by Cee, DW
A gasping audience halted our conversation, and we both watched Max propose to Jane in a very public setting. Even in the midst of her hurt and humiliation, Delaney smiled for her cousin and Max. The woman in my arms was as sweet as they came and I’d do well to remember this.
“Let’s table our issues and go congratulate Max and Jane,” she croaked. Seeing Delaney back to her softer self, I held her hand and walked her to her family.
“You know I love you, don’t you? I’ve made a lot of mistakes in the past but I’m hoping you’ll leave them in the past.” I stopped the confessional when I saw her breathing deep and holding back her tears. “You and I will get there soon.” I promised, looking over at the newly affianced couple.
Back at Roland’s Tuscan villa, I gingerly approached Delaney and asked her to talk to me again. She agreed and I dove right back into my confessional. “I made that shitty proposal to Jane and went off to London to take care of some business and to hopefully talk to you to understand why I was so frustrated and yet so obsessed with you. It pissed me off that I couldn’t get you off my mind. Jake and Al kept telling me I was in love with you, but I denied it and wanted answers. I wanted an answer concerning you, and I wanted an answer concerning Jane. I went to see you at Gram’s, and you were sitting on the steps looking beautiful in Bee’s yellow bumblebee dress. You don’t know how happy I was to finally see you and get a hold of you. All those times I stopped by, you were never home.”
“Oh, I was home...” she announced proudly.
I was annoyed but willing to let it go for now. “We’ll talk about that later. So, as I was saying, you were waiting and I thought you saw me because your face broke into the most stunning smile. Between your dress and your sweet smile, I thought I was being blinded by a ray of sunshine. But as soon as I took my eyes off you to tell the cab driver to stop, Michael had come and swept you into his arms. It looked like he caught you by surprise, but you looked happy. And I think that was the day everything changed for me.”
“So that was you,” she answered with chagrin.
“Huh? What does that mean, Delaney?”
“That day, I sat on my steps for a very long time imagining and dreaming of you sitting next to me. I missed you so much I sat there and pretended you had come to tell me you were madly in love with me and couldn’t live without me. I conjured up scenarios of us talking about our future and talking about how many kids we’d have, and in the midst of dreaming, I thought I spotted you in a black cab. It was like my dream had come true, and it brought me such elation. Clearly, I remember that day and how relieved I felt to be able to tell you and have you maybe understand and accept my heart. But at the blink of an eye, Michael was in front of me and you had vanished. Poor Michael thought my smile was all for him and that made his day. Because of that smile, he proposed to me and asked me to be his future duchess. I guess Jane and I both got over-the-top proposals that day.”
Damn! What a messed up day that was. “After I saw you and Michael, I flew into Chicago when Becky called to say Jane was there and in trouble. When I got to Chicago, I learned that I had fucked things up for Jane, and Max had left her for his Mexico trip a month earlier than planned.”
“How did Max find out?”
“Just my luck, he was outside her door. He had arrived right after me, and left as soon as I was done.”
“Poor Max.”
“Jane was a mess, and to make a long story short, she and I went out on one date. We saw a show, had dinner, and shared one kiss.” The expected waterfall poured with the revelation of the kiss and I wanted to cry with her. There truly was no worse feeling than watching the woman I loved hurting because of me. If I had thought through my actions more carefully, I would’ve understood what a ripple effect that kiss would have in hurting all those involved. “It was one kiss, and it was the most disgusting, incestuous kiss that ever occurred between two people.” I attempted to put a negative description to the mistake I’d made. “Jane and I were both repelled with one another, and horrified that we’d hurt everyone around us to satisfy our curiosity. And what you saw at the hospital, it wasn’t what you thought. I pulled Jane in and asked her to allow me to kiss her one more time. After seeing you with Michael, and experiencing that kiss with Jane, I knew what Jake and Al had been telling me all this time was true. I’d been in love with you, but had denied it. I asked Jane for one more kiss just to be clear once and for all on the issue of us. BUT, we came to the conclusion that it wasn’t necessary. And as karma the bitch would have it, you walked in right when we were about to untangle from one another.”
“OK,” was all she would give me.
“OK? Um, is there more to that? Do you have any questions? Multi-word comments? A four-letter word or two?”
“The more I think about this situation, I suppose I have no right to be upset with you. You were not my boyfriend at the time. There were no promises made between us before I left. I even had a boyfriend. I could be upset with the fact that you hurt Max, but since he got over all that’s happened and felt sure enough to propose, whatever indignity I felt for him is moot. I can’t exactly be on Jane’s side, either, since she was just as guilty as you were. The only issue I can raise is the fact that I am alarmed by your selfishness. Just because you’re curious about a woman does not give you the right to take her away from another man.” Shit. A passive Delaney was worse than the forceful one.
“You are absolutely right. That was the worst thing I’ve ever done in my life; every day I live with the guilt. I am grateful Max and Jane were able to work out their problems and get engaged.”
“Donovan, I really don’t know what to say. Yes, I’m hurt. Yes, that emcee caught me by surprise. But I don’t know if I can cry foul anymore over something that happened, unrelated to me. As you pointed out, you and Jane were technically single.”
