Passion, Vows & Babies_Rainy Days

by C. M. Steele

  “It is. This is the alleged Charlie Cross.”

  “Okay, well this solves both my problems at once. If you could leave us alone there’s a lot I’d like to discuss with Ms. Cross.”

  “Behave.” He walked out of the room followed by Mrs. Harvey.

  “That I cannot guarantee,” I whispered, staring right at the woman who ran away from me. I patiently and calmly sat down in the seat directly across from her.

  “Ms. Cross,” I greeted.

  “Ian,” she murmured. It was too much for me to handle, but I had to stick with the plan. I had a million questions.

  “Did you seek me out?” I asked.

  “Seek you out? I didn’t come looking for you at all. I didn’t even know where you worked. I don’t even understand what this is all about. I didn’t steal anything from you. In fact, I need to go. I can give you my bank records and you’ll see that I don’t have extra money. Excuse me.” She stood and before she could cover herself with a file folder in her hand, I saw the most unmistakable sign that she didn’t leave Italy alone. She came home with a piece of me.

  “Sit the fuck down right now, Charlotte,” I roared, feeling a hundred different things. She sat her ass back in the chair.

  “I swear, I don’t know what this is all about.”

  “Really, at this fucking point, I don’t give a shit about the books. I want to know one simple question. Are you pregnant with my kid?” She froze, her eyes wide, then nodded. I stood stock still at the realization, then a myriad of questions flooded my brain.

  Chapter 9

  Charlotte

  “Why did you leave?” he asked, looking painfully upset. I hated this. I wish I had a do-over button so I could take away the hurt in his eyes.

  “I thought it was for the best,” I tried to explain, but this was too unexpected, and he looked ten times better than I remembered. I thought I’d memorized every inch of his face before I left, but nothing could have prepared me for seeing him again.

  He stalked closer, his hands running through his hair. The pissed look on his face should have scared me, but it didn’t. “The best? Leaving without any goodbye, no contact information or anything is for the best?

  “My life became a wreck the day before we met. I’d just been…” I played with my hands, tucking my head down and away, looking at the small nick in the wall where a chair had scraped.

  His hand came up, cupping my chin and lifting my face to look at him. “What? You’d just been what?” he asked.

  I bit my lip, afraid to tell him what happened. It stung, and it embarrassed me more than I cared to share, especially with someone I’d missed more than anything, the man who hated me. He waited for me to speak, his expression showing his growing impatience. “My parents abandoned me, checking out of the hotel without me.”

  “I can’t believe it,” he said, looking completely livid.

  “I’m not lying,” I answered defensively, hating for anyone to think that I lied. God, he was still so gorgeous, even when angry.

  “I didn’t say that, Charlotte. I just can’t imagine parents like that.”

  “Well, if anyone was stealing from you, it was them. It wouldn’t be the first time they’d used my social and name to get out of trouble.” I hated that my parents had become so selfish.

  He ran his hand up my arm, slowly and ever so torturously. My body didn’t even care how mad he was with me. It knew the pleasure he could bring and came to greedily claim more. “I’ll deal with them later. You, on the other hand, are coming with me,” he stated firmly, gripping my bicep.

  “What? I can’t. I have to work,” I told him, trying to find a way to avoid being alone with him.

  “Where?” he asked.

  “I’m the receptionist here.” I tilted my head towards the door.

  “Well in that case, as of this moment you’re done working.”

  “You can’t tell me what to do,” I argued.

  “That’s where you’re wrong. You’ve stolen more than one thing from me. If you think I’m going to let you sneak away again, you’ve got a lot to learn, Charlotte.”

  “I didn’t steal anything.”

  “You did and we’re leaving right now,” he stated. I melted in that spot. His dominance and insistence sent a trail of need straight to my pussy.

