By Sunday night I was starting to feel better, but Gavin suggested I take a few more days off. All of my anemia symptoms were slowly starting to dissipate. It was when that happened that I began to realize just how bad things had really been.
When the morning came, Gavin had to go back to work, leaving me for the first time since he’d gone to get clothes days earlier. “Take it easy,” he said as he placed a kiss to my forehead. “Call me if you need anything.”
He was still at my apartment, still sleeping curled up with me and taking care of me.
After he left, I had a few crackers for breakfast before pulling up Netflix again. There was sweat rolling down my skin, the open windows unable to provide any relief to the near boiling temperatures and heavy humidity. I directed the fan right on me, trying to cool me, but it only helped take the edge off. I’d barely made it through an episode of Supernatural when I drifted off.
A while later, I was startled awake by a knock on my door. My heart slammed in my chest as I blinked at the clock and peeled myself up from the couch.
“Hello?” I called through the door. It was almost noon and I wasn’t expecting anyone.
“Hi, I’ve got a delivery for Grayson?”
My brow knitted as I opened the door where a delivery driver stood with a bag in his hand.
“Umm, let me get you a tip.”
“Oh, the tip is already paid.” He held out the bag.
I took it from him and thanked him as I slowly closed the door.
When I got to the kitchen, I set the bag on the counter and pulled out the containers. Right away the smell of vinegar and spice hit, and I began to salivate.
Buffalo dip.
Gavin had ordered buffalo dip for me for lunch, complete with a side salad.
Emma: Thank you
It was very sweet of him, though soon I was going to have to back off and get some healthier foods back in my system. I was just popping the lid off when my phone buzzed.
GG: You’re welcome. How are you feeling?
Like I was in an oven.
Emma: Hot. Sweating like crazy. Just woke from a nap
GG: Eat, relax, and I’ll check on you in a little while
Emma: Yes, Mr. Grayson
I couldn’t help but smirk down at my message. It’d been instinctual, and natural to send it. So very much our relationship.
He was wearing me down, and I had to admit, it scared me.
I needed help, guidance. There were only two people I could call, and luckily, they lived together. Settling down on the couch, I pulled up my contacts list and hit the button for Ava.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Ava.”
“Oh my God! Emma! Are you okay? Is everything all right? How do you feel? What did the doctor say? Josh said you were still out and I wanted to call, but he also said Gavin went after you and I didn’t want to intrude.”
It made me smile to listen to her rattle on. “I’m getting better.”
“How’s peanut?” she asked.
I smiled and looked down, my hand brushing across my abdomen. “Looking good.”
“Whew! I was so worried.”
“Thank you, for all of that,” I said, my eyes stinging with tears. “Gavin did come, told people he was my husband to get back to me.”
“Really?”
“Ava . . .” I blew out a breath. “I’m confused. An emotional mess.”
“What’s going on?”
“So, he stayed with me all night at the hospital and brought me home, where he continued to stay and take care of me. While we were in the hospital, he explained why he flipped out and was apologizing left and right.”
“I love how it took him until you were in the hospital to finally tell you,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Yeah. Turns out his ex-wife cheated on him and he found out in the delivery room of what turned out not to be his baby.” I still couldn’t imagine it, the horror. To go through an entire pregnancy thinking about seeing your baby, only to find out everything you knew was a lie.
There was a gasp on the other end of the line. “Oh, holy fuck. He thought it was the same, didn’t he?” Ava caught on quickly.
“Yeah. It was a knee-jerk reaction. I get it,” I said with a sigh. “Doesn’t mean it hurt any less, but at least I understand what happened.”
“Having an answer is huge.”
“Here’s the part I’m having trouble with . . . from the moment he saw me in the hospital, he has been nothing but doting to the extreme. He holds me all night, even though I know he’s burning up. He gets me whatever I want and need. He even had lunch delivered for me today.”
“He’s trying to take care of you. He’s trying to make up, to show you how much he loves you.”
“He does, and I love him, but how do I move on with him?” I asked. I thought I was to the point that my heart was healed enough to give it another go.
“If you want to be with him, if you think he’s paid enough and is honestly there for you, you need to give him a fair second chance. Mistakes happen in a relationship. Harsh words get said in anger, and frustrations slip out. They’re not always meant, but they cut, and deeply. Words can’t be taken back, but they can be forgiven. Do you love him enough to forgive him?”
Could I? Could I use all that he’d done to take care of me, all the affection, and weigh it against the pain and have it win?
There was a good chance I could.
“Thanks, Ava.”
“Are you going to give him a chance?” she asked, a hopeful edge to her voice.