“Delaney, don’t do that. Don’t go apathetic on me. Cry, yell, scream, do whatever you like, but don’t make me think you don’t care.” She was scaring the hell out of me. Either the practical side of her was coming out, rationalizing what had happened, and fitting it into the not-a-big-deal category. Or she was pushing me into the he’s-not-worth-the-heartache category.
“You know I care. The problem is that I care too much, and have always cared too much for you.”
Delaney’s impassive attitude was so alarming I changed tactics and subjects. “Tell me what went wrong this morning. If you don’t want to talk about Jane anymore, we don’t have to. We can bring that up later again if you want, or ask more questions if you have them. But tell me what happened this morning?”
She sighed and answered like it was no big deal—perhaps I was no big deal. “Maybe this, too, is a moot point. I was upset with how familiar and casually intimate Kate was with you, still.”
“You’ve lost me. Give me an example.”
“Here are the questions that went through my mind while you were with Kate. How did she know where to reach you? How the hell did she know where to get a coffee cup and spoon from that Paris apartment? Has she stayed with you in Grandfather’s apartment? Did you and I share one of the most intimate acts on the same bed you and she had slept in? Had all the beds we shared up until now been recycled? I know I’m being unfair to you since you were with her for so long, but I just can’t get rid of her shadow—or perhaps I’m the shadow.” Oh my sweet, sweet girl. Do I make you that insecure? Could you possibly be more insecure with me than I am with you? “I’m sorry for being so young and inexperienced in life and love. I probably sound stupid and juvenile to you. I can’t ever be your first anything...I know. I just don’t like coming in second place all the time.”
“Princess.” I took my chances and kissed her with love, passion, sorrow and regret. I just hoped she wouldn’t push me away. I would’ve been lost had she pushed me away at this point in our relationship. “You are second to no one, and I don’t want you ever thinking you are anyone’s shadow. Kate has been to Rolan
d’s before on business, but I wasn’t there. Her company has hired our firm in the past, and she and Roland have worked together many times. That’s why he hired her the minute he knew she was available. What we did that night in Paris was as intimate and beautiful to me as it was for you. I missed out on giving you some of my firsts, but I hope to be your first and only in every way.”
Our ordeal was done! This gentle woman of mine forgave me for all my stupidity and kissed me back with ardor. She smiled again and let me hold her while we talked over a few last issues. I’d learned that Delaney and Michael had finally broken up, I confessed to every last detail about my “relationship” with Jane, and everything was now out in the open. Now, we could move forward at our pace.
The next morning was the best morning yet! A Tuscan sunrise was as beautiful as its sunset, and I was here with the woman I loved. Life didn’t get much better.
“Everything work out with Delaney?” Jake walked in to the kitchen with JR in his arms. “Emily is tired from last night,” was his terse explanation—not that I needed one.
I beamed. “All is good in our world now. I see the wedding chapel, the bells and whistles, and the gaggle of kids on the cul-de-sac.”
Jake laughed at my statement. “I heard you are in negotiations with Uncle Dave for that French provincial home of his?”
“I am. We’ll be neighbors soon.” I put out my hand and offered to hold his baby.
“Uncle Dave says you’re a hell of a negotiator.” Jake got up and made himself a cup of coffee while his hands were free.
“That’s what I do for a living. But I do believe I laid out a more than generous offer.”
“He did mention that, too. What will you do if you don’t make any money from the sale of the company?”
“I doubt that’ll happen since Roland’s price is low to begin with, but if that happens, we’ll wait till I can raise enough capital to buy the home at a later time. That’s the beauty of negotiating with family. It’s negotiable! Uncle Dave didn’t mind either way.”
“You do know you might have med school tuition to contend with if your girlfriend decides that’s where her heart is at?”
“Damn, that sounds good. She is my girlfriend now, huh?”
“That she is!” Jake laughed at me again.
“As much as I’d like for our kids to live next to one another, if it doesn’t happen, then we’ll be a ten-minute drive away. My current house isn’t big enough for the boatload of kids we both want, but we’ll make do.”
“The chief and your father talked about buying the house for you and Delaney if the sale didn’t go as planned.”
“Absolutely not,” I countered. “Tell everyone not to worry. The sale will happen and you and I will be neighbors.”
JR began fussing so Jake took him from me. “It’s been feeding time for a while, but I wanted my wife to sleep a little longer. I don’t think he can wait.” It would feel pretty damn good to hold my own child—soon, very soon!
“Hey. You here alone?” There was no chance to be alone with all these Reids in the house.
“Congratulations, again, Jane.” I gave her a hug and kiss to the forehead and shook Max’s hand. “Once again, I need to apologize for my stupidity and I wish you and Jane only the best.”
“Thanks. Everything moving in the right direction? It looked like our little Laney was kicking your ass last night and making you grovel like no man’s business.” Max—Asshole—laughed at me heartily. “I told you I didn’t need to do anything. I knew Laney would do it for me.”
“Ha, ha, ha...! You’re getting your wish and then some. It’s damn difficult courting one of these Reid women.”
