by Anna Antonia
“I don’t see anything changing, but I’m glad she’s in good hands until then. I can’t wait to see her again.”
Even though they’d only dropped Adriana off at preschool a few hours before, Adrian already missed his little girl and saw significantly reduced business trips in his future as a result. The itch to acquire money and power disappeared now that he knew he had something greater and more meaningful to work for.
A happy family. A healthy, joyful daughter. A partner and lover that he could count on for the rest of his days.
Life was good and only bound to get better.
He kissed her hand again. “Are you nervous about becoming Mrs. Adrian Hawthorne?”
A sweet smile appeared on her lips for a moment. “A little.”
“Don’t be.”
“You’re not nervous?”
“Not in the slightest. I’ve been waiting for this, for you, my whole life.”
Victoria laid her head on his shoulder and snuggled into him as much as she could. He was tempted to make use of the bedroom and show her how he really felt with his body, but they were due to land in less than ten minutes.
As usual, traffic was heavy but soon enough they were at his penthouse. After showering, shaving, and changing into a fresh suit, Adrian felt ready to take on the next step of his life. Victoria was as lovely as ever, having already gone into her closet and wearing a simple, elegant ivory dress.
She twirled for him and said, “It’s not white, but I think it should do for a wedding dress.”
“You look beautiful, kitten.” Adrian wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed the top of her head. “We’ll have another one, wherever you want, afterwards. As big as you want. I promise.”
“We don’t have to.”
“I want to. I want everyone to know we’re married and a family.” Victoria couldn’t hide her troubled expression fast enough. Adrian tipped her chin up. “What’s wrong, kitten? Tell me.”
She shook her head and ran one small hand down his bronze-colored tie. “It’s just that I never thought that I’d be getting married, much less this quickly.”
“I know. You know something though, kitten?”
“Hmm?”
“We’ve always moved this quickly. It’s our way.” Adrian pushed a lock of her hair behind her delicate ear. “Remember how we made love for the first time after one night? Then we moved in together just as fast? Getting married within a day after we reunited fits right in line, kitten.”
Happiness brought color back to her face. “You’re right.” She reached up to hug him tightly. “Let’s get married!”
Their enthusiasm dampened considerably once they were seated at his lawyers’ conference table. Adrian’s counsel weren’t overtly disrespectful to Victoria, but it was there in the way they explained the paperwork and focused on the payout she’d receive if they divorced.
Elegant and restrained though they were, Peabody and Mitchell were alternately threatening and bribing her into falling in line. Adrian had seen them in action before and while he approved their methods against other opponents, he did not appreciate them against his soon-to-be wife.
Adrian discreetly looked at her and what he saw disturbed him. Victoria’s lush mouth was pressed into a firm line while color remained high on her cheeks. She sat there at the edge of the leather chair, back straight, and hands folded primly in front of her.
Victoria didn’t ask any questions about her financial due. The money didn’t seem to matter to her at all. However, his lawyers obviously thought otherwise.
“Our client is being very, very generous with you, Ms. Montford. We want to stress that in the unfortunate event that you might challenge this agreement if your union comes to an end.”
“I won’t.”
“Be that as it may, be aware that this agreement is airtight. You may choose to contest it at a later date, again, in the unfortunate event that you and Mr. Hawthorne no longer suit. If you do, know that you will incur significant legal cost and still not be able to break this agreement. Do you understand the words I have spoken to you?”
Adrian abruptly stood up, beyond annoyed with their tone. “Gentleman, give us the room.”
His lawyers nodded and left without another word, obviously aware they had offended their biggest client. Adrian then turned to Victoria and held her hand. It was cold and damp. “Are you all right?”
She gave him a shaky smile. “Not really, but I’ll be okay. We just need to get this part done so we can go before the judge and make this official, right?”
“Kitten, tell me what I can do to make this better.”
Victoria kissed his knuckles. “It’s okay. I’m just not used to dealing with people who think I’m gold digger—at least I haven’t had to deal with it for a while.”
His brows snapped together. “What do you mean?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Victoria…”
She opened her mouth and then abruptly closed it before starting again. “It’s just that I had deal with the occasional snide comment or two when we were together.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I didn’t want to make you worry or cause you trouble.”
Anger made his tone blunt. “Victoria, you can always come to me if anyone gives you shit. Understand? I’m serious. I want to know.”
She shrugged, giving him a sad little smile. “It’s the price I have to pay to be with someone like you, Adrian. It’s always been like that and probably will, but I love you enough to stomach it.”
***
The devastated look on his face immediately told her she’d said the right thing the wrong way.
“Adrian, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to come off bad. I just meant—”
He cut her off. “What do you mean ‘stomach it,’ Victoria?”
“It was just a bad turn of phrase. I just mean that I love you so much that I’ll do whatever it takes to be with you.” Victoria saw that her words didn’t calm his bad reaction. It only seemed to make it worse.
“I don’t want that from you, kitten. I don’t want being with me to be a trial you have to endure.” Adrian stood up. Victoria missed his touch, especially because she didn’t understand what had gotten him so upset.
