Chapter 14: Kingpin’s Nanny: Chapter 14

For a second, I can’t understand why he’s kneeling on the floor. Then he’s taken my hand in his and there’s no air in the room as I hear his question as though I’m in a bubble.

“Will you do me the great honour of being my wife?” He slides the friendship bracelet over my finger, wrapping it around twice, so it’s like a bulky double ring.

“Oh my god.” I stare at him.

“You’re going to get married!” Ivy claps her hands and bounces. “Can I be a bridesmaid?”

“She hasn’t agreed to marry me yet,” Lucas says with a twist of humour. “But yes. You can.”

“Yes.” I grab him by the shoulders and pull him up for a kiss.

“I’ll get you a proper ring tomorrow,” he murmurs against my lips then kisses me deeply.

“Oooohhh. Muw, muw, muw.” Ivy makes exaggerated kissing noises.

For a second I think it’s my laughter shaking him, but I realise when we part that Lucas is grinning too.

My heart is so full of happiness, I could float away.

“You kissed Nanny Bella.”

“I did,” Lucas says unrepentantly as he moves back onto the sofa. He makes a space between us for Ivy, who hops up into it and looks at us with suspicion.

“Now, I asked you for another bracelet, didn’t I?” He pulls the other bracelet from his pocket.

“That’s a green one,” Ivy says with significant emphasis. “Green is my favourite colour.”

Lucas nods and holds the bracelet out.

“I was wondering if you would wear a bracelet on your wrist to show that I adopted you, rather than being your guardian? Bella will be a Knight when we’re married. Would you like to be Ivy Knight, and have our surname too?”

Ivy blinks, clearly not seeing the relevance of this.

“I’d like you to officially be my daughter,” Lucas says seriously.

Understanding dawns and absolute joy brightens her face. “Can I call you Daddy?”

“If you’d like to, I’d be proud to be your daddy too.”

Ivy squeals and throws herself at Lucas, who grabs her easily in a hug, and she babbles incomprehensibly. The sweetness of it is almost too good, and when Lucas catches my eye, I lean forward and am pulled into the hug.

The three of us are a family. It’s more than I ever dreamed of.

“What did you mean that you’d be my daddy too?” Ivy looks up eventually. “Who else’s daddy are you?”

I shake my head ruefully. Lucas should know better than to drop that sort of comment and think she won’t notice. She’s a smart kid.

Lucas glances over at me, a naughty gleam in his eye, and before I can stop him, says, “Just that there’s someone else, very special, who will call me Daddy…”

“Lucas!” I whisper desperately. I do not want to explain my newly found kink to anyone, least of all a child.

“…when they’re born. Because Bella and I are going to have a baby.”

“A baby!” Ivy spins and stares at me in shock. “Is it a boy or a girl?”

Behind Ivy’s back, Lucas winks at me.

“I’ll always protect you,” he mouths silently.

I sag with relief. I knew that. Of course I knew that.

“Will they be my sister? Or brother?” Ivy demands. “I don’t mind which it is, so long as I can be their big sister.”

“You will definitely be their big sister,” Lucas replies calmly. “And we don’t know yet whether it will be a boy or a girl.”

It’s on the tip of my tongue to point out that we don’t even know if I’m pregnant, but one look at Lucas and I know his answer to that. If I’m not yet pregnant, he’ll take great satisfaction in ensuring I am very soon.

And despite the improbability, I think I am.

“In a few months we’ll be able to find out,” I risk saying.

“If Uncle Lucas is going to be my daddy, and you’re going to get married to him…” She trails off.

“Yes.” The answer is obviously yes.

“Can I call you Mommy?” she says after a second, not understanding I’ve already agreed.

Lucas rumbles mock disapproval.

“You can call me Mummy. Or Mom, if you prefer.” I squeeze her and she giggles. “We won’t tell Dad that we use American words sometimes.”

“I heard that,” he grumbles, but his eyes are sparkling.

“This Christmas is nearly perfect,” she says with a serious expression just like her uncle—or her now-dad.

“It seems pretty perfect to me.” I can’t imagine anything better. I have everything I’ve ever wanted. A family, security, love. The sexiest and most caring man in the world has asked me to marry him and have his children, and we have Ivy as a daughter.

“What would make it perfect?” Lucas asks indulgently.

Ivy gives us both the most angelic smile imaginable. “Can I have a puppy?”