Taming Damian(28)

Just then, I felt Isabella give a kick. I gasped and looked up at Damian with wide eyes.

"What is it? What's wrong?" His concerned face searched mine for answers.

"Izzy just kicked." I laughed in delight. "I just felt her move!"

"Is this the first time?" Excitement filled his eyes as he watched me intently.

I nodded and beamed up at him. I grabbed his hand and placed it against the area of my stomach I had felt the first kick.

Within seconds, Isabella kicked for a second time.

"Shit!" Damian said breathlessly as looked at me with a bewildered expression. "That's my baby girl."

"Yes, our baby girl." I beamed at him. I wasn't sure how I knew, but I  could sense something had changed with us. Something had changed in  Damian.

We sat there in silence as we looked at each other with our hands on my stomach.

Finally Damian broke the silence. "Uh. So where's Chris?"

I smiled. "Who told you?"

"Beth. She saw you guys leaving the apartment."

I nodded in understanding.

"Chris went back to Iowa."

I saw the instant relief spread across his face.

"Was he back for another business trip?"

"No." I wasn't sure how much I wanted to tell him.

"Was he here for you?" He searched my face for an answer.

I looked away from him. "Yes, he was."

"Did he want you back?"

I nodded but didn't say a word.

He shuffled his feet as he waited for me to elaborate.

"What did you tell him?"

I turned away from him and whispered, "I told him I'd move back to Iowa with him."

I heard Damian's quick inhale of breath behind me, and I smiled. I  turned around to see the downcast expression on his face and knew I  couldn't torture him any longer.

"I'm just kidding. I'm too in love with you to leave SF."

His eyes lit up as hope returned to his face. Then he laughed as he  pulled me into his embrace and kissed me. Our lips met like they were  made for one another as they explored each other in perfect unison.                       
       
           



       

As we finally pulled away from on another, he smiled at me-it was that  breathtakingly, warm smile that always sent my heart racing. It was a  smile he only gave me, a rare smile that was rich with promises of  eternal love, a future, and reassurance that I'd be okay-that we'd be  okay.

"Damian, I can't live without you in my life," I whispered.

"Alex, you won't ever have to."

I sighed and rested my head against his shoulder, and we sat there in a  peaceful silence and watched the sun finally disappear into the horizon.





CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Damian



Four Months Later

"I have a surprise for you." I smiled at Alexis.

"Oh no, should I be scared?" There was a worried look on her face that caused me to throw my head back in laughter.

"I think you'll like this one." I winked at her when she flashed me a doubtful stare.

"That's what you said last time, and we ended up watching Fatal Erection and When Harry Ate Sally."

I laughed again. "But honey, I seriously thought I got Fatal Attraction  and When Harry Met Sally, but I guess the video store didn't have the  non X-rated versions in stock."

She rolled her eyes. "That's usually the case when you're at a porn video shop."

"Touche." I snickered. "Damn, can't get anything pass you, can I?"

She glared at me and pouted her lips. I knew she was just playing around.

"Come on. I promise you, you'll like this surprise," I insisted, "-at  least more so than that movie night surprise." I broke into a fit of  laughter.

"I'm warning you." She pointed her finger at me and made a serious face.  "No funny business this time! You know you shouldn't mess with a  pregnant woman, and certainty not one who beat cancer!"

"Okay. Okay. I know that. Why else do you think I wear this t-shirt all  the time?" I motioned to my "Don't Mess With My Girlfriend. She Kicked  Cancer's Ass!" t-shirt. "It's not a reminder to others. I wear it to  remind myself!" I smirked, unable to keep a straight face.

"You asshole!" She smacked me against the chest in retaliation.

"Ouch! See, this is what I'm talking about. I have the most violent  girlfriend. Even when she's about to pop out a baby, she's still  unrelenting." I swung my arm around her shoulder and kissed her cheek.

She pouted and glared at me again.

"Come on, silly. Let me show you this surprise. I've worked really hard  on it, so be nice to your Mr. Wonderful." I chuckled as I lead her down  the staircase from her apartment.

"Where are we going?" she asked tentatively as she slowly move down the two flights of stairs.

"You need any help?" I reached out my hand from be a few steps below her on the stairscase.

"No, I'm okay. I just feel like a cow right now."

"You look beautiful, babe. You've got that pregnancy glow on you." I turned up at her and beamed.

"Whatever," she sounded unconvinced. "I feel miserable. My back aches,  every part of my body is swollen, and the worse thing is, I'm fucking  waddling. I can't believe I'm waddling down these steps like some duck."

"I love ducks. They're really cute." I kept a straight face as I stifled  a chuckled. Alexis was nine months pregnant and was going to have our  baby any day now. I knew that she was more than ready to have this baby.  We had an appointment next week to induce her labor if the baby didn't  arrive by then, and I had a feeling she was counting the hours until  that appointment. For the last few weeks, I'd stayed by her side  constantly, ready at a minute's notice to take her to the hospital with  her hospital bag of her essentials.

"You know, I'm probably not going up to your apartment any time soon."

"Oh, why's that?"

"You're on the sixth floor! I'm not too sure I can make it up there anymore."

I gave her a sympathetic look and smiled. I couldn't wait to see the look on her face when she saw my surprise.

When we got down to the lobby, I took her out the front door.

"You still haven't told me where we're going?"

"Just outside." I smiled over at her. "We're here."

I watched her eyes dart to her left and then to her right. "And what exactly am I suppose to be looking at?"

I laughed and leaned up against a parked blue SUV. "You're suppose to be  looking at me." I paused for dramatic effect. "And more precisely, me  leaning against our brand new car."                       
       
           



       

It took her a second to register what I had said, but the when realized I  had bought us a car, she squealed in delight and smiled widely. "You  got us a new car?"

I nodded excitedly as I saw the dumbfounded look on her face.

Then she frowned. "What happened to your Mustang?"

"I traded it in." I wrapped my arms around her and leaned down for a kiss. "I didn't need it anymore."

"Are you sure? I thought you loved that car?"

I nodded. "Very sure. Now let me show you all the cool features of our  new car, including this extra thing I added to the backseat." I opened  the backseat to reveal a car seat I got for Isabella.

Alexis covered her mouth with her hands as she squealed in excitement. Tears rolled down her face as she beamed at me.

"How do you like the surprise so far?" I grinned and winked at her.

"So far?" Her eyes grew wide. "There's more?"

I nodded excitedly. "I told you you're going to love it."

"Yes, so far, I'm surprised," she teased.

"Well buckle up your seat belt then. You'll love this next one."

I lead her back through the front door to the apartment complex.

"I hate these stairs," Alexis moaned as she looked up at the steep, narrow staircase.

I followed her gaze and made a face. "I know. Isn't it awful?" I paused  and grinned. "Lucky for you, we're not going up those steps right now."

She turned toward me and scrunched her nose. "Where are we going then?"

"Let me show you."

I grabbed her hand and lead her past the line of mailboxes in the lobby and toward the back of the building.

"Why are we going this way? Aren't these just the apartment units on the ground floor?"

I smiled. "Yeah, I just wanted to show you one of the units."

Her eyes lit up and she looked at me tentatively. "Is there an apartment unit down here that just opened up?"

I nodded and winked at him. "Yeah, just last month, and it's a two  bedroom. The old tenants have moved out, so Roger said we can go in and  see it."

"Oh my God, that would be amazing if we can get it, babe! We'd have a  room for the baby and it'd be on the first floor and would be more  convenient."