Chapter 16 #2
"I just needed some alone time."
"You've been quiet ever since the excitement of the children walking and talking all on the same day."
"It was a big event."
"The biggest," she agreed. She lifted a hand to brush back tendrils of hair that had fallen over his forehead. "Won't you tell me what's troubling you?"
He shrugged. "Sofia called me 'dada,' and then the boys followed. Sofia had a number of health issues, and we thought she would not make it. Now she's leading the charge. She's taking over. She called me 'dada,' and the boys mimicked her." He had to swallow the golf-ball-sized lump in his throat.
"They were preemies, and when I look at them, when anyone looks at them, they cannot tell the difference. I was overcome."
Taking the brandy from him, she took a sip and handed it back.
"Me too." She leaned into him.
"I did not want this at first. I thought it was a very bad idea, but you persisted." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in, inhaling her scent.
"If it were left up to me, we wouldn't have these children. And even when they were born, I had my doubts. But you never did, and I don't know if I've fully thanked you enough." He turned her face towards his, and the look in his eyes had her melting.
"I doubt that I will ever be able to find the words to thank you for my family. You're the ultimate woman, darling." His eyes darkened.
"You're my ideal woman, and I love you so damn much that I cannot quite grasp the magnitude of it all. Thank you."
She could not speak, not for a few minutes. Tears were very close to the surface. She had mistakenly thought that he was feeling restricted and hemmed in.
"You got on board just in time." She pressed her lips to his. "If you had said no another time, I would have forcibly dragged you to the clinic."
He laughed softly, glad for the hint of humor that dissipated the emotions.
"I believe you would have." He touched her striking face, admiring the famous cheekbones.
She had made good on her promise to be a stay-at-home mother but always found the time for her beloved charities.
Women supporting other women had grown so much that she had had to hire an assistant to help with the administrative side of things.
But she never allowed anything to take her away from her role as wife and mother.
"I was thinking."
"Uh oh."
"What?"
"I always get leery when you do that."
"Do what?"
"Think." She touched his face gently and could not stop touching him. They had gone from being a glamorous and highly photographed "dream couple" to one of substance. They were solid in their marriage now more than ever.
"I was going to say before I was rudely interrupted-" He nipped at the tip of her finger as it covered his mouth.
"I want to ease back from producing movies. Gregory has been eagerly dogging my footsteps-" he added, referring to his associate producer. "He has learned a lot, and I'm confident that he knows what he's doing." He captured her slender wrist and placed her palm against his hair-roughened cheek.
"I want us to travel without the restrictions of my career. I want to show our children the world. We'll go to Europe and then move on from there." He smiled at her raised brows. "The Caribbean, the UK, perhaps Africa... who knows?"
"How much time are we talking about?"
"Six months?"
"Can you afford to take off for that length of time?"
"I happen to be my own boss."
"What about your responsibilities at the company?"
"You don't like the idea."
"I love the idea. But you're not used to-"
"To what?" he asked curiously when she stopped.
"You're not used to not doing anything."
"That was before. This is now. I'm a father of four growing children, and very soon they will be off to school." He hauled her onto his lap.
"I saw them walking and saying their first words, and I realized that this is what's important. I have more money than I can spend in several lifetimes. I want to spend time with my family. Is that something you want as well? Me underfoot all the time?"
"Let me consider-" She tipped her head to the side and eyed him archly. "A handsome man at my beck and call twenty-four hours a day. Not to mention the fact that he's a terrific lover and a super husband and father." She nodded, eyes dancing. "I think I can manage to get on board."
"Super husband and father?" he repeated huskily, lips brushing her cheek.
"Hmm. Terrific lover."
"I am that." His lips cruised the side of her cheek and settled on her lips. "Why don't I exercise my superpowers right now?"
"What do you have in mind?"
"Let me show you."
And he did.
"Good heavens!" Blair wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her off the ground. "You hired the entire zoo? Wait!" He put her down so quickly that she almost lost her balance as he continued to gape.
"Is that a Shetland pony?" He turned back to her with rounded eyes. "You really went all out."
Eliza grinned and turned to look at the spectacle. "You sound like my husband. When he saw the list several weeks ago, he tried to talk me out of it. But I would not budge."
Putting her hands on her hips, she surveyed the animals meandering around the large space, with their trainers keeping a watchful eye on them.
