A Protector's Second Chance (Unit Matched #2)

by Mary Smith

  “We know that.” Amaya took my hands. “Stop punishing yourself. Stop it. You might be the Princess of Unit, but you have to put yourself first sometimes. You love Thaddeus. You want to be with him. Then do it. When he walks through that door, jump in his arms, and tell him that, because that’s what you want to do.”

  I hear the buzz of Amaya’s phone. “Oliver.” She looked down at the screen and then up at me. “They’re here.”

  My heart began to pound, and instantly Gia grabbed my hand to calm me. My heart slowed, but the fluttering in my stomach increased. Our baby was doing backflips.

  “You girls go out the back door. I don’t want Thaddeus to see Amaya. No offense.” I rushed to grab their coats, and ushered them through the kitchen.

  “None taken, I understand.” Amaya hugged me, as did Gia; they slipped on their jackets, and went out the back door.

  I briskly walked to the front of the house as Oliver and Graham walked through. Behind them is the only man I’ve ever loved.

  Thaddeus.

  There he stood, no more than five feet away from me. He had on his black leather coat, a yellow polo, loose light color jeans, and his black boots. Amaya was right; I did want to jump into his arms.

  He stared at me with his deep blue eyes. I had missed looking into them. Who was I kidding? I missed everything about him.

  “Oliver. Graham. Thank you both for helping me out, but you can leave now.” I hoped my voice didn’t crack as I dismissed them.

  Both guys slapped Thaddeus on the shoulder as they left. Once the door closed, it was only the two of us. He hadn’t said anything to me, but we continue to stare each other down.

  “Do you want something to drink?”

  Thaddeus shook his head.

  “Something to eat?”

  He shook his head again.

  “How about we at least sit down?”

  Thaddeus sat at the end of the couch. I walked over and sat next to him, but not close enough to touch him. He continued to stare at me, and I knew that he was waiting for me to talk first.

  “Did you have a good flight?”

  He nodded.

  “Are you going to talk?” I became frustrated that he wasn’t saying anything.

  “What do you want me to say?” his voice was deep, just like I remembered.

  “Anything. Something. How was New Orleans? Your mom said that it was going really well down there.”

  Thaddeus rolled his eyes. “Yes, it was fine. Everything at work was fine.”

  I noticed that his eyes keep flicking down to look at my belly. I didn’t even notice that I had been rubbing it.

  “You look good, Princess.”

  It was my turn to roll my eyes. “I command you to stop calling me Princess. You’re not allowed.”

  Thaddeus dropped his gaze again. “Okay.”

  “And I’m fat. I don’t feel good at all.” I hadn’t gained a lot of weight, but it’s more than I’m used to.

  “You’re not allowed to call yourself fat.” Thaddeus growled at me. “I won’t stand for that. Why do you keep rubbing your stomach? Are you in pain?” His voice quickly turned to concern.

  I shook my head. “The baby is moving around right now. Sometimes rubbing helps calm her down.”

  “Her?” Thaddeus’ eyes grew wide. “It’s a girl?”

  “I don’t know.” I corrected myself. “I call the baby a ‘she’. It’s better than ‘it’.”

  Thaddeus seemed to relax.

  “Are you hoping for a boy?” I gently teased him.

  “I’m hoping I can see her or him grow up.” His voice was sad.

  He really thought I was going to banish him. I wondered what he has been doing the past three months, besides working. Had he really thought about me, like I thought he had? Was Amaya right, did he love me that much?

  I knew that he did. He really did, but I wanted to hear it from him. Again. I took a deep breath.

  “Do you want to feel?”

  “What?”

  I took his hand. His skin was still as soft as I remembered.

  “Here.” I placed his hand on the side of my belly, where the baby was fluttering around. I knew that he couldn’t feel it as intensely as I could, but I knew Mom liked touching my belly when I let her.

  He closed his eyes as his finger splayed out. I could feel a storm of emotions brewing through him. He used to tell me that he could feel me when I was emotional and he would help balance me out. Now, I understood what he meant.

  “Every moment I was in New Orleans, I missed you.” Thaddeus’ eyes are still closed. “All I wanted was to be by your side every day. I never understood what my parents’ meant when they said they were soul mates, until you.”

  Thaddeus opened his eyes. The blue orbs were staring through me. I could see the tears in the corners of them.

  “I never wanted to hurt you. I would give up everything, including my soul, to make sure you never felt any pain, especially pain that I’ve caused.”

  My hot tears began to roll down my cheek.

  “I deserve any punishment that you give me; I know that. However, will you please do me another favor?”

  I nodded, unable to speak.

  “If you banish me, please send me pictures or something to let me know you and our child are okay. I don’t think I can bear the pain of not knowing that you two aren’t taken care of.”

  My heart broke, watching the tears finally fall from Thaddeus’ eyes. He was crying. Thaddeus’ face was twisted in pain, pain at the thought of never knowing his child, pain at the thought that we would never be together.

  “Please, Xaviera,” he begged.

  My name from his lips sent shivers through me. It had been so long since I’d heard it from him. I didn’t think he realized how much pain I had been in either.

  “You kissed someone else.”

  “Yes.”

  “You two almost had sex. You touched another female in a way that was reserved only for your Matched.”

  “Yes,” his voice cracked.

