War Wounded (The War Trilogy #2.5) (12 page)

“I will never hurt you, Duke,” she whispers, her lips brushing mine.

“How do you know that?” I murmur, closing my eyes.

“Because I love you too much,” she says, her voice cracking as she tries to hold back her tears.

My eyes fly open as I suck in a sharp breath. I blink at her in shock. She loves me?

“Mallory and Aimee said that they loved me, too,” I rasp bitterly.

“But I’m not them,” she says firmly. “I’m Arianna, and I will
never
hurt you. You can try and fight this, fight what we have together, but just know that I will be fighting just as hard to keep you with me because I love you, Duke, and that’s what someone does when they truly love you.”

She’s looking at me with not only determination, but also adoration and love in her eyes. What did I do to deserve such a wonderful woman? And damn her because now I’m getting choked up, which is not something that happens to me often.

Reaching up, I tuck a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. “I didn’t know what to do when I got back here. Half of me thought that I should end things with you, but the other half never wants to let you go,” I whisper brokenly. “When Aimee showed up, it just reminded me of all the reasons why I never wanted to fall in love or get married again.”

Tears roll down Arianna’s beautiful face. I brush them away.

“But here you are, giving me a shit ton of reasons why I
should
,” I tell her.

“As long as we’re together, I don’t need anything else. You don’t want to get married again? I’m fine with that. It doesn’t matter to me; I don’t need it, as long as I have you,” she says.

She will give up getting married for me? What woman does that?

“Fuck, woman,” I croak and cover my eyes with my hand. I really don’t want her to see me cry, even though it’s all her fault.

Arianna drags my hand away from my face and leans in to kiss me. Her thumbs brush the tears from my cheeks as her sweet lips press against mine. I wrap my arms around her and pull her body against mine.

I break the kiss, only so I can tell her, “I love you, too.”

She lets out a laugh/sob that makes me smile. Kissing is nearly impossible now because neither of us can stop smiling. Plus, Arianna is half-crying, half-laughing.

“You know what I could really go for right now?” I whisper, nudging her nose with mine.

“What?” she replies.

“One of your delicious cupcakes.”

“Mmm, chocolate would be good right about now,” she agrees.

“What do you say we salvage what we can of Christmas by going back to New York to my apartment, and you can show me how to make cupcakes?” I suggest.

“Sounds like a plan to me.” She giggles.

“Good, let’s get the fuck outta here,” I grunt.

I help her off my lap so that we can pack up and get the hell out of here.

~ Arianna ~

We make it back to Duke’s apartment at around midnight. After saying goodbye to his siblings and dad, we make the trip back up to New York, stopping at the supermarket for cupcake supplies. Duke refused to speak to his mother before we left. I have a feeling it’s going to be a while before he talks to her again. Not that I can blame him really.

Duke brings our bags in while I carry the cupcake supplies. He puts our bags in his bedroom while I take everything else into the kitchen. I’m unloading everything onto the counter when Duke emerges from the hallway. I glance at him to find that he has an odd look on his face.

“What’s the matter?” I ask, brows furrowed.

He stops next to me and blurts out, “Move in with me.”

Flabbergasted. That’s the only word that comes to mind to describe how I feel about what he just said. I blink up at him, my mouth working but nothing is coming out.

“I know it’s out of nowhere and sudden and really fast, but instead of finding another apartment, just move in here with me,” he says.

I stare at him, still in shock.

“Really? Are you sure you’re ready for that?” I ask when I find my voice.

He nods. “With you? Yes, definitely,” he says with a certainty that I can’t help but believe.

It really would be the easiest move for me; I could leave Jade’s and not worry about having to find another apartment. And then I’d be waking up every day with the man I’m madly in love with. How can I say no?

“Okay, I’ll move in with you,” I agree.

The smile that spreads across Duke’s face is one that I will never forget. It’s pure, unadulterated happiness. He moves in a flash, scooping me up and sitting me on the counter, while he stands in between my legs. His fingers dive into my hair as his lips crash into mine.

“I…thought…you…wanted…cupcakes,” I ask between kisses.

“Tomorrow,” he mutters before sweeping his tongue into my mouth, cutting off my ability to argue.

