Bent not Broken (281 page)

“I love you, Mia.” He mumbled against my lips.

“I love you too, Marcus.” I moaned. Feeling him on me, his lips on mine, and his warm responsiveness, I was able to forget at that moment about everything and just allow him to take control. I gasped when he spread my legs with his thighs and filled me with his length. I wanted him as badly as he wanted me. He met my hips, and his every thrust was at the perfect rhythm and speed. He took his time, allowing us to enjoy each other, to savor this moment, not wanting this moment to disappear.

Tracing his hand down my neck to my aching breast, he plucked and teased my nipples with his thumb. I moaned on his lips, and he wouldn’t take them away from mine. His hand continued to trace down to my belly, down my hip and along my thigh. He could touch me a thousand times, and each time I still felt the electricity of his touch as if it were the first time.

Gripping my thighs, he lifted them and wrapped my legs around his waist. Allowing him to go deeper inside of me, I grunted at the sensation. He groaned, and the vibration of the tone trembled against my lips. Biting my bottom lip, he began to move at a slightly faster pace. Our bodies melded into one another, allowing all of the feelings of almost losing each other to be relieved the only way we knew how, by making love.

Every emotion began to build, and my body trembled as I cried out his name and convulsed. Within a matter of seconds after I exploded, he did as well, groaning with relief.

Panting, I threw my head back into the plush mattress and shut my eyes with satisfied pleasure. I felt a tear fall down my face. Though I wasn’t crying when I opened my eyes, Marcus was staring at me, his face seriously deep in thought with one drip mark down the right side of his cheek. Reaching up, I wiped the watermark off his precious cheek and leaned up to kiss him long and hard. He didn’t want to let go, and neither did I.

The rest of the night we held each other tightly afraid that one or the other would walk away.

****

“Ava.” Marcus whispered while tracing small circles around my belly button. He was slumped on his side as he held his head up with his hand. I lay flat on my back, watching him trace all sorts of objects on my belly with his finger. It was very early in the morning, and we hadn’t slept since he walked in at three this morning.

Arching my brow, I wasn’t sure if I should be offended. “Huh?” I asked, wondering if he was calling me someone else’s name.

Looking up, he gently smiled. “Ava Marie DeLuca if it’s a girl.” I couldn’t help but grin widely at him. The past three hours we made sweet love, kissed passionately, and held each other, but neither one of us had brought up our baby.

“Ava? Hmm. I like it.” I said. “And if it’s a boy?” I asked curious as to the name; I had one in mind already.

“A junior, of course.” He laughed. I raised my eyebrows. Don’t get me wrong I love Marcus’ name, but it wasn’t my first choice.

Laughing at my expression, he said, “What? You don’t like my name? What did you have in mind?” He chuckled.

“No, I love your name. I was just … Well …”

He stopped his finger tracing and gently pressed the palm of his hand along my belly. His brows creased. “Go ahead, Mia. Tell me what name you have in mind.”

“Michael Marcus DeLuca.” I never expected to have a child,
ever,
and I wasn’t that type of girl that already had her children’s names picked out before she even got married. Though, the moment I knew I was pregnant, I just knew if it was a boy that I wanted to name him after my brother.

Marcus looked at me with gentle eyes, understanding the meaning behind the name I’d chosen. He smiled, lifting his head away from his hand and slowly lowered it to my belly. He gently traced small kisses there. I giggled with each brush of his lips on my ticklish skin. “I love it. Michael.” His lips stretched into a smile along my belly button when he said our unborn son’s name. I sighed in contentment.

He laid his head against my stomach, and his eyes met mine. As an instant reaction, I ran my fingers through his thick hair. His eyes were half closed. He must’ve been exhausted. I know I was. I knew he’d make a great father; he grew up with such a loving and amazing family and home. He’s a wonderful uncle to Elle.

Would I make a decent mother? I didn’t have anyone to pick up the traits from. At least Marcus was raised by his father until his teens. He always mentioned that his father made sure to put them first. I, on the other hand, didn’t have a mother. I wouldn’t know what a mother’s love and care felt like. I would never abandon my child.

Marcus eyes widened, and I didn’t realize I was frowning until I noticed the concerned look on his face. “What’s wrong, Mia?” His tone was uneasy.

