Chapter 16
“I am dizzy.”
Zahra passed her hands over her hips in a self-conscious movement as she stared in the Cheval mirror.
A lot had happened since she got engaged to Bryce.
She was catapulted in the limelight and was trying to deal with the media frenzy.
Reports circulated every day about their love story.
The fact that they had been teenage sweethearts added an element that people could not resist.
Another was the fact that Hollywood hottie had fallen in love with someone so out of his sphere and from his past.
The inn was the focus of every major newspaper and had suddenly become the destination wedding place to go.
Bryce had decided that this would be his place of residence, with them going to the other homes at intervals.
In order for that to happen and to accommodate his vehicles and other stuff, he had hired local people to make additions, including a private residence apart from the inn.
With the planning of the wedding, the construction going on, Zahra felt as if she was spinning out.
But he anchored her.
When she felt overwhelmed he would insist on them taking a break.
One of those breaks took them to Paris where they stayed at his pied a’ terre for a few days.
Another time he just told her to pack for two nights and they went to a remote cabin in Vermont.
He made her feel loved and cared for and was fiercely protective of her.
And she was pregnant.
Two months and had just found out yesterday.
“You look amazing.”
Sandra clapped her hands as she stepped into the room.
The dress, a Romano’s original was of the palest pink wool that covered her generous bosom and flared out at the waist to swirl to her ankles.
An expert had been called in to do her make-up and hair and the effect was stunning.
The man had cooed over her ‘wonderful skin’ and the quality of her hair., which he had shampooed and deep conditioned and left loose to tumble down her back in healthy coils.
She was wearing pearls, large, luminous, matching the exact shade of her dress.
A crown of pink and white petals was her only headwear.
“Girl…!”
Her friend, looking very attractive in lime green shook her head.
“You are rocking that dress.
Your life is like a fairytale.
You’re marrying a man most women would give up everything to spend one night with and what’s more, he loves you.”
“I love him.”
“Have you told him yet?”
“Tonight.”
She pressed a hand to her stomach.
Sandra only knew of her condition because she had gone to the doctor’s with her.
“Where are you going for your honeymoon?”
Zahra blew out a breath to get rid of the nerves and laughed shakily.
“It’s a secret from even me.
We don’t want the press to get hold of the destination.
His assistant is so professional and capable, it’s scary.
And he’s incredibly loyal to Bryce.”
“Not surprising, since he pays him a fortune.”
“It’s more than that.
He likes Bryce and respects him a lot.
They went to school in the UK.”
“The parents?”
“His or my mother?”
“All of them.
Are they coming around?”
“Had to.
Bryce would not accept anything less.”
She touched the pearls around her throat.
“I’m ready.”
They had opted to have the wedding at the inn.
The place had been closed for the day and the ceremony was being held in the elegant blue and gold living room with the fire blazing inside the hearth, a perfect backdrop for the cold winter morning.
A few people had been invited, and the reception would be held at the community center.
Bryce’s team of employees had worked assiduously to keep the ceremony from being invaded by reporters, except a coveted few who had been invited to the reception.
The ceremony was only for close families and friends.
He knew the instant she stepped into the room.
It was as if the very air shifted and her presence took over completely.
Without hesitation, he stopped speaking to the minister and turned to face the door.
His breath caught in his throat, and he felt the tension easing around his heart.
Even to the very day of the wedding, he expected her to tell him she had changed her mind and could not handle the pressure associated with being with him.
The press was relentless, with no qualms about invading their privacy.
He had ordered his staff to do everything they could to ease that pressure off her.
And he had seen the frustration which he had tried to do something about.
But here she was, willing to join her life to his forever.
Zahra felt herself settle, when she noticed the emotions that stormed into his eyes, darkening it.
He had eyes only for her and she felt her own eyes shimmering with tears.
He loved her, there was no doubt of it.
He loved her completely and because of it, she could deal with anything else.
Handing her bridal bouquet to Sandra, she went to meet her groom.
*****
“Where are we?”
She had slipped straight into an exhausted sleep.
The reception had gone on longer than they anticipated with the crowd even bigger, and reporters vying to take pictures and get comments.
“Nowhere.”
He grinned over at her as he brought the vehicle to a stop in front of a very rustic cottage in the middle of a lush, vegetated area.
Snow glittered white on treetops and bushes, and there was smoke curling from the slightly crooked chimney.
