Sapphire Beautiful (23 page)

“He’s a good kid,” Andrew says without thinking and then back peddles. “I mean...”

“I know he’s significantly younger than I am.”

“But he’s mature. And brilliant. God, is he smart. I’m actually jealous of him.” Andrew looks up at me. “For a lot of reasons.”

“I just want you to know that he wasn’t abandoning me or our baby. He was trying to protect me. And my career.” I finger the sapphire around my neck. “It was just impossible for us to stay apart.”

He holds up the paper in his hand. “I’d better fill out this application.”

We’re both startled by a knock on my office door.

“Come in,” I say.

When Dante enters and he sees Andrew his face turns to an angry mask. He bites his lip as if he wants to say something, but he’s holding back.

Andrew quickly rises from the chair and waves the paper he’s holding at Dante. “I was just telling Dr. Pine—um—Mary that I got a recommendation request from the U. I asked her if she had any idea why you might be transferring to another program. She told me why, Dante.”

Dante’s face softens.

“Selfishly I want you to stay here,” Andrew continues. “But I know you need to go.” He places a hand on Dante’s shoulder. “Take good care of her and your baby.”

And with that Andrew disappears out of my office.

After closing the door behind him Dante circles around my desk and pulls me up and into his arms.

“What are you doing here?”

“I came to give you this.” He places a soft kiss on my lips. Then he opens his backpack, removes a manila envelope and hands it to me. “A completed grant application, my lady.”

I take the envelope from his hands. “Thank you. And you’ll be happy to know I submitted my tenure application.”

That scores me another kiss.

“So, when were you going to tell me about the U?”

He frowns. “Didn’t I mention that?”

I give him a teasing slap on the upper arm. “You know you didn’t tell me.”

“I was waiting until I officially got accepted.”

“Officially?”

“I took a page from my father’s playbook. I had a meeting with the Chair of the Department of English Languages and Literature and told her I was interested in transferring to their doctoral program. We discussed my credentials and she was impressed, but she said the program was highly competitive. Even though I meet all the requirements for admission there is currently a waiting list of highly qualified candidates who all want admission into the program. I mentioned that I was considering making a sizable donation to fund a scholarship for their undergraduate Program in Medieval Studies. When I gave her a figure of what a sizable donation might entail, I miraculously bypassed the waiting list and was welcomed into the program with open arms. Now it’s just a matter of completing the application and having my credits transferred as soon as the semester ends.”

“I realize you only did that so we can be together, but please don’t turn into your father.”

He gnaws on his bottom lip. “I may have done just one other thing that I’m not too proud of, but it will ensure that we won’t have any more trouble from my dad. And I promise I won’t do anything like that again.”

I narrow my gaze at him. “What did you do?”

When he clears his throat I brace myself for the worst. “You never asked me how I knew about The Club.”

“Okay, how did you find out about The Club?”

“I overhead my dad telling one of his buddies about it.”

I know I shouldn’t be surprised, but my eyes grow wide in spite of myself. “Your dad is a member of The Club?”

“He has been for years.”

“Wow.”

“So I took a little trip to see Claudia. She had already refunded all of my money, but I told her it wasn’t enough. I made it sound like she had ruined my life. I lied through my teeth and told her that I never wanted children. That it was all her fault that I now had this lifelong burden because she was the one who recommended you. I threatened to tell all of my rich friends and all of my father’s rich friends that she sets men up with gold digging whores who just want to get pregnant. You’ve seen Claudia. The woman is an ice queen. But she actually looked panicked. I completely got under her skin. But after telling me I should only give you a dollar for your final payment she deserved it. I guaranteed her that I wouldn’t tell anyone about her pregnancy mill if she did one thing for me.”

“Pregnancy mill? Really?”

He places a kiss on my cheek. “I told you I was laying it on thick. And it worked. She gave me copies of all my dad’s files. Background checks on all of his mistresses. All of the payments he made to them, how much and when.”

