She whispered, “I finally feel like I can breathe again. We’re going to be okay, aren’t we?”
His arms curled around her as he burrowed his face in her neck. “You better believe it, girl. I’m never letting you go again. Whatever happens, we’re in it together.”
Chapter Sixteen
Kiara tore the paper off her gift, giggling like a little girl. She was nervous and excited. It was clearly a jewelry box, though it seemed too large to be a ring box. She was guessing earrings, or perhaps a bracelet.
“Oh…” She looked at Blaise, his smile making her heart stutter. The platinum-and-diamond eternity band was flawless, and she knew enough about jewelry to know it had to have cost him a fortune. “This is too much. We haven’t been dating long enough for me to accept a gift like this.”
He took the band from the velvet box, holding it between his thumb and forefinger. “First of all, we’re not just dating. We’re committed to building a future together, Ki. At least I am. Do you feel the same way?”
“Yes.” She barely heard her response over her pounding heart. Surely he wasn’t asking her to marry him? As much as she wanted that, they had to get to know each other better, to make sure they could overcome all the challenges still facing them.
“Good.” The bedside lamp was on, and the diamonds caught the light. “Eternity bands represent forever, and this is my way of telling you that you’re my forever.”
Kiara was struck by his words, and they made her feel a little guilty for her errant thoughts. She had to stop doubting them and just trust what they had would survive.
“Besides, I had it made for you, so you have to accept it.” He slid it on the ring finger of her right hand, quieting her concerns about what the ring represented in his mind.
“You had it made for me?” No one had put so much thought into a gift for her before, and she was struck by the sentiment as much as the blinding brilliance on her finger.
“It wasn’t easy to pull it off. I had to enlist your mother’s help.”
Kiara’s jaw dropped. “You talked to my mother about this?”
He grinned. “I didn’t have a choice. Sela told me the ring had to be the perfect fit, since these can’t be sized once the diamonds are set.”
“Sela made this?” Kiara asked, holding it up to the light. “It really is exquisite.” Not that she was surprised. Jaxon’s wife was quickly becoming one of the most sought-after jewelers in the state. Her custom designs often fetched tens of thousands of dollars.
“There are thirty quarter-carat diamonds,” he explained, turning the ring to reveal the entirety of the sparkly circle. “In honor of your thirtieth birthday.”
Seven and a half carats? She felt sick just thinking about how much it must have cost him. “I can’t believe you did this.” She slid down, her arm circling his neck. “Thank you doesn’t seem adequate, but I don’t know what else to say.”
He pulled back to look at her, smiling as he brushed tears from the corners of her eyes. “Tell me you’ll never take it off.”
“I’ll never take it off.”
He kissed her slowly, peeling back the sheet. “That’s all I needed to hear.”
“Wait.” She laughed as she planted her hand on his chest before he could kiss her into submission for the third time. “You said something about my mother helping you?”
“Oh, yeah.” He chuckled. “I called your mother to tell her what I had planned. I told her I needed your ring size and asked if she could help. She told me about your grandmother’s ring.”
Kiara teared up. Her grandparents had been married for fifty-four years before her grandfather passed away, and in her hospital bed, her grandmother had given Kiara the engagement ring she treasured. She made Kiara promise she would save it until she met the man of her dreams.
Blaise kissed Kiara’s hand when he saw her tears. “She said the ring fit you perfectly, just as it had your grandmother, so she took it to a jeweler to check the size, then she called to let me know.”
“That was nice of her.” Kiara was surprised her mother had been able to keep Blaise’s surprise a secret. Secrets were definitely not her strong suit.
“She loves you, Ki. There’s nothing she wouldn’t do to make you happy. That’s something we have in common.”
Kiara eased back into Blaise’s arms, resting her head on his chest.
“Tell me about your grandmother. It sounds like the two of you had a special bond.”
She was touched that he wanted to know more about someone who had been such a huge part of her life. It proved what she already suspected—he wanted to know everything about her, just as she hoped to know everything about him someday.
