Stranded with my Ex-Crush Pt. 04

Chapter 13

Two months later...

The last month has been so busy I have barely sat down. Since the launch of VeriScan my little seven-person team has exploded to more than a hundred with no signs of things slowing down. I sit across from my original core team--a group of seven like-minded individuals who want to bury Nix's software in the ice age where it belongs--in the conference room. The tiny office space on the second floor of the Truman building isn't large enough and we're discussing our growth strategy but all I can do is think about Nix.

Every time they bring his name up my chest constricts more and I feel like I may pass out. The atmosphere in this room is super-charged with excitement over our growth, though, so I try to tap into the thing that's driven me for a few years now. But when I really think about it, I don't want Nix to fail, which makes this a very bittersweet day--our first call from a major government official interested in our new algorithm.

"I'm telling you, if we give it two more months, everyone in the world will see Walsh's software is subpar. We have the superior facial recognition software and the world will flock to us." Connor--college buddy and tech genius--sits across from me with his white polo and khaki shorts, chewing the end of his stylus. He's not wrong. They're already flocking to us.

"Yes, but in six months Walsh and his team could come out with the next greatest thing. What we need is a team of scientists to continue the push forward, and I think Lainey should lead that initiative." Haley has a point too. It's not enough to handle the success for our current algorithm. If we want to succeed we have to stay ahead of the pack.

Haley leans her chair back and bounces it against the spring-loaded hinge while I think about our next steps. At the rate we're growing, we'll have to go public soon, which is yet another problem.

"Look guys," I sigh, drawing the eyes of all seven people around the table, "we have a lot of things to figure out. I suggest we build a team of strategizers. I will head that up. For now, Connor you focus on physical growth needs--new building, new hardware, that sort of thing. Haley, you put together some press releases, reach out to new investors. We need a way to stay ahead of the curve now that we're in the lead. I'll discuss our holdings and how we reorganize to be--"

My eyes land on the television mounted in the corner of the room near the ceiling. Nixon Walsh's face is plastered on the screen with a scroll bar running across the bottom indicating after the commercial break he will be on Good Morning America. It sucks the wind right out of my chest and all I can do is stare.

"Are you okay?" Haley asks and I blink slowly. The team looks up one by one at the television where the final commercial for the latest cancer treatment drug is finishing up.

"Turn it up," I say, leaning over the table. Everyone in this room knows he is the competition, so I hide my interest in him behind that façade.

Haley reaches for the remote from the center of the table and turns it up just in time to see the host welcoming Nixon. He's received with a warm greeting from the audience. They clap and cheer as she asks thanks him for coming. I'm on pins and needles. Surely they're interviewing him because our algorithm is making waves. I've had three calls for interviews already this week and I turned them down. We have too much work to do right now to worry about going on TV. If someone needs to do that I'll send Connor.

"So, Mr. Walsh, I hear you're up against some pretty tough competition with your facial recognition software." The hostess dives right in to the meat of the interview, skipping over the boring bits.

Nix smiles but it's stiff. "You can call me Nix." When he says the words I feel a bit crushed. I'm the one who started calling him Nix. No one else does it but me. Why would he tell her to call him that?

"Nix, are you feeling the pressure of your competition VeriScan?" The camera pans directly onto him. He knows why he's here, to defend his company's stakeholders and reassure clients that this is a normal part of the industry. I heard him do an interview last week on a podcast. He's scrambling, and I wonder how he feels knowing it is me at the other end of his struggle.

"Well, you know this is all part of the industry. Our team is already working on the next greatest thing." He smooths his hands down the front of his slacks and leans on the armrest, crossing one leg over the other. He's so handsome, and he maintains his confidence under pressure. If I didn't know him intimately I would say he's not worried at all, but that tiny line across his forehead as he details how the new software is outperforming his shows me everything I need to know.

The interview is over in less than ten minutes, but the hostess gets a little personal at the end. I don't take my eyes off him the entire time. The memories I have of our time on the island are fading, buried under the mountain of work and the snide comments from my staff. It's easier to remember the differences we have and how we bicker like cats and dogs every time we're around each other than it is the intimate moments we had. I wish it wasn't that way, but something inside of me snapped on that boat before we got to the consulate. He was more excited to get home than to soak up even that last hour of the trip with me.

"So, Nix, we heard about a little mishap on the tech cruise a few months back. Care to elaborate?" Now the hostess acts more like a gossip girl than a news anchor. It's the part of the show that makes viewers tune in. They get the news and the juice details. I squirm in my seat thinking about the cruise. I brushed it off when I got back, but Connor knew I wasn't telling him everything. He knows me too well to know it was nothing.

