Scandalous Box Set

by Layla Valentine

  Not knowing what else to do, I headed back. About the same moment I arrived in front of the hotel, a taxi cab sharply pulled into the road, nearly clipping my leg. I turned around, ready to chew the driver out.

  But what I saw caused me to stop short.

  A familiar figure stepped out of the cab.

  The one person I wanted to see.

  It was her.

  Isla.

  Chapter 27

  Isla

  Adam rushed toward me, the look on his face the exact expression of excitement that I’d hoped to see, the one I’d pictured in my mind during the long flight. His arms were outstretched, and he appeared ready to embrace me.

  But then his eyes moved down, snapping onto the belly that was revealed as I closed the cab door.

  The driver took off, and Adam stopped short, just a few feet from me.

  “Oh…oh, my God,” he said, his green eyes wide and his mouth dropping open as soon as he’d finished his words. “You’re…”

  “Pregnant,” I said, finishing the sentence. “I’m pregnant.”

  Neither of us said a word for a long moment, the soft din of the city washing over us.

  “We should…go up to my room,” he said.

  “Yeah,” I said. “Good call.”

  The silence returned as the two of us made our way through the lobby. The elevator ride up was as quiet, and during the brief trip I worried that he was thinking exactly what I’d feared he’d be thinking seeing me in that state.

  We stepped into the room and a wave of familiarity hit me as I realized it was the same one I’d stayed in before, the one where we’d had the Christmas that I couldn’t stop thinking about.

  “It’s…” I said.

  “It is,” he replied. “I didn’t request it, though. It’s what they assigned to me.”

  He flicked on the lights and stepped over to the minibar.

  “Can I…get you something to drink?”

  “Thanks,” I said. “But, you know.”

  I placed my hand on my belly.

  “Ah,” he said. “That’s right. You’re…”

  Again he trailed off before finishing his words. The fact that he was having trouble even saying “pregnant” made me tense up. Had I come all this way only to have him tell me that he didn’t want to be a father?

  Adam opened a single-serving bottle of whiskey and poured himself a glass.

  “I already had my nightcap,” he said. “But I think the circumstances are deserving of one more.”

  Was this another bad sign? Was he so upset by the pregnancy that he needed to drink to deal with it?

  He sat down next to me, drink in hand.

  “You look like you’re pretty far along,” he said.

  I nodded.

  “Almost nine months,” I said. “Due in two weeks.”

  He glanced away for a moment, as if trying to do some mental math.

  “That means…”

  “They’re yours,” I finished.

  “Wow.”

  He was stunned into silence. The always unflappable Adam Forde was, for the first time since I’d known him, speechless.

  He took a sip of his drink, and as he held it in his mouth before swallowing, an expression of realization took hold of his features.

  “Wait a minute,” he said. “Did you say ‘they’?”

  Oh. Minor detail.

  “They,” I said. “It’s…twins.”

  “Twins.”

  “Two girls. Both healthy and, as far as I can tell, happy.”

  I placed my hand on my belly again and glanced down.

  “I hope they’re happy, at least. Probably nice and relaxing in there.”

  “This is all…this is all so much.”

  I needed him to say something, anything that wasn’t simply him being stunned.

  “Adam,” I said. “Say something. Tell me what you think of all this.”

  He seemed to realize how cagey he’d been. Another sip of his whiskey, and he spoke.

  “It’s…incredible,” he said. “I’m half-convinced this is some kind of dream that I’m going to wake up from. But it’s not—you’re really here. And you’re carrying my children.”

  I nodded.

  “I was going to respond to your email and fly down with you, but…I was worried.”

  “Worried?” he asked. “What were you worried about?”

  “I was worried that you wouldn’t want to deal with any of this,” I said. “I had this nightmare scenario in the back of my mind where you just cut me a check and told me that you didn’t want to be a part of our lives.”

  He snapped his eyes onto me, looking shocked and hurt.

  “What?” he asked. “Why on earth would you think that I’d…”

  He trailed off, and right then he seemed to get it.

  “Oh. Because I’d done that same thing already.”

  “Don’t get to be CEO without having a little bit of brains between your ears,” I said, giving him a small smile to let him know I was only joking around.

  “I have my moments,” he said, matching my smile.

  Then he straightened up, his expression becoming more serious.

  “Isla,” he said. “I know that I acted like a real ass to you, but never in a million years would I ever throw you and our children aside like that. I know you haven’t had the highest opinion of me, but you have to understand that simply wouldn’t be an option.”

  “You…can understand why I would think that, right?” I asked. “You seemed so eager to write me a check and push me away.”

  “And every damn day since then I’ve regretted doing that,” he said. “It was the biggest mistake of my life.”

  Another look of realization.

  “Who’s been helping you this whole time?” he asked. “Who’s been taking care of you?”

  “No one,” I said weakly.

  “You mean you’ve been carrying twins for the last nine months and you’ve been…doing it all by yourself?”

  “I figured that I’d need to learn to rely on just me. I’m going to be a single mother, after all.”

