Longing For The Beach Billionaire Daddy
Chapter 239

*Shelby*

I woke the next morning to Michael’s arm draped over my stomach. His breaths were deep and steady, while his fingers gently caressed my skin in a comforting embrace. A wave of contentment washed over me, and I felt safe in his arms.

I sighed happily as the reality of our situation slowly came back to me. Despite all the stress and uncertainty we had been facing, he had still managed to make me feel completely secure and loved, and I was so damn lucky to have him.

I reluctantly peeled myself away from him and grabbed my robe before heading to the bathroom to take a shower. The warm water felt heavenly on my sore muscles. Michael and I had blocked out the world and made love into the early hours of the morning, and I welcomed the soreness.

I thought about the trip to take the hard drives, and a tiny light of hope bloomed in my chest. We were almost done with everything connecting us to Henderson Chemical, and it couldn’t come soon enough. After I rinsed the lavender-scented conditioner out of my hair, I stepped out of the shower and reached for a big, fluffy, white towel. I enveloped myself in the soft fabric, my heart still brimming with optimism.

I turned and yelped when I saw Michael standing in the bathroom waiting for me, his honey-brown eyes twinkling as he laughed at me for startling.

“You’re too jumpy,” he remarked as he took the towel from me and dried me off.

He chuckled, shaking it out before pressing it lightly against my feet. His fingertips sent tingles of pleasure up my body as he moved slowly toward my torso, pausing to linger around my breasts. I could feel a grin spreading across his face before he gently helped me dry my hair.

“Now,” he said, his voice sincere but gentle. “Let’s go check on Bruce and make sure that twin life isn’t taking too much of a toll on him.”

I tugged on my jeans and pulled my sweater over my head as I followed Michael down the creaky stairs. In the living room, Bruce was sprawled out on the couch, his hands propped protectively on each of the new bassinets. His eyes were shut tight, deep frown lines framing his face which was softened in sleep. Several baby bottles lay empty next to him, while Thomas and Amelia slept soundly–a sign that all worries had been put to rest.

I hadn’t expected him to stay the night, but when I’d gotten up to feed the kids after we’d made love, Bruce had insisted on sleeping over. It didn’t look like he’d gotten much sleep, though.

Michael walked up to Bruce and crouched down next to him, lightly placing his hand on Bruce’s shoulder. His voice was soft as he spoke, trying to wake Bruce without waking the slumbering babies next to him.

Bruce’s eyelids fluttered open a few moments later, and an expression of surprise crossed his face when he saw Michael standing over him. He sat up suddenly, but Michael quickly shushed him with a smile.

“I’m going to go cook breakfast,” I whispered to the men.

I stepped into the kitchen and was immediately hit with a wave of warmth. The sun had breached the horizon, and light spilled through the windowsill, reflecting off the pale yellow walls. I took a deep breath and smiled.

The first thing I did was fill up the coffee pot with water before adding some freshly ground beans from our local roaster. The smell of rich, earthy espresso filled my nostrils, giving me just enough energy to start prepping breakfast.

I cracked a few eggs into a bowl and added some grated cheese, salt, pepper, scallions, ham, and bacon bits before whisking it all together. I threw some bread in the toaster and cut up some fresh fruit before pouring myself a cup of coffee.

Then I heard Michael’s voice coming from behind me. “Smells amazing,” he said as he wrapped his arms around me from behind and kissed my neck softly.

Michael and Bruce kept me company while I finished our omelets, then the three of us sat down to eat. We chatted about everything that had happened lately, and Michael and Bruce took turns complimenting my cooking.

“You guys are going to give me a big head. You know, Bruce, I’ve been watching Youtube videos to learn how to cook,” I informed him.

“Oh, wow. That’s impressive. What have you learned so far?”

I contemplated his question and thought about the last few times I had cooked for Michael. “Well, I learned that I burn almost everything I cook.”

Bruce and Michael both busted out laughing, and I flicked some of my omelet at them.

After we finished eating, Bruce went to take a shower while Michael cleaned up in the kitchen. With the babies just beginning to stir from their sleep, I tended to them–changing diapers, burping them, and rocking them back to sleep.

Michael joined me in the living room, and the two of us were playing with the kids when Bruce reemerged looking like a new man after a shower.

“Twins are brutal, huh?” I laughed.

