Chapter 37 Devon
DEVON
“Ma’am, you can’t go in there, he’s—”
Ignoring the day nurse, I stride right into Kairo’s room with a folder clutched in one hand and stop as Kairo, completely naked, wobbles at the base of the bed trying to get his boxers over his injured thigh.
He freezes and glances up, then completely relaxes when he sees me. “Oh, thank God,” he murmurs. “I thought it was Agnes again.”
“Are you scared of your nurse?”
He winces and wobbles.
I toss the folder onto his bed and reach his side within two steps.
Then, while averting my eyes, I hold his elbow and take over pulling his boxers past his knee and up to his hips.
“Thanks.” Kairo’s eyes meet mine and warmth flushes through my body, reflecting in the apples of my cheeks.
“Keep looking at me like that and I’ll take them off again.”
“Wow. Is that any way to treat the injured?”
“I don’t know. Maybe you should have spent more than four days in hospital. Why don’t we ask Agnes?”
“Don’t!” Kairo catches my wrist as I step away. “She’s not scary, she’s just… how can someone in the medical profession be so rough?”
“Maybe that’s why she’s a private nurse,” I tease. “She doesn’t have the stress of low pay so she’s less inclined to treat you with care.”
“From what we’re paying her, gentility should be a given,” he grumbles.
“How are you feeling?” Keeping my hand on his elbow, I help Kairo reach his bed and he lowers himself down onto the bed.
“Better. I’d do even better if you were my nurse.”
Standing between his knees, I gently cup his face. “I would if I could. It’s Christmas Eve. The bakery is swamped, my parents are up to their ears in orders because of all the publicity… It’s insane.”
“See?” Kairo tilts his head into my palm. “There’s no such thing as bad publicity.”
“Are you sure about that?” I nudge my head in the direction of the folder. “Some lawyer dropped that off with me earlier. Said that since I’m your fiancée, they didn’t want to deal with you directly.”
“What is it?” He blindly reaches for it, refusing to look away from me.
“It’s from your mother.”
Kairo’s eyes narrow and he glances down while pulling the file into his lap.
As he opens it, I slide one hand into his hair and stroke lazily.
“Did you read this?” he asks, his voice hoarse.
“I did. Your mom killed that condo project in its entirety and she’s returning ownership to all the businesses screwed over by the deal, without taking a penny back from them. The bakery is safe. That entire street is safe.”
“I don’t understand,” Kairo murmurs. “Why would she do this?”
“My best guess? Your being ousted from Silver Canopy and then nearly dying in the middle of nowhere gave her a sharp reality check. You were almost taken from her. From me.” I tighten my fingers briefly in his hair, and Kairo looks back up at me.
“I’m fine. Martin’s fine. We survived.”
“But we nearly didn’t. Martin lost a kidney. You lost so much blood that I didn’t know if I’d ever see you again…”
My breath trembles as memories from last week surge forward.
Sitting in that waiting room while Kairo was in surgery was the most terrifying moment of my life.
He told me loved me and passed out in the snow before I could say it back.
Fearing I’d never see him again definitely put a few things into perspective for me.
I can only imagine the same happened with his mother.
“I’m not saying that this fixes anything,” I say, closing the file in his hand.
“Your mother is still a terrible person and the way she treats you…” My hand slides back down to cup his cheek while he turns into the touch.
“But this is something. Maybe it’s performative.
But all those people get their businesses back if they choose.
We also get the land rights. Silver Canopy will have to deal with the fallout of all their shady deals without the Sycamore name to help them. So much good came out of this.”
“I don’t care about all that.” Kairo moves the folder out of his lap and returns his hands to my waist. “I only care about this.”
“My ass?”
He laughs softly and tilts his head up, claiming my lips in a soft, sweet kiss. “You. All of you. Everything you’ll give me. Everything you want to show me. Every inch from that weird hair on the top of your head that never flattens right down to your awkwardly shaped toes.”
“Leave my toes alone,” I protest, my cheeks warming. “At least I can dress myself without help.”
“Ouch.” Kairo chuckles. “Is that any way to treat an invalid?”
“Maybe. Do you need any more help?”
“No. I’ve got it from here.”
“Are you sure?”
“If I let you dress me, I won’t end up in any clothes.”
“Is that really a problem?” My brow arches, then I gently kiss him and step away. “I’ll be in the lounge.”
Walking away is difficult, but I manage it.
Ever since he woke up in that hospital bed, being away from him has been the toughest challenge I’ve faced.