“I … Well I was just thinking. I know you’ll be a really good dad. I was just wondering, will I make a half-decent mom?” That last part was spoken very low.

Sitting up beside me, he leaned against the headboard. Wrapping his arm around my shoulder, he pulled me in till my head lay on his lap. Brushing his hand against the side of my face, he made my worries drift away.

His touch was so comforting I was beginning to drift off into a deep sleep. Before falling asleep, the last thing I heard was, “You’re going to be one of the best mothers I know.” The smoothness of his voice allowed me to dream peacefully.

Chapter Nineteen

We slept in until late afternoon that Sunday, not wanting to leave each other’s side and exhausted from the vivid night. When we finally awoke, we had dinner in bed. Marcus ordered pizza, and we watched old eighties’ movies while cuddling. He also emailed his new assistant and told her that we wouldn’t be at work the next day. Marcus stayed up the rest of the night, searching for the best OB-GYN in Boston. He was beginning to get a little annoying. When I found one that I really liked, he would shoot him down if there was one bad review. When Marcus said no, the answer was
no
.

I wanted to see Dr. Tracy Muller. She was known to be one of the top doctors in her field. There were numerous five-star reviews, but one previous patient gave her two stars, stating that when she was finally in labor, Dr. Muller was out of town. That review changed Marcus’ opinion very quickly. I pouted after a while when he didn’t allow me to pick one. I mean, after all, it is my body. I should feel comfortable with the doctor.

After three hours of fussing, pouting, and a lot of disagreeing, we settled on Dr. Lee. He was after all the number-one ob-gyn in the entire state of Massachusetts with excellent credentials, background, and reviews. The only issue I had was that Dr. Lee is a male. I wasn’t sure how I would feel having another man exploring my personal … space. Marcus assured me that if I felt uncomfortable in any way, I could choose the next doctor, which put me at ease.

First thing Monday morning, Marcus contacted Dr. Lee’s office, and after intense negotiations, we were scheduled for that evening. I truly thought Marcus wouldn’t be able to get us in as Dr. Lee was booked until next year! Then again this was Marcus DeLuca; he could be very persuasive and persistent when he wanted his way. Since we had the entire morning and half of the afternoon free, Marcus wanted to take me out for a day in town. He didn’t leave my side, holding my hand, hugging me tight, and kissing me every chance he could. Although this was his regular routine, somehow today it seemed different.

He made sure I ate well and consumed plenty of water throughout the day. When his phone rang, he ignored it. He gave me one-hundred-ten percent of his attention. At one point when we entered a store and I wandered off to a look at some clothing, he shouted my name around the aisles frantically. When he found me, he embraced me with a tight hug and kiss. It was as if he thought that I was going to run away the moment we were apart. I assured him I wasn’t going anywhere. He would just nod and slightly smile, but his eyes were filled with uncertainty.

When we finally entered Dr. Lee’s office, I was in awe. The office was contemporary with high-end furniture and equipment. The entire building was extremely shiny and clean; I felt like I needed to take a sanitary shower before entering the building. Because of that, I added two points to my very own mental review. The super friendly staff and nurses made us feel welcome and comfortable, so I added another star. After meeting with Dr. Lee, I gave him a rank of five stars. I will never judge a male doctor again. He was gentle and made me feel comfortable throughout the entire process.

Peanut is the nickname we decided to give our little one. At six-weeks that’s exactly what the image on the small black-and-white screen appeared as—a tiny peanut. Marcus couldn’t wipe the grin off his face as we walked out of the doctor’s office side by side with my arm wrapped around his waist and his one arm slung over my shoulder, holding the small picture of our peanut.

“I can’t believe this little thing is our baby.” He said still mesmerized by the photo.

Laughing at him, I grabbed the picture so I could have a better look. “I know, right. Our baby is already adorable.”

He pressed his lips on top of my head and kissed me. “If our child looks anything like his mother, then yeah, he’ll be one gorgeous baby.”

I could actually imagine an adorable little boy or girl with Marcus’ smile and dimple and my green eyes. Sighing with contentment, we stepped into the car.

“So where do you want to go now?” he asked, turning on the ignition.

I shifted my body to face him. “Marcus, I’m really tired right now. Do you think you could take me home?”

