I frame her face and look fiercely into her eyes as if my unspoken words will permanently burn into her heart, her soul.
“I won’t ever hurt you again.”
Just as the longing becomes unbearable, my lips slowly descend to meet hers. The warmth of her mouth sends a current running through my body. Morgan raises herself to meet my kiss. She throws her arms around my neck. I lose myself in her peppermint breath and soft lips.
My tongue traces the soft fullness of her lips. She parts her lips, granting my tongue access. Our tongues meet. She pulls away, breaking the kiss. Morgan cradles my face with her hands. “Lincoln, do you realize how long I’ve waited for you to propose to me? Everything you just said was beautiful. Do you even realize how much I love you? I’ll make you a few promises, as well. I promise never to push you away. I promise to always tell you my deepest thoughts. Even if I think they will upset you. I promise to always communicate with you. But most importantly, I promise to love you every day. You are my past, my present and my future. I only want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
“I love you,” I say quietly against her lips. “Always and forever.”
“I love you, too,” she whispers. I close my eyes, savoring this moment. Burning this moment into my mind forever. I’m marrying Morgan.
Morgan does a quick survey of the room. “Where are we?” Her gaze settles on me.
“Our home. I mean, I want to buy this to be our home. Gwen knows the realtor and she let me have the keys for a little bit to show you the place.”
Her eyes widen. “Our home. Lincoln, you want to buy this house. For us?” she asks, her voice filled with surprise.
I nod. “This is exactly what we talked about before. It has everything we want. A decent size back yard, four bedrooms, a huge master suite with a sitting area and an adjoining bathroom. Three and a half baths, living room, family room, dining room, and a full basement. We can even put a pool in the backyard if you want and still have enough room to entertain out there.”
“Lincoln, it’s beautiful. I can’t believe you did this.”
“All you have to do is say the word and it’s ours, baby.”
“I’m already in love with it, but I wanna see more,” she says with enthusiasm and excitement in her voice.
“Let me show you the place.” I take her hand and lead her to the kitchen.
Her hand flies to her mouth. “Lincoln.”
There are two wine glasses on the kitchen island with a chilled bottle of wine. The food I ordered from Morgan’s favorite Italian restaurant is also there with two plates and silverware. Camryn even brought two stools for us to sit on at the island so we can enjoy our meal.
I move in behind her and pull her back against my chest. I whisper in her ear. “I love you, Morgan Kennedy. Say the word and this can all be ours.”
“Yes! Yes!”
“What do we do now?” she asks quietly.
“I plan on showing you the rest of the house, then I’m taking you home to make love to you all night.”
“How about we get some rest before I make you scream my name again.” I wiggle my brows at her.
“I don’t think that is possible. Three times is my limit.”
“I think I hear a challenge in that statement.”
Morgan swats my chest. “I said no such thing. I just want to lie here and stare at my beautiful ring until I fall asleep.”
“Do you love it?” I ask.
She leans up on her elbows to look at me. “I absolutely love it. I couldn’t have picked a more perfect ring myself.”
“I wanted it to be perfect. I want to give you the world, Morgan.”
She places her finger over my lips. “It’s perfect. Everything about today is perfect.”
My lips part sucking her finger in my mouth. She pulls it out and taps the tip of my nose with her wet finger. “You did good, Mr. Gates.”
I wrap my arms firmly around her slim waist.
“You know how we said we would talk more? Communicate better with each other?”
She nods. “Yeah.”
“I went to see my father last week.”
Morgan doesn’t say anything, she waits for me to continue.
“I needed him to tell me why he left my mom. I had to know if he ever loved her.”
“Linc,” she places her hand over my heart.
“I heard my mom cry herself to sleep night after night because of my father. I promised myself years ago that I would never hurt the person I love like that. I know a piece of paper doesn’t define who I am, who we are. I can’t let my father’s mistakes dictate how I should live my life.”
I brush the loose tendril of hair behind her ear. “I was afraid I would ruin what we had. I was scared that marriage would change everything. But I realized it would change everything… for the better. I won’t ever hurt you, Morgan.”
She crawls up my body, her naked breasts pressing against my chest. “I know you won’t hurt me. I understand why you felt the way you did. I always held out hope that you would change your mind. I should have never pushed. I’m sorry.” She leans in and kisses my lips softly.
“I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to grow old with you,” she whispers against my lips. “… only you.”
MORGAN
“Surprises are better than promises.”
– Unknown
Six weeks later
A loud knock sounds at the front door, and I force myself up from the couch to answer it. The sudden movement makes me want to puke. My head spins and my hand covers my mouth. Before I make it there’s another knock. “Coming, jeez Louise.”
Forcing my feet to move faster, I shuffle through the boxes in the living room of my apartment and make my way to the front door. I see Lincoln through the peephole and unlock it and turn to head back where I came from. Where I’ve been for days, surrounded by boxes that threaten to overtake me. I’ve been packing up my apartment these past few days and staying here.
“Are you okay? I stopped by Redemption and Jason said you were sick and weren’t coming in again. I thought you said you were feeling better,” Lincoln says, his voice laced with concern. He comes and sits with me on the couch, lifting my feet to place them on his lap.
