Fight for Me

by Corinne Michaels

  “You sold your apartment and risked your company just … to buy the farm?”

  I lean in and press my lips to hers. “I’d sell it all for you, Syd. I’d give it all up if it meant I’d be with you. I’ve been a fool for a long time. Now, I have a second chance with you, and I’m not giving it up. We’re meant to be together. You know that, and so do I. We’re having a baby, and I swear to God, I’ll make you happy.” I feel a tear reach my thumb, and I wipe it away. “Why are you crying, Bean?”

  She sniffs and wraps her fingers around my wrists before resting her forehead against mine. “Because I love you, and I have needed you so much.”

  “I’m here now.”

  “I want to trust you, but my heart …”

  I lift my head back. I can’t see her, but I can feel it all. Her tension and fear is like a living thing between us. “My heart is yours, Bean. It always has been.”

  “And mine is yours.”

  “Then let me love you. Let me prove it.”

  Heartbeats pass between us before she nods. “You chased me.”

  “I’ve never stopped. No matter what you thought, I’ve been chasing you, running but not willing to let myself catch you. It took me far too long to realize I’d been fighting for the wrong thing.”

  I pull her lips to mine and kiss her tenderly. The taste of her is something I’ve never forgotten. She’s life and air and everything good in this world. Her fingers glide up my chest and settle against the back of my neck, gently stroking the skin there.

  We kiss, languidly and tenderly, only breaking long enough for me to lift her into my arms. Sydney squeals and grabs on. I move to her bed, laying her down carefully before climbing in next to her. I don’t expect anything to happen. Hell, I’m not even sure she is allowed to, but I want to hold her.

  I need to feel her sleep beside me, knowing she’s mine and she’s chosen me.

  She shifts closer, tilting my face to hers and then kissing me on her own terms. I give her what she wants, pouring everything into the kiss. Sydney moves so she’s straddling me. Her kisses become deeper, longer, more urgent.

  “Syd,” I croak her name, both wanting her to stop and never stop.

  “I need you.”

  “We can’t.”

  “I can.”

  God, she’s going to kill me. I try once more to do the right thing … to hold her off until I can call her doctor and make sure. “We can wait. Holding you is enough.”

  She sits up, her long hair flowing around her. The moonlight filters through the big windows, allowing me to see just her profile. “It’s not enough for me.”

  Her hands move to the hem of her shirt, and she pulls it over her head. She takes my hand and places it on the soft skin of her belly. There lies our child. The baby who brought us back to each other.

  “You’re so beautiful,” I tell her.

  “Touch me, Declan. Make love to me.”

  I lean up, practically growling and unable to stop myself at her soft plea. I want nothing more than to make her feel my love.

  My hand moves up to her breast, lightly stroking the top of her nipple. It pebbles beneath my touch, and she lets out a breathy moan. I roll it between my finger and thumb, plucking, and then wrap my other arm around her, pulling her to me.

  She braces over me, and I pull her nipple into my mouth while playing with her other breast. Sydney’s head flies back, and I swear that I could fucking die at the sight of her.

  “Lie down for me,” I tell her.

  Thankfully, she obeys. I pull my shirt off, hating that there isn’t enough light in here for me to see her clearly. I want to watch her, see her face, bask in the desire that will swim in those blue eyes. I want it all. Remembering that she has half this house remotely operated, I lean over and grab the small remote that operates the fireplace and let that roar. Then I push the button she hit that turned candles on.

  Now the room is set perfectly.

  And then I look at her, watching the lights dance across her skin.

  “I love you,” I tell her.

  “I love you.”

  “You have to promise me that if you feel anything …”

  Her fingers graze the whiskers on my cheek. “I promise. I need you.”

  I need her more than air. I lean down, bringing our lips together, and kiss her with all the emotions in my heart.

  Sydney is mine.

  While she always has been, now it’s different. We aren’t kids making stupid promises we can’t keep. This is a love that’s strong, been through hell, and has found its way back to heaven. We’ve battled and won. She’s the prize. She’s everything.

  I pull her so we’re face to face, not wanting to put any weight on her. I slide her shorts off, slowly revealing her skin. A shudder passes through Sydney’s body. The last time we made love, everything changed. This time, it won’t be that.

  Instead of her leaving, I’ll hold her.

  Instead of tears, I want smiles.

  There is nothing of myself that’s being held back. All of me, all that I can give will be hers to have.

  I move her back and trail kisses down her body, push her legs open, kissing the insides of her thighs and drawing out the anticipation.

  “Dec, please …”

  “Please what, Sydney?”

  “More.”

  I push her legs higher and run my tongue along the seam of her pussy. “More of that?”

  She groans. “Yes.”

  I do it again and make sure I flick her clit. “More of that?”

  Her fingers slide into my hair, wrapping around the strands and tightening. “Only you, Dec. Please.”

  That pushes me over the edge. I lick and suck, pulling her deeper into the abyss. She moves her hips, seeking more. I hold her down, wanting to control the pace. There’s a great joy in drawing it out, hearing the whimpers escape her throat, making the moment last longer.

