9. Gemma

"Good night, Rare Jewel." Sebastian"s velvety voice carries from the doorway, his silhouette outlined by the harsh fluorescent lights of the hospital corridor. He waits patiently, still wearing glittery hair accessories, as I tuck our little girl in for the night.

I lean over, pressing kisses to both cheeks then to her forehead. "Sweet dreams, baby girl. I"ll be back bright and early tomorrow, okay?"

Jewel nods, her eyelids already drooping with exhaustion. But before I can straighten up, she catches my hand, her small fingers curling around mine. "Mommy?" she whispers, her voice heavy with sleep. "I really like Sebby."

My heart warms at her admission. "Yeah?" I whisper back, smiling wide. "I"m glad, sweetie. I like him too."

"Is he your boyfriend?"

Oh boy, here we go. How do I explain the whole "surprise arranged marriage" thing to a six-year-old?

"Uh, well, actually..." I trail off, my mind spinning as I try to come up with an age-appropriate response. Screw it. "He"s my husband, Jewel. We got married."

Her eyes go wide, a smile splitting her face. "Really? So that means he"s my dad now?"

"Stepdad," I correct gently, my heart squeezing at the hopeful gleam in her eyes.

From the doorway, Sebastian clears his throat. "Dad!" he growls, his voice rough with emotion.

Jewel giggles, snuggling deeper into her pillow. "Good night, Dad."

"Good night, Rare Jewel," Sebastian replies, winking at her before flicking his gaze to me. "Ready?"

I nod, pressing one more kiss to Jewel"s forehead before standing up and making my way to the door. As soon as we"re out in the hallway, I turn to face him.

"Thank you," I whisper, my voice thick. "For everything. For being so amazing with Jewel, for paying her medical bills, for just...being you."

Sebastian reaches out, cupping my face in his big, warm hands. "You never have to thank me, Gemma. You, me, and Jewel...we're family now. I"d do anything for you two."

Oh, this man. How is he even real?

It"s been so long since I"ve had someone in my corner—someone to lean on, someone to share the load with. And now, out of nowhere, I have Sebastian. This incredible, generous, sexy-as-sin man who"s stepped in and turned everything upside down in the best way.

"Come on," he murmurs, dropping his hands from my face to twine his fingers with mine. "Let"s get out of here."

I expect him to lead me toward the parking garage, but instead, he tugs me down a different hallway. I frown, glancing up at him in confusion. "Where are we going?"

"You"ll see." There"s a mischievous glint in his eye that makes my hackles rise. Uh-oh.

We round a corner and come to a stop in front of a set of gleaming elevator doors. But these aren"t the regular elevators I"ve been using for years. These are fancy, all chrome and glass and sleek lines. The kind of elevators you see in five-star hotels and swanky office buildings.

Sebastian punches a button and the doors slide open with a soft ding. He ushers me inside, and as soon as they close behind us, he pulls me into his arms, his lips finding mine in a searing kiss that steals my breath and scrambles my brain.

This man can kiss, I'll just say that.

When we finally come up for air, I"m panting and flushed, my knees wobbly beneath me. "Wh-what was that for?" I stammer, blinking up at him dazedly.

He grins, his eyes dance. "Do I need a reason to kiss my gorgeous wife?"

Wife. Oh, that word really should not make me absolutely incoherent. But it does. Every damn time.

Until he asks a question and kills the mood.

"Where is Jewel's biological father?"

Oh, we're doing this, are we? Well, I can't deny the man deserves to know. So, pinching the bridge of my nose, I tell him.

"Jewel was unplanned. Her dad, Bryce, and I had a very casual relationship." Casual is an understatement. It was more like the occasional bootycall. "When he found out I was pregnant, he took off."

I'm not sure Sebastian is even aware there's a low growly sound coming from his chest.

I sigh. "A couple weeks after Jewel was born, he came back around figuring maybe he"d try out fatherhood. That was just around the time we learned about Jewel"s condition. He was there when the doctors sat us down and revealed her prognosis, and what we could expect—emergency rooms, hospital stays, etc." I scoff bitterly. "Bryce disappeared the next day and I haven"t heard from him since. I guess reality was too much for him."

I clear my throat, trying to regain some semblance of composure. "So, uh, where exactly are you whisking me off to, Mr. Dabertzholder?"

"Patience, Mrs. Dabertzholder. All will be revealed soon enough."

The elevator glides to a smooth stop and the doors open to a hushed, dimly-lit hallway lined with thick, plush carpet. Sebastian takes my hand again, leading me down the corridor until we reach a set of double doors flanked by two beefy security guards who look like they could each bench-press a Buick.

Sebastian nods at them and one of the guards steps forward, swiping a key card through the lock. The doors swing open and Sebastian ushers me inside, and I swear my jaw actually hits the floor.