“Amen to that!” We clinked our coffee cups in solidarity.
“Shut up or I’m going to tell Laney you were complaining about her being difficult.”
“All you women are difficult!”
“I heard that.” Emily said with a pretty smile, but it was Delaney who caught my eye. Even in a disheveled state with her hair barely brushed and a cotton robe over her pajamas, she was a sight to behold—absolutely stunning! My Princess!
I walked over and couldn’t get enough of her lips. Even knowing Delaney would protest, I wanted badly to take her back into our room and finish what we started in Paris.
Breakfast with the six of us, plus JR, was what I dreamed an extended family would be. We enjoyed each other’s company, we spoke of future plans, and we encouraged one another and promised help along the way.
The biggest and greatest development during this time was my future bride’s decision to go to med school. Being as bright as she was, that was the rightful place for her. She would eventually work alongside her father and cousin in the hospital her grandfather helped build. She had made the perfect decision.
“What do you think about my decision?” Delaney asked while we were getting ready to leave for Rome.
“Your decision is perfect! You are perfect! I knew that’s where you’d end up once you told me you got into med school, my brilliant bride.”
“And who said I was to be your bride?”
“What the hell? Do we still have issues to work through? Are we not getting married?”
“I don’t know?” She answered nonchalantly as if we were talking about what to eat for dinner. “I’ve got four years of med school, plus another four years of residency. That’ll put you in your forties before you saw any children. Having kids seem to be high priority for you. My schooling will cost a fortune, I’ll be focused on school rather than you, and I can be a little grumpy when I’m stressed. You still want a woman who comes with all this baggage?” Now, she was being sassy.
I pulled her into my body and explained, “I’ll take you over kids any day! If we have to wait eight years, it’ll be eight glorious years filled with lots of travel and sex. And once we have kids, it’ll be an eternity of fun with our brood and more sex.”
“Where does sex fit into all this?”
“I’m just getting you prepared for tonight.”
She rolled her eyes and finished packing for the both of us.
As expected, Roland’s apartment in Rome didn’t disappoint. It wasn’t as grand as the Paris apartment, but it was beautiful nonetheless. Before I left for the day, our conversation about marriage this morning bothered me. I needed further clarification.
I asked, “You have broken up with Michael?”
“Michael...shoot! I need to give him a call and make sure he’s OK.”
“Delaney!” It bugged the crap out of me that she still cared for this guy. Why couldn’t she just let him crawl under his rock and be done?
“Yes. Michael and I broke up. It was such a terrible thing, Donovan. Who am I to break his heart? He was very hurt when he left. I don’t think I could stand that kind of pain if you broke up with me.”
“This happiness will go on till death-do-us-part, assuming…we are getting married?” Now why the hell did I ask this as a question rather than declaring it as a statement?
“Maybe.” She was still being sassy, playing with my emotions.
“You drive me nuts,” I complained. “What am I missing here? You’ve been in love with me for most of your life, I return this love, you have no boyfriend, why no marriage?”
“Like I said before, you’re a smart man, Donovan Taylor. Figure it out.” I just didn’t understand women, especially this woman.
“You, me, tonight—you got it?”
“Yes.” She blessed me with the most stunning smile. “You look incredibly dapper, Mr. Taylor. Go to work so you can pay my medical school tuition, if we get married.”
“I would pay that bill and more if you’d be my wife.”
“Would you still be saying that if I told you my tuition would be free if I stayed a Reid? Daddy says since he works for the University as a surgeon as well as a professor, I get free med school tuition like I got free undergrad tuition. That’s all part of the perks
of working at a university. Do you still want me, right now?”
Was she kidding me? “We could take Jane and Max as witnesses, walk to city hall right now, and become man and wife. The choice is yours. I’ll take you, medical tuition and all.”
“Since it would kill my mother not to throw me a wedding, I think I’ll have to say no to your idea of a city hall wedding. Go to work, Mr. Taylor. I’ll see you tonight.”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
The damn dinner took longer than I expected. These clients and their wives would not let us leave. Delaney and I wined and dined them, answered every question, and even regaled them with our tale of love. When we finally got to the hotel room, Delaney refused to do anything—nasty or otherwise—with me. I decided I wouldn’t take her out for any large meals if she was going to use that as an excuse not to have sex. I’d had a hard-on all day thinking about having sex with her. The thought of finally seeing some action with my woman got me through three difficult meetings. There was no way she was not going to put out tonight.
After more cajoling than necessary for two people who were dying to get into each other’s pants, I finally got my princess in a white babydoll negligee, not that the negligee was even necessary. I just wanted to see her naked!
“Um...Donovan...?” I knew what she was going to say. I couldn’t resist sucking on her almost bare chest and neck. I felt like a vampire wanting to suck on anything with white creamy skin. “It’s too hot for a scarf and I’d like to leave the room before next week. Could you try not to leave too many dark marks on me?” I’d try but couldn’t make any promises.
Her glorious breasts were covered by the damn nightgown. Every time I pulled it down and released her breasts, she pulled the gown back up in modesty. I decided the nightgown was now a nuisance and tossed it over her head.