  Sydney has always been fire in bed. She’s never been afraid to ask for things or tell me what she wants. I know her body as well as I know my own, and when I feel her thighs tighten, I know she’s close.

  Wanting to be inside her but needing to have her climax beforehand drives me harder. I suck at her clit, flicking it over and over, rubbing small circles until I feel her body tighten further. I slip my finger into her, curling it slightly, and she screams.

  Her body goes rigid as I do everything I can to make it better for her. I watch as she falls apart, and I know there’s nothing in the world more beautiful than this.

  I make my way up her body, shed my shorts, and then wait for her eyes to open.

  When they do, my heart feels as though it settles back into place.

  Where it was meant to be—with her.

  Sydney smiles as her hand moves to my cheek. “Hi.”

  “Hi?”

  She nods. “There you are again.” A tear rolls down her temple, but her lips are still set in a grin. “I’ve missed you.”

  It’s too much. My chest feels as though it’s going to explode. The way she sees through me, knows what I’m feeling before I’ve been able to speak, is too much. I can’t take it.

  Her legs part, and I move closer, wanting to have no space between us anymore.

  I’m coming apart and binding back together.

  All because of this woman.

  The one thing in the world that has always been what I’ve needed.

  She runs her thumb along my lips. “Make me yours, Declan.”

  And then I slide into her, and it is not her who is mine … it’s me who is hers.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Sydney

  “You don’t understand, Jimmy, he’s driving me insane!” I say as I dip another Oreo into milk.

  “He’s being cautious with you, that’s all. You didn’t see the man when he thought you were going to die.”

  I sigh, trying to remember that this was traumatic for everyone. I fail.

  “Still not an excuse to keep me hostage in
my own house!”

  Jimmy laughs, lifting the coffee mug to his lips. “I think you mean both of your house.”

  I glare at him. “Traitor.”

  I may have originally sold the house, but a few weeks ago, he put me on the deed with him. So, we both own it … with his money.

  “Aren’t you supposed to be retiring?” I ask him.

  “It’s hard to stay off the farm when you can’t do much, your boyfriend hasn’t run a farm ever, and I haven’t found someone competent enough to do what I’m capable of doing,” Jimmy complains.

  Dec and I think it’s that he really doesn’t want to retire and that he likes being around us. I don’t mind. In fact, I would be content to never let him leave, but that is just me being selfish.

  I know that I scared ten years off his life when I was in a coma, and since then, he’s been just as protective as Declan.

  I smile and then grab another cookie. “I guess you have a point.”

  “Damn right I do.” He refills his cup and thrusts it toward me. “You know, you’re going to be hard-pressed to get me to stay away once that baby comes. There will be a lot of things you’re going to need done around here while you’re both taking care of an infant.”

  I nod. “I bet we will.”

  “And not to mention all the things that still need to be taken care of.”

  I bite back the smile at how wound up he is. “Of course.”

  Declan opens the back door and smiles. “Hey, Jimmy. I thought you were going to take the week and stay home on your new retirement.”

  Jimmy puts the mug down with a clunking sound that reverberates, and I bite my tongue so hard I can taste blood. Oh, he’s in for it now. “Kids thinking I can just retire,” he mumbles under his breath as he walks out of the room. “Think they know everything until something breaks, and then retirement just means free labor.”

  Declan stares at the door he vacated through and then back to me. “What the …”

  “Oh, you stepped in the shit, my friend.”

  “I said hello.”

  “And then you mentioned that he should be home.”

  “So you pissed him off, and I get the brunt?” Dec asks.

  “Yup. I love the way that worked out.”

  He rolls his eyes. “I have a surprise.”

  “For me?”

  “Yes, love, for you. Come on.” Declan’s hand is extended toward me, so I take it.

  We get outside and I inhale deeply with my eyes closed. It feels so good to be out here. The sun is warm on my face, humidity is low since it’s still early morning, and the sky is the brightest blue.

  “You have no idea how much I hate feeling cooped up.”

  “I think I do.” Declan stops me, facing me toward him. “I want you to put this on, and not complain.”

  I look down at the black tie and raise a brow. “You want me to put just this on? I mean, we’re out in the open, Dec. Jimmy can see from the window and the farmhands are all over.”

  He looks heavenward and then back to me. “As appealing as the idea of you naked in nothing but my tie is, us being outside in the early morning while that happens isn’t what I had in mind. I meant to put it over your eyes.”

  “Oh!” Now it makes sense. “A blindfold.”

  “Yes, love.”

  “Lead with where you want the tie next time.” I pat his chest.

  Declan laughs and then helps me tie it on. “Can you see?”

  I move my head a bit, trying to see anything, but it’s all black. “Not a damn thing.”

  He turns me around twice. “Am I pinning the tail on something?”

  “No, but you’re the worst person to try to surprise since you watch and note everything, so, I’m hedging my bets.”

  He’s right. I am the worst. I’m having a baby shower in a few weeks. They tried to make it a surprise, but he was acting weird, so I snooped and found out about it. It was really sweet that he tried though. I did my best not to let on that I knew, but a few days ago I mentioned that the train theme was lame, and blew up my spot.