We"re standing in the most opulent hotel suite I"ve ever seen. I"m talking floor-to-ceiling windows, thick carpeting, plush furniture, the works.

"Welcome to our home away from home," Sebastian says, grinning at my gobsmacked expression.

"Our...what?" I stammer, my brain still trying to process the sheer luxury of our surroundings.

"I thought it would be best for us to have a place to stay close to Jewel," he explains, shrugging out of his jacket and tossing it over the back of a nearby armchair. "This way, we can be with her as much as possible without having to deal with the hassle of commuting back and forth. What do you think?"

What do I think? I think I"m dreaming. Things like this don't happen to regular schmoes like me.

I wander further into the room, running my hand along the buttery-soft leather of the couch. "Sebastian, this is...I don"t even know what to say. It"s too much."

He comes up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me back against his chest. "Nothing is too much when it comes to you and Jewel, Gemma. Nothing."

I turn in his embrace, looping my arms around his neck. "How did you even pull this off? I mean, this is a hospital, not the Four Seasons. How many strings did you have to pull to make this happen?"

Sebastian chuckles, his hands smoothing up and down my back in a way that makes me want to purr like a contented cat. "Only a few. Hospitals often keep luxury suites like this available for their VIP patients. You know, celebrities, politicians, that sort of thing."

I lean back, arching an eyebrow at him. "And, of course, you"re a VIP."

"Nah." He smirks, dropping a quick kiss on the tip of my nose. "You"re the VIP, Mrs. Dabertzholder. Don"t you forget it. You should be worshipped like a freakin" queen."

I swat at his chest, rolling my eyes even as a goofy grin splits my face. "You big cheeseball." My eyes narrow playfully. "Wait a sec, you don't own this hospital do you?"

He rolls his head back and barks a laugh. "No. I don't own the hospital. But I am on the board of directors. Now stop interrogating me and just enjoy your new digs." Sebastian grins.

"Thank you," I murmur, rising up on my toes to brush a soft kiss across his lips. "For all of this. For taking care of us. I don"t...I"m not used to having someone do that. It means more to me than you could possibly know."

Sebastian"s eyes soften as he rests his forehead against mine. "Get used to it, Gemma. Because I"m not going anywhere. You"ve got me for life now. No take-backs."

I let out a carefree laugh, my heart so full it feels like it might just burst right out of my chest. And it strikes me that it's been a long time since I've felt carefree. Years, maybe.

We stay like that for a long moment, just holding each other, savoring the peace and the rightness of it all. But of course, because I am who I am, my stomach chooses that exact moment to let out a loud grumble.

Sebastian grins slowly at me as I feel my cheeks heat. Oh what fresh mortification is this?

"Sounds to me like you"ve skipped a few too many meals there, gorgeous." He gives my side a playful pinch. "As your husband, it"s my job to fatten you up. What do you say we have some dinner and then christen that big bed in the other room?"

My breathing hitches when he lowers his lips to a sensitive spot just below my ear. His feather-soft kiss is a promise of decadent things to come. "Sebastian..." I exhale shakily as my nerve-endings zing to electrified life.

"Later." His eyes are hooded and swirling with banked fire as he pulls back. "Right now, we"re going to fill that hungry belly of yours. A man"s gotta prioritize after all."

I blink, my brain muddled and sluggish as it struggles to switch gears, before I glance questioningly toward the dining table across the room. "Um, there"s food here?"

He winks. "There is now."

And sure enough, when he leads me to the dining nook, spread out across the gleaming mahogany table, is a gourmet feast fit for royalty.

"How...when...what?" I sputter eloquently.

"I had dinner delivered," he explains. "Sit. Eat."

The next hour is a blur of laughter and flirtation as we dine on a gourmet meal.By the time we"re finished, I"m stuffed, but I"m also riding a giddy high, my cheeks sore from smiling so hard.

"Sweet baby Jesus, that was delicious. I think I had a foodgasm."

Sebastian chuckles. "I"ll take that as a compliment to the chef."

"Compliment? I may just have to leave you for him." I grin saucily.

"Hey now, let"s not be too hasty." He waggles his eyebrows. "At least let me attempt to win you back first."

Sebastian stands, holding out his hand to me with a look that sets my insides aflutter. "Come here, you."

I go willingly, slipping my hand into his as he tugs me up and flush against his tall, muscular frame. My breath catches as his hands skim down my sides to settle on my hips, his eyes darkening with intent.

"I believe I promised you a proper christening, wife," he murmurs, his voice a low, gravelly rumble that sends goosebumps over my flesh.

"Mmmm, so you did, husband," I hum, looping my arms around his neck and angling my face up for a kiss. "Far be it from me to stand in the way of a man and his promises."

He grins against my lips, walking us backward toward the bedroom. "Brace yourself, gorgeous. I"m about to rock your world."

And oh boy, does he ever.