“Will you marry me Devon Baxter? Please. I love you so very much and I want nothing more than to be yours.”
“Yes.”
He kisses me before the syllable is finished, turning me to straddle him, his gentle hands pulling my sex as close to his erection as the weight and size of my belly will allow, not nearly close enough but I don’t care as he continues to suck at my mouth and pushes himself into the weeping well between my legs.
“You’re mine imp. Mine.” He growls before clamping a hand over my ass and surging to his feet.
We make love in his office, an awkward but passionate showing of everything we feel.
“I love you imp.” He murmurs minutes later, his hot breath sawing into my neck as I melt into the sofa and close my eyes on a smile.
Everything is so perfect I feel weightless and free. Nothing can hurt me now. Can it?
Chapter Twenty Four
Dev
Everything is utter perfection and for the first time in a long time I don’t want to delve too deeply and test every inch of my feelings. I just want to enjoy the closeness and ease with which I greet every day.
Unfortunately, as is always the case, there is something that is going to shatter some of the peace, something I have to tell my girl that will shift the euphoria we feel now.
I hate it, hate that just when I’ve found that little slice of heaven it’s going to be up to me to spoil the joy I see in her eyes.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah man. I went through his office two days ago when they went out and I found something. My guy at the hospital wouldn’t tell me anything but that they are still doing extensive tests and that I should ask my dad what’s going on. He said it so…he was in the oncology department. You know what that means.”
“Did you talk to him or your mother?” I ask, closing my eyes on a sigh.
Please let him say it was just a normal test for someone of Brand’s age, anything to quell the threat looming on the horizon. But I know it’s not possible. Grey sounds too gruff and down for the answer to be any good.
“Yeah. He went nuts on me at first for snooping and then he just kinda let it all out and…its bad man. He’s got some type of bone cancer. I went a little fuzzy after he confirmed it but…”
“But he’s sick.” I finish, closing my eyes on a groan. “Imp and I just got things settled. We’ve set a date for the wedding.”
“I’m so sorry man.”
“Me too. I’ll talk to imp tonight but Christ, she’s only got a month left on her due date and-”
“She doesn’t need this stress right now man. Let it wait till she has the baby and dad has a clear shot at what treatments they want to do. It can wait.”
My heart eases. A little. And I accept my next words for what they are. Cowardice.
“I will. I won’t say anything until we’re certain and until she’s delivered.”
The calls ends on a sombre note and I lean back wanting nothing more than to go find her and snuggle up in our bed, just to hold her and reassure myself that all in her world is still alright and as it should be.
Maybe I am a coward and for a certainty this silence will come back to bite me in the arse, but for now I will take this burden and carry it alone because there is nothing in this world I will not do for the woman I love.
Even if it means saving her from herself.
***
Becky
Something is totally off with Dev. It’s been three days now that I’ve noticed how jumpy he is every time the phone rings or when the door opens.
I’ve asked, cajoled and flat out demanded an answer but all I get from the lunkhead is a smile and assurance that nothing is wrong and that a deal he’s been working on is not going well.
Deal my ass. The guy could talk an Eskimo into buying ice so I know he’s talking crap.
“You okay sweetie?”
I shuffle around in my seat and poke my straw at the ice in my glass, shrugging at Lila across the table. We’re having lunch in a swanky little out of the way Bistro a block away from her salon, something she’s determined to drag me to on a weekly basis.
I’m not feeling it today but I hadn’t had the heart to let her down so now here I sit, wondering how to get rid of her so I can go home and just veg until Devon gets back.
“Fine. Bored. Fat. Tired. And Devon had some meeting to go to so…”
“That’s a good thing Beck. You guys can’t spend every minute of the day together or you’ll go crazy. Couples need space you know. Look at me and Grey. He does his thing and I do mine and at the end of the day when he comes home I’m ready to rip his clothes off.”
“That’s gross. I suppose you’re right, it’s just that he’s been preoccupied and short of waterboarding him he won’t tell me what’s bothering him.”