  “No,” he said, his voice as stern as I’ve ever heard it. “No, you’re absolutely not. I’m in your life now, whether you want me to be or not. And I’m going to make sure these girls get everything they need. You want to be independent? Too bad. These girls are my responsibility now, too.”

  Relief washed over me, relief like I hadn’t felt since I found out I was pregnant. Seeing Adam talk like that, hearing the passion in his voice, feeling deep in my bones that he was telling the truth… I almost couldn’t believe it.

  “Isla,” he said. “It’s killing me to know you’ve gone what you’ve gone through all alone. I know I’ve done some terrible things, things that you’d be well within your rights to cut me out of your life for. And there’s nothing I can do to make things right but tell you right here, right now, that I’m willing to be there for you and the girls. If you want me to leave it to you to do on your own without me, it will hurt worse than anything. But I’ll understand.”

  He reached over and took my hand, wrapping both of his around it. As he regarded me there was something in his eyes that’d I’d never seen before—longing and fear and hope all at the same time.

  “The choice is yours and yours alone. I’ve said my piece and made how I feel as clear as I can. Now…I need to know where I stand. So…what do you say?”

  I was quiet for a long moment, choosing my words carefully. After all, what I did or did not say at that moment would change the course of my life forever.

  Chapter 28

  Adam

  After all I’d been through over the course of my life, nothing had even come close to making me feel the way I did looking upon that beautiful, pregnant woman in front of me. She had a power over me that I couldn’t resist. I’d have to be a fool to think I could.

  And right then it was total power. I’d said all I could, and everything was in her hands. If
Isla were to tell me to screw off and never speak to her again, I’d have to accept it.

  My eyes stayed on Isla as she took a slow, deep breath and spoke.

  “Yes.”

  “Yes?” I asked.

  “Yes.”

  It was all I needed to hear. Without even thinking about it, I threw my arms around her and pulled her close, the feeling of her body against mine so wonderful that I could hardly stand it.

  When I released her and looked upon her face, there were tears welling in her eyes, ready to trickle down her cheeks. Though I didn’t want to tear myself away from her for even a moment, I forced myself up to grab the box of tissues from the bathroom and bring it to her.

  Isla took one and wiped her eyes. I hated to see her cry, even if it was out of happiness and relief. The thought that I’d likely been the source of more than a few tears as a result of my thoughtless behavior hit me like a knife to the gut. But I put it out of my mind and focused on her.

  “Then it’s settled,” I said, trying to contain the happiness that felt as though it might burst out of me. “After I’m done here in Rio, we’ll go back to San Francisco. You can move into my place right away—don’t worry about your belongings or anything like that. I’ll take care of it all. You said you’re due in two weeks?”

  “Yes,” she said with a soft smile. “Two weeks. I had to get special dispensation from my doctor to fly.”

  “I’ll finish up here in Rio as quickly as I can. And I’m going to send you back to the city first thing in the morning and have you looked after by the best doctors. When the time comes—”

  “No,” she said, shaking her head.

  “No?” I asked, confused.

  “That’s not what I want.”

  “Then…what do you want? This would be the best thing for you and the babies. When you’re ready to give birth, I’m not going to leave anything to chance. I’ve spent enough time letting you do this all on your own, so give me the opportunity to start making it up to you.”

  “I appreciate the thought,” she said. “I really do. But it’s…just not what I want.”

  I took her hand again.

  “Then tell me. Anything I can do to make this easier for you.”

  Another warm smile.

  “You want to be there for me?” she asked. “Then that’s easy. Just…be there for me, then.”

  Another wave of confusion.

  “What do you mean?”

  She laughed softly.

  “You still don’t get it, do you? I swear, for one of the smartest men I’ve met, you sure have a thick head sometimes.”

  I said nothing, waiting for her to say what was on her mind.

  She squeezed my hand.

  “When I say I want you with me, I don’t mean some fancy hospital or anything like that. I mean that I want you here at my side. Just…be here. That’s all I want.”

  “You mean here in Rio?” I asked. “Because as much as I’d like to hop on the plane right now and head back, I can’t leave the team here in the lurch like that.”

  “No, no,” she said. “I know why you’re here and I know what’s at stake. And if you ask me, what you’re doing is so important that I don’t think you should be doing it alone.”

  I realized what she was saying.

  “You’re serious?” I asked. “You want to help?”

  I glanced down at her big belly.

  “I mean, do you think that’s a good idea? You don’t exactly…ah…”

  “Please,” she said. “My boss told me to stay home and wait for the babies to come, and it’s been driving me insane. I need to work—and you need my help.”

  I couldn’t argue with her on that point. Having her skills at my side would make this whole process go more smoothly.

  A look of realization and worry took hold of her features.

  “What?” I asked.

  “But wait…what about the board?”

  Right. There was that little issue.

  “It doesn’t matter,” I said.

  “How does it not matter? Won’t you get fired?”

