6 Years Later
Adrianna Doukas’ POV
I blinked and frowned, confused. “What do you mean we’re going to Italy?”
Damien grinned at me. “It’s our unplanned family vacation.”
“Really? Why didn’t you tell me?” I frowned and tried to hide a smile.
He shrugged. “It’s unplanned.”
I shot him a pointed look. “That is not true, and you know it,” I said flatly, and he gave me a sheepish grin before feigning a frown.
“What? I don’t even get my thanks?” Damien grumbled, and I rolled my eyes.
“You’ll get it later.”
***
“Why does Alexandria have to bring such a damn huge toy to Italy?” Damien grumbled as he tried to shove the huge toy puppy into our four-year-old daughter’s suitcase.
I sighed and rolled my eyes. “Why don’t I do it? You help the boys with theirs.”
I carefully fitted the toy in, but it wouldn’t stay in the luggage. “It seems that it is too big to fit.”
“That’s what she said!” Damien grinned wickedly at me, and I scoffed at him.
“Just help me put it in!”
“That’s what she said too!”
“Damien!” I glared at him, and he gave me a charming grin, trying to placate me.
“Fine.”
Damien grunted as he tried to shove it in, but it still sprang out of the bag. Damien scoffed at it. “I give up. Let Alexandria carry it herself.”
I silently agreed. The toy was at least the size of Damien’s body, and his body was very broad and muscular. I had no idea what was he thinking when he bought it.
I finished folding the last of Roman’s clothes and zipped the luggage shut. “There. The boys’ suitcases are done. We just have to pack ours.”
Damien smirked at me. “I already did.”
I recognized that particular smirk. It meant that he had done something mischievous. I raised my eyebrows skeptically. “Oh really? Let me see.”
Damien narrowed his eyes and refused while I simply glared at him. Eventually, I got my way. I opened the luggage to see plenty of lingerie and numerous two-piece swimwear.
I rolled my eyes. “Damien, this is a family vacation with children under ten years old, not our honeymoon.”
Damien grinned seductively. “It could be both.” His hands grabbed my waist, and he kissed me hard.
“Mama!” My daughter, Alexandria, ran into our room scowling.
Alexandria Doukas was born two years after Roman and Raphael. She had inherited Damien’s hair and his beautiful light blue orbs. She was the apple of Damien’s eyes.
Damien pulled away as Alexandria crawled onto his lap. “Mama! I don’t wanna mawy Twever!”
Damien sputtered. “What?” He picked Alexandria up. “What are you talking about, my little princess? Why are you suddenly talking about marriage?”
I stifled a laugh. Damien was very protective of Alexandria. “Daddy, Roman said I have to when I gwow up! But I don’t wanna! Twever is a meanie!”
Damien sighed relieved, and he grinned at Alexandria. “You cannot get married, okay?”
Alexandria simply watched him and gave him a toothy smile. “Okay, daddy.”
“Give daddy a kiss.” Damien grinned enthusiastically at her, and she pecked him on the cheek.
I smiled and picked up the toy. “Darling, you have to hold onto the puppy. It can’t fit into your bag.”
Alexandria eagerly took the stuffed toy and ran out of the room. With Alexandria gone, I had to deal with another child. “Damien, I am not bringing any of these items.”
Damien stared at me, a cheeky grin appearing on his face before it disappeared, and he gave me a mischievous smirk. “I love you, Adrianna darling.”
In return, I gave him a saccharinely sweet smile. “I love you too, but telling me that would not change my mind.”
Damien smiled. “I love it when you get all motherly. Did I mention it turns me on?”
I raised an eyebrow and responded, “I—”
“Roar!”
A stuffed lion was thrown into the room and landed on Damien’s nose. Damien blinked, and Roman ran into the room. “Daddy, the lion bite you on your nose!”
I stifled a laugh as I picked up Raphael while Roman ran towards the stuffed lion on the floor. Damien grinned evilly at Roman and picked him before throwing him in the air. “Now, Daddy is going to bite you!” He started blowing raspberries onto his tummy while Roman giggled hysterically. Raphael squirmed in my arms, and he rushed towards Damien and Roman to play as well.
