Pawned Virtue - #wattys2015 BK4 TPBS - Completed 1st draft

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Not edited. ONE MILLION reads!!!! Dancing around the lounge room right now :D Thank you lovely priceling peoples!!!

Lucas sat back with his laptop on his lap supposedly working but he was unable to take his eyes away from where Tara was sitting on the floor with his nephews playing.

Poor Anna and Damon looked like their brains were fried from lack of sleep when they met up with them earlier. Finn had started to teeth and Andrew was hitting those terrible two's that everyone dreads. Handing over the kids to the family had been a welcome relief for them both. They'd slept through the entire plane trip to Jesser's.

Now, Anna was chatting with Josie as they prepared dinner, Damon, Maxon and Grayson had gone out for a horse ride before the brothers all went out for a night on the town. In Jesser's a night on the town consisted of visiting the local pub and mixing it with the locals.  Something they all liked to do once in a while.

Tara's laugh at the silly grin that Finn was giving her brought his mind back to the present. Her eyes lit up with such happiness at seeing a mini Damon with Anna's soft features trying to form the faces she was pulling at him, Nicholas and Andrew.

Lucas was in awe at how at home she seemed with the children. Sure he'd seen her with the baby Seth brought over, but here and now she was letting herself go and he was sure without a shadow of a doubt that Tara would be the worlds best mother.

His gut clenched at the thought and wondered if there would ever be a time when they would be called parents. Would he ever have the chance to have their new born son or daughter handed to him with a congratulatory smile?

Tara felt his eyes on her and turned to meet them. His immediate smile sent flutters through her heart as she smiled back.

He couldn't help himself. His arms itched to hold her, to hold her close... to feel her warmth next to him.

Tara turned back to the kids and kept playing. Andrew's quick talk while mostly coherent became like babble as he got more excited in telling her his story. Finn in his baby chair kept throwing his arms around and babbling to the expressions on Tara's face while Nicholas, a little over one and a half offered her a toy he'd picked as if it were the crown jewels.

A leg stretched out beside her and turning she saw Lucas moving to sit behind her and felt his hands as they moved around her waist and arms held her close as his head dropped to her shoulder. She felt the warmth of his breath through the material as he sighed against her shoulder blade. She shivered and he grinned and planted a soft kiss on her covered skin.

Andrew moved suddenly and landed on Tara's lap with a scowl and tugging at his uncle's arms.

"My Narntie" he glared at Lucas who grinned with a sparkle in his eye as he moved an arm over Tara's shoulder and across her chest pulling her towards him.

"My Tara."

For the next few minutes they argued back and forth between them until they heard a laugh from the doorway.

"You won't win twirp. That kid's as stubborn as his mother."

"I heard that Maxon!" Came Anna's voice from the kitchen.

"Wasn't hiding it Anna"  Maxon replied with a cheeky grin as Anna came to stand at the kitchen door.

"Mmmm" was all she said and Maxon chuckled while shaking his head and moving over to where Lucas, Tara and the children were sitting on the floor.

He bent down and picked up Andrew who squealed as his uncle started to tickle him and tell him it was time for a bath.

Grayson and Damon walked in at that moment and quickly agreed. It seemed they'd decided to make the evening a little easier for the girls while they were out having fun.

Their ride had given them the chance to talk about Donovan and the others and what they had to do. Their ideas were still swimming through their minds and although they moved with smiles there was an underlying sadness at what their lives had once been. Nicholas Price Senior had taken so many things from them but he left one thing in tact, one thing he couldn't steal... their sense of family.

Lucas jumped up and held his hand out to Tara to help her up as Finn and Nicholas were whisked away by Grayson and Damon to follow their eldest brother to the bathroom.

Anna stood quietly watching. She could see how much Lucas loved Tara and it was this love she knew from her own experiences that would be her salvation, her reason to forgive. She backed away into the kitchen as Lucas pulled Tara into his arms and lowered his head to give them their privacy.

Tara loved the feel of Lucas's gentle probing tongue on her lips, the probe that asked for permission to take the kiss deeper... and she granted it.

God he loved this woman. His wife. His Tara. Her taste as sweet as a strawberry and always, without fail, made him wish he never had to stop kissing her.

She pulled away slowly, reluctant, but needing to breathe. Her eyes fluttered open and met his and in that moment she knew that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with this man. She wanted to be his wife, his friend, his confidant... and the mother of his children.

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