"Can I help?"
"Sure, why don’t you start the salad? Do you want garlic bread?"
"I don’t think so, the smell is going to cause havoc on my stomach." He kissed my nose and replied, "Then we won't have any."
Okay, where was Kayden and what had this man done to him? Seriously, if I had known that sex was going to tame the beast in him I would have started a long time ago! Well, to be honest with myself, it would have to be morning sex, afternoon, evening, and night to keep him calm and collected. I smiled to myself at the thought!
"What are you laughing about?" he asked in a curious way.
"I was thinking of all the sex that you need to keep you in a happy mood."
"Me? What about you? You're practically sucking the life force out of me," he said in a joking manner. I threw the kitchen towel I had on my shoulder at him; he turned and caught it before it hit him. "Now you are in trouble," he said and tried to grab my hand but I moved faster than he could reach me, laughing.
"Don't even think you can escape me," he said, pretending to be serious. I took it as a challenge and ran away from the kitchen.
"In case you don't know, I ran track in high school and I dare to say I can escape you any time I want." With the last word out of my mouth I ran into the living room and Kayden ran after me. Unfortunately for my ego, his long legs gave him the advantage and in less than five steps I was wrapped in his arms. "I told you that you couldn't escape me." He was laughing now and sounded so happy.
"You have an unfair advantage," I answered, pouting. He bit my lips and nuzzled my neck.
"For the record, sex doesn't make me happy, you make me happy; sex is just the icing on the cake and I like lots and lots of icing." We both laughed this time. It was such a wonderful evening that it made my heart sing.
We ate dinner at the dining room table with candlelight and the music of Andrea Bocelli in the background. The pasta was amazing, or maybe it was the company.
"I didn't know you could cook," I told him, realizing there were many things I still did not know about him.
"Only a few things really well, mostly the things I like. I learned out of necessity. My mother always cooked at home and then Megan when we were together. But I spent many years alone when she was gone and I hate to eat out all the time so I learned to cook, mostly by trial and error. I would call my mom and ask her what to do; she always laughed, she thought she would never see me in the kitchen."
"Do you miss her?" I asked, thinking that maybe he would think I was referring to his mother.
"Not as much now, not since I met you. Occasionally, something reminds me of her and then I feel guilty for the thought. Or sometimes I feel guilty for forgetting her and loving you so completely. I never thought I could love again." My throat choked as he spoke. Oddly enough I understood his feelings of not wanting to betray his dead wife and not wanting to betray me by thinking about her.
"Guilt is a terrible thing to live with, Kayden; just accept that Megan occupies a permanent place in your heart and that you will always love her. Or love the memories you created together. But you are at a different place in your life now, what matters to me is that you are in love with me now."
The rest of the dinner was a little more subdued. We ate mostly in silence then cleaned the kitchen and put the dishes away. Cooking and cleaning together felt so right, it opened a window onto what our life as a couple would be like; just two people who loved each other sharing a life together.
"What do you want to do now? It's only eight o'clock, do you want to watch a movie at home?"
"That's a great idea, let's watch a comedy. Have you watched Big Momma's House or Dumb and Dumber?" I asked him, not knowing his preference in movies. "What do you like?"
"I haven’t watched any movies in a long time, but a comedy sounds good," he answered, not surprising me that he had not taken time for movies.
"Okay, let's watch Big Momma, be ready to wet your pants!" I told him.
We lay side by side on the couch in front of the flat-screen TV in the den. Kayden was behind me and I was wrapped in his arms. It was such a comfortable position; I couldn’t believe we were here, after all the heartache of the previous week.
"I can't believe you have never seen this movie, it's hilarious." I had never heard Kayden laugh so heartily and so much. It was a deep laugh that came from deep inside him.
"Nope, first time."
"Well, there are two more; maybe if you're good we can watch number two tomorrow night."
"Not in your life; tomorrow night if you are good I'll be fucking you all night to last you until Saturday."
Oh, I had forgotten about the trip, but he obviously hadn't.
"Are you sure you're okay with the trip?" I asked, feeling anxious all of a sudden.
"No, I am not okay but we'll get through it. It's only one time, I can't bear to be without you more than that."
"It will be hard for me to be away from you, too. I will let Ron know that more overseas trips are out of the question."
He tightened his arms around me; I closed my eyes and enjoyed the embrace.
"This has been the best day ever," he told me in my ear.
"For me, too."
Tuesday was like any other day. We both went to work early in the knowledge that we had our first official doctor's appointment that evening. To say that we were both anxious about it would be the understatement of the year. My stomach was turning in knots and Kayden was fidgety, something unusual for him.
The day passed in a blur, filled with meetings and long-distance conversations with Mateo. He wanted to make sure everything was ready for our presentation. At four I received a text from Kayden.
I'm here. Waiting outside. Love, K
Be there in five. EMM
He was early! I changed my shoes, closed the office and headed outside. Kayden opened the door to the limo to let me in; he sat at my side and squeezed my hand. A soft kiss to the lips completed the hello.
