Three months later
“Open your mouth. Before you start eating, suck the syrup off first. Just think of other long, hard things you like sucking.” Knight holds up a forkful of sticky maple and pecan roll to my mouth. On his handsome face is a saucy, sexy smile that instantly has my body heating and my thighs clenching. His eyes drop to my lips, and there’s no mistake about what he’s thinking. “It’s the same sort of sucking. You just won’t get the same pleasure.”
I laugh. “You are so bad, Knight Grayson.”
“Just the way you like me, Goddess.” He taps a hand to his heart and gives me a wolfish grin. “Believe me, life would be very boring if I were any other way.”
“I agree, and I love you just the way you are.” I open my mouth, and he eases the dessert inside. This is my first time trying it. I don’t usually like anything with pecans, but I do exactly what he says and I’m pleasantly surprised by the delicious combination of the sweet, nutty taste.
“Good, right?”
“Yes. I like it.”
He cuts off another piece and feeds it to me, watching my lips as I open my mouth.
He feeds me like this at home, too, except we don’t usually stay decent for this long. I’d either be on the table, in bed, or up against the wall by now with him buried deep inside me.
We’re at No.11, the place where we began and started this journey together.
Tonight, we’re celebrating our sixth-month wedding anniversary.
Our official anniversary day was two weeks ago, but today was the day we were supposed to get divorced and go our separate ways.
But here we are, together, looking forward to all the wild fantasies and adventures we can think of creating for the rest of forever.
Over the last few months, we’ve spent the most remarkable time together, traveling everywhere. Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean—our second love nest.
Tonight, we’re sitting at the same table we shared on the rooftop on our first date. This is the first time we’ve been back to No. 11 since that night.
That night, I was lamenting the loss of another job and the doomed shadow hanging over my career. Tonight, I’m sitting here with my dream job at People Magazine. I’ve been working there for the last two months, and I couldn’t be happier. My serial Girl No. 9 has also been optioned for a TV series on Netflix.
Words can’t express the depth of my happiness when it comes to my career. It’s unbelievable how it’s taken off in ways I never imagined.
But the best thing about my life is my husband, the beautiful man sitting in front of me who changed my life.
Tonight is about the celebration of finding each other and being together, but I also have a surprise for him. Another big reason to celebrate.
We arrived forty minutes ago, and I’ve been dying to tell him what it is.
I gave him a little clue earlier when we sat down to eat, but I wanted to wait for the perfect moment.
“Is it time to tell me this surprise of yours yet?” Knight feeds me another bite of the scrolls.
“Yes.” I giggle.
“Do I have to guess what it is?”
I smile wider. “That would be fun.”
“Okay, is it that you’re not wearing panties? Because that would definitely be fun.” He glides his finger up my thighs, rolling my skirt up. A frown mars his face when he touches the edge of my panties. “You are wearing panties.”
I giggle. “I just wanted you to touch me.”
“Okay, I’ll keep touching you while I guess.”
“That works.”
He gives me a soft stare. “Is it … your newest article? Did you get a million readers?”
“Nope, but that would be nice.”
He strokes my thigh, picks up his glass of wine, and holds it out to my lips. “Drink. It’s easier to get you to spill secrets when you’ve had one too many.”
I shake my head. “I’m afraid I can’t drink that tonight or anything alcoholic for a while.”
We ordered the same wine we did that first night, but he hasn’t noticed that I’ve only been drinking water since we’ve been here.
Knight glances at my glass of water, then I watch realization form on his face and he pulls me into his lap.
I slip my arms around him, and the excitement that fills his eyes as he gazes at me pulls on my heart.
“Why can’t you drink the wine, Aurora?” He presses his nose to mine. “Please tell me it’s the usual reason most women stop drinking. Usually for around nine months.”
My smile radiates from my core, reflecting my joy from the inside out. “Yes, I’m pregnant. Only two weeks. That food my dad cooked was just fine.” I went to the doctor days ago after we had dinner with my father when I couldn’t stop throwing up.
Knight stares back at me as if he wants to savor every word I’ve said, then he cups my face and strokes my cheek.
“Aurora…I’m going to be a father?”
We’ve never spoken about children, so I hope he’s not too shocked.
