Closing the door of the villa behind her she threw her bag onto the floor and went into the kitchen, grabbing a glass of water and searching the cupboards for chocolate. She needed a sugar rush, having not eaten that much all day.
“Don’t I get a hello?”
She turned round and smiled as she saw Michael leaning against the door post, looking handsome and relaxed. Her husband. Just seeing him there seemed to erase any thoughts of Kenny and, as she ran over to him, throwing herself into his arms and letting him pick her up and swing her round, she almost forgot about last night. Michael was back and she felt safe again.
“Missed me?” he asked, holding her tight, just wanting to look at her, take in her beautiful face.
“What kind of stupid question’s that?” she smiled. “Of course I’ve missed you. I always miss you. Always.”
“Really?”
She stroked his face with her fingers, kissing him gently. “Yeah. Really.”
He wanted to believe her, he wanted to feel like she was telling the whole truth but he knew she’d been with Kenny. He knew what they’d done the night before, he knew that, in the room next to where they were now, his wife and her ex-husband had made love on the floor, and with every fibre of his being it killed him to think that Kenny Ross had touched her that way. Again. It killed him to know that he’d done things to her that only he should be doing, saw things only he should see. But he’d seen the photographs, he’d seen the evidence in all its sordid glory. Vince had been too late to stop that one from happening. He’d seen his wife, beautiful and naked in the arms of the one man Michael wished would just leave them alone so yes, he’d got what he’d wanted, if that’s how you chose to look at it. And in reality a part of him wished he had just left it well alone because thinking it might be happening and knowing it actually was were two completely different things, and it hurt like hell.
Everything going round in his head scared him to death because he should confront her, just like Vince said he should. But if he did that he faced losing her because it would bring everything out into the open and, in his own irrational way of thinking, keeping it under wraps somehow meant it might never actually amount to anything. And if that was the case then he had more of a chance of holding onto her.
“Are you ok?” India asked. He seemed preoccupied all of a sudden.
He looked at her and smiled, snapping himself out of the dark thoughts going round in his head. All he had to concentrate on now was loving her in the only way he knew how, and he had to do that, he had to show her how much she meant to him; how much their life together meant to him.
“I’m fine.”
She smiled back, standing up on tip-toes to kiss him again. “Can we go to bed then?”
“Yeah. You do look tired.”
“I don’t mean to sleep, Michael.” She pressed herself harder against him, slipping her arms round his neck. “You’ve got work to do, Mr Walsh.”
He felt that familiar ache take over again, that ability she had to turn his whole world upside down with one look, one kiss, one sentence. It was happening now and he wasn’t going to fight it. She still wanted his baby – his baby, nobody else’s - and he was going to cling onto that and give her what she wanted, because he was still confident that, when it happened, everything would fall into place, and Kenny Ross would be forgotten. As confident as he could be given the mess they were in. A mess he just hoped didn’t have time to get any worse.
CHAPTER 43
2003
India stood in front of the mirror and smiled as she ran a hand over her bump. She was eight and a half months pregnant and was having what had to have been one of the easiest pregnancies going. No morning sickness, no aches or pains, not even any cravings, and the only weight she’d gained had been the small and perfect bump she now carried so proudly.
They were having a boy, they knew that. They’d wanted to know. They’d already picked his name, already decorated nurseries for him in their homes in Malibu and the Hollywood Hills, and they’d bought more baby stuff than was probably necessary, but with his arrival now just a couple of weeks away their excitement was building.
India couldn’t wait to meet her son. She couldn’t wait to meet the little man who’d brought her and his daddy so much closer together. He was already the most special thing in her life and he wasn’t even here yet. But he wasn’t far away. She could feel it.
Every day she spoke to him, telling him about the life he was going to have and the people he was going to meet and she’d feel him move about inside her, almost as if he was excited and eager to get out and start this life of his she kept telling him about. Their baby was finally real and he was fine and he was going to be here with them before they knew it.
She looked at herself again. She didn’t feel tired, she’d never felt tired throughout the whole time she’d been pregnant. She’d felt alive, she’d felt incredible, amazed that they’d been able to make this little person, and as she ran her hand over her bump once again she laughed out loud as he kicked her hard, letting her know he was there.
“Is he making his presence felt again?” Michael smiled, coming up behind her, putting his hands on her bump, kissing her neck. “Whoa! I felt that,” he laughed, as their baby kicked again. “Maybe we got ourselves a little soccer player in there.”
India smiled, sliding her fingers between Michael’s, over her bump.
“Well, he’d have inherited that from his uncle then.”
Michael kissed her neck again. “Terry would have loved this little guy.”
India leaned back against him, closing her eyes. “He’s watched over us, Michael. I’m sure of that. After what happened last time ... he didn’t want us to go through that again.”
