Epilogue
IVY
SIX MONTHS LATER
“Keep your eyes closed,” I said struggling to cover them from behind.
“Baby, what’s this all about?” Declan questioned as I led him out of his bedroom.
“You’ll see when we get downstairs!” I squealed with excitement.
“Watch your step.”
“Woman, if you let me break my ass…”
“You aren’t gonna fall. Besides, this is your house. You should know how to maneuver blindly. Bring your ass on.”
He chuckled as we descended the stairs, not missing a single one. At the bottom, I led him into the living room and sat him on the couch.
“Is this why you went out super early this morning?” he asked, squeezing his eyes.
“Yes, it is.”
“Well hurry up, woman, I’m anxious.”
“Hold on, hold on, I’m almost ready.”
I finished hooking up the projector to load the tribute video I’d made for him. Today was our one-year anniversary and I had a very special surprise for him.
“Okay, you can open your eyes,” I said. He opened them and looked at me. “Happy anniversary, baby,” I said sitting on his lap.
“Happy anniversary, my love.” He kissed me sweetly.
“I have two things for you… well three. First…” I reached for the envelope on the table and handed it to him. “Open it.”
He grinned at me as he slipped it from my hands. When he opened the flap, his eyes widened. “No you didn’t…”
“But I did.”
“Tickets to Comic Con! These have been sold out for months, how did you get these?”
“Well one of the sponsors happens to be a company that I’m a brand ambassador for. Instead of my usual fee, I requested tickets to the expo. They were so generous that they paid for the entire trip.”
“Baby, that’s amazing. Thank you. I’ve been dying to go to this for years.”
“I remember you told me. Now we can’t go in there looking any kind of way! My girl Tammy is hooking us up with matching custom costumes.”
“Stop, I’m about to nut on myself!”
I cackled at his excitement. He absolutely deserved this, and I was happy that I could make it happen for him.
“Are you ready for gift number two?” I asked grabbing the remote.
“I am.”
Declan wasn’t big on monetary gifts, but he loved gifts that held sentimental value.
I’d spent days putting together this video and editing it just right and I couldn’t wait for the end because the biggest surprise was yet to come.
We turned our attention to the screen. His arms enclosed around me as he dropped kisses on my shoulder waiting for the video to begin.
My voice played over the series of pictures and videos. I had content he didn’t even know about, from dates, to us chilling and dancing in his living room, to a few lovemaking scenes and everything in between. The video was a beautiful representation of the love we shared.
“You are quite the sneak,” Declan said when the video was over.
“How many mini pornos do you secretly have of us?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?”
He pulled my face to his, kissing me lustfully. “It was a beautiful video, baby. Nothing we can show to other people,” he added with a chuckle. “But beautiful, nonetheless. Thank you.”
“I have one more surprise for you,” I said before pecking his lips then standing from his lap. “This will take a little while to get here, but he or she will be well worth the wait.”
His eyes widened. “H-he or s-she?” he stuttered.
I lifted my shirt to reveal the painted picture of Baby Goten from Dragon Ball Z on my stomach. A smile spread across his face.
“Happy Anniversary, Daddy.”
His hands instantly went to my stomach. “We’re having a baby?” he whispered rubbing small circles. “We’re really having a baby.”
He sprang to his feet, scooping me up in his arms and hugging me tightly. I felt his tears on my skin causing me to finally release the tears I’d been holding back.
“I love you so fucking much, Ivy,” he said cupping my face. “Thank you for this blessing.”
“I love you too, Declan.”
We shared a passionate kiss before he ushered me back onto the couch.
“I have something for you too,” he said. “I was going to wait until later but this… this is perfect. Wait right here.”
He kissed me again before sprinting up the stairs two at a time.
I had to laugh at his excitement. I’d been holding on to the news of our pregnancy for the last three weeks.
My first appointment was scheduled for next week, but if I had to guess I’d say I was at least three to four months along.
It was hell keeping it a secret from him.
Since the moment I took the pregnancy test, I’d fallen in love with our little nugget.
There were so many moments where I just rubbed my stomach and talked to him or her, telling them all about how much their daddy was going to love them, how much I already did. In just a few short months, our perfect labor of love would be here.
The sound of Declan coming down the stairs broke my thoughts.
He damn near tripped as he reached the bottom step.
“Slow down, baby” I said.
He grinned as he adjusted his posture and walked over to me. Pushing everything to one side of the coffee table, he took a seat in front of me.
“Ivy… If I had to describe the feeling of what it’s been like being with you over the last year…
I’d say it was like finding the place where I belong…
finding home. You took a chance on a man with no real experience with women and allowed him to show you love in his own way.
Baby, I cherish you more than you will ever know or understand.
You give me the confidence to embrace and love myself as you love me.
I was grown before, but you… You’ve made me into a man.
You catch me should I fall short and I know every single day that I look at you that I want to spend the rest of my life making you and our child absolutely happy. ”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, black, velvet box. He dropped to his knee and opened the box. My eyes marveled at the three-karat princess cut diamond ring.
“Dec…” I whispered, covering my mouth.
“I had a whole romantic dinner planned with a suit and all. I asked your father’s permission and everything.”
He looked at me nervously. His hand trembled as he took mine.
“Ivy Leighann Tremaine… Will you do me the honor of being my wi?—”
“Yes!” I screamed with excitement. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
He slipped the ring on my finger, and I jumped into his arms, knocking him to the floor. Both of us fell out laughing before he captured my lips between his in the sweetest of kisses.
“I love you, Princess.”
“I love you too.”
That weekend on Tybee Island still remains our best getaway yet.
We’d grown closer in the three days we spent on the island, and it seemed every day since. I’d never let anybody lie to me and say that sex.
wasn’t important when it absolutely was. Sex with Declan brought about new levels of intimacy for both of us. I felt more sensitive to him. While I was still aggressive, I had no problem submitting to him because when I allowed him full control, he showed me exactly what he was working with.
It opened up his comfort zone and boosted his ego.
It wasn’t a cocky boost, more like a shift in his confidence.
I didn’t want him feeling inadequate about anything because he was more than enough just as he was.
I wasn’t sure what beast he’d tapped into or what research he’d done, but the man had been fucking the shit out of me since I popped that cherry.
It amazed me how quickly he learned me, but then again, it didn’t.
Declan was thorough and observant… a bit of a perfectionist. He gave his all to everything and lovemaking was another one of those things.
I was satisfied beyond measure, and I had no doubt that he was too.
After all, I was as much for his pleasure as he was for mine.
The End