Vaaden Warriors 1: Rheul (8 page)

I looked at him in surprise and he nodded.

"She remembered the times you would visit with her back when I was seeing Danai and thinking of getting married. She said you were nice to her, and that you had a lot of potential.

I think she was afraid that you'd become hard and cold if you married a Vaaden woman. She'd seen a softer side of you, and she thought Darcy might bring it back out.

"It seems she was right. Because the Rheul I know would never have come to care for his slave. And if my suspicions are correct, you more than care for her. You love her."

"None of it matters if we can't get the Prime Minister to make some changes."

"Why not?"

"Because one of us has to marry! I didn't work this hard for everything to revert to the government when I die.

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Besides, what will happen to Darcy and any children we might have? It isn't like she can inherit the house."

Bastian nodded. "Valen and I have been working on a solution for that. But until then, why don't you go home and tell Darcy how you feel? Worry about the details later. Worry about tomorrow, tomorrow. Right now, live for today."

"In other words, tell her I love her and don't worry about the future?"

"Exactly."

I stepped out into the cool night air. I didn't have the answers I wanted, but I did feel better about my decision.

I woke the next morning with Darcy wrapped in my arms.

It was nice to sleep in my own bed with her. And if I had it my way, I'd be doing that every night for the rest of my life.

She looked so peaceful in sleep. I brushed her hair back from her face and caressed her cheek. Her eyes slowly blinked open, and she gave me a sleepy smile. "Good morning," she whispered.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

She nodded.

"We didn't really get a chance to talk yesterday. I wanted you to know that I'm happy about the baby, Darcy. I didn't want you to think I didn't want it, or that I wasn't pleased about it."

She kissed me. "I'm delighted to hear you say that. I was worried that you would be upset."

"Darcy, having a baby with you is a wonderful thing.

There's something else I want to talk to you about."

"What is it?"

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"I want you to stay here with me, in my house. I want it to be our house."

"But... I'm just a slave."

I hugged her tight and kissed her. "You're so much more than that, and I'm sorry if I've never shown you that. You mean everything to me, Darcy. I don't think I could live without you. When I saw the apartment and thought you were hurt or stolen, I nearly died. But when I found out you were pregnant, it was the happiest moment of my life. I was terrified of being a father, but the thought of having a child with you is wonderful."

"What are you saying, Rheul?" she asked quietly.

"I'm saying I love you, Darcy."

A tear slid down her cheek. "You do?"

I wiped it away. "Yes, sweetheart. I love you."

She bit back a sob and threw her arms around me. "Oh, Rheul. I love you so much!"

"I don't know what the future will hold for us, Darcy, but I promise we'll be together."

"That's all that matters."

Looking into her eyes, I realized she was right. Everything I'd worried about was meaningless. I had everything I needed in my arms. As long as I had Darcy and our baby, then nothing else mattered.

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Jessica Coulter Smith

Jessica Coulter Smith currently lives in Tennessee with her family and a house full of pets, after having lived in several places from the East Coast to the West Coast. When she isn't writing, you can find her either curled up with a book or out shopping. She's particularly fond of bookstores and Starbucks!

Her writing career began in high school when she submitted
My World is Tumbling Down
to a poetry contest, not only receiving a publication offer, but also an award.

Since then, she has published a half-dozen or more poems, six novels, and several short stories. At any given time, she has five or more works-in-progress at various stages of completion.

Prior to writing, she worked for a counseling center; in information systems for a debt collector; and has worked at more than one college. After handling everything from patient evaluations to department accreditation, she decided to sit down at the computer again and attempt writing novels (from young adult to erotica).

You can check out what she's up to at her website www.jessicacoultersmith.com. She's also on Facebook (when she has time to login). She loves to hear from her readers and you can get in touch with her using [email protected].

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