Kiara smiled. “She was amazing. The love between her and my grandfather…” She sighed. “I think they’re part of the reason I’ve always believed in the fairy tale. I got to see it firsthand. They were so much in love, right up ‘til the end.” She thought of how stoic her grandmother had been at her husband’s funeral, claiming it was a time to celebrate his life, not mourn his death.
“I love that.” He brushed his lips across her forehead. “You always hear stories of people being married forever, but you rarely get to see it. I can see how that impacted you, made you want to hold out for real love.”
Kiara had never been more sure that she’d found it, and she needed Blaise to know that. “Whether or not the baby is yours, it won’t affect the way I feel about you.”
He seemed stunned before releasing a slow sigh of relief. “You don’t know how glad I am to hear you say that.”
“I’m sorry I walked away when you told me. I just needed time to figure out how I felt about it. It was a shock. I was confused and—”
He pressed a fingertip against her lips. “You don’t owe me an explanation, and you sure as hell don’t owe me an apology. Anyone would have reacted the way you did.”
“Thank you for understanding.” She kissed his chest, almost afraid to ask, but she had to know. “I know I’ve asked before, but how do you feel now? Are you hoping the baby is yours?”
He remained silent, staring at the ceiling. The hand curled around her shoulder flexed. “I don’t know. I saw his image on the ultrasound today, and I can’t deny I felt something.”
No one could be immune to something like that, and she couldn’t hold allowing his imagination to play the “what if” game against him. “I get that.”
“But you’re obviously hoping the baby isn’t mine.” When she didn’t respond, he said, “It’s okay to admit it, sweetheart. That doesn’t make you a bad person.”
“I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens, right?” Knowing that Marla may soon find a home of her own made Kiara feel marginally better, but she couldn’t help being afraid of the possibility of Marla spending the next several months trying to manipulate Blaise, whether they were living under the same roof or not.
“I guess.”
“Any news on the Marla front? You mentioned she might be moving out soon…?” She drew circles on his chest, hoping she didn’t sound as anxious as she felt.
“I don’t think she’s had a chance to look for a job yet, but hopefully it won’t take too long for her to find something. She needs to learn to stand on her own. It’ll be good for her and the baby.”
Kiara knew Blaise was a caretaker from the way he supported his parents financially, tried to help his brother, and took Marla in, but she didn’t want to see him get taken advantage of. “You know, you could stay here with me until Marla finds a job.”
His hand, which had been stroking her hair, stilled. “Um, are you sure that’s a good idea? I wouldn’t want to crowd you.”
“You wouldn’t be.” She would feel much better knowing Blaise was with her every night instead of playing house with his ex-lover. “But you said you weren’t comfortable with her staying alone because of Morin. Maybe you could hire someone to keep an eye on her, a bodyguard?”
“I might be able to do one bett
er,” he said. “She and Rowan seemed to hit it off. I’m willing to bet he wouldn’t mind staying with her for a bit. I’m sure she’d prefer having a friend around, someone who made her feel safe.”
“Are you sure Rowan and Marla are just friends?”
He shrugged. “I think so.”
“And if they’re more than that? Or if it evolves into more than that?”
Blaise sifted her hair through his fingers. “I’ve gotten to know Marla better, learned more about her past.”
“And?”
“I think she and Rowan might have a lot in common. Maybe they’d be good for each other. Who knows? They’re both adults and can figure things out for themselves.” He rolled onto his side, wrapping his arms around her as he slipped his leg between hers. “The only thing that matters to me right now is this. You and me. Everyone else can sort out their own lives.”
She was relieved he wasn’t concerned about his brother hooking up with Marla. That he was over her and ready to move on. Kiara just wished they weren’t living in limbo, waiting to learn the paternity of Marla’s baby. Even though it wouldn’t change the way she felt about Blaise or the fact that she wanted a future with him, it would change the course of their future in a big way if the baby was his.
