Chasing Mrs. Knightly (Chasing #5: Chasing Epilogue) (8 page)

Down Under

Blake

“Is your stewardess hot?” Sienna asked me through the phone just as I boarded my jet, heading towards Australia.

I smirked
, thinking how irrational she could get when jealous. Best not to drive her into that direction whilst I was out of the country, thousands of miles away, to avoid the damage she could cause.

“Not as beautiful as you are
, if that’s what concerns you.”

“It’s not
. I trust you. I do.” She tried to emphasize that she truly did, and I believed her.

“Thank you
,” I murmured as I took a seat and stretched my legs a bit. “Where are you anyway?”

She sighed. “I’m at my gynecologist. I seem to have lost my pills during my hissy rampage in the closet
, so I’m here to get a refill and do a pelvic exam.”

Hissy rampage
? How fitting.

“Well, try not to have one of those outbursts
, will you? I can handle only one every decade, just to let you know.”

She made a laughing sound
that made me smile a little.

“You spoil me too much. Once every decade? Oh
, my…”

“I’d grow old and die faster the way you’re treating me
. I so deserve a vacation after this trip.”

“We shall
,” she whispered. “Babe, I have to go. It’s my turn now. Have a safe flight and please behave. I love you and will speak to you soon.” She made a loud kissing noise before hanging up.

Bloody Hell. This
three week business trip was going to drag. I could already tell.

~

“I heard you got married. Where’s your wife?” A familiar looking woman, whose identity I couldn’t pinpoint, greeted me with a welcoming smile.

“I did
,” I responded cordially as I nursed my whiskey. “She’s back in England, finishing up her last year in University.”

“That’s great
.” She eyed my drink before smiling widely, showcasing her perfect whites. “It must be lonely to travel all by yourself, being married and all. It bars you from having fun.”

“I’m too busy with work
; fun isn’t part of the agenda.” Women! Why couldn’t they just take the hint? When a man was married and not staring down at your arse or your bloody knockers, it was obvious you should try a different sort.

Finishing up my drink from the hotel bar, I left right after I tipped the barman and strode straight into the bank of elevators to take me to my penthouse suite.

I loved Sydney, but I was feeling all sorts of homesickness.

It had been two weeks since I had seen Sienna
, and I had to admit my body craved a woman. It just so happened that the only woman I wanted was my wife. No one else could satisfy me the way she could.

It didn’t take long until I was up in my suite, dragging my feet as exhaustion took over me.

I wasn’t drunk after having three drinks, but I questioned myself when I found the very person I had just been thinking about standing in the living room, staring back at me.

“
Sienna?
” She seemed nervous, therefore I almost ran towards her, wondering if something was wrong. “Did something bad happen?”

“I had to Google you because I couldn’t reach your cell
phone,” she wretchedly said with a pointed look. “Why did you tell me you were staying in a different hotel? Why did you lie?”

Christ
. Not again. “Poppet, I’ve been all over Australia. I can’t very well tell you correctly each and every one I’ve stayed at. I apologize if I gave you the wrong one. I swear on my honor that it was a pure, honest mistake.”

She frowned. “Oh.”

“Right. You can very well apologize to me now before I spank you for it.” I was merely teasing, yet my cock twitched in response.

Hell, she had no idea
how fucking lovely it was to see her. I had been ceaselessly dreaming about her, in and out of the bedroom.

She came to meet me before she fidgeted with her hands. “I’m sorry
, I thought the worst—”

“Aren’t we past this?”

She sighed before stepping closer to me. “You’ve been gone too long, and I can’t stop thinking about you. I’ve missed you so much that I decided to come here, even though I shouldn’t because I’d miss classes. I just needed an excuse to see you, I guess.”

Pulling her close, I cupped her cheeks as I stared deeply into her eyes. “I love you
, too.”

It was absurd to be this desperate for the woman I was married
to, however it was how I felt. Moreover, as embarrassing as it was to admit it even to myself, I couldn’t fight the emotions that consumed me when it came to her. For her to even think for a second that I’d find a replacement to pass the time with was beyond troubling.

Kissing her was the highlight of my Australian trip. The takeovers didn’t even come close to this kind of high.

“I’m late…” she momentarily whispered. “And I took an over the counter test.”

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
, don’t bloody stop talking
, I almost said out loud before I frustratingly asked, “
And?
”

“I’m pregnant
,” she muttered before she started bawling. “I’m going to lose this one, too. It’ll be like the last time. I didn’t want to keep this information from you, but please don’t hate me when I prove to be right.”

Dio
mio!
“You’re pregnant?” I grinned like there was no tomorrow. “Really and truly pregnant?”

“Idiot!”
She slapped me lightly on the chest. “There’s only one kind of pregnant. What the hell, Blake?”

I lifted her off the floor and spun her a little before I carried her towards the sofa and cradled her on my lap, loving every inch of her. My wife was pregnant. I couldn’t rejoice enough.

“How far along are you?”

“A little over
four weeks.”

“Sex on the stairs worked like magic, I take it?” Happiness consumed me as I took her h
and in mine and kissed her palm. “Don’t you worry about anything, love. I’m going to take care of you. I won’t be leaving your side until you’ve given birth to our baby.”

“And after the baby? You’re not dumping me
, are you?”