  “Isla,” I said. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned since you’ve come into my life, it’s that there are more important things in life than work. Like…love, for example. I know how I feel, and I know what I want. And no board is going to tell me that I’m not allowed to love you.”

  I’d been so caught up in the message that I hadn’t paid attention to the words I’d chosen.

  Love.

  I’d told her that I loved her.

  “You…love me?” Isla asked. “Do you mean that?”

  I knew I had a chance to take it back and tell her that it wasn’t what I’d intended to say. But as the beats of silence passed, I realized without a shadow of a doubt that it was the case.

  “I mean it,” I said, full conviction in my voice. “I love you so much, and the idea that I almost lost you scares me like nothing else. If you don’t feel the same way, I’ll understand. But that’s what’s in my heart.”

  She regarded me with a stunned expression for a moment, and I found myself worrying that she might tell me that while she was fond of me, she wouldn’t go so far as to say she loved me.

  But the blank expression soon turned warm, and the tears returned to her eyes.

  “Of course I do!” she said. “I love you, Adam. So much.”

  I didn’t think it was possible to experience any more joy than I had when I’d learned that Isla was carrying my children. But hearing those words out of her mouth was beyond anything I’d ever experienced in my life.

  There was nothing else to be said. Looking into her eyes, seeing how they glistened with a slight sheen of joyful tears, all I could do was kiss her.

  So, that’s what I did.

  I placed my hand on her chin exactly as I had back on Christmas. Then, I gently tilted her head up toward mine and gazed down into her beautiful brown eyes one more time before bringing her lips to mine.

  However much electricity and excitement our first kiss had brought, that one, filled with love, was even more exhilarating. My body felt light as air, everything around me melting away and leaving nothing but my lips on hers, her hands in mine, the softness of her breath against my skin.

  A question popped into my head, the same one that had after we’d shared our first kiss. I took my lips from Isla’s.

  “Do you want more?”

  She nodded eagerly.

  “I do. Of course I do.”

  With that I rose from the couch and offered her my hand. She took it and we were soon in the bedroom. The moonlight poured in, giving the space a captivating glow that matched the otherworldly mood I was in. The two of us went right back to kissing again, our hands all over one another’s bodies as we rushed to remove each other’s clothing.

  “Wait,” she said, stopping.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “It’s, um, well…”

  She placed her hand on her belly.

  “I feel kind of…well, not my sexiest.”

  “Don’t be crazy,” I said. “I’ve never seen you more beautiful than you are right now.”

  She smiled, a trace of hesitation in her expression.

  “Do you mean that?”

  “I mean it.”

  “Thank you,” she said. “And we might need to…um, figure out the logistics of this.”

  I laughed softly.

  “We’re a good team,” I said. “I’m sure we can figure it out.”

  We kissed again, this time finishing the job of getting us both down to nothing at all. The sight of her body, full with pregnancy, filled me with more love and excitement than anything had before in my life.

  Carefully, I laid her down onto the bed, positioning myself next to her. We kissed deeply, lovingly, my hands moving along her curves, over her belly. Soon I was behind her, my arms around her as I kissed the back of her neck.

  “Are you ready?” I asked.

  “Yes,” she said. �
��I’ve been ready all year.”

  Nothing more needed to be said. I took hold of myself, Isla making a small moan of anticipation as I positioned myself against her. With a slow drive of my hips, I entered her.

  The feeling was beyond incredible.

  I moved into Isla, a soft sigh escaping from her lips, her fingers tightening their hold on the sheets.

  When I was entirely in her I held for a moment, letting the two of us savor the feeling of being joined together, our bodies becoming one.

  It wasn’t the most athletic lovemaking we’d ever done, but that didn’t matter. The closeness between us, the love we shared made it more sensual, more meaningful than I’d ever known sex could be.

  I took her all in—the way her body moved against me, the rise and fall of her chest, the sounds of pleasure she made as I drove into her time and time again, gently increasing the intensity until I could tell she was close.

  “I love you, Isla,” I said, feeling on the verge of release.

  “I…I love you too, Adam,” she said, locking eyes with me.

  My thrusts continued, deep and slow. Soon I passed the point of no return, Isla’s warmth guiding me to orgasm.

  Together we came, our skin melting together, our lips in a kiss of unthinkable passion.

  I stayed inside of her for a time, not wanting to leave, letting the afterglow of our lovemaking wash over us.

  Eventually, she rolled over to face me. The two of us simply looked in one another’s eyes. Nothing else needed to be said.

  Before too long the day and the emotions caught up with me. My eyes closed as I felt myself drift into a deep sleep, a smile on my face.

  Chapter 29

  Isla

  I woke up in the middle of the night feeling strange. It wasn’t an uncommon thing to happen—it had become something of a habit during my third trimester—and usually it wasn’t that big of an issue. I’d get up, use the bathroom, have a glass of water, and go back to bed. On some nights it was harder to go back to sleep than others. Something about waking up in the middle of the night had a way of making all your stresses come to you at once.