Chapter 15

"She fits in well," Angeline commented as she stared at her future daughter-in-law, who was dancing with Anthony. Looking over at her son, she had to smile at the bemused look on his face. She was brimming over with happiness.

There were several more additions to an already growing family, and it was confirmed that her youngest son was expecting his first biological child. She already loved Chloe and had taken her and Marissa shopping twice already. The little girl was so enchanted by everything; it was a wonder to see her.

"She does." Plucking a champagne from the passing waiter, he took a sip. He had kept her firmly at his side ever since they arrived and had reluctantly relinquished hold of her when several members of his club came over demanding formal introductions and the opportunity to dance with her.

"What the hell is he doing?" he glowered at the man who had cut in on his dad. "That's his second dance with her. She should have said no."

Touching his arm lightly, Angeline forced him to look at her. "You are going on for nothing. Let her enjoy herself."

His jaw tightened as he swung his gaze back to the couple on the dance floor, his eyebrows furrowed. "If he claims another damn dance, I am stepping in."

Linking her hand through his arm, she took the glass away. "How about you take your mother out onto the dance floor?"

"Mother- "

"That way, if Vincent gets too fresh, you will be near enough to cut in, or even if he does not, can you always exchange places?" Her lovely face was alight with amusement as she looked at him.

"You think I am a jealous fool," Antwan muttered as he capitulated, led her through the throng of people in the cramped ballroom, and turned her into his arms.

"I think you are in love." She murmured, brushing off an invisible lint from his left shoulder.

"You have found your soulmate and are just a little vulnerable."

His eyes drifted to the woman who had the power to make his heart pick up the pace.

"More than a little." He admitted. "I cannot wait to make her fully mine."

"But she already is darling," Angeline assured him. "She loves you. Let us go closer."

They moved towards the couple, and he had to hide a smile as he watched his mother using diplomacy to get Vincent to finish the dance with her.

"My dear Vincent, I must discuss something with you."

"Um – You mean now?" The man asked, with a startled look at the couple.

"No time like the present." Letting go of her son, she moved in, forcing Vincent to do the same.

His fiancée eagerly entered his arms and turned her laughing gaze to his face. "Why do I feel that was an excellently timed maneuver?"

"I have no idea what you mean." He told her straight-faced, his arms wrapping around her body possessively.

"Yeah, right." She snorted, arms around his neck, fingers toying with the hairs at his nape. "There is no need to be jealous, you know." She added soberly.

"Who said I was?"

She gave him a look that had him smiling ruefully. "I am vulnerable where you are concerned."

Her tapered eyebrows lifted. "I have been getting daggers in my back from the women you have been with in the past. I was also informed rather ‘helpfully' by the way that a wonderful district attorney was sweet on you, and you were with her for months."

"Water under the bridge." His eyes met hers squarely. "You are the only woman I see."

"That had better be true."

"I adore you." He told her hoarsely. "And I have never said that to another woman before."

Her hands tightened around his neck, her heart tripping. "It is something I am trying to get used to." She whispered. "I keep asking myself, why me? You are used to beautiful women- "

"You are strong and sweet," he interrupted her huskily. "The more I get to know you, the more I fall in love." His hands moved up and down her bare back, loving the satiny feel of her skin.

"What you went through in your life makes me want to take away all the hurt and pain. I will make it my mission in life to provide for you and our children." He was getting emotional and could feel the control slipping more than a notch. "April- "He swallowed the knot inside his throat and could not continue.

Touching her lips to his, she kissed him gently, showing him she understood.

*****

Two nights before her wedding, April came upstairs to see if her daughter needed her to read a bedtime story. She was subjected to a scene that had her stopping inside the doorway and going still, the tears burning the back of her eyes.

She officially finished her time at the firm a few days ago and was now concentrating on the final preparations for her wedding. She had been in the blue drawing room with Angeline, Chandra, and Andrea, going over the details with the wedding planner, when Antwan came home and told her he was going to spend time with the girls.

