by Mary Peart
“I told him some pretty hurtful things,” Elise mused. “I was stupid and full of hurt and pain and anger and I said some pretty harsh things.”
“Then make him understand that.” Mitsui told her gently.
*****
She called her mother and told her to tell Daniel that she would see him in the morning.
“All the best honey,” Leslie had told her.
She had had dinner with Mitsui and for the first time in a week she had eaten a full meal.
It was some minutes after six that she went up to his suite to wait for him. She had no idea what time he would be home but she was prepared to wait for the entire night if need be.
The place was immaculate as usual and she knew the helpers tidied up as soon as he left. She wished she had something to do to keep herself occupied and take her mind off things while she waited for him. So much for falling in love with a rich guy, she thought wryly; there was nothing left for her to do.
It was almost eight o’clock when she heard him in the hallway, her heart pounding inside her chest. What if he did not want to hear anything from her? She heard him put the keys on the side table and heard his footsteps as he made his way into the kitchen. She hesitated wondering if she should wait for him in the bedroom, but with determination she went after him. What she saw there made her want to cry! He was standing in the middle of the kitchen staring at the tiles and the expression on his face was tortured! “I will never hurt you that way again.” She whispered. He spun around and saw her standing in the doorway. He quickly schooled his expression into one of indifference and waited for her to speak again. “I am sorry. I know it’s not enough but it’s a start and I need another chance for me and Daniel.” He was still not saying anything and still not moving and for a moment she felt panic assailing her.
“I love you,” she said quickly going over towards him. “I can’t function and I don’t want to live without you.” She was standing right in front of him but still he just stood there. She reached out and touched his strong jaw. “Tell me it’s not too late, please?” her voice was pleading and if she had to get down on her knees then she was prepared to do so. She started to do so when he finally reacted, gripping her arm and pulling her back up. “Don’t!” he said harshly, his eyes sweeping her face.
“What are you saying?” he demanded, his grip almost bruising.
“I am in love with you, and Daniel and I want to marry you and come and live with you if you will have us.” She told him tremulously.
With a groan he pulled her into his arms, his lips taking her with bruising force. Elise sagged against him, the relief making her weak as she returned his kiss with a passion that almost overpowered them! He swung her up into his arms and strode with her towards the bed putting her down on it gently. She had already showered and was in one of his T-shirts and she had no underwear on.
He stood there staring down at her as if trying to come to terms that she was really there and not a cruel figment of his imagination. He hastily undressed and climbed on the bed beside her pulling her beneath him and taking her mouth with his ferociously, one hand going between her legs to enter her. He was not gentle but Elise did not care, she needed the roughness as well. He thrust his fingers inside her rapidly, his mouth buried on hers. It was as if he wanted to punish her for making him suffer the last few days. He pulled out his fingers and reached for his erection. He released her lips and pulled the shirt over her head and then pulling her legs apart. He entered her gripping her hips and thrusting inside her with a force that almost had them falling off the bed. He gripped her hips and brought her closer to him; his dark eyes intent on hers. He had not spoken, but let his body do the talking as his thrust became more urgent. Elise clasped her legs around his waist, her eyes never leaving his face.
They came together, both crying out sharply as they shuddered together. He moved over her and took her lips with his, capturing her cries against his own!
Chapter 9
He got off her as soon as they had recovered and sat on the edge of the bed. Elise got up, her body still weak from what had happened between them and looked at him. There was no light in the room, just the light from the moon shining through the half opened drapes at the window of his bedroom. She crept across the bed and came up behind him, putting her hands around his neck. He closed his eyes and rested his head back against hers. “You have not answered me,” she whispered in his ear.
He removed her hands and turned around to face her, his eyes scouring her face. “I never knew it was possible to feel such hurt and pain like I did in the last week,” he smiled a little grimly. “I was determined to put you and Daniel from my mind even if I had to do it forcibly. I could not function at the office and I kept barking at the employees and the board members. I am afraid I have become even more unpopular than usual.” He lifted his hand and cupped her cheek. “A member of the board advised me to get it under control and stop taking it out on everyone and I realized to my horror that the company I had worked so hard to build had been replaced and it was no longer as important as you and Daniel were. I can’t go through that again Elise, because it almost destroyed me. It was then that I realized how powerful the hold is that you have over me.”
“It’s the same thing with me,” she told him urgently, wanting to get through to him, her heart failing her as she listened to what he had to say. “I could not function at work and I kept making mistakes, simple ones that I never usually made. I almost sliced my hand off with a cutting tool and Jack had to take it from me. I am not myself without you and as much as it scares the living daylights out of me, I am prepared to accept this love I am feeling for you because I prefer to rather be scared with you, than to be miserable without you.”
He rested his forehead against hers. “Oh Elise,” he said brokenly. “I can’t survive if you leave me, so please be certain.”
