She held my heart for ransom, and I’d never pay that debt. I didn’t want to. It was hers, forever and always, and I didn’t want it back. Needing her to care for it, to nurture and bathe it in happiness. I’d just poured my heart out to her, and god be damned, I wanted Rebel to choose us. Fucking pick me, princess.
Since my parents died, I hadn’t cried. I hadn't even when Rebel chose fuckface. Right at this moment, though, tears pricked my eyes, begging to be released. She had broken me. Unlike my parents, she chose to leave and walk away.
The baby wasn’t mine, but even that didn’t matter at this point. Felicity was charged with harassment, but the court let her off easy. Since she was a first offender, they figured it was a lover’s quarrel.
Where we went now, was in Rebel’s hands, and her decision would change everything.
Rebel
“What the fuck?” I demanded from Stace. She had put him up to this. Coen wasn’t up for hurting me like that.
“You are being a baby. I’m sick of it!” Her angry words spit out at me.
The nagging immature person inside of me wanted to disagree with her, to tell her how dumb she acted, but she was right. I stopped being an adult when I refused to work out my problems with Coen.
“The fact that you aren’t arguing with me only makes my words more valid,” she scoffed. Her defiant demeanor meant business. She wouldn’t let this slide. “Go be the woman he fell in love with.”
So, I did what any woman who fell in stupid love would do. I ran after him. Leaving the ballroom, I headed for the top deck’s stairs.
The journey didn’t last long, I fell flat on my ass halfway there. Luckily no one saw me make an ass of myself. If it wasn’t so funny, I’d probably cry. My emotions were all over the place. I'd cried for so long over Coen, the love I lost and the pain I carried for no good reason.
As I got up, brushed off my dress, and continued my search for the man of my dreams, my confidence returned a little. This man just told the entire book community about our story. They might not know who it depicted, but he still put his heart on his chest for poking and prodding. Plus, hoebag carried some other unlucky chump’s baby.
There wasn’t a thing that held me back except my stupidity and stubbornness. He loves me, I repeated in my head a hundred times before letting it sink in fully.
Spotting him near the bow, I called out, “Coen!”
The heated ache in my calves were nothing compared to the scorching glint in his eyes. I felt like jello that had sat out too long and liquefied in reaction to the heat.
His eyes searched mine. He ran to me and grasped my face in his strong hands.
The feel of his skin on mine felt right. The warmth emanating from his palms brought me peace, absolute and utter peace. He leaned into me, and I was absorbing every sensation possible. I wanted to take it all in, soak up every ounce he offered like a sponge, and keep it there forever. In his embrace, I knew I was where I was supposed to be. I’d never felt at home before now.
“I can’t force you to love me, princess. Hell, I can’t even force you to love yourself. You’ve burrowed yourself into my heart, and I’m here to stay. Trust is a hard thing, but I want you to trust me, to be mine, and to love yourself even a smidgen of how much I love you. I’m here, princess. You just have to pick me.”
His broken admission tore right through me. I hadn’t always picked him, but I always loved him, and the first part I’d have to work on.
“Yes.” The simple and stupid word escaped my mouth. I was unable to be elegant or eloquent right now.
His forceful grip pulled my mouth to his and stole my breath. No, I gave it to him, willing to share whatever I could with this man. I’d give him everything. The air left me, but he sustained me with his own.
His hands traveled my body, touching every area that was only for him. Nothing felt as blissful as his touch. I loved everything about this mouth, about him. I love him.
“Let’s go back to your room, princess. I already spoke to Stace,” he coaxed me, bringing his fingers to my swollen lips.
“Okay.” I nodded. I no longer put up a fight.
I led him to my suite. As soon as the door closed, he pounced. My legs wrapped around his waist as he lifted and carried me to the bed.
“I love you, Red. So goddamn much.”
Bringing a finger to his lips, I shushed him. “No more talking.”
I took charge, thrusting my hips into his, moaning in the process. His control wavered, and his lips came trailed my throat. Coen thrusted his rock-hard cock into my core, rubbing exactly where I needed the contact. Somehow, my clothes had disappeared, and his tongue flicked my nipple.
And for the first time, we made love all night long.
Epilogue
Married Rule #1: Happy wife, happy life.
Three months later
Rebel
My hands glided down to my stomach, I patted, knowing the nausea and sickness lately had been purposeful. I refused it at first, not believing I could ever have my wish of having children come true. Several weeks ago, I took eleven pregnancy tests, not believing the double lines on every single one. Still unsure, I went to my doctor, and she confirmed it.
“You’re eleven weeks along.” She smiled, and I bawled like a baby.
For years, I’d been told that babies weren’t a possibility, yet here I was, carrying the man I love’s child. Our child. He'd asked me to marry him in front of everyone at the signing on the cruise ship, and two weeks ago we tied the knot. I was so caught up into making it official that I missed meeting CoHo. There was always next time! Forever now I’d be able to say, “I gave up meeting my idol to screw your brains out.”
What. A. Feat.
A little Coen grew inside of me. Or possibly a little Rebel in the making. We hadn’t used protection, ever, and they told me I couldn’t have kids. Love always prevailed, and now, a little nugget waited for its arrival. Telling Coen had been fun. He'd jumped up and down like he’d won the lottery. He wanted kids, always had, and we were having them together.
All I ever wanted in life was to be a mom. When they asked kids what they wanted to be when they were older, my answer had always been, “Mom.” They said you were born for great things, and I’d be a great mom. I just knew it.
“Coen, baby,” I called out, searching our new house for him. We'd decided to sell my old one, start over in a new place where not so many memories thrived. His grams wanted us to visit for a while, to catch up on everything we’d lost. We were headed there tomorrow, to spend the next few days together.
“Hey, princess,” he crooned. He kissed my stomach. It was his new ritual, and he never missed a day. I not-so-secretly loved it.
“How are edits coming?” I smiled.
“I don’t know how you do this shit.”
Did I mention we are co-authoring a book? Yeah, it surprised me too.
Happily ever after? I guess we’ll see.
* * *
THE END
If you liked The Dating Games, you’ll love my contemporary romance standalone, Breathe!
C.L. Matthews lives in lala-landia with her husband and invisible friends. She wants to riot the lack thereof authentic Mexican food in her state, but she’s an introvert at heart. She enjoys tacos, Red Bull, and warm water because she’s crazy. She’s an oddball, and realizes it’s been mentioned before, just go with it. Her joys in life consist of writing unconventional romances, making book covers, causing havoc to her reader’s hearts, and genre-hopping when she needs a change of scenery. She’s a special kind of weird and enjoys every moment of it.