“You don’t think it’s a little early, since we don’t know if it’s a boy or girl yet?”
“Pfft.” Tracey shook her head. “Please. Who determined what makes pink a girl color and blue a boy color, anyway? What’s the point of limiting artistic expression all because of gender?”
“I love you, Tracey.” Viv laughed.
The older woman smiled at her. “I love you too, doll.”
At this point, the drive to the hospital was so familiar that Viv could have taken it with her eyes closed. After finding a spot in the parking deck, they said good morning to the staff who had all become staples in their lives and took the elevator up to Markus’ room.
“Knock, knock,” Tracey sang out as she entered the room, balloons clutched in her hand. “Happy birthday, Markus!”
Viv followed at a slower pace. Tracey always spoke to Markus like he could hear her. While some days Viv followed suit, other days her doubts got the best of her and she wondered if they were wasting their time even visiting.
“Viv is here, too,” Tracey said. “Of course. And we brought you balloons. They all say happy birthday, but one is rainbow, one is red and blue, and the other looks like the sun. I’m tying them to the foot of your bed.”
Viv took the chair next to Markus’ bed. His hair had grown long over the last two months. A nurse had cut it once for him, but he was due for another trim. Reaching up to his forehead, she pushed his bangs back.
“And Ryder is coming later,” Viv added.
She figured she might as well jump on the positivity wagon for the day. Even if being that optimistic sometimes hurt her heart the most.
Tracey settled into the chair on the other side of the bed. “Viv and I are going shopping later. We’re going to get some cute baby things.” She looked over at Viv. “Have you thought any about the nursery yet?”
“Not really.”
What she’d been thinking about was Ryder’s offer to take the diamond money. With it, she could buy a sweet little cottage like Tracey’s. Maybe even get one in the same neighborhood, so her child could live down the street from their grandmother.
With a house completely paid off, she could stay at any job she wanted, which meant continuing to work at the florist. Between all the help Tracey and Veronica had already offered, she and the baby would have a very comfortable life.
It would be the most positive start Viv could think of in the light of losing Markus.
Tears leaked from her eyes, and she bowed her head. She didn’t want Tracey to see her giving up, but how long could she hold onto this charade for? It had begun to eat her from the inside.
“Viv?” Tracey asked.
“I’m sorry,” she croaked. No more running from the truth. “I can’t do this anymore.”
Tracey said nothing. She understood exactly what Viv was saying.
Taking Markus’ hand in hers, Viv sniffled. “I love you, Markus. I’ll never stop loving you. You will always be a part of mine and the baby’s lives.”
Tracey grabbed a tissue from the side table and dabbed at her eyes.
Viv continued, “Even if… even if that means we have to move on.”
She bowed her head and caught sight of the new baby bump she’d forgotten about. Guiding Markus’ hand, she set it against her stomach.
The hospital room became still, the only sounds the traffic outside and the gentle murmuring of voices down the hall.
Viv closed her eyes, focusing on the feel of Markus’ hand on her bump. No matter what came next, she would never forget this moment. The man had brought passion and a love she’d only dreamed about into her life, and most of all, he’d given her the greatest gift: a child who would be a representation of that love.
A slight movement, like that of a butterfly, skirted across Viv’s belly. She gasped. The baby was moving!
Opening her eyes, she looked down. It hadn’t been the baby moving. It was Markus’ fingers.
Viv’s jaw dropped as his fingers twitched again.
“Tracey…” She wanted to shout, but her voice couldn’t make it past a whisper.
“I see it.” Tracey lifted her hand to her mouth. “Oh, my. I see it.”
Viv leaned closer to his face. “Markus?”
Just like with his fingers, his eyelids began to twitch. Slowly, they cracked open. “Viv.”
His voice was hoarse, like he’d suffered the worst cold in all of human history. But it was him.
“Yes.” She locked his hand between her palms. “It’s me. Your mom is here, too.”
Markus squinted, his gaze sliding over to Tracey, then back to Viv.
“Happy birthday, Markus,” Tracey said through an onslaught of tears. “Did you know it’s your birthday?”
“Yeah.” His lips inched into a smile. “I heard you talking. I thought it was a… a dream.”
“Here. Water.” Tracey poured a cup from the pitcher on the table and held it to his lips so he could take a few sips. “Don’t try to talk too much. I’ll get the nurse. Be right back.” She stood, ferociously swiping at tears. “Goodness. It’s a birthday miracle.”
The door swung shut behind Tracey. Realizing she’d been clutching Markus’ hand, Viv relaxed her hold before she hurt him.
“Markus, you were in a coma. Dagger’s been arrested. He’s in prison. The email worked. They found all these drugs at that location.”
Now that happiness had overtaken her heart, she cried even more than she had when she’d been miserable.
“And Ryder is safe. Veronica and her family are safe. Everyone is good.”
“Viv…”
“Shh. Don’t talk too much. Wait for the doctor to check you out.”
“Viv…”
“Really. Don’t exert yourself.”
He pinned her with a stare.
“Will you marry me?”
