Forever His Desire

by Valerie Lynne

  “Nothing’s wrong. I need to get something,” she said, dashing toward the door and then disappearing into the hallway.

  Completely perplexed, Andre strained his ears, listening to the pitter-patter of her feet as they ran down the hall and then thumped on the staircase. What the hell is she up to now? He rose from the bed and pulled a pair of jogging pants from the bureau. Semi-dressed, Andre headed downstairs. “There you are,” he said, his stomach growling when he spotted her in the kitchen.

  Eyes wide and face flushed, Jennifer gripped the edges of a wooden tray. “What are you doing in here?”

  “Isn’t it obvious? Looking for you.” Andre pointed to her, his eyes landing on the top of the tray clasped against her breasts. A coffee pot took up a large portion of its surface, along with a delicious-looking cheese danish and equally scrumptious raspberry tart artfully arranged atop a dessert plate. His eyes narrowed, his heart skipped a beat as he noted the velvet ring box positioned beside a glass of orange juice. She must have removed the box from his jacket pocket while he was sleeping.

  “You ruined my surprise.” Jennifer huffed, placing the tray onto the counter. “I really wanted this to be special. I was going to bring this upstairs to you.” Quickly, she snatched the ring box off the tray. She rushed to him, dropping down onto her knees.

  “Jenn?” Andre questioned, a lump forming in his throat. “Blue Eyes, what are you doing?”

  “Shh,” she said, tugging at the hem of his now faded Patriot’s T-shirt which she’d claimed as hers several years ago. “Andre Jenkins, I love you more than life itself. I love Michael”—her lip quivered—“and I love Baby Jenkins, even though I haven’t met the little one yet.”

  His lip curved up. “Baby Jenkins,” Andre repeated. “I like that.”

  “Not now, Andre. I’m trying to do this right,” Jennifer scoffed, her lips twisting adorably into a slight pout. “We are not naming our child Baby Jenkins.” Then with shaky fingers, she slid the diamond from her left finger, opened the lid of the velvet box, and plopped the ring into the slit of the inner white satin.

  Andre knelt down before her, both of them eye to eye on the kitchen floor. A broad smile crossed his lips, his love for the woman before him, her hair a tousled mess, was beyond words. This was their engagement. They’d each play an equal part in this proposal just as they would in everything else they’d do for the rest of their lives. “You don’t need to put that ring back in the box. It belongs on your finger. That’s why I refused to take it back.”

  “Um, yes, Andre, I do.” She snapped the ring box closed. “Here.” She captured his hand with hers, turning it heavenward and then placed the box in the middle of his palm. “Hang onto that until I’m through,” she commanded and then cleared her throat before continuing on. “I simply can’t imagine my life without you or Michael in it and I really want us to officially be able to say we’re a family. If you can put up with me for say...oh, at least the next seventy years, I’d be honored if you’d agree to be my husband.”

  “Jennifer Jordan,” Andre sniffled, unable to blink back the tears as they began to stream down his face. “All I’ve ever wanted was to be your husband.” Fumbling with the lid, Andre opened the box, gently removing the ring and sliding it onto her finger. “Jennifer Jordan, you have always been and always will be forever my desire.”

  Epilogue

  Jennifer

  Click. Click..click. Click..click...click....clickclickclick.

  A tsk escaped from beneath her breath. Perhaps, she was making a bit of a ruckus, Jennifer realized, pushing her palm flat against the armrest and white knuckling her fingers over its edges to stop herself from tapping her fingernails against the metal. Happy now? she thought, pretending not to have noticed the sideways glance of the woman seated next to her.

  Absently, Jennifer’s foot jiggled above her crossed ankles, her attention caught by the beady-eyed glare of the patient seated across from her. Jennifer leered back in response, seeming to agitate the stranger further judging by the look of annoyance etched on the woman’s face. Directly beside “the meanie,” who Jennifer had quickly deduced must be pure evil, another pair of eyes peered up at her from the latest issue of Mother Monthly. Jennifer cocked an eyebrow, smirking as a sick sense of satisfaction rushed through her when each of them averted their gaze away from hers. Take that, bitches. How stupid to even think you could intimidate me.

