by Lori Maguire
He reached for the hem of his t-shirt and slowly pealed it off. His blue eyes sparkled as he gave me a sexy smirk. It would seem I was getting my very own strip show, and I couldn’t have been happier.
As he continued to saunter towards the bed, I sat up so I could better watch him. Slowly, he unbuttoned his jeans and then pulled the zipper down while his eyes never left mine. My breathing increased to embarrassingly loud levels as the heat rose inside me.
I pulled off my t-shirt. Raising his eyebrows, he peeled off his jeans. My eyes raked up and down his beautiful body while he smiled widely at my reaction. He knew exactly what the sight of him did to me. Sexy bastard.
“I have ways of making you talk,” he said seductively.
“Mmm, I think I like your method of torture, Mr. Hart. You can kill me with that beautiful body of yours any time.”
“Death by orgasm.” He paused for a moment. “I like it,” he said, giving me a wicked smile.
Like a lethal lion stalking its prey, he crawled up the end of the bed pushing me down so I was lying beneath him. The scorching look he gave me set me on fire. I was panting and withering with need.
“No torturing today,” he whispered. He leaned down and gave me a long, passionate kiss. “Only making.”
“You are so hot!” I blurted.
He smiled for a moment before his face turned serious.
“What is it?” I asked. “What’s the matter?”
“Let’s make a baby. Right now. I have a good feeling about it,” he whispered.
I wanted so much to tell him that we already did. I almost did, but I didn’t want to ruin what I had planned. He mistook my hesitation as being unsure.
“My desire to start a family had never existed until I met you, Ella. I didn’t even realize how much I wanted it until it became a possibility. When you were lying in that hospital bed, every time I closed my eyes, all I could see were beautiful, dark-haired, little babies. They were all as beautiful as you both inside and out. I know we aren’t married. If that’s important to you then I’ll whisk you off to Vegas and marry you tomorrow. All you have to do is say so. I’ll do whatever you want, Ella. Just tell me, baby.”
I grabbed his face in my hands. “Yes, I want that, Xavier. The dark-haired little babies, to be your wife, the happy ever after. I never thought I would be able to fall in love again let alone get married, but you’ve opened my life up to so many beautiful possibilities. It doesn’t matter to me in what order they may come. Whether it be a baby first or a wedding, I just want a new beginning, and I want it with nobody but you.” I dragged him down for a passionate kiss.
Xavier came into the bedroom carrying a Calvin Klein garment bag. He carefully placed it on the bed. I put my iPad down.
“Is it time to get ready?” I asked.
“Yes. I’ll start the shower,” he replied, walking into the bathroom.
“Okay. Just let me know when you’re out,” I hollered toward the bathroom. I picked my iPad back up.
“No you don’t.” Xavier came up behind me and snagged the iPad out of my hands.
“Hey!” I protested.
He placed it gently on my night table. Grabbing my hands, he dragged me off the bed. “You’re showering with me.”
“I’m not so sure that’s a good idea. You know what happens when the two of us get around each other naked,” I teased.
“No fooling around this time,” he admonished.
“Okay,” I chuckled. “Good luck with that,” I whispered.
But Xavier was nothing but gentle and loving. He washed me with a reverence that took my breath away. I found I was able to devote the same attention to washing him. Other than an occasional chaste kiss and a brief embrace, there was nothing sexual about our sharing a shower tonight. There was only love and a shared veneration for each other.
While I was in the bathroom putting the finishing touches on my hair and make-up, Xavier strolled in. I inhaled sharply at the sight of him in his tuxedo. I got out of the chair and made my way over to him.
“You look so unbelievably handsome.” I ran my hands over the satin lapels of the jacket then I pulled his jacket open so I could admire the red satin vest. He was wearing a crisp white shirt with a matching red satin tie. He looked simply divine.
“I have something for you that I thought maybe you could wear tonight.” He presented me with a blue Tiffany & Co. velvet pouch.
“Xavier, you shouldn’t have.”
