Taking His Woman (10 page)

They said their goodbyes. David looked really
happy at having his wife at his beck and call. Molly appeared happy at having
her husband back. His other siblings had gone. He drove to the beach house to
find Ben waiting with her suitcase. Chris watched the other guy hug and kiss
her. She got in the car, and Chris gave Ben a wave and drove on his way towards
home.

Chris reached over, taking her hand.

“I can’t believe how I feel,” she said.

“How do you feel?”

“Loved, cherished. Like nothing is going to
break us apart.” He kissed her hand, keeping his eyes on the road.

“Nothing will break us apart. I won’t let it.”
Their mistakes were over. “I want to show you something. Do you mind coming
with me, and then I’ll take you home?” he asked.

I hope you
don’t want to go home.

“Yes.”

He kept her hand in his as he drove towards his
home. A year ago he’d bought a place on the outskirts of the city. It was a
nice plot of land with a house that needed some tender loving care. There was a
garden out back, and he hoped to one day turn it into his family home. It
wasn’t a large house, just a modest four bedroom house with a large kitchen, dining
room, and sitting room. He’d purchased the place thinking about Erica.

Most men wouldn’t have made plans with a lost
love in mind. Chris had held onto the hope of winning Erica back.

The radio was on, and he smiled listening to
her sing. She would never be a singer, but he liked how open she was around
him. She really was unlike any other woman he’d known.

Two hours later—traffic in the city was a pain
to get through—he pressed the digits to the gate and then drove down the short
drive to his home.

He parked the car and got out. Erica was
already standing in front of the car. She turned to him with a beaming smile on
her face.

“Wow,” she said. “Is this house yours?”

“Yes. It was finished a week ago. I hoped to
move in sometime in the next three weeks.”

“It looks so quaint.”

“Would you like a tour?” he asked.

“Yes.”

He opened his arm for her to loop her hand in.
When she did, he started round back on the garden. “I figured I’d employ a
gardener to start off with. I think growing some fruit and vegetables would be
good for the environment. It also means I wouldn’t have to worry about going to
the shop every damn day.”

She chuckled as he pointed out plots of land.
Chris had made some plans in the hope of turning into a full time family home.
He wanted the house, the wife and children. At forty years old he was more than
ready to settle down. Before he met Erica, he’d been wild, sowing his oats and
all that. But now there was no fun when love wasn’t involved. That weekend
three years ago with Erica had shown him what it meant to be in love and feel
love from another person.

Erica Black had unknowingly ruined him for
other women.

“This is amazing.”

“I think I could fit a swing down there.” He
pointed at the bottom of the garden.

“You’re a lucky man, Chris.”

He took her inside through the back, which led
straight into the kitchen. Her gasp bought a smile to his face.

“I’m envious of the person who’ll get to cook
in this kitchen,” she said.

His heart pounded inside his chest. “I’m hoping
you’ll agree to cook in here.”

She turned to him with a frown on her brow.

“What?”

He got down on one knee. Chris knew he should
wait. They hadn’t been reacquainted for long. Still, the feelings inside him
were too strong to ignore. Maybe he was using his father’s situation to make
his move. He didn’t care. Erica had been the only woman he’d ever wanted in the
past four years. What had started out as a challenge had turned into need and
love.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Erica, this feels right to me. I know it
hasn’t been long, but I know what’s in my heart. I promise you that I will
spend the rest of my life taking care of you. Showing you all the love you
deserve and more. Would you do me the honour of becoming my wife?”

Her mouth was open, and her hand lay across her
throat.

“Chris. I don’t know what to say.”

“I don’t have a ring. I picked this house for
you. Everything I do with my life is about you. Since the moment I fucked up,
my whole world has been focused on nothing but you. I love you, Erica. I’ve
wasted enough of my life. I want to prove to you that what I said is the
truth.”

****

Her heart was trying to escape her chest. Erica
gazed down at Chris and knew her whole world was opening up. She had never
expected him to propose. The house was beautiful, and knowing he’d picked it out
with her in mind made her love him a little bit more.

Tears blurred her vision. They were moving
fast, but they’d wasted their time before. She looked at him and knew she had
the chance to be happy. When they were together, the world went away. They became
the only two who existed.

“Don’t cry. I want you to be happy,” he said.
He got to his feet, rubbing the tears from her cheeks.

“I am happy. You’ve shocked me. That’s all.”

Chris kissed her. She wrapped her arms around
him, accepting his kiss. “I love you,” he said, “and I want to spend the rest
of my life with you.”

“Are you sure?” she asked.

“It broke me what I did to you. I don’t expect
us to have the perfect marriage. The only thing I know is I’ll never stop
loving you.”

She knew she could spend the rest of her life
listening to his talk.

“Yes. I’ll
marry you.”

He swept
her up, twirling her around. “You won’t regret it. I promise.”

He showed
her the rest of the house. She loved every bit of it. He wanted them to move in
together. Erica wanted to jump at the chance. She knew they needed to take
their time together.

“Don’t you
think we’re rushing everything?” she asked. They sat at the counter. Chris
poured her a cup of tea and took the seat opposite.

“Yes. It’s
what I’m used to. All the men in my family move fast.”

