Disbelief rushes through my form, but then my heart beats quickly with passion.
“You love me?” I growl, squeezing her hand so tightly now that she winces slightly. Immediately, I relax a bit.
“Yes,” she says with a small smile and tears in your eyes. “I fell in love with you a while ago, Cameron. It’s just that … well, you bought me,” she sniffles slightly. “I was your possession. Just something for you to own and play with, whenever you found it convenient. And I know we never meant to get pregnant, but this baby makes everything real, and I wasn’t sure how you’d take it.”
With that, I sweep her into my arms, holding the curvy girl close while pressing my lips to her temple.
“Baby, I want this child with you. More than anything, I want to have a little girl with you who looks just like you. I want a family with you. Nothing would make me happier.”
She looks up at me, her brown eyes shimmering with tears.
“Really?”
I nod, my heart in my throat.
“These last few months with you have been crazy, honey, but also unbelievably gratifying. I honestly didn’t expect any of this, and I certainly didn’t expect to fall in love with you. But I did, and now, I can’t ever see myself stopping. I want you in all ways, more than just in bed, and now that you’re pregnant with my child… It’s the best news you could have ever told me. I’m sorry you left before I got the chance to tell you this, but you understand why, right? Jessalyn, I need you to say that you’re with me now because you want to be. Not because of your dad, or because of the rent, or because of any other bullshit reason.”
More tears swell in Jess’ eyes as she hears my words. But then she nods, and my heart fills with passion.
“I love you, Cameron. I’m yours, always. Me and the baby.”
I tilt her chin to mine with one finger, and claim her lips with my own.
“You are mine,” I growl possessively. “Always.”
We kiss again, but then Jess pulls back for a moment, to look into my eyes.
“How did you know it was me when I called today?” she asks.
I smile.
“There’s no one else it could be, sweetheart. Even from an unidentified number, I knew.”
She bites her lip and nods.
“But how did you know where I was?” she continues.
I take a deep breath.
“Sweetheart, there aren’t that many places you could be. But after you left, I had to make sure. I had my people come out to make sure you were okay. I put Randy in that job so that he’d be out of your hair forever –”
Jess cuts me off.
“Wait, you’re the one who hired my dad? I thought he was working at Mirabelle Resorts.
I nod.
“And guess who owns Mirabelle?”
Her eyes grow wide.
“Oh my god, Cameron.”
I nod again.
“Sweetheart, it was the best solution. Randy needs a job, and I employ thousands of people. He’s not a great employee, but we’ll find a way to make it work. Besides, I want him out of your life, and this was the best way to do it, short of other, more drastic measures. Mirabelle is in Arizona, and with Randy gone, we can start our lives over again.”
Jessalyn smiles at me even as her arms snake around my neck again.
“Who knew you’d be my savior, Cameron Purcell?” she whispers. “I thought you bought me, but in the end, you’ve been my knight in shining armor.”
With that, I growl and dip my head to capture her mouth once more. She sighs blissfully, melting in my arms. After all, this is the woman who was sold to me, but I plan on keeping Jessalyn by my side forever now.
Epilogue
Jessalyn
* * *
A year later.
The park near our house turns out to be Ella’s favorite place to go. Our daughter, for some reason, prefers to venture into the park instead of our own gardens behind the house. But Cameron and I don’t mind. The park typically results in a good night’s sleep for her –and us– which is hard to come by when you have a child under the age of one, which is crucial.
Have I ever mentioned how much I love this life with Cameron?
I love watching as Cameron holds Ella against his chest as they slide down the slide together. I love how Cameron dotes on his daughter, feeding her bits of fruit and baby food. I love how he stares fondly at her as she sleeps, sometimes stroking her downy head.
Even the weather seems to cooperate. It’s a beautiful day in Fortitude, Nevada, and the sun is shining magnificently. The trees provide just the right amount of shade, and I enjoy our walks in this park. We take them almost daily, and I breathe deeply of the clean, fresh air.