Fighting for You (19 page)

Beth and Suzy’s parents came to the hospital a few hours later and, after exchanging a few words, they retreated to the waiting room across the hall. Ella knew things were strained there, but she was glad they had come to the hospital to support their daughter. She looked around at the rest of their group. No wonder people were staring at them as they walked by. She was sitting here in her wedding dress, while the rest of them looked like they were going to the prom. The women still had on their long bridesmaid dresses and the men were in their tuxedos.

They had been waiting almost three hours when Nick’s mother walked into the waiting room crying softly. Everyone jumped to their feet and her husband walked to her side, lovingly embracing her. With tears still rolling down her face, she said, “We have a new baby. Henry John Merimon was born twenty minutes ago and weighs seven pounds and ten ounces. He’s . . . perfect.”

Ella saw tears in John Merimon’s eyes. He had looked surprised and touched to find out that Beth and Nick had named the baby after him and his wife’s father. Suzy was wrapped in Gray’s arms and they looked a little teary over the new Merimon family addition.

A few minutes later, Nick walked out with the baby. A nurse was hovering behind him to take the baby to the nursery for his first checkup. Ella felt her own tears gathering as she looked at Nick with his new son. The look of awe and happiness was enough to have everyone in their group a little misty eyed. She couldn’t help but imagine Declan standing there showing off their baby. She must have been pretty transparent, because she felt his hand slide across her flat stomach and rest there. Maybe in the near future, Evan would have a new brother or sister to play with. Between her and Declan, and Julie and Graham, that was bound to happen sooner rather than later.

Epilogue

It was her first Christmas as a married woman and Ella was giddy with excitement. She had been married for four months and she still had to pinch herself to make sure it was all real. On Christmas Day they would be having lunch with her parents and dinner with Declan’s family including Julie, Evan, and Graham. They had all become a family unit and had even double dated with Julie and Graham a few times. Understandably, Graham had been thrown when Declan entered their lives. He had been afraid of losing Julie and Evan. When he finally understood that there was nothing romantic there, he had been happy that Evan would have two father figures in his life.

Beth and Nick were settling into their roles as new parents. The first few months had been a little rocky for them and they still looked terribly sleep deprived, but Beth had never looked happier. Unlike Claire and Jason who were happy to have anyone hold Chrissy, Beth and Nick were just the opposite. They were terrified of someone dropping Henry or giving him some kind of illness. Beth joked that Nick had turned into a major phobic about germs and was driving her crazy with his constant nagging about her hand washing. Suzy had even overcome her aversion to kids for her new nephew. Nick had grudgingly allowed her and Gray to babysit one evening so that he and Beth could have some time alone. Gray had snapped a picture with his cell phone of Suzy’s reaction the first time Henry spit up on her. In one word . . . it was priceless.

Declan walked in as Ella placed the last wrapped present under their tree. She could still remember how choked up he had gotten as they had decorated their first tree together. He hadn’t had a tree since his parents were alive and it was an emotional moment for him. He helped her to her feet and pulled her into his arms. “Hello, wife.”

Smiling she said, “Hello yourself, husband. Where have you been?”

“Getting your Christmas present.”

She looked around, not seeing any bags on the floor. With a mischievous smile, she lowered her hand to his crotch. “Should I start by looking here?”

He groaned, giving her a sexy laugh. “Um . . . there is definitely something in there for you, Ellie. But right now, we need a car to go get your first present.” Pushing his hardening cock against her hand, he added, “You can have that present when we get back.”

She rubbed her body against his, teasing him. “The car, huh? I think the seats recline—”

Declan pushed her away from him saying, “Ellie, behave yourself or we’ll never make it to your present tonight.”

Intrigued, Ella let him bundle her into her coat and settle her in the car. They appeared to be heading toward Gray and Suzy’s. Surely a visit with their friends wasn’t on the agenda for tonight. When they passed Suzy and Gray’s she asked, “Where are we going?”

“Just a little further, baby.” After a few more miles, Declan turned into the driveway of a two-story colonial house.

Confused, she asked, “Who lives here?”

Tweaking her nose, he said, “We do,” before leaving her in the car with her mouth hanging open.

She was still stunned when he opened her door and helped her out. “We do?” she repeated weakly.

“Yep.” He took her hand and led her up to door. “Apparently, when you work at Danvers, you get married and buy a beach house. Claire and Jason are a few miles further down the road and I think you saw Suzy and Gray’s house on the way. I have some insider information that Nick and Beth will be moving into the neighborhood very soon as well.”

Ella was still in a state of shock when he put the key in the lock and opened the door. He picked her up in his arms and carried her over the threshold. “Welcome home, Ellie.”

“Oh my,” she whispered.

When he lowered her to her feet, he took her hands in his and, with his voice full of emotion, he dropped to his knees and said, “Ella Stone, love of my life and woman of my dreams, will you live with me in our house, make it a home? Will you be the mother of our children and teach them to love just as you do? Will you love me every day as you do today even when you want to kill me? Will you—”

Ella put her fingers across his lips, whispering, “Yes. The answer to all of your questions is yes.” She moved his hand lower, placing it over her stomach. “I have a present for you and I brought it with me.”