"Yeah, so strange I got stranded on the island."

"With your competition no doubt," she says, prying.

"Yes, well Ms. Bower and I did have the unfortunate experience together, but we managed to be professional and found a way to the consulate. You can read the official press release on our site." He's so collected. How can he stare into that camera knowing I'm probably watching this and act like it was no big deal. We were anything but professional.

I feel tears welling up, and I have to blink them away. I don't expect him to come out and announce he's in love with me. I know that'll never happen. If he was interested, he'd have contacted me weeks ago after we got home. But it's been two months.

"And I heard you got engaged too... Anything you want to share with your adoring fans?" She bats her eyelashes like a girl with a crush and the audience chuckles and swoons. Everyone wants to know what's happening in the love life of the hottest tech celebrity in the US. I don't. For all I care they can turn the TV off now and I'll be fine, but Haley doesn't turn it off. She turns it up.

I squirm again, making the leather chair squeak. I'm getting hot and I think I'm going to pass out. If he says something about me and him and the charade we put on for Millie I might vomit. I don't want my team knowing what actually happened. It's my personal life and I keep work separate from personal business at all times.

"Well, you know..." Nix chokes up. I hear it in his voice as it catches. He looks away from the camera, his lips dipping into a miniscule frown only I can see. Then he blinks a few times and his expression clears as fast as it soured. "It was just a huge mistake. It didn't work out, and I'm moving on with my life. Still just as single as I was three months ago, so don't get too disappointed, ladies, there's still hope."

The roar of laughter from the women in the live TV audience makes me furious and crushed all at once. The tears are coming and I can't stop them. I stand and clear my throat. "I have to use the restroom. I'll be back," I blurt out before moving toward the door quickly.

My head is swimming because I got up to fast. I feel like I'm top heavy, like my head is nodding, and before I even get three steps down the hall I'm on the ground. Tears stream down my face and a stabbing pain in my ankle gives me reason to let them flow freely. I yelp loudly, and in seconds Connor and the crew are surrounding me.

"Christ, what happened?" Connor crouches next to me.

"My ankle," I moan, holding it. "I think I twisted it. God it hurts." That's not a lie, it does hurt a lot, but my heart is even more broken. How can he say it was a mistake? Of course it didn't work out. When I tried to tell him I didn't want to leave the island, he made it very clear that he was ready to be home. I want to be alone, to cry it out and let the mourning process continue.

Connor slips my shoe off and touches my ankle and I wince. "Shit, it might be broken." Before I can protest, he picks me up and turns toward the group. "I'm going to drive her to the urgent care. We'll be back later."

"No, Connor, I'm okay..." We have too much work to do for me to mess around with this. I've rolled my ankle before. I'll just wear tennis shoes for a while instead of heels.

"Nope, company property means you have to get checked out." He insists, and when he puts his mind to something I can't stop him.

In less than fifteen minutes I'm seated in an exam room at the urgent care while they take blood. When they heard I had nearly passed out--something I told them after being separated from Connor--they decided to run a few other tests too. Besides the fact that every woman who still has a uterus must take a pregnancy test before getting x-rays, which is so archaic. But I'm not a doctor, so I just follow their orders.

I wait for about an hour, seated on the exam table with my foot propped up with ice on my ankle, and the nurse returns with a tablet in hand and a smile on her face. "Well the good news is you're not anemic or dehydrated. And the other good news is, you're pregnant." She is looking down as I get the news and I don't believe what I hear. She continues talking but I'm floored.

"Wait, what? You said I'm pregnant?" I grip the edges of the exam table cushion and feel my palms getting sweaty instantly. I'm on the pill. How can I be pregnant?

"Yes, you are. I see based on the medical information in your chart that you had urinary tract infection a few months back. That can cause birth control to be less effective. That matches the HCG levels in your blood perfectly. You're probably about eight weeks or so pregnant. You didn't realize you missed a period or two?" She looks up with eyebrows high and I start to wrack my brain.

"Shit..." I mumble, thinking how things were so insane once VeriScan released that I haven't even paid attention. I've been working fourteen-hour days. Eight weeks pregnant?

"Are you okay? I'm guessing this wasn't expected." The nurse tucks the chart under her arm and my head drops. Unexpected? That's hardly how I'd describe this situation. My hand flutters to my stomach and I look down at it.