“Somewhere in the middle of Virginia.
It belongs to a rather eccentric director friend of mine.”
Turning to face her, he found his heart melting as he stared at the sleepy eyes and the creases on her cheek from the cushion he had placed there.
“My wife.”
His throat was constricted and for a few seconds, he could barely swallow.
“My love.” Taking her hand, he drew her to him and indulged in a steamy kiss that had her melting against him.
“Ready?”
“Hmm.”
She wrapped her hands around his neck and inhaled his scent. “Yes.”
“What do you think?”
Taking her jacket, he hung it up and took her hand, leading her into a cozy living room with shabby furnishings and a fireplace that extended from one wall to the next.
“I think it’s lovely.
Shabby chic.”
“Hungry?”
She shook her head.
Her stomach had been queasy, and she had been unable to eat anything much.
He had noticed and asked her about it, and she evaded giving him an answer by saying that it was nerves.
“I want to go to bed.”
He chuckled, his body tightening.
Crossing the room, he wrapped his arms around her waist.
“That can be arranged.
I am sure you’re tired from the activities of the past few weeks and would like nothing better than take a nap…,”
he grunted when she punched him in the stomach.
“No need to get violent.” Tilting her chin up, he kissed her.
“I love you.”
“Show me,”
she whispered.
He was nervous, which did not make sense since he had been looking forward to this ever since he came back into her life.
She was his wife now.
She had not hesitated to take his name.
She was Zahra Whitlock, his to have and to hold, until death.
And he meant to keep every promises and vows he had made to her before God and man.
Starting now.
Stepping towards her, he cupped her neck and bent to kiss her.
“You’re mine.”
He whispered thickly.
“Yes.”
“For the rest of my life.
Nothing will ever get between us.”
He kissed her cheek and the sides of her lips.
“Bryce.”
“My love?”
He was at her throat, loving the scent of her and the feel of her skin against his lips.
“I love you so much.”
His fingers tightened on her arms.
“I thought you would give up.”
Lifting his head, he stared at her with intense eyes.
“When I saw the way the reporters were behaving and the attention focused on us, I thought you would tell me you do not want this.
You don’t want me.
I was scared spitless and would wake up every night to make certain you were still next to me.”
Her throat worked.
That this gorgeous man, a man who portray such confidence whenever they were in public, could suffer from insecurity regarding her.
It humbled her.
“Never.”
She arched against him.
“Undress me.”
He stripped off her sweater, kisses peppering her face, neck, and throat.
Pushing her gently back on the bed, he bent to remove her boots and socks, before easing off her leggings.
His hands trembled as he ran them up and down her thighs.
“Now you.”
He made short work of it, almost tearing away the clothing with impatient fingers that were also shaking.
He climbed in next to her, eyes wandering over her face.
Sliding in beside her, he turned her to face him.
For a minute, he did not say anything.
He had exchanged vows with her, and it flashed through his mind that they could have been married years ago.
“I’m sorry.”
He touched her face gently, trailing a finger down one smooth cheek.
“For?”
“Being a damn fool when I was seventeen.
And not seeing you, not seeing that being with you was more important than trying to find myself.”
“Bryce…”
He shook his head.
“Let me finish.”
A smile touched his lips as he traced the outline of hers.
“I knew I loved you then, but it frightened me.”
“Me too.”
She whispered.
“And I would appreciate it if you would stop beating up yourself for something that happened when we were children.” She captured his hand and pressed it against her cheek.
She was emotional.
She knew part of it could be blamed on hormones.
Her body was changing.
She had a baby growing inside her and she could not care less what the experts say, it was already a baby as far as she was concerned.
His baby. And now was the time to share the news.
Taking his hand, she slid it down her body until it was resting on her stomach.
“We both had lousy parents.
That’s one of the things that bonded us together.
But we will do better.
We will have time for our children, no matter how busy we are. We love each other and that love has created something wonderful.”
His eyes flew to their joined hands and then to her face.
He felt as if his chest was constricted and for a second he could not breathe.
“What are you saying?”
He asked hoarsely.
“I have been feeling off lately.”
Her smile was luminous.
“Dizzy at times and nauseous.
I have always been regular, but when I missed my periods, I chalked it down to the stress and excitement of what was going on.
