Following The Light (Out of the Dark Book 3)

by Arlene Gonzales

  They want to be close to family. They want to be getting the nursery ready for the day you bring home those little bundles of joy. That’s just what I want to be doing.

  When we arrive in Australia and check into the suite, I tell my husband that in two weeks when we leave, we will be going home. He tries over and over again to change my mind. Telling me how he wants to go to every corner of the world together before the babies come. He even tells me that he will get the doctor to travel with us. That way he can keep an eye on me.

  When he says that, I know there has to be a reason why he doesn’t want us to go home. “What’s going on? Why can’t we go home yet?”

  Taking me by the hand, he walks us over to sit on the bed. “Is it so wrong to want to give you the world?”

  “You are my world. I don’t need anything but you and our boys.”

  “Alexis, I know money doesn’t mean anything to you. I know you would love me even if I was poor.”

  Before he can say another word, I point to his chest. “That’s right, Aiden. I love you for what you have in here. Not for what you can buy me.”

  With a shake of his head and a smile, he says, “That’s just one of the many reasons I love you, baby. You are like an angel sent from heaven. You are my dream come true.”

  I place the palm of my hand on his cheek. “Mr. Steffan, you are my dream come true. Promise me that you will always remember that.”

  He gently presses a kiss on my forehead. “I promise. But you have to promise me one thing.”

  “What is it?”

  “That no matter what happens, you will always be careful. That you will believe whatever I do is to keep you and those babies safe. Because if anything ever happened to you, if I ever lost you, there would be no reason for me to go on living.”

  A chill goes through my body. “You’re scaring me. Tell me right now, why don’t you want us to go home? And don’t even think of lying to me.”

  He starts to pace, walking the length of the room. His jaw clenches, and his nostrils flare like when he gets angry. I sit there without moving. I hold my breath, not saying a word.

  “You have to know everything I do is always to protect you. To protect our family.”

  “For God’s sake, just say it.”

  One word escapes from his mouth: “Michael.”

  “What about Michael? Aiden, tell me.” Charging at him, I grab his shirt. I yell at him. “Tell me or I swear I’m on the next plane home. With or without you.”

  He grabs both of my hands. “The reason that Michael didn’t arrive in Italy till the day of the wedding was because someone had broken into the office.”

  “I already know that. He told me as soon as he got to the church.”

  Aiden bows his head and lets out a breath. “What you don’t know is that they only went through one of the offices. They didn’t steal anything, just completely trashed it.”

  “Which office?”

  “Yours, Alexis. Just yours. They went through your desk, broke the pictures you had of us, and left a message on one of the walls.”

  “What did it say? What were they looking for? And why didn’t you tell me all this before?”

  “I don’t know what exactly they were looking for, or even if they found whatever it was. The message was clear, though. It said, ‘You don’t belong with him. I’ll make sure you will never be happy.’”

  I sway from the news that just punched a hole in my gut. “I think I need to sit down.” Aiden helps me over to the bed. “Who did it? Could it have been Chris?”

  “The police don’t have any leads yet. Don’t you see? That’s why we can’t go back yet. I have to keep you and the babies safe.”

  “Why can’t they just leave us alone already?” Through tears, I search his eyes for answers. “Don’t we have a right to be happy? Haven’t we been through enough already? When is all this going to end?”

  He takes me in his arms. “I will never let anyone harm you. Not ever. You are my whole world. I will die before they hurt you.”

  “We need to go back tomorrow.”

  Aiden holds me out at arm’s length with a shocked expression on his face. “What? No! I will not put you or our boys in harm’s way.”

  “Aiden, together we can overcome anything. Plus we have Anthony to be with us day and night. I won’t be a victim one more day. Take me home tomorrow.”

  After going back and forth, he finally agrees. He calls Brandy and has her make the flight arrangements. We spend our first and last night in Australia in our suite, holding each other.

  “Aiden.”

  “What is it, baby?”

