Fighting For Light: A Dark Sports Romance (The Coldwell Brothers)

40. Kai

I pull into the driveway, and she waits for me to walk around to open the door and help her down. We get in the house, and I enable the security system to go into home mode. I immediately walk the house and then look out the front window. Back in the kitchen, Cordi is cutting up an apple and has the kettle on the stove.

She turns and takes a bite of her apple, leaning her back against the counter. Her eyes scrutinize my face as she chews it slowly, still staring at me.

I grin and walk up to her, placing my hands on either side of the counter. “What’s that look for?” I ask her.

She smiles and takes another bite of the apple.

“I was thinking about you and I being Mr. and Mrs. Smith.” She laughs. “The picture in my mind is just —“

My phone rings, and I pull it out of my pocket. I smile at Cordi, who is still laughing at herself.

“It’s Mom,” I tell her.

She nods and takes another bite.

“Hey, Mom. How’s Bali?” I ask her.

Cordelia frowns and tilts her head.

“Hi, Kai. Liam and I are back. Your brother is quite the surfer; he won a competition he entered the day before.” I smile at that. Liam knows how to shred the gnar, that’s for sure. “I got some sun and had too many daiquiris, but it was nice to spend some time with him. I’d like to spend some time with Emerson. Maybe I can get him to come to the Malibu house with me.”

“You know how he is, Mom. He’s focused on that gym and his fights.”

She sighs. “Yes, I’ll have to talk to him. But that’s not why I’m calling. I wanted to let you know we were home, and Liam decided to come all the way back with me. And while we were on the plane, I thought about a few things. Is Cordelia there with you?” she asks.

“Uh, yeah. Why?” I ask her.

“Put me on speakerphone, please,” she commands.

I drop the phone from my ear and hit speaker before setting it on the counter.

“Okay, Mom.”

I glance at Cordi. She stopped eating her apple and flipped the stove off.

“Cordelia, honey?”

“Hi, Esmarie. How was Bali?” she asks.

“Oh, it was wonderful, thank you for asking. Your brother-in-law is quite the surfer,” Mom says, and Cordi smiles at the phone. “I’m calling because we need to plan your and Kai’s big wedding. I’ve prepared the announcement, but the longer I thought about it, the more I think mildly publicizing the event will be the best choice. This will double as your debut into society. How do you feel about that?”

Cordi looks up at me, and I walk over to her side and tap mute on the phone. “Whatever you want, gem. If you don’t want to have a big wedding, we don’t. Mom means well, and she has good reason to keep up appearances for the family, but if you don’t want it, then we don’t do it. It’s that simple.”

She looks at me for a long moment, and I nervously run my hand through my hair. She taps unmute on my phone. “Esmarie, I have to ask you. Why do we need to publicize anything? What’s the point?”

“Well, sweetheart, that means magazines. We’d possibly work with one of the wedding magazines to stream it online and feature the flowers, the dress, and some celebrity attendance. People from our world would pay attention, in other words. As I said when you first got engaged, if we don’t announce you as Kai’s new wife with a baby on the way, it does one of two things: creates rumors or makes it appear as if we have something to hide, which would not work in our favor.“ She pauses, and Cordelia messes with her fingers nervously.

I don’t know what to say. I don’t care either way. Our courthouse wedding was perfect in my eyes. But if this will make her happy, then so be it.

Cordi reaches for my hand. I hold it tightly, hoping she will be honest about what she wants. “Okay, if you think that would be the smartest thing to do, then yeah, we can have another wedding, I guess. But, um, I have one question, and maybe it won’t matter, but I need to know.”

“And what’s that?” Mom asks. Cordi’s hand goes to her belly and tightens in mine.

“My son is not Kai’s by blood, as you know, but as far as I’m concerned, Kai is his father.”

My heart does back flips, somersaults, and beats against my sternum with her words. She finally said the words I’ve wanted to hear.

“Does that need to be…covered up?” Cordi asks.

Mom is silent for a moment. “Kai,” she drawls. “Did Scott take care of everything?”

“Yeah, Mom, the paperwork arrived yesterday,” I tell her.

“And what about the useless sperm donor?”

“I told him I was pregnant,” Cordi says. “He didn’t ask for a paternity test, but we had to do one in order for the lawyer to get me sole custody.”

“Let me talk to Scott about details. But as long as the donor keeps his mouth shut and Scott did his job, it should be no problem. Regardless, I will make sure of it.”

Cordi puffs out a breath and rubs her belly. “Okay, thank you, Esmarie. I appreciate it.”

“Anything for family, darling, anything.”

Cordi lifts her eyes to mine and nods. “I agree completely, Esmarie.”

“Wonderful. I will call you later with details, Cordelia, and we can get the ball rolling.”

“Sounds good, Mom. Thanks,” I tell her as I stare at Cordi in awe. Me? She really wants me to be his father.

“And are you off to Las Vegas again in a few days?” Mom asks.

“Yeah, we are,” I tell her as Cordelia steps closer to me, pressing her body against mine as electric heat zings through me.

“Wonderful. I want to—“

Stunned by what Cordi just said, I can’t listen to Mom. I need my wife.

“Mom, thank you, but I’ll have to call you back for the details or whatever.”

She’s silent on the other end.

“Very well, talk soon,” she says.

I tap the red button and grab the back of Cordi’s neck, hauling her to me, overwhelmed with love and gratitude. I get to be his father.

Our lips crash, and she moans into my mouth, shooting heat through my body. I lift Cordi onto the counter and shove my hips between her knees, pressing kisses all over her face.

“It’s true,” Cordi gasps.

