by M. O. Kenyan
He took a seat across from Yvan. From his posture, Yvan knew he was in for a lecture.
“Do not focus on the bad things in life. You need to look ahead, not behind. People don’t walk in reverse and neither should you.”
“Easier said than done. But thanks for the worlds of wisdom, Yoda,” Yvan teased.
“So, tonight you head back to your wife? Have you told her you’ll be arriving?”
“No, I want to surprise her. Plus, I have a few things to figure out before meeting her. Like where we’re going to live.” Yvan didn’t think Rae would want to go back to his family home with his father there. He had also sold the loft that he had taken Rubi to. So basically they were now homeless. He had been shopping for houses online, but had always reminded himself that he couldn’t make the decision alone. This, to him, was growth.
“You are the only man I know who marries a woman without having a place to take her.” Gabriel clicked his tongue and rose to his feet.
Chapter 6
Rae stared into the distance as Joey, the young woman working off her court-mandated community service, droned on about how she hated the orphanage. She looked at the woman, who was just like the little girls at the orphanage in so many ways. At the age of twenty-four, she was lost. Joey didn’t know head or tail about the reality of life. All she wanted to do was drink and have fun.
When Joey stopped talking, Rae breathed a sigh of relief. Joey stood up and walked around the picnic bench. As she walked past her, Rae couldn’t help but admire her long legs and her short shorts. Envy was the word that came to mind. Rae’s hand smoothed over her thigh, relishing the warmth beneath her palm. Skin, bone, flesh, veins with blood running through them. A pulse. Her fingers stopped just above her knee where the prosthetic was secured. It had been more than ten years since she lost her leg, but she had yet to accept the plastic that replaced her flesh.
“Angelita.” The wind whispered that precious name in her ear.
Rae closed her eyes. She missed Yvan so much that her mind kept hearing the sound of his voice. Rae stilled her breathing and calmed her senses…she wanted to hear his voice once more.
“Mi angel.”
Rae opened her eyes. Yvan’s voice didn’t sound like it was in her head anymore. She froze. Rae didn’t want to get her hopes up. She knew her heart would shatter into a million pieces if she turned around and Yvan wasn’t there.
“Hi, I’m Joey.”
“I’m Yvan.”
Rae’s breath froze in her chest, her heart thudding in her ears, and her palms fisting her cotton skirt. Cautious, she turned around and could barely believe her eyes. He didn’t look like him and yet he was what she had always pictured her prince charming would look like. His jet-black hair had grown out, the front falling to his chin while the back had been tied in a knot behind his head. His olive skin looked sun-kissed. Yvan’s eyes no longer held the raging sunset storm but were bright like the last embers of the sun as it tucked behind the horizon. His shoulders looked wider and his chest stronger. He looked more robust.
Yvan wore a leather jacket, its hoody resting on his shoulders, a scarf, white t-shirt, and jeans. He looked more hobo chic than billionaire. Rae looked at his feet and had to put her hand over her mouth to smother the bark of laughter into a giggle. He had Timberland boots on. Yvan looked casual, relaxed, and happy. The most surprising thing of all was that he was smiling.
“I’ve never seen you here before.” Joey stepped in front of Yvan, obviously noticing that his attention wasn’t on her.
Rae stood up and took a step toward him. She wanted to run into his arms but held back because of fear. For the last eight months they had spoken twice a day. In the past two days, Yvan hadn’t called, texted, or emailed her. Those two days had allowed doubt to creep into her mind and fear to fill her heart.
Yvan took a step forward and bumped into Joey. “Excuse me.”
Rae’s body trembled as he walked toward her. It was as if he moved in slow motion. Everything around them seemed to stand still. Yvan stopped inches in front of her, his brilliant smile dispelling all the doubt and fear she had.
“Are you going to hug me or what?” Yvan asked, his eyes glittering with humor.
“I just want to make sure you’re real.” Rae touched his face, her thumb tracing his smile. She let her palm stroke the well-groomed beard that bordered his mouth. “I can’t believe you’re here.”