He started pacing, raking a hand through his hair and cursed softly.
Victoria desperately tried to fix what had gone wrong. “Adrian, you’re not a trial. I’m with you because I want to be.”
He abruptly stopped. A look of indescribable sadness came over his beautiful face. “Or because I threatened to take Adriana away from you and made you come here less than a day later. I finally understand why you left me. You were setting me free because you loved me that much, didn’t you?”
Coldness slinked about her, eliciting a shiver she couldn’t contain. “Yes, but what does that have to do with us now?
Adrian put his hands in his pockets. “You can go.”
Victoria sat there, pained bewilderment rooting her in place. “What did you say?”
“You can go, kitten. I don’t want to keep you here by force anymore.” Obvious sadness twisted his lips. “You deserve better than that.”
“No. Stop.” Heart pounding with dread, Victoria went to him. “Now you listen here, Adrian Hawthorne. Yes, you threatened me yesterday and I threatened you. But if you think for one moment that the only reason I’m here today is to keep my daughter, well, then you don’t know who I really am. I love you, Adrian, and I’m marrying you today because I love you. I do what I want to do and that especially refers to you.”
Adrian kept quiet, but his attention remained fixed on her.
“Talk to me and tell me what’s really going on. Are you scared to get married?”
“Hell no!”
“Then what is it?”
He raked another hand through his hair and looked away out the window. “My mother used to always say she had to stomach being married to my father. Hearing you say the sa
me words just took me back to that.”
“Adrian, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.” Victoria hugged his big body to her, taking solace when he didn’t remain stiff in her arms, but seemingly melted against her.
“How would you? I never talked to you about my family before.”
I can tell him anything. It’ll be okay.
“Do you know I used to think the reason why you didn’t talk about them or had me meet them was because you didn’t see me as marriage-material. That’s probably another reason why I reacted so badly when you did propose.”
“I’m sorry, kitten. It wasn’t like that. Honest. I barely could stand seeing them. I definitely didn’t want to inflict them on you. Besides that, I just didn’t like talking about them.”
“Why not?”
His arms tightened around her and then he took a step back. Adrian kept both of her hands in his. “There’s not much to say. We see each other about once or twice a year. We’re not close and I don’t see that changing.”
“What about your brother?”
Adrian shrugged. “Gavin? He’s got his own life.”
“You know I didn’t even know you had a brother until I…” Victoria’s voice trailed off, reluctant to admit to her internet snooping. “I read that he’s your adopted brother.”
“Yes, well, Gavin…he…”
The last time she heard Adrian stumble so badly was when he was proposing. Now that she knew better, Victoria understood that whatever it was he was going to say meant the world to him. She waited patiently.
“Gavin isn’t…he’s my half-brother. My father had an affair which resulted in Gavin’s birth. We only found about him when he was seven. His mother dropped him off in front of our building and left him there with a note. Gavin didn’t speak for two years.”
“Oh, that’s so awful!”
“No one knows that he’s my half-brother. Officially, my parents adopted him and that’s the story we’ve kept.”
There was so much left unsaid that Victoria didn’t wonder anymore why Adrian was distant from his family. She squeezed his hands. “I did the same thing to you in a way by keeping Adriana a secret, didn’t I?”
Adrian blinked, gaze unfocused as if he was thinking of the past. “I guess you did. I didn’t put the two together, but yes.”
She bent her head down and kissed his knuckles. “Forgive me, Adrian.”
He suddenly cupped her face in his hands and kissed her passionately and thoroughly. Victoria surrendered to the sultry pull of his lips and tongue. When he pulled back, she leaned against him limp and breathless.
Adrian smoothed his thumbs across her warm cheeks. His gaze glittered like emerald glass. “Yesterday I was angrier than I ever remember being. It’d been so long since I let myself feel much of anything that I exploded in a way I shouldn’t have. I said things I shouldn’t have.”
“It’s okay. I understand.”
The look he gave her was so full of love. “I also forgive you. I know you, Victoria, and now that I’m not furious and hurt anymore I know you wouldn’t have done it if you didn’t feel like you had to. I’m just sorry that I made you feel that way. You were my kitten and all I ever wanted to do was protect you and make you happy.”
“You did, Adrian.” Victoria’s tears coursed down her cheeks. She didn’t bother to wipe them away. “Do you really forgive me?”
“Yes.”
She rested her head against his chest and let out a quivering breath. “I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you when I needed to. I just kept everything inside, pretending things weren’t bothering me when they were.”
“Kitten, you’re not the only one guilty of that. For all that talking brought us together, you and I didn’t talk when we most needed to. And that’s why I have say this.” Adrian gestured to the conference table. “We’re not ready for marriage yet.”
Victoria took in the neat stacks with one glance. Although she’d hated how his lawyers practically painted her with a money-hungry brush, she was willing to deal with it and sign practically anything to make Adrian feel secure and to be his wife. Still, she knew he was right.
Because of that Victoria tried not to let her mouth wobble from disappointment. “I guess we’re not.”