When I went with Sandra to her doctor, I decided to get myself checked.” She pressed his hand to her stomach.
“We’re pregnant darling.”
His hand trembled and his heart was filled to bursting.
Without a word, he bent his head and simply placed his forehead on hers.
“I adore you.”
He whispered thickly.
“I promise that for the rest of my life, I will try and be worthy of your love.” He blinked at the tears burning the back of his eyes.
“You already are.
I want you inside me.”
She wrapped her hands around his neck.
“Scratch that.
I need you inside me.
Now.
Make love to me.”
Lifting his head, he let his gaze roamed over her lovely face.
He should have realized that something was going on with her.
Hadn’t he felt the difference in her nipples? The tenderness, the sensitivity? She was carrying his baby inside her and he could not find the words.
Tilting her chin up, he brushed his lips back and forth, rubbing against hers as he inhaled her scent.
He wanted to take her in.
Making love to her was never going to be enough.
He wanted more.
It was their wedding night, and she was pregnant. He was going to lavish her with love until they were both destroyed by it.
He had to drag his mouth away from hers, ending the kiss.
His heart was pounding like a jack hammer, his body already coated with a thin layer of sweat.
The heat curling inside him was threatening to consume him.
This was his woman, his lover, his best friend and now his wife.
The knowledge overwhelmed him.
He would die for her, would kill for her.
He was going to protect her with everything he possessed.
Zahra knew that something had changed.
Ever since he came back into her life, their relationship was evolving every day.
It had not only grown more intense, but there was an added layer, a passion that sizzled between them even when they were apart.
His mouth moved down and over her breasts, lingering on her sensitive nipple and sending jolts after jolts of fire inside her belly that had her crying out his name.
Her body quivered and she reached for him blindly, fingers digging into his shoulders and back.
Sliding a hand between them, Bryce palmed her sex and had her spiraling up and over, the climax slamming into her with a force that rocked her world.
She was blinded by it, consumed by him.
But he was not finished.
“More.”
He demanded, driven by a madness that was taking over.
“I want to see you come.
I want you to come all over my fingers.” He plunged into her and felt his body jerked when she lifted her hips and climaxed.
Her eyes were wide and moist, lips parted.
The passion was evident on her lovely face.
He could not wait any longer.
Sliding out of her, he covered her body and drove in deep, hands cupping her face.
She could smell the muskiness of sex, the sweat from both their bodies and the passion that seemed to drive them to another dimension.
Burying her face in his throat, she bit into his flesh and had him crying out her name.
He emptied himself inside her, body shuddering.
With a cry of surrender, she climaxed again, arms wrapped around his body as she gave into the tide that covered them both.
“Stay.”
She whispered a few minutes later when he was about to move.
“I’m crushing you.”
“No.”
She clung – wrapping one leg around his.
Amusement sounded in his voice as he lifted his head to stare at her.
“You do know I am much stronger than you are, right?”
“Are you?”
“Hmm.
Sweetheart, just let me …,”
he eased off slowly and tucked her next to him.
“Much better.
I don’t want to hurt you.”
Propping his face on one hand, he wiped the moisture from her cheeks, his touch lingering.
“How do you feel?”
He asked anxiously.
“Great.”
“I have to ask.
Is there a capable OBGYN in town? I could fly one out…?”
“No.”
She placed a finger over his lips, her eyes laughing at him.
“I know I am married to a celebrity and some things I am going to have to deal with and I am okay or trying to be okay with it, but I draw the line at you flying some rich ass doctors to the stars to take care of me.
We have a clinic at Flower Hills and as it’s a small town, I am guaranteed to get the best possible care, and I know these people.
I might not be able to control the lack of privacy and people asking me what the hell I am wearing, which is dumb by the way, but I am controlling this.
Our children will grow up as normal as possible in the circumstances and I want your word on it.
I mean it darling.”
“I have no say in the matter?”
“You have all the say in the world, but bear in mind that I am the one with the uterus.”
There was a battle light in her eyes that warned him not to push.
“All right.”
He kissed the tip of her nose.
“You win.”
“Good.”
She passed a hand over his jaw, her expression tender.
“Are you fully recovered?”
He gave her a puzzled stare.
“From what?”
Her hand drifted down his washboard abs and settled on his sex.
“Not quite but getting there.”
“How about now?”
He asked thickly, using his hand to cover hers and she felt when he hardened.