The man she adored was propped up on her daughter's frilly pink and lilac pillows, one arm wrapped around her narrow shoulders. Chloe had her head, the wild curls spilling over his lime green shirt. A book he had obviously been reading was opened on his chest, and the two were fast asleep.

Tearing her eyes from the very touching scene, she gazed around the frilly girl's room with the pretty lilac and pink curtains, the purely feminine furnishings, the bookcase filled with books, and a table and chair tucked into one corner.

There was even a window seat that faced the small stream and a patch of rose garden, complete with a garden nymph. Stuffed toys were piled high on another shelf, and her closet was huge. It had to be because Angeline was determined to make up for the lack of clothing in her life.

Antwan's eyes flickered open to see her standing there as if he sensed her presence.

"I must have fallen asleep." He murmured.

"You were even snoring." Stepping into the room, she sat carefully on the edge of the bed. "You are spoiling our daughter." She admonished.

He felt his heart diving into her words. "She deserves it.' He told her quietly.

"Now that you have read her a story and tucked her in, can I hope you will do the same for her mom?"

"Absolutely." His eyes darkened as he stared at her. "I did not get a proper greeting when I arrived."

"Then I will have to make up for it now."

Antwan carefully eased Chloe off his chest, settled her on the pillows, and pulled the quilt over her. Leaning over, he gently brushed the hairs from her forehead and kissed her before swinging his feet off the bed and getting up.

"What?" He asked as he took up his discarded shoes.

"I am trying to think what I did to deserve you." She whispered huskily, walking into his arms.

"You did everything right." With his shoes hooked between the fingers of his right hand, he lifted her into his arms and carried her out of the room. "Want us to check out our son's room?"

"I still think you and the others are jumping the gun. We could have a daughter."

He simply grinned at her as he pushed open the door that led into their baby's room. It was already decorated with a lovely blue and white patterned wallpaper. The cot was an antique gift from Andre and Chandra. The room was large enough to hold a loveseat and shelves, with a few stuffed toys already stacked.

Antwan felt an overwhelming sense of pride and anticipation as he looked around the room.

"I suppose a name has already been chosen if it is a boy."

"As long as it begins with the letter ‘A,.'" he told her with a grin.

"And I have absolutely no say in the matter."

"You get to choose the actual name as long as it begins with the letter ‘A,.'" he told her with a roguish smile.

"Of course. Let's go to bed, darling. You owe me a bedtime story."

"How about I make up my own story and show you instead?"

"I would love that."

*****

"They said I could come on up."

April met her aunt's eyes in the Cheval mirror as the woman entered the room. Antwan and his brothers and dad had been booted out of their suite early this morning. They were getting dressed at the pool house.

"Oh, my good Lord," Sylvie whispered, her hands flying to her mouth as she stared at her niece. The dress was a shimmering ice blue, with a high Victorian neck and long transparent sleeves. Her hair was a tumble of curls around her face, and down her shoulders, the ends tinted a bright golden blonde.

Drop-iced diamonds almost reached her shoulders, and they were a present from Antwan. "You are so beautiful. The most beautiful bride I have ever seen." Coming further into the room, she extended her hands.

When April had taken it into her gloved ones, Sylvia squeezed gently. "I just saw Chloe in her pink and white dress, and that little girl is so beautiful, it made me want to bawl my eyes out." Her expression sobered. "I have been very hard on you, and I would like to apologize."

Taking a deep breath, she continued. "I did not try and understand what you went through after losing both parents and after what my brother, your father, did to the family." She sniffed.

"I would like to get another chance and hope that I am welcomed here any time and that Chloe would be allowed to come and spend time with me now and then."

April had forgiven the woman after Chloe had been returned to her.

"All forgotten. And yes, Chloe will be spending time with you. After all, you are still my family."