“How many did he have?” I ask.

“He’s on his sixth.”

I swallow. If I didn’t know how much Dante hates his dad and how little they have in common I’d be worried.

“I confronted my dad with the file. I told him I knew everything about his mistresses. And I threatened to expose him if he didn’t support our relationship one hundred percent and endorse your application for tenure.”

“Remind me never to cross you,” I tease.

“This is all for you, baby. I did all this all for you.”

I
breathe a sigh of relief when I press the submit button and my grades for the term are handed into the registrar. When I glance up from my computer Misty is rushing into my office.

“You’re never going to believe this!” She’s the most excited I’ve ever seen her and I feel exhausted just looking at her.

“What is it, Misty?”

“The Dean called me into his office. I thought I might be in some kind of trouble.”

I have no idea what this perfect student might have thought she could possibly be in trouble for, but I can certainly relate to her irrational fears.

My hand goes to my mouth when she actually jumps for joy in my office. “I got the graduate research fellowship!”

“Congratulations,” I tell her.

“Now I’ll get paid to do all of your research.” She gives me a big grin. “And my tuition is paid as well. No more student loans.”

“I’m happy for you, Misty.”

“I’ll miss Dante. Is it bad if I say I’m glad he transferred?”

I shake my head. “Not at all.”

“Good. Is there any research you want me to do over winter break?”

I shake my head. “Just enjoy your vacation and we’ll start at it again in January.”

“Okay. Call me if you need anything. I don’t want to get bored.”

“I’ll do that,” I tell her.

I run into Lucy on my way out of my office. “Is it just me or did that feel like a really long semester?”

“Not just you,” I assure her.

“I’m packed and ready to go. The Caribbean awaits. Two glorious weeks of fun in the sun.”

Lucy has been talking about the Caribbean cruise she’s taking with two of her cousins for weeks.

“Have a great time.”

“We’ll meet for coffee when I get back. I’ll need to show off my sun tan to someone. And you may even be a married woman by then.”

I frown. “What are you talking about?”

“Exam week is over. The semester has officially come to an end. Dante is no longer a student in our department.”

“And what does that have to do with getting married?”

She shrugs. “You are going to be the mother of his child.”

“Dante and I haven’t even discussed marriage. We’ve been taking things one day at a time.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he decides to put a ring on it.”

“Is it just me or did that feel like a really long semester?” Andrew asks as he joins us in the hallway.

“Not just you,” Lucy and I reply simultaneously.

“Any chance of you taking me to the Caribbean with you?” Andrew asks Lucy. “At this point I’d be willing to travel in your suitcase.”

She shakes her head. “Girls only trip. Sorry.”

“I hope you both enjoy your breaks,” he says. “I’m going to curl up by my fireplace and read.”

Andrew looks at me expectantly.

“I don’t have any plans for break,” I tell him.

“Are you and Dante...?” He raises an eyebrow.

“We haven’t really discussed it. We both just wanted to get through exams.”

“I’m going to miss having Dante as a student. He’s the first student in ten years to get a perfect score on my final exam.”

“Is this where I’m supposed to admit that I was wrong about him?” Lucy asks.

“Have fun on your trip,” I tell her. Then I glance at Andrew. “Have fun reading next to your fireplace.”

Andrew gives a wave as he heads down the hallway and for just a brief moment I’m a bit sad about how things worked out between us. But the moment quickly fades as I think about Dante and starting our lives together.

***

D
ante is sitting on my front porch waiting for me when I get home.

“It’s freezing out here,” I observe as I walk up the stairs.

His cheeks are bright red and he’s rubbing his hands together in an effort to keep them warm. “I don’t have a key anymore, remember?”

“We’ll have to remedy that,” I tell him. “The spare key is in the house.”

When he rises he fidgets until I unlock the door.

“How long have you been sitting out there?” I ask as we enter my townhouse.

