by Tina Martin
Out of the mouths of babes, Felicity thought. She never thought that question would come out of the mouth of a four-year-old, but there it was. Front and center.
“It’s hard to explain right now, baby, but mommy made some bad decisions that she’s trying to fix.”
“One day, will we be together again? Me, you and daddy?”
“Yes. One day we will be.”
Rayne sat up and hugged Felicity.
Felicity hugged her back tight. “You get some sleep,” she said, then kissed her goodnight.
She turned off her bedside lamp and walked to the living room, preparing to leave after spending the afternoon and evening at her mother’s house.
“She reminds me so much of you when you were her age,” Dahlia said coming into the living room. “She’s smart, Felicity. She’s already reading at a first-grade level.”
“Where would she be if you hadn’t taken her in?”
Dahlia shrugged. “Not sure but what sense is there dwelling on the unknown? The important thing is, she’s here and she’s safe.”
“You’re right.”
“A woman named Ms. Greene from social services contacted me yesterday and said you were seeking custody.”
“I am. Every day of my life I’ve regretted giving her up. I don’t want to live a life of regrets anymore.”
“Me either, daughter, which is why I’ve started dating again.”
Felicity’s brows rose. “You have?”
“Yes, and he’s a good man, too. An honorable man—like the one you got.”
A weak smile came across her face. “Yeah. Regal’s a good man, but I come with too many issues for him. I already screwed that up.”
“Then fix it. I never thought you’d be at my house as mad as you were with me, but here we are. If we can be on speaking terms again, anything’s possible.”
“Yeah, I suppose.”
“You married him, so you obviously love him.”
“I do, but it wasn’t a traditional marriage. It was more of a marriage of convenience. We dated, hung out a few times, and we got married because it would better my chances of getting Rayne back.”
“And he was willing to do that for you?”
Felicity nodded. “I can’t believe he came here,” she said out loud. It showed how serious he was about them – her and Rayne – a little girl who had no biological connection to him but he was ready to claim her as his own.
“I say do whatever it is you need to do to get back on good terms with that man.”
“Yeah.” Felicity released a troubled breath. She was right, but it wouldn’t be as easy as she made it sound.
“In the meantime, you can rest easy. You know Rayne is with me and she’s safe. You’ll have her back soon enough.”
“And you’re okay with that? I know you’ve grown attached to her over the years. You’ve had her since she was a baby.”
“Yeah, I’m attached to her, but I always told myself I was keeping her temporarily until you came looking for her. And now that time has come.”
Felicity nodded. “Yes. That time has come,” she said. She hugged her mother before she left. Whatever beef there was between them was now over and done with – made her wish she would’ve taken Regal’s advice when he first told her to call her mother. Made her realize it’s the reason he told her to call her mother. His intentions were pure. He wanted her to find out about Rayne. He wasn’t trying to be authoritative. He was doing what was best for her, only she didn’t listen. Now, she understood his position too little, too late.
Chapter 37
A Week Later
Regal was standing outside on the porch of his parent’s home, on the fence about going inside. He wasn’t in the mood to be eating and carrying on as if his life had been normal for the past week. He’d fallen hard for Felicity. Had gone after her like he’d never chased a woman before. Actually, he never had chased a woman before. Women chased him – not the other way around.
But Felicity…
He wanted her for himself so he’d come up with a plan to get her. It worked for a while, but he couldn’t make a woman love him.
“Ay, mother says the food is ready,” Royal said stepping out onto the porch.
“I’ll be inside shortly,” Regal said, although he’d much rather been at home. He pulled in a breath, went inside and took his position at the table. While the rest of the family conversed, he ate quietly, his thoughts clogged with Felicity.
He recalled the very first time he met her – how her eyes would roll when she saw him – something he got a kick out of, even now. And then he remembered how serious she was as she tried to find a mate for him, not knowing the whole time she was it. And he’d played golf with her. Had dinner with her. Made love to her, several times, all the while thinking she had to have been feeling what he felt for her. How could the lovemaking have been so good if she didn’t actually love him?
“Looks like we’re missing somebody,” Mason, their father said, looking at Regal.
Already knowing who he was referring to, Regal said, “We’re not. I never got the chance to invite Felicity to Sunday dinner and even if I had, she still wouldn’t be here, so—”
Bernadette glanced over at Mason. She’d noticed Regal’s quiet, lackluster demeanor since he arrived which was so unlike him. He was the life of their dinners with his humor and lighthearted conversations but this evening, he was sitting at the table with nothing to say to anyone. He couldn’t even bring himself to smile.
“I’ve heard stories, but I want to know firsthand if any or all of it’s true,” Bernadette said. “Did you and Felicity get married?”
Ramsey cleared his throat and said, “Mother, maybe we shouldn’t—”
“It’s okay,” Regal said. “I’m fine with it. I have to make peace with this sooner or later, so it may as well be sooner.” He looked at the band on his finger and said, “Yes, we married, eloped—whatever you want to call it—but it was all a mistake. I love her but she doesn’t love me so there you have it—nothing else to discuss.”