  Her eyes skimmed over the remaining occupants seated in the overcrowded waiting room, their bodies in various stages of pregnancy. How could they all act so impossibly nonchalant? As far as she was concerned, nobody in their right mind could remain calm after being crammed together like a bunch of sardines squeezed into a can. Regardless of his stellar reputation, and the fact that he was a personal friend, Jennifer found it despicable that Dr. Javier Fuentes never ran on time.

  Maybe I should leave. The thought had merit. It was rude to keep her waiting so long. It only made sense to leave. Surely, Andre wouldn’t want her to place herself or their unborn child in harm’s way. She could be in danger if she remained surrounded by this group of mentally unstable individuals. Jennifer uncrossed her ankles, planting her feet flat on the floor, and braced her hands on each arm of the chair, about to take flight when the thought of Andre arriving to find her absent crossed her mind. He’d kill her if she skipped out now and besides, he was a cop—he’d protect her. That was if he ever stepped foot into the hellhole.

  Where the fuck are you, Andre Jenkins? Jennifer thought, her jaw clenching. You should be here by now. With a long, drawn-out sigh, Jennifer reached for her purse and pulled out her cell phone. She scrolled through her contact list, about to press on Andre’s name just as he entered the office.

  “Hey, Blue Eyes,” he said, reaching her within a few long-legged strides.

  “Where the hell have you been?” Jennifer shoved the cell phone back into her purse and moved it onto the floor so Andre could sit down on the chair.

  “I’m sorry. Traffic was a nightmare,” he explained. “After I dropped Michael off at my mother’s house, I got stuck in a long line of cars waiting to cross the bridge.”

  “Damn. It was backed up that far, huh?” Jennifer said, hating to admit to herself that she was acting a bit too overly dramatic and yes, bitchy.

  “Rush hour starts early on holiday weekends,” Andre said, moving his arm over her shoulders and giving them a firm but gentle squeeze. “How are you doing? You look beautiful.”

  The metal armrest pushed against her rib, but she didn’t care. She simply wanted to be nuzzled as close to Andre as possible. “I’d like to go home.”

  “Javier’s popular, that’s for sure.” Andre brushed his lips against her hair, the warmth of his breath and the sheer strength of his body helped to ease her nerves. “This is a shitty crowd to be popular with.” Jennifer strained closer, her mouth against his ear as she whispered, “Most of these bitches seem to suffer from pregnancy brain dysfunction.”

  “Pregnancy brain?” Andre chuckled.

  “That one.” Jennifer pointed, not giving a rat’s ass, as the woman turned her beady eyes back on them. “I hope she is. Otherwise, there is no other excuse for that ugly scowl of hers.”

  “Jenn?” Andre scolded, flashing an apologetic, wide-mouthed smile.

  “Well, you probably don’t know much about it, but it’s a real thing. Makes you mean and fucks with your head,” Jennifer said. “You’re lucky that I don’t seem to have any issues with it.”

  Andre scratched his chin. “Uh-huh, I sure am.”

  “Shut up,” Jennifer said, playfully nudging him with her elbow. “All right, maybe I’m a bit emotional these days.

  “Just a bit.” Andre smirked. “It’s not easy to watch those commercials with the rescue animals. Makes me want to cry too sometimes.”

  “Well, speaking of that,” Jennifer began, lowering her hand atop Andre’s thigh. “Michael asked me if we could get another cat for the baby.”

  An
dre nodded. “I’m not surprised. He asked me, too.”

  Jennifer played with a tiny thread that hung loose at the edge of Andre’s pocket. “What did you say?”

  “I said maybe.” Andre shrugged. “What did you say?”

  A huge grin crossed her lips, excitement rising inside her. “Maybe.”

  “How soon are we going to the shelter?” Andre asked, laughing good-naturedly.

  “Tomorrow at 11 o’clock.”