"I'm okay..." I mumble, not even knowing how to feel. All I can do is stare at my waistline and think of Nix. How? Why? I can't tell him this. Oh god, I'm having his baby.

"Well take you down for some x-rays now..." The nurse's voice fades into the background as my body goes on autopilot doing what she says, but my mind is numb, frozen on that island in bed with Nix. The island where I left my heart. This can't be happening.

Chapter 14

I toss the frisbee again, this time a perfect throw. Dylan reaches up and grabs it out of the air, cheering. "I did it!" His smile is bright and he's glad I'm able to take the day off to play with him. It's challenging amidst the new pressure put on me and my company to deliver. But following the escapade on the island when I was gone a few days longer than I intended to be, I want to take every opportunity to spend time with him that I can.

"Here!" Dylan launches the frisbee and it cranes to the side, landing on its edge and rolling beneath a row of firs on the edge of the property. "Aw, I'm sorry," he moans. He's not the best at throwing, though I don't mind being patient.

"It's okay, buddy. Let's go have some cookies now." I push into the tree and pick up the frisbee as he joins me.

"I'm not hungry. Can we play some Fortnite?"

I tousle his hair and grin. "Sure." His smile is bold and wide, reminding me of Francis on the island and how Lainey made him grin like that. Dylan's about the same age as that boy, though Dylan has blue eyes like his mother, not the warm brown eyes of the boy on the island. He rushes toward the house and I follow, though I take my time. Just the sight of my child's smile is now making me think of her.

I've done nothing but think of her for weeks. After that interview where I almost broke down crying on live television, I felt like I needed to call her. I still feel like I do. I don't have her personal number anymore, but it wouldn't be hard for me to get it. Kent still has it; I'm sure. Or I could just call her office during work hours, though I'm not sure how that would go over with her.

I make my way into the house, passing through the back door into the kitchen and dining room area. I hear the Xbox turning on already. Dylan asks me to play Fortnite with him at least once a week and a lot of times I have to turn him down. This time, I'm grateful for the distraction from my thoughts about Lainey. Until he pulls up a map where there are palm trees and a beach and my chest just ends up feeling heavy again.

I hate when I parent by going through the motions and I'm not fully present, but I can't focus, which is why I'm not working right now either. I replay moments from the island in my head over and over, thinking how hindsight is 20/20 and if I had it to do over, I know exactly when I should have told her I love her. How many opportunities I missed on that trip, and all because of my pride.

For years now I've known how I messed up with her in the beginning. I just wasn't about to admit it was my screw up by setting her up with Kent. I never meant to hurt either of them by breaking them up; I just couldn't sit back and watch them get so close he might propose. Not when I really loved her. But if I admitted to having feelings for her, it would be admitting I had been wrong when I told her I was too old for her.

My pride kept me from the one woman who really made my heart tick. And even to this day I have a hard time admitting I made that mistake, even when she was lying in my arms in that tiny little bed on the island. Why am I so stupid?

"Dad!"

I snap my eyes to Dylan who's not pleased with me. "What?"

"You aren't doing anything. Your guy is just standing there and I killed you three times." He sighs. "Are you okay?"

"I'm sorry, bud. My mind's on something else right now." I know I won't be able to focus until I get Lainey out of my head, and the only way that's going to happen is if I just admit to her what I'm feeling. "I need to make a phone call and then I'll be right back, okay?"

He growls but nods. "Fine. But I get the big gun this time."

Instantly his attention is focused back on the large screen TV and I walk out of the room, pulling my phone out of my pocket. I see I've missed a call at some point and I check the voicemail before making the call to Lainey--just another bit of procrastinating my brain does when I know I have to eat my words.

It's a message from the cruise line. I listen to the voicemail and it says to call them back, so I do that first. A man with a gravelly voice answers. "Hello, Carnival, this is Dan."

"Hi, Dan, I got a message to call. My name is Nixon Walsh. I was a passenger on the Tech-Con cruise a few months ago. You had my baggage shipped to the port in New York."

"Oh, yeah." I hear some typing in the background and another phone ring as I wait for him to continue. "Mr. Walsh, yes. I see you have a few suitcases here to pick up. Everything left on that cruise was packaged up by the security team, labeled, and shipped here. We have a time slot at one p. m. tomorrow allotted for you to pick things up. That is when the member of our security team can meet passengers who lost things of value. Is that a good time for you?"

I can clear my schedule at the drop of a hat if needed, but I'm more interested in something else. "The other passengers who live in this area... are they coming at the same time?" It might be a long shot, but I'd rather say what I need to say to Lainey in person. I turn back toward the door to the living room and hear Dylan's game blasting as he turns up the volume. I wonder what he'll think of Lainey, if he'll get to meet her.