“I didn’t.” He paused for a moment. “This belonged to my mother,” he said gruffly.
I opened the pouch. My hands were shaking slightly. Nestled inside were beautiful diamond heart earrings. They were very similar to the beautiful Tiffany & Co. heart pendant that Xavier gave me not too long ago when we were in New York City. A necklace I just so happened to be wearing at the moment.
“Like I’ve told you before, my father adored my mother. He was always buying her gifts. These particular earrings he gave to her three years ago for Christmas.” He paused for a moment to clear his throat. “It wasn’t just any Christmas either. It was the last Christmas that we were all together as a family.” His voice shook when he spoke.
Wordlessly, I reached up and wiped at the tear that had escaped his eye. He grabbed my hand and kissed my palm. “Xavier, they’re beautiful. I would love to wear them for this evening.” I turned towards the mirror and put them in.
“These are yours now. I hope you will wear them for more than just this evening,” he said quietly.
“I can’t. These belong to you.” I shook my head at him.
“No, these belong to you now. I want you to have them. My mother would have wanted you to have them. Since I found you, I can now understand just how much my father adored my mother. One day, hopefully, you can give them to our son to pass on to the woman he adores.” His voice was thick with emotion.
I hugged him hard. “You were lucky to have had two people who cared so much about each other and their family. I’m only sorry that I will never get the chance to know them.” I continued to hold him closely. “Thank you. I will treasure them until it is time to pass them on.”
We stayed locked in our embrace for several minutes.
“Help me with my dress?” I asked him.
“It would be my pleasure,” he replied.
Back in the bedroom, I slipped my dress on and turned for him to zip it. He kissed me softly on the back of my neck as he slowly pulled the zipper up.
“Turn around,” he said. “You look beautiful. I really like you in red.” He paused for a moment. “Did you … pick this dress out?” he asked cautiously.
I knew what he was getting at. He wanted to know if I had picked the dress out or if Devlin did. My sweet, jealous man. I rushed to put him at ease.
I grabbed his hands firmly in mine. “I found the dress. Devlin played no part in choosing it.” I said adamantly.
“Good.” He gave me the half smile that I loved so much. “I can’t wait to show you off tonight.”
“About that.” I looked down and fiddled with the lace on my dress.
Xavier stilled my hand. “What is it, baby?” He grasped my chin and forced me to look at him. “Are you nervous?”
“I know it seems silly, but I am. You’re the big boss man. I don’t want to embarrass you.”
“Sweetness, that’s not possible, and you have nothing to be nervous about. I know there will be many people there you haven’t met yet, but everything will be okay. Everyone is going to love you,” he reassured me.
He held his hand out so I could steady myself while I slipped my shoes on. Grabbing my coat, he held it open so I could slip it on. He tucked my hand in the crook of his arm and led us out of the condo.
Stewart was waiting at the curb with the limo. He opened the door when he saw us approaching. “Good evening, Mr. Hart,” he said politely. “Ms. Martin.” He nodded at me. As soon as we were seated, Xavier wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me close.
�
�When I saw Carline she mentioned that she will be there tonight,” I said nervously.
“Yes, she most likely will be. Her father was my father’s right-hand man. Even though he retired shortly after my father was killed, he’s still a part of the company. I invite him to the party every year.” He held me tighter. “I’m not going to let you out of my sight, Ella. Stewart and Marissa will both be there as well. Everything will be fine,” he said soothingly.
“I’m sure it will be.” But, if Carline was going to be at the party then Stephen will be as well. Shit! The last time I found out I was pregnant I had that run-in with Stephen that effectively ended my pregnancy the same day I found out about it. I just took the pregnancy test this morning. Without thinking, my hands covered my abdomen protectively. I promise you, little one, that I will protect you.
“Hey, is everything all right?” He rested a hand over my hands as they covered my abdomen. The gesture brought tears to my eyes. “Do you feel okay?” he asked, voice full of concern.
I quickly pulled myself together. “I’m fine. Just a little nervous.” I smiled weakly at him.