***
Blaise was packing a suitcase the next day when Marla came in and sat on the edge of his bed.
“I hope you don’t mind that Rowan’s going to be staying with you,” he said, setting a stack of T-shirts in his open suitcase.
“I understand.” Marla’s smile was weak. “Now that you and your girlfriend are back together, she wants you all to herself. I don’t blame her.”
He walked into the adjoining bathroom to get his toiletries bag. “I love the thought of spending more time with Ki, and I kind of have you to thank for that.” He grinned as he came out of the bathroom. “Strange how things work out, isn’t it?”
“Yeah.” She smoothed a hand over his duvet. “I never would have thought we’d become friends.”
He hadn’t either, but he certainly felt as though they were headed down that path. “We weren’t meant to be romantically involved, but that doesn’t mean…” He hesitated, thinking of how he’d felt when he learned Kiara’s ex was back in the picture. It wouldn’t be fair of him to offer Marla his friendship and ongoing emotional support until he was sure Kiara would be okay with it.
“What were you going to say?”
“Nothing.” He checked his closet one last time to make sure he hadn’t forgotten any of his essentials. “Well, I guess that’s it. Rowan should be here any minute.”
“Could we talk for a bit before he gets here?”
“Sure.” He put his suitcase on the floor before sitting across from her. “What’s up?”
“I had an amniocentesis today.”
“What? Why? I thought you said—”
“There is a slight risk of miscarriage, but the doctor saw something in the ultrasound yesterday.” She lifted one shoulder, obviously trying to play off her concern. “He told me after you left the room, and he asked me to come in today. He wanted to make sure it was nothing.”
“I don’t understand.” Blaise took a deep breath to slow his breathing. “What’s he looking for?”
She swallowed, her eyes darting around the room. “Something about the possibility of genetic abnormalities that could only be ruled out with amnio. So I guess we don’t have to wait months to find out the baby’s paternity after all.”
Paternity seemed less important than the health of the baby growing inside her. Blaise didn’t realize how attached he’d become. Even if the baby wasn’t his, he knew he’d feel compelled to watch out for him.
“The doctor asked them to put a rush on it, so we should know in a few days,” she said. “You just need to go to the lab so they can do a DNA test. The sooner, the better. Obviously I can’t ask Casey, but since I was only with the two of you…”
He covered her hand with his, surprised to find that he felt a sense of compassion and understanding that hadn’t been there before. “Whatever the results, everything will work out. You have to believe that.”
She closed her eyes, her face clouded in misery. “You’re such a good man. I wish I’d known that before.”
He frowned, withdrawing his hand from hers. “What do you mean?”
Inhaling deeply, she whispered, “I did something horrible. Something I regret every day.”
“What did you do?” His heart was racing, and he wasn’t certain he wanted to hear her confession. Things were finally back on track with Kiara, and he wanted a few days of normalcy with her, though his concern for the baby would make that difficult.
“The night of your big fight with Casey, I stopped by to wish you luck, remember?”
“Yeah.” He inched back on the bed, feeling the need for more distance between them. He didn’t know why she was taking him on a trip down memory lane, but he wasn’t thrilled to be going. “What about it?”
“Your coach, manager, and trainers were there. You asked them to leave so you could have a few minutes alone with me. You didn’t know then that I’d married Casey.”
“I remember.”
“You took a call on your cell. It was your father. You said he wanted to wish you luck.”
“Yeah…?”
“When your back was turned, I slipped something in your water bottle. It was sitting on the bench and—”
“What?” He jumped up and stalked across the room before retracing his steps. “What the hell are you talking about? What was it?”
She lowered her head to her hands. “I don’t know exactly. It was supposed to impair your judgment, slow your reflexes, make it nearly impossible for you to react.”
It was all making sense. He’d trained hard. He was the favorite to win that fight. He should have won. “Morin put you up to it?” He didn’t even have to ask. The whole plan reeked of Morin.
