Chapter 27
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Damien
I stood frozen in the doorway when I saw Willa turn around, one hand resting on her expanding belly over the silk fabric of her elegant dress.
“Well?” she asked. “Is it too much? Not enough? The saleswoman said it was designed for expectant mothers, but I’m not sure if?—”
“You’re breathtaking.” I smiled, stepping inside the bedroom. “Absolutely breathtaking.” I softly kissed her lips. I reached into my suit coat pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. “I bought something for you.” I handed it to her.
“Damien.” She grinned, opening the box. Raising her hand, she covered her mouth as she stared at the four-carat diamond earrings. “They’re beautiful. Oh my gosh. I can’t believe you bought these for me.”
“Why can’t you believe it? I love you and want you to have nice things.”
“I love them so much. Thank you.” She reached up and kissed me. “Now, how will you top off a push present?” A smirk crossed her lips.
“A what?” I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting my tie.
“A push present. It’s all the rage right now.”
“I’ve never heard of a push present, Willa.”
“That’s because you’ve never gotten a woman pregnant before me.” She grinned. “It’s a gift you give me after pushing out our daughter. It’s a lot of work, you know.”
“That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.” I chuckled.
“Is it though?” Her brow arched as she patted my chest.
We arrived in Central Park for the ceremony. It was a beautiful, warm summer day, and one of my company’s biggest investors was getting married. We sat in the chairs, enveloped in an elegant white cover and silk sash. I stared at Scott as he stood under the floral arch, looking nervous as fuck. The music began to play, and we all stood up, staring at the bridesmaids who descended the white runway and took their places. Then came the bride, dressed in an elegant white gown handmade in Italy. How did I know? Scott was bitching about the cost when he was in my office a few weeks ago.
I gripped Willa’s hand, noting the expression on her face as she stared at the bride. It tugged at my heart because every girl’s dream was to have a big, beautiful wedding filled with family and friends. Not a wedding in a Vegas chapel, which neither of us could remember, except for the viral video that landed on Page Six.
“I love you,” I whispered in her ear.
“I love you, too.” She grinned.
Tears streamed down Willa’s face as Scott and his bride recited their vows to each other. Pulling my handkerchief from my pocket, I handed it to her and hooked my arm around her.
“It’s the hormones,” she whispered, dabbing her eyes.
“Uh-huh.” I smiled.
After the ceremony, we headed to the Waldorf Astoria for the reception.
“Wow. Look at this place,” Willa said, her eyes scanning the elegant décor.
“Scott told me this wedding cost him around half a million dollars,” I said.
“I can see why. The flowers alone had to cost a fortune. Oh my God, Damien.” She grabbed my hand and led me to the cake table. “Look at this cake. Holy shit. I’ve never seen a cake with so many layers. Ugh. Everything is just so gorgeous.”
And now I felt bad again. Listening to her go on about the reception made me realize what a big deal this was for her. We didn’t have a cake. Or at least, I didn’t think we did. Shit.
“There’s the mama to be.” Theodore walked over and hugged her. “You look stunning, Willa.”
“Thank you, Theodore. Where’s Lucy?”
“Unfortunately, she’s fallen ill. She’s at home in bed resting.”
“I hope it’s nothing serious,” I said.
“I think she just has the flu. It’s been going around.”
“Well, hopefully you don’t catch it.” I patted his back.
Willa went over to talk to Donna. Charlie stood beside me as we stared at our wives.
“Willa’s belly is getting bigger every day,” he said.
“I know,” I said, smiling. “Life is going to completely change soon.”
“Your life has already completely changed, my friend.” He placed his hand on my shoulder.
After the reception, we headed home. As we were getting ready for bed, I felt it was the perfect time to have a talk with her.
“There’s something I want to talk to you about,” I said, unbuttoning my shirt.
“Okay.” She smiled, taking out her earrings.
“I think we should get our marriage annulled?—”
“What?!” she exclaimed, staring at me.
“Let me finish.” I walked over to where she stood and gripped her hips. “I love you so much, and I want you to have the wedding of your dreams. So, I thought we’d fly to Vegas, get the marriage annulled, and get remarried here in New York with our family and friends.”
“I already had the wedding of my dreams.” She smiled, staring into my eyes.
“Neither one of us remembers getting married, Willa. How is that the wedding of your dreams?”
“It doesn’t matter, Damien. I like how we did it. We did things backwards. Not many people can say that.”
“What do you mean, sweetheart?”
“We got married first and then fell in love after. It’s special and I don’t want to change anything. I accidentally became yours, and that’s the story of a lifetime.”
“Are you sure?” My brows furrowed. “I’ll spare no expense to give you a dream wedding.”
“I’m positive. Unless you want a big fancy wedding.”
“I’m happy with how things are. I just thought it’s what you wanted.”
“You’re incredibly sweet, but I think the way we were married is more than enough.”
“You are so beautiful.” I ran my finger across her forehead.
“So are you.” Our lips met.