Something Forever (21 page)

Chapter 2
7

Becky

Why Matthew needed me at this late hour was beyond me. He knew I had a long day tomorrow and so did he.
What is so urgent?
I texted. I walked down the familiar boardwalk to his parent’s yacht. I had only walked several feet when I spotted a man leaning on the lamppost. He was tall with a muscular build. When he turned around, he stole my breath away, and at the very same time I realized it was Matthew. He was sucking on a lollipop, gazing at me with a wicked grin.

“Want a taste, Becca?” he mumbled with the lollipop in his mouth.

“I want to taste something else,” I teased, placing my hand inside his jeans pocket. I angled my index finger just right to where I could almost touch his balls.

Matthew jerked
back and wrapped his arms around me. “If you’re good, I might even let you taste what you’re trying to touch.”

“Sweet.” I twitched my brows.

“It’ll be more than sweet.”

I laughed lightly, loving
his playfulness. “Why am I here? I’ll see you tomorrow in San Diego.”

Matthew placed his arms around my shoulders and started walking down the boardwalk. “We’ll be surrounded by people when we’re in San Diego. I wanted you by yourself. I actually have a question to ask you.”

“You could’ve texted me or called me. You made me drive all the way to Long Beach just to ask a question? Where is the common sense in that?” I scolded. “You...Matthew!” Matthew dropped his hands and something soft suddenly covered my eyes. “What are you doing? I can’t see.” Then I realize it was a blindfold.

Matthew pressed his body next to mine and led me to our destination. “I’ve got you. Don’t be stubborn.”

Even though I knew there was nothing in the way in front of me and Matthew was holding me, I was still a bit hesitant. Walking in the complete darkness at night was not my idea of fun, but I played along. Whatever it was, it was important to him. When the blindfold came off, I saw many blurry bright spots. I blinked rapidly and rubbed my eyes. It was strange to see so many of them. When my vision cleared, I was blown away.

“Matthew.” His name flowed out of my mouth in a whisper as
I slipped my hand into his. Countless fake candles were everywhere on the top and second level deck of the yacht, where we were standing. “It’s amazing, Matthew. You did this all by yourself?”

“Surprise, Becca.
Well...I had a little help.” He kissed my forehead tenderly and brought me up to the third level deck. He took my purse and placed it down. “You don’t need this right now.” Then he pulled the finished lollipop from his mouth and put the stick in his front pocket. Matthew shrugged sheepishly. “I don’t want to litter, even on my own boat.”

I laughed at his words because that
was exactly what I would have done. “Is Carlos around?” I asked, thinking about the things we had done the last time I was there.

“No. It’s just you,
me, and the universe.” When he looked up at the sky, I did the same. The full moon glistened and splashed the color of yellow against the ocean. The tiny countless stars were much more apparent tonight. It was as if Matthew and I were in our own universe. It was so beautiful up here that my whole body quivered with happiness and the soft cool breeze that brushed against my face.

“You’re amazing,” I said, gazing into his eyes
, which sparkled against the candlelight that completely surrounded us.

“I know.” He gave me a mischievous smirk, and then placed his hands inside the back of my jeans pocket.

“You’re also arrogant.”

“I know
, but you’re worse. You’re very stubborn.” Matthew pressed his cheek on mine.

“
That I am. However, you can also be very sweet and romantic.”

“Very true.
And you are a big tease, but I love that you are.”

I gave him a kiss on the lips. “You make it easy for me to be that way. And yes, I do love to tease you.”

“Don’t ever stop.” He leaned his forehead on mine.

“I won’t.”

“I need you to promise me that if you think your life is in danger, you come first. I can’t lose you, Becca.” Matthew tangled his fingers through mine. “Promise me,” he asked when I didn’t answer.

“I promise.”

“You can be stubborn about anything, but not this. You are my firecracker. I wouldn’t change anything about you, but this is one thing I’m asking from you. I want to be with you for the rest of my life, and if there is eternity, I want you right next to me.”