We rode in silence to the doctor's office. It appeared that Kayden had taken a page from my book of coping. I was usually the quiet one; he was the one with the explosive personality. Today he was quieter than I had ever seen him.
Dr. Sue Lynn was one of the premier multiple birth specialists in the city. She had been highly recommended by Carmelo, which was all that Kayden needed for us to make a decision as to what doctor to select. Her office was very warm and inviting with pictures of babies and their parents. When we were called in she introduced herself by shaking our hands.
"Ms. McCabe, Mr. Hale, how nice to finally meet you. Your brother has told me a little bit about your situation, he was insistent that I see you immediately. Let me assure you that we will do everything in our power to ensure the safe delivery of your twins. But first, we have some tests that we have to do to make sure everything is going well."
The doctor went on about the different tests I had to undergo and about the differences between multiple births and single as well as changes in my dietary needs. After examining me, she calculated the delivery date as the first week of June. "Of course in multiple births we'll most likely perform a C-section to prevent unnecessary stress to the fetuses. Now we need to schedule a couple of appointments. But before we do that, do you have any questions?"
I asked her about my impending trip to Spain. "You are in good health, at this time it should be fine. However I would not want you to schedule anymore-long trips by yourself to foreign countries. You would be taking an unnecessary risk, should you experience any signs of early labor."
"Dr. Lynn, I don't understand, how can I be pregnant with twins? I mean, I know Kayden has twins in his family but I don't recall any in mine." I was breathless when I finished talking and oh so scared.
"Ms. McCabe, the reality is that whether or not Mr. Hale has multiple births in his family, you were at risk of multiple births. As women get older, hormonal changes make it more likely for your body to release more than one egg at a time, usually resulting in
more than one baby."
Kayden squeezed my hand and I closed my eyes. I was old; I was having twins because I was old.
"What about you Mr. Hale, do you have any questions?" Dr. Lynn asked.
"I have a million questions, but I can't think of them now," Kayden responded, and then he went on, "Can we, can we continue to… safely?"
"Yes Mr. Hale, you both can continue to enjoy a healthy sexual relationship well into the pregnancy. Later on of course, you'll have to make adjustments."
Kayden exhaled visibly at Dr. Lynn's remarks.
We left the doctor's office by six and stopped to have some dinner. With my different dietary needs Kayden was intent in fattening me up during the next few weeks. With Thanksgiving approaching I also wanted to talk to him about the arrangements. In the past Julian and I had had dinner with the family, at the family home. This year that would not be possible, but should we invite Julian and a date to join us? With all the drama lurking on the horizon I hated to cause any additional stress to my children. They already were going to have to deal with a lot of change.
I was already worried about Damien. He had been such a center of my universe for so long! When I asked his father to move out of the house he had just entered high school. For those four years it was just the two of us. His sisters were off to college and Damien took on the role of the man of the house. Through the depression that followed and my hysterics, Damien was my rock. Now, not only was there a new man in my life usurping his place, but also there would be two new babies. My heart ached for him knowing how difficult this adjustment was going to be. What a mess I had gotten myself into!
While we waited for our food I decided to approach the subject with Kayden. "Kayden, we need to talk about Thanksgiving." My voice quivered in anticipation of his reaction.
"What's to talk about? Just tell me what you want to do and we'll do it."
If it were only that simple! I knew the subject of Julian would trigger him off, but I was going to have to approach it regardless of his reaction.
"What's going on, Ellie?" He looked at me from the corner of his eye, deducing that there was more to my statement than I was letting on. Then the food came and I was granted a brief reprieve from the scrutiny of his gaze.
He stayed quiet, giving me time to answer, looking at me without taking a bite.
I bit my lip, and then continued, "Well, for starters I like to stay at home. I like to cook; I'll just need some help with the serving and cleaning. I just don't have the same energy now that I'm..." just say it, now that I allowed myself to get knocked up. But I had no common sense when it came to this man. I was attracted to him like bees to honey. He said jump and I would say how high, as long as the reward came on the landing. Oh lord, have mercy on me!
As if reading my mind Kayden answered, "Now that you are knocked up? Is that what you mean, Ellie?"
"Well, I do bear some responsibility in this; I wasn't totally passive."
"Passive? Hah, that's the understatement of the year!"
I smiled at his outburst. "Can we focus on Thanksgiving and not our sexual activities?"
"So you want to cook at home? I'm okay with that. Do you want me to invite Carmelo and his girlfriend in addition to the kids?"
"Sure," I responded softly.
"Why do I suspect there is something you are not telling me?" Kayden said in an exasperated tone.
I took a deep breath then said, "You're right; I just want you to think about it, okay?"
"Spill it out, baby," his voice a little softer now.
"In the past Julian always had Thanksgiving with us." Kayden stopped the bite he was going to take midair, and raised his eyes to look at me.
"And…" he said in a deceptively low voice.
"And I thought it would be a good idea to invite him and a date to our first Thanksgiving as a couple, to help my children cope with all the news." I spoke rapidly as to not lose my nerve.