“I
noticed.” She thought about Cassie and Blaze. They’d not long been acquainted,
and she saw the love between them. “I guess I’m worried that we’ll regret our
decisions later on.” She thought about her mother and the number of times she’d
brought a man back to the house only to kick him out a few weeks later. She
cringed knowing she’d have to introduce Chris to her.

“How about
we move in here and you keep your apartment until the lease runs out? That way
if I get too much for you, you can leave whenever you want.” He offered
her a
solution to their problem, even though he didn’t want
her leaving him at all. “But I will promise you, Erica, I’ll make it difficult
for you to want to leave my bed, let alone my house.”

“You drive
a hard bargain. I think I’d need a couple of test runs to see how you hold up
to that promise. To make sure you don’t slack off maybe I should go for a
longer lease instead.” She teased him.

“I screwed
up once before. I’m not going to do it again. Keep the house up for the lease,
and we can move in slowly. No rush, but you will live with me?”

She
smiled. “I like the sound of that. It’s a good compromise, Mr. Sinclair.”

“I’m a
businessman and a damn good one.”

Erica took
a sip of her sweet tea. “What will your family think of your proposal?” she
asked.

“In case
you haven’t noticed, my family is as fucked up as the rest of them. Speaking
of, when do I get to meet your family?”

“You
really want to meet my family?”

“Yes.
You’ve met mine.”

“I guess
you can kick me out after you’ve met mine.”

He cupped
her cheek forcing her to look at him. “Nothing is going to stop the way I feel
about you.” Chris kissed her again. “Tell me about them.”

“My family?”
He nodded his head. She licked her lips,
wondering what words to use to describe her family. “My mother is a drunk and
spends most of her time passed out on the couch or throwing up. She used to
bring a new man back every couple of weeks. My oldest brother is in prison for
robbery, and my oldest sister tries to pick up the pieces as much as she can.
She’s thirty and has been more of a mum to me than my real mother.”

“What’s
your sister’s name?” he asked.

“
Elizabeth
.”
Thinking about her reminded Erica that she hadn’t been to see her
sister in some time.
“She put me through college and forced me to take a
job in your building.”

“She
sounds like a real smart woman.”

Erica
frowned, thinking about her older sister. She couldn’t tell Chris that because
Elizabeth
had spent a
great deal of time off school, she didn’t know how to read and write much more
than her own name and address. The shame went through Erica at her lack of
support.

“She is
the best woman I know.”

They spent
the night at the house, carrying in her stuff that she’d packed for her
vacation. The following day they went to her apartment. Her rent was paid for
the next three months. She’d see how everything went. Erica packed up a few
belongings to stay with Chris.

Chapter Eleven

They
settled into a routine together. She saw Chris off to work before she went off
to her own. She was doing some secretarial work at one of the local law
offices. Every morning, they’d make love before she cooked him breakfast. Their
time together was the best part of her day. When she was at work most of her
thoughts were what she’d do when she saw him
again.

The weeks
passed, and summer was behind them. Autumn was upon them. The cold mornings let
her know how much time had passed. She missed her sister and felt guilty at the
lack of communication. Chris and his family were happy to have her in the fold.
Erica had demanded that they get a prenuptial agreement. Chris had refused. She
had informed him that it was for her peace of mind. The whole world would see
her as a gold-digger, but for her, the document gave her the security that she
wasn’t. Strange logic, but it was her logic.

Chris made
her feel loved every day. She found herself growing addicted to his sweet talk.
They’d planned for a summer wedding next year. They went shopping for rings.
She accepted a small diamond ring and insisted on buying a wedding band for
him.

When her
lease was up at her apartment, she paid the rent for another three months. She
didn’t expect to leave the haven she’d created with Chris, but it felt right to
keep her apartment.

During
some time off work in November, Erica phoned her sister,
Elizabeth
, and arranged for a visit. Her
sister warned her about her mother’s deteriorating condition.

“She
drinks all the time, Erica. I don’t think you should be bringing your man
friend here.”

“I want to
come and see you,” Erica said.

“I know. I
miss you, too, but I don’t think you should see this.” There was scuffling and
shouting.

“What’s
going on?” Erica asked.

“Nothing.
Let’s just say before you left was like a haven
compared to how it is now.”

Her sister
hung up. Erica wasn’t happy. Her sister didn’t deserve to live that kind of
life. Chris found her in the sitting room, curled up and looking at the fire.

“What’s
the matter?” he asked, lifting her feet over his lap.

“I called
Elizabeth
today.”

“Your sister?”

She nodded
her head.

“How did
she take you being engaged?”

Licking
her lips, she turned to look at him. He began massaging her feet. She closed
her eyes, enjoying the sensation.

“I didn’t
get a chance to tell her. She doesn’t want me visiting. Apparently mum has
gotten worse.”

“You’re worried?”

“Yes. I feel like an awful sister.
Elizabeth
sacrificed
everything for me. She didn’t want me growing up in that shithole, and look at
me. I’m sitting in luxury with a man who loves me while she has to clean my mum
up from the floor.” Her rant left her feeling drained. Her head pounded from
the migraine her situation had created.

“How about we go up there this weekend? If the
situation is as bad as your sister says, we leave.”

“I can’t leave her there a second time, Chris.”
She remembered getting on the bus without looking back. The pain inside her
built. Her own problems seemed so unimportant compared to those of her sister.