Tears were coming
, and I tried to keep them at bay. I was already an emotional wreck from the conversation with Jenna, my pregnancy hormones acting up, and now this.

“I feel the same, Matthew.”
I hadn’t realized we were inside the circle of candles until I pressed my head against Matthew’s chest. “You’re not a witch or a demon are you?” I laughed.

“
You read too many paranormal books. They are corrupting your mind.”

“No, they’re not.” I took
offense to that. With a light slap across his arms, I turned to walk away.

Matthew flung
his arms around my waist before I could escape and pulled me to him. “Not so fast. Okay. Okay. I’m sorry. I can be whatever you want me to be. I want to be the hot naughty demon that gets to do all sort of wicked things to you. But before we play make believe with your fictional characters, I need to ask you a very important question, the reason why I asked you to come here in the first place.”

Next thing I knew, Mat
thew was down on his knees. He’d already asked me to marry him, so what the heck was he doing?

“Becky Mill
er. You are the stars that shine upon my darkness. You are the moon that glowed into my heart to show me that I could love again. Whatever the universe has in store for us, I know that we can get through it together because our love is strong. I want forever with you. I’ve already asked you this question, but I wanted to do it the right way. The way you deserved to be asked. Will you be my wife, Becky, and marry me when you are ready? But don’t wait too long.”

Tears
had started streaming down my face the moment Matthew began speaking. I couldn’t believe the beautiful words that were pouring out of his mouth. It wasn’t that I didn’t think he could ever say something like that, it was that the words he was saying were meant for me. “Yes,” I nodded.

Matthew
swooped in and gave me a long, passionate kiss, then he ran to the edge of the deck and yelled, “She said yes!” He came back to me.

“What was that for?” I laughed.

Matthew didn’t answer. He went to the side of the deck, opened a storage compartment, and placed a box in front of me. When he opened a box that read Cartier, the ring sparkled brilliantly against the candlelight. That thing looked so big. Oh my God! I knew he would get me one someday, but I never expected today. It was an overwhelming surprise. I gasped lightly with my hands covering my mouth. “It’s beautiful, Matthew.” He slipped it on my finger, and it fit perfectly. “How did you know my size?”

“Jenna, of course.
It’s a princess cut. Three karats. I wanted you to have this before Max and Jenna’s wedding. My parents already know that I’m proposing tonight, and so do Max and Jenna. The only important people that don’t know are your parents and your sister, Rachel.”

“Jenna knew?” I laughed. “They will know when we visit them. They already love you. I’ve told them so much about you
, and they can’t wait to meet you.”

“How could anyone not
?” Matthew winked.

“Arrogant,” I laughed lightly, enjoying the humor between us.

“Stubborn.”

“Jerk.”

“Crazy.”

“Ass.”

Matthew puffed his bottom lip out into a frown. “Not liking where this is headed.”

I curled my lips into
a huge smile. He was cracking me up. “Adorable. Absolutely amazing. Hot. Sexy. Gorgeous. Edible. Juicy.”

Matthew’s eyes grew with lust and want while his body was still pressed to mine. “Don’t forget
...drool worthy and deliciously fuckable.”

Holy
fuck. “Yes!” I said out loud.

“Shit
! I almost forgot.”

“Wha
t are you doing?” I asked. He went back to the edge of the deck. “Carlos, she said yes!”

“Carlos? You said we w
ere alone.” I watched him run back to the storage compartment. He pulled out a gadget and spoke into it.

“Now, Carlos.”

The second Matthew came back to me, the sky lit up with fireworks. They weren’t massive like the kind you would see at Disneyland, but they were grand enough. Assorted colors splashed against the dark sky. No matter how many times I had seen them, it always seemed to take me away from reality and into their beauty.

“This is how you make me feel, Becca. You bring color and excitement into my life.” We turned face to face when the show was over.

“I can’t believe you did this for me,” I sobbed, and tried to wipe my tears. “No man has ever made me cry so many happy tears. How?”