“Both times I tried to force our marriage to fit and both times have been wrong.”
She arched on tip-toe until Adrian leaned down close enough for her to kiss him sweetly. “Not wrong. Marrying you would never be wrong.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Ms. Montford, be warned that I am taking your statement as a pre-engagement of sorts.”
“Really?” Victoria found a way to smile despite the heaviness in her heart.
“Only if you’re okay with it.”
Victoria kissed him again. “I’m more than okay with it, Mr. Hawthorne.”
True there was disappointment but there was also hope. Because of her hope, Victoria knew that one day the time would be right. There wouldn’t be the need for threats, secrets, coercion, or fear.
Even now the fear she’d carried for so long that she couldn’t measure up or that one day Adrian would tire of her and see she really wasn’t so special, slowly disappeared.
Adrian gestured to the window. “Want to grab a chair and talk?”
“What about your lawyers? Won’t they be needing to come in?”
He shrugged. “They can wait.”
Victoria laughed. A beat passed before Adrian joined her. Their shared tension and sorrow seemingly melted together, leaving them fresh and clean.
“I would love to talk.” He pulled two leather armchairs over to the window. Once they sat down she reached out for his hand. Adrian entwined his fingers with hers. “So what would you like to talk about?”
“Anything. Everything.”
EPILOGUE
Three Years Later
Adrian slowly walked back and forth, careful to keep his sleeping son from rousing. Victoria poked her head in the door. “How’s he doing?”
“Fine. Just fine.”
She padded over to him on slipper feet. “I can take him.”
“Not a chance, Mrs. Hawthorne. This is me and Victor’s bonding time.” Adrian shot her a concerned frown. “Besides, what are you doing out of bed? You’re supposed to be resting.”
Victoria stroked the back of their baby’s head. “I missed this little one too much to stay in bed.”
“You shouldn’t be up, kitten. You only gave birth four days ago.”
“Yes, but I feel fine. Really, Adrian. Thank you for caring though.” Victoria reached up and ran the backs of her fingers along his stubble cheek. “How are you doing, Daddy?”
Adrian closed his eyes in bliss. “Better than fine. Perfect.”
He thought through all the twists and turns he and Victoria had taken before getting here. All the things said and unsaid until they finally reached a point where they could trust in one another’s words and trust in the place in each other’s hearts.
They’d had a long pre-engagement where they’d learned how to be a couple and a couple in a family. Balancing that along with being parents was a challenge, but one he’d loved undertaking. Eventually, Adrian had stepped down from his rigorous career and appointed a CEO to run things.
The visit with his parents went a smidgen better than expected but not nearly good enough for Adrian. They had coldly berated him the night before he brought Victoria and Adriana over. Only the fact that the subject of their ire wasn’t in having Adriana, but rather not knowing he had a child made it better.
They were polite to Victoria and quite a few degrees warmer to Adriana. Odd that they didn’t seem to care enough to foster a good relationship with him and Gavin, but definitely wanted one with Adriana.
“Sometimes it easier for people to be grandparents than parents. They need the time and distance to see their mistakes. At least, that’s what Kathy says about her mother.”
Adrian bought a huge estate in North
Carolina with plenty of acreage for privacy, but not so far away from the Triangle that Victoria’s commute was going to be soul-sucking. When he told her he planned on being a work-at-home Dad, Victoria hadn’t batted an eye.
She understood that he needed the bonding time with his daughter and just as he had been solely focused on his business ventures, he wanted to be just as focused on his family.
Although they’d went back to practicing safe sex after leaving the lawyers’ office, they both felt disappointed when Victoria hadn’t gotten pregnant after all. Still, he and Victoria agreed it was for the best. Especially after she’d given him a box containing her scrapbooks and a thumb drive containing Adriana’s birth along with her video journal.
Hearing everything Victoria had gone through, all her fears and worries about their daughter, about her relationship with him, brought Adrian to tears. Especially when he watched her giving birth. Victoria calling for him forced him to his knees.
Adrian nuzzled Victor’s soft, downy head. “He’s so tiny, kitten. I can hardly believe that one day he’ll grow and be as big as me.”
Victoria gently rubbed her newborn’s back. “I know. They grow up so fast. That’s why it’s important to take lots of pictures and video.” Victor let out a tiny mewl before settling back down into the curve of Adrian’s neck.
“Ssh, little one. Daddy’s got you.”
He proposed to Victoria a year after they’d moved in together, when they were on vacation. Adrian and Victoria rented a huge beach house on the Outer Banks and invited her family over. They were slated to come closer to the end of the week, leaving Adrian just enough time to present Victoria a ring after they’d made love late into the night and were on the deck hearing the ocean and watching the stars.
Victoria had laughed and cried before launching herself into his arms. “Yes, yes, yes!”
The third time was indeed the charm.
Grandma McKinnon approached Adrian at the reception, shoulders square and expression stern. He expected her to lecture him and say something to the effect of “It’s about time!” Instead, she surprised Adrian.