CHAPTER TWENTY
Langston
Well, this was a terrific idea.
I didn’t know who to yell at first, but absolutely knew who I wanted to throttle.
A ring? Pops brought a ring? Living in sin? If I didn’t love him so much, I would happily kill him.
When Scarlett burst into tears, it was too much. I was beside her in an instant. Mom, still bouncing Sofi, was next. Then Gran and Pops grew quiet while Amy’s eyes scanned the room, ready to pounce on anyone who moved.
“I’m so sorry, Scarlett,” I said, wrapping an arm around her shaking shoulders.
“Yes, Scarlett,” Angela added. “We didn’t mean to cause you distress.”
Pops got yet another elbow from Gran. He grunted and stuck the ring into his pocket. “Yeah. Yeah. Sorry about that.”
Scarlett wiped her eyes on the bedsheets, and I fished a box of Kleenex out of the bedside table. She blew her nose, tears still streaming down her cheeks. “I hate to cry,” she said, “and I think that’s all I’ve done for months.”
Because of me.
Mom patted her leg. “Honey, please don’t cry. You’ll learn that we’re a pretty passionate crew when it’s about something important to us. And you’re important to us.”
That got Scarlett crying hard again. I gave Mom a withering glare, and then felt sorry for doing so when she lifted her shoulders in a miserable I don’t know what else to do shrug. She had just been trying to help, give a nudge, something. I could tell that she had been just as surprised as me when Pops pulled out the ring.
“It’s okay, Mom.”
Scarlett sniffed hard, looking embarrassed. “Yes, it is okay. I’m not crying because I’m upset over the fighting. It’s just that you all were arguing over who wanted me and the babies.”
My heart squeezed. I knew so little about her, but I did know that her family died when she was young. I wasn’t sure what happened to her after that. But I wanted to know. I wanted to know everything. And I wanted to spend the rest of my life making sure she never felt unwanted again.
“We should go,” Mom said, pressing her lips to Sofi’s forehead.
Scarlett took a deep breath. “No, please. It’s okay. I—”
A knock came on the door. Holy shit. What now?
It opened and Olivia came in. Her eyes sharpened when she saw that Scarlett was in tears. She rapidly crossed the room. “Scar, what can I do?”
Scarlett rallied. “I’m okay. Just got a little emotional, is all.”
“Do you need some privacy?” She looked pointedly around the room. Olivia pulled a white envelope from her pocket, then shoved it back down. It was from the lab.
It was like a wrecking ball hit me in the chest, and it was hard to breathe while Scarlett stiffened at my side. Very slowly, she held out her hand, and just as slowly, Olivia pulled the envelope out again, placing it in her palm.
“What’s that?” Pops asked.
“George!”
He grumbled but didn’t ask again.
“Here,” Scarlett said, handing me the envelope.
I didn’t take it. “I don’t need to see inside.”
“Inside what?” was followed by, “Stop hitting me, woman.”
The envelope hung in the air between us, suspended on the tips of her fingers.
“Oh, good grief.” Amy marched forward and snatched it out of Scarlett’s hand. Without wasting a second, she ripped it open, and scanned the page.
I couldn’t fucking breathe. Which was stupid. These were my babies. Mine. Scarlett and I would figure things out between us, and we’d raise them together.
And if they’re not?
That wicked, wicked voice whispered those hateful words in my ear. I kissed Scarlett’s hair. If they weren’t, it wouldn’t matter. I wanted the woman beside me. I wanted these children. I already loved them. I would accept them as my own.
There were two pages. Amy looked at the second, then let them drop to her sides, her expression unreadable.
“I don’t want to know,” I said, pulling Scarlett against me closer. “They’re mine no matter what that paper says.”
“What paper?” Pops whispered.
“George!” Gran whispered back.
“Congratulations, Langston,” Amy said, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. “You’re a daddy.” She looked at the paper again. “At least there’s 99.9998% probability. I think that’s close enough.”
Scarlett’s hand found mine, and our fingers intertwined.
“I think we should go and let these two be alone for a while,” Mom said, standing up, still holding Sofi. I smiled at the sight. Smiled at how happy this was making her. Glad these two little kids would give her something to focus on besides grief.