Michael held onto his wife, his hands reluctant to leave the bump that carried their little boy, a baby that had already changed their lives before he’d even arrived. He’d never seen India look so beautiful, so angelic almost as she did carrying this child. She’d sailed through the pregnancy. She’d never let it get in the way of anything, including sex. Even now, with the baby just a matter of days away, they were still making love. Positions had changed, and it wasn’t always easy but they couldn’t keep their hands off each other, and that was fine with Michael because he’d never found her so sexy. She looked amazing, and tonight he couldn’t wait to show her off.
For most of the time she’d been pregnant they’d remained quite private, attending only a couple of premieres and parties during the early stages, and they’d been photographed just a handful of times over the course of the last few months, despite media interest being on red alert once the pregnancy had been confirmed. Their only major outing had been Reece and Martha’s wedding six weeks ago. India had been around seven months gone by that time and photographers had fallen over themselves to get a picture of her with her bump so visible.
They’d also given one exclusive interview and photo shoot to a major magazine, and it had been the only interview they’d done in the months leading up to this baby, but now they had offers amounting to millions of dollars coming in every day for the first pictures of baby Walsh and neither of them were quite sure what to do on that score just yet. What they did know though, was that any money they received from any photos of their child would go straight to charity.
But tonight - so close to the imminent arrival of their baby - tonight was the premiere of Michael’s movie, the one he’d shot with Reece last year in L.A., when India had been filming in Vegas with Kenny.
‘Above Board’ was having it’s U.S. premiere in Westwood Village and a list of who’s who in Hollywood were due to be there, as well as it’s stars – Reece, of course, and Layla Boyd being just two of them, and despite the headaches and hard work it was a film Michael was extremely proud of. Tonight was a big night, but even he knew that the press and paparazzi wouldn’t only be looking out for his movie and its stars. They’d also be looking out for his extremely beautiful and heavily pregnant wife, becau
se, even now, at over eight months pregnant, she was going to outshine every female on that red carpet. He had no doubt about that.
He slipped on his jacket and watched as she pulled on a baby blue dress and matching strappy sandals, an outfit just perfect for an L.A. summer evening such as tonight, and Michael loved the way the dress fitted her still perfect figure, accentuating her baby bump. She’d never wanted to hide it.
Her make-up team and hair stylist had made her look even more beautiful than she already was with pale, natural make-up that suited her lightly tanned skin, her hair loose and curled around her shoulders, and he honestly didn’t think it was possible to love her any more than he already did, but, as he watched her apply a light dusting of bronzer over her collar bone, he was falling in love with her all over again. He was fifty years old, he was a middle aged man with a wife sixteen years his junior but he was about to become a dad for the very first time and he’d never been happier. They’d gone through so much, the journey to get here hadn’t been easy but it was happening, and that’s all Michael cared about. Kenny Ross may still be a friend to his wife but it looked like, finally, that was all he was ever going to remain. Michael didn’t like it, but he’d live with it.
India turned round and smiled at him. “Do I look ok?”
He shook his head. “No. No, you don’t look ok. You look amazing!” He went over to her, pulling her as close as he could, given the bump, kissing her slowly. “You look stunning, Mrs Walsh.”
She smiled again, gently stroking his face with her fingertips. “You don’t look too bad yourself, Mr Walsh.”
And he didn’t. He looked incredibly handsome in a dark suit and tie, and so relaxed due to having so much deserved time off. They’d really needed to spend some real time together, not just a few days here and there, and doing that had been their saving because she’d been so close, so very, very close to doing something she might have regretted.
“I really want to make love to you, right now,” Michael whispered, kissing her neck, his hands sneaking up her dress.
“Yeah, well, you can’t because if we do you’ll be late and this is your movie, mister. How would it look if you’re late for your own movie premiere? Besides, you’ll mess up my make-up and it took Scott ages to get this right.”
“It took him five minutes, I watched him.”
He was nuzzling behind her ear now and, despite being eight and a half months pregnant, India was starting to feel that familiar aching for him building up again.
“He can do a touch up job before we leave ...” His hands were back up her dress now and she was finding it harder and harder to stay strong. “... meanwhile, I can do a little touch up job of my own, right here. Come on baby, it’s my big night.”
“Yeah, and I’m just big, Michael. It’s not that easy to just drop everything for a quick one up against the wall like we used to do. Not with junior here.”
“You know how you like it - how we both like it since the bump got bigger. Come on, you’re killing me here.”
She smiled at him, leaving his hand where it was and kissing him slowly, loosening his tie. “Damage this dress and you get no more sex until after this one’s born. And that could be weeks, you realise that, don’t you?”
“You’re beautiful when you nag, do you know that?”
She looked up at him, the man she’d almost been willing to walk away from, and she couldn’t believe she’d even thought about that because she didn’t want anything other than to be with him, and their baby.
“I love you so much, Michael.”
He smiled, kissing her gently. “I love you too, baby. I love you too.”
He turned her round, pushing her hair away from the back of her neck, kissing it lightly, his hands slowly sliding her dress up over her thighs and India closed her eyes, pressing back against him, giving in to his touch, waiting to feel that closeness she’d felt with him so many times over these past few months, wanting to have him where he belonged before the two of them became three. Because that day wasn’t far away now. It wasn’t far away at all.