"Yes, sir. We have two other passengers coming at the same time, which makes that convenient for our team. We can schedule a different time if that doesn't work for you."

"Uh, no. That works just fine. Thank you."

"When you get to the port, you'll have to present your ID at the gate. Come to building twenty-one and find the blue door. Ask for Ben. He'll show you to the room where you can claim your belongings. Please present your ticket stub that you checked your baggage with and we'll get everything sorted out."

"Thanks. I'll see you then." I hang up the phone feeling lighter than air. I'll show up early and stay late if I have to but I intend to talk to Lainey face to face tomorrow. This torture has to end. And now I can go play games with Dylan to keep my mind off of it. He'll love that. And I hope he loves Lainey as much as I do‚ if she even speaks to me again

Chapter 15

I glance at my watch. Forty minutes later than I said I'd be, but I don't want to risk bumping into Nix--especially since I was a "mistake." That word hangs over me like a dark cloud as I park outside building twenty-one and spot the blue door. As promised by the security guard who called me yesterday, I enter the door and a man with a nametag that tells me his name is Ben looks up from a desk and smiles at me.

"Can I help you?"

"Lainey Bower, here to pick up baggage left on the Tech-Con cruise a few months ago." I slide my ticket stub across the desk and he glances at it.

"Down the hall and the third door on your right is the security office." He slides the ticket back and turns back to his computer.

I hesitate, wanting to ask if I'm the last one, if the others have come and gone. My stomach churns and I don't know if it's morning sickness or if it's nerves. After a few seconds I force my feet to move. Being this late, there's every chance Nix has come and gone. There's also every chance he wasn't able to come at this time and scheduled a different day entirely. I use those words in my head to motivate me to move forward.

But my heart sinks as I open the large, white metal door and see Nix leaning on the counter speaking with a security guard as if he owns the place. His suitcases rest at his feet casually, and he's laughing. His laugh warms my soul, coating it like a thick blanket on a chilly morning. I have to look down and blink my eyes hard to avoid crying. I can't look at him but I have to.

He straightens and turns to face me, and I nod politely. Then I walk straight up to the counter and slide my ticket across the cold linoleum. "I'm here to pick up my lost baggage."

"Name please?" The guard takes my stub and looks at it.

"Lainey Bower."

"One minute." He vanishes through a door and I'm left standing next to the only man in the world I never want to see again but simultaneously want beside me every day the rest of my life.

"Lainey, can we talk?" he asks, and I bristle.

My natural instinct is to be angry to defend myself but he disarmed me on that island. Still, I'm here, back where I know the lay of the land, my status in life, my status with him...

"Yes, I think we should." I don't look at him. I can't. Telling him I'm pregnant with a child he likely won't want isn't on the top of my list of things I want to do, but I have to tell him. I'm certain our island fling is what he wants to discuss, and I'm certain he's going to remind me what a mistake that was. Which means, he'll think this baby is a mistake too. While I'm not entirely prepared to be a parent, and it came as a shock to me, I don't think it's a mistake. Just an accident that led to very happy consequence for me.

"You go first," he says, propping his elbow on the counter again casually. I'm frustrated by him. I can't go first. He wanted to talk. He can go first.

"No, you go first." I tap my fingers on the counter. The room is cold, but I refuse to shiver in front of him. I won't show signs of weakness or caving in. If he can have no heart and tell all of America on live TV that the island was a mistake, then he doesn't deserve to see my heart breaking.

"Here ya go!" the guard says, bursting through the door. He walks around the counter and interrupts our awkward conversation, placing my oversized bag on the ground next to me. "Y'all can go get back to normal life now."

"Yeah, thank you." Nix shakes the man's hand before he returns to his spot behind the counter and I bend to pick up my bags. "Life can get back to normal," he says, nodding.

Those words just trigger something in me that I can't diffuse. I can't do this. Not now. I know he needs to know but I need time to process. If I stay here a second longer, I'm going to cry. I grip the handle of my bag that's far too heavy for me to carry, and I lug it as best I can toward the door.

"I'll just get out of your hair so you can get back to normal life," I snap, scowling as I storm out the door. Tears are there, brimming on my lower eyelids, and I have to get away. The damn bag is too heavy though, and I end up being forced to pop the wheels out and roll it, which delays me in the narrow hallway.