He looked down at her and it took a moment for her meaning to sink in. He reverently lifted her shirt and looked in awe at her still-flat stomach. When he looked up at her, she nodded her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. He placed his lips against her stomach and she ran her fingers through his hair, holding him against her. Pulling back he gave her a wicked grin, “I guess it only takes one time, huh?”

She burst out laughing thinking of the night they had been out of condoms. She stopped taking the pill after they were married because they wanted to start a family in another year or two.

One night when things were hot and heavy, Declan reached for a condom. They were horrified to find the box empty. Declan’s famous words at the time were, “Just one time isn’t going to hurt, right?” She was so hot for him at that point, that she would have agreed to anything.

Ruffling his hair, she said, “Sometimes, once is all it takes.”

Then Declan pulled her into his arms and they started christening every room in their new home.

A
CKNOWLEDGEMENTS

A huge thank-you to all of you who have embraced the Danvers series and continue to support it so enthusiastically. I am so touched by your letters and your comments on Facebook and Twitter. Thanks for keeping me going and not letting me slack off!

A special note of thanks to my dream team. My agent, Jane Dystel, who has been a constant source of invaluable information and support and my editor, Kerry Donovan, who turns my vision into a work of art. It is always such a pleasure working with you both.

Now that you’ve enjoyed the latest book in the Danvers series, don’t miss WEEKENDS REQUIRED, where it all began for Claire and Jason! Keep reading for a special preview.

WEEKENDS REQUIRED is available now from Signet

“Holy smoking buns, a butt like his should be illegal.” Claire looked up in time to see the object of her coworker and best friend’s admiration walk past their table in the cafeteria. Jason Danvers truly did have a butt to admire. At well over six feet tall with dark brown hair that tended to curl up at the ends, compelling ice-blue eyes that looked right through you and a rugged and tanned, athletic build, Jason Danvers was very hard to ignore. His presence always seemed to dominate a room. His every movement impatient, Jason never seemed to relax. Every lady in the cafeteria was craning her neck to get a better look.

“Suzy, keep it down before Mr. Smoking Buns hears you.”

“Oh, puleeze. Don’t tell me the drool isn’t pooling in your mouth as we speak.”

“Suz, you’re too much—what’s Jeff going to do with you?”

“Well, I don’t know what Jeff has in mind, but I’ve got thoughts of handcuffs and whipped cream, myself.”

Claire had met Suzy on her first day at Danvers International, and it hadn’t taken long to form a bond with the outspoken, flashy, and hopelessly sex obsessed wisecracker. Suzy was what every little girl wanted to grow up to be: gorgeous and confident. With long dark red hair, a tall, slim build with curves in all the right places, Suzy loved pushing the fashion envelope at the office. She handled special events for Danvers International and, as she often told anyone who would listen, she was damn good at her job.

Her boss had long ago given up trying to stress the importance of the professional dress code to her and now suffered in silence when Suzy showed up for work in various forms of leather and lace or neon-colored T-shirts with catchy slogans. Claire suspected that Suzy was so beautiful that no one actually cared what she wore, as long as they could admire her every day.

Claire considered today to be a subdued day for Suzy, wearing only a blue-jean miniskirt and a rainbow-colored shirt with a peace sign on it. She often wondered how they’d bonded so quickly. Suzy had a colorful and sexy fashion style, to say the least. Claire preferred a more tailored look. Classic slacks and tops or pencil skirts in neutral tones were her usual work attire. Whereas Suzy favored I’ve-just-had-hot-sex hair, Claire’s tresses were long, auburn, and tended to curl when loose, so for the most part she kept her hair pulled back from her face in a discrete ponytail.

Suzy also loved the tanning salons, even though Claire often lectured her on the dangers of that particular pastime. Wherever they went, men stopped to stare at Suzy, and Claire might as well be a picture on the wall or a potted plant for all the attention they paid to her. Suzy always begged Claire to let her do a makeover. Claire shuddered at the thought.

“I don’t know how you work so closely with him without attacking him.”

“I value my job, and I just don’t think of him in that way—or any man for that matter right now.”

“You’re way too uptight. Live a little, Claire. You might actually enjoy it.”

Thankfully, Suzy seemed to run out of steam in a relatively short time with her “live a little” pep talk, and packed up her tray. “Want to catch a movie later or check out the new bar on the corner?” Suzy asked.

“I’ve got to run over to mom’s to pay her bills for the month.”

“One day you’re going to have a wild moment, and I hope I’m still young enough to appreciate it,” Suzy said with a dramatic sigh. “Okay, catch ya later—and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do with Hot Buns.”