“A while.”

“Why didn’t you just wait in your car?”

“I’m excited.”

I place my hands on his face in an effort to warm it. His cheeks are like ice cubes.

“Let’s start a fire,” I suggest.

“Great idea.”

Doug and I had a fancy electric fireplace installed, so with the click of a switch there’s a blazing fire in the fireplace. No wood to chop and no mess.

After we take off our coats we sit down on the couch next to the roaring fire.

“I’m no longer a student in the Medieval Studies Department. Exams are done and I’ve been officially accepted at the U pending my final grades for this term.”

“Andrew said you aced your final examination.”

He nods.

We’re both quiet for a long moment, watching the fire and warming up.

Then Dante says, “There’s something I want to ask you.”

“Okay. What is it?”

He removes a small velvet box from the pocket of his jeans. I gulp because it seems fairly obvious what’s coming next.

My eyes grow wide when he opens the box. The ring is an enormous diamond surround by stunning sapphires.”

“I had it made just for you,” he says. “I wanted it to match your necklace.”

“It’s beautiful.” I can’t take my eyes off the stunning ring.

“Sapphire beautiful,” he says as he removes the ring from the box and holds it next to my hand. “Will you marry me?”

His eyes are filled with hope and adoration. I have no doubt that Dante loves me with all his heart, and that he’ll be a devoted husband and father.

“Of course.” I place a soft kiss on his lips.

His entire face beams as he slides the ring on my finger. 

He gives me a long and passionate kiss. Then he whispers, “I have another surprise.” There’s a bit of mischief in his eyes.

“What is it?”

“I booked Aldourie Castle on Loch Ness. A winter wedding package. We’ve got the estate all to ourselves for winter break.”

“Wow. That sounds incredible.”

“Do you have any idea how much I want to be inside my fiancée right now?” The sparkle in his eyes is a dead giveaway.

“I like the sound of that,” I tell him. “Fiancée.”

“Don’t get used to it,” he warns. “As soon as possible you’re going to be my wife.”

I like the sound of that even better.

I
wanted to kill every woman who had ever said that childbirth is a magical experience. I felt like I was put through a wringer. Literally. It felt like every one of the medieval torture devices I’d ever studied had been inflicted upon my body.

The rack.

The Judas cradle.

The pear of anguish.

Childbirth made me feel like I was experiencing them all at once.

But when they handed me my baby girl and I got to hold her for the first time it all seemed worth it.

Dante has already gone a little nuts. He’s completely fallen in love with our little one just as much as I have. He won’t let either one of us out of his sight.

I was surprised when he told me that his mom and dad wanted to be there when their first grandchild was born. When we came back from England and I was married to their son they started to warm up to me a little bit. I’m hopeful that in time they may even accept me as part of the family.

Virginia told me that the girls are anxious to see their new cousin.  The three of them charge into my room ahead of Virginia and Matt. 

“She’s like a doll,” Ruby observes.

“She’s so cute,” Pearl adds.

“Can we hold her?” Opal asks.

We all see the look of terror on Dante’s face. There’s no way he’s going to release the baby to anyone right now. I may even have a hard time getting her away from him until it’s time for her to eat.

“Maybe you can hold the baby later,” Virginia tells the girls. “Uncle Dante wants to hold her right now.”

“What’s her name?” Ruby asks.

Dante and I glance at each other.

“Don’t keep us in suspense,” Virginia says. “What did you name her?”

“Well,” Dante says to the girls. “We’ve already got a lovely Opal. And a stunning Ruby. And a pretty Pearl. We needed a Sapphire beautiful. Her name is Sapphire.”

“I like that name,” Ruby states.

“I do, too,” Dante tells her before he turns and gives me a huge smile.

"C
hristian may be 50 Shades of Grey, but he is no match for the Black Dog. He commands a woman's body like an artist, without toys or red rooms..." -
Monique at Just Booked