Nix follows, carrying his smaller bags with ease, and I'm blocking the hall, so he has nowhere to go as I try to get the wheels out so I can roll my bag. One tear escapes down my cheek and I swipe it away quickly.

"Need some help?"

"I don't need anything from you." My tone is harsh, words rushed, because I'm shaking, panicked and angry.

He doesn't want to give me what I want. He's not here to make amends. He's here to push my buttons. I know it. His company is hurting now that my software is out and he wants to get at me. I keep my chin tucked to my chest and fidget with the damn wheels until I'm so frustrated I growl and drop the bag. I'll just drag the damn thing.

"Why are you acting like that?" he asks, but his tone is soft, not the snarky, cynical tone I'm used to.

"Why do you care? You're ready for your normal life. Just let me leave so you can be normal." I stand and take the handle of the suitcase but he drops his bags and grabs my hand, tightening his grip around my suitcase handle and fingers.

"Woah, I think you have this all wrong."

I am now blinded by tears and enraged that he thinks he can manhandle me. My free hand draws back, ready to smack him, but he puts a hand up to halt me and his brow furrows as he shakes his head.

"Lainey, I'm not here to harass you. I love you."

His words freeze me in place. I can't believe what he just said. I shake my head, fixing my eyes on him and blink out a few more tears. He can't be doing this. This isn't Nixon Walsh the man I fell in love with. This can't be happening.

I stare at him, letting my tears sluice down my cheeks. There is a sincerity in his eyes, a calmness to his voice; he's telling me the truth. This is island Nix, not billionaire, hot shot, tech mogul Nix. I'm confused. He can't say that to me. He can't mean that. I'm a mistake. I'm too young for him, not serious about my career. I'm--

"Say something." He squeezes my hand tighter and I wince.

Pain... that means this isn't a dream.

"You what?" I'm dumbfounded.

"You scared me," he blurts out. "When we first met. You had your shit together. I was a wreck after my divorce. You were strong and smart and driven. I wasn't ready for that." His hands gesture wildly as he speaks. I duck past one as it flings at me. "I needed time to heal and you were there. You were so perfect. I loved you instantly, but you were too real for me." Nix takes a deep breath as he collects himself. I am sobbing now openly, not even trying to hide it as he confesses his love.

"I set you up with Kent because I never thought it would work out. You were so different from him. I thought you'd date him for a while, give me time to get my shit together." He moves forward, cupping my cheek and wiping away tears but that's pointless. They just keep coming. "Then, when you two were getting close, I got involved. I didn't want him to get serious with you. I wanted you. I loved you from a distance and I hated watching him be close with you like that. I overheard you saying you weren't going to have kids, and I knew how much Kent wants a huge family. I told him you two were wrong for each other."

"But..." I protest, but he presses his thumb to my lips.

"I was wrong, Lainey. I was so fucking wrong. I shouldn't have done any of those things. I understand if you hate me for doing that. I never meant to hurt you." Nix brushes more tears away and continues. "Then I couldn't admit to you that I did want you, because to do that would be to admit I had made a mistake, and I'm a complete idiot.

"My pride got in the way, which only made me more irritated with myself. Every time we interacted I took that anger out on you. I'm sorry. I wanted you to beg me to come back, because if you did that then I could give you a second shot, but here I am begging you because you are worth more than my ego. I love you. And I need you in my life."

I let go of the suitcase and let it clatter to the floor as I throw my arms around him. I'm crying so hard there's no way I can speak. My heart's so full right now I don't know if I even have words to say. He holds me against his body in that hallway and all I can think is that everything I ever wanted from this man is within my reach--the things I thought I'd never have, that I convinced myself were figments of my imagination. And I pour them all out onto his white cotton shirt, soaking it.

"Hey," he coos, pulling my hair away from my shoulders. He smooths it down the back of my head and kisses my ear. "Talk to me, Lainey. Say something. Are you okay?"

I never want to let him go now. My arms are permanently locked around his neck. I'm still crying, but I blurt it all out to him and it's like a dam being opened. "I'm pregnant, Nix. And I thought you'd be angry. I wasn't going to hide it; I just didn't know how to tell you. I just found out a few days ago when I twisted my ankle. And I didn't do it on purposed. I just--"

Nix grips me by the hips and pushes me away from himself, holding me at arm's length. "You're what?" he asks, his face very stern now.

"Please don't be angry."

"What did you say?"

"I'm pregnant." I bite my lip, waiting for him to actually respond. His furrowed brow rises and he smiles.

"Oh my god," he says in a low tone, grinning. I can see tears brimming in his eyes now too. "I'm going to be a father?"

