Page 72 of The Marriage Agreement
“Do you… not want another child?”
She breaks out of my embrace. Oh oh.
“No! What? I do. But do you? I mean, knowing you have a kid in one year is one thing, but two? I’m not sure you’d be comfortable having a baby around now that— ”
I draw her into my arms again and kiss her. It’s a long sweet kiss that I hope tells her how I feel. “You could give me ten babies right now and I would be the happiest man on earth. I would consider myself lucky to be the father of your children, Ivy Hawthorne.”
“Are you sure? A baby is a different matter from a seven-year-old.”
“There’s nothing I’ve been more sure of in my life.”
“But two children in a loveless relationship? Isn’t that pushing it?”
“Who said our relationship is loveless?”
“I am incapable of that kind of love.” She throws my words back at me and I cringe at my former self, who uttered those words. I would never say that to her now. Not when I know what love is. What it feels like to wake up next to someone you want to wake up next to until you die.
“What if I told you that was a lie? That I couldn’t face the feelings I had for you. I’ve always had for you, so I told you a lie to make myself feel better.”
She shakes her head. “Damien.”
“No, listen to me. I know you don’t believe me and you might never love me again, but there is love in this marriage. From me to our son. From me to you. I love you. I don’t know when I began to have those feelings, be it three months ago, be it eight years ago. All I know is they’ve been there for a long time and I was just too cowardly to admit how insanely in love with you I am.”
“Damien--”
I put my hand on her mouth. “You don’t have to say anything. At least not now. Just know that I love you and I want to spend the rest of my days with you.
Chapter 29
Ivy
He loves me. At first, I wasn’t sure if my ears were playing tricks on me or not. These past three months have been the happiest I have ever been. Damien has spent his time wooing me. Taking me out on romantic dates, impressing not only me, but Lake as well with vacations. After Lake started expressing an interest in motor racing, Damien took us all to watch the Grand Prix in Monaco. I thought we would sit in the terraces, but no. He took us on his yacht and we watched the race there. It was fun to watch it, that was, that’s for sure. It made Lake’s week. Or even year. Watching excitedly as the cars as they passed by made me interested in the race as well. And as if that was not enough, Damien had another gift. He set up a meet and greet with one of the drivers of Lake’s favorite team and the driver found Lake so charming he invited him to sit in his car. Lake was so overjoyed we heard nothing else but the Monaco for the next few weeks.
“You’re spoiling him,” I said to Damien the night of the meet and greet. “You can’t indulge him every time he gets a new hobby.”
Damien came from behind as I was brushing my hair and closed his arms around me. “He’s already talking about carting. Who knows, he might be his generation’s champion racer.”
I tried to ignore his lips, nuzzling my neck and creating thrills down my spine. “That’s because he heard about go-carts fromMartinez. I’m sure Lake would frog march for the next month if his favorite racer told him that’s how you walk.”
“Mmm…I would rather not talk about Lake and racing right now.” Damien walked us backward into bed and made love to me. This was the first time since our agreement, we were in bed together. He took his time seducing me. Kissing, licking, and biting each nipple until I was thrashing on the bed. Then he entered me. I’m sure that is the day we conceived this pregnancy. It was two months ago and we’ve been closer since, but when I found out I was pregnant, I wasn’t sure he would want the baby.
It took lots of courage on my part to reveal the pregnancy to him. He has no idea how relieved I am that he wants this child. Even though I now know he had a minor part to play in refusing Lake, I still wasn’t sure if he would want another child. Damien’s life before us was one of a fully fledged bachelor. A man known for working hard and playing even hard. But even that has changed. He bought a sedan to replace his sports car. He doesn’t seem to work the long hours he’s famous for. Some days he comes to work earlier than me. And most of the days he helps to raise Lake, not as a hobby, like some Dads do, but as someone invested in his son’s life. The more we stay together, the more I realize how easy it is to fall in love with him. I’ve always wondered if he loves me back. If his gifts and special attention is because he wants to repent for what he did, but now. Now I know.
“Damien,” I start, not sure what else to say after such a love confession.
“You don’t have to say anything, darling.” He lifts me and carries me in his arms. “I want to show how much I love you. That’s the only way you can understand.”
My gaze goes to Lake’s room as we pass it by. “But Lake.”
“Is busy with his candy,” Damien says as he opens the door to his room, to our room, and lays me on the bed. My gaze goes to the door, my mind still on Lake. He might start looking for us after he’s done counting. “Fine,” Damien says as though reading my thoughts, “I’ll check up on him. Smiling, he leaves and a moment later, he comes back. He’s already asleep. He fell asleep with candy all over his bed. I’ve sorted it out and covered him up with a blanket. Happy now?”
I nod and I am about to say yes, but Damien shuts any words I was about to say with a kiss. He is gentle and slow. As though he has all the time in the world, but I know this is a tease. Damien gets a little frantic once he’s aroused and I doubt he will keep this pace, especially when—“Oh!” Damien has already unbuttoned my blouse, drew down my bra, and is biting my nipple. The pain comes with a sensational pleasure that makes me press his head down for me. He’s more than happy to oblige. He assaults the other nipple just as he did the first. Licking, sucking, biting, until I am crying in anguish. In need of release.
He stands up and removes his suit, making me chuckle. “I thought fucking me in a green goblin suit was one of your fetishes,” I say.
“Not at all, but if it is yours. I am happy to oblige.” He pauses in the middle of dropping the pants. I shake my head, laughing. “Going.” He slides them halfway. “Gone.” And removes them completely. He joins me again on the bed and swallows my laughter with a kiss. He removes my clothes faster than he removes his until I am as naked as him. Instead of going on top of me like I thought, he goes behind me, throws away the pillows to the floor, and sits up, legs open wide. He repositions me so that I am sitting between his legs with my back against his chest. His lips go to my neck and he slowly kisses me as his hands wander down my body, caressing and squeezing me as though he can’t get enough of me.
“You’re like a drug,” he whispers against my neck. “I don’t know why I ever thought I would have enough of you. I will never have enough.”