***
Reece’s wedding to Martha had truly been the happiest day of his life, more so because India had been there. His beautiful, pregnant daughter. He’d been more than a little wary when they’d first told him she was pregnant, because he knew his daughter, and he knew that her motives for having this baby hadn’t been entirely thought through, but when he’d seen how happy she was, how happy she and Michael were, he’d put all doubts aside and started to look forward to the arrival of his grandchild. Something he’d never thought he’d see happen.
He was having a grandson, they’d told him and Martha as soon as they’d found out, but it wasn’t public knowledge yet, and neither was his name. Michael and India had already chosen their son’s name but were telling no-one what it was just yet. They obviously wanted some things to remain a surprise, and he’d loved watching their excitement grow as the weeks had gone on.
Sometimes it felt almost bittersweet for Reece, though. He’d missed out on all of this with India, he’d never known her as a baby, never had the chance to feel what they were feeling now as prospective parents, so he was going to spoil this grandchild. He was always going to be a part of his life. A very big part.
India was dead set on a home birth, something Reece wasn’t over-keen on, he’d have much preferred her to go into hospital, but she’d made her mind up. Even Michael had taken some persuading, but after talking to Dr Goldman he’d relented too and let India have her way, but Reece was still unsure. However, he knew exactly why India was so against a hospital birth. Hospitals brought back memories of that night back in 1997 and he understood that, he understood all of that, but he just wanted her to be safe. One room in her and Michael’s Hollywood Hills home had been turned into a delivery suite with every possible angle covered, and if that made her feel more comfortable about giving birth – because Reece knew she was more than a little scared by the prospect – then who was he to argue? Whatever made her happy.
“Hey, the car’s outside, honey. Are you ready?” Martha smiled, coming up behind him and hugging his waist.
He turned round and smiled back. His beautiful new wife. Everything really was falling into place right now. “I’m ready.”
“Are you thinking about India again?” she asked, knowing how worried he was as the time grew closer for this baby to arrive.
Reece nodded. “She’s not been through anything like this before, Martha. I know how scared she is.”
“She’ll be fine, sweetheart. Michael’s going to be with her and you know he won’t let anything happen to her.”
“I’m her dad, Martha. I can’t help worrying.”
She smiled again, kissing him quickly. “I know. But we should be excited! We’re getting a new addition to the family and we should be gearing up to meet him. We’ve got to get through tonight first, though, so come on, let’s get going.” She gave him another quick kiss, grabbing his hand and leading him out of the room. “You can see India for yourself tonight and see that she’s just fine.”
“You’re right,” he sighed, following her out to the car that would take them to Westwood Village. “You’re always right.”
She stopped and smiled, giving him one more kiss. “Well, isn’t that why you married me?”
***
Kenny had been invited to the premiere of ‘Above Board’ but he was still in two minds as to whether he could be bothered to go or not. Ever since India had fallen pregnant he hadn’t seen a great deal of her. They still spoke all the time on the ‘phone, sent each other e-mails, texts, and he’d been over to the Malibu house a few times to see her but Michael had usually always been there too, almost as if he was making sure nothing went on. Because it had almost happened. She’d been so close to leaving him, Kenny had felt it, he’d known it. Ever since the night they’d had sex in the villa in Las Vegas he’d known she’d been confused. He’d tried to talk to her, tried to see her alone after tha
t but she’d always been with Bobby or Charley or they’d been busy filming and he’d just never got the chance he’d so badly wanted. Getting her alone had been hard. But he’d seen it in her eyes; he’d seen the confusion, the indecision, but then she’d got pregnant and everything had changed. The one thing he’d hoped wouldn’t happen had happened and he was suddenly old news, pushed aside for a baby and a husband he couldn’t compete with. Or could he?
Kenny was no fool, he could do the math as well as anyone and this baby’s due date threw up one or two questions in his mind that he just couldn’t ignore, and he couldn’t believe India hadn’t thought about it either. Sure, she’d been sleeping with Michael a hell of a lot around that time and she’d only slept with him once but wasn’t that all it took? One time could make a baby. And, although it was an outside chance, didn’t that still mean that this baby just might be his?
***
“I don’t believe you, angel, I really don’t,” Bobby sighed, as India arrived downstairs after the most amazing sex with her husband.
She looked at him innocently, her hands around her bump. “What?”
“You. You’ve been at it again, haven’t you? Look at your hair ... come here will you ... Scott! Get out here with that bronzer brush will you! Our little pregnant princess has been playing without permission again.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” India said, running her fingers through her hair as Scott ran out with his make-up palette in hand, ready to re-touch anything that may have got smudged while she’d been with Michael. Although she’d been extremely careful.
“You and Mr Walsh, that’s what I’m talking about. Can you not stop for five minutes? On the night of his movie premiere too, and to be perfectly honest I don’t even know how you manage it with that bump.”
“I turn around.”
“Huh?” Bobby looked at her, pushing his glasses up onto his nose.
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