Forever After (Unrestrained 5)

I re-read the email. “She wants me to come and meet her tonight before the story goes to print. I guess I better go.”

Kate frowned. “It’s a bit late, isn’t it?”

“It’s for the online magazine and the news cycle is now 24 hours, so…” I checked my watch. It was close to 6:45. If I left then, I’d make it to the news room in thirty minutes. Her message said she worked until ten, so we had time to go over the draft so I at least knew what she was going to write and could respond.

“It was nice of her to give me a head’s up at least,” I said and slipped off the bed.

Kate frowned. “It would be even nicer if she minded her own business.”

I grabbed my suit jacket from the chair beside the chest of drawers and slipped it on. “There’s no privacy any longer. For any of us.”

“I guess not,” Kate replied and finished burping Sophie. She lay Sophie back down, tucked a rolled-up blanket behind her back so she didn’t roll onto her back, and slid off the bed. She came to me and wrapped her hands around my neck.

“You’re going to miss dinner if you have to go to the office. Why can’t she send you a copy of what she’s going to write and you can respond over the phone or something?”

I checked the email. “She says she usually doesn’t give people much of a chance to respond but given my delicate circumstances, if I want to come down and speak to her, she’s happy to oblige.”

“That’s big of her,” Kate said with a harrumph. “She probably wants to seduce you because you’re such a hunk.”

I laughed out loud at that and squeezed her. “She said I should come down because nothing is secure anymore and so we could talk in private.”

“Huh,” Kate said and shook her head. “Riiight. She probably wants to blackmail you and force you to be her Dom or something.”

“You are so suspicious,” I said and kissed her. “I promise you I won’t give in, no matter how she threatens me. I’m no one’s Dom but yours.”

I squeezed her and then tickled her, enjoying when she squealed with delight. Then, I kissed her more deeply, wishing I could stay home and have a nice soapy bath with her while we waited for Quance to deliver. So, while I had hoped tonight would be the night, unfortunately, Fate intervened and I’d have to leave my beautiful wife and sleeping child and brave the wilds of Manhattan at night.

“Go ahead and order from Quance. Get whatever you feel like eating,” I said as I adjusted my tie. “When I come back, I’ll have supper.”

She nodded. “I wish you didn’t have to go. I feel so indulgent getting you all to myself all day and all night.”

“I wish I could stay, too.”

I smiled and rubbed her back, kissing the top of her head. Then, I went to the hallway to get my keys. She followed me to the door and kissed me again before I left.

“Hurry back. And don’t let the bitch give you any trouble.”

“Don’t worry,” I said and smiled. “I can handle Ms. Peterson.”

I closed the door behind me and made my way down the street to the parking garage where I kept my car. Manhattan traffic at that time of night was still busy and so I took as many alternate routes as I could to try to make it to Peterson’s office quickly. I didn’t want to waste my night with Kate completely. Finally, in about twenty-five minutes, I arrived at the building and found a parking garage about a block away. I handed the attendant my keys and walked briskly down the still-crowded street to the office of the Herald where Ms. Peterson was located.

I hoped that my sense of security wasn’t false and that I could, in fact, handle Ms. Peterson.

Chapter 2 : Kate

When Drake left, I dropped the fake smile I pasted on my face.

It was replaced by a face that, when I glanced in the mirror, looked like a zombie instead of what should have been a happy new mother in love with her beautiful baby and wonderful, loving and very handsome husband.

Instead, I felt this low-level sense of doom hanging over my head – as if something bad was going to happen at any minute and there would be nothing I could do about it.

I hated myself for feeling that way, but it was the truth.

I was so damn tired all the time, I felt like it was all I could do to feed and change Sophie when Drake was busy. The rest of the time, I wanted to lie down on the bed, cover my head with a pillow and sleep.

I hid it from Drake because I felt so unappreciative of how lucky I was. I loved Sophia beyond all thought but often found myself crying at times for no reason. Anything could set me off – a television ad, a song on the stereo, a crazy video on Facebook…

I was angry that I couldn’t be more thankful. Even though I loved Drake with a passion, I felt so tired all the time, that I didn’t feel like doing anything but sleep and look after Sophia.