"Thank you, my dear." They both looked up as the women trooped inside. "It's about that time." Angeline, wearing a stunning purple and white dress, announced as she entered the room. "And I brought you something blue." Walking over to stand in front of April, she studied the exquisite girl, her eyes bright. "You make a rather lovely bride."

Pinning the sapphire brooch on her dress, she enfolded the girl in her arms. "Welcome to the family, darling. Both Andrea and Chandra wore this brooch. It belonged to my mother."

"Thanks." She whispered.

"And something borrowed." Chandra came next, looking stunning in lime green.

"Handkerchief, as I am certain you will be wiping tears."

"I am already doing that." She smiled as Andrea, wearing pastel pink, came to adjust the train of her dress.

"It's crazy to think that none of us had sisters and know we do," Andrea murmured, wrapping her arms around April.

"We are blessed." Chandra formed the group, and the five women were very soon hugging.

"It's time to go." Rachel, wearing gold, came to join them. "The children are getting impatient."

Stepping from the group, April nodded. "I am ready."

*****

Antwan stood with his brothers under the beautifully decorated arch, his hands folded in front of him as he awaited his bride. The guests were seated on chairs dotting the landscaped lawn, with red, white, yellow, and pink roses as the perfect backdrop for the occasion.

To the east of the area were the pool and a large clump of snapdragons, daffodils, and peonies, with the towering limbs of the oak and redwood trees offering a shield. A makeshift dais had been procured for the occasion, and a live band was playing classical music softly.

"Nervous?" Alex asked teasingly, reaching over to straighten Antwan's bow tie.

"Were you?"

"I was practically crapping my underwear." He admitted.

"That's because you were afraid Andrea would leave you standing at the altar." Andre reminded him.

"I would have hunted her down and dragged her back."

"We know you would have."

"I am confident my woman has no such compunction," Antwan told them smugly. Belying his earlier remarks and confidence, he felt himself stiffening when the music picked up, indicating that the wedding party was making an appearance.

His lips curved into an indulgent smile as his nephews slowly approached, holding hands and looking adorably handsome in matching dark blue suits. He felt a shudder of pride as he stared at the two beautiful little girls, wearing frothy pink and lilac dresses and holding baskets of flowers closely behind them.

Winking at them both, he walked towards them and personally guided them to stand next to his brothers.

He barely noticed the bridesmaids, his eyes straining towards the patch of rose bushes where she would be coming from.

The music changed, and the guests rose, turning in unison towards the bride as she appeared on the arm of her soon-to-be father-in-law.

Antwan felt the breath backing up in his throat as he stared at her. Her smile was wide and only for him, her dark eyes sparkling. He felt as if they were the only two people present. She walked towards him, willingly tying her life to his, and he was overwhelmed.

"Steady on, brother," Alex whispered. "She is here."

*****

"I am so sorry, darling." April leaned weakly against him, her stomach still shuddering.

"We are canceling our honeymoon." He wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her neck.

She got sick in the middle of the reception and had to rush to the bathroom. The nausea had taken a turn for the worse, and her OB, who had been invited to the wedding, had immediately ordered bed rest.

Alex and Andrea had given up the pool house and were spending a couple of nights at the mano to give them some privacy.

Gathering her into his arms, he carried her into the main bedroom and put her down. "Armand sent over some plain soup."

"That sounds like an excellent idea. My stomach is sore."

"Some soup coming right up." He murmured, brushing the hairs back from her forehead, where the moisture had it clinging to her skin.

"Leave it to me to be sick on my wedding day."

"At least, we are husband and wife, and that is all that matters to me. You are carrying my seed inside you, and I don't want you to have any regrets. I wish I could take half of what you are going through."

Her tapered brows lifted. "Just half?"

"Fifty-fifty, my love." His hand drifted to her flat stomach. She had changed from the wedding dress and put on leggings and an oversized sweater because the weather had turned chilly.

"Fair enough. But I am not going to deprive us of our wedding night."

He shook his head firmly. "A bowl of soup and then some rest."

