CHAPTER 50

“Are you fucking kiddingme?” he exploded.

Her eyes snapped open at his profanity. Wide and moist, they pierced him with the impact of a thunderbolt. He knew the words came out harsh, but he couldn’t believe she still didn’t get it.

“Please don’t curse at me,” she said with as much dignity as she could muster, considering her voice wobbled and she was still naked and entangled in his arms.

He took a deep breath, striving for control. This was one of the most transcendent moments of his life. The emotions coursing through him were violent. Elation did not begin to describe what he felt at the news. But it was also mixed with anger at her obvious doubts about him and his character. Confusion, wonder, fear. It was an explosive mix.

“Kalli, I’ve asked you twice to marry me,” he replied in a tightly controlled voice. “Do you think I’m so fickle that I would change my mind? Or such an arsehole that I would reject you because you are carrying my child? Of course, I want to marry you. Now more than ever. It is what I want most in my life.”

“But you are angry.”

“Only because you don’t believe in me.”

“That’s not true. But I know you didn’t want a child, and it was my fault—”

“Stop.” He kissed her lips. “You are wrong on both counts.”

“But you said—”

“I know what I said. And I was wrong too.” He pulled her tighter against him. “I want the baby. I had not realized it, but when you took the pregnancy test, and it came back negative, the disappointment almost blew a hole in my chest.”

“Really? I also felt disappointed. Even if you hadn’t wanted anything more to do with me, I still would want the baby.”

“This is like a miracle, Kalli. An unexpected boon. I’m... beyond words. Happiness is too weak a word to describe how I feel.”

She gave a watery chuckle. “In that case, I accept. I’ll marry you.”

She felt more than heard his sharp intake of breath. His chest expanded and then seemed to freeze.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to pressure you.”

The smile she gave him was free of shadows this time. “I’m sure.”

He placed a tender kiss on her forehead, then turned with her in his arms to lie on top of her, careful to hold his weight off so as not to crush her.

All the rough play they had engaged in last night came back to him in a flood of alarm. Damn, he had taken her against the wall. He had used a vibrating dildo on her arse and double penetrated her. She had been sore this morning!

“Was I too rough last night? Why didn’t you just say something? I would have been gentler—”

She grabbed his face and brought it down to hers for a kiss. He melted into the kiss. Fusing their mouths. Drinking the drugging essence of her.

“Last night was perfect,” she said, absolving him. “I wouldn’t change anything about it. I am perfectly fine.”

“Regardless, I’ll be gentler from now on. Resign yourself to vanilla sex for the next few months.”

“Don’t you dare!” she replied, laughing, then threw a leg over his waist to pull him down with remarkable strength.

“Careful, sprite. I don’t want to press on your belly.”

“Hmm, it’s fine for now. When the belly gets bigger, you’ll have to get creative. Find new positions.”

The naughty minx. He could think of several positions he would like to try right now. But, no. She needed a rest. They had been banging nonstop since last night.

After a last longing kiss, he scurried down her torso. When he reached her still flat belly, he deposited a tender kiss right under her belly button. His child was growing in there. The notion filled him with such joy and delight, he could burst with it.

His eyes misted, and he blinked, bewildered. An odd tightness had seized his throat. He cleared it as he sprung from the bed.

“I think it’s time we got up and found some breakfast. You must nourish your body well now,” he said as he pulled on his trousers and went to the cupboard to retrieve his shirt and coat.

He inspected the tiny kitchen, looking for nutritious food. All he found was tea, coffee, some protein bars, and powdered shakes. He frowned.

“Where’s the food?” he called. “Kalli, what have you been eating?”

“Oh, don’t fuss,” she said as she emerged from the bedroom, already dressed. “That’s not what I’m eating. My mum’s an excellent cook, so I go to her house for dinner. I just keep snacks and such here to tide me over.”

He frowned. “Still. You need to eat better than this. I’ll order some groceries to stock the kitchen.”

She waved a hand. “No need. I don’t expect to stay here much longer. Soon I’ll need to return to my real life, go back to my London home and report for work.”

“Would you consider moving in with me while we plan the wedding? My flat has plenty of room. But if it’s not to your liking, we can find another house to move in together.”

She raised her eyebrows. “As long as your parbot is not going to be our flat mate.”

He rolled his eyes and gave her a playful spank. “Don’t be sassy. Of course not. She’ll be gone today.”

She came over and wove her arm through his. “In that case, I accept. Come, let’s go have breakfast at my mum’s.”

***

AN HOUR LATER, THEYsat in the conservatory at Kalli’s mum’s house. The older woman exuded a comforting and inviting aura. It was easy to see where Kalli got her looks. Her mum was vivacious and still spry and fit. Her hair was a warm brown instead of the coppery curls he adored in Kalli, but the facial features and mannerisms were similar. He liked her immediately. And it appeared the feeling was mutual. No cliche here about the unbearable mother-in-law.

Mrs. Brooks had received them with hugs and kisses. He couldn’t remember the last time his own mother had hugged or kissed him. Then she led them to the kitchen while she set out to prepare a veritable breakfast feast of fruits, eggs, ham, warm breads, and sundry jellies and jams. All produced in her land, she announced proudly.

Kalli helped her, and he took inordinate pleasure watching them work together. Their bond and affection were evident in their interaction.

Now as they dug into the food, he realized why Kalli had not bothered to keep food in her little cottage. His own parbot was a superb cook, yet he had tasted nothing so fresh and tasty as this meal.