“It’ll be all right, sweetness,” he assured me again.
We pulled up to the grand entrance of the Fairmont Olympic. A hotel employee, who seemed to be waiting patiently for our arrival, rushed up to Xavier, and eagerly escorted us to the Garden Room.
The room was split into three levels, with three stairs separating each level. Round tables that could seat six were on each level. They were beautifully decorated with red linen tablecloths and gold place settings. Red rose arrangements with twigs of holly and pine complete with pinecones were placed in the middle of all the tables.
A gentleman dressed in a black tuxedo approached us. He introduced himself to Xavier as the piano player for the evening. I glanced around the room until I located the piano set up in a far corner. There was no dance floor that I could see so clearly there would be no dancing.
A few hotel employees were busy throughout the room checking all the place settings making sure that everything was how it should be. Two gentlemen, also dressed in black tuxedos, made their way to the open bar on the back wall.
Xavier led me to the upper level of the room where a table for six was set up near the floor-to-ceiling Palladian windows. Four huge trees in planters were decorated with white twinkle lights. A huge Christmas tree with the same lights was set up behind our table.
“Can I get you something to drink?” Xavier asked.
Shit. I hadn’t thought about that. There would be no alcohol for me given that I now knew I was pregnant, but I didn’t want Xavier to know just yet. How the hell was I going to pull this off?
“You know, my stomach is still a little queasy from nerves. Can you just get me a sparkling cranberry juice?”
Xavier frowned at me for a moment. “Sure, sweetness.”
Whew. I breathed a sigh of relief as he walked off. As I sat at the table, I glanced around the beautiful room, which was wonderfully decorated for the holiday. A few moments later, Xavier returned with my drink.
“Well, what do you think?” He gestured at the room before us.
“I think all that is missing is some snow and Santa,” I replied.
“I can’t do anything about the snow, but Santa will be arriving in a bit.” He smirked at me. “I have someone who comes dressed as Santa every year. He’ll hand out presents to my employee’s children,” he said.
“Wow. I love how you think of everything.”
“Now tell me something. What do think about this room in general?”
I looked around the room with wide eyes. “I think it’s beautiful. I love the indoor gardens that are weaved throughout the room. And these Palladian windows are absolutely gorgeous,” I said, as I glanced at the windows behind me.
“What do you think about this room for something like a wedding?” he asked carefully.
My wide eyes scanned the room as my mouth dropped open. It took me several seconds to compose myself. “I think …” I focused back on Xavier. A small smile played on his lips. His blue eyes sparkled with excitement. “I think this room would be perfect for a wedding.” I smiled widely at him. “Is it big enough though?”
“Sure, I think so. How many people are you planning on inviting?”
“I don’t know. I’d like to keep it small. Family, close friends. I know we haven’t really discussed it. I’ve been married before. I want our wedding to be whatever you want it to be.”
“Ella, that’s sweet. But it’s a day for the bride, not the groom. I want our wedding to be whatever you want it to be. It doesn’t matter to me if it’s big, small, or we elope. All that matters to me is being able to hear you say I do.”
I smiled widely at him this time instead of allowing myself to panic.
Guests started arriving for the party. “We’ll need to finish this conversation another time,” I said.
The next two hours were a flurry of introductions. Xavier escorted me around the room stopping at each table to introduce me to everyone. Of course, I recognized his personal assistant, Patrick, and his receptionist, Carmen, both of whom were with their girlfriend and boyfriend respectively.
It was awkward when I was introduced to Carline’s parents especially after the incident that transpired between Carline’s brother and Renatta, which resulted in Renatta spending a night in the hospital with a minor concussion.
Her parents were not what I was expecting. Her father was a tall, thin man with snow-white hair and bright hazel eyes. He carried himself with a very sure, confident air about him, but he was not arrogant or pompous. Her mother, who was as tall as Carline with the same flat, brown eyes, also had that confident air about her. They were seated at our table along with Stewart and Marissa.
