Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 32946 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 165(@200wpm)___ 132(@250wpm)___ 110(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32946 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 165(@200wpm)___ 132(@250wpm)___ 110(@300wpm)
“Stop it. He’s been reading all these books.”
“Yes, I can tell. There was a time when pregnancy didn’t come with much of a handbook,” the doctor said. “Now there’s an expert on everything. Your child, Mr. Esposito, is healthy, and growing lovely. I don’t see any reason to be concerned. Have we decided if we’d like to know the sex of the child?”
“Yes,” Draven said.
He didn’t care if it was a boy or girl. Maria had wanted to know the sex. Draven just wanted to know if it was healthy.
“No,” Maria said.
He frowned and turned to look at his wife. “I thought you wanted to know the sex?”
“I did, but now I don’t care.”
“Why not?”
She lifted up and cupped his cheek. “You’re smiling. I’m happy.” She turned to the doctor. “We don’t need to know the sex.”
The doctor left them alone and Draven used the tissue the doctor had left to remove the gel from her stomach. His wife’s stomach was nicely rounded.
He’d not been able to make the first couple of trips for the ultrasound. Antwone had gone with Maria instead. They had both insisted on hearing the child’s heartbeat, but he hadn’t heard it himself. Placing his hand on her stomach, he looked into his wife’s eyes.
I will never hurt her.
She had given him a reason to live. A reason to be. Antwone had given him a reason to fight, to not give up, but it was Maria who had given him a reason to love life. She alone made him want to wake up in the morning. They were going to be a family. He was not going to be anything like his father.
His cell phone went off and Maria giggled. “I bet that’s your brother.”
Draven rolled his eyes but pulled out his cell phone, and sure enough there was a text from his brother asking him one question—if he was finally satisfied?
He ignored the message and instead focused on his woman. She pushed her top down and sat up. With her stomach, she found certain movements restrictive. He helped her off the bed, and the doctor came back with a picture of their child and a date for them to return.
Maria thanked the doctor, glared at him, and they left the hospital.
“You’re always so cold to the doctor,” she said.
“They’re paid to do a job, but if you need me to be nicer, just say so and I’ll do my best.”
She chuckled. “I love you.” She put her hand to her stomach.
He would never get tired of hearing her say those words. No one had ever told him that they loved him before. Not his mother, never his father. He had never needed to hear the words, but from Maria, they were everything.
“Are you happy?” she asked.
“Yes.”
And that was no lie. He was completely, totally, happy. He had everything he ever wanted, including things he didn’t know he ever wanted.
Maria wasn’t just a want anymore, she was a need. He needed her. She was everything to him.
Going to that party all those months ago was the best thing he ever did. Pulling her close, he pressed kisses to her body, loving her so fucking much. That was how he knew he would never hurt her. The love he had for her was so strong.
Epilogue
Five Years Later
If people could see him now, Draven knew any fear his name carried would go up in smoke. His five-year-old daughter, Elle, was currently putting makeup on him to make him look like a princess. Yes, this was how he spent his Friday nights, when work didn’t demand his attention.
His wife was nursing their newborn son, trying not to laugh as his daughter put yet more lipstick on his face. For a five-year-old, she was very demanding. Maria liked to say that she was exactly like him. Draven didn’t agree with that assessment at all. He was not quite so demanding, but then, when he looked toward his wife, he saw her brows rose.
“Daddy, sit still,” Elle said.
“I am sitting still.”
“Shh, no talking, Daddy. I do my best work when you’re not talking.” She sounded so cute with her little demands.
When Elle turned away, he started to move and this made Maria laugh.
“Daddy!”
He grabbed his little girl and even as his lips were covered in lipstick, he rained kisses all over her face. This made her laugh. At first, she was downright annoyed that he dared spoil her masterpiece, but then, once her face was covered, she giggled.
Next, he turned toward Maria, and seeing as she had their son, Lucas, she couldn’t run. As he kissed her cheeks and neck, she shook her head.
“There will be payback,” Maria said.
“I think it’s time for our little angel to have a bath,” Draven said.
Lucas had finished feeding and Draven took his son from his wife, placing him against his chest, with his mouth over his shoulder. He’d lost many shirts from baby sick, but he didn’t mind.