My heart warmed to see Damien playing with our sons. Damien and I, now, are proud parents of two sons and a daughter. And without Damien’s knowledge, another child was on the way.
This new baby was a surprise I wanted to give Damien for our sixth wedding anniversary.
Soon enough, the twins ran out of the room, and I quickly shut the door and pulled out most of the lingerie in our suitcase.
“Hey, what are you doing?” Damien questioned indignantly.
“I told you. I am not bringing all these things with us,” I said shortly.
Damien pulled me close to him as he faced me. “At least, let me bring a few. Please?” He leaned in towards me. His nose ran along my jaw, down my neck and stopped at my collarbone.
My breath hitched, and I tried not to let him see how much he affected me. Goosebumps appeared, and his lips grazed the hollow spot on my collarbone.
“No.” With that, I shut the luggage and swept out of the room.
“Adrianna love, come on!” Damien called out behind me, and I ignored him.
“Mama! See! See!” Roman called out to me as he picked up a worm.
“No!” Alexandria started screaming as she tried to run away from Raphael who also had a worm in his hand and tried to put it near her.
“Raphael, stop! That is not nice,” I reprimanded, and Raphael scowled, clearly looking like a miniature version of Damien with his signature scowl that both our sons had inherited.
Alexandria ran towards me and clutched my leg tightly. “Mama! Up! Up!”
I pulled Alexandria up, and she nestled her head into the crook of my shoulder. I patted her back gently, trying to soothe her before she became hysterical. Somehow, Alexandria was terribly frightened of insects and would scream and cry when one came near her.
Damien came in the backyard, and the minute he caught sight of Alexandria near to tears in my arms, his paternal instincts came on and he stared down at our sons. “What happened?”
Damien gently took Alexandria out of my arms and rocked her comfortingly, and I shrugged. “Nothing that has not already been dealt with. Just bring her up for a bath. I have to settle lunch for the twins.”
Damien nodded before heading back into the house. “Come on, darlings, let’s have lunch,” I announced, and both Roman and Raphael clamored around me and held onto my hands tightly.
I led them into the kitchen, scooped the pasta, and placed the plates in front of them. I sat in front of them watching them enthralled. Motherhood was one of the best things that had ever happened to me after meeting Damien, of course. I would not have my children had it not been for meeting Damien. It seemed that as each day passed, I grew to love Damien more and more. He was everything to me.
I watched my angels with a smile on my face. I loved being a mother. I often marveled on how Roman and Raphael had blond hair though Damien and I had black hair. I guessed the gene definitely came from Laura or my mother.
“Alexandria is hungry too,” Damien said grinning as he put our squirming daughter into her baby chair. I smiled and set a plate of pasta in front of her and watched lovingly as she ate.
The past six years with Damien and our children had been amazing. Sure, Damien and I argued and fought, but we always managed to resolve our problems and differences. Being married to Damien was one of the best things that had happened in my life.
Motherhood was not easy, but it was rewarding. Thinking back on the days when I had to wake up in the middle of the night, changing diapers, and the crying. But for the twins and Alexandria, everything was worth it. Receiving a kiss and a hug or hearing them say, “I love you” made everything rewarding.
Damien loved being a dad. And I had to say that he was born for the role. Fatherhood suited him. I did not really know that Damien was a family man under all his arrogance and playboy ways.
“Adrianna darling, what is this?”
I looked up as Damien snapped me away from my thoughts and sighed heavily. “You were not supposed to find out yet. But yes, I am pregnant again. I wanted to tell you on our anniversary.”
It was not a surprise to me that I was pregnant again, especially with the way that Damien and I had kept going at it almost every day with no preventive measures.
Damien ignored me before picking me up and twirling me around in the air. He placed me gently back onto the ground before kissing me soundly on the lips.
“This is the best news ever,” he said proudly with amazement as he looked at me with love shining from his blue eyes.
I kissed his forehead as he leaned down to press his head against my belly. A slow smile spread across his face as he stood up and faced me. With Damien together with our children, I could not be any happier with how my life turned out to be.
The End
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