“I am certain.” She held him to her. “I am not sure about a lot of things but I want to be your wife.”
With a cry he pushed her back on the bed and fastened his lips to hers in a hungry desperation that took her breath away! Reaching between them he put his semi erect penis inside her and she wrapped her legs around his waist. “I love you so much,” she told him dragging her mouth from his to say it. “I love you!”
He pushed inside her and stayed still. “I am yours entirely,” he told her hoarsely before he started moving inside her, holding her against him as if he would never let her go!
*****
They did not go to sleep until after one, and even so she slept on top of him with him holding her tight as if afraid she was going to leave during the night. He woke at six and made tender love to her that had her clinging to him and crying softly into his shoulder.
“Do you have to go in this morning?” she asked him huskily, raising her head to look at his beloved face.
“What do you have in mind?”
“I figured we could break the news to Daniel together. He has been pining for you too and he will be glad to know that ‘Uncle Peter’ will now be Daddy Peter.” She told him huskily, pushing back his soft dark hair from his forehead.
He went still at her words and his eyes captured hers. “Are you sure?”
“I am sure,” she told him with a smile. “There is a space on his birth certificate that’s missing and waiting for your name. I want all of us to have the same last name, if you don’t mind.”
“If I don’t mind-“ he stopped as his throat clogged up. “I would be honored to share my name with both of you.” He finished huskily.
“Good, let’s go share the news with your mother,” she told him, kissing him softly on the mouth.
*****
Mitsui squealed in delight and hugged them separately and then together. “Mother you are overreacting as usual,” Peter said with a wry smile. He held Elise’s hand in his and even when his mother was hugging them he had not let go. He had called his office and told them he would be late coming in and told his sec
retary to cancel his meetings for the morning.
“I am under reacting if anything,” she retorted. She was still in her robe and was sitting around the breakfast nook Elise had set up, eating a boiled egg and some fruits. “Darling, we need to discuss the wedding.”
“Of course, as soon as I go and tell my mother and Daniel about it.” Elise told her with a smile.
“Don’t worry, I will deal with everything and this place is large enough to keep a wedding. Now run along you two and don’t keep that little angel in suspense.” She said shooing them away with a happy smile.
“I hope you don’t mind mother taking over,” he looked at her in concern as they were on their way to her house. It was a little after seven and she had called her mother and told her that both she and Peter wanted to talk to Daniel so they would take him to school.
“So I take it everything is sorted out?” she asked, a please note in her voice.
“Yes,” she had answered without going into details.
“Are you kidding?” Elise said with a laugh answering him now. “I hate doing that sort of thing so I am happy your mother wants to do it.”
“Good,” he said squeezing the hand trapped on his thigh. He had not dressed to go into the office but had put on dark blue pants and a red, ribbed sweater. She had put on denims and a forest green sweater she had left at his place and her hair was loose around her face. She had noticed him staring at her every few seconds and she guessed he liked her hair down.
Daniel raced to greet them the minute they opened the door and with a smile and a wave Leslie went back into the kitchen to give them some privacy. “Mommy, you were not in your bed when I came in this morning.” He said accusingly.
“I know honey, and I am sorry about that but Uncle Peter and I had to sort something out.” She told him gently. He was already dressed for school in his little red sweater and khaki pants.
“You stayed at Uncle Peter’s house?” he looked at them frowningly.
“How about we tell you the good news your mom and I have to tell you?” Peter hoisted him up in his arms and sat on the sofa. Elise came and sat beside them.
“Tell me! Tell me!” he said impatiently bouncing on Peter’s lap.
“How would you feel about my being your dad?” Peter asked him.
His dark eyes widened as he looked from one to the other. “You mean that you are going to get married to my mommy?” he asked his eyes rounded.
“Yes but we want to know if it’s okay with you first.” Elise said.
“I am going to be your son?” he turned to Peter.
“If you want to.” Peter told him solemnly.
“I got my wish!” he cried flinging his arms around Peter’s neck. He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around the little boy’s body, feeling so overwhelmed that he could hardly contain himself. “I wished that you would want to be my daddy but I did not want to ask mommy because she is always sad when I talk about that.” He murmured, resting his head on Peter’s shoulder. He lifted his head and looked at Peter. “May I call you daddy?” he swiveled around to look at his mother. “May I mommy?”
“Yes,” she and Peter said at the same time.
“Yeah! Now I will not be the only person in my class not to have a daddy.” He jumped out of Peter’s arms to go and tell his grandmother.
She and Peter looked at each other in silence. “I never knew it affected him so much,” she said with a catch to her throat. “Thanks for coming into our lives.”
“The pleasure is all mine,” he told her huskily pulling her into his arms.
*****
He could not sit still when they were taking him to school. He wanted to know what his name will be now and if he was still going to be Faulkner.
“You are going to be Hamasaki as soon as I get it sorted out,” Peter told him indulgently, adjusting his mirror to look back at him.