I shrugged noncommittally. “Well
, that depends…”

She playful hit my chest
again before I kissed her senseless. “I would never leave you. Especially not now. Not when I can’t function without you.” It was true. “I might have to lessen my trips to a week if I can’t take you with me. I can’t stand being this far from you.”

The soft
, intimate mood was interrupted by the loud, growling sound of her belly.

“We’re starving
, in case you haven’t heard.” She made a sheepish grin. “Your baby’s a little demanding.”

It was a Knightly trait
, one that would drive the mother a little crazy. In approximately eight months’ time, our little bean would be ready to say hello to Mama and Papa.

Mrs. Knightly

Two weeks later

Blake

I went over to see Sienna at work. It was nine at night and I was suddenly consumed with this profound need to see her
, even if it was from afar.

It had been two weeks since I
had seen her last, when she had made a surprise visit to Australia. It would’ve been nice to come home to her waiting for me after being so far apart for so long, but she was busy with her studies and work. I respected that about her—that she still wanted to pave her way even though I had more money than Croesus, and she was more than welcome to do as she pleased. The woman was stubborn. She still paid her own shopping sprees and other stuff women enjoyed with her own money. The credit cards and the savings account I had opened for her remained untouched.

I
had never thought I’d rue the day I wished a woman wasn’t after my money. Regardless, this was not the case with my wife. It would’ve been nice if she took a little from me. Something was better than nothing. It merely proved she was highly independent and didn’t need me at all. I wanted her to need me, though, like I needed her. However, my incessant nagging made her threaten me with not using any of the cards to decorate our baby’s room. Subsequently, I took the hint and left her be.

Even in pregnancy, she was still gorgeous as ever, and my desire for her only burned brigh
ter.

Life was the same
, even though we were expecting. She continued to be quite active in all of her endeavors, and I admired her spirit, even though she was boggled with doubts about parenting. But with my assurance, we would cope together.

~

The next day…

I
t was a Saturday, and I noticed she was all geared up to head somewhere.

“Where are you headed to?”

“The farmers’ market around Marylebone.”

“Can I come?” I inquired lightly, hoping she’d say yes.

She looked doubtful. “Are you sure your multi-billion dollar empire can survive without you for a day?”

“A few hours won’t make a difference
, no need to worry.”

She rolled her eyes before taking a recycled bag out of the drawer. “We need these.”

“So, what do you plan to shop for? Eggplants and a few tomatoes?” I smirked, loving the whole domesticated exchange we were having. Who would’ve thought I’d be going to a farmers’ market on a bloody Saturday? Surely my grandfather would be amused once I told him the story.

I strode over to her, lovingly memorizing her face. My wife
. “I love you, Sienna.” I just had to say it.

Every
day, without fail, I’d tell her just how much she meant to me.

Baby Blues

Blake

We had just come back from a doctor’s appointment where we saw how our baby was doing when Sienna started to cry like someone had died.

Cautiously closing the front door, I took a moment to look at her and wondered if this was purely hormonal or
if it was much more than that.

“Cara?” I asked gently as I strode towards her.

Large tears streamed down her lovely face. “This is becoming all too real, and I’m scared, Blake. I’m fucking terrified.”

I immediately went and held her, soothing her
by smoothing down her hair as I softly told her comforting things. “We’re not going to lose our baby, poppet. This one’s a fighter. Trust me on this one.”

She shook her head, truly inconsolable. “That’s not what I meant. This child
, with my luck… it’s petrifying. Don’t get me wrong, I love children. I’m just scared that the past will repeat itself and my child will be helpless like I was.”

This was more about her
, not the child per say. It was about her past experiences. Poor darling.

“Oh
, Sienna…”

“I grew up frightened, Blake. Hiding from my aunt and uncle and my cousins became no
rmal to me. I don’t want that for my child. We could just die any day…” Her fears were visible in her eyes. She truly was terrified.

“I could die tomorrow
, but I’m comforted by the fact that we have friends that will help you and the baby. Toby, Lucy, and Chad will do everything in their power to help raise our son or daughter.”

She made a small hiccupping sound before she hu
gged onto me tighter. “I’ve been getting these weird, frightful dreams…

“I love you,” she whispered, shaking a little with tears in her eyes. “I love you so much
, a And the thought of losing you forever terrifies me more than you know. There are times that I’m distant. It’s because of that reason. If I lose you, I’m going with you, Blake.”

I was glad she was opening up to me about her fears. I
had actually been starting to worry that she had easily accepted being pregnant without any major emotional upheaval. However, if I died tomorrow, I’d never forgive her if she decided to go with me.

“No
, you won’t. I won’t let you.” I sought her eyes. “You will move on and live a long, happy life. If it does happen, I would want you to find another man that loves you the way I have loved you. A man that’s willing to put you ahead of his needs. I don’t want to see you pining for me; I want you and the baby to have a happy, enriched life. That’s why I’m working so hard to build a future for you both.”

“How could you say that?” She was aghast at the thought of it. “If I died, I wouldn’t want you to move on. I’m terrified about everything—the future, losing you
. Maybe I’m just being hormonal, but I can’t stop thinking about all these awful things that could happen to us.”

I laughed, knowing she meant
it. “I’d mourn you until I joined you…”

I never wanted to part with her. Even in death, I’d stay close by her
side. And that was a promise.