Carline and Stephen arrived, but they steered clear of our table until after the meal. Even then, they only approached so Carline could say hello to her parents. Stephen stood several feet back shooting daggers at Stewart and Marissa. I avoided any direct eye contact with him. Xavier’s arm was wrapped around me possessively the entire time.
When I excused myself to go to the ladies room, Marissa followed along. Usually, having her tag along totally annoyed the hell out of me, but given that I just found out I was pregnant this morning, I welcomed her presence.
As I was standing at the sink washing my hands, Carline entered the restroom. Her eyes rested on Marissa waiting by the door before they focused on me. As she approached, Marissa pushed off the wall. I gently shook my head at her.
Carline’s cold eyes shot me a noxious look. “Adding stalking to your list of things to do now?”
“Good evening to you too, Carline. It’s so nice to see that you are back to your usual bitchy self. What happened to the nice and polite Carline you were so willing to show us at the last function we met at?” I raised my brows and pursed my lips at her.
“That Carline disappeared the minute your fiancé falsely accused Stephen of stalking you. It turns out you are the one stalking.” She placed her fists on her hips.
“I’m stalking Stephen?” I asked incredulously. “I have no idea what you’re getting at.”
“Cut the shit, Ella. Stephen told me he caught you following him down Second Avenue Monday after I left Xavier’s office.”
He told her what? I gaped at her, but quickly recovered. “Hmm, you mean the day you were escorted from Xavier’s office?” I sneered at her. “I hate to break it to you Carline, but he was the one stalking me. If he told you otherwise then clearly you are more brainwashed by his bullshit than I realized. One day you’ll wake up just like I did and Lisa did. Hopefully before it’s not too late.”
“Not too late for what?” she demanded.
“Before it’s not too late to save yourself. I don’t know what little game you two are playing, but I will destroy you just like I will Stephen if you both continue down this destructive path,” I said scornfully. Automatically, my maternal instincts kicked in as my hand wandered d
own to my abdomen and rested there protectively. Carline’s eyes widened at the gesture. Marissa didn’t miss it either. She frowned at me as her mouth hung open. I quickly wiped my hands on my dress trying to play it off as nothing.
“You’re pregnant,” Carline said in a derisive tone as she pointed at my stomach.
“I think not,” I said quickly. “If you’ll remember correctly Stephen ended that little dream not too long ago. Now if you’ll excuse me I think I’ve wasted enough time on you,” I said disdainfully.
As soon as I walked passed Carline, Marissa grabbed my arm and hauled me out of the restroom. She stopped in the hall a few feet from the restroom. “Ella, are you pregnant?” she asked incredulously.
“Of course not,” I quickly replied. I hated lying to her, but there was no way I was telling her before Xavier. She studied my face for several seconds before she wordlessly escorted me back to the party.
Whew, that was close. There were fourteen days until Christmas Eve. At this rate, I wasn’t going to make it that far before my secret was revealed accidentally. I had to be more careful.
Fortunately, Xavier didn’t question how long I had been gone, because he knew Marissa had been with me. Nevertheless, relief washed over his tense face as soon as he spotted us entering the room.
As the party came to a close, Xavier had the children gather around the one Christmas tree in anticipation of the arrival of Santa. The ear-to-ear grin on his beautiful face as he watched the children stare in awe as Santa arrived brought tears to my eyes. If he behaved like this with his employee’s children, how was he going to react with his own child?
If I hadn’t already known that having a baby was a possibility for us, this scene would have torn me apart. I would have been in anguish over seeing the joy on his face knowing that I couldn’t give him the children he deserved. But that wasn’t the case, and I consciously had to avoid touching my abdomen in any way so as not to reveal my little secret. When he made eye contact with me, he blew me a kiss. I smiled widely and winked in response.
Following the party, we climbed into the back of the limo. I kicked my heels off and collapsed into Xavier’s side. “That was a wonderful Christmas party. Everyone seemed to have a really good time especially the children.” I looked up at him. “Your Santa was quite convincing. The smiles on the children’s faces were priceless.”