  There was hurt and anger still in my heart thinking about what they had done, but Amaya was right. He hadn’t been with anyone since her, and that was a couple of years ago, before we were even Matched. He hadn’t been with anyone during our decision period.

  “Do you love me?” It was my turn for my voice to crack.

  “I’ve only ever loved you.”

  Amaya’s words came back to me when she said she didn’t think he even liked her.

  “Why didn’t you tell me before as we started our decision period?”

  Thaddeus dropped his hand from my belly; it made me feel empty.

  “I never thought I was going to be Matched with you. I’d hoped, but never thought it was going to happen. When it did, I didn’t want to lose you. I should have told you right away. Hell, I should have told the King the moment it happened. I should have never broken the Rules. I knew what I was doing wrong. But, I loved you and I didn’t want to hurt you.”

  There it is. There’s his confession. The words that I had heard before, but never grew tired of him say again.

  “I love you, Thaddeus. That will never change.”

  “Xaviera,” he pushed his hand through his hand. “Please, just give it to me. I can’t take the wait anymore. It’s killing me.”

  I still had no punishment. Some Princess I am. I quickly racked my brain and realized there’s no punishment because he’d already been punished.

  Like Amaya, he spent three months away from this family, friends, and me. He’s been in isolation, and in a constant state of worry, just as Amaya was.

  On top of that, I didn’t want to lose him. I loved him. We were about to start a family. We had our house and lives to start together.

  “I gave you the same punishment as Amaya last time, because I thought it was fair. So, I’m doing that again.” I stared into his blue eyes. I tried to keep my face serious.

  “Did you banish her?”

  “Did Oliv
er and Graham not tell you?”

  “No, they barely spoke to me on the way here.”

  “Oh,” I had forgotten to tell them what they could and couldn’t say to Thaddeus. I guess I knew that I could count on them to be quiet.

  “You have to promise me that you’ll ever break any more Rules; however, know that if you do, you will be banished.”

  He didn’t move. I thought he was going to say something. Instead, he was silent.

  “What about us? You still have the right to end our Matched.”

  Dad had reminded me that I could end our Matched. That would leave me open to be re-matched. Even though I didn’t want to be re-Matched with anyone. I wanted Thaddeus.

  “Do you want it to end?”

  He tilted his head to the side and pursed his lips. “Have I not already been very clear on what I want? If not, let me say it again. I. Want. You. I. Want. Our. Baby. I. Want. No. One. Else. Is that better?”

  For the first time since he arrived, a smile appeared on my face. It’s a strange feeling; I haven’t smiled in months.

  “Can you live with your official punishment?”

  “Xaviera, if I hurt you or break any Rules, then I deserve to be banished. I swear to you that I’ll never do anything to hurt you.”

  I took his hand, and we sat there in silence. The fire was crackling and popping in front of us. I tried my best to suppress the urge to jump on top of him and rip his clothes off. I had learned one thing being pregnant, your hormones are raging.

  “Now what?”

  “Huh?”

  “Now what happens, Xaviera?”

  I licked my lips. I hope that he fulfills my request. “Now, you kiss me.”

  Thaddeus’ trademark smirk sent a shot right through my body. “You want me to kiss you?”

  I didn’t know if it was my raging hormones, or the fact that I’ve missed this man more than anything, but I didn’t answer him. Instead, I quickly straddled him, and pressed my lips against his.

  We both moaned at the connection. His tender lips caressed mine. I opened my mouth wider, letting his tongue dance with mine. Immediately, I began rocking my hips against his.

  “I missed you so much.” I rubbed my hands against his cheeks and through his soft hair.

  “You have no idea.”

  I lay my forehead against his, and I resisted every urge in my body to rip that polo off him. “I love you, Thaddeus. I do.”

  “I love you, Xaviera. You and this baby mean the world to me. I will do anything for you both.”

  I pulled back from him. “I need to say ‘thank you’ for paying all the bills for the past three months.”

  “I told you I’ll take care of you. You’re my Matched. You’re the mother of my child. Xaviera, you’re my life.”

  The tear slipped from my eye and down my cheek. He brushed it away with the pad of his thumb.

  “I know I messed up. I don’t know how I can ever thank you for my second chance.” Thaddeus’ voice was deep and cracked from emotion.

  “You’re my life, too, Thaddeus. I can’t be me without you. I know that we’re meant to be together. Yes, I’m still dealing with everything, but I need you here with me. This is where you belong.”

  I kissed him again, harder this time. I put my every emotion into that kiss, letting him know that we’re in it together.

  We were going to make it.

  What’s Next?

  Want to know what is up with Gia and Graham?

  Look for their story, A Controller’s Destiny (Unit Match #3) and the conclusion of the Unit Matched Trilogy.

  It will be released on May 1, 2015.

  Preorder now!

  About the Author

  Best Selling Author, Mary Smith, has been coming up with stories her whole life. She has written A HOCKEY TUTOR, THE ICE SERIES, as well as co-authored THE PENALTY KILL TRILOGY and OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN SERIES. When not busy writing or rooting for the Chicago Blackhawks you can find her with her nose stuck in her Kindle.

  You can visit her website at: www.authormarysmith.blogspot.com

  Follow her on Twitter: @maryms1980

  Or Faceook: www.facebook.com/authormarysmith