  Chapter 10

  Ian

  She didn’t move. I’d never hurt her, but she was testing a man possessed. I had her pinned to the conference table with my body leaning over her delicious one. Staring into her eyes, I cupped the back of her head. “This thing between us won’t end until the day we die. I’m not letting you go.”

  “Just because I’m pregnant.” I kissed her before she could finish the idiotic bullshit excuse she planned to toss out. She moaned, throwing her arms around my shoulders, then thrusting her hands into my hair. I could get used to fucking her on any surface. My apartment had a bunch of places to try out.

  I wrapped her legs around my waist, grinding on her. “You’re mine and so is our baby. You fucked up, Charlotte, because the only way I see this going is you paying me back with a life.”

  “We don’t know each other.”

  “I don’t care. I know what I’ve felt from the first time I saw you in the market. It hasn’t changed. I’ve been hunting you down all this time.”

  “You have?”

  “Yes, and now that I’ve got you, I’m not letting you go.” I slammed my mouth back onto hers, just as the door to the conference room opened. I pulled back and tried to hide her from view. She was still dressed, but I didn’t like the thought of anyone seeing her on the cusp of passion.

  “Whoa. Now if all my clients settled things like this it would save me a big headache,” he laughed.

  “Fuck off, Croix. She’s done working here. I ought to kick your ass knowing she’s been here all this time.”

  “She hasn’t. We found her during the first weeks of the search and she needed a job.”

  “You could have called me,” I argued, fucking pissed that I lost time with her. It was irrational and crazy, but I loved her.

  “You were dealing with your dad.” Yes, and having her by my side would have done me some good.

  “So. Come on, Charlotte. We’re leaving.”

  “What do you want to do with the theft?”

  “Fuck, I forgot about it. Since it doesn’t involve just me I can’t let it go. Sit down. We all need to talk about it.” I sat her on my lap.

  “Um, there’s a room full of chairs.”

  “I know, and this is the best one for both of us. Don’t give me shit, woman. I’ve had months of unnecessary stress.”

  “Down to the business at hand. Mr. and Mrs. Cross are robbing not just Knight Publishing, but they have several other aliases. They’ve gone on the run, knowing the walls were starting to close around them.”

  “What do you want to do, Charlotte? They’re your parents.”

  “They’re not.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “They’re my aunt and uncle—if what they said was even the truth.”

  “That’s something else we need to talk about. Eden found out more about your real parents.”

  “What?”

  “Well, when they died, they left you insurance money. It was given to the Crosses because they were raising you, but they squandered it before you were ten.”

  “That sounds pretty normal for them. We always seemed like they were struggling. I had to work since I was fifteen to pay the bills. As long as they didn’t kill them, then nothing else would surprise me.”

  “They didn’t.”

  “Thank goodness. Do what you please with them. They left me in Italy by myself with just a good luck note. When I came home, I had another saying my belongings were in storage and the house had been sold. I had nowhere to go.” I seethed inside, hearing what they did to her. She’d been forced to fend for herself. That explained the way she acted in Italy. She just had her world turned upside down wh
en I came in and stole her virginity. God, I felt terrible for my fucking need to claim her. She needed the love and affection she’d lost out on and I’d fucked her on the cold, wet, broken ground.

  “If that’s all settled, please have them charged. I’m sure you know where they are. You guys know everything. Charlotte and I have a lot to talk about.” I scooted my chair out and set her on her feet before standing. “Sweetheart, lead me to your desk so we can get your things.”

  She left the room without saying anything and I followed behind. She grabbed her purse and a light coat. I took her hand and led her out to my truck. Helping her in, I kissed her hand. I have to show her what she means to me.

  “Are you hungry?” I asked as soon as I’d hopped in.

  “Yes,” she muttered.

  I spun my body towards her and said, “Charlotte, please tell me what you’re thinking. I want to take care of you and our baby.”

  “Ian, I just don’t want to be a burden. My family has been robbing you, and now I’m bringing an unplanned baby your way.”