  I’m pretty sure he wanted to choke me.

  Still, we are now having a zoo theme, which is what I’m decorating Deacon’s room in.

  “Are we there yet?” I ask, hating the darkness.

  “Just a little farther.” Declan holds my hands, pulling me along. I have no idea what his grand surprise is, but the fact that I’m out of the house is enough to make me euphoric.

  The last few weeks, I’ve felt wonderful, but my overbearing nurse has made me absolutely certifiable. I can’t go to work, drive anywhere, walk too much, or stress because it’s not good for the baby.

  I swear, I could beat him.

  Which leads me to try my hand at subterfuge to stay busy.

  “All right,” Dec says as we come to a stop.

  I inhale, and can smell the just cut wood, fresh paint, and traces of hay. His hands move to the tie, slowly lifting it from my head.

  My eyes widen in shock. This was my barn a month ago. It was a small office with farm equipment below, and stalls that we didn’t use for anything other than storage.

  Now, it’s beautiful.

  The walls are covered and painted a soft light gray, there’s a subfloor and area rugs down. To the right, where the stalls were, is cleaned out and is now a sitting area with a couch and two big chairs.

  It doesn’t even look close to the same.

  “Dec,” I say, trying to take it all in. “This is incredible.”

  “Come this way,” he says, placing my hand on the crook of his arm.

  He pulls me deeper toward the back. “The bathroom there is redone and now is … clean and usable.”

  I would’ve peed my pants instead of using the one here. It was so gross. “I’m glad to hear it.”

  “I’ve instructed the entire staff that, if anyone uses it, they’ll be fired.”

  I laugh. “Well, I don’t know that they can’t use it, but I’ll go with you on that for now.”

  “Let me show you the best part.”

  “There’s more?”

  He nods. I allow him to take me all the way to the back side where there are now two rooms with barn doors that are open.

  I gasp. “Is this an office?”

  “That’s yours, and this is mine.”

  I walk inside and my heart overflows with love for this man. It’s beautiful. There is a large gray wooden desk with white built-in bookcases behind it. They’re already filled with some of my law books that I know were in my office building.

  Behind the desk is a white leather tufted wingback chair. It’s classy, modern, and so very much me.

  “I know you’re miserable working in the house, and we both need space to do what we love. I’m overbearing and ridiculous, but at least here, you’re safe and can be comfortable.”

  “Oh, Declan,” I say as tears brim, ready to spill over.

  “Now we can both work, and you can be out of the house without pushing yourself to go back to work at the office too quickly.”

  Not a chance, but I just smile at him. “This is really sweet. And perfectly done.”

  There’s really nothing that I would change.

  “I’m glad. I love you very much.”

  I lift my hand and rest it on his cheek. “I love you.”

  “I want to do and give you everything.”

  “You already have.”

  He’s given me more than he can even understand. I have my farm, a baby on the way, and the man I love.

  He gave me his heart, and I’m never giving it back.

  Epilogue

  Sydney

  “What the hell are you doing here?” Devney asks as I step into my office building.

  “Last I checked, I work here.”

  She rolls her eyes. “Yes, but you said you wouldn’t be in for a while.”

  “I lied, and I escaped.”

  “You seriously need to seek psychiatric help.”

  It’s been the
best month of my life, but I can’t sit in that damn house anymore. It doesn’t matter that we converted the barn into offices. It’s great, don’t get me wrong, but he’s always freaking there.

  He brings me water, juice, food, and then doesn’t argue when I’m picking a fight.

  Declan has been the most doting and wonderful man that any woman—any sane one—would want.

  But I’m not sane.

  Nope. I’m a crazy, hormonal, unhinged lunatic per Ellie and Devney.

  Instead of staying home, I drove to my office—without his damn supervision.

  “Yeah, well … whatever.”

  She follows me into my office. “Do you need anything?”

  I shake my head. “Nope, just wanted to stretch my legs, get some fresh air, and not be confined.”

  My doctor and surgeon have given me the all clear to go back to work on a very limited basis. I’m meant to take it easy and stay off my feet whenever possible. They advised me to limit stress as well … like that could ever happen as a lawyer.

  I have done that though.

  I don’t take as many cases, and I’ve hired another lawyer to help out once I have the baby, but there are some things that just can’t be done from home.

  “You act like being around your doting boyfriend is the worst thing that could happen.”

  “It’s not, but he’s always fussing over me. There hasn’t been a single issue since I woke up, all the ultrasounds have been great, and Deacon is growing at the perfect rate. Yet, his father seems to think I shouldn’t walk more than ten feet without him checking my heart rate.”

  Devney grins. “He loves you.”

  “He does.”

  “You’re lucky,” she says with a raised brow.

  “Please, like Oliver doesn’t dote on you? In fact, shouldn’t your amazing boyfriend be here in an hour to pick you up for your date?”

  It’s the first Friday of the month. And the first Fridays are for Devney and Oliver. It’s so great that she has someone who loves her to the point of madness. He plans this for her and constantly makes sure she knows how much he loves her.

  Devney looks away and doesn’t say anything.

  Well, that’s a cue that I can follow. “What?”