  Andre

  “SORRY, TO KEEP YOU waiting.” Dr. Javier Fuentes burst into the room, his white coat pushed open, revealing his crooked tie. “Unfortunately, I got stuck at the hospital with a difficult delivery this morning. Backed up my entire appointment schedule along with Claire’s ultrasound appointments.”

  “We get it. It comes with the job,” Jennifer deadpanned, narrowing her heated glance on the young woman who stood at Javier’s side.

  “No worries, Javier,” Andre said louder than necessary to purposely override all of the Jennifer’s smart-ass remarks. “I’m Andre Jenkins.” He rose from his seat on the stool and extended his hand to the technician.

  “Nice to meet you.” The technician smiled, shaking Andre’s hand. “As Dr. Fuentes stated, my name is Claire and I’m going to conduct your ultrasound.”

  “How come you don’t do the ultrasound, Javier? You’re in here anyway?” Jennifer snapped.

  “Honestly, it’s not in the job description. I’m just here to watch over the procedure. Are you feeling well, Jenn?” Javier asked, obviously attempting to change the subject as Claire stepped closer to the bed and began fiddling with the large machine beside it.

  Jennifer’s fingers clenched Andre’s tighter, her grip amazingly strong. Andre shifted on the chair that he’d pulled up beside the bed; he could only hope she didn’t break his hand when she actually gave birth. “Yup. No complaints,” came Jennifer’s curt reply.

  “Wonderful! Well, today’s appointment should be fairly quick and before you know it, you’ll both be out on the town enjoying your Friday night.”

  “I was beginning to doubt that would be an option,” Jennifer grumbled.

  “Sounds like a plan,” Andre quickly said. “Michael is having a sleepover at my mother’s house. So I think I’ll take Jenn on a date.”

  “I think Di and I will have a night out too. Maybe, head over to the sushi restaurant across from your shop.” Javier turned, his long, lanky body looming above Jennifer and Andre.

  “You really want cold, uncooked fish?” Jennifer rolled her eyes. “I don’t get the whole sushi craze.”

  “Some of it is cooked. But I agree with you, Jenn. Di loves the sushi, but I usually order the teriyaki chicken. It’s fun to watch it get prepared on the hibachi,” Javier explained, seeming to distract Jennifer as the transducer was inserted into her vagina. Next, Claire placed some gel on her abdomen and then began to roll the probe over her belly

  “There’s our baby,” Jennifer said softly, her lips curved up into a loving smile.

  “Wow, Jenn. We created that little miracle.” Andre swiped away a tear with the back of his hand.

  “Look here. There’s the heartbeat,” Javier said, pointing at the monitor.

  “What’s that?” Jennifer inquired, pointing to the screen.

  “It’s a second heartbeat.” A funny smirk broke out across Javier’s face. “Would you like to know the gender of your babies?

  Jennifer smiled up prettily at Andre, nodding her head up and down. “I want to,” she said, her voice filled with excitement.

  “Me, too,” Andre said, joy filling every fiber of his being.

  “Andre is convinced Baby Jenkins is a girl,” Jennifer said, her brows suddenly furrowed. “Did you say babies?”

  “Congratulations. You were right, Andre. You’re expecting a girl. Two of them.”

  THE END

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  Also by Valerie Lynne

  The Seaside Desire Series

  The Prodigal's Desire

  Forever His Desire (Coming Soon)

  Watch for more at Valerie Lynne’s site.

  About the Author

  Valerie Lynne is a self-confessed word junkie in love with romance. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Southern New Hampshire University and is a member of Romance Writers of America. In addition to being a coffee lover, Valerie spends her free time collecting dolls, amassing more books for her ever-growing TBR pile, watching Hallmark movies, and hanging out with friends and family. A life-time Rhode Islander, she resides with one very spoiled Chihuahua, Lil’ Chi. Valerie’s always happy to connect with fellow book lovers on Facebook, Instagram and Goodreads.

  Read more at Valerie Lynne’s site.