I wrap my arms around his neck and moan into his mouth. God, I love the way he kisses me. Duke wraps his arms around my waist and lifts me off the counter. He carries me to his bedroom and climbs onto the bed with me. It’s kinda hot having such a strong guy who can carry me around. Clothes are hastily removed, and hands and mouths are everywhere. Duke only stops kissing me for as long as it takes to grab a condom from the drawer.

I let out a strangled cry when Duke sinks his cock into me. He feels so good, so right. He wraps his arms around me and holds me close as he pumps into me. He tucks his face into my neck and moans loudly.

“Fuck, baby, I love you so much,” Duke breathes against my neck.

“I love you, too,” I gasp.

~ Chapter Twelve ~

~ Arianna ~

“Where are we going?” I huff as I try to walk forward with Duke’s hands over my eyes.

It’s been four months since I moved in with Duke. A fantastic four months. Duke is so amazing. He’s sweet and attentive and everything I could only wish for in a boyfriend. He still has his moments where he gets worried or scared that this isn’t going to work, but we get through it together. Communication is the key.

“You’ll see,” he says, his tone giving away his excitement.

He makes me close my eyes on the drive to wherever we are, so I’m totally lost. I have no idea where we are or what we’re doing. He stops me and turns me a little bit.

“Are you ready?” he asks.

“Yes!”

Duke removes his hands from my eyes and I blink and squint from the brightness of the sun. When my eyes can finally focus, I gasp and cover my mouth with my hands. I’m standing in front of my shop. Jules is standing there with a big smile on her face, holding the door open for me. From what I can see, the inside is completely redone. No more smoke damage on the walls. Tears immediately well up and pour down my cheeks. I turn to Duke, who is absolutely beaming.

“You did this?” I croak.

He shrugs. “I called in some favors.”

“I didn’t even get the insurance money yet!”

He nods. “I know.”

“How…where…this took money!” I squawk.

He gives me a crooked grin. “Yes, it did,” he agrees.

“But…”

He grabs my face and plants a kiss on my forehead. “Don’t you worry about it, Beautiful. Go in and look around,” he says softly.

I’m in total shock. I’ll find out about the money later because there is no way I can let him pay for all of this and not give him the money back. Duke gives me a gentle shove toward the door. I walk in and see that it’s almost exactly as it was before the fire.

“Duke, this is…” I start but have to stop before I bawl my eyes out.

“Wait until you see the kitchen and your office.” He grins.

My heart does an excited leap as I make my way toward the kitchen door. I open the door and freeze. Nothing could have ever prepared me for what I’m looking at. It’s a completely redone and upgraded kitchen. There are no traces of there ever being a fire. I press my hands to my chest to keep my heart from exploding out of it. I close my eyes and shake my head. This can’t be real. But when I open them again, everything is still there.

I turn to look at Duke, who is standing behind me, his own eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “I can’t believe you did all of this for me.”

He rolls his eyes at me and pulls me into his arms. “Baby, I fucking love you, and I want you to be happy, and making cupcakes makes you happy.”

“You make me happy, too,” I tell him.

“Well, duh,” he scoffs.

I laugh and squeeze him tighter. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Beautiful. There’s still more to see, though. Go check out your office.”

I let him go to go see my new office. The door is closed, so I slowly open it and am blown away. It’s so beautiful and light and comfortable. This is all too much. I can’t believe Duke did this for me. I had been shopping around for a new shop for the past few weeks because I thought this one was a total loss. But here it is, completely renovated and in working condition.

Walking into my office, I notice that there is a brand new
Michael Kors
purse sitting on the desk. I turn and narrow my eyes at Duke. He gives me a sheepish smile and a shrug.

“You lost your purse in the fire. I figured I’d get you a new one,” he explains.

I shake my head in awe at him. What did I ever do to deserve such an incredible man? Damn, I got lucky. I pick the purse up and look it over. It’s gorgeous, and totally something I would buy for myself. He knows me well.

“Duke, I don’t know how I will ever thank you for all of this,” I say.

Duke comes over to me and slips his arms around my waist.

“Just being able to see this gorgeous smile on your face and knowing that I put it there is enough for me,” he replies sweetly.