No matter what the differences between them, Suzy was a breath of fresh air in Claire’s otherwise dull daytime routine. She laughed under her breath and thought to herself,
If Suzy had any idea what I was doing last night she would probably die of a heart attack on the spot
. She hoped that would be over before anyone ever knew the lengths she was forced to go through to pay her mother’s medical bills. She gathered up her own tray and headed to the front to drop it off.

“How’re you doing today, my love?” George asked. George had been with Danvers running the cafeteria for thirty years, hired back in the day Marshall Danvers, Jason’s father, started the company. George always had a smile for everyone and, in truth, a soft spot for Claire.

“I’m good, George. Thanks for asking.”

“When are you going to let me take you away from all this?”

“Now, what in the world would Sara say, George?” Sara was George’s lady friend, as he called her, and the two were just a perfect match.

“Sara would understand if I had to trade up. We got an understanding.”

“George, you wouldn’t even know how to get up in the morning without Sara. You better hold on to her with both hands. She’s a keeper.”

“That’s true, but a guy can dream, right?”

“You’re hopeless, George. You have a good day.”

“You too, love. See you tomorrow.”

* * *

Claire walked down the hall to the elevator bank. No corners were cut with the decor of Danvers International. Everything here was gleaming: white marble floors, soft off-white walls, and stainless steel elevators with mahogany walls inside. As she stepped into the elevator she once again forced herself to remain calm. Confronting her fear of enclosed spaces was what forced her to take the elevator every day instead of the stairs. While the stairs might be better for her physically, conquering her claustrophobia was far more important.

Danvers International was a huge glass-and-steel building with twenty-five floors. Jason Danvers’ office was on the twenty-third floor, and his personal space was on the twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth floors. The door to Jason’s large office was closed, as usual. Putting away her purse in the bottom drawer of her desk, she settled into her chair in the reception area.

Jason liked the office to be very impersonal and she was always careful to have no personal items on her desk. His one concession to some type of informality was to address her by her first name, and he liked to be addressed by his as well.

She had been working as Jason’s assistant for three years. Her job generally required her to handle all the liaising with clients, suppliers, and other staff. She was Jason’s right hand and ensured that all appointments, meetings, and projects were scheduled and staffed as needed. Her office life was never slow or boring. He was a fair boss and always treated her well. In the time they had worked together they had managed to create a comfortable relationship. It wasn’t exactly a friendship, because they didn’t have personal conversations. It was more of a mutual respect for each other’s abilities.

She was checking her e-mail when the office door opened and he strolled out. His normally wavy brown hair was rumpled as if he had been running his hands through it, and his mouth was pulled in a tight line.

“Claire, could I have a word with you in my office?”

Normally he just relied on the telephone to give orders, so it was somewhat of a surprise to be summoned personally. He waited for her to step out from behind her desk and precede him into his office. Claire was initially surprised at how at odds Jason’s office seemed to be with his personality. Jason was very direct and a person of few words. His clothing favored darker colors with his style usually expensive and conservative. At thirty-five years old, he could easily pass for someone in his twenties. His office, however, had a nautical motif. Jason had several beautiful colorful pictures of the ocean and various beach scenes, and the room was reminiscent of an expensive seaside hotel.

She had been shocked the first time she’d entered his office at how comfortable and soothing it was compared to the rest of Danvers International. She’d heard from various employees that Jason loved the sea, which was a major reason Danvers International headquarters remained in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, rather than moving to bigger cites that would offer more benefits to a company of its size.

She’d spent a lot of time in this office imagining rolling around on the floor buck naked with her boss—carpet burns be damned! Just because Suzy was her best friend didn’t mean she had to tell her that her fantasies of Jason were probably better than anything Suzy had dared to imagine. Carefully schooling her face into a neutral expression, she looked at Jason with what she hoped would pass for professionalism and not “do me” desperation.

“Claire, I need you to work this weekend. I know I usually don’t impose a weekend work schedule; however, the contracts for Mericom are supposed to be finished on Saturday, and I’ll need you to be on hand to handle any last-minute changes that may take place.”

“That’s not a problem. What time should I be in the office on Saturday?”

“That’s the problem. Unfortunately I’ll be going out of town this evening to Columbia, and I’ll need you to travel with me. My friend Harold is getting married on Sunday, and I’m expected at his home for the weekend since I’m in the wedding party.”

Oh, great. I’ve not worked weekends for over a year and rarely travel on business and now I’m being asked to do both!

“Jason, I have a previous family engagement for the weekend, but I’ll be glad to be in the office during the day on both Saturday and Sunday.”

“I’m afraid that isn’t going to work. I don’t need to remind you how big this deal with Mericom is to Danvers, do I?”

He had been working for close to a year on the acquisition of Mericom. Danvers International was the second biggest communications company in the U.S., and with the addition of Mericom, Danvers would move firmly into first place.

“No, that’s fine. Would it be a problem if you gave me directions so that I could meet you tomorrow morning?”

“I guess that’s okay. I’ll e-mail the information to you shortly.”

When Jason’s cell phone rang, she took the opportunity to excuse herself from his office.
Crap, crap, crap, what am I going to do about this weekend?!