  “Do you realize today was the first time you said, ‘the boys’?”

  He kisses my forehead, and we fall asleep.

  Chapter 25

  On the flight home, my mind is working overtime with all the different things going through it. First the break-in at the office, the secret my husband and boss kept from me. I know they didn’t tell me because they were trying not to worry me. But it’s still a secret, and we promised each other no more of them.

  I’ve also got the babies to worry about now. I need to protect them at all costs. I know my husband will do everything in his power to protect me and our children. But, I’m so afraid that something will go wrong.

  I also still have the bad headaches to deal with. They are less and less, but when I do get them, they knock me on my ass. Being pregnant, I can’t take anything to get rid of the pain. Plus I’m having the dreams that scare me more than I’d like to admit. Not knowing what they mean and why Erik and my parents keep asking me to go back to them is the scariest part. Are they trying to tell me something? Should I take it as a sign that I won’t be around to watch my boys grow up?

  When we get back home, I’ll need to make arrangements if the worst case scenario happens and I die. Shannon will be too emotional, so I’ll get Brandy to help me. I need to make sure the boys will know how much their mother loved them. That they are given the names I want for them, the names that came to me in the first dream I had of them. I know in my heart of hearts those are the right names for them. Josh and James will have everything they want and more importantly, need. Throughout the whole honeymoon, we would talk about the names for them. Aiden told me several times that I’m the most stubborn person he has ever known because I wouldn’t budge on the names I want for the boys. No matter what names he would come up with, I’d shake my head no.

  The pilot announces that we’ll be landing in twenty minutes. I’m tired both physically and emotionally. My pregnancy has been pretty normal. Even though we’ve been on our honeymoon, my husband made sure I kept up with the prenatal vitamins. He even went as far as to fly the doctor out to Scotland for my monthly checkup. Dr. Verdi was gracious enough to come see me. Upon his arrival, he made sure to ask us if we were going to be obtaining a new doctor once we were back in New York. He wanted to make sure we had my medical files. To my surprise, he also offered to make the trip to New York for the last month of my pregnancy. I asked him to be my doctor till the babies are delivered. I know he was the one that brought Johnny and Ysabel into the world. I want him to be the one that makes sure James and Josh make a grand entrance. I wouldn’t trust anyone else with that task.

  The time is now a little after seven in the evening. I’m ready for bed. As the plane touches ground, Aiden takes my hand. When we exit the plane, a car is waiting for us just a few feet away. We don’t need a driver since Anthony is with us. In a matter of minutes, we are headed for home. I lay my head on my husband’s shoulder. As tired as I am, I’m happy to be home. As we drive, the familiar sounds of the city I’ve come to love are all around us. I hadn’t realized how much I missed it.

  ***

  As we enter the underground garage, I raise my head. Aiden asks if I’m happy to be home. With a sigh and smile, I say, “Yes.” Anthony parks the car and comes around to open the door for us.

  Walking into the penthouse, I take off my jacket and
lay it across the couch in the great room. The night chill hits me as I open the terrace doors, but I don’t care. Aiden rests his chin on my shoulder and wraps his arms around my waist. “Do you feel that?” I ask him.

  “What, baby?”

  “The city, the way it wakes up your senses. How it makes you feel alive. I didn’t realize just how much I missed home. I love Italy and enjoyed all the traveling we did, but this is our home. This is where we belong.”

  “Alexis, I belong anywhere you are. You are my home, you and the boys.”

  I turn to give him a loving smile. “Baci, Aiden.”

  “Abbracci, Alexis.”

  “Take me to bed. Make love to me.”

  He laughs. “Why, Mrs. Steffan, I thought you were tired.”

  Facing him, I say, “I’m addicted to you. Take my clothes off. Show me that fire you say I will never put out. Tonight, I want to feel your soul touch mine.” Bending down, he picks me up.