I reach up and give him a tender kiss. He smiles and drops his forehead to mine.

“I really wish I had some icing right about now,” he murmurs, pulling me closer so I can feel the erection straining against the front of his jeans.

I laugh. “Oh yeah? Why’s that?” I ask teasingly and hook my arms around his neck.

“I was thinking we could christen your new desk with a reenactment of our first time together,” he rasps.

“Mmm, that would be hot,” I agree.

“Yes, it would be.”

“How about a rain check? As soon as I get this place stocked with everything I need to make icing, I’ll make a batch just for you,” I offer.

Duke smiles wide. “Sounds like a deal to me.”

“Good. In the mean time, we can still christen my desk,” I purr.

Duke’s eyes flash heatedly before he lets me go so he can go over to the door, which he shuts and locks. Coming back over to me, he wraps me up in his arms and lifts me onto the edge of the desk. Even without the icing, christening my desk is a hell of a lot of fun.

~ Epilogue ~

~ Two and a Half Years Later ~

~ Duke ~

“Baby, you’re doing so good. Just a little bit more,” I urge Arianna as I smooth her hair back from her sweat-soaked forehead.

Arianna grits her teeth and screams through the pain. Fuck, I hate seeing her like this. But hell, she’s giving birth to our baby! We finally got married a year ago, and a few months after that, we found out that we were having a baby.

Yeah, I know what I said.
I’ll never get married again.
I pulled up my big boy undies though and did right by my woman. She told me she didn’t need to be married to be happy. But I did. I wanted it for her. She deserved it. And we had a really beautiful wedding, too.

Arianna’s nails digging into my forearm rips me from my thoughts. Holy shit! That fucking hurts. But I keep that to myself and deal with it like a man. She’s practically shoving a watermelon out of her vagina for shit’s sake. The least I can do is not complain about her hurting my arm.

Another gut wrenching scream from her and then there is a flurry of activity as the baby finally makes an appearance. I hear some disgusting sucking sounds before the baby finally lets out a little goat cry.

The relief that hits me leaves me lightheaded. This pregnancy has been one hell of a ride with the all-day sickness, mood swings, cravings, and God Almighty, the sex! Arianna was an extremely horny pregnant woman. I had a hard time keeping up with her.

The baby gets a quick wipe down before being placed on Arianna’s chest. She’s crying and laughing at the same time. Damn, my woman is amazing.

“It’s a boy!” the doctor announces.

My eyes well up and I have to press a fist to my mouth so
I
don’t sob like a big baby. I have a boy. Arianna looks at me, her smile radiant.

“We have a boy,” she croaks.

I nod and blink, which makes the tears slip down my cheeks.

“I’m so proud of you,” I whisper to her before pressing a kiss to her forehead.

“I love you,” she sniffs.

“I love you, too.”

A nurse takes the crying baby and cleans him up some more. The doctor then checks him over, weighs, and measures him. He’s a big boy at 8lbs 2oz and 19 inches long. Our little man gets burrito-ed then handed back to Arianna. I hover over her so that I can see him, too. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more beautiful baby. The love I feel for him is immediate.

“Hi, Colton,” Arianna coos, using the name that we picked out if we had a boy.

We kept the sex of the baby a surprise. We didn’t want to know until s/he was born. So we had a girl and boy name picked out.

I stare down at my son. “He looks like a Colton, too,” I muse.

Arianna nods. “Yeah, he does,” she agrees.

After a minute, Arianna hands him over to me. Finally getting to hold my little dude is the best feeling in the entire world. I can’t believe we made this beautiful creature. While the doctors take care of cleaning Arianna up, I rock Colton in my arms and talk softly to him.

“I have so many people for you to meet, little buddy,” I tell him.

I glance over at Arianna to find her watching me, a loving smile on her weary face. She looks exhausted, and rightfully so. But she’s still as gorgeous as ever, and I love her so damn much.

“Thank you,” I whisper to her.

She gives me a questioning look. “For what?”

“For fighting for me. If you hadn’t done that, then I wouldn’t have you or him.”

She smiles. “I love you,” she says and holds out her hand to me.

I lace my fingers through hers and bring them up so I can kiss her knuckles. “I love you, too.”

The End.