“Why didn’t you use your key?” I ask annoyed.
“I walked out without my other set of keys.” His expression stills and grows serious.
The two of us have been running around like crazy the past few weeks. We had to pick out furniture for the living room. We’re using my current furniture in the family room and Lincoln is putting his in the basement. We have a lot of stuff that we can use between the two of our apartments, but we needed additional bedroom sets for the other bedrooms. Escrow closes on the house this week.
“What’s wrong?” he asks.
“I’m late.”
“Late for what?”
“I’m late. I haven’t gotten my period.”
His bright blue eyes widen. “How late are you?”
I shrug, pulling the blanket over my lap, “a week, maybe two.”
“What?” he asks excitedly. His eyes widen even farther if that is even possible. A smile spreads across his handsome face.
“Have you taken a test yet?” he asks.
“No, but I’m pretty sure I am.”
“Well, before we get our hopes up, I’m going to run to the pharmacy and grab a few tests.”
“The last time I took five and all five said I was pregnant. Save the money. Just grab two. That should do the trick.”
Lincoln leans over, placing both of his hands gently on my stomach. “We’re having a baby.”
“I want this baby so bad, Lincoln. I can’t lose this baby.” Tears run down my cheeks. We stare at each other.
“It will be okay.” I feel Lincoln’s breath against my lips. “We’re going to be okay.”
We stare at the ten—yes, TEN—sticks with the double pink lines once more. Lincoln wanted a unanimous outco
me and felt that two tests weren’t going to be accurate. Can this be happening again? Am I really pregnant?
My vision starts to blur as tears fill my eyes. We stare at the pregnancy tests. I’ve been blessed again with another baby.
Tears roll down my cheeks. These are happy tears, not sad, not fearful, one hundred percent joyful tears made even more so because I have Lincoln with me when I felt all alone the last time.
I turn to Lincoln. He blinks a few times, but his eyes never leave the tests sitting on the counter of the vanity in the bathroom. The look in his eyes is priceless. A gorgeous smile appears on his face.
“We’re having a baby,” he whispers. “How did this happen?”
I leap into his arms, wrapping my arms around his neck. His arms wrap around my waist, pulling me close.
“You see, when two people have sex, there is a chance that the sperm can meet the egg and make a baby,” I explain sarcastically.
He leans down and places a soft kiss on the tip of my nose. “I know how a baby is made, Morgan. I meant, how did you get pregnant? I thought you were on the pill.”
“After the miscarriage, I never went back on the pill. My cycle wasn’t regular after I lost the baby, so I never started them.”
He unwraps his arms from around my waist and steps back. He lowers himself to kneel in front of me. He lifts my shirt and spreads his hands across my flat stomach. I run my fingers through his hair.
“We’re having a baby,” he says in between placing kisses on my belly. The smile on Lincoln’s face is so big. His eyes glisten with unshed tears.
Lincoln stands and exhales. He wraps his arms tightly around me and buries his face in my hair. “You just made me the happiest man alive. I love you, Morgan. Always and forever,” he whispers.
“I guess we’ll push the wedding off until after we have the baby?”
“Whatever you want to do, babe.”
“My dream was to walk down the aisle to meet you, not waddle.”
Lincoln laughs, “Whatever you want to do, is perfectly fine with me.”
“I’m thinking, a destination wedding. On a beach, something small.”
“That sounds perfect.”
Lincoln holds my hand tightly in his, our fingers intertwined.
“Are you ready to hear your baby’s heartbeat?” the ultrasound technician asks.
Eyes that are a startling blue, as blue as the summer sky meet mine. “Absolutely.”
His smile is radiant. There is a depth to his smile that has been missing too long. The technician rolls the probe around on my belly until a swooshing sound echoes in the room.
Lincoln squeezes my hand, then lifts it to his lips and kisses it.
“Do you hear that? That’s our baby.” He stares at the monitor then lifts his finger to point at it, touching the screen like he hoped he could caress our baby’s cheek.
He laughs, “We made him or her.” The warmth of his laugh sends shivers down my spine.
“Yes, we did.”
This is how it’s supposed to be. Lincoln by my side experiencing this with me, together. There is no other place I’d rather be than right here, with my hand in his, listening to our baby’s heartbeat.
We’re having a baby.
I’m going to be a mom… again.
My heart still hurts for what could have been. I will always love the baby I lost. He or she will always be my angel, an angel that will watch over this blessing.
Six months later
Morning sickness has finally taken a backseat. I’m on a ‘see-food’ diet. Everything I see, I eat. My hand rubs my protruding belly. The doctor says I’m measuring perfectly and our baby is due to make his or her grand entrance into the world in September.
The girls say I’m glowing. I, on the other hand, think that is a nice way of saying I’m fat, swollen, my face is a mess, and I look like shit. My feet, ankles, and hands are swollen, but overall I feel pretty good. I had to set my heels aside and go for comfort and wear flats at least until delivery.