“I never meant for you to get hurt,” she said, sobbing. “He said he needed to win that fight. He had some gambling debt he had to pay off. He said I needed to prove that I loved him, that I was over you.” She shook her head. “I tried to tell him no, but you know how mean he can get when he doesn’t get his way.”
“I don’t believe this.” He grabbed his suitcase. “I gotta get out of here. Rowan should be—” Before he could finish the sentence, he heard the doorbell.
“Blaise, please don’t tell Rowan—”
He didn’t bother to let her finish as he made his way to the door.
Rowan took one look at him and asked, “What the hell’s wrong with you?”
“I can’t talk now. I’ve got to get out of here.”
***
Blaise stormed into the gym where Morin trained after spotting his truck parked outside. He’d been driving around for an hour, but he knew the rage inside him wouldn’t cease until he’d confronted the source. He ignored the curious stares as he walked through the old-school facility. They trained mostly boxers, from amateur to pro, and the place looked dingy from years of overuse and lack of maintenance. But Blaise wasn’t fooled. He knew the place built champions.
“You!” Blaise shouted, pointing at Morin, who was in the ring with his trainer. Blaise jumped in, going toe-to-toe with the man who inspired hate in him unlike anything he’d ever experienced.
“Hey, man,” the trainer said, “you can’t just—”
“I got this, Johnny,” Morin said, holding up his arm. He slipped off his mouth piece and gloves and tossed them to the mat. “Looks like Thomas and I have some unfinished business. Give us a minute”—his eyes narrowed on Thomas—“and clear the area.”
Johnny left, grumbling about Morin’s demands.
Blaise shoved him. “You knew you weren’t man enough to beat me, so you had your wife do your dirty work. You’re a goddamn coward, not to mention a low-life. Any man who’d put his hands on a woman—”
“Shut the hell up,” Morin said, scowling. “I don’t k
now what that bitch told you, but she’s a liar.”
Blaise had no doubt Marla had told her fair share of lies, but he knew she was telling the truth about that. “You can’t even admit it, can you? You got what you wanted—I’m out of the game—and you still can’t admit you took me out the only way you knew how. As long as I was still in the ring, you knew you didn’t have a chance at the big prize.”
“Bullshit.” Morin backed into the ropes, snapping them with the force of his arms. “I didn’t need any help taking you out.” He rapped his knuckles against his temple, sneering. “Not my fault you got a dainty head.”
Some things about that last fight were a little fuzzy to Blaise, but he would never forget the impact of that final blow. The one that had ended his career. “You think you’re such a big man? Prove it.” Blaise was crazy to even consider such a thing, but he knew no other way to settle the score.
Morin paled before shaking his head. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“You’ve been shooting your big mouth off lately, saying you’d take on any challenger. Take me on, you worthless piece of shit. We’ll see how tough you are when it’s a fair fight.”
“You’re crazy.” Morin stared at Blaise in disbelief. “You know what could happen if you get another concussion? Epilepsy, serious brain injury—”
“I don’t need you to tell me what I already know.” It was a crazy risk, but Blaise refused to go out this way. Knowing it hadn’t been a fair match changed everything. “I worked my ass off to be the best, and I was. That’s the way I intend to be remembered. You tried to take that away from me, and I’m taking it back.”
“Your team, the promoters, will never get behind this.”
Blaise knew Morin was grasping for some means of escape. “You let me worry about my team. As for the promoters, there’ll be a feeding frenzy over this. They’ll be salivating. Hell, I bet this is the biggest fight since Ali and Frazier.” He smirked. “’Cause this’ll be the fight that was never supposed to happen. You counted me out, Morin. That was your second mistake. Your first mistake was thinking you could take me out the way you did.” Blaise slipped between the ropes and jumped down. The next time he stepped in the ring with Morin would be the last. “I’ll talk to my team, get the ball rolling.”
Going For It (Texas Titans #7) Page 17