She had even hired several college students to man the pool.
Everywhere there were children either splashing in the water, gorging on hot dogs and burgers, and enjoying lemonade and slushes, or riding the elephant and ponies.
Her husband, who had been so violently opposed to what he called a spectacle and a damn nuisance, was on the water wheel with the boys.
Sofia, wearing an adorable pink and white swimsuit, was in Jackson Colby's arms, laughing at his antics.
"I hate clowns," Blair muttered, snagging a glass of champagne from a passing waiter.
"The children adore them."
"Honey, I hate to tell you this, but your children are way too young to ever remember this or appreciate it, for that matter."
"That's why I hired some professionals." She gestured to the photographers snapping away with their cameras. "After all we've been through, I wanted something to take our minds off everything."
"You've certainly accomplished that," he murmured, eyes scanning the area. "How many people did you invite?"
Eliza laughed, waving to her mother-in-law, who looked relaxed and happy munching on a hot dog and talking to some of the "wives."
"Close to three hundred. I had to cut back on some of the people when Samuel threatened to absent himself."
"He seems to be enjoying himself." Blair shook his head, linking his arm through hers. "I cannot believe that's the same man."
"He's not," she murmured, turning her head to take in her husband as he laughed at something one of the boys did. "He has changed."
"Thanks to you."
"Thanks to those babies. Now, let's go get something to eat. I'm starving."
"Wait." He held onto her arm to stop her from moving. "I just want to say that you're still the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." The frank admiration in his eyes made her smile.
"Like the dress?"
"Darling, I love what little there is of it." He shook his head, appreciating how the material clung to her slender curves. "If I wasn't gay-"
"But you are," she pointed out with a laugh.
"If I wasn't, I would be giving your husband a run for his boatload of money."
"Like you'd stand a chance."
"Sadly, you're right. Let's go gorge ourselves on designer hot dogs to go with the champagne."
"They're tuckered out."
"I won't be surprised if they sleep until this time next week," Samuel murmured as he drew the blanket over his daughter. A smile hovered on his lips as he touched her soft, satiny cheek. She looked so much like her mother that each time he gazed at her, he could feel his heart contracting.
"Everyone loved them, especially her. She charmed Jackson and Jason so much that they could not bear to put her down."
"I noticed." She turned to face him. "Now admit that the zoo theme was a brilliant idea."
He chuckled at the challenging look on her striking face.
He had been unable to take his eyes off her.
His wife had shone and dazzled, and he had not been the only one to notice.
He had seen Alvin and a group of his director friends staring at her as well.
Even though he was confident in his love for her and hers for him, he had barely restrained himself from poking their eyes out.
She was his, completely and utterly his. It made him proud as hell and proprietary too.
"I won't admit any such thing, not unless you hold a gun to my head." She was barely able to stop from squealing when he suddenly and without warning lifted her into his arms.
"Let's go to bed. I want to explore this delectable body of yours that you've been showing to all and sundry." His long legs ate up the distance, and within seconds he was inside their bedroom. "Did I see you when you were getting dressed?"
"Nope." She grinned at him, her arms wrapped around his neck. "What's wrong with the dress?"
"Nothing, and that's the problem," he told her darkly. "And don't get me started on that poor excuse of a swimsuit." He carried her out to the balcony and sat with her on his lap.
"You had all the men, including that idiot friend of yours, salivating. You're mine," he growled.
"And everyone knows that." Utterly contented, she leaned into him and closed her eyes. "Shall I comment on the fact that there were several women gazing at your very impressive frame? You look good wet, Copeland."
He chuckled, hands already loosening the string around her neck.
"They know where my heart lies."
"They'd better. It's such a beautiful night."
"One made for lovemaking." He caught a glimpse of the stunning star-filled sky.
Light spilled from the full moon, bathing the verdant lushness of the trees and sparkling on the pool.
It was difficult to imagine that several hours earlier, the place had been filled with animals and people.
The cleanup crew had stayed until well after ten p.m. to get rid of any evidence that there had been a party going on.
"I agree."
He finished undressing her, hands gliding over her silky skin. His silvery eyes darkened with immediate passion, and he felt the familiar stirring of his loins. "I adore you," he whispered thickly.
"Prove it," she demanded. And he did, right there on the balcony, with the sounds of nature all around them.
The end…