REBORN (Metamorphosis Book 1) (30 page)

"You do realize this is our first Christmas breakfast."

"Our first of many; next year there will be four of us plus my three kids.  That's quite a family!  Any second thoughts?" I asked.

"No, I already went through the what ifs; I'm pretty okay with where we are now," Kayden responded.

I sat at the table thinking about his statement.  I guess he had put some thought into the situation, evaluating the pros and cons.  I was so glad he opted for giving us a chance.

He pulled the chair for me to sit and then he joined me at the table.  The food was already served and covered. He must have gotten up early to prepare it all!

"Well eat, before it gets any colder."

"Looks delicious."  He had prepared pancakes, eggs, bacon, and fresh fruit cups.

"I was thinking the same thing," he said with a wink.

I just shook my head, knowing very well that he was not referring to the food.

A few minutes later Kayden slid a box, beautifully gift-wrapped, toward me.

"Merry Christmas," he told me. 

"But I already had my present last night," I told him, feeling shy. I meant the ring; he probably thought everything else.

"Open it," he said, dismissing my previous statement.

I opened the box and inside was the most beautiful platinum pendant with two entwined hearts encrusted in diamonds.  It was stunning.  I loved the meaning right away, and loved the thought he had put into it, but most of all I loved the man who gave it to me.  I got up from my chair and went to his.  I straddled him on his lap.  My robe was all I was wearing, and when I sat it opened at the front.  I embraced him around his neck and gave him a chaste kiss.

"Thank you, I love it and I love you."

"I love to see you like this."

"How, pregnant?"

"Well yes, I love to see you carrying my seed; but that's not what I meant.  I meant, I love to see you comfortable with your body; I love to see you carefree in front of me.  I don’t think you realize how stunning you are."

"I've never paid much attention to my looks and always felt awkward, different somehow."

"Unfortunately for me, you might not pay attention to your looks but other men do and the list keeps growing."

I shook my head to disregard his statement.

"That prick you work with, even though you are carrying my children, he is still after you like a puppy.  And by the way, next time he puts his arms around you he is not going to live to tell about it."

His words sounded ominous, nothing lighthearted about them.  Kayden was a possessive man; he had made that very clear from day one.  But, what was he talking about?

"What are you talking about?"

He began to kiss my neck as to distract me from his harsh words.

"Why didn't you ask me to take you dancing?  I'll take you anywhere you want, when you want it," he said softly, this time as he continued the trail of kisses down my neck, making my core tighten.

"How did you know I went dancing?" I asked with great difficulty, distracted by his gentle kisses.

"Your security team told me."

"What security team?"

"The one assigned to you.  I told you that if Aldo couldn't drive you then I would have to assign you a security team. "

"Yes, but that was before we broke up."

"No, that's for the rest of your life.  You chose to be with a powerful man, that's part of the package.  I have people who would want to hurt anything I care about in order to get to me.  I will never let that happen to you or our children." His voice had such determination that I understood the fear in his tone.  Fear of losing me; fear of losing the family looming in the future.  And I understood that fear of losing what you love most in an instant, fear of being alone.

"I understand," was all I was able to say, but he knew what I meant.

"Good, because that will make life easier for all of us.  And now I have to finish my breakfast."  I attempted to get up to return to my seat but he held me tight to his lap. 

"Where do you think you are going?  Do you think you are going to tempt me like this and then leave me hanging?" he said in a playful voice and then bit my neck.

"Ouch, that hurts."

"Let me make it better." 

His lips went to my neck and he began to place soft, gentle kisses on the area he had bitten, his tongue licking with gentle strokes, slow, deliberate strokes.

"Does it feel better?" he asked in between kisses.

"Just a bit, but there are other areas that hurt too," I gasped.

He raised an eyebrow then lowering his head to the mound of my breast he murmured, "Let's see what I can do."

And he did, made it so much better.

Chapter Thirty

We spent the rest of the morning lounging in bed, talking and planning for a future together.  It was one of the happiest Christmas mornings of my life.  The weather outside was frigid and the streets icy.  I had no interest or desire to venture out there.  I was perfectly content in my little cocoon within the protective embrace of Kayden.  He was so attentive and loving that how could I possibly abandon that?  Unfortunately, abandon we had to.  We were expected for dinner at the penthouse; Sofia had prepared a Christmas feast and Carmelo and his girlfriend were also supposed to be there.

At one we called the kids in Aspen; it was eleven there so they had just woken up from the previous night of partying.  I wanted them to be the first to know that Kayden and I were getting married.  As expected, the girls were ecstatic, Damien not so much.

"He'll come around, just give him some time," Kayden tried to reassure me. However I knew that it was going to take more than time; it was going to take an effort on my part to set his mind at rest that all this change did not mean that he wouldn't always be my number one boy.

"In a couple of years he'll be paying more attention to his girlfriend than to you, if not sooner," Kayden continued.  "Besides he'll get to know me better and find out that I'm not the enemy."

I kissed Kayden on the cheek, touched by his concern.

"Did I forget to tell you I love you, and how lucky I am to have you in my life?"

"I am the lucky one for you still wanting to put up with me after all I put you through."