Helping my family deal with the insane publicity about the collapse of Silver Canopy and the attempt on Kairo’s life, overshadowing our relationship, has been tiring.
Luckily, Axel’s kidnapping of me and shooting of Kairo turned the media in our favor.
They ignored the drama around Kairo sleeping with a potential business acquisition and turned us into star-crossed soulmates almost ripped apart by a maniac. Kairo was no longer a predator.
Instead, he was a man who found the love of his life where no business, money, or ex could stand in the way.
It’s a nice change, but our little bakery has become the face of the story since Kairo’s been recovering.
My parents ended up hiring everyone from the interviews all those months ago just to have extra hands to help.
In the lounge, I sit next to the presents that Kairo and I plan to wrap together, holding a small one in my hands.
Agnes says her goodbyes and wishes me a Merry Christmas, then she’s gone.
The present in my hands, while small, feels crushing.
It carries my last secret, the last thing that could threaten this blissful relationship I’ve ended up in.
Somehow, I’ve found a man who loves me, my body, and is willing to take a bullet for me.
I never want to let him go, but there’s still a chance I’ll lose him.
Kairo appears a few minutes later, still in his boxers and wearing a black T-shirt.
He limps heavily on his bandaged thigh, and I leap up immediately when he tries to sit next to me on the floor by the tree.
“If you get down, you’re not getting back up!” I gasp, trying to stop him.
“Devon, I want to sit under the tree and wrap presents with my wife,” he says. “Let me.”
I can’t argue with that so I focus on helping him down slowly until we’re both seated on the thick rug with the multi-colored lights from the tree painting patterns across our skin.
“No pants?” I raise one brow and Kairo laughs.
“I was too impatient.” He keeps his injured leg straight and carefully massages above the bandage. Just a flesh wound that hit a vital vein.
Something so small and yet I nearly lost him because of Axel.
My eyes drift to his other thigh where the old scars from his father cluster across his skin.
It makes me take his hand, and he looks at me with worried eyes.
“Devon, what’s wrong? You look sad.”
“I’m not sad,” I assure him softly. “I’m… this past week has been so insane. The crash, the fight. Martin getting shot. Your getting shot.” I shake my head. “I was so scared I was going to lose you.”
“You won’t lose me,” he assures me, clasping my hand between both of his.
“I’m fine. Look at me. I’m fine. Martin is fine, he’s recovering.
Axel has been sent back to Colorado to face trial for what he did to his ex, what he did to you, and the attempted murder of us and Martin.
He’ll never see the light of day ever again. You’re safe. We both are.”
“I know, but…” My stomach twists, and Kairo weaves his fingers between mine.
“But?”
Sucking in a deep breath, I pick up the small present and offer it to him. “Open this.”
“It’s not Christmas.” He chuckles. “Aren’t we supposed to be wrapping presents today?”
“Technically, yes, but this is important,” I say softly. “Please.”
Kairo takes the present and releases my hand.
When he frowns, that adorable curl appears between his brows and my heart skips a beat.
He’ll open that and then I’ll find out whether I’m spending Christmas alone or not.
It’s one thing to survive what we have, but this is different.
This is life-changing.
Kairo carefully peels the tape away from the shiny blue paper, as if he wants to treasure the wrapping as much as the gift.
It unfurls in his hand and a very small yellow piece of cloth falls out.
Kairo picks it up, confusion flitting across his face as he holds up a baby romper.
“Devon?” He tears his gaze away from it to lock eyes with me.
My heart pounds. “I’m pregnant.”
The word tastes weird on my tongue, like saying it out loud is some terrible thing.
My hands curl in my lap as I stare at him.
“I… I’ve known for a while, actually. But I was so scared to tell you because I was falling for you and you were doing so much for me, but it all hinged on us getting a divorce once everything with my arm and the bakery was finalized, so I was scared it looked like I was trying to trap you with a baby.
I didn’t know what to do, and everything was piling up, and all I could see was me losing you, because who wants a surprise baby?
We were supposed to be just helping one another and then I was here with a baby and you would hate me and I just—”
My panicked tirade that comes louder and faster the more I talk ends when Kairo’s mouth crashes against mine and smothers me.
His hand cradles the side of my neck and his mouth covers mine, kissing me hard and deep. Panic spikes in my chest like a blade presses against my skin, and then it starts to fade into a rush of tingles.
“Devon,” Kairo says gently as we break apart. “Breathe.”
I force a deep breath and nod quickly. “Sorry.”
“You’re pregnant.”
“Yup.”