“Yeah, I think I am.”
“Good luck, then. And give me a call whenever you need. I’m here for you and I can answer all the embarrassing pregnancy and baby questions.”
I had a feeling I would have her on speed dial. “I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done.”
“Yes, you can,” she said matter-of-factly.
“Oh, yeah?”
“Three words—double-date dinner.”
A chuckle slipped out as I shook my head. “I think we can arrange that.”
“Perfect. Just name a date and we’ll make it work.”
“Will do! Have a good day,” I said.
“You, too!” she called out right before I hit the end button.
Mistakes did happen, and words were said. If I couldn’t give Gavin a second chance, I would be giving up on what I knew was the greatest love of my life.
Around three there was another knock on the door. When I opened it, there was a man standing there with a large box.
“What’s this?” I asked as I opened the door for yet another delivery.
“Air conditioner. Mr. Grayson requested I set one up in the bedroom and the living room,” he said as he picked the box up and stepped in.
“He did, did he?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I nodded and moved to my phone.
Emma: Air conditioners?
The delivery guy set the box down and started to cut it open.
GG: It’s sweltering in there
I wasn’t arguing there, but it was unnecessary. I’m used to it. Fans work fine
GG: Until you agree to move into the house with me, I’ll continue making your apartment as comfortable as possible for you
There was no winning against the man. I knew it and he knew it. Not that I was ungrateful.
Emma: If I say yes right now, will you get this guy and the air conditioners out of here?
GG: Are you saying yes?
Was I?
For four days I’d had a loving Gavin practically glued to my side. He’d taken care of me, ignored work, showed me he was there, committed.
I hit the call button at the top and bit down on my bottom lip as the phone rang. My heart hammered in my chest with what I was about to say.
“Baby?” he answered.
“I want you and I want our house and I want to forget the two weeks where you didn’t love me,” I said all in one long breath, my stomach in knots.
“There was never a time I didn’t love you, Emma.”
I chewed on my thumbnail. “I know that, but to me, in that time, you hated me.”
“I’m going to make it up to you.”
“You can start by getting this guy out of here,” I said.
“It’s really hot today. You need it,” he argued.
“Fine, we’ll go to your hotel then.” Since he wasn’t moved back in with me, he still had a room at another hotel.
There was a small pause before he spoke. “Put the guy on the phone, pack a bag, and I’ll be there in an hour.”
I couldn’t help but giggle, and handed the phone to the delivery guy. His eyes popped wide and he nodded and agreed before putting back the Styrofoam packaging he pulled out.
“What did you say to him?” I asked Gavin once I had my phone back.
“That the air conditioners were now his,” he said.
“Seriously? Couldn’t you just return them?”
“It’s fine. One hour.”
I smiled. “See you soon.”
I showed the delivery driver out, who seemed ecstatic about his gift, then moved to the bedroom to pack. If I went back to work in a few days, I would need work attire. Instead of the overnight bag, I pulled my suitcase out of the closet and began loading it with a mixture of clothing.
Making a mental list, I packed up my laptop, Amazon Fire Stick and remote, toiletries, and my pillow and blanket. I even filled up one of the paper takeout bags that had handles with drinks, snacks, and crackers.
Seeing as I didn’t know how long I was going to be gone, I moved to my jewelry box and pulled out the bracelet and necklace Gavin had given me. I’d barely looked at them in weeks, remembering the sadness the last time I did.
I slid the bracelet in between my clothes, and slipped the chain around my neck. It felt so right when it settled against my skin.
The key to his heart.
Just as I was zipping up the suitcase, Gavin stepped in.
“You’re taking a blanket and pillow?” he asked with a small smile.
“Yes. All part of the being comfortable theme.”
He stopped when he saw the key around my neck, and his eyes snapped to mine. Two beautifully different-toned eyes that I loved so much stared at me.
“Thank you,” he said.
My fingers ran across it, and I gave him a small smile. “Let’s get moving. I used up a lot of energy with your one-hour demand.”
“Can you handle your purse and the pillow and blanket situation?”
I rolled my eyes. “Yes.”
“I’ll get the rest.”
The rest was a lot, especially for one trip—suitcase, laptop bag, and two brown bags filled with food and drinks. He managed it with relative ease as I locked the door.
We headed into downtown while everyone else was headed out, making the trip a breeze.
“It’ll be nice to get back to work, especially so I can make sure my car is still there.” It’d been days, and I wondered if they towed after a certain period of time.
“It was there when I left, so I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
Gavin pulled up to the valet area of the hotel and called for a cart to make things easier. The bellhop followed us up to the room.
