Dark Ties (Made Men 9)

Haley bit her lip. How much sex was too much? That was on the top of her list that she didn’t want him to get bored with.

Desmond must have seen her uncertainty in the reflection of the windowpane. Leaning down, he placed his chin on her shoulder.

“I love you.”

Her eyes welled with tears.

“One part of this pregnancy I won’t miss is how emotional he has made me. I cry at the drop of a hat.”

“You’re not being overemotional because of the baby. You’re uncertain about my feelings for you. I don’t blame you. I jerked your feelings around like a yo-yo. “

One of the tears she had been holding back managed to escape to slide down her cheek as a car pulled into the curb.

“The taxi is here.”

Straightening, Desmond turned her to face him.

“We don’t have to go.”

“It’s not going to be easier tomorrow. We have to get your house ready to sell and find a new one in Kansas City. The one I have is only one bedroom. I’m just being silly.”

“You couldn’t be silly if you tried. It’s one of the things I love about you. Do you remember when I told you that I couldn’t understand how you and Nadia were friends?”

“If you’re trying to make me feel better, this isn’t working.”

“Nadia has a gift of looking past the exterior into the heart within. There isn’t anything fake about you. You don’t lose your head; you seek solutions while everyone else is still asking questions. I can from my own experience say you aren’t capable of being fake or stand by when someone is being mistreated. In this world, you’re an oddity, a rare person who has a standard of morals based on your own personal values. In other words, the complete opposite of me. You’re not the only one who doesn’t want to go back.”

“Why?”

“What if you want a puppy like Nadia has? Or you get angry at me and go stay at Nadia’s? Dante would love to have another chance to break my kneecaps. Or Rhone wants to come over, and I punch him again?”

“Why would you punch him?”

“If he makes another pass at you. Pregnancy suits you. He won’t be able to help himself.”

Desmond smoothed a hand over her burgeoning belly.

“I can be possessive. Which is news to me. I’m still finding new things to be jealous of.”

“Like what?” she teased, her tension easing.

“For instance, how long you can talk to Nadia when I’m winning at UNO, or how you talk to the neighbors when they bring over something, or one of your clients when I’m trying to make love to you.”

“I quit answering their calls.”

“Only because I quit stopping when you told me to.”

“That’s true. You win. We can go.”

His eyes went slumberous.

“Aren’t you going to reassure me the way I do for you?”

“No. I can’t have you to over-confident before we go house hunting and then shopping for the nursery with Nadia.”

“I can’t convince you to make love one more time here, for old times’ sake?”

“I think we have to leave and come back for it to be old times’ sake.”

“Then it’s a good thing I bought the house. We can come back here every year at the same time.”

“You bought this house despite me telling you not to?”

“Yes.”

Desmond didn’t look guilty at his confession.

“I should be angry, but I’m too happy.”

“Go with that feeling. It works for me,” he said, turning her around in the direction of the door.

“Now move. We have places to go and things to do.”

“Like what?”

“It’s a surprise.”

Holding out her arms, she put on the coat that Desmond held out for her, moving around her. She felt a surge of warmth as he meticulously buttoned it before placing her pom-pom hat on her head, giving her a critical glance before taking her hand.

Haley had seen other couples do the same numerous times and had been envious. Being on the other side of being the one given the consideration eased a tiny part of her heart that she had been holding back to keep from being completely devastated if Desmond woke up one day and decided they were over.

In the cab, Haley looked at their clasped hands as Desmond made small talk with the driver. Still adjusting to the weight of the engagement ring and wedding band she had only started wearing last week, she snuggled into Desmond’s side when he brushed a finger over them as if making sure they were still there.

When they arrived at the airport, Desmond’s pilot was waiting by his plane.

“Mr. Beck, Mrs. Beck.”

A thrill went up her spine at being referred to as his wife. Taking a seat next to Desmond, Haley realized it was a different plane.

“What happened to your jet?” she asked.

“Still in Queens City. I rented this one. It has a bedroom at the back.”