Her mouth fell open in surprise. She’d expected him to ask about Dagger or the diamonds or their families and friends or how long he’d been unconscious for when he woke up… but she’d never expected this.
“I…”
“Viv.” Now he was the one gripping her hand. “You’re the love of my life. I promise, the second I get out of this bed, I’ll buy you a ring. Whichever one you want. Right now, this will have to do. Will you marry me?”
“Markus.” She laughed. “Of course I will. You don’t even have to ask.”
His face lit up. “I kind of do need to ask. That’s how it works.”
Still laughing, she leaned down and hugged him.
“The baby?” he asked into her hair.
She sat back up. “Growing perfectly. Everything has been great there.”
“I thought I was dreaming. Until you put my hand on your belly.” His eyes were red and shiny. “And then, I don’t know why, but I knew what I heard was real. It woke me up. I love you, Viv. I’ll be the best husband and father. I promise.”
“I know you will.”
She cupped his face.
The door opened, and Tracey bustled in, a nurse and Doctor Hanson on her heels.
“Welcome back, Markus,” the doctor said, grinning just as big as everyone else. “I’m Doctor Hanson. How are you feeling?”
Markus looked at her, looked at his mom, and looked at Viv—where his gaze lingered. “Doc, I’m feeling pretty damn good.”
Chapter 24
Markus
Markus leaned against the wall in Florida State Prison’s visiting room, watching Viv sit across the table from her father. All around them, similar meetings took place. A few were joyful, but he got the sense they were forced. Others were tearful or angry.
At Viv’s table, her dad, a stocky, gray-haired man, spoke solemnly, his hands folded in front of him. Viv’s back was straight. She hadn’t moved once since her father, who she hadn’t seen in years, entered the room.
Markus looked down at his lap. So much sadness and regret in one place.
One wrong move and he could have been even more a part of it. This
could have been him, wearing an orange suit, begging for forgiveness or making excuses for the life he chose.
But he’d escaped that by the skin of his teeth. He’d cut ties from that life, and the love of an angel had saved him.
Viv knew he loved her, but he often doubted she would ever fully know the extent of what she’d done for him. Before her, he’d been a man who only wanted to change.
A bell rang, signaling that visiting hour was over. A few security guards moved into the middle of the room, ushering the prisoners forward. Viv’s dad stood, but before he walked away, he looked straight at Markus and waved.
Markus waved back.
Soon as Viv got to him, he wrapped his arm around her waist. Her face was white, and she stared at the ground as they walked from the prison.
At the car, he opened up her door and waited for her to get buckled up before taking his place behind the wheel.
“How’d it go?” He reached for her hand.
She sighed, but it sounded more like an exhale of relief than exasperation.
“Good. Better than I thought it would.”
“That’s great.”
The prison gate lifted for them, and they sped out of the parking lot.
“I told him about you.”
“I figured. He waved.”
“Hm.” She stared at her lap, wearing a little smile. “He said that he’s proud of me. Veronica told him all about my pharma career, so I figured that’s what he meant, but then he said that he’s prouder of me for following my dreams. For taking a job I want, even if it’s not the most high-paying or glamorous.”
She laughed slightly. “He also said that you look like a nice guy, and he wants me to send him a picture of the baby.”
“What’s funny about that?”
She turned her smile on Markus. “He said you look very straight-laced and honest.”
“Straight-laced?” He guffawed. “I’ll take it. So. Do you think you’ll visit him again?”
Her lips twisted. “Yeah,” she said slowly. “But I… I don’t think I can make it a regular thing.”
“I understand.”
“He apologized for all the stuff he did, for not being there for me and Veronica. It was good to hear that, but…” She absentmindedly twisted a lock of hair. “I don’t know that we’ll ever be close. I don’t want to push anything. I think I forgive him.” Her forehead wrinkled. “Does that make sense? Thinking I forgive him but not knowing for sure?”
“Yeah. It sure does.”
She nodded, her gaze drifting out the window.
“You know what’s funny?” she said after a minute. “I didn’t even wonder if Mr. Romano was in that prison. I’ve never looked up where they sentenced him. I barely think about him.”
Markus nodded, shocked to discover it was the same for him. He’d only been awake from the coma for a few weeks, and he’d been way too preoccupied with building the next stage of his life to even think about the previous one.
“Where are we going?” Viv asked. They’d been driving down a beachside road for a couple blocks.
“I thought I’d take a scenic route.”
“Oh. Okay.”
She pulled out her phone and started reading something on it. Markus took the opportunity to smile to himself.
Several blocks before he reached his mom’s house, he slowed down and pulled into the driveway of a three-bedroom, two-story house. Viv looked up from her phone.
“Where are we?”
“You like this house?” He nodded at the beachside home with a wraparound porch and a canary-yellow front door.
“It’s adorable.” She gasped. “Are we going to look at it? Is…” She deflated as she caught sight of the “Sold” sign in the front yard. “Oh.”
Markus got out of the car and opened her door. Instead of getting out, she stared up at him.
“It’s already been sold, Markus.”
“Yeah.”
She raised her eyebrows. He held the car door, waiting for it to sink in.
