by Pamela Yaye
“Baby, you’ll never have to worry about how I feel about you, because I plan to show you every day. You’re the woman I want to marry, the woman I want to grow old with, the saucy, tell-it-like-it-is sister I need in my life to keep me in line.”
“My ex made promises that he couldn’t keep, and over the years, he walked out on me so many times that I lost count.” Her voice was filled with anguish, and a deep searing pain burned the walls of her chest. “What if that happens to us, Marcel? What if we fall out of love?”
“We won’t.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because you’re all that matters to me, and I’d never do anything to jeopardize our relationship. I know I’ve made a lot of mistakes, Dominique, but I want us to be a family. Without you, I’m nothing, and I can’t imagine living another day without you.”
More tears came—big, sloppy tears that gushed down her cheeks and splashed onto her pink, Destination Wellness T-shirt. “Do you really mean that?”
“With all my heart.”
“The only man I’ve ever been able to truly count on was my father. He taught me to believe in myself.” Dominique used her fingertips to wipe underneath her eyes. “It was an incredibly painful time in my life when my marriage fell apart, but the lessons from my father gave me the strength I needed to go on. He taught me that I was strong, resourceful and capable of making it on my own.”
“You’re all those things and more, Dominique.” Marcel placed his hands on her shoulders and gazed intently into her eyes. “And you’re right. I am going to change. I’m going to love you more each day, and after every single birth—”
Frowning, she slanted her head to the right. “Every birth? Just how many kids do you think we’re having? Don’t get any ideas, Marcel, because I’m not birthing an entire soccer team!”
He laughed long and hard. “What do you think about going away this weekend?” he asked, entwining his fingers behind her back. “I’m not above kidnapping you either, especially if it means we can be alone for a few days.”
“You already did that, remember? You whisked me away for the holidays, and before I realized what was going on, we were in Marco Island.”
“That was some trip.”
Recalling how he’d proposed to her over the holidays made her soften inside. Marcel had spoiled her that week. He’d catered to her, waited on her, given her a taste of what their lives would be like if they were husband and wife. That was why she’d accepted his marriage proposal—because she knew that he’d take care of her and be good to her, just like her father had been. “You’re right, Marcel. It was.”
They wore matching smiles.
“Pleasing is your fragrance, your eyes, your lips, the seductive sway of your walk. How incredible you are my queen, my darling one,” he recited, cradling her face in the palm of his hands. “All graceful, all wonderful you are, my love. There’s absolutely no flaw in you. You’re pleasing in every way. You are, and forever will be, the jewel of my heart.”
“I’ve never heard a more beautiful poem. Is it by Prodigal C. Lewis?”
“No—” a knowing smile curved his lips “—a Marcel Benoit original.”
“I love it, and I love you.”
Marcel hugged her tight. “Dominique, I feel on top of the world. I have you, a baby on the way and a brand-new job. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
“Congratulations on the position, Marcel. With your grades and personality, I knew it was just a matter of time before you found the perfect job.”
“I can’t wait to start,” he confessed, his tone filled with excitement. Then his lips shaped into a grin. “So do you think we can move past everything that has happened in the past three weeks and pick up where we left off? I don’t want to rush you, but we’re supposed to be getting married next Saturday, remember?”
“Well, that doesn’t leave us with much time. We better kiss and make up immediately.”
Marcel titled her chin upward to meet his mouth. “I can certainly do that. One long, steamy kiss, coming right up.”
Epilogue
Three months later
“Baby, does this dress make me look fat?”
Marcel glanced up from his laptop. “Of course not.”
“Are you sure?”
He lowered his eyes to her cleavage, and his mouth expanded into a grin. “I’m positive.”
“I don’t know why I bother asking your opinion. You always say that.”
“Is it my fault you look great in everything?”
Dominique’s face lit up. Marcel was lying but she loved him for it. The last thing a pregnant woman wanted to hear was the “F” word, and as she rubbed cocoa butter along her arms, she gave her husband a smile of gratitude. “I just can’t decide between these two outfits.” Sighing, she held up a multicolored sundress in one hand and a linen pantsuit in the other. “Which one do you like better?”
“I like the dress you have on,” he said, closing the computer and setting it on the nightstand. “It shows off your amazing legs, and I love the color.” Marcel cast an appreciative eye over her physique. “You look hot, baby. It’ll be a miracle if we make it through dinner without sneaking off for a quickie.”
Dominique’s eyes widened in surprise. “We won’t be sneaking off anywhere to do anything,” she announced, shaking her head fervently. “Look at me! I’m as big as a barn, and I can hardly move.”
