Her Inconvenient Groom by Niomie Roland
Chapter 43
She wasn’t supposed to cry. She knew he’d eventually come looking for her, and had promised herself that when that time came, she was not going to cry.
But there he was, in her house as expected, and her eyes were stinging. Goddammit.
She watched as the strips of paper rained onto her floor, feeling both irritation and relief. How dare he?
It was bad enough knowing he hadn’t told her all that he should have, but if she was honest with herself, that was only part of the reason she was so upset. The knowledge that another woman gave Dustin a baby when she didn’t ate at her.
It reminded her of all she had lost. All she could no longer give him.
Dustin sighed her name, and as he approached her, she backed away. She wouldn’t be able to bear it if he touched her now. Her resolve would be broken, and she’d give in.
“I’m sorry,” he told her.
She’d backed up against the table, so there was nowhere else to go. She slumped a little in defeat.
He took her hands, lightly, as if signaling her to pull away if she wanted. To her surprise, she didn’t. “I don’t believe her claims. She’s proven herself untrustworthy before.”
“The baby looks just like you!”
He smiled a little. “I’m a basic white dude. Fifty percent of the babies in the city look like me.”
Chantelle didn’t think he was basic at all. In fact, she thought he was amazing, but didn’t say a word of what she thought. If she let even something that minor slip, she’d lose the battle before—
“Chantelle?” It was Tom, her brother, standing in the doorway. His eyes quickly took in the mess on the floor, and the fact that Dustin was there, standing way too close. He examined Chantelle’s face with curious eyes. It was obvious something was amiss. “What’s going on here?” he demanded.
“Nothing that concerns you,” Dustin growled.
Tom ignored him with a snort, calling her by name again. “You okay, Sis?”
She appreciated that her brother was so willing to stand up for her, bristling as he was by the hint of a threat. Since the debacle at the hospital, both he and Dennis had been way nicer to her. The rifts were healing.
But this was a private matter. “It’s fine,” she insisted.
Tom peered at Dustin again. “You sure? Because I can throw him out.”
Chantelle almost smiled at this, because Dustin was more muscular and taller than Tom, an executive chained to a desk most days, who had already begun sporting a paunch. She brushed her damp cheek on her sleeve and offered reassurance. “Not today, okay?”
“Okay.” Tom still seemed to have his doubts. He backed out anyway, but not before giving Dustin a hard stare and sending her the ‘call me’ signal with his fingers and thumb.
They were alone again and she noticed that throughout the short diversion, Dustin hadn’t let go of her hand.
“Where were we?” he asked with the merest hint of humor.
“You were denying paternity of that baby,” she answered dryly.
“Right. I—”
“Dustin, science is in our corner.”
“What do you mean?”
She sighed. “I want you to take a paternity test. That way we will know once and for all.”
He nodded slowly, agreeing. “What if she is mine?”
“Then you do the right thing.”
“What do you consider the right thing? Do you expect me to divorce you and marry Jen?”
The idea of that hurt worse than she expected. “I can’t ask you to marry anyone. But I would expect you to be there for your child, financially as well as emotionally. You may not trust your ex. You may not love her, but you will be a father to your child.”
He let Chantelle’s hands go and folded his arms, tilting his head to one side to assess her. “And when the test proves the baby isn’t mine? Will you ever trust me again? Would you ever want me again?”
She looked down at her feet before she answered. “I don’t want you either way.”
He pounced. “And you call me a liar?”
“Yes, I’m not ly—” she vehemently disagreed.
“You love me,” he said confidently.
She couldn’t tell another lie. Her love for him was worth more than that, too much for her to disgrace it by denial. This time, she looked into his eyes when she answered. “Yes.”
His face almost glowed with triumphant delight. He took her hand again and pulled her to him. “Then why should we burden ourselves with pain? Why should we deny ourselves, and throw this precious gift of love right back into the universe’s face?” His voice softened. “I love you, Chantelle. That has been true ever since the first time I said it, and will always be true.”
She struggled with something deep inside, and her heart won the battle. She slumped against him. “Dustin. My heart—”
“Is in the devoted hands. I will take care of it. As I’m sure you’ll care for mine.”
She tilted her face upwards, allowing him to kiss her, and he did so fervently.
“I came here thinking I might never again feel your lips,” he said fervently.
She wanted to close her eyes to take in the scent and feel of him more fully, but was scared that if she did, he might vaporize and she’d discover he had been nothing but a wisp. There was something nagging at her. She pulled away.
For a second, he looked frightened.
“I have a condition.” Maybe she sounded bossy, came off as harsh, but it needed to be done.
“Anything.”
“No more secrets between you and me. Ever. I will forgive you, if you can promise me that.”
“Is that all?” he joked weakly.
“Dustin!”
He lifted her to him, her breasts to his chest, and pressed his face against her cheek, as if he wanted to squeeze her against him until she melted into his skin. “I promise. Over and over. No lies or secrets. Only love, faith, commitment. Now and always.”
They kissed for a long time, and when they finally broke apart, he had another question. “Babe?”
“Mmm?” Her eyes felt heavy-lidded, her lips gently curved.
“I don’t know my way around your house—”
“Bathrooms down the hall,” she said automatically.
He gave a surprised bark of laughter. “Forget that. Where’s the bedroom? Our bedroom.”
A delighted glow of understanding spread through her. She waved weakly in the direction of the upper floor. “Top of the stairs. Mahogany doors. Can’t miss it.” Her excitement was already rising.
He lifted her and she squealed, warning him just in time that Minerva had positioned herself at the foot of the steps to either welcome him or trip him up. He negotiated the hazard expertly, and when they were inside, he lowered her onto the bed, then kneeled above her in an attitude that almost felt like worship.
Kisses are great, Chantelle thought, but I want more. She reached up, pulling at his shirt, signaling her desire. Swiftly, he removed his clothes and then hers. They were naked and bare to each other, both physically and spiritually. His hands roamed, seeking and touching as curiously as if this were their first time.
And in a way, it was, because this was their first time making love in complete honesty and commitment. Without withholding anything, without shielding themselves from each other. Wholly vulnerable.
Dustin took his time, kissing her from tip to toe and back up again, letting his fingers follow the trail burned by his lips. She reached for him to do the same, give as good as she got, but he stilled her with his hands.
“This is for you.”
He sank his head between her thighs and the pleasure began. A slow build that climbed and climbed. When he knew she couldn’t bear it any longer, he slid up so he could look into her eyes, kissing her so she could taste her own salty sweetness on his lips. Focus on her face so he could penetrate her soul as he penetrated her body.
She’d never been so filled, or so fulfilled. And the happiest part of it was, she knew it would happen again and again, whenever she desired it, for the rest of their lives.