Page 127 of Lesson In Honesty

Mack adored her. He didn’t have to hide feelings of revulsion or pretend she was someone else to get an erection. His hands stroked her tenderly, as though she was precious glass to be touched reverently. It washisheart offered in his hands, held out to her, to Liam.

No, there was no jealousy, no irrational fury.

Just love and respect.

Exhaling slowly, he rose and walked over to the sink, opening the cupboard beneath and examining the contents. The welcome basket Callie had put together for their arrival was full to the brim of various products—things he’d never really thought about as a gift.

Lotions, potions, bath bombs…

Sierra was more of a new thread and fabric kind of girl. Anything she could use to heal her babies was the best gift she could receive.

Selecting a bottle of orange stuff, he cracked the lid and sniffed. Oh yeah, she’d smell amazing in orange and cinnamon. When he returned to the bath, he opened the lid fully and poureda generous amount into the water, watching the bubbles begin to form.

“Daddy Liam’s spoiling us, pixie,” Mack said quietly, resting his chin on the top of her head while those mercurial eyes searched Liam’s face. “The water’s perfect, Liam.”

The water and everything in it, he thought, setting the bottle aside and stepping in. It was almost to his knees, a few degrees shy of too hot. He sank down into it, grateful the taps were on the side of the tub instead of the end, and tucked his legs down the outside of Mack’s.

“Want me to pass her over?” Mack asked.

“No.” Resting his arms on the sides of the tub, Liam leaned back and smiled. “Both of you are exactly where you’re supposed to be.”

Right here with me.

Epilogue

Christmas Eve

Mack

It was surprising how many people chose to spend the holidays at a kink resort, Mack thought with amusement. Turningslowly, he took in the thirty or so members dressed in Santa costumes, as elves and snowflakes.

One innovative sub was cleverly attired as a present—with miles of colorful green, red, and gold ribbons as her wrapping paper.

He laughed as a couple of reindeer played tag with several elves, creating chaos as they dodged and weaved through patrons in the thrilling game.

Sipping his beer, he waited patiently for Liam and Sierra to arrive. They were supposed to attend the first Serenity Christmas party together, but a slight costume malfunction sent Sierra into a panic, so Liam had sent him ahead to snag the good seats.

How life could change in just a few weeks. His month-long stay was well over, heading into the permanent stage. Living in the cabin with his two favorite people suited him just fine, and he thoroughly enjoyed his new position as Master Maverick.

In the new year, his company was undertaking a huge relocation. MVM Tech would be based in Denver out of a building he was now part owner of with Callie, Elias, and Evander. Sixty percent of his original staff were also making the move, which pleased him immensely, even if it hurt that the other forty percent decided both the physical and scientific shift in direction the company was taking wasn’t to their liking.

It wasn’t their company, he reminded himself. They didn’t understand the ramifications he’d faced if he stayed on that line. They’d seen his one-eighty turn as a betrayal of science instead of the sacrifice he’d made to keep dangerous technology out of everyone’s hands.

Level Twelve was shut down the same week that Sonja was found dead in her home, hanging from a ceiling fan with a chair toppled beneath her. The letter left on the kitchen counter hadconfessed everything from how she accrued a monumental debt to selling her soul in a weak moment.

The projects were swiftly destroyed; Mack had returned to Fresno to oversee disassembly and incineration of the prototypes, along with hard drives and everything else associated with them.

Including, he thought with a wry smile, the data bought by the Corrinthian Technologies assholes.

Tabitha was officially a legend. He owed her a great deal, even though neither of them could ever admit to their agreement. Not when the individuals who’d turned one of his employees into a traitor and terrorized others were brutally,artisticallyannihilated by an unknown assailant.

“All alone?”

Mack glanced over, grinning as Elias and Evander stopped by the table in matching Santa suits. Evander looked as though he was having the time of his life, where Eli should probably have starred in a Christmas horror movie. “For the time being. Costume malfunctions and Littles really don’t mix.”

Evander winced. “Oh. Fixable?”

“Hopefully.”

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