While the old men were busy gossiping, Kyle was studying the menu. He wasn't looking forward to a repeat of yesterday, so he took the bull by the horn and ordered for both of them. She seemed a lot more relaxed, too, as she looked around, though he still sensed an edge. In time she'd get over that, he hoped. When the waitress came over, he got his back up, waiting for the cattiness to start. "Morning Kerry, you're a sight for sore eyes. I was just telling Jim the other day, Jim is my husband." This last was for Kyle. "I was just telling him that if we didn't see you around here soon, I was gonna have to come look for you; how you doing?" The older woman rubbed her shoulder affectionately and smiled. "I'm doing okay, Myra; how're you? Did Dana have the baby yet?" The two of them talked about babies and family while he watched her like a hawk. He'd come to know her well, and he knew that she was genuinely glad to be talking to the other woman. There was very little angst in her, an
Kyle knew who the woman was before she was on them. Kerry had gone stone cold. "It's okay, sweetie." He whispered to her just as the other woman stopped in front of them with the stroller. He debated for all of two seconds before pulling her away and around the woman and heading for his bike. She was damn near catatonic when he put the helmet on her. "Look at me. Don't do this, don't let her see you like this." She nodded her head, but he knew she was too far gone inside her head for his words to mean much. Dammit, just when the day had been going so well. Her arms squeezed around him even tighter than usual, and he closed his eyes in silent prayer for a second. It fucked with him that she was hurt. It fucked with him even more that there was nothing he could do about it now. If the baby wasn't there, things would've gone differently, but what he had to say to that bitch would keep for another time. She'd done him a favor anyway, taking out the asshole before he came along. Bu
Kyle was very pleased with the way the morning had gone. He hadn't heard back from the realtor about the offer, but he wasn't worried. If push came to shove, he'd give them what they were asking for. But no matter what, the house was hers. He'd never seen anyone get that excited over anything before. Then again, he'd never taken the time to notice before. And it had served another purpose. At least she wasn't sad about running into the other woman, at least not, so it showed. Things were coming at him hard and fast, and though he knew he had gramps' approval, there was someone else he needed to hear from. Someone he knew would give it to him straight and pull him back from the brink if he was moving too fast. It was one thing to play this shit out in his head, but another to make it real. He picked up the phone as he looked out across the way at his gramps and Lucille sitting in her front yard. "Hi ma, how's my fav...how's my favorite girl?" He actually stumbled on the word becau
The way he handled her, even the way he made her feel, was totally different from anything she had known before. Paul had been controlling yes, and though she sensed the same in Kyle, his was not of the selfish kind. In fact, he seemed more and more interested in her well-being than anything else. Paul had always looked out for himself first and foremost. Even going so far as to make her feel guilty if she took even a little time for herself. He was the one who got the best of everything even when she was the one working, leaving only the dregs for her. She hadn't minded back then, had felt a certain sense of pride that she could do things for him-the big shot doctor in the making. Kyle, on the other hand, didn't seem the type to let anyone else take care of him. He was in complete control of who he was and didn't need to make her feel less than, the way Paul so often did. It made her wonder why she'd fought so hard to hold on and why, even now, she was still having such a ha
For the next two weeks, when he wasn't busy dealing with his business, they were together. He'd sit on the couch on his own laptop while she wrote, making sure she took breaks to eat or go outside to enjoy the sun. They'd been able to avoid the asshole and his twat in all that time even though they went into town a few mornings to have breakfast and then again for dinner. She was smiling more these days, too, and their make-out sessions had gone from mere kisses to some heavy as fuck petting that always left him hungry. The house closing was coming up soon, and she still didn't know that he'd bought her favorite house. He'd taken her back there one day when she complained of being in a slump with her writing. It had perked her right up. There was only one hitch in his stride when he had to make a quick trip back home for an overnight run. It had been hell. He felt like a bitch all the way there on the plane and called her as soon as he'd landed. He was a maniac at the office,
She wasn't stupid. She'd been studying him as much as he was her. She knew he wasn't spending all that time with her for nothing, but before she gave into her body's needs, she needed to be sure that she wouldn't be crushed when it was all said and done. She was close to making up her mind to just go to bed with him if he ever got around to asking. But she wanted to be sure that she would be able to pick up the pieces once he left. "Say hi for me too." She had no idea he'd told his parents about her, he tended to be very tight-lipped about such things, but that was another little morsel to tuck away in her keepsake box - the one she was building in her heart. He hated that for even one second; she'd felt what she just had. It was his aim never to give her a moment's pain; that's why he'd been taking it slow. He had no idea when she was going to be ready, but he knew he wasn't going to be able to hold himself in check for much longer. Not if she kept lighting up like that each tim