Determined to be ready in the next fifteen minutes, she selected a pair of low-heeled sandals from the closet and waddled across the room to her vanity table. Dominique couldn’t remember the last time she’d “walked” anywhere. Her stomach was bigger than a pumpkin, and the baby was moving around so much that Dominique feared she might fall out. With her due date now firmly in sight, she found herself sleeping less and fretting more. Reading pregnancy books only intensified her fears, but Marcel was fascinated by the entire labor and delivery process. He spoke endlessly about birthing tubs, breathing techniques and the four stages of labor.
Dominique plunked down on the padded chair at her vanity table. It was five-thirty, and if she didn’t want them to be late for dinner, she had to hurry. Nervous anticipation flowed through her as she thought about the surprise she had in store for her husband. Marcel was going to flip when he walked into her mother’s house and saw all the people he loved sitting around the dining-room table. Dominique could hardly wait to see the expression on his face.
Pretending not to notice her husband watching her, she turned on her flat iron and freed her hair from its ponytail. She began rummaging through one of the side drawers, looking for her favorite bottle of styling gel, when she felt Marcel behind her.
“Don’t forget this,” he said, holding up her wedding ring between his fingers. Marcel bent down, took her right hand and slid it on. “It’s hard to believe we’ve been married for three months. It seems like just yesterday I watched you walk down the aisle.”
Moved by his words, Dominique placed a hand on his cheek. She felt blessed to have found Marcel, and there was no one else in the world she’d rather be married to. “I couldn’t have asked for a better day, or a better husband.”
“I feel the same way, ma belle reine.”
Like so many times before, Dominique reminisced about that bright, sunny afternoon in February. Thanks to her mother’s tireless planning, their Valentine’s Day wedding had gone off without a hitch. Guests sniffled as Marcel recited the poem he had written for her, and when he’d surprised her in the middle of the ceremony with a long, sensuous kiss, she’d almost lost her footing. If her sisters hadn’t gripped her arms, she probably would have fainted at the altar. “You get more beautiful each day,” he said. Marcel lowered his mouth and kissed from her lips to her bare shoulders. “Do you have any idea how much I want you right now?”
Dominique didn’t need to look down at her chest to know her nipples were erect.
“I have to have you.”
“Not now, baby. Mom w
ill kill us if we’re late,” she explained, trying not to notice how handsome he looked in his blue polo shirt and knee-length shorts. “But after dinner wraps up we can come home and make love in the shower.”
“I don’t know if I can wait that long.” He drew his fingertips down her arms, knowing full well it would drive her wild. “I’m going to rip this dress off and taste every delectable inch of you.”
Desire fell over Dominique like a sudden downpour of torrential rains. The silky, smooth tone of Marcel’s voice weakened her resolve. She felt incredibly sexy, and it had everything to do with the way her husband was feeling her up. When they were together, nothing else mattered—including being on time for her mother’s dinner party—and Dominique wanted Marcel just as much as he wanted her.
Using his tongue, he slowly explored inside her mouth. He kissed her everywhere—her cheeks, her ears, along her collarbone. Her entire body was sensitive to his touch, and when he captured a nipple in his mouth, she felt an overwhelming pressure down below. Dominique loved what Marcel was doing with his hands and how desirable he made her feel. She was wet, and he hadn’t even gone down on her yet. Scared her legs would fail, she leaned against him.
“Brace yourself against the makeup table,” he instructed, reaching for the zipper at the back of her dress. “And take off your sandals. I don’t want you to slip.”
“I can’t.”
“Come on, Dominique. Don’t back out on me now.”
“Marcel, I think my water just broke!”
He laughed. “Sure it did.”
“I’m serious!”
“B-b-but you look fine,” he stammered, examining her from head to toe. “You can’t be in labor. The baby’s not due for another two weeks.”
“I know, but whether we like it or not, I think this little one is coming.”
Sweat pooled on his brow and spilled down the side of his face. “I’ll go and call the hospital. You wait right here!”
Marcel sped out of the room.
“Don’t forget my overnight bag!” Dominique yelled, when she heard him sprinting down the staircase. “It’s in the front hall closet!”
Seconds later, Marcel raced back inside the bedroom. “Dr. Copeland says that we should go straight to the hospital. He suggested we time the contractions once they start. I have your overnight bag, and I packed something for you to eat in case you get hungry on the way.”