"Can we just say we are both lucky to have found each other, and leave it at that?"  I told him, resigned.  The reality was that everyday I wondered how a man like him had fallen so hard for me.  It was like plain Jane meets Mr. Hot and Sexy.  I knew it; I just hoped he never discovered it.

We both changed into our Christmas best.  Kayden wore a pair of loose-fitting dark grey wool pants and a dark burgundy sweater, and I opted for a candy apple empire-cut dress that disguised my bigger body but emphasized my huge boobs.  I figured I might as well take advantage of them while they lasted.

"I don't know about you wearing that dress, it's too distracting."  Kayden's comment took me by surprise.

"Do you think it's too much?  Should I change?  I don’t want to give the wrong impression to your family."

"No baby, I'm not worried about them; it's me who might not make it through the night."  He wrapped his arms around my waist while nuzzling his face on my neck.  "I wish we could stay here the rest of the night so I could have you all to myself.  I love you so much, and to think I almost threw it all away.  Please promise me you'll be patient with me."

"I will, and you'll have to promise the same to me.  The road ahead won't be easy so we'll need to rely on each other even more."

His lips found mine and his kiss was so tender, so gentle that it took my breath away.

It was surreal to feel like a guest in the penthouse that for all intents and purposes was supposed to be our home.  Sofia had prepared a feast for her boys, Roberto, Kayden, and Carmelo, and they doted on her with compliments and appreciation.  I felt slightly out of place, like an outsider looking in… like I always felt when I was a child.

Kayden, realizing my uneasiness, came to my side.  He kissed my temple and asked, "Are you okay?  Do you need to rest?"

"I'm fine, or at least I'll be.  We'll talk about it later, when we go home."

"We are home," he responded, a little bit hurt.  "If there is something to talk about, something that is bothering you, we can go to our bedroom for privacy.  But this is your home, act like it and don't give up what is yours so easily." 

His forehead leaned against mine in a loving way, his hand lifted my chin, and then his lips touched mine very gently.  "I love you, you are going to be my wife, I need you to fight for our family; the one you and I are building." 

I opened my mouth to respond but then the doorbell rang.

"I hope you don't mind but I invited Daniela DeSilva to join us for dinner, she is all alone in the city and I didn't feel right not inviting her," Carmelo said cheerfully.  Kayden just looked at me as if to ask.  I said nothing.  It was their party; I was just a guest.  At that moment I wished we had stayed at home, my real home!

Carmelo went to the door not waiting for an answer to his question and Daniela entered.  She looked stunning as usual wearing a black pencil skirt, a red sweater that accentuated her curves, and black stiletto boots.  When I saw her I felt like grabbing her by her long hair and throwing her off the balcony.  I supposed it was my hormones talking, but the thought brought a smile to my face.  Kayden held me closer to his side as if to steady me.

Daniela kissed and hugged Sofia profusely, thanking her for the invitation to dinner, and then she kissed Roberto and Kayden.  When she saw me by Kayden's side she extended her hand and simply said,

"How are you, Ellie?"

"I'm fine," I responded with the same icy tone she used with me.  No other words were exchanged. 

We all went to the dinner table where a feast awaited.  Kayden opened a bottle of champagne for everyone else and sparkling apple cider for me.

"Mom, Dad, everyone; please accompany me in a toast to celebrate my engagement to this beautiful woman sitting next to me.  Yesterday I asked Ellie to marry me and she accepted." 

Both Sofia and Roberto got up from the table and came over to kiss and congratulate us; the same with Carmelo.  Daniela shook my hand coldly and said congratulations without meaning it.  Honestly, I wished that woman would stay away from me, or I would not be responsible for my actions.

Dinner went by without much fanfare, lots of conversation and amazingly good food.  You had to hand it to Sofia; she was a great cook.  After dinner the boys took over the kitchen and Sofia, Daniela, and I sat on the living room couch.  I got up to make a cup of tea and found Kayden bantering around jokes with his father.  When he saw me he came to me. "Do you need anything, baby?"

"Just a cup of tea."

"I'll make it for you, just relax with my mother."

I heard Carmelo say, "You are so whipped, it's ridiculous."

"Yep, and so in love; you should try it sometime."  The men just laughed; it brought joy to my heart to see Kayden so relaxed among his family.

When I got back to the sofa, Sofia was gone and Daniela was there all by herself.  She looked at me with a smirk.

"So that was your plan all along, to get knocked up and force Kayden into marrying you," she said with disdain.

"Nobody forces Kayden into doing anything, not even you," I responded.

She got up from the sofa, turned around, and said, "You are nothing but a two-bit common whore."

I did what I should have done the night I found her trying to kiss my man, I took my hand and with all the force I had, slapped her across the face.

"Get out of my house," I screamed.

At that moment I noticed Kayden standing there with the cup of tea.  Daniela turned to him crying, trying to lean on his shoulder. "That woman is out of control, she attacked me."

I said nothing to Kayden; it was up to him to decide who he was going to side with.

"You heard Eleonor, you need to go now.  This is the second time you have disrespected her in our home and the last, please don’t come again." The entire Hale family was there to witness the finale.

If I could love this man any more, I think this moment was it; the moment when my love for him increased tenfold, the moment when I was sure of his love for me.  There had been no hesitation on his part, no explanations asked.  He knew where his loyalty needed to be, by the side of the woman he loved.