Olivia moved first, wheeling the crib over and depositing both babies inside. “I’ll take them to the nursery for a bit.”
Scarlett nodded. “Thank you.”
Mom leaned down and kissed Scarlett on the cheek. “I’m sorry for the drama. I promise to do better next time.”
Scarlett kissed her back. “Please visit again soon.” She actually looked like she meant it.
I hugged Mom while Gran got her turn with my girl. Then they were gone, leaving only Amy and us in the room.
“I’m going to head out too. Call if you need anything.” She met my eyes, looking the softest I’d ever seen her. “Congratulations. Really. I’m glad it’s you.”
When she was gone, I sat back down on the bed, and wrapped Scarlett in my arms again. Our fingers automatically linked together.
“Are you okay?” I asked, kissing her hair.
She immediately nodded. “You?”
I kissed her knuckles, one at a time. “I am now.”
The silence between us was comfortable for a while, then I felt her begin to stiffen and I wasn’t sure why. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I want to tell you about why I cried earlier. I hate to cry. Hate the weakness and lack of control, so if I cry again, just let me, okay?”
I inhaled deeply. “Okay.”
“When I was eight, a man broke into our house,” she said, and I closed my eyes, knowing what was coming next. “He killed my father first, at least that was what I was told. He tortured and raped my mother I learned later. When Samuel woke me, I heard her screaming, she was yelling that the kids were with her sister for the week. My brother, Samuel, my twin, covered my mouth so I couldn’t scream, and he pushed me under the bed. He crawled in beside me and told me to stay quiet.”
I shivered. “You don’t have to do—”
“I could hear heavy footsteps moving through the house. Things were being turned over, doors opened and closed. Samuel and I just laid there, holding hands. I thought my heart was going to trip out of my chest when he came into my room. He kicked a foot under the bed but didn’t bend down to check. I managed not to make a sound even though we laid there for about an hour while the man made himself something to eat.”
Jesus.
“He was getting ready to leave, I think. His footsteps where in the hallway again, heading toward the front door. Do you know what I did next?”
“No, sweetheart. I don’t know.”
“I sneezed.”
I closed my eyes, beginning to understand the source of her guilt.
“There had been no buildup. Nothing. There was no ah ah before the choo. There wasn’t any of that. I just sneezed this high-pitched sound that felt like a bolt of lightning in the room. Samuel looked at me in total horror and we waited to see if maybe the man didn’t hear it after all.”
“But he did.” It wasn’t a question.
“Yes, he did. The man’s footsteps came echoing back down the hallway. Before I could stop Samuel, he shushed me, then crawled out from under the bed. From where I lay, I saw his feet go into our closet. Then, the man came in, and he kicked the bed. My hands were over my mouth, but I screamed just loud enough for him to hear.”
I didn’t want to listen to any more. “Scarlett—”
“He did the oddest thing. He began stabbing the bed. It was just a single mattress with no box spring underneath, and I could see the blade come down through it over and over again. The man was laughing. It was a game to him. Every time he pulled the blade up, he said, “No blood yet, no blood yet.”
She rubbed her side, and my teeth gritted as I knew what was coming next.
“I’d gotten as close to the wall as I could and was on my side. One of the strikes came down just an inch in front of my face. The next one hit me, and I screamed. That’s when I heard Samuel scream too, and he came running from the closet. I couldn’t see what was going on, but I later learned that there was a baseball bat near his body and police believe he attacked the man with it. He was only eight, so he couldn’t hit him hard enough.”
I stroked her hair, curling it around my finger as she told me the story in a monotone.
“The man stabbed Samuel in the stomach. He fell to the floor, and I saw the knife come down in his back. When the man got down on his hands and knees to look at me, I closed my eyes and pretended I was dead. There was so much blood, I guess he believed I was gone.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“Yeah, me too. They were all so great. Samuel was great. We fought, of course, but we had that twin thing going on for us so we were really tight. Until I sneezed. That’s what made everything worse. If I hadn’t sneezed, at least he would be alive right now. It messed me up.”