“Mi angel,” Yvan whispered as he leaned in to kiss her.
Rae closed her eyes in anticipation, but the kiss never touched her lips. She stumbled back when Joey inserted herself between them.
“I didn’t know you had such handsome friends, Rae. Why don’t you introduce us?”
“I’d rather not,” Rae hissed through clenched teeth. She couldn’t remember ever feeling this mad.
“Why?”
“My wife likes to keep me to herself. Don’t you, love?” Yvan walked around Joey and stood by Rae’s side. He wrapped his arm around her waist and gently pulled her against his body.
“Your wife? Ha! Do you know she only has one leg?”
“The way I see it, one leg is better than being all boobs and no brains,” Yvan retorted, a touch of annoyance in his tone.
“Well, she’s not all that.” Joey scowled, embarrassed enough to look away.
“She’s Mrs. Yvan D’Alessandro, and even before she married me she was everything,” Yvan said, mischief flashing in his eyes. It was obvious he knew the effect his last name had on vain women.
“You’re Yvan D’Alessandro? You are the billionaire?” Joey grabbed her bag from the picnic table. She turned it upside down and a bunch of stuff dropped out. She picked up the Times and held it up for them to see. A picture of Yvan in a power-suit was on the front page. “This is you?”
“Nice picture,” Rae said.
“Thanks, baby.” Yvan turned her around and away from Joey. “Show me around.”
They walked, hand in hand, in silence. Rae didn’t know what to say. Talking to him on the phone or via email or text was much easier than face to face. She still got all nervous and tongue-tied around him. Her greatest fear was to say something dumb that would embarrass her.
“So—”
“How—”
They laughed when they both spoke at the same time.
“I have a confession to make, I’m so nervous,” Yvan said.
“Me too.”
“We’ve been dating for eight months. We know each other pretty well. We’re best friends, I think we can have a conversation without being terrified of saying the wrong thing.”
“Easy for you to say. You are so charming and confident. And smart. I’m not.” Rae tugged on her long braid, a nervous habit.
“Around other people I might be all that. But around you…” Yvan shrugged his large shoulders. He smiled as a crimson hue colored his cheeks. Rae couldn’t believe he was blushing. “You make me nervous, Rae. I want to impress you. I want you to see how much I have changed. I’m a better man now and that is thanks to you.”
“So tell me about your impromptu journey of self-discovery.”
Yvan took her hand in his and Rae stared down at the bond. It was so effortless it felt right. The stillness around them told her that this was how they were meant to be, tied together. Rae looked up and stared into his smiling eyes. It was her turn to blush.
“Tell me about where you went and what you did.” She quickly started them talking.
“You already know all of that.”
“Not all of it. I haven’t heard from you in the past two days. I was worried.”
Yvan gently tugged her closer to him. His palm cupped her jaw, and Rae couldn’t help but close her eyes and let his warmth flow into her. She leaned into his palm as a contented smile crept onto her lips.
“I’d like to take you in my arms and kiss you. Here in the orphanage where you grew up, your second home and your favorite place.”
Looking at him with hooded eyes, she said, “Kiss me.�
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* * * *
Yvan hadn’t expect Rae to say that. He didn’t really know what he had expected. With Rae he always felt unsure of himself. The only thing he knew with certainty was that he loved her. There was no lust attached to his feelings—he had yet to discover her body. He was falling for her honesty, her words, the sound of her voice, and now the look in her eyes and the smile on her lips.
He lowered his head to hers, his heart banging against his chest so hard he was surprised it hadn’t ripped through his flesh yet. When his lips touched hers, the spark of lightning that coursed between them almost sent him to his knees. Yvan gathered her in his arms, pulled her tight against his chest, lifted her off her feet, and held her in his loving embrace. He couldn’t stop kissing her.
