Dreamboat Page 3
We headed to the airport right after that but I managed to convince him to go by Laylin’s hotel to check on her before we took off. I was informed that she had already checked out and my heart sunk when they told me she hadn’t left any messages.
Panic didn’t really set in until a few weeks ago. I figured it would be simple. Hire a P.I. and a few days later I would have her phone number and we could work this out. A few days turned into weeks though and still, nothing. I’d even wondered if maybe she had given me a fake name or something.
I’m stuck in New York until they can find her though and I pace around my office, my mind on my curvy angel instead of the mountain of paperwork I need to get through. I loosen my tie as I make another pass around my office.
It’s been a month since I’ve seen her last. What if something happened to her? What if she met someone else? That last thought makes me want to put my fist through the wall but I hold myself back.
She’s the first woman that I’ve ever said I love you to and she didn’t even acknowledge it, didn’t even respond. I know that I fucked up, but she couldn’t even put me out of my misery?
My phone rings and I dive for it.
“Rowan Bakeman,” I say, desperate for it to be news of my girl.
“Mr. Bakeman. It’s Arthur from Macneill Private Investigations. We’ve found her, sir,” he says and my whole body sags with relief as I grab my pen and a piece of paper and scribble down her phone number and home address.
I thank him and hang up before I pick up my phone again. I debate if I should call first but my body demands that I see her in person. I want to hold her, kiss her, look into her brilliant green eyes as I beg her to forgive me and to give us another chance.
I make my flight arrangements and leave my office with a spring in my step.
I’m going to go get my girl.
9
Laylin
* * *
“Ready?” Nora asks and we both hold our breaths as we flip the little plastic sticks over.
Nora instantly starts swearing and I can guess what her result was.
Postive. The two pink lines stare back at me and I suck in a deep breath. Pregnant. I’m pregnant, and there’s only one person who could be the father.
I’ve been trying not to think about Rowan since I’ve been back but this changes things. I wonder how hard it will be to get ahold of him.
I turn with wide eyes and look at Nora. She’s got her head buried in her hands and I hear her groaning. I was surprised when she said that she wanted to take a test too but hadn’t thought much of it since I was too worried about my own test. Now though… Now I have questions.
“Who the heck did you sleep with and not tell me about!”
She groans louder and I elbow her gently. She’s saved from answering by a knock on the door and I leave her in the bathroom as I pad out to answer it.
“Uh… it’s your boss,” I call back to Nora.
“Don’t let him in!”
“I can hear you! And I will break down this door,” he shouts back.
I turn and look at Nora, silently asking her what she wants me to do.
She gives a shaky nod, hiding the pregnancy test in the bathroom and walking into the living room.
I open the door and Luca Golding storms into our apartment, his eyes locked on Nora.
“A pregnancy test? Were you going to tell me?” He demands as soon as he’s inside.
“Tell you what? That Laylin is pregnant?” She asks him like he’s crazy. “And how did you know I even bought a pregnancy test?” She asks back, her eyes narrowing.
“Your bodyguards informed me of the purchase,” he says, some of his urgency seeming to seep out of him at her response.
“BODYGUARDS!” She shouts, glaring at him but he looks nonplussed by her outburst.
His eyes rake over her and I gasp as I realize just who exactly Nora has been sleeping with. Her eyes flick over to mine and she widens them at me, begging me to stay silent.
A pounding comes at the door and I spin away from the drama in the living room to answer it. I pull open the door and there he is. Rowan Bakeman.
He pulls me into his arms a second later and I gasp as his lips land on mine. A throat clearing behind us has him pulling back and we both turn to look at the couple standing in the living room.
“Do you always have strange men coming over like this?” Luca growls and Nora just rolls her eyes.
“None of your business.”
He glares back at her and I turn to see Rowan is still watching me.
“I need to talk to you,” I tell him reluctantly and he grins.
I roll my eyes, motioning for him to follow me as I lead him into my bedroom. Nora flashes ‘help me’ eyes at me as I close the door.
“What are you doing here?” I ask as I close the door behind us.
“I’ve been looking for you since you left Italy. The PI finally found you so here I am.”
I nod like that makes sense and he steps closer to me, taking my hands in his.
“I missed you so much, Laylin. I’m sorry for what I did, so fucking sorry. I just didn’t want to let you go and instead I pushed you away. How can I make up for it? Tell me and I’ll do it. I’d do anything for you,” he says in a rush and I stare blankly up at him.
“I’m pregnant,” I tell him and now I’ve shocked him.
He stares at me with wide eyes before a giant grin overtakes his face and he lets out a whoop, dropping to his knees in front of me.
“Hey, little one,” he croons as he starts talking to my belly.
My heart swells at the sight and I clear my throat when my eyes start to water.
“While I’m down here,” Rowan starts and I look back to see him pulling something from his pocket.
“Laylin, I know that I messed up and I will always be sorry for that stupid decision but I love you. You’re the only woman that I’ve ever loved and I need you in my life. I know it’s soon, I know that I have a lot to make up for, but I promise that I will do anything to make you mine. I’d do anything to make you and our baby happy and I promise to always take care of both of you and any other kids that we have. Will you forgive me? Will you marry me?” He asks, opening the jewlers box and holding the ring out to me.
Nora and I have talked a lot about what happened and I’ve sorted out my feelings. Did he do something really dumb? Yes. Was it a mistake? Absolutely, but I also think that he tried to make up for it and that fact that he looked for me, has been looking for me, and came all this way has to mean something. I realized two days after I got home that I loved him too. Otherwise I wouldn’t have been so upset about losing him. So with tears in my eyes, I nod.
“Yes. To both,” I say as a few tears slip free.
“I love you. I love you so much,” he says as he cradles me against him and rains kisses all over my face.
I kiss him back and we laugh as he slips the ring onto my finger.
“Oh, I brought you something else,” he says as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a Bakeman cookie.
“I remember how much you said you liked these,” he says, handing it to me with a smirk and I laugh as I remember our first night together.
“Thanks.”
“My pleasure,” he says as I unwrap it and take a big bite.
10
Rowan
* * *
Five Years Later…
* * *
I hold my wife’s hand in mine as we watch the kids rush up the plane's stairs and disappear inside. With the amount of time we spend flying, they’re practically pros and they know where to go and sit. I rub Laylin’s belly as I help her up the stairs and she smiles at me as we board the private plane.
We got married about a month after I proposed. She said she didn’t want to be too far along when she was walking down the aisle and I was all for making her Mrs. Bakeman as fast as possible.
Our first child, a boy we named Liam was born seven months later and before I
knew it, Laylin was pregnant again. We had another boy, Ryan, and then I thought we were done but six months ago, we got a surprise. It’s a girl this time and I know that after this one, we will be done. I’m going to miss seeing Laylin pregnant but I love our family as it is.
We split our time between the main Bakeman offices in New York and the new offices that we built out in Los Angeles. Laylin had tried to move to New York when we first got married but I could tell that she missed Nora and the west coast so I surprised her with a new building. We still have to go back to New York for board meetings and stuff but for the most part, we live in Los Angeles.
I smile at the boys who are already eating with their tablets set up in their laps. They grin as we pass their seats and head to the ones in the back of the plane. They’re excited to head home and to see their Aunt Nora, Uncle Luca, and their cousins.
I hold my wife's hand as the plane starts to taxi and kiss her head as she leans against me.
“Happy?” I ask her and she nods right away.
“I love you,” she says.
“Love you more,” I say as the plane takes off and we fly towards home.
Stay Tuned!
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