"We'll see." She murmured obliquely as he rose.

"I mean it, darling."

Waiting until he had left the room, she slowly got out of bed and went to get the case Andrea had sent over. They were deprived of their honeymoon because of the blasted nausea which had chosen this time to rear its ugly head, but she was damned if she was going to allow it to ruin their wedding night.

Making her way into the bathroom, she quickly showered and rinsed her mouth. Taking out the fragrant cream that had been part of her updated wardrobe from Romano's, she rubbed it into her skin before slipping into the clingy champagne lace nightie that stopped just south of her crotch.

Shaking back her curls, she returned to bed and pulled the covers over her just as he came back into the room.

"Did you take a shower?" He asked, sniffing the air.

"I have been throwing up for the past two hours, and I felt as if I was wading in the stuff, so yes, I showered."

She dropped the coves just as he placed the tray on the side table, pushing it ultimately off her.

"I found a tin of saltines- "His voice trailed off as he turned around and saw what she was wearing. Turning back to the tray, he carefully breathed, determined not to fall prey to his incredibly alluring wife. "We are not doing that."

"You are going to have to be more precise."

Turning around, he placed the tray table over her, blue eyes glittering. "What are you trying to do?"

"What does it look like?" Spooning the soup into her mouth, she tilted a brow at him.

"April- "

"Okay, look. I am responsible for messing up our wedding night, and I am not going to allow my pregnancy to get in the middle of our making love. This is our wedding night! How will it look if we did not consummate the marriage?"

"Considering we have been ‘consummating' every night, including mornings, since we got back together, I would say that one night would not make a difference." Sitting on the edge of the bed, he picked up the spoon and fed her some soup.

"We are married; the ceremony is behind us. We pledged our lives to each other and will have countless opportunities to make love."

"It's our wedding night." She repeated stubbornly. "And if I have to tie you to the bed and perform the act by myself, it's going to happen."

Feeding her more soup, he tried to stare her out of countenance, but he was discovering that his wife was an expert when it came to having her way.

And she knew his weakness. He had taken one look at her in that incredibly sexy lingerie and knew without a doubt that he would never be able to sleep tonight if he did not make love to her.

"We'll see." He said obliquely, already knowing the result. Sensing she had won, April finished the soup and ate some crackers before handing him the tray.

"Come to bed."

"Not until I am certain your meal is digested will there not be a repeat performance. And April?"

"What?"

"If you are sick, I am going to know. You happen to have a very expressive face."

"If you say so."

"I do. And I would like you to promise me something."

"I wish you would stop talking and join me."

"I need you to give me your word that you will tell me if you feel the slightest bit nauseous."

"Even if we are in the middle of it?"

"Even so. Your word."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Okay, fine."

"Good."

"You are getting a little carried away with this husband deal."

"I am your husband, after all, and you did promise to love, honor, and obey."

"I should have asked the minister to scratch that bit." She grumbled.

"I do not doubt that I will remind you of that word over the hundred years we will spend as husband and wife." He teased as he got rid of his clothes and climbed in next to her.

"Hundred years?" She melted at his words and more so when he reached for her.

"I want more than that." He told her huskily. "I had a late start with you, and I want more years. A hundred years is not going to be enough."

She felt the tears burning the back of her eyes. He was her husband. She was married to this remarkable man, and it felt somewhat surreal.

"So do I." her fingers smoothed over his jaw, her eyes bright. "I love being married to you."

"Mrs. Antwan Collins. We have the certificate to prove it."

"Did you honestly think I would have wanted to cheat you on our wedding night?" she asked him hoarsely.

Pushing her gently against the pillows, he peeled off the flimsy material to see her skin. "I was looking out for you. Your well-being is the most important thing to me."

"And pleasing you, my darling is my most important thing. I see we have different perspectives."

"Slightly different. Love me, sweetheart." He ordered in a rough, tender voice.

"I already do."