I blew out a breath as I stood in front of the air conditioner vent.
“Feel better?” he asked.
“Okay, I relent, you were right.”
“We should have come days ago,” he said.
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“But you weren’t ready.”
I reached up and cupped his cheek, loving the way he leaned into me. “No, I wasn’t, but I’m ready to deal.”
“Deal?” he asked with a quirked brow.
I nodded. “You promise not to leave again, and I promise not to remove your testicles with my bare hands.”
He swallowed hard, his gaze bouncing between my eyes.
“I’ll agree on one condition.”
“There’s no negotiating.”
“One condition,” he repeated as he dropped to the floor.
I stared at him in confusion before it sunk in. My breath hitched as I stared down at Gavin. He was down on one knee, a Tiffany blue box in his hand.
“Gavin?” My heart thundered hard in my chest, not believing what I was seeing.
He tilted the top of the box, and I stared down at the large diamond ring it held.
“Emma, you’re my sun. I love you more than I ever thought possible. In a short time, you took over my every thought. I want you as my wife. Will you marry me?”
My eyes found his, the sincerity shining through. This wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment question. He had a ring. He’d planned it.
My chest constricted as my heart fluttered wildly inside my chest. “Aren’t things moving a little fast?” After all, I had just given in.
“You know I don’t make rash decisions. Besides, I want to be married before our baby gets here.”
He never said “the baby.” It was always “our baby,” and I loved that. It was one of the things that made me relent. Something so small, but it showed just how committed he was to us as a family.
“Gavin Grayson, you are a handful with dirty negotiating tactics.”
He beamed at me. “But I’ve grown on you.”
My face scrunched up, and a tear slipped down my cheek. “Yeah, you have.”
“Emma, please let me make you a Grayson.”
A Grayson. There was a blooming in my chest, spreading like wildfire down my arms and legs. It pulsed, sending tingles down my spine.
I wanted that. I wanted to be a family.
“Yes,” I said with a shaky breath.
He pulled the ring out and slid it on my finger. It was a huge, round diamond flanked by pear-shaped side stones.
My mouth dropped open as I stared at it, but I didn’t get long to look at it. Gavin stood up and took hold of my face, smashing his lips to mine.
His kiss was the match that re-ignited my soul. The fire that ravaged my body, burned away the cold, and replaced it with an all-consuming heat.
“Fuck, baby,” he groaned.
I needed it, needed him inside me. Needed to feel him come in me. I was so wet for it.
I was able to get my shorts undone, letting them and my thong slip down my legs before he pulled my top up and over my head.
It was frantic, erratic as we stripped. Desperate for skin-on-skin contact.
He dipped down and picked me up, only to drop me down onto the bed a few feet later. I worked on his belt while he took off his vest and tie. As I pulled his belt through the buckle, my fingers grazed his hard length. My pussy clenched in sheer anticipation.
It had been weeks since he had been inside me, and I desperately needed to be filled with him.
“Fuck it,” he spat in frustration as he loosened his tie and yanked it over his head.
Each button of his suit seemed to take forever as I stroked his length, fisting it, giving the tip a light squeeze. A shudder rolled through him, his eyes heavy and dark. He stopped unbuttoning his shirt and instead tugged it up and over his head, then pushed his pants down his legs.
No time was wasted. I had barely crawled a foot back to give him some room to get on when the head of his cock pressed inside me.
My vision blurred, and I drew in a sharp breath when he buried most of his length in one thrust. A long, low moan left me before he pulled back, then pushed his hips forward and out again.
“This is mine,” he growled as he slammed in. “You are mine.” Another accentuating slam. “And I’m never fucking letting you go again.”
“Never.”
He set up a delicious pace that wound me up more and more each time he bottomed out.
“Fuck, Gavin!”
“We have this big house with nothing in it.” He flexed his hips, driving him deeper. “And I want to fill it with our family.”
A moan slipped past my lips. “Yes.”
His pace sped up, driving me further and further into a bliss-filled madness. The tension tightened every muscle until I cracked, my walls tightening around him.
He groaned above me, his face twisted as he slammed into me one last time, his cock twitching inside me with each jet of cum.
Our eyes locked, both of us breathing hard. It was everything I needed to remember our connection.
“I love you,” I said.
His eyes softened as the back of his fingers caressed my cheek. “I will always love and be devoted to you.”
Gavin changed everything in my life. I had a path, and he destroyed it. Then he rebuilt it, bigger and better than it was before. A path for us to walk together.
Life doesn’t always work out like you think it will. My life was proof of fairy tales and fate.
Gavin Grayson—world destroyer and life giver.
The very unexpected love of my life.