  “Listen to me. I want you, family warts and all. I want to wake up next to you every damn day. I can’t wait to hear our baby’s heartbeat and see it kick. I want it all.”

  “Do you?”

  “Yes. I know I should have waited to make love to you, but I didn’t know how vulnerable you were. All I knew was that I wanted you to be mine. You deserved better.”

  “I didn’t tell you. I could have stopped you at any time, but didn’t because it was what I wanted. I needed you and begged you to take me. It was the most wonderful experience of my life, and it was selfish of me to leave. That time in the ruins and the rest of our night had been perfect—too perfect. Frightened that you would leave me too, I did the running. I’m so sorry about that. I regretted it the whole way home. Landing in Baltimore had been a harsh reality. I thought about flying back, but figured it would be too late.”

  “Damn, how I wish you had. Tell me, where have you been staying?”

  “I had enough to rent a small studio apartment. This job allowed me to start saving for the baby.”

  “You don’t have to worry about that again. All I want you to do is take care of yourself and our baby. And maybe fall in love with me, but that’s it.”

  “Well, I guess that’s all taken care of, then. I fell in love with you that night.”

  “I fell in love with you before I knew your name.” I leaned over and stole a kiss. A honking horn forced us apart and I realized it was Jax being a dick. I flipped him off and kissed her once more before pulling out of the parking spot.

  “Now, let’s get you and my baby something to eat. We can clean out your apartment tomorrow and move you into mine. My family is getting together this weekend.”

  “What did Jax mean about your father?”

  “He had a heart attack shortly after I got back. It left him with a lot of issues to recover from. My mother has gone on a mission to make him take it easy. He’s ready for work again, though.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “It’s okay. He’s improving. My parents will go nuts with excitement and probably start buying baby stuff as soon as we tell them.”

  “Oh goodness. I’m showing up pregnant. They’re going to think I’m a tramp.”

  “No, they won’t. They know about you. I told them, or rather my dipshit older brother mentioned you to them. They’ve been hounding Jax for information on finding you, too.”

  “So where do you live?”

  “Not too far from here, about another ten minutes. Do you want to eat out or pick something up?”

  “Pick something up.”

  An hour and a pizza later, she was sleeping on my lap. I brushed my hands through her long brown hair. Thinking she couldn’t be comfortable, I got up and carried her to bed. I stood there, admiring her resting right where she belonged. If the doorbell hadn’t rung, I would have laid down with her.

  Chapter 11

  Charlotte

  I woke up to the sound of the doorbell. Ian hadn’t given me a tour, but I knew this had to be his room. Well, ours now. Ian made his intentions very clear about what he wanted. I climbed out of bed and quietly crept towards the bedroom door. “Where is she, bro?” I heard some guy ask.

  “What the hell? How did you know?” Ian asked.

  The other guy laughed then continued. “Come on, you think I’d let you get away with it. I had your neighbor next door let me know. That little old lady likes to gossip.”

  I heard a bunch of footsteps which confused me since I could only hear the two of them. “She’s sleeping right now,” Ian whispered.

  “It’s okay, son, we’ll be quiet.” Oh shit. His father was here? I guessed the other voice was his brother, Nick. I looked down, glad I had to dress nicely for work.

  “Ooh look, pizza. Excuse me, I’m starving. We missed lunch being nosy,” he mumbled the last bit. I couldn’t see, but I bet he’d started eating the leftovers.

  “So, when is the wedding?” A woman asked. Damn it, his mother was here too. It seemed like a reasonable question, especially because I’d soon be visibly pregnant. For now, I could pass for bloated after a heavy meal.

  “Whenever she wants, as long as it’s sometime this week.” Was he afraid people would see?

  “Ha. Bro, you’re so in love with her. Man, you fell for the girl who took your V-card.” His brother is a shit, but I wish I had a brother. Then at least it wouldn’t have been so lonely.