“Of course it did. It would have messed anyone up.”
“Once the man left, I managed to crawl out and get to the phone. I was still bleeding badly, and I don’t remember the ambulance coming and taking me to the hospital. I don’t remember anything until the next day when I woke up to find policemen in my room.”
“Did they catch the man?”
“No. That also messed me up for a long time. It took me years to sleep with the light off. In fact, it took me years to sleep at all. I was always a heavy sleeper, but after the attack, I couldn’t allow myself to drift off. I went through ten years of therapy before I started sleeping well again.”
“And you became a heavy sleeper like you were as a child.”
“Yeah. It was like I was trying to make up time for all the sleep I missed. But anyway, I was passed around from relative to relative for a little while, but none of them could handle me. I was either catatonic or I was filled with rage. I finally ended up on my aunt and uncle’s farm. They had never wanted children of their own, but they were too kind to put me in the foster system. They were nice, but cold. I could hear them fight over money and how much my therapy cost.”
That’s why she never felt wanted.
“The animals saved me. I took care of them, but I didn’t want to be a vet. I couldn’t bear to see one sick. My favorite part was being able to help with the births. That’s when I knew what I wanted to be.”
“What about being a wedding planner?”
She laughed. “I can’t believe you remember that.”
I lifted her chin until she met my eyes. “I remember everything. That’s why I wanted to see you again. That’s why…”
Just say it.
“Scarlett…” My pulse was almost pounding out of my skin. “That’s why I so badly wanted you to call.”
Confusion was a mask on her face as she gingerly sat up and turned to fully face me. “How? Langston, how could I have done that? How could I have called you?”
I searched her face. Searched those clear blue eyes. She hadn’t seen it.
“I left a note.”
Air gushed from her lungs. “You did? Where?”
“On the nightstand. I placed a glass of orange juice on top.”
She stared at me, then some sort of comprehension set in, and horror replaced the confusion. “I saw it. The orange juice, I mean. I overslept and Melinda called to see where I was. In a panic, I jumped out of bed and got ready quickly. I was out of the door within minutes.”
I pressed my forehead against hers. “I waited for you to call me.”
Her breath was warm on my face when she spoke. “I thought you’d walked out and never looked back. I thought I wasn’t even worth a goodbye.”
We both exhaled at the same time.
She winced as she settled back into the bed next to me again, both of us lost in our own thoughts.
She hadn’t seen the note. That knowledge was a momentous relief.
“Scarlett?”
“Hmm?”
“You are worth so much more than I could ever give you, but will you give me the chance to try?”
She smiled and everything inside me nearly collapsed in relief. “On one condition.”
This didn’t sound good. “What’s the condition?”
“Five dates.”
“What?”
“Before our night together, I had a very strict five-date rule before I had sex with a man.” I ground my teeth together at the thought of her sleeping with anyone else, and her smile got bigger as she read my mind. “Don’t worry, most men didn’t make it that far.”
“So, you want me to take you out on five dates, then what?” I lifted a brow.
The smile transformed into something sensual that made my cock twitch in my pants. “Then, I’ll give you the chance to try.”
I moved my hand to her belly, feeling the soft flesh wiggle under my palm. “Five dates, once a week. Time to get to know each other. Even better, it gives you time to heal. I like that. I won’t feel so much like a dirty old man if you’re healthy enough to run away.”
She laughed. “I’m not worried about running. I’ll sic Amy on you instead.”
I pressed a hand to my heart and gave a fake shudder. “Not that. Anything but that.”
She laughed, but the sound was caught in my mouth as I took her lips in a deep kiss. God, I loved kissing her. Loved having her hair between my fingers as our mouths worshipped each other’s, our tongues dancing and seeking entrance.
I pushed her hand away when it moved between my legs, her palm pressing against my rapidly stiffening cock. “Scarlett, we can’t.”
She didn’t listen, just tugged on the string of my scrub bottom. “I know we can’t, but we can play a little bit. I really did miss you.”
I kissed her cheek, her ear as her hand slipped inside the pants and she found me, her palm soft as she stroked down my length. “You are a witch.”