Bernadette shifted little Rianne in her lap after Rianne grabbed a biscuit off of her plate and began gnawing on it with her little teeth.
“You can’t just leave it off like that, son,” Mason said. “She must mean something to you.”
“She does. That’s never been the question.”
“Well, since she’s not here to state her position, I will say this,” Gianna said. “Felicity does love you and cares for you deeply, Regal.”
Regal looked at Gianna. “How do you know that, cupcake?”
“Because she’s my best friend and I know how she thinks. Besides, we talked a few days ago and she asked me about you.”
“What did she want to know?”
“How you were doing.”
“That’s it?”
“Yeah.”
Regal tried to work up a smile but failed. Failed miserably.
Romulus provided a much-needed change of subject by saying, “Looks like our baby boy is going to be here on time.”
“Wonderful,” Bernadette said.
“According to the doctor, he’s going to be a seven-pounder,” Siderra added.
“That’s a healthy baby,” Bernadette said. “I can’t wait to meet my second grandbaby.”
Hearing her talk about her grandchildren had Regal thinking about Rayne. He was ready to accept her—had already accepted her in his heart the same way he’d accepted Felicity. That’s when he made up his mind not to leave any more of their lives to chance. He had to take control again even though he felt like he was the one who’d been wronged.
“Excuse me,” he said pushing away from the table. “I have to go.”
“Where are you going, son?” Bernadette asked but Regal was moving so fast he was already to the front door.
“You know where he’s going,” Mason said. “He’s going to get his other half.”
Regal jumped in the whip and didn’t stop until he made it
to Felicity’s apartment. He didn’t scan the parking lot looking for her car. He just parked and banged on her door.
Felicity wasn’t expecting company at this hour. She walked to the door, to look through the peephole and that’s when she saw Regal standing there. She immediately closed her eyes and prepared herself before opening the door.
“Hi,” she said.
“Can I come in?”
“Yes,” she said stepping aside so he could enter. When he did, he left the scent of his cologne in the breeze. She basked in it then closed the door. Turning around slowly, she looked at him. He had on casual clothes – a pair of rugged jeans and a black YSL shirt. He sat on the sofa and interlocked his hands as if waiting for her to join him.
When she finally did, he asked, “Have you spoken with DHHS?”
“You drove all the way over here to ask me that?”
He narrowed his eyes a bit. “Yes. Have you spoken with them?”
“No. Have you?”
“No.” He looked up at her. “Come sit down for a minute.”
Felicity walked over toward him but chose to sit on the loveseat instead of the sofa to give them a bit of breathing room. As it was, he looked irritated, and she didn’t want to cause more tension.
After she sat down, she looked at him, caught his stare, then quickly averted her gaze to her lap, not knowing what to say. Not knowing what he would say. The room tensed.
“There are some things I need to tell you—to get off of my chest,” he finally said.
“Okay,” she gestured openly. “What is it?”
“I’m the one who hired Tucker.”
She already knew that, but she didn’t know why. Now was her chance to find out. “Why?”
“Because I wanted you to find your daughter.”
“But Tucker found her, and you told him not to tell me. Instead, you went to my mother’s house to meet her and Rayne, while keeping the whole thing a secret from me,” she said. “Rayne thinks you’re her father, Regal.”
“I am her father. I’m the only father she’ll ever know.”
“You seem so sure of yourself.”
“That’s because I am sure of myself, Felicity.” He stood up to take a couple of steps her way. He dropped to his knees in front of her.
“I wanted everything to be perfect for you, so much so that in my head, I came up with what that idea of perfection would look like.”
“And what was that?”
“You. Me. Rayne. It would be you starting over with your mother. It would be us being together once you realized how much I loved you and that this thing between us wasn’t just a thing at all, at least not to me. It was something real. Something I knew I had the potential to grow into greatness. I know I crossed lines and came across as sneaky and deceptive by doing things behind your back but my motives were pure. I wanted three things—one for you to reestablish a relationship with your mother. Two, for you to get your daughter back and three, for you to want my name—want to be my wife as badly as I wanted to be your husband. I don’t want to make you love me, but I don’t care anymore, Felicity. If that’s what I have to do, so be it. I’ll do what I have to do to make you see that you belong with me and I love you with all of my heart.”
Felicity was shaking her head.
“What? You don’t believe that?”
“I do believe it.”
“Then why are you shaking your head?”
“Because you don’t have to make me love you, Regal. I realize everything you’ve done for me and that alone confirms your love for me. I can’t help but love you in return.” She brushed her fingertips across his beard. “Gosh, I’ve missed you. What have you done to me, Regal St. Claire?”
“Only you can answer that baby, but right now, I want to do something I haven’t done to you in almost two weeks.”
“And what might that be?” she asked, then gnawed on her lip.
“This,” he said using his thumb to free her bottom lip from her teeth and then captured her lips kissing her passionately, yet with a need that let her know he missed her.