I groan into her chest and lift her shirt over her head, tossing it onto the floor before doing the same with my own shirt. I bite the soft mound of her breast before unhooking her bra to throw it. She grabs my hair and yanks at it. I lift my head and kiss her slowly and carefully.

Cordi’s hand slides down my front to my jeans and grips me, and I pull back, groaning. She grins, dragging her hand over me.

“Gem,” I groan.

I lean into her, going back to the button of her jeans, and slide my fingers past her underwear. She whimpers, biting her lower lip, and leans in to capture my mouth with hers. Our kiss turns into a fierce, consuming fire. Her hips move against my hand on the counter. She pulls back and yanks me further into the countertop, locking her ankles at my back. I dip my fingers into her, and she whines, trying to ride my hand.

She takes my mouth without hesitation, and our tongues brush while my pants tighten uncomfortably. The knob from the drawer digs into my hip, and I grunt in pain, pulling back.

“Wait,” I say, out of breath.

“What?” she asks, looking me in the eye with pupils blown wide.

“Are you sure? I know it felt good to get that paperwork, but…are you sure?” I ask her.

“Sure about what, Kai?” she asks, leaving wet, sloppy kisses on my jaw.

“You want me to be his father? Legally?” I ask her, realizing that’s not quite how I meant to say that, but words are hard at the moment.

She smiles against my lips and nods. “Like you said, blood doesn’t matter. You’re here, you married me, you will protect us, and you will provide for us. You won’t leave us when it gets hard. You made a promise to love us. As far as I’m concerned, that is the definition of a father. I’ve wanted to tell you that since we got engaged. I didn’t because I was nervous about the process getting messy.” She grabs my face, searching my eyes. “Is that…do you …”

“Yes, yes, gem. It would be my honor to be his father,” I say, resting my hand on her stomach.

“I didn’t know how to ask you or tell you. I just—“ I smash my mouth on hers again, and she leans forward, pressing her bare chest as close as she can. My face gets wet with the tears that stream down her face. “I want your name right next to mine on that birth certificate, Kai,” she says. I nod and kiss her again.

“You know, after he makes his way into this world, I can’t wait to put more babies in you,” I rasp. “To build a family together. I want a whole soccer team with you,” I tell her nervously. I haven’t told her, as stupid as it sounds in my head, that I want a chance to be better than my father. I want to love and protect my children and raise them up to be who they are meant to be. I want them to have the chance to try and fail instead of survive, and it starts with me.

“I’ve been thinking about that,” she whispers. She grabs my lip with her teeth, then soothes it with her tongue.

“And?” I groan and move my hand.

She whimpers and kisses me again. “I do, too.”

I lean back and look into her eyes. She was terrified about giving birth to our son. “Just like that?” I ask her.

“Just like that. If we’re meant to have that whole soccer team, then we will,” she says, dragging her mouth across mine. “If I wasn’t pregnant already, I would tell you to put a baby in me now,” she says, breathless.

“I would have already, but we certainly can keep practicing.” I smile. She shakes her head, then her mouth drops open as her eyes roll back.

“They do say practice makes perfect, so you’re probably right,” she gasps.

I nod and move my fingers.

She grabs onto my wrist, panting against my mouth. I love seeing her like this. I love the way she melts under my touch.

“Kai,” she moans.

“Tell me, gem, tell me how you want me,” I grit out. She thrusts her chest up, and I bury my face in her.

“Faster,” she moans. I move my hand faster, wishing I got her pants off before I set her on the counter. I grab her nipple with my mouth and bite down gently as she trembles in my hands. I slip my fingers away and pull her off the counter, starting towards the stairs. Her second-trimester belly keeps her from pressing too close to me, but I can make it work. “There will come a day when you can’t do this for a while. I’ll be too top-heavy,” she giggles.

I shake my head and set her feet on the bedroom floor, pulling her pants down the rest of the way before tossing mine after them.

“It won’t be for long. I’m not worried about it,” I say, and she smiles, pulling me down to her level to kiss her again. I straighten and point to the bed. “Lay on your side.” She does as I say, so her back is to me. I spoon her from behind and bring my hand to her front.

“This one is new,” she whispers, clasping her hand around the back of my neck. I rest my chin on her shoulder and kiss her jaw.

“I told you I did research. We have to test everything for the next baby,” I tell her and circle my finger. She whimpers quietly.

“I’ll make sure I’m taking notes.” She moans again.

“Good. Details are important,” I murmur in her ear. I line myself up with her from behind, and she grabs my wrist, throwing her head back against my shoulder.

“Oh,” she moans.

“Good?” I ask her because this might not work for her, so I wait for her to tell me.

She nods, and I go further.

“Yes,” she draws the word out.

My eyes almost roll to the back of my head with the new position. I grab her knee and tilt it towards me, opening her wider.

“More,” she groans. I give her exactly what she asks for and thrust my hips again. She releases my neck and grabs my butt, grasping at the muscle and urging me deeper.

I move my free hand up and down her body, over her belly, and back between her legs, stroking her gently. She shakes, sending lightning through me as I quicken my pace.

“Gem,” I grunt as she pushes back into me.

“Kai,” she whimpers. “I love you.”

“Say it again,” I command.

She groans and turns her head as I lean in, lapping at her honeyed velvet sweetness.

“I love you,” she says between long and breathless kisses.

“Kai,” she screams. I curse and relish in the soul-shaking, heart-syncing connection between us. It’s like an out-of-body experience, and she’s the only one who tethers me to the moment. I am her moon, and she is my tide, and we will never be apart. Even after we breathe our last on this earth, we will be together again.

“I love you too,” I tell her on a sharp inhale as I gather her into my arms.