  As he carries me up the stairs to our bedroom, the whole way up, we stare into each other’s eyes. When two people have suffered and lost the way we have, they form an unbreakable bond. That bond will comfort us no matter what storm comes our way. Aiden and I are not just husband and wife. We are one heart, one soul. We feel each other’s pain, sorrow, and happiness. We stir the deepest, darkest desires in each other. As one, we will conquer whatever the world throws at us. He stands me up at the edge of the bed. Never taking his eyes off of me, he starts unbuttoning his shirt.

  “Here, let me.” Finishing the final button, I slide his shirt off and throw it over my shoulder.

  I rub my hands across his chest, licking my lips. No matter how many times I have made love to my husband, I will never get tired of seeing him bare chested. Running my hands down his firm, lean body, I watch his Adam’s apple move as he shallows down his excitement. Leaning his head back, he moans. I remove his belt and unzip his pants. Kicking off his shoes, he then lets the pants slide down. One foot at a time, he steps out of them. I take a step back and enjoy the view of his body.

  Pushing him down on the bed, I get on my knees and take him completely in to the back of my throat. One hand squeezes his balls. The other holds his cock while I suck hard. Pulling back to the tip, with my tongue I circle the crown. Over and over till I feel his thighs tense up. The moans escaping his mouth get louder and deeper.

  In a swift move, he sits up and grabs me by the arms. He lays me on the bed. Taking my dress by the hem, he pulls it up and off of me before I know it. Then without warning, he has both hands on my bra and tears it off. The look in his eyes says that he is on fire. Running his eyes the entire length of my torso. “God, you are so beautiful.”

  His words send a chill throughout me. With his body, he covers mine. Kissing me with such force that a mixture of pain and pleasure goes to the core of every part of me. He’s working his way down my throat. Sucking, licking, and nibbling along the way. Making his way to my breasts, he begins sucking on one and kneading the other with his hand. Goosebumps cover my body as he goes down to my hips. Opening my legs, he kisses the inner parts of my thighs. He opens the folds of my voluptuous volcano, as he calls it now.

  He’s told me on several occasions that he could stay there forever. Usually he teases me a bit while roaming with his tongue across my soft, smooth, silky pussy. But tonight he goes straight to my clitoris, pulling on it with his lips. As he digs his tongue deep into me, I surrender to the onslaught of the orgasm taking over my flesh. The unchained urgency that is leaving me drunk with pleasure. I am like a volcano erupting, scorching and searing every cell in my body.

  Trembling from the orgasm, I throw my head back and place my hands on his head. I’m running my fingers through his hair. He climbs up my body, and immediately enters me. In a matter of minutes, I am on the edge again. The growls from deep in his chest are getting louder. A few more and he stills his body. The muscles on his back are tense. They clench up as he spills into me. We are both breathing rapidly. Our hearts are beating against each other’s chests. Neither of us moves or says a word.

  Aiden rolls off and lies on his back. We look at each other, and smile. After a little while, I tell him that I need a shower and sleep. He goes into the bathroom and turns on the water. “Come on, baby, it’s the perfect temperature now.” I take a quick shower and blow dry my hair, then walk back to the room and find Aiden asleep already. Sliding in bed, I curl up on my husband’s chest.

  ***

  Morning comes too quickly—at least, that’s what I think until I glance at the clock on the nightstand. It’s a little after two in the afternoon. I turn to find no sign of Aiden. As I go downstairs, the smell of food cooking floods my senses. I am definitely hungry. My body is sore from last night, or should I say early this morning. The way my belly is growing now on a daily basis, I don’t know how much longer I will be able to twist and move like that. I hope he’ll still find me attractive when I’m bigger than a house. Carrying one baby is hard enough, or so I hear. Carrying two is twice as hard. Entering the kitchen, I see my husband at the sink washing dishes. With his back to me, he doesn’t know that I am quietly watching him. Tilting my head to the side, I take in the beautiful sight that is Aiden.

