A Desconian Happily Ever After (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Read Online Free Page A

happily, kicking his feet in a very good imitation of running in midair. Drew turned to the change table, quickly changed Alex’s soaked diaper, and couldn’t help but grin at the little boy’s giggles. It was a wonderful welcome even this early in the morning. Drew grinned as he lifted Alex back into his arms. “Shhh, you’re going to wake your momma.”
    “Too late,” Ally said as she rolled over in the bed. “What time is it?”
    “About an hour before breakfast.”
    “Oh, hell, sorry.” She quickly scrambled to her feet. Drew tried very hard not to look at how beautiful the woman was with messy hair and wearing rumpled pajamas, but he was only Desconian. How could an ordinary mortal deny himself a peek at such an attractive sight? She truly was a lovely woman inside and out. “I’m sorry he woke you,” she said, running a hand through her hair tiredly. “I don’t usually sleep through him moving.”
    “It’s okay, Ally. I was awake anyway. Why don’t you get some more rest?”
    She shook her head, but glanced at the bed longingly. It was obvious she needed more sleep, but he didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable either. She’d spent her time on Earth fearing for Alex’s future, but since arriving on Descon and realizing how desperately children were wanted, she’d spent a lot of time fearing that someone would take him from her. It was an awful lot of stress for a young mother to have to deal with alone. But he also understood that it would take more than a few words to convince her that Alex was safe here.
    “How about you come with us then? You can lie down on the sofa while Alex and I play some games.”
    She smiled, nodded, and turned to drag on her robe. “I should change him first,” she said over her shoulder.
    “Already done,” Drew said as he grabbed a pillow off Ally’s bed and handed it to her. “Come on, you two. Let’s go play.”
     
    * * * *
     
    Kallum followed the soft noises into the living area and found a very pleasant sight. Ally was curled up on one of the sofas, sleeping soundly, while her son sat with Drew, giggling softly as they read a very silly book together. At seven months of age it was unlikely Alex understood more than a few words, but it was obvious that Drew’s tone was very entertaining.
    “Good morning,” Kallum whispered when the pair stopped to look at him. “That sounds like a fun book.”
    “It is,” Drew said, glancing at Ally where she still slept, “but it got me thinking. Ally speaks the standard Earth language and understands us because of her language translator.” He touched the place behind his ear where his own translator nestled. “What language is Alex learning?”
    Drew smiled and took a seat on the sofa beside his husband. He reached over to tickle Alex’s tummy, but the baby quickly grabbed at his finger and tried valiantly to put it in his mouth. Kallum smiled at the natural curiosity Alex displayed. He might not have had the best start in life, but it was obvious that Ally had done everything in her power to make sure he had a bright future.
    “Basically, Alex is learning both languages. He’ll probably speak a mixture of both for quite a few years, but eventually he’ll be able to separate the two.”
    Drew shook his head, smiling. “Babies are pretty incredible, aren’t they?”
    “Very true,” Kallum said as he glanced over at Ally. “Did she get any sleep last night?”
    “I think so,” Drew said, smiling at the sleeping woman affectionately, “but I suspect the sleep deprivation is going to take a while to get over.”
    “With you looking out for her, I’m sure she’ll get there.”
    Drew gave him a happy smile, but then his expression turned very serious. “Thank you.”
    “What for?”
    “For understanding, for seeing, for finally realizing I don’t need you hovering over me anymore.”
    Kallum leaned over and kissed Drew softly. “I will always worry. I love you. That’s just how it works. But I’m