Yvan felt her dainty arms wrap around his neck, holding on for dear life. The tiny sounds of satisfaction she made earned her an approving rumble from his chest. He knew he had to stop. He hadn’t made love to a woman for eleven months, and he was seconds away from taking Rae against the wall. Their first time together wouldn’t be that rushed and vulgar. Rae deserved romance and to be swept off her feet. It took all his self-control to put her back on her feet and pull her arms off him. Even then, when his mind understood the sacrifice he was making, his lips seemed to have a mind of their own. Yvan finally pulled back. He sucked his bottom lip, relishing her taste.
Yvan looked into her eyes widened with innocence and surprise. “Rae, was this your first kiss?”
“Not counting the other one.” Rae nodded, her head lowered, her eyes hidden from him.
Yvan put his finger under her chin and raised her eyes to his. “I’m glad, because if any other man kissed you like that I might have to kill him.”
“Don’t be silly, Yvan.”
“I’ve been looking for a house, that’s what I’ve been doing.”
“For two days?”
“No, I spent a day and a half getting from Australia to Los Angeles. And for the better part of this morning I have been searching for the perfect house for us.”
Yvan’s excitement was immediately squashed when Rae walked away from him. She leaned back against the wall, averting her gaze.
“I thought we agreed—”
“I know. I just…” She shrugged her shoulders as if she didn’t know what to say next. “I can’t just leave. I need to give them notice, find my replacement, and…and get used to the idea that we will be living as husband and wife.”
She’s a virgin, of course she’s scared. You are an idiot, Yvan.
“How about you give them notice? How does thirty days sound? In the meantime you can see the houses with me and pick the one you love. Pick the furniture. We could date, get comfortable with each other, while you arrange for our wedding.”
“In thirty days. That’s our—”
“That is our first anniversary, Mrs. D’Alessandro. I thought it would be the perfect day for us to start our lives together.” Yvan cleared his throat when he choked with emotion. He never thought he would be so nervous asking his wife to marry him again, to officially start their lives as man and wife.
He shoved his hand in his jacket pocket and wrapped his fingers around the velvet box in there. Yvan took a deep breath before he pulled his hand out. The sight of the emerald ring resting where he had left it almost a year ago cheered him on.
Yvan dropped to his knee and heard her gasp. He couldn’t think of a more perfect place to propose. But just as he was getting the words together in his fumbling mind, a small crowd gathered around them. “I was hoping it would just be the two of us. Now that we have an audience I better not mess this up.”
“Yvan, you don’t have to.”
Yvan wanted to kiss the tear that rolled down her cheek, but he couldn’t get up now, he was already halfway through the proposal. “I love you. It took me a long time to learn the difference between love and lust. You have been by my side through this journey of clarity, patient and cheering me on. It takes a lot of strength to change. Most people aren’t brave enough to do it. But you gave me a chance, you believed in me. You saw something in me that I never thought existed. You are my angel, my love, and my heart. Marry me again and let’s start filling our home with little girls who look just like their mommy.”
“We have to have at least one boy.”
“Whatever you want, sweetheart. Will you marry me?”
“I guess I could go through another wedding ceremony with you,” she teased.
“Those aren’t the words I expected, but they’re good enough for me.” Yvan took pride in the waves of gasps around them when he opened the velvet box and retrieved the ring. He had spent a long time picking it out, making sure it was perfect for her. It was a huge diamond, to mirror her huge heart, it had a simple but not plain platinum band, and it reminded him so much of her. He slipped it on her finger and, side by side, the emerald and the diamond looked magnificent on her finger.
Yvan rose to his feet and picked Rae up. He kissed her soundly and earnestly. In his arms he held his happiness and his future.
Chapter 7
A few weeks later…
Yvan always seemed to leave a lasting impression on her. It was like her body was memory-foam and the warmth of his touch still sizzled beneath her skin. Rae was pulled out of her fantasy when she heard the door open and shut.
“I’m in the bedroom,” she called out to who she assumed were her makeup squad. But when they didn’t respond, she got worried. “Did you hear me? Who’s out there? Yvan, is that you?”
“Yvan, is that you?” A voice mimicked her own.