“My parents have connection
s, which are my connections, too. I had to ask Carlos to come with me. Who was going to push the buttons?”

I snorted. Oh God! I
thought some snot flew out. “Oh, Matthew. You’re too much.”

Matthew rewarded me with a loving
, warm smile. He slipped down to his knees again with his arms wrapped around my waist and unexpectedly kissed my stomach. “My little one, you make me feel this way, too. Please be strong for Mommy and Daddy. Don’t let anything happen to you or your mommy, okay?” Matthew caressed my stomach, as if he was touching the baby. “I promise to do whatever I can to make sure you are healthy and make sure nothing bad happens to you, but I need your help. I can’t do this alone. You need to fight and grow big and strong. We don’t even have a name for you, and I haven’t even held you in my arms, but know that I love you with all of my heart, and my love will grow as you grow. You have a family waiting for you. You even have a cousin that will be born around the same time, so please don’t let anything bad happen.”

I inhaled a deep breath. I felt the depth of Matthew’s love
and his worries for our unborn child for the first time. It meant the world to me to know how much he already loved our baby. He’d never expressed how he felt, so a part of me had doubts. Whatever the reasons before, it was clear now. I felt it at that very moment. Matthew was just as scared as I was. He wanted our child as much as I did.

There was a big possibility that there would be dangers ahead
, but Mathew and I would get through this. We’d be each other’s strength. We’d hold on to hope. We’d ride out the storm. As long as we had each other, come what may. Matthew and I would make it. We had to.

Chapter 2
8

Jenna

We walked in
side Grand Del Mar after our luggage was secured with the bellman. The first thing I saw was a wooden table in the center of the lobby with a huge bouquet of colorful flowers. Past the lobby was where the sun shone through the glass doors. I could also see the black grand piano and the elegant yet modern furniture. The decor all around was exquisite and very much to my taste. I knew I would love it there.

“This place is amazing,” Mom
exclaimed.

“We should check in,” I said, clicking my heels across the marble floor
to the receptionist, who was smiling at me.

After we checked in, a nice gentleman walked us to our villas. Max had told me that he had reserved all
of them; not just for us, but for our guests as well. Though we didn’t need to rent all of them, he didn’t want strangers near us.

“This is our room,” I said to my parents. Max and I agreed that we wouldn’t spend the night together until after we got married. “Becky, you’re right next door. Let’s get unpacked. Either I’ll stop by or you stop
by in half an hour. Sound good? I also need to check in with the wedding coordinator.”

“Sounds good to me. We can
do our own thing before we meet up with the rest of the party. Dinner is at six, right?”

“Yes,” I replied. “Max will fly
in since we need the plane to get to Paris.”

“And Matthew
will be driving with his parents,” Becky added.

“Perfect. See you in a bit.”

The bellman placed our luggage in our rooms. After I tipped him, he left.

“This
place is too big for the three of us. It must cost a fortune,” my dad commented. “I can’t believe the Knight family reserved all of the villas.”

“It’s for a wedding after all,” my mom said, smiling at me. “They’re very generous.”

I nodded and smiled to agree.

The
Brisa Villas were about 4,500 square feet with three bedrooms. What I liked the most about the place was that it felt like home, yet it provided the conveniences and amenities of a world-class hotel. These charming Mediterranean-inspired estates were adorned with European antiques. It even had an expansive gourmet kitchen, media room, and state-of-the-art audio systems.

I walked to the dining table and picked up a
pamphlet to read. The list of an array of exclusive amenities was long: unlimited golfing on a private, secluded area, passes to San Diego parks, complimentary wireless Internet, and wine, soft drinks, waters, and organic iced teas refreshed daily. This was fantastic, though I wouldn’t need most of their services. Since we were getting married here, Max and I had special bride and groom amenities, the room Max would stay in until I joined him after we got married.

