Alpha Billionaire Series

CHARLES

Willow looked stunning in the black form-fitting dress. Back in the day, maternity clothes looked like tents draped around the abdomen of a woman who waddled uncomfortably. None of those things were true about her tonight. Not only did she have class and poise, but the sequined gown hugged every curve, accentuating the baby bump and making my d**k stiff.

Her hair had been straightened, hanging longer than I remembered it. She had only a touch of makeup, and her bare shoulders and low-cut top were the perfect backdrop for the pearls that clung to her neck. I was speechless the moment she walked into the restaurant. As she approached the table, guided by the host, I rose to meet her. “Charles,” she said, accepting a kiss on the cheek as I leaned in.

I had to restrain myself. My greedy hands wanted to pull her in, find the places that made her feel amazing and neve let her go. “Willow,” I replied, sitting as the host helped her with her chair. “I ordered a sparkling water for you. I hop that's okay.”

She smiled, setting her clutch to the side. She eyed the manilla envelope on the table next to me, but I remained fixed on her. This entire night was about her, for her. It seems that some sentences in this chapter require you to reas the complete chapters on J o bni b.c o min order to avoid an incomplete reading experience. When she had agreed to dine with me, I knew it would be my last chance. The statement to the press had worked, though differently than I thought it would. I hadn't expected her to walk up on the thing. I thought I'd make the statement and ask her to call me. But there she was.

“So, an Italian place, huh?” She smiled, picking up the menu.

“Yeah, I sort of asked Mel what you were craving. I figured you were at that point in the pregnancy where food was the devil”Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

She laughed, a huge smile on her face. “That was much earlier on. Or did you forget the plane ride?”

“How could I forget?” I sighed, pushing away my feelings about having been kept in the dark about her pregnancy. I reminded myself once again, that this was my last shot to make it right with her.

“I think I'll have some alfredo.” She made the statement just as the waiter walked up, and he was already writing it down.

“Would you like to add chicken or shrimp?” His pen was ready to write but she shook her head. “For you, sir?”

“I'll have the New York Strip, baked potato and house veggies is fine”

“How would you like that?” he asked, poised to write.

“Medium is fine. And we'd like to be interrupted as little as possible. Thank you.”

The waiter nodded and walked away, and Willow reached for the annulment papers. She had a sad expression as she opened the envelope, looking over them.

“You know, I thought this was the end, Charles. I really did. I thought that even though I did everything you asked, you were really done with me.” The papers slid back into the envelope, and she laid it back down. She held her head erect, shoulders squared, but I could tell she was emotional.

“I'm so sorry I made you feel that way, Willow. If I could do it all over again, I'd have told you the minute I realized I was still in love with you. That first time we made love.”

She grimaced and looked away for a minute then turned back to me. “You mean when you tossed a credit card at me and made me feel like a cheap whore?”

I winced. “I deserved that" I rubbed my forehead then picked up the folder. In one swift movement, I tore it in two, finally using my built-up anger for something useful instead of destructive. “I don’t want out.” I laid the pieces to the side, capturing Willow's hand in mine.

“And if I do?”

Her gaze was steady, locked on my face, but I looked down. Something was different about her hand. The other day when I held her hand and kissed it, she was not wearing a ring. But tonight, her wedding ring was on her finger. I twisted it in my fingers and swallowed hard.

“You don't.”

“You don’t know anything.” Her tone remained firm.

“I know you love me. I know you have been through hell and a lot of it was my fault. I know I don’t know everything, but I do know you.” I looked up at her face, tears gleaming in her eyes. It was now or never. I slid off my chair, dropping to one knee. I had meant to wait until much later in the night for this, but the opportunity was here and now, and I wasn't going to waste it.

“Willow, when I asked you to marry me eight years ago, I really thought it was the right time. We were perfect for eac other. We had so much in common, our whole lives ahead of us. We were in love, and we were everything the other one wanted and needed. But I f****d up.”

She sighed, blinking her eyes hard. I could tell she was trying not to cry. I just didn’t know if it was the sort of crying that ended in a happily ever after, or the sort where I was left on my knee watching her walk out.

“We went our own ways, and we grew up a lot. Both of us. And you turned out to be even more perfect than I ever imagined you to be." I licked my lips, my mouth suddenly dry. We were married, for Christ's sake. Why was I so nervous? “This past year taught me a lot of things. Mostly that I hadn't grown up as much as I thought I had.”

Willow smiled and blinked again, a tear escaping. She swiped it away and rested her hand on mine. I knew we were drawing attention in the room, but I ignored the gawkers and focused on her.

“I learned that I am wrong sometimes. I learned that you hate taking second shower.” She grinned, and I continued. “And I learned that even when love is strong and deep, it can still hurt. And I'm sorry for hurting you. I'm sorry I didn't tell you I loved you more often, or soon enough. I'm sorry I left you all that time ago, and I'm sorry that I didn’ try to find you.

“I meant what I said. I don’t want to return to DC without you. I can't eat. I can't sleep. I can’t even stay in that apartment because everything reminds me of you.” I kissed her hand. “Say you'll marry me, Willow. Say you'll be my wife for real. Not the fake arranged marriage, the real kind. I want to make you coffee every morning, fight with you, make up, cry, laugh. I want to do everything with you every day for the rest of my life.”

She smiled and sighed out a laugh. “People are staring at you, Charles. We're already married.” She talked through her teeth as if she were embarrassed.

“Let them stare. I never got to do this the right way. That stupid party where I proposed for the first time was so immature of me. And the arrangement, well that wasn’t a proposal. This—" I gestured around at the room of onlookers “—this is my last shot. If you don’t say yes to me right now, I'm done. Life will mean nothing without you. These people are my witness, Willow, that I love you more than anything else in my life. I don't care that we're already married. Will you be my wife for the rest of my days?”

She blinked and the tears came faster than she could stop them. She covered her mouth with both hands and nodded, and I fell on her lap, laying my head on her belly and giving in to my own emotion. I was overwhelmed with love and joy. Her fingers ran through my hair as I lavished kisses on her protruding stomach. With both hands cradling the tiny life inside of her, I kissed her.

Then I felt a kick.

She burst out laughing. “Wow, looks like the baby is pissed at you too.”

I couldnt help but smile. “I don’t care if our baby takes your side in every argument. Just say you'll be here with me to argue it out every day the rest of our lives.”

“I will” Willow leaned down and kissed me. I missed those lips, soft and pliable.

Around of applause went up in the dining room, gawkers getting the point that she had accepted my proposal. I wasn't sure how many of them, if any, knew we were already married. I wasn't a huge household name in Virginia, being from Maryland. Still, it was a moment we'd never forget.

Maybe Peter's plan had never been to get me married off for real, but it sure felt like it. The fates had a way of lining the stars up in order to align hearts, and this time the alignment worked. When Willow walked out of my life eight years ago, I thought I'd never see her again. Now my only prayer was that I never saw a day where she wasn't a part of me.