“Wait.” She blinked. “Did you buy this house?”
“I sure did.”
She brought her hands to her mouth. “Are you serious?”
A heartbeat later, she was out of the car and nearly running for the front door. “Do you have the key?”
He dug into his right pocket and unlocked the door. Viv rushed over the threshold and into the living room.
“Oh my God.”
She stopped halfway across the floor. From the living room, you could look through the den with a fireplace, over the back patio, across the pool, and straight at the ocean.
“What do you think?” Markus touched the small of her back.
Her hands had returned to her mouth. “It’s amazing. Is this for us?”
He looked at her in surprise. “Of course it is.”
“Just checking again.” She wiped at the corner of her eyes. “Because it really seems too good to be true.”
“We’re not done yet.”
She grabbed his hand. “Yeah! I want to see upstairs.”
“Before we do that…” Getting onto one knee, he withdrew a small box from his pants’ pocket.
“What?” Viv whispered, eyes going wide.
“I know that I already proposed to you once.” He popped the ring box. “But I also promised you a ring. Will this do?”
“Markus… it’s beautiful. It’s perfect. Is the diamond from…?”
“I’m glad you think so. And… yeah, I had it custom-made from the best of the lot I stole from Dagger. I hope you don’t mind.”
She just grinned at him in response.
Taking the yellow diamond in a gold band from the box, he reached for her hand. “Can I put it on you?”
“Please!” she giggled.
The ring on, she held her hand up. The diamond caught the light coming in through the windows and sparkled.
“It’s perfect. Absolutely perfect.” She sighed happily. “Now can I see the upstairs?”
“Yes,” he said and chuckled. “I’ll show you the upstairs.”
They jogged upstairs, giddiness fueling them.
“Here’s bedroom number one.” He opened the door that faced the street. “And…” Down two doors, past the bathroom. “Bedroom number two.”
“So cute. But where’s the master bedroom?”
“Glad you asked.” He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed the top of it. “The master bedroom is over here.”
At the end of the hall, he opened the door to the largest room, which sat at the corner of the house. Double windows revealed a magnificent view of the ocean.
“Wow.” Viv walked to the windows and touched the glass carefully, almost like she was checking to make sure it was real.
Wrapping his arms around her from behind, Markus laid his head on her shoulder and rested his palms on her belly. She’d grown more since he’d woken from the coma, and now had an undeniable baby bump.
Pregnancy looked good on her. He’d already thought her beautiful, but now she had to be the loveliest creature in the world.
“I’m glad you like it.”
As per his original plan, he’d bought the house with the diamond money, save for the one he’d saved to have her ring made from. There’d still been a hefty amount left over after the purchase, so he’d donated the rest to local charities.
“I more than like it.” Spinning around, she draped her arms over his shoulders. “I love it.”
“Good.”
His lips swept across hers. She leaned into the kiss, her body melting against his.
Markus’ fingers dug into the fabric of her sundress. He itched to undress her and taste her sweet, supple skin.
She moaned into his mouth, her fingers slipping their way up into his hair. Taking a few steps to the side, he walked her away from the windows. With her back pressed against the wall, he kissed a trail down her face and neck.
Viv giggled, her hands still in his hair. As he suckled on her
neck, his hands roved where they pleased, caressing the full mounds of her breasts and taking handfuls of her firm ass.
Her giggle turned into a moan as he teased a nipple through her dress and bra. She arched her back, all signs leading to her being instantly turned on, from the tightening of her nipples to the quickening of her breath.
Straightening back up, he took her mouth with his and kissed her deeply. Meanwhile, he reached under her dress and found her panties soaking.
The discovery sent lust through him. He ached to have her completely naked and sweaty, pressed against him and calling his name.
Pushing her panties to the side, he teased her swollen lips, which elicited a cry and her nails digging into his shoulders. With their kisses fast and fevered, he worked on his belt buckle.
His swollen length sprang out, already rock hard and throbbing for the familiar comfort of her body. Taking one of her legs, he lifted it up to make space and pressed his hips against her.
His length slipped easily into her body. Arms around her to help hold her up, he rocked against her. The still air in the house made sweat run down their bodies, sticking their clothes together.
Viv tensed up, gasping and calling out his name. He felt her walls tighten around him as her pleasure grew. With one last cry, she shook with a powerful orgasm.
Markus let loose, exploding deep inside Viv. Her body sucked at his release, milking him.
Gasping for breath, he dropped his forehead against the wall next to her head. She kissed his cheek, which prompted him to turn his face and take her earlobe between his teeth.
“Stop.” She giggled, pushing him off of her.
“Sorry.” He grinned and zipped his pants. “Can’t help myself.”
She stuck her tongue out at him. “That’s not an excuse. How do I look?”
She smoothed her hair. Sweat had made it damp, plus her cheeks were red and her dress was wrinkled.
“Amazing,” he said, being completely honest.
“Stop.” She playfully poked him in the side.
“Honest.”
Before she could poke him again, he caught her hand—the one with the new engagement ring. Lacing their fingers together, he drew her flush to him.
Sinner - A Bad Boy's Baby Romance Page 16
