"Well, well, well, Beth," Austin whistled as he opened the pots simmering on the stove one at a time. His eyes grew as big as a kid's at a candy store when he saw the saffron rice and chicken stir fry.Who would have known his new wife could cook?Wasn't she just full of surprises?But it was one thing for her food to smell tantalisingly delicious. The taste had to be phenomenal before he showered her with praise.So he grabbed a spoon and stole a quick bite. But one bite led to two, and before he knew it, he couldn't stop. The food was freaking delicious, better than their three-course wedding lunch at The Windmill Hotel. In fact, it was better than any meal Mrs Allan had ever made."I was right about you, Beth," he murmured as he dipped his spoon in the wok again."Daddy!" Orlando whispered, glaring at him when she caught him red-handed as he was about to shove a spoonful of stir-fry in his mouth. "That's terrible manners!""I'm sorry, Squeak," he mumbled guiltily as he pushed the f

Marybeth had barely made it inside when she felt Austin's powerful arms on her, slamming her to the wall as he claimed her mouth in another torrid kiss. Within seconds, she was panting and purring his name again, the heat in her core, needing only one thing to get her out of her misery. As if he could see into her x-rated thoughts, Austin lowered his hands, pressing her firmly close to him as he sensually rubbed against her, the girth and length of his erection driving her wild with need."Tonight," he murmured."No!" Marybeth gasped, pushing him away, when she heard the faint sound of a door slamming shut somewhere in the house."Not tonight. Not ever!" she reiterated as she fixed her clothes.She returned to the living room in time to see Orlando walk down the hall in her unicorn onesie and matching slippers."I'm ready to set the table, Ms Tyson," she announced, showing off her clean hands.Marybeth gently patted her head, "Can you give me a second? But you can get started in the m

"Jesus Christ!" Benji whispered in disbelief at the chaos in the room."He asked for it," was all Austin would say on the matter.Years ago, he declined to take over the security branch for this very reason. Reinforcing, collecting debts, and settling old scores often got bloody and messy. Blake, though, the ever bloodthirsty bastard, relished this side of the business.Arno stepped into the back office, looked through the safe and took exactly what was due to them, leaving the rest."Let's go," he said. "The cleanup crew is on the way.""At least the bastard went out with a bang," Austin mused, stepping over the bouncers' bodies. "Good thing we didn't interrupt his fuck fest."They left the same way they came. As they pulled away from Cruise Control, Austin took off his soiled jacket and dumped it beside him."Find the stripper," he told his men while he sent an urgent status update to his father and the consigliere about the mess with Amos."I'm on it," Benji replied.Half an hour l

"What is this?" Marybeth demanded."Our marriage certificate!""I see that, but why is my surname wrong?"Austin scoffed. "Wrong? You are mine, žena. You will bear my surname, and soon you will bear my heirs, too.""Are you insane?" Marybeth lost her shit, but was careful not to raise her voice; Orlando was still sleeping across the hall. "Bear your surname? Bear your heirs? What drugs are you on?""I'd be very careful with your next utterances, wife!" Austin warned her softly. "Traditionally, you should be staying home right now, and I should be filling your belly with our children. But I've had to fight the family to allow you to keep your liberties!""Liberties? Working is a 'liberty' in the Hawthorne family?" she asked, making air quotes with her fingers to show him just how ridiculous she found his statement. "Having passions that don't include being pampered and taken care of like a spoiled princess are liberties? Wow!""Beth," Austin tried to pull her in his arms again, but she

An irritable Austin walked into his doctor's office almost an hour later. He would have gotten there much sooner, but all the traffic lights in the Central Business District were out. Rolling blackouts were back, and so was everyone's road rage."I was surprised to see you on my appointment list today, Hawthorne," said Dr Claudia Young as she pointed at one of the velvet scallop chairs reserved for her patients.Austin dutifully sat down, grumbling, "Nice to see you too, Claudia."He'd known her all his life, so there was no need for formalities and honorifics. She may be a doctor now and deserved all the respect that went with the title. To him, though, she would always be bratty, annoying Claudia, the little girl with pigtails who used to follow him, Blake and Tim, around when they were kids.Eric Young, Claudia's father, was the Hawthornes' primary physician for over three decades. Several years ago, following a heartbreaking diagnosis of early onset dementia, he was forced to hang