“I don’t know how you guys do it. There was a point in the middle of the night when Thomas woke up, so I fixed him a bottle. Then, after I got him settled and closed my eyes, Amelia woke up. Then the process started all over again. You’re both killing it. I’m not sure if I could juggle two at once all the time,” Bruce chuckled.

“Well, we appreciate you volunteering for a sleepless night,” I told him. “Our little stink pots always love seeing Uncle Bruce. Now, if you two will excuse me. I have to go get ready for my meeting.”

“I’m ready to go when you are,” Bruce said, and I walked to the bedroom and changed into my favorite pantsuit. After I applied a little makeup and pulled my hair into a bun, I went back into the kitchen to grab my bag and the hard drives.

“Michael, are you sure you’re going to be okay here until we get back?” I asked him for the third time this morning. He had to stay with the babies because we couldn’t get anyone else to do it, though the day before, he’d talked about coming with me. I knew it would be hard on him not to be right beside me the whole time.

“I’ll be worried the entire time you’re gone, but I’ll be fine. I’ll call you if we need anything. Now go get ’em,” Michael said with a wink.

I kissed him and the babies goodbye and walked out the door with Bruce. The ride to the café where we’d decided to meet was quiet, mostly due to nerves on my part. I knew everything was going to be okay, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that danger was seeking me out and trying to wreak havoc in my life.

We left early enough for Bruce to survey the area himself, even though he heard from his affiliate while we were driving there that all was clear. He drove around multiple times, checking for anything that may be out of place. He parked in the parking lot and went into the cafe to scope things out, and after ten minutes, he came back out to tell me the coast was clear.

I exited the car and headed in with Bruce to finally hand over the hard drives and rid myself of this case. I held my head high and walked with purpose and hope. When I entered the front door, I was surprised to see Beatrice sitting at a table in the corner. Because of her attack, I had assumed she’d be resting, but I should’ve known better. The woman was tenacious and didn’t back down for anyone.

“Shelby, dear, it’s so good to see you,” she said as she stood up to give me a hug. Her arm was in a cast, and I could still see the bruising on her face she had endured during the car crash.

“I’m surprised to see you here. Shouldn’t you be at home taking it easy?” I asked her as we both sat. Bruce hung out nearer the door.

She glanced around the cafe and chuckled. “My husband would love that, but you know me. I can’t trust things to get done unless I’m doing them myself.”

I nodded and reached into my bag to grab the hard drives. “Here, I brought these. Everything we need for the lawsuit is on these, and I’m so glad to pass them on and wipe my hands clean of everything Henderson Chemical related.”

“I’m so sorry about how this all turned out, Shelby. There’s no way we could’ve known how horrible these people would actually be. I hate that you put your family in danger and lost your home,” Beatrice said as tears gathered in her eyes.

I reached across the table and grabbed her cast-free hand.

“You were attacked, too. I don’t blame you at all. This is all on Lane Henderson and his goons. Please don’t beat yourself up. We’ll buy another house once things have settled. I do feel like I should let you know, the FBI is involved in the case now. We had set up video surveillance on the house when we moved to the safe house. It caught the face of the man who caused the fire, and the FBI is working on finding him and getting him to flip on Henderson.”

Beatrice patted my hand then took a sip from her coffee. She stared out the window for a few seconds, then replied, “I can’t thank you enough for the work that you put into this. You have helped so many people, and this cycle of abuse by that horrible man will be ending.”

“Thank you, Beatrice. That means a lot. I should let you know, I’ll be stepping back from work for a while after this. I don’t know if I’ll continue in this type of law or if I’ll find something else to get involved with. I just wanted to be forthcoming and let you know I’m taking a sabbatical,” I explained.

I felt like a weight lifted off my shoulders when I realized I was done with this chapter of my life.

“I wouldn’t expect anything else. You have two beautiful babies who rely on you. Take all the time you need, and when you’re ready, you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for.”

We chatted for a few minutes longer, then Bruce walked over and told me it was time to go. Beatrice hugged me tight and told me I had been an invaluable member of their team and that she’d miss me. We both cried a bit as we said goodbye.

Bruce drove me back to the apartment in silence, and I was glad for it. I didn’t feel like talking because I was trying to process the emotions I felt about Henderson Chemical. They had ruined the peace I had felt working with Beatrice, and that was something I’d never get back.

When we pulled up to the front entrance, and I walked to the elevator to take me back to Michael and my babies, I felt lighter than I had in weeks. I had done the right thing. No matter how this all ended, I could walk away with my head held high.