A slither of cold awareness made its way down her spine, and Rae knew it was her sister even before she set eyes on her. The room might have been dark and Rubi had her back turned to her, but she knew. Call it a twin instinct. It was also her immediate instinct to lock herself in the bathroom and call Yvan’s room, maybe even 911. Rae always took off her prosthetic leg when she went to shower. She only had one and didn’t want it damaged. Rae hopped toward the bed where her leg waited for her, but Rubi was too quick for her.
Rubi grabbed her and whirled her around, upsetting her balance. Rae grabbed the wall next to her to stop from falling. When she finally got her balance she looked up, only to see Rubi’s fist coming straight for her. She heard a crunch just before darkness consumed her.
Rae was having a hard time breathing through her nose. Plus, she felt so uncomfortable. She didn’t remember the bed being this hard. She tried to sit up but couldn’t. Her hands seemed to be tied behind her. She tried to move her leg but that wouldn’t budge either.
Rae’s eyes finally adjusted to the darkness. She realized that she wasn’t in her bed anymore. She was in a small space. She moved to the left, trying to get comfortable and heard the crunching noise of what seemed to be a garment bag. My dress. Rae was in the closet, but what was her leg tied to?
The closet door opened and the light streamed in. Rubi held a phone to her ear, and in a sweet voice said, “I would like to be left alone this morning. Yes, beauty rest. The bride has to look spectacular.” Rubi hung up the phone and grabbed hold of Rae’s leg. “Don’t you agree, my sweet little sister?”
Rae opened her mouth to scream but Rubi picked up her prosthetic leg and hit her in the face with it. The flash of white-hot pain left Rae disoriented. She tasted the coppery sign of blood in her mouth. She didn’t doubt that she had bitten into her tongue, but it was the rush of blood from her obviously broken nose that poured into her mouth. Rae turned her head to the side and spat it out.
“What do you want, Rubi?”
“What else would I want? I want you to die, you crippled bitch. I want Yvan back. I want the D’Alessandro billions. Speaking of which…” Rubi’s fingers rubbed on something around her neck. When Rae’s vision cleared she saw it was the diamond necklaces gifted to her. “Did Yvan give you this?”
Rae couldn’t pass up her chance to be cruel, even if it was just this once. “No, Sheikh Hassan se
nt them to me.”
For some reason Rubi didn’t think she was exaggerating. In a show of rage she kicked Rae in the stomach. “Billionaires and sheikhs, you stupid crippled bitch.”
“I can’t be that stupid. I must be doing something you aren’t.”
Rubi seemed to be taken aback by Rae’s brazen show. But it was just that, a show. Rae couldn’t stop praying that Yvan would sense she was in trouble and come to her rescue. But the light shining into her room squashed her hopes. Yvan was probably at the church, making sure everything was perfect for her arrival. That’s what happened when you had a husband devoted to you.
“Guess what, I’m smarter than you. I’m going to marry Yvan. What do you think about that?” Rubi said.
The crazy gleam in Rubi’s eyes told her that she wouldn’t have any issues with killing her sister. Rae lay in her blood and watched as Rubi took her dress from the closet.
“Where did you get this dress? It’s beautiful.”
“It was made in Monaco.”
“Let me guess, the prince sent it over for you to wear,” she snarled. “Yeah, right.”
A shrill from Rubi told Rae that she had seen the royal crest on the garment bag, plus the card written in French. Rubi didn’t know the language, but Rae knew it by heart.
“What does it say?”
Rae turned her head away, but Rubi grabbed her chin. She thought that her sister had snapped her neck in half from the noise it made.
Rubi shoved the card in her face. “What does it say?”
“It says have a beautiful wedding. Can’t wait to meet you,” she spluttered.
“Guess what, he’s going to be meeting me. What do you think about that?” Rubi punched her in the face once more.
“You should leave, Rubi. The hair and makeup people are going to be here any moment.”
“Who gave you that treat as a gift?”
Rae knew how explosive Rubi’s reaction would be if she knew the truth. “I hired them,” she lied.
“I’m going to find out, and if it’s someone rich and important, I’m going to cut your lips off.”