Caressing his thumb along my cheeks, he gently smiled. “Of course, baby. Elle will be happy to hear the news.”

“Uh Marc, ah, I don’t want to say anything to anyone until the second trimester. You heard what the doctor said, ‘There’s a possibility of complications.’ I just don’t want to get anyone excited and then…” When I didn’t finish my sentence, he seemed to understand.

Nodding in agreement, “Sure, let’s go home.”

“Um, Marcus?” He turned to face me. I didn’t know how to say this without hurting his feelings. “I would like to go home, to
my
apartment. It’s not that I don’t like being at your place. I just haven’t been home in over a week, and I would just like to go
home
.”

Nodding in agreement, he turned on the ignition. “Okay, we’ll go to your apartment tonight, not a problem.” What I really wanted was to be home alone. I needed
me
time, and I was exhausted, but I decided to just let him come with me. After the previous night’s fiasco, I’m sure he didn’t want to leave my sight.

The ride home was in silence. I looked out the window, thinking how so much had changed within the last two and a half months. Who would have known that night at Club21 when I met Marcus that I would be sitting here right now with him, holding his hand, twirling his fingers with mine, discussing baby names for our first born? How will it work with us living-arrangements-wise? Will he move in with me? Will I move in with him? Will we stay as is in separate households?

The thought of home brought me to Jeremy. I hadn’t spoken to him all week. We’d seen each other at work, but it wasn’t the same. There was so much we needed to discuss. I know I told Marcus I didn’t want anyone to know just yet, but maybe I could tell Jeremy. I wondered how he would react.

When Marcus finally found parking, my initial reaction was to look around to see if I found the black SUV. It was nowhere to be found. I wasn’t sure why I felt uneasy about the stupid car. It could be a new neighbor’s vehicle for all I knew.

Marcus made his way to my side of the car and opened the passenger door. Looking up at him, I witnessed the biggest smile on his face, and it was contagious. He was so happy. I giggled at his amusement. He gave me his hand, and I took it. Yanking my hand, he pulled me into him and kissed my forehead. “Marry me,” he said casually.

“What?” I looked at him baffled.

Chuckling, he tightened his arms around my waist. His face grew serious. “I know it’s not the ideal proposal, but I love you, Mia. I can’t see myself with anyone else. You’re my life. Now that you’re carrying a small piece of me, I want you to be in my life forever. Be my wife. Please say yes. Marry me.”

“No.” His head cocked back with widened eyes and his lips parted, trying to come up with some response to my unexpected answer. I bit down on my lip to keep from laughing.

“No? Why?”

“That was a half-assed proposal, Marcus! I will not say ‘yes’ unless it’s better prepared. You’re lucky I’m giving you a second chance at this. Most men aren’t so lucky.” I arched my eyebrow playfully.

His face relaxed, pressing his forehead against mine, he laughed once. I looked into his wrinkled, joyous eyes. “You’re killing me, Mia, but I love you so much.”

We kissed again and walked towards my building. Jeremy’s car was nowhere in sight, so I guessed he was at Stacy’s again. I hadn’t been home all week, so I wondered if he even took the trash out. If not, I wondered if my pregnant hormones could handle the scent of trash juice.

We entered the building and walked up the stairs. Marcus was playfully slapping my behind with each step. I giggled and smacked his arm away. It just inspired him to torture me some more, so he began to tickle the side of my ribs.

Trying to get away, I began to run up the stairs giggling. When I turned the corner of the second floor, I rushed over to my door. He was chasing me. Adrenaline pumping from our childish chase, I tried to hurry and search for my keys before he got close.

“Mia?” Startled to hear my name by an unfamiliar voice, I turned towards the direction from where it came.

A few feet from my door, a woman was seated on the floor, leaning against the wall. She slowly lifted herself up. I tilted my head to study her, wondering if I recognized her. She knew my name, but she didn’t look familiar.

She had dark circles under her eyes and wavy untamed golden brown hair. She was well dressed in fitted jeans, flats, and a white blouse. After adjusting the strap of her purse on her shoulder, she fidgeted with her fingers. Looking down at her hands for a few moments, she finally looked up at me, but didn’t move any closer. At this point, Marcus was beside me. He must have sensed my distraction or uneasiness because his hand was pressed firmly against my lower back.