“Yes. Are you happy I—”
He pulls me in for a kiss, showing me without words the extent of his happiness. I’ve kissed this man so many times that I know what each kiss means. This one is coming straight from his soul.
“I’m the happiest man alive.” He murmurs against my lips with a warmth to his voice that whispers of all the things he’s longed for. “You have no idea how happy you’ve made me. You are everything I’ve ever wanted and more.”
“So are you, Knight Grayson.” I gaze into his eyes, falling for him all over again.
That sexy smile returns, and he reaches across the table to pick up a few grains of pomegranate. He ordered it earlier as a joke, but there’s a deeper sentiment to it now.
He feeds it to me, and I smile while crunching on the seeds.
“It’s official now. You’re staying with me forever, Goddess of Spring. And I’m going to enjoy filling your belly with all my babies.”
“All?” I laugh. “How many kids are we having, Knight?”
“Why don’t we just let the universe decide that part, and we can work on creating them?”
“That sounds like fun, Hades.”
“It will be.”
He kisses me again, and I press my hand to his heart, feeling it beat for me.
Mine beats for him too.
Knight
It’s Monday morning.
I don’t hate days like these so much anymore.
Mondays now feel like another chance to start a fresh week filled with all sorts of new adventures.
Like now.
I’m at the Park Avenue branch of Grayson Inc., gazing out the floor-to-ceiling glass windows in my new office.
I smile at the view of the skyline and the bright sunshine bouncing off the neighboring skyscrapers.
It’s truly glorious.
Although I’ve been taking care of this branch for a few months now, today is the first spent in my actual office.
My grandfather renovated the entire management floor so it would reflect the new leadership and have the same feeling as the building on Wall Street.
It feels better to me. Not because my father and Bastian aren’t here.
Everything feels better than ever. Because I’m going to be a father.
It was only eighteen hours ago that I sat with my wife in the restaurant that first saw us come together and she told me the news. I haven’t stopped smiling since, and I still can’t believe it.
Me, a father.
I get to do it now and be the kind of father I would have wanted for myself.
I get to do everything the door to marrying Aurora has opened, and I simply can’t wait.
I’ve come to learn that it really didn’t matter that I had such a horrendous relationship with my own father. I had the prime example in my grandfather, one I’ll definitely be following.
I never knew anything more could make me as happy as having the woman of my dreams at my side, but now I have her and my baby growing in her belly.
Our child and the host of others to come will be remnants of our love. Until then, we’ll live the life we always wanted.
Jericho walks through my opened door, carrying two Cohiba cigars—our way of celebrating everything.
He’s moved over here now too. But only because we work together and it made sense for him to come with me. His position as CFO is still pending the final criteria of marriage.
Jericho has three months from today to find a wife, and he has to stay married to her for another six before he’s given the highly-desired position.
It’s clear that my grandfather has used all obvious tactics to make sure my brother takes his demands seriously.
“Great view.” Jericho nods as he walks up to me and hands me my cigar. “And you are still beaming like a spotlight from your baby news.”
“I can’t help it.” I chuckle. “It’s the best news.”
He flicks on his lighter and lights up my cigar, then his. “It is good news, for you. I’m happy to be the uncle. There will be no kids in the cards for me.”
“No?” I’m joking. I totally believe him. I’m just happy Grandfather didn’t include the stipulation of an heir for Jericho. That might have been the only thing to change his mind about getting his position and share of the company.
“Fuck no. It’s bad enough I have to find a wife. But I’ll do it.” He gives me a mirthless smile and a devious nod. “I’ll do it my way.”
“And what does that mean?”
“Let me worry about that part.” He puffs on his cigar and taps my shoulder.
“You are getting married, right?” I quirk a brow.
“Of course. You know me.”
“I do.”
“Great, so may God help the woman who marries me.” He smirks. “She’s in for one hell of a ride.”
I don’t doubt him, but I think back to what he said to me that day about losing his girl.
My wish for him is to find a goddess like mine.
A woman who will complete him and help him find his way back to himself.
That’s what Aurora did for me. She was the light in the darkness of my world.
If Jericho is lucky enough to find a girl like mine, then it’s him who’ll be in for one hell of a ride, but I guess we’ll have to see what happens next…