I nod and he lets out a "whoop" of celebration, picking me up and spinning me around in a circle. I laugh and hold onto him tightly until he sets me down and gives me one of the most mind-blowing kisses I've ever had. I'm lightheaded again, this time from adrenaline. I never imagined this would be his response, though I never imagined he would say he loves me either.

"Oh, god I can't wait." He kisses me again, cupping both my cheeks and biting my lip. This kiss is different, hungry even. I have a feeling if we were alone he'd be pursuing much more than a kiss right now.

"Guys, there must be a better place for this than a port security office hallway." When I look up, Ben is staring at us, standing a few paces away. He is probably waiting to get past us in the hallway and I have to hide a snicker.

"I'm going to be a father! She's just told me. My god," Nix says, clearly overwhelmed. He runs a hand through his hair with eyes wide and Ben smiles.

"Well," he says, looking at me then Nix. "Congratulations to both of you."

I pick up the handle of my bag and pull it to the side so he can pass and after a moment of celebration, Nix and I are moving toward the front door.

"Look, I have to get back to work," I say, struggling with the bag. Nix puts both of his bags in one hand and grabs mine, following me through the door.

"That's okay. I need to get home to Dylan. Look, you come by the house around seven. We'll have dinner and you can meet Dylan again. I'm sure he probably doesn't remember you." Nix is a different man than the one I've been accustomed to for so long; it's like the island magic really changed both of us.

"I'd love to," I tell him, leaning against my car as he loads my bag into the back seat.

He kisses me one last time before he walks away, and I catch him standing by his car, watching as I drive toward the exit. I can't believe this is my life. I can't believe I am this lucky. And I can't wait until dinner tonight.

Chapter 16

Dylan is quiet as we eat, probably a bit upset by the fact that I have a new woman under our roof. He still goes to his mother's house every other weekend and for important holidays. And just like every child, he still voices his opinions that he wants us to get back together, so I'm sure me dating someone isn't his favorite thing. But he's respectful at least. Lainey does her best to get through to him, but if there's one topic I know that will connect them, we've just broached it.

"So do you play video games?" he asks her, poking at his broccoli with his fork.

"I do. I really like first-person shooter games," she says, winking at me. I may have given her pointers on what he likes before she came over. "But I'm not so great at them. I mostly play on teams and I get to be the meat shield." She chuckles and Dylan looks up at her.

"Meat shield?" he asks with his expression screwed up.

"Yeah, the person who stands in front to die for the team because they can't play well."

"Yeah, my friend Tony does that too. He has horrible aim, but if someone on your team has to die, may as well be the one who isn't killing anyone." Dylan shrugs and shoves a broccoli stalk into his mouth, talking while he chews. "Maybe you can play with me. I'll teach you what guns to use."

And there it is, success. He's starting to loosen up a bit after nearly thirty minutes of conversation. "I'd love to play with you any time," Lainey tells him, winking at me again. She really is very good with children. I can't wait to see her in action as a mother.

"Dad, I ate my broccoli." Dylan swallows and tosses his fork on his plate. "Can I go to Tony's now?" Tony is his friend who lives across the street. Dylan has an overnight planned tonight, last one of the summer before school starts.

"Yeah, that's okay." I wipe my mouth and lay my napkin on the table. "Take your toothbrush and use it. And you need to come home right after breakfast. Lyla will be here to watch you while I work."

"I hate Lyla," he whines, standing up and pushing his chair in.

"You hate Lyla because she makes you follow the rules. Now get your toothbrush."

He rolls his eyes but gives me a hug before he vanishes, and I turn to Lainey who's now finished eating too. She stands and picks up a plate. "Want me to help with dishes?"

"Sure." I stand up and collect my plate and Dylan's and say, "This way." I lead her into the kitchen and set the plates on the counter while I open the trash compactor. The night with Dylan was a little awkward, but between Lainey and me was only an easiness.

I love this, having her in my home, knowing we have a future together, even if that future is just raising a child because we can't make this work. I'll have her in my life forever.

"So what do you think Kent will say?" She scrapes bits of food off the plates into the trash can, glancing up at me as she works. Her shoulders are relaxed, the sun-kissed bronze of her tan slowly fading now.

I knew the question was brewing. It was inevitable that we'd have to talk about it because Kent is my brother. He'll be an uncle to my child. Given that he's moved on pretty well, I hope we don't have any drama.

"I think he'll be okay." I scrape some food off my plate in my into the trash compactor, then set the plate in the sink next to hers.

"It