Kyle rushed through his morning meetings and tidied up some stuff so that he wouldn't have to be back for a long time. He couldn't wait to get back to his little pain in the ass, princess. He touched his inside jacket pocket to make sure the box from Harry Winston was there and patted the packages on the seat next to him. She'd probably be pissed that he'd had the ring designed and rushed even before he knew he had to fly out; she'd see it as him planning her life. Which, in fact, he was. If he waited for her to make up her damn mind, he'd be as old as gramps. No, this involved him too; this was his future; she was his future. No way was he going to let her ex-husband and his shit fuck that up for him. He'd decided last night after they hung up that he wasn't going to play the game the same once he got back there. Maybe it was his fault that he'd leashed himself thinking that she needed that, but that might've been wrong. She'd already had one pansy-ass bitch for a husband; what
The plane had landed less than twenty minutes ago. As soon as his feet hit the tarmac, his hunger to lay eyes on her had hit hard. He knew where they were when he didn't find them at any of their homes, but by the time he pulled into the parking lot, he was going nuts. Meanwhile, Kerry was getting her first look at him in something other than his usual uniform of jeans and tee and have mercy. If she thought he was hot before, words could not describe what the man did to a well-cut suit. She'd heard women tease about drooling over a man before, but this was the first time she'd had the real experience herself. "You're staring." He had that slight smirk slash grin thing going, and she could see just the tip of his tongue hidden behind his lips, and every thought went right out of her head. "Sorry, I don't mean to." Get a grip, Kerryanne, geez. She was having very unwholesome thoughts. Like maybe slipping that tie from around his neck and pushing his shirt off his nicely muscled sh
Thank heaven his mom never listened for shit and had shown up a few hours after the delivery, ready to take over. He wouldn't admit it to her, but he'd never been more grateful for her presence than then. With her and his dad there to help gramps and Ms. Lucille and their crew keep an eye on things, he was able to breathe easy where his family was concerned. He knew he had enemies in town-well three of them for sure. And though two of them were gone now, two months ago, he was still on fucking high alert. He didn't trust that Jen person one fuck; the trick was a sociopath if you asked him, and capable of anything. After the new ruling and Paul had exhausted all of his attempts to swindle Kerryanne out of her half to no avail, they had no choice but to cut the check, which was promptly signed over to the contractors working on the project Kyle had already started for battered and abandoned women. He'd gotten the idea from her story, seeing her going through what she had when they
Instead of the one nanny, they now had two, and that was only because she'd kicked up a fuss at three. "How're the boys?" Her sons were asleep in the crib they'd set up in the master suite next to their bed. Kyle had insisted, and she agreed that they were too young to be left alone in the nursery just yet. "Kaden just went to sleep, but Kellan's been out for a while." He sniffed Kylie's hair and held her close. There was no escaping the fact that she was daddy's little princess in every sense of the word. Though he was as proud as could be when it came to his sons. "And you, how is my wife?" She never got tired of hearing him call her that, but she knew there was another reason behind it this time. "All clear." His eyes smoldered, and that place between her thighs tingled. It had been way too long since she'd felt his heavy length inside her. Too long since she'd felt him over her, under her, behind her, he kissed their daughter before placing her back in the crib with her brother
EPILOGUEGeez, he's so sappy over that kid; it made her grin. "Kyle, she needs her sleep." "But I haven't seen her all day, and she missed her daddy, didn't you, little princess?" He nuzzled the baby, who cooed-she only did that for her daddy. Mercy, it had been a trying time these last few months. That day after Jen had left in such a hurry, Kerry had gone into labor. Kyle had wanted to go after her and strangle her for bringing it on two months early, but Kerry had convinced him that the woman's visit had nothing to do with it. Well, maybe realizing the woman had broken up her marriage with a child that was obviously not her ex-husband's was a bit much to take in. After the mad dash to the hospital where she'd seen her husband in fine form, barking out orders and threats like a drill sergeant at someone other than her, she'd been rushed into the delivery room. "Mom isn't due back for another couple of weeks." "I know, hon, we'll be fine." "We haven't chosen a nanny yet; we
