate every breath making sure you accept it.”

Our eyes locked as we kissed again, pulling apart as Lino wriggled for space.

Our devotion reaffirmed, Q chuckled, bouncing the boy in his arms. The sun glistened behind him making him seem outwardly, a god fallen to earth to rescue and marry me.

Sighing happily, I hugged myself as Q placed Lino on the blanket, sitting beside him on the grass to tickle and play.

This.

This was what made every hardship we’d been through worthwhile.

We had so much.

We were so damn lucky.

Our charities were well and truly established, and the women recuperating in the house across our estate found it easier to regroup with the rescued animals we brought home from the shelters that were too damaged to be rehomed.

Somehow, we’d become a zoo as well as a convalescent, but together, the broken survivors mended each other.

And in the middle of this fortress of healing, sat my king. The man who made it all possible.

He rarely went into the office anymore, preferring to do all his work from home so he never missed a moment of Lino’s upbringing. Just having him close to kiss or run a hand through his hair when I needed contact made all my dreams come true.

Suzette was a born nanny and loved keeping an eye on Lino if Q’s beast demanded a mid-afternoon solstice or early evening reunion. And her and Franco had announced they were getting married next summer.

Life was ridiculously perfect, and for the first time, I didn’t fear the future or suspect anything sinister might tear it all away.

We were happy.

We deserved to be happy.

We would remain happy for the rest of our lives.

Because I had my monster.

And he had me.

And together, we had everything.