  Who would have thought the day I first laid eyes on him in the conference room that one day I’d be married to him? That the world’s top male model, who is wanted by hundreds of thousands of women, would be cooking and washing dishes for me. This is the man who takes the catwalk by storm, who has brought the art of strutting to a new level. Just walking into a room, he commands attention. Even wearing an apron, he looks so damn sexy.

  Quietly, I creep up from behind. I wrap my arms around his waist. “Whatever you’re cooking smells really good.”

  He turns to face me. Needless to say, I get soap all over my hair and cheeks when he goes to kiss me. “Good morning, baby. Did you sleep well?”

  “Yes, I did. It’s not morning, though. You should have woken me up—I would have made us something to eat.”

  “You need your rest. You are carrying my children, and I want to take care you. Besides, I don’t mind in the least impressing you with my cooking skills.” As I uncover the pot on the stove and take a deep breath in, the aroma of chicken noodle soup hits me. I open the cabinet to get the bowls out. “Oh, no, you don’t. Just sit down and I will serve you.”

  “You’re spoiling me. How did I get so lucky?”

  “Baby, it’s me who is the lucky one. I’m very lucky to have you in my life.”

  As we’re finishing our meal, I decide there’s no right time to bring up the subject of Chris. Although I do need to find out whatever I can, so here goes nothing. “Aiden.”

  “What is it, baby?”

  “I know this may be the last thing you want to talk about, but do you know how Chris is doing?”

  Putting the spoon down, he narrows his eyes at me. “Well, you got that right. He is the last thing I want to talk about.” I’m about to open my mouth. “But I know you’re just worried about him.”

  “Yes, I am. I just want to know that he is getting the help he needs. I feel responsible.”

  Taking me in his arms, he says, “Nothing that happened is your fault. You need to stop blaming yourself.” He goes on to tell me that Brandy set Chris up with a very good psychiatrist. I’m sure that things are fine. At least that is what I hope. I can’t speak for everyone in general, but I would think it is a process.

  “He is back playing at the club again. Every night he brings in a crowd. Michael said that he looks good.”

  I let out a sigh of relief. “Good, I’m happy that he is doing better.”

  ***

  It’s been a month since we’ve been home. The police still have no clue as to who broke into my office at work. I’ve been to an OB/GYN here, one that Dr. Verdi recommended. I will see her until the middle of June, when Dr. Verdi comes to New York. He’ll stay here till the babies are born. Both doctors have spoken on the phone several times. They concur
that I will not make it to my due date. They say the babies are low already. Because I am carrying twins, they said that they will see how I am in the middle of June.

  Trying to stay health and active, I go for a walk every day. Each and every time before my walk, we go through the same routine. Aiden tries to convince me not to. I remind him that I have Anthony, plus one more security guard with me to watch over me. By the way, it is not something I’m comfortable with. I do it for my husband’s sanity. For mine as well, because if I don’t, he won’t let me out of the apartment. I tell him that he’s being overprotective. He just shakes his head and tells me to get used to it.

  Tomorrow, we are going to the office. I still can’t believe I’m actually going in. I am really anxious to be in the mix of things. It only took two days of pleading my case to him. When that didn’t work, I gave him the best blow job I could. As he was ready to explode, I did what any wife in my shoes would do. I told him that if I couldn’t go, this would be the last time I would please him for a while. Do I feel guilty for using sex as a weapon? Yes, I did—until he told me that he was coming with me. He also told me he would spank me if I ever did that again. The look I gave him was that of shock. Inside, I was thrilled at the idea. I’ll never let him know that, though.

  Michael said everyone at the office was excited to see us. Then he whispered in my ear that they were more excited to see me.

  “We’ll just keep that part to ourselves.”

  As always, Aiden and I cuddle and talk for a bit before going to sleep. He tells me how beautiful I look, that I am literally glowing. “I don’t know about the glowing part. I feel huge and I have to pee every five minutes.”

  “Baby, I’ll start carrying you to the bathroom.”