After we unpacked
, Dad went to play golf. Mom, Becky, and I walked around to explore. While passing through the bakery, Becky and I bought chocolate chip cookies. I didn’t know if they used a special ingredient or if it was due to me being pregnant: but whatever the reason, it sure tasted mouth scrunching delicious.

When we entered the small shop, Becky’s engagement ring caught my eyes. It sparkled against the bright light.
I’d caught her staring at and admiring it several times in the store. Her attention was more focused on the ring than the beautiful items the shop had displayed. I understood her. I had done that many times when I first got engaged. In fact, I still did it to this day. I couldn’t believe Becky and I had gotten engaged in the same year.

“It’s so peaceful
and secluded here,” Becky said when we exited out to the pool. It led us right to a path. “Now I understand why Max wanted to get married here.”

“Maybe D
ad and I will stay here a bit longer. I’m really loving this place,” Mom said, linking her arms with mine.

“You should. You don’t get
to travel that often.” We walked in silence as we observed the nature around us. The endless path took us past the garden, the fountain, and the sandbox where the children were playing. It made me smile watching them play. A little boy’s parents were helping their son build a fort. Someday, Max and I would be doing the same. When I caught Becky smiling, I wondered if she was thinking the same thought.

“I can’t believe my baby girl is getting married,” Mom said with teary eyes, gazing in the same direction as I was. “You use
d to be that little. It went by so fast.”

I nodded with a smile because that was all I could do. Tears were already threatening to fall. A part of me felt so sad that I wanted to cry. It just hit me hard that tomorrow w
ould be the last day anyone would call me Jenna Mefferd. It felt like a part of me would disappear, but I couldn’t think of it that way.

“When we were getting married back then, our generation would say that we were losing our daughter, but I would like to think that I’m gaining a son. Max is very lucky to have you
, and you’re very lucky to have him. I know that I’m not losing you. Don’t forget that your dad and I are always here for you.”

Mom’s hug and tears made me lose it. As tears ran down my face and
I felt my mother’s love, I was a little girl all over again. I was no longer a child, nor a teenager, nor a young adult—though I might have acted like one or the other many times before—I was going to be a wife and a mother. I would not only have one set of parents, but two. I would also have gained a brother-in-law, and hopefully a sister-in-law, soon.

When
Mom released me, she wiped my tears like she had many times before when I was a child. “Live your life to the fullest and be happy. I know I sound like a broken record when I say this, but I’m so happy that you were able to get pregnant quickly. I almost gave up. I’m so glad I didn’t. There is no greater joy than raising a child. They give us one of the few precious moments in life. And your dad and I can’t wait to be grandparents.”

“Thanks, Mom,” I sniffed. Soaking in her words, we started walking again. Becky turned to us with a smile. She had walked away to give us space. Her eyes were teary, too.

I looked at my watch. I couldn’t believe it had been a couple of hours. “We need to meet up with our wedding coordinator. She’s going to give us the details of what we need to do tomorrow. Then we can go get ready for dinner.”

“Why are you doing this without Max?” Mom asked worriedly.

“It’s because of our schedule and when Max is able to fly in. It’s really simple. She needs to show Becky and me the room we’ll be coming out from and where we will be standing. Also, where I will meet up with Dad so he can walk me down. It won’t take long.”

“I see
.” Mom nodded. “We’d better go get your father.”

“Can’t wait to see everyone,” Becky said. “I just got a text from Nicole and Kate. They
’re here, checking in.”

My phone buzzed inside
of my back pocket. I pulled it out to see who the caller was. “Max just landed,” I said aloud. Relief washed over me. He had arrived safely, but he still had to drive to the hotel.

We were just about to go to dinner when there was a knock on the door.

“Must be the housekeeper.” Dad
opened the door. “Max.” I heard a pause for a second. My dad must have given him a hug. “You’re going to be my son-in-law. Call me Jonathan.”

My heart thumped faster from the sound of his name. Instead of going to him, I hid behind the bedroom door.
My mom rushed to the door. “Max, my son-in-law.” She was going to give him a hug for sure. “You can call me Mom or Paige. I don’t care which one. How was the flight?” Mom asked. When I heard the sounds of their footsteps, my heart hammered even faster.