She smiled at him, a glint in her eyes.
“I would say you’re ready.”
*****
“One more photo, please.”
The reporter asked persuasively as the couple made their way off the red carpet.
Bryce was getting ready to snarl, when to his surprise, his wife touched his arm lightly to stop him.
“One more.”
She told the grateful and almost stuttering young man firmly, with a pleasant smile.
Pushing his luck, the reporter asked them for a pose.
“Your hand on her tummy, if you please, Mr.
Whitlock.”
Bryce gave him a look that could have shriveled steel but obliged by positioning Zahra in front of him and wrapping his arms around her baby bump.
“Excellent.”
The delighted reporter got off several shots and already had the headline in mind.
‘Hollywood stud dazzled by pregnant wife’.
The man looked as if he was struck by a thousand bolts of the love bug.
If anyone had told him that the action star would have that look on his face, he would have told them it was a lie.
But it was right here caught on camera.
There was no doubt that the couple were in love.
Slinging his expensive camera around his neck, he pranced off happily.
“Ready, sweetheart?”
Taking her hand, Bryce led her away from the crowd.
The sleek limousine was already waiting to whisk them away and he carefully bundled her in before sliding in next to her.
Kicking off the heels she had worn for the ceremony, Zahra leaned against him and closed her eyes in sheer bliss.
She had insisted on accompanying him even though she was almost nine months pregnant.
“Tired?”
“Just a little.”
She admitted.
She was in fact feeling some cramps, off and on, but knew that if she told him, he was going to go nuclear.
She was still three weeks away from her due date, but she was afraid that their son was impatient to be born.
“Are we going home tonight?”
“Absolutely.
The plane is waiting.”
He turned towards her and lifted her chin, eyes scanning her face.
“What’s wrong?”
“Just heartburn.”
She assured him.
“I am fine.”
“Zahra.”
“Stop worrying.”
To distract him, she touched his jaw, a smile curving her lips.
“I am so proud of you.
I let out an undignified squeal when they announced your name as grabbing all those awards.
‘Best actor in the action category.” That did the trick and had him leaning in to kiss her.
“I saw when you jumped out of your seat.”
He chided.
“You almost gave me a heart attack.
Damn woman, when are you going to realize that you’re on the verge of giving birth and act like it?”
“When I am actually giving birth.
You worry too much.
I am not the first woman in the world to get pregnant.”
“I don’t care about the others.
Ah, here we are.
And Jack is waiting.”
He had wanted to skip the after party and was grateful she had agreed to it.
In fact, he was damned worried and berating himself for listening to her about accompanying him.
“Take off as soon as we get settled.”
He instructed the pilot.
It was a two-hour flight, but he had noticed that she looked a little on edge.
He watched her throughout the flight, his concern increasing.
“You’re in labor.”
He remarked tersely when she valiantly tried to ride out the contractions which was coming more frequently.
“It’s Braxton Hicks.”
She gasped and pressed a hand to her stomach and took a deep breath.
“Dammit, Zahra!”
Fear clutched at his heart and froze his blood.
Unlocking his seatbelt, he went to the cockpit to find out how far they were away from landing.
“Two minutes out.”
Jack told him.
“Find somewhere to land at the hospital.”
He ordered.
“My wife is in labor.”
Without another word, the pilot executed a neat turn and got on his radio.
By the time the plane landed in a clearing in the parking lot, hospital personnel were there waiting with a gurney.
*****
The scare of two hours ago forgotten, Bryce had stripped off his jacket and tie and was cradling his son gently in his arms, staring at the perfect face, with the head of dark curls and unblinking golden-brown eyes and felt love flooding every inch of his heart.
“He’s amazing.”
“Sit by me.”
Zahra patted the space next to her.
The labor had been surprisingly easy and quick.
Their son, Zachary Ian, was born at precisely 10.00 pm and came out squalling.
Bryce lowered himself and transferred his son to his left arm, so that he could wrap his free arm around his wife’s shoulders to pull her in.
He had called his parents, her mother, Sandra, and Jessica to tell them the good news.
“Thank you.”
He whispered in her ear, emotions storming through him like a thunderstorm.
Tears clogged his throat, and he had to swallow several times before he could continue.
“Thanks for my life and for my family.”
“You’re welcome.”
Turning into him, she embraced the two most important people in her life.
The end…