"It's time to go home." She sighed as he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "Already? I don't wanna." "I know, sweetheart, we'll come back soon, I promise." He'd given up the idea of taking the yacht around the world since he didn't want to risk her pregnancy and instead had brought them to his little private beach in Santorini. Three weeks of the most amazing sunsets, good food, sun, and the best sex since his wife had morphed into a nympho, and now it was time to go. He didn't want to go either, but life called. She was well into her seventh month, and though she hadn't been complaining, he was starting to get nervous. Most days, while she napped, he spent his time reading up on what was going on in her body, and if he wasn't mistaken, her tummy had dropped. As far as he could tell, that was weeks ahead of schedule, but he didn't say anything to her about it because she was getting more and more anxious about labor as the days go on. He couldn't say that
It was another hour and a half before they left the bed for the bathtub, where they took turns bathing each other and giggling like two teenagers about their big day. "Happy?" He wrapped his arms around her from behind as the bubbles fizzled and melted away. "Very." She turned her lips for a kiss while his hands played with her full tits. He had to call a halt so they could go get ready for their big day. *** She was beautiful. His mother had hired a bevy of twittering females to do her hair and makeup and get her ready for her big day. She'd asked him to leave such things to her since Kerryanne didn't have a mom or sisters, and he was proud of the way his had stepped in to fill the void. He didn't like the way they'd all tried to scalp him when he'd entered the inner sanctum to give her-her gift, though - damn women. Kerry wore the biggest smile under her veil as she made her way to the altar towards him on his grandfather's arm. The old man had offered his services, and
She'd held out for all of five minutes, refusing to choose anything, but that didn't last long once they started bringing out the samples. Since she'd gotten to know Kyle's two sisters in the last few months, she'd asked them to be bridesmaids and, over very loud protest, had convinced Ms. Lucille to be her matron of honor. They'd invited their new friends from town who'd been only too excited to accept. No one mentioned Paul and Jen, for which she was eternally grateful. She didn't want anything to spoil her day and was sure she'd be visiting Kyle from behind glass if either of them tried anything. *** The big day dawned sunny and bright, and her eyes popped open before the birds started singing in the trees. She was wrapped securely in his arms, and his soft breath against her nape said he was still asleep. She laid there quietly, just taking it all in. She wished her mom and dad had been here to see it, to see how happy she was now. Where once she'd been afraid to be th
The next few months were a whirlwind of activity. Her morning sickness had disappeared at the start of her second trimester. The house was completely furnished thanks to Kyle threatening everyone to get his way, and the wedding was in two days. Surprisingly, she was calm and relaxed while her husband to be had completely lost it. "Kerryanne, get down from there. Are you nuts?" She rolled her eyes and stepped down from the mini ladder. She'd climbed up to fix the corner of the curtain, thinking he was busy in his new home office. The man was a tyrant. Every afternoon, he made her take a nap whether she needed one or not. He made her breakfast, lunch, and dinner because the smell of food still made her nauseous, and he was like a bodyguard whenever they left the house. They hadn't seen or heard from Paul since that day at the old apartment. The restraining order seemed to be working well, and she had outgrown her fear. Then again, Kyle was never too far away, so no one had the oppo
"What are you thinking about?" His voice brought her back from her thoughts. She guessed she was going to have to get used to the fact that he always knew when Paul hopped into her mind. "I was just counting my blessings. My life is so changed from just a few short months ago. It's one thing to write a story that goes from zero to sixty in a few pages, but quite another to see it unfold in reality. Thank you." Now it was she who lifted their joined hands and kissed his knuckles." "For what babycakes?" He pulled into a parking space outside the doctor's office. "For finding me, loving me." He turned the key in the ignition and kissed her hair. "You're more than welcome." *** The doctor turned out to be a nice middle-aged woman who seemed to know her way around a disgruntled father-to-be. She answered all his questions with a patience that could only have been born with time and experience because he had a lot. Kyle had been reading up on pregnancy and fatherhood, bu
Kyle pulled out and rolled away from Kerryanne early the next morning, but when he moved in for his snuggle and kiss, she pushed him away and made a mad dash for the bathroom. He followed her and, kneeling on the floor next to her, held her hair back. Since this was the third or fourth time he'd seen this, he was getting good at knowing what to do next. So after wetting a washcloth, he cooled her brow and helped her wash up before leading her back to bed. "I'm making you a cup of tea, and then we're going to the doctor." "But my appointment isn't for another two days." She sounded pitiful. "I don't care; we're going." His first choice had been to find her a doctor in Chicago, but both her and his mom had convinced him that it didn't make sense for her to travel all that way by private plane for every appointment. Of course, the asshole wasn't a choice, so they'd found one in the next town over. Female. He didn't care how much everyone laughed at him; no male doc was puttin