Hiding The Alpha King's Twins
Chapter 60
Lea stared at her for several seconds before her eyes widened in sheer absurdity. "Christian Wayne? Sleeping on our sofa?" The disbelief in her voice was impossible to miss. "He’s one of the richest men on the planet, Fleur. I don’t think that couch was designed for someone of his stature."
Fleur shrugged, trying to mask her sudden flare of nerves. "That’s hardly my problem. He agreed to it."
Despite her casual tone, a small, traitorous part of her couldn’t help wondering how Christian planned to fit his broad, towering frame onto a sofa barely long enough for an average person. Pushing the intrusive thought aside, she slipped away and headed toward the twins’ bedroom.
The moment she stepped inside, the breath caught in her throat. She found Chloe and Gabriel proudly showing Christian their favorite toys, video games, drawings, and carefully guarded treasures.
The sight made her pause at the threshold.
The three of them looked surprisingly, terrifyingly comfortable together. A familiar, deep-seated ache settled in her chest.
Her children had grown up without a father, and for years, she had fiercely convinced herself that this isolation was necessary. If Christian had known about them back then, would she have been able to shield them from the violent shadow world surrounding him?
The answer still terrified her.
And yet, watching them laugh together now, she couldn’t ignore the bittersweet irony. Father and children were forming a natural, undeniable bond without realizing who they truly were to one another.
Would Christian feel this same fierce affection if he knew the truth? Or would everything shatter? The crushing uncertainty made her stomach tighten.
Taking a slow, stabilizing breath, she pushed the heavy thoughts away. Her movement drew the attention of everyone in the room.
"Actually," Fleur said, forcing a bright, casual smile, "I was thinking of sleeping in here with you guys tonight."
Chloe blinked in confusion. "In our room?"
Fleur nodded, stepping closer. "You used to have nightmares."
"Used to," Gabriel emphasized dramatically, rolling his eyes. "Mom, we’re not little kids anymore."
A quiet, rumbling chuckle escaped Christian. Fleur immediately shot him a warning glare, and he raised both hands in a mock surrender.
Chloe thought for a moment, looking around the small space. "Besides, there’s no room," she pointed toward the bunk beds. "If one of us has a nightmare, we’ll just call Dad."
Fleur nearly choked on her own breath. Dad. Again.
"And he’ll scare all the monsters away," Chloe finished with absolute, unwavering confidence.
Fleur glanced at Christian. The terrifying thought of calling him into her bedroom in the dead of night somehow seemed far more dangerous than any nightmare.
"No need," she said quickly, her voice a little too tight. "I was only checking on you two." The twins exchanged amused, knowing looks. "Now go brush your teeth and get ready for bed."
"Okay, Mom!" the children answered in unison.
As Fleur closed the door behind her, she deliberately kept her eyes averted from Christian’s gaze.
Back in the quiet sanctuary of her own room, she finally released a long, shuddering breath.
What a day. All she wanted now was a hot shower and several hours of uninterrupted oblivion. After selecting a soft nightgown from her wardrobe, she disappeared into the bathroom.
The cascading warm water eased some of the coiled tension from her shoulders, and for the first time all evening, she began to genuinely relax.
Unfortunately, the peace was painfully short-lived.
When she stepped back into her bedroom, towel-drying her damp hair, she froze. Christian was lying comfortably on her bed, propped up against the pillows. The bedroom door was still locked from the inside.
Her eyes widened in sheer shock. "How did you get in here?"
Christian looked entirely unbothered by her outrage. "I came to collect my reward."
Fleur stared at him, her heart hammering against her ribs. He rose from the mattress and walked toward her with an infuriating, predatory calm. The mere sight of him instantly made her pulse quicken. He looked far too comfortable in her private space. Far too confident. Far too handsome. She hated all three facts with a passion.
"What are you doing here?" she demanded, backing up half a step.
"I believe we made an agreement." His lips curved into a slow smile.
Fleur’s mind raced, immediately remembering the challenge from dinner—the one she had foolishly forgotten about. Of course he hadn’t.
"What exactly do you want?" She folded her arms defensively, holding the towel tight against her chest.
Christian’s dark gaze lingered over her form for a heavy moment before returning to her eyes. "I want one night."
Fleur frowned, her defensive walls rising. "What does that mean?"
His expression softened, the teasing edge fading. "It means I want you to sleep beside me."
She blinked, stunned. "That’s it?"
"That’s it."
Utter disbelief crossed her face. Of all the dangerous, scandalous possibilities she had imagined, this simple request hadn’t been one of them.
"You are completely impossible to figure out."
Christian laughed quietly, the sound rich and low. "So I’ve been told."
For a charged moment, neither of them spoke. The bedroom suddenly felt strangely smaller, warmer, the air thick with unspoken tension. The silence stretched between them like a taut wire.
"Stop looking at me like that," Christian said suddenly, his voice dropping an octave.
Fleur frowned, trying to steady her breathing. "Like what?"
His gaze darkened with quiet amusement. "As if you’re trying to decide whether I’m insane or dangerous."
"Maybe I’m deciding you’re both."
That earned another low laugh. He stepped closer, eliminating the remaining distance until she could catch the familiar, intoxicating scent of his cologne. Her betraying heartbeat thudded wildly in her ears.
"You know," he murmured softly, his eyes locking onto hers, "you’re making this very difficult."
Fleur swallowed hard against the dryness in her throat. "Difficult?"
"Keeping my distance."
The playful confidence in his voice completely disappeared, replaced by something raw, deep, and utterly sincere. For a brief, breathless moment, the teasing stopped. The strategic games stopped. And all Fleur saw was a man looking at her as though she were the only person left in the world.
Christian reached up, his large hand surprisingly gentle as his fingers brushed a loose, damp curl behind her ear.
The simple, tender gesture sent an unexpected, electric shiver straight down her spine. Neither of them moved; neither seemed willing to break the fragile spell of the moment.
Then, Christian slipped a firm arm around her waist and drew her a little closer against him—not demanding, not forceful, but simply unwilling to let the distance remain between them any longer.