“It’s always the same. I
’d rather be on land.”

My dad chuckled. “I have t
o agree, but we would fly for days for our daughter’s wedding.”

“I would fly anywhere for her
, too,” Max said, slipping his hands inside his dress pants and glancing around. Max was looking for me. “Are you comfortable here? Do you need anything else?” Max asked like a perfect son-in-law.

“Everything is great.
Thank you so much. Have a seat.”

“Don’t keep him hostag
e,” Mom laughed softly. “Jenna is in her room.”

“Thank you.” When Max
took a step toward my door, I scurried away and hid behind the bathroom door. I was acting childish, but I was having fun.

“Come out, come out
, wherever you are,” Max sang. “You’re not thinking of backing out, are you?” His voice and footsteps were closer. I was about to jump out in front of him, but I decided to wait.

“If I could have this view when you’re not around then I wo
uldn’t miss you as much.”

What the heck was he talking about?
What view? I turned to see Max peeking through the space between the door and the door hinge. Max was staring at my ass. “Max.” I walked out, laughing.

“I found you,” Max said excitedly, embracing me in his arms. He placed a tender kiss on my forehead. “I’m never going to let you go.”

I snuggled into his warmth and his love. “You better not,” I murmured against his chest.

Max pulled back. “How are you feeling?

“A lot better for sure.”

“Are you comfortable here? Is it spacious enough?

I snorted at his words. “Nope. It’s not big enough.” I lightly smacked his arm. “Are you seriously asking me that question?”

Max’s eyes opened wide with a grin. “I thought it was a good question to ask
. Maybe I should ask another. Did you miss me?”

“Yes,” I said, unbuttoning the button at the top of his dress shirt, then the second, and the third. I felt Max’s chest
shudder lightly when I slipped my hand inside his shirt.

“Good.” Max’s hand slid up
the back of my legs and he started kissing softly on my neck. “You look beautiful in this lavender dress.” His hot breath against my neck caused a sudden tingle on my clit. “I love how I can feel your ass.” He lightly squeezed it. Then his finger slid further down, making me gasp with air. “I love your easy access dress.”
“My parents, Max,” I warned.

It
was as if he had forgotten they were right outside the door. With one hand still on my ass, the other fell down to my stomach. “How is baby doing?”

“We are both good and we are very hungry.”

“Then we better get going.” Max raised my leg and anchored it on his hip. “There, much better.”

“Ok
ay.” I nodded, but I had no idea what I was saying. Max was playing with my clit. His touches were slow and tender, but oh God, I wanted to take off his clothes. I started to unbutton his shirt, not caring about my parents.

“What are you doing,
babe?” Max chuckled. He loved that I was losing control. “Remember our deal?”

I didn’t get a chance to answer. Max tilted my body to the
side and kissed me in hunger, devouring me like he couldn’t get enough. “It’s time to go. We’re already a little late,” Max said, pulling back.

My breath
s were so heavy I had a difficult time answering. Max helped me to stand and make sure my feet were planted on the ground. “You’re bad, Max.” I straightened my dress.

Max fixed a few strands of my hair to
their places. “I can’t help it. Every time I’m near you, a switch turns on inside of me. I’m at your mercy.”

I bore my eyes deeply into his.
“Are you going to feel that way when I’m fat?”

Max laughed out loud. “Of course I will. You’re not going to get fat. You’re going to be very pregnant.”

“Are you ready to be my husband and the father of our child?” I didn’t know why I asked that question. I knew he was, but I needed to hear it one last time.

“Babe, I’ve been ready
since the first moment I saw you. I’m going to be honest. You already knew that I didn’t want to start a family right away, but that’s okay. That’s what life is all about. I can’t wait for you to officially be my wife. And I can’t wait to take you to my bed.” He growled underneath his breath. “I’m going to make sure you remember our wedding night. You’re not getting any sleep.”