Blackmailing the Virgin (Promises 2)

“I’m going to leave, you guys. I’ll call later, and we’ll do dinner. I can tell you lots of funny stories,” Sidney says as she exits the room, leaving us alone. Calder cups my face.

“I came for you. The baby was a bonus.”

“What made you finally come? I swear, I never saw your emails.”

“I snapped. I couldn’t take it anymore. I’d been in darkness so long, and that day I came up onto the balcony you lit my life back up. I tried to stay away at first. But my mind kept buzzing with the idea of us being together. Having a family again. I wanted it bad. Then I fucked it up. Sent you running. I couldn’t get you to respond, and your dad said you were graduating, and I knew I had to go. Had to see you.” He looks down, rubbing my baby bump and then back at me. “I should feel bad, but I went there with the intention of blackmailing you. I thought you were ignoring me. I just thought if I could get my hands on you, I could make you fall in love with me. I just had to get you back first, and I was willing to do just about anything to do that. Anything. Knew I’d already fucked up a ton. That you probably hated me. I had nothing to lose and everything to gain.”

His forehead drops to mine when he’s done with his confession.

“You didn’t have to make me fall in love with you. I’ve been in love with you from that first kiss. I love you.”

His mouth takes mine in a hard kiss. His tongue pushes in and both his hands dive into my hair. When he pulls away, we’re both breathless.

“You know that’s the first time you’ve said that without me making you?”

“Yes.”

“You’ve been keeping it from me?”

“You’ve never said it.”

He pulls back to study my face like I’m crazy. “I’ve never told you I loved you?” he asks like I’m making it up.

“Trust me. I would remember that.”

“Fuck.” He runs his hand through his hair. “Of course I fucking love you. I can’t even breathe when I’m not near you.”

My heart flutters, and I feel the baby kick again.

“The baby is moving,” I tell him, bringing his hand to my belly. I watch as awe takes over his face.

“We made that baby. Our first night together. The world knew we had to be together and made sure we’d always be tied to each other.”

Chapter Twelve

Calder

I see a glimmer of sadness in her eyes, and I can’t imagine why it’s there.

“What it is, sweetheart? What’s that thought you just had?”

She shrugs her shoulders, but when I wait, she starts to tell me.

“You said the world knew we had to be together. I wish my father would see it that way. I feel like my getting pregnant was just another reminder to him that I’m just like my mother. He always said I was like her, and I didn’t realize he meant it to mean I’m thirsty for attention.”

“Oh, Felicity, no.” I hold her face in my hands and look into her tear-filled eyes. “No, sweetheart, he didn’t mean it that way. I talked to him about it. And I even spoke with him privately after the wedding to smooth things over.”

She looks at me questioningly, but there is still so much hope there. “What do you mean?”

“He’d said the same to me once before, and I asked him what he meant by it. I didn’t know your mom, but I’d heard rumors, and I wanted to know why he would say such things about his daughter. He said that you’ve got her spirit. That people are drawn to you, but that you do it without trying.” I run my thumb across her cheek, wiping away the lone tear. “And after the wedding, he said he’d suspected that something had happened between you and me, and he wanted to give us space to make our own decisions about our relationship. He wanted to give us time to have our own world and to create our own family. He understands what happened between him and your mother won’t happen to us. That I will always give you the attention you need, even if you think you don’t need it.”

She gives me a little laugh, and I kiss her soft lips.

“I know how much your father loves you. When it comes to you, there is absolutely nothing you can do wrong. And though I may have blackmailed you into this relationship, I know I did it for the right reasons. We belong together.”

Felicity nods, and her soft smile eases every worry in my heart. I pushed her into this, but she understands why. She may have thought the baby was what was keeping me here, but that was never the case. It was the best surprise I’ve ever had—icing on top of an already perfect cake.