“Thanks, baby.” Dominique hoped her calm demeanor would rub off on Marcel, because he was starting to scare her. He was sweating, fidgeting, pacing restlessly around the room. “Why don’t you have a seat until I’m ready to go?” she said, picking up her gold flat iron. “All I need is ten minutes.”
“What are you doing?” Marcel stared at her as if she’d taken leave of her senses. “The baby’s coming! We have to go to the hospital!”
Dominique forced herself not to laugh. Her husband had definitely lost it, and it was up to her to get him under control. Taking his hands, she forced him to sit down on the edge of the bed. “Honey, you don’t expect me to go out in public with this wild, out-of-control hair, do you? Now relax, and breathe deeply through your nose. Just like you read in all those baby books…”
Twenty-four hours after Dominique was ushered into a private room at the Evergreen Hospital Medical Center, she gave birth to an eight-pound five-ounce baby girl. Seeing her daughter—the pretty little infant with big brown eyes, fair skin and chubby cheeks—was the greatest gift in the world, and Dominique wouldn’t have traded the experience for anything. Cradling her daughter in her arms, she marveled at how much Sophie looked like Marcel.
“Honey, you look exhausted,” Marcel said. Standing beside the bed, he stared down at his wife, a concerned expression on his face. “Why don’t you get some rest? Sophie won’t need another feeding for a couple of hours, and I can hold her while you’re sleeping.”
“I just can’t stop staring at her,” Dominique confessed, smoothing a hand over her daughter’s soft black curls. “It’s hard to believe she’s finally here. She’s absolutely beautiful.”
“Just like her mother.” Marcel kissed his wife on the forehead. “I’m so proud of you, ma belle reine. You were a champion in the delivery room this afternoon.”
“What can I say? I had a great coach. And for the record, I didn’t mean any of the things I said about you.”
“Good, because I was scared I’d have to sleep with one eye open tonight!”
The couple laughed.
“Are you guys up for some company?”
Dominique tore her gaze away from the baby and smiled at Taryn, whose head was poking inside the door. “Come in and meet the newest addition to the family.”
Relatives filed into the room. Everyone crowded around the bed, and Dominique proudly showed off their daughter. “You guys came at the perfect time. We were just about to call you with an update.”
“Sure you were,” Mrs. King said, her eyebrows drawn tight. “That’s why I had to hear about your business out on the street. If it wasn’t for my friend who works at the admitting desk, I’d still be at home waiting by the telephone.”
There was a knock on the door.
“Marcel, would you be a doll and get that?” Taryn asked. “I purchased balloons from the gift shop, and they promised to send them right up.”
“Sure, no problem.”
Dominique held her breath. This was the moment she’d been waiting for all week. Butterflies danced in the pit of her stomach as she watched her husband pull open the door. Standing there, holding a pink bouquet of roses, was Grace Benoit. Like her son, she had dark skin, a slight French accent and an incredibly warm disposition. For the past week, Dominique had spent the evenings secretly getting to know her mother-in-law and had instantly fallen in love with her.
“Mom?” Marcel’s jaw hung open, and for a moment he couldn’t speak. “I can’t believe it’s you! What are you doing here? When did you get here? How did this all happen?”
Grace laughed as she embraced her son.
“Dominique, did you know about this?” Marcel asked, casting a glance at his wife. “Did you know that my mom was coming to Seattle?”
“Know about it? She orchestrated the whole thing. Your wife started planning this shortly after the two of you got engaged. I was hoping I’d be here in time for the wedding, but my visa didn’t come through.” Mrs. Benoit gave Marcel another quick hug, then stepped past him. “We’ll visit later, son. I want to see my new grandbaby, and you’re in the way!”
Dominique handed Sophie to Mrs. Benoit and smiled when her daughter cooed softly.
“This is without a doubt the happiest day of my life, and I owe it all to you.” Marcel came over to the bed and wrapped his arms around his wife.
Snuggling against him, Dominique closed her eyes and said a short prayer of thanks. She was crazy in love with her husband, happier than she had ever been, and filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude. For the first time ever, Dominique had the life she’d always dreamed of—one she never thought was possible.
“I don’t know what I did to deserve you. You’re too good to me,” Marcel said.
“I love you, Marcel.”
“And I love you more.” Gazing at Dominique intently, Marcel lowered his head and brushed his mouth against hers. “All graceful, all wonderful you are, my love. There’s absolutely no flaw in you. You are pleasing in every way. You are, and forever will be, the jewel of my heart.”
ISBN: 978-1-4268-7494-9
PLEASURE FOR TWO
Copyright © 2010 by Pamela Sadadi
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