As he sipped on freshly squeezed orange juice, Mrs. Brooks asked Kalli, “Have you told him about the message on the stone?”

He looked at Kalli, puzzled. “She has not. What message?”

Kalli sighed. “We haven’t had a chance to talk about that. I intended to tell you when I called you, but then we got sidetracked.”

Sidetracked. Yeah, that was a nice way of describing the massive row they had got into. “Well, tell me now. What’s going on?”

“I discovered a message written on the walls of the ruins that I believe is a request for help from the Duke of Avondale.”

He raised his eyebrow, surprised. “The duke? The one we met?”

“Yes.”

“What did it say?”

She pulled out her device and showed him the picture she had taken. He read the words and frowned.

“Does this mean he wants to go to Olivia’s time?”

“I believe so,” Kalli replied.

“And of course he wants us to take him there.”

“Who else? We are the only people he knows who can time travel.”

He rubbed his hands through his face. “I can’t do it.”

Kalli’s face fell. Became harder. “I didn’t think you would want to. I know how you felt about leaving Olivia in the past. But I thought to tell you, anyway.”

Damn, she believed he didn’t want to help the duke. “It’s not that I don’t want to help, Kalli. I don’t have the means to help him anymore. After the declaration I made yesterday, the commission is going to investigate ChronoSynthetics. They will indefinitely suspend the time travel program. Even if they decide to resume it, I’ve burned my bridges with Max. He has the rights to the technology for the next thirty years, and he won’t let me anywhere near his company after I uncovered his deceitful scheme.”

“Oh. So we can’t time-travel anymore?”

“I’m afraid not, sprite. If I had known this before, maybe I wouldn’t have uncovered the conspiracy. At least not yet. I would have bided my time. I don’t know if even then it would have worked, because as I told you, the technology is in Max’s hands, and I don’t see him allowing me to use it without a thorough explanation. But I could have tried. However, after I exposed him, the lines have been drawn.”

“Damn. This is my fault. I should have told you before. That day when I called you, I intended to tell you. My mum advised me to tell you, to talk to you, but I was so hot-headed. So stubborn. And now there’s nothing we can do.”

“Don’t blame yourself. You couldn’t have known. If anything, it’s my fault for not listening to you, for not realizing sooner...”

“It’s nobody’s fault, I’m sure,” Mrs. Brooks interjected.

“This is so unfair! You are the one who developed the technology. You should have access to it.” Kalli exploded.

“Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that. Yes, I led the development team. But a project like this requires many people. And a big budget. You could say I sold myself to be able to develop it. I needed ChronoSynthetics funding and was willing to sacrifice my autonomy.”

“It is unfortunate that the people who develop the technological and scientific advancements are often not the ones who control them. It puts dangerous power in the hands of undeserving individuals,” Kalli’s mum said.

“Mrs. Brooks, that’s the truest and most profound statement I’ve heard today. I regret my deal with ChronoSynthetics. Ambitiousness drove me at the time. I cared only about glory and profit and Max dazzled me with his proposal.”

“Please, call me Shayla. And don’t beat yourself over the decisions you made in the past. I’m sure they seemed the right ones at the time.”

“I just wished there was something I could do.” He stood up to pace. Not that he had too much room to pace, as a veritable jungle of tropical plants packed the room, leaving just enough space for the table. “I have never regretted my association with ChronoSynthetics more than at this moment.”

“But if you had not made the deal, maybe you would have never developed the technology. We would have never traveled to the past. We wouldn’t even have met.” Kalli rose and came to him, sliding her arms about his waist and reclining her head on his shoulder.

Why had he never discovered the power of an embrace? Not a sexual embrace, a comfort embrace. It felt good, healing, necessary. And it twisted the knife of guilt in his gut. Olivia and the duke would never feel the embrace of their beloved again.

“What happens after thirty years?” Shayla asked.

His head snapped up at that. A seed of an idea sprouted in his mind. Offering hope, however far-fetched.

“I will get back the license for the technology. But thirty years is such a long time... What if the government forbids time travel? So many things can go wrong. I may not even be alive.”

“What a horrible thing to say,” Kalli said, holding him tighter. “What if things go right?”

“If everything works out well, we could, in theory, travel back in time to the exact moment when we left. For us, thirty years would have passed, but for them, no time at all.”

Kalli’s eyes widened in comprehension. “Of course. That’s it, Dariux! That’s the solution.”

“It is still a long shot sprite. Like I said, what if—”

“Don’t repeat it,” Kalli interrupted, looking him in the eye. “Besides, even when we are gone, something of us will remain, right?”

Their child. He still had trouble believing their love had created another life. A life that could carry on his legacy even when he was not on this earth. His eyes moistened with wonder.

“Ahem.” They both looked at Shayla, startled. “Is there something you haven’t told me?”

Kalli blushed and smiled. “Yes, Mum. I didn’t tell you before because, well, I wanted to tell Dariux first. But we are expecting a baby.”

Her mother squealed and sprinted towards them with her arms extended. He tried to release Kalli into her mum’s embrace, but before he knew it, he was being enveloped in a group hug. His arms hovered in the air for a second, unsure what to do, before they came to rest firmly on their shoulders.

Such a blatant display of emotion would have mortified him only a month ago. Now it felt life-giving.

He had started living. And Kalli had done that.

That was the power of their love.