After a long night at Redemption, I can’t wait to soak my sore body in a warm bath. Lincoln thinks I should give more responsibilities to my assistant manager, but until I’m not able to do my job, I plan on sticking things out until the very end. I prefer to take time off after the baby arrives rather than sitting on my ass bored, twiddling my thumbs at home waiting for the baby to be born.
The house is dark when I pull into the driveway. Huh, Lincoln told me he wasn’t heading to Aces tonight. He should be home, “Baby, are you home?” I call out when I enter the kitchen from the garage, tossing my car keys on the kitchen island.
“Up here,” he yells from upstairs.
Slowly, I take one step at a time. These steps are getting harder with each passing day. I walk down the hall into our bedroom. It’s illuminated with candles, rose petals are spread across our comforter and all over the floor.
The muscles rippling under his white shirt quicken my pulse. Lincoln walks over and takes my hand guiding me toward the bed. I sit on the edge and he bends down and removes my flats. He stands before me. “Lift your arms, baby.” I do as I’m told.
He removes my shirt, tossing it on the bed. “Stand up.”
I stand and he slowly removes my leggings.
“I have a surprise for you.” He takes my hand and ushers me into the bathroom where the room is filled with candles that are scattered throughout. The tub is filled with water and rose petals float on top.
My hands cup his cheeks. “I love you.”
His mouth hits mine with such force it takes my breath away. His hand wraps around my waist and pulls me against him. Well, as close as I can get with my huge belly in the way. He glides his hands up and over the curve of my hips.
I whimper a little. He breaks the kiss. “I love you, too,” he says breathlessly.
I reach up and grab his neck softly, lowering it to my face again. I place soft kisses upon his lips. Slowly my tongue moves along the seam of his mouth. I can smell the mint of his breath. Taste it on my tongue.
His tongue darts between my lips and touches my own. “You’re working too hard. I want you to relax. Get in,” he gestures toward the tub.
The sound of his voice affects me deeply. My fingers wrap into his golden hair. “Don’t start something you don’t intend on finishing.” My body aches for his touch.
He looks over me seductively. “Trust me, I promise to finish what I start.”
He tips his head toward the tub. “In.”
“Yes, sir.” I extend my hand for him to help me get in. Once I am settled in the warm water, Lincoln strips off his clothes and climbs in behind me. He spreads his legs so I can slide between them. I lean back against his chest and he pulls me closer, cradling my growing belly.
His lips touch my shoulder as he peppers me with soft kisses. “You’re beautiful.”
Lincoln always knows exactly what I need and will always be there for me. What an amazing feeling to spend every sunrise and sunset beside the person you love every morning and night, in their arms. Fate is often bantered around when two people meet and fall in love. All I know is that meeting him was fate. Becoming his friend was a choice. Falling in love with him was something I hadn’t expected. Loving him was something I couldn’t control. Being with him was…everything.
LINCOLN
“A wee bit of heaven drifted down from above. A handful of happiness, a heart full of love.”
– Unknown
The room is filled with balloons, the floor is covered with large pieces of torn paper, ribbons and bows.
“What are you going to do with three strollers, two car seats, and all those diapers. There must be a hundred packs of diapers sitting there on the floor.” I say when I walk into the doorway of the dining room and see all the baby stuff everywhere.
“You need a car seat, and I need a car seat,” Camryn says.
“You don’t even have a car, so why do you need a car seat?” I ask.
“For
when I use my dad’s SUV. I’ll need a car seat to transport my niece or nephew around safely.”
“You’re insane. You can take the one out of our car if you need it. We’re taking the extra one back.”
“No, Camryn’s right,” Morgan chimes in.
“Oh, dear Lord,” I grumble.
Jamie comes up behind me and smacks me on the shoulder. “Good luck trying to win an argument with a hormonal woman. You’re never going to win. You’re fighting an uphill battle with a boulder on your back, my friend.”
Morgan is sitting comfortably in the recliner at Gwen’s house. This is her second shower. Her mother threw one, which was mostly our families. Gwen and Camryn had this one for the neighbors and her friends. Morgan’s mother was never quite friendly with the neighbors. The staff at Redemption and Aces plan to have something small next Sunday which Morgan doesn’t have a clue about.
“Those diapers over there. Expect to change quite a few shitty ones in the near future. You will need every one of them.” Christian says laughing next to me.
I shove his shoulder. “Shut up, dude, this may be you one day.”
He holds his hands up. “Nah, not me. I don’t plan on having any kids. I’ll love yours and a niece or nephew one day when Cami and Jamie have one.”
“You don’t want one of your own someday?” I ask.
Christian shakes his head. “Nope, never pictured myself having kids.”
Lindsey perks up at that comment. “Really, I didn’t know that.” A brief shadow of disappointment appears on her face. As quickly as it materializes, it’s gone.
“Huh, I never knew that either.” Why do I feel sad for Christian for not wanting to experience the wonder of two people in love creating a life together that they can love and cherish forever?
Christian shares a look with Lindsey. She chews on her lower lip, turns and walks out of the dining room without saying a word.
“Dude, help me gather these gifts and put them in the car.”
Jamie and Christian both grab gift bags filled to the brim with rattles, bibs and bottles.
Unspoken Promises (The Unspoken Love Series Book 2) Page 21