She laughed. “If I were a witch, I’d ride your broom.”
God, she was adorable. I stroked a hand up her back and down to her ass, kneading her flesh there. “When you get fully healed, I can’t wait to eat you again. I think about how you tasted and the sounds you made as you came on my tongue.”
She groaned. “These next few weeks are going to be miserable.” She squeezed my cock, her hand stroking up and down.
“You need to stop, sweetheart. It’s not fair that I get release and you don’t.”
She bit her lip but didn’t stop stroking me. “How about I finish this, then you massage my feet?”
“Just your feet?” I asked and she lifted a brow.
“Do you do more than feet?”
I kissed her ear again, moaning as her hand squeezed me tighter. “I’ll do anything. Haven’t you learned that about me yet?”
“Then do anything you want.” She grinned. “Except the boobs. You might want to stay away from those.”
She began to stroke me in earnest. I squeezed her breast through her gown. “I heard that milk comes in quicker with added stimulation.”
She grinned and stroked faster, squeezing harder on the downstroke. “I don’t think it was this kind of stimulation they had in mind.”
I kissed her again, her mouth capturing my moan. She reached up and moved my hand lower, over her belly and lower still.
“Scarlett…” I said as her intension became clear. “I don’t think this is wise.”
She stroked me harder and sucked on my lower lip. “Clitoral stimulation is okay. Stay outside the clothes, but please touch me, Langston. Please.”
She seemed to be in so much pain, and I’d do anything to give her relief. I didn’t care about any of the postpartum messiness. Shit like that meant nothing to me. But I cared about her. I didn’t want to hurt her. “Sweetheart… I promise to make love to you every day once you’re healed. Twice a day if that’s what you want.”
Her lower lip poked out. “But I want to have sex now.”
I kissed the tip of her nose. “Me too, but I don’t want to hurt you.”
She sighed, and her grip on me softened. “Do you have any idea how horny I was while I was pregnant? I had all these hormones surging through me and no one to surge them with. Kind of like now.”
Surge them with?
I didn’t dare laugh, just gathered her close to me. “I wish I’d been there for you. I wish I could have watched your body change and satisfy any cravings you had.”
With a sigh, she pulled her hand from my pants and snuggled close. “Do I still get the massage?”
“Absolutely.”
“That’s good.”
I started to get up but she didn’t let me go. “Just hold me for now. Massage later.”
I tried to remember the last time I’d ever just cuddled with a woman. Not since the conniving bitch, Leesa, I realized. I’d spent all these years missing out on the pleasure of just holding someone in my arms.
Not just someone, I realized. Her.
Listening to her breathing grow long and steady, I relaxed and paced her breathing with my own. Soon, I was slipping in the abyss with her.
***
Someone cleared their throat. It was Olivia with the babies. She was trying not to grin but was completely unable to contain it as she wheeled them inside. “You’ve got some hungry ones, Daddy.” She winked at me. “Sorry to interrupt.”
I yawned. “It’s okay. I think that’s part of the deal, being totally at their mercy.”
Scarlett didn’t move, not even when I unwound myself from around her and slipped out of the bed. She didn’t wake as Olivia shook her shoulder, telling her it was time to nurse.
I checked her breathing. She was fine. I really might need to hire a nanny for the times I wasn’t with her.
Samuel whimpered, and Scarlett jerked straight up in the bed. If I had still been checking her breathing, she would have knocked me out.
Not only was she awake, she was alert. She winced at the sudden movement but didn’t let any of that stop her from taking care of her children.
Might not need that nanny after all. Unless she wanted the extra help, in which case, I didn’t blame her.
As Scarlett began to nurse, I thought about her request.
Five dates.
She and the twins would be released from the hospital in the morning, and I’d need to give her a few days before our first date could take place.
The problem was, I didn’t date. Not like people in normal society would. I met women, maybe had a drink before we screwed and went our separate ways. But that was it. No planning involved.
What consisted of a date, anyway? Dinner and a movie? How could we do that with newborn twins at home?
Maybe I was overthinking everything.
I just needed to KISS it.
Keep It Simple, Stupid.
With that in mind, I began to plan.