  “What are you sixteen, dickhead? Who cares about that?” I wanted to believe him before, but it had seemed too unrealistic. Yet it had been the truth.

  “Wow, so sensitive. Chill out.”

  “Speaking of, have you heard from your girl?” Ian asked him. My ears perked up as I listened in.

  “No, she’s been avoiding me.”

  “Well, she put in that she’s opting out of her renewal. She doesn’t want to work with Knight Publishing any longer.”

  “What!” he roared. “No way. That’s not happening. She’s not leaving me.” He stormed out of the house and I exited the bedroom quietly.

  “You’re a liar, son. I just saw the paperwork. She signed again for two more books,” his father said. I got to see them without them noticing me. The resemblance between father and son was remarkable. They could pass for twins if it wasn’t for the gray around his temples and the slight wrinkles around his eyes.

  “I know, but he needs to get it over with. I can’t be the only one bringing grandkids into your lives,” Ian remarked nonchalantly. My eyes bugged out, seeing Ian staring at me.

  “You’re going to start soon?”

  “We already have,” I said, entering the room after spending all that time eavesdropping and finally getting caught.

  “Mother, father, this is my fiancée, Charlotte, the one I told you about,” he said with great pride in his smile.

  “Hello, I’m Nicholas and this is my wife, Rosalyn.” His mother came to us and hugged me close. I was surprised but welcomed it.

  “I’m so glad he finally found you, and I can’t wait for the baby,” she squealed, touching my belly. For over three hours, we sat there talking about the future. The hardest part had been when they asked about my parents.

  “Dad, that’s something we need to talk about. They won’t be coming. I met Charlotte again because she was the supposed Charlie Cross. Her adoptive parents faked the whole information while they plagiarized our books. We’re not the only company, but they will be apprehended very soon. Jax made it clear they’d have it done for us.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that. We don’t want to come between you and your parents,” his mother responded sweetly, pressing her hand on my knee.

  “You’re not. There’s nothing to come between. Ian and I met because they ditched me in Italy. I’d decided to take a tour of the ancient ruins and not let my disappointment get me down.”

  Ian’s phone pinged with a text that said, “Fuck you.” Nick apparently found
out Ian had been lying.

  “We’re going to leave you two. We’ll get all the arrangements settled in the next two days. It won’t be fancy, but it will be nice.”

  “Thank you,” I replied, hugging his mother. She gave us both a kiss on the cheek and they left.

  As soon as he closed and locked the door he slipped his arms around my waist and leaned down for a kiss. “How are you feeling?”

  “Perfectly wonderful,” I answered, smiling up at him.

  “Look, it’s raining outside,” he pointedly remarked.

  “Well, then I see no point in wasting a good rainstorm,” I murmured with a smirk. He bent down and slipped one hand under my knees and the other on my back, then swiftly lifted me into his arms.

  “We better get to it. I’ve missed you so much.”

  Chapter 12

  Ian

  I watched her as she stared out the window. She just received a gift from Eden and Isaac. They arrested the Crosses two months ago for bank fraud in Florida.

  “Sweetheart, don’t you want to open the box?”

  “I do, but I don’t,” she answered, spinning around to look at me, tears falling from her eyes. She focused her attention on the offending box that sat on our coffee table. It had been found during a search of the Crosses’ many properties. Inside were some of her birth parents’ belongings. Many of which should have been given to Charlotte from the start.

  “Why?”

  “Because. My heart will break even more. They’ve missed out on so much of my life and they will never see their grandbabies. I know I should, but I just can’t right now.” I pulled her into my arms, holding her tight. She pressed her head to my chest, quietly sobbing.

  “Okay. I understand. I’ll put it away.” I kissed her forehead, then her lips. “I love you, Charlotte. I’ll always be here for you.” I stepped back and grabbed the box. The damn thing weighed a ton. Slipping it into the closet of our spare bedroom, I set it on the floor. Hopefully, she’ll want to see inside it one day.