Page 99 of The Beast's Heart

He shakes his head and his trembling breath puffs against my lips.Oh.He has the matterin hand. His fist is flying over his cock. He clings to my shoulder, clearly nearing the edge. I kiss him deeply as he whimpers. “That’s right, Belle. You beautiful creature. That’s right. Are you going to come for me?”

His face scrunches and he lets out a strangled cry as he climaxes, catching his cum in a cupped palm. I pull him into my arms and hold him through the aftershocks, kissing the top of his head. I clean away the cum with the towel that’s been pressed under my cheek, then kiss his palm.

I let out a long breath and laugh softly. It feels good. It all feels good. “That was incredible.”

He hides his face against my chest. This is more expected from the blushing man I’ve come to know. I fill my lungs with the scent of his hair. “You hungry? Or have you had enough to eat?”

That wins me a small giggle. I poke his side and he squirms and bats my hand away.

We enter the kitchen to find Ray facing down Meredith. She’s standing on the other side of the counter from them, waving a printout.

Ray plants their fists on their hips and fires back to whatever she just said. “If the babies can’t have luxuries then what is the point of this thing!”

“There’s a difference between nourishment and orderingfive poundsof chocolate!”

“Honey, you’re going to need to cut costs somewhere else. I can’t?—”

“Somewhere else!” I’ve seldom seen Meredith ruffled at all, let alone this upset. “Perhaps we should take the chocolate out of your salary? That would be one way to cut costs?—”

“Meredith.” I say her name softly, merely intending to announce my presence, but it comes out firm and she whirls to face me. I don’t miss the way her eyes travel from me to Jonathan, standing at my shoulder.

“I’d actually be okay with that,” Ray says, as if I hadn’t interrupted. “Davy earns enough. I’d be fine. If a salary cut’s what it takes for the little ones to have good food.”

“Chocolate is not—” Meredith starts.

I hold up my hands. “No one’s losing their salary.”

“Are you certain?” Meredith pointedly does not look at Jonathan, but I know her so well she doesn’t have to.

“We’ll make a plan.”

“What plan?” Meredith asks. Her voice is softer than when she was addressing Ray and she no longer sounds angry, just resigned. The subtext is clear:Beast, you’ve done everything you can. You’ve emptied your pockets, you’ve sold off your properties, what’s the plan?

The Prime Minister said we’re past the worst of the pandemic. If lockdown lifts, there’s still a possibility we can host the gala. But Meredith wouldn’t be so anxious if she thought that was viable. I wish Jonathan wasn’t here for this, wasn’t seeing me so defeated.

“I’ll think of something,” I say softly, knowing it won’t appease anyone.

It doesn’t. We all stand in fraught silence for a beat before Ray rubs at their temples. “Are you hungry? Jonathan, honey, you want something to eat? There’s still bread from lunch?”

They don’t wait for an answer before pulling out some freshly baked bread and cutting into it for sandwiches. “The children were wondering where you were.”

“I’ll go check on them,” Jonathan says, pulling away. I grab his hand automatically.

Meredith’s gaze cuts to our hands and I drop his immediately.

“Have something to eat first,” I say gently to him while Meredith’s dark eyes lock on mine. Her gaze says:You haven’t changed at all from the man that gave up everything at the alter of his own glory years ago. It’s still all about you and what you want.

Okay, maybe some of that is my own conscience and not Meredith at all. Regardless, I lose my appetite.

“I’ll go check on the kids while you eat.” I need out of this room.

“Adam—” Jonathan starts, but I turn and stalk out.

My heart twinges at abandoning him here, but it’s better that I leave him with the mood that’s brewing in my chest right now.

As I reach the stairs, I hear Meredith’s kitten heels clacking on the marble behind me. I pause, one foot on the staircase. I speak without looking back at her. “I don’t have a plan, okay? I don’t know what to tell you. I need time.”

“You’re running short on it.”

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