Felicity kissed him back, matching his fervor. She missed him, too, and after everything he’d done for her, she was positive this was real. This was love.
He scooped her up into his arms and carried her to the bedroom where he wasted no time helping her out of her clothes, getting out of his and clothing her with his naked body. And he savored her tongue more, her entire mouth, loving her with everything he had while feeling the satisfaction of knowing she loved him in return.
Gasps left both of their mouths when he moved inside of her, their bodies connected physically but more so mentally. She held his vision while his eyes beamed down at her. Soul mating. Drowning in each other’s love. Recognizing it was love. Pure love – something she never thought she’d have and something he never knew he wanted.
“I love you, Felicity.”
“I love you, Regal.”
He rocked his body back and forth, going deep then retreating. At the sound of her whimpers, he came forward again.
Her body shattered beneath him and as she fell apart, he kept grinding and watching her reaction to the sensation tearing through her body. Somehow, with their bodies still intimately joined, he flipped their positions so she was on top while he lay flat on his back.
She didn’t need any instructions on what to do next. She knew what he wanted. So she rocked her hips while he reached to touch her breasts, all kinds of sounds coming from him – love noises coming from her, but she stayed the course riding him to paradise and when he got there, so did she, hurling into a mind-blowing climax that was so potent, she fell forward and screamed her pleasure in the cradle of his neck, panting and feeling sweat cling to them.
Against his chest, she could feel him breathing as hard as she was.
He wrapped his arms around her to hold her tight.
“Felicity.”
“Yes.”
“You know what just happened, right?”
“Yeah. We just made love.”
“And we made something else, too. A baby.”
“Shut up, Regal,” she said laughing.
“You laugh but Rayne is going to have a lil’ brother or sister in about nine months. Since you were on top, it’s a boy, right? Ain’t that what the old people say?”
“That’s some old wives’ tale and it’s not true,” she said. She lifted her head to place a kiss on his chest.
“It is true. You’ll see in a few months when your stomach begins growing and WB, Jr. is born.”
Felicity grinned. “My goodness. You’re full of it.”
“No, you’re full of it, girl and I’m about to give you even more of it.”
She kissed him again, slowly easing up, disconnecting their bodies but remained lying on his chest. “Let’s talk for a minute,” she told him. It would give their bodies time to rest before round two began.
“Okay. Talk.”
“You probably already know this but me and my mother went down to talk to Ms. Greene a few days ago. We’re going to slowly transition Rayne by letting her spend weekends with me—”
“You mean with us,” he corrected.
“Yes. With us. Then, we’re going to alternate full weeks until Rayne is comfortable enough to live with me—I mean us—full time.”
“You’re okay with that?” He stroked his fingers through her hair.
“I am. I want what’s best for Rayne.”
“Good. I want what’s best for you both.”
She pressed her lips to his chest.
“It nearly killed me to go without seeing you for so long,” he confessed. “Talking to you. Teasing you. Touching you.”
“You got to do all of that tonight,” she told him.
“Yes, and I want to do that every night for the rest of our lives. I want you to move in with me.”
“Um…I don’t know about that,” she teased.
“You’re going to make me suffer? I’m not above begg
ing.”
She pressed her lips to his, then smiling, she said, “I want to be with you, too. In fact, I think I should be all moved in before Rayne comes to stay with us next weekend.”
“That would be a dream come true,” he said. “We should have a welcome home party for her to introduce her to the rest of the family.”
“That’s a good idea. You think we can put something together in such a short time frame?” she asked.
“Sure. It doesn’t have to be anything formal. Just family.”
“Yes,” she replied. “Just family.”
Chapter 38
The small family get-together for Rayne turned out to be a grand party for her and by extension a celebration of Regal and Felicity’s new love, their union as man and wife – a public acknowledgment that they were actually a family beginning their lives together.
Bernadette and Mason welcomed Rayne, already accepting her as one of their grandchildren. They made Dahlia feel comfortable, thanking her for the sacrifice she made in taking and raising Felicity’s daughter.
The rest of the family took the time to welcome Rayne. Ramsey had a conversation with her about school. Romulus and Siderra told her she would have a little cousin soon. Royal and Gemma marveled at how smart Rayne was and how much she looked like Felicity.
“She’s adorable, Felicity,” Gianna said standing next to her friend, watching Rayne and Rianne play, running around the backyard together.
“Thanks,” Felicity said. “I was just standing here thinking about how lucky I am. This could’ve gone all wrong for me.”
“Nah,” Gianna replied. You’re strong-willed. Plus, you have him,” she said gesturing to Regal.
Felicity looked over at Regal. “Do you know Regal wants to legally adopt her?”
“That makes sense,” Gianna said.
“Actually, he doesn’t have to do that. She’s not his child, but he wants to give her his name.”
“That’s because he loves her mama that much.”
Felicity smiled when Regal rolled a ball over to Rayne. Then he headed her way.