“How soon?” he demanded.
“I promise that as soon as your mom and I get married it will be sorted out.” Peter said patiently.
“When are you getting married?” was his next question.
“Let’s see,” Elise tapped a finger against her lip. “Now is February, we are thinking May.” She looked at Peter to confirm.
“Or sooner,” he told her softly.
“Where are we going to live?” he asked.
“At my house which will become our house. You want to come and pick out your room this weekend?” Peter asked him.
“Can I?” he squealed in excitement.
“May I,” His mother corrected. “And yes you may.”
They dropped him off and he insisted they come in with him so that he could show the rest of the kids and his teacher that he now had a mommy and a daddy.
*****
“You are very patient with him.” Elise commented as they made their way from the school. The teacher had been very impressed when she saw who it was and had followed them to the car telling him that she was looking forward to him becoming a very active parent in the school.
“I love him, so it’s easy.” He told her lightly looking at her.
“I keep pinching myself often to find out if I am dreaming.” She whispered.
“I know a better way to show you that you are not dreaming.” He murmured huskily pulling the car off the road and coming to a stop. He took her into his arms and claimed her lips in a tender, heart stirring kiss.
*****
He picked out his bedroom. There were so many to choose from that at one point he was confused. There was an argument at one point because Peter said he wanted him to be close to them, and Mitsui was telling him that the rest of the house was bigger so he could get a whole suite by himself.
“I can have a bedroom and a bathroom and a play area for myself?” he asked his eyes huge. It was located near to Mitsui’s suite of rooms and it had a delicate shade of powder blue. “I can have all of this?”
“You would be a little ways away from us Daniel,” Peter told him.
“But we will be in the same house and my other grandma would be right here.” He said to them. “Besides, when you are married you need to spend some time together.” He added wisely.
“When did you become an adult?” His mother asked him teasingly.
“Don’t be silly mommy, I am still a little boy,” he said reproachfully before racing into his new rooms to look around.
“You don’t have to use that bed. We can remove it and I can take you to the store and you can pick out any bed you want.” Peter told him with a smile.
“Honestly?” he looked at Peter, his eyes round.
“Honestly.” Peter echoed him in amusement. He launched himself at Peter and wrapped his arms around his waist.
“You are the best father ever!” he told him.
The expression on Peter’s face was priceless and Peter lifted him up and looked at him. “That’s because you are the best son in the world.”
Elise watched them, her eyes tearing up and then went over to hug them both!
*****
“Elise honey, what do you think about a morning wedding?” Mitsui asked as soon as she came downstairs. Peter had already left for the office and she had been spending most of her nights at his place. They had finished refurbishing Daniel’s suite of rooms and he had picked out a bunk bed to replace the one there. His play room had shelves to stock his toys that Peter had insisted on buying him every chance he got. It was already April and the winter had officially ended with lots of rain and wind.
“I think that’s good,” she responded, wanting to get away. She had already gone for two fittings for her dress and Daniel’s suit because he was going to be the ring bearer.
“What’s a ring bearer?” he had asked them.
They had explained to him that it was a person who was in charge of the rings.
“Oh,” he had said thoughtfully and nodded.
Peter had given her a diamond engagement ring which she wore around her neck reminding him that
she worked in dust and all sorts of messy things so wearing a ring is not such a good idea.
“What about your wedding ring?” he had asked her.
“I promise that the whole world will know that I am married to you Peter Hamasaki,” she had told him wrapping her arms around his neck. “I am going to be a very proud wife.”
“What kind of flowers you want making up the bouquet?” Mitsui asked her as she shrugged into her spring jacket. She had a bathroom to remodel and both Michael and Jack were waiting for her outside. Peter had wanted her to use one of the many high end cars in the garage but she had told him she would use them when she was not working.
“I don’t know,” Elise said with a frown, looking at her future mother in law. It was Tuesday and she was meeting with her book club later today and they were all involved in the planning. She had been around the grounds of the sprawling estate and had blinked in surprise at the array of flowers planted in the gardens. The gardener was a middle aged African American man who had been with the family for years.
“Okay darling, I will figure it out,” she said with a wave of her slender hand. The dress she had chosen was an off white one with old Venetian lace on the bodice and narrow at the ankles.
“Thanks Mitsui, you are an angel.” She told her gratefully, hurrying out the door.
*****
“I can’t believe you are marrying a billionaire,” Jack commented as they drove out and headed towards the block where they would be working.
“Are we going to be losing our jobs?” Michael asked anxiously.
“What makes you say that?” Elise asked him negotiating a curve in the road.
“You won’t need to work anymore.” Jack commented. “You will be rolling in dough.”
“I am still going to be working,” Elise told them firmly “And you are not losing your jobs.”
“I am sure Mr. Hamasaki will not appreciate his wife doing this type of work,” Michael said not willing to let it go. “What billionaire would?”