Kayden took the bite he had stopped in mid-air, chewed it, and began to speak very slowly.
"There are two things I will not compromise on. The first one is your safety or that of my family; the second one has to do with sharing you. Julian has no place in our lives, I gave you a choice when we began our relationship; I told you it was all or nothing."
His voice was frigid and had an eerie calm about it. Kayden continued, "I don't want to fight about Julian, especially when you are going away tomorrow, but the answer is no."
"You are being unreasonable, it's my home too."
"Unreasonable, unreasonable? You haven’t seen unreasonable yet. Come to think of it, Daniela is in town all alone for Thanksgiving, maybe I should invite her too!" His voice was getting louder, his temper getting out of hand.
"Maybe we should finish this at home."
"We are finished; if you insist on inviting Julian you will leave me no choice but to invite Daniela," he said with a smile.
I looked at him with beady eyes, annoyed that he finally had one on me; over my dead body would that woman enter my home again.
"Well dear, should I call her to invite her?"
I refused to answer and did not talk to him for the rest of the meal. I was angry that he was playing with my feelings and my insecurities.
In the car I told him, "The difference between Daniela and Julian is that I have no interest in Julian."
"And I have an interest in Daniela, is that what you are saying?" He was furious now. "Do what you want Ellie, but I will not be in the same house with that man. It's time that you decide what you want."
We rode in silence the rest of the way. He did not want to fight, I did not want to fight, but the alternative was hell. I hated not talking to him; worst of all I was beginning to see his point.
With shaky hands I caressed his face; he grabbed my hand and kissed it. My voice was trembling when I said, "I am sorry, you were right. I would be furious if you invited Daniela to our home, or any other woman who had the slightest interest in you."
He took both of my cheeks and looked me in the eyes, then said, "I have no interest in Daniela or any other woman for that matter. Only you Ellie, only you." His words were sincere, soft, and tender.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Kayden had gone with Aldo in the limousine to greet me at the airport on my return from Spain. Like so many other people waiting for their loved ones, Kayden had flowers in his hands. A beautiful smile adorned his face. He greeted me with a hug and a kiss that took my breath away. Jeez, I should go away more often!
The ride to the apartment was quiet; Kayden held my hand and I just rested on his shoulder. He had something on his mind, I was just not sure what.
"Are you okay?" I asked, trying to figure out what was going on.
"Yes, I'm fine; just work stuff." I knew he was evading my question but decided not to pursue it. "Let's stop at your apartment first, they're cleaning mine and I want to be able to rest before dinner." Rest? I had never heard Kayden utter that word. The man was a machine; he could fuck all night and be refreshed in the morning as if he had slept for nine hours straight. And to top it all, he had not touched me, we had been apart for three nights, and the most he had done was kiss me at the airport! Now I was certain that he was keeping something from me.
"Are we going somewhere for dinner?"
"No, we're eating in tonight."
Okay then; now he was really making me nervous. Best to change my line of thought. To distract myself I decided to send a text to the kids to see how they were doing. I suggested getting together Sunday for brunch. Damien was already in town for Thanksgiving break, and tonight I figured Kayden would want to spend with me, although I was no longer sure if that was the case.
As suspected, Kayden did not lie down for a nap when we got to the apartment, but he did not attempt to have sex with me either. He claimed that he had work to do and finally went to his penthouse. I was getting nervous. Had he changed his mind about living together? At six he called to find out if I was ready for dinner
. I told him that I would be ready in half an hour. I decided to wash up and change into a brown pencil skirt and a burnt orange sweater with brown flats. I brushed my teeth and hair and applied lip-gloss; I was ready for dinner.
Kayden came for me wearing charcoal pants and a grey sweater, how appropriate!
"You look lovely, as usual," he told me after giving me a chaste kiss to my cheek.
"Thank you, so do you," I responded.
The feeling in my gut would not go away. We were silent as we rode the elevator and then when he opened the door to the penthouse, my heart stopped for a brief second. All my senses were filled with the sight and aroma of beautiful flowers and the flickering of hundreds of candles. The penthouse had been transformed into a magical place complete with sounds of music and alluring aromas of freshly cooked food.
"Oh Kayden, you have taken my breath away," I told him.
"Nothing compared to what you did to me the day we met," he responded.
And then he took a small black box from his pocket and went down on one knee. My heart started beating faster, my face was flushed, I was stunned; oh my god, he was about to propose!
"Ellie, since I met you my world has been turned upside down. In these few months you have taken over my life in ways I never dreamed possible. Without you my life is meaningless. Please marry me, Megan."
I froze in place; I was numb. Maybe I did not hear correctly. Did he say Megan? In the distance I heard sounds, words, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. I saw the look of panic in Kayden's eyes, I saw his lips moving. Still I could not hear anything. Then, slowly, very slowly I spoke.
"I am not running. I am going to the guest bedroom. Please don’t follow me; I am very tired." Those were the only words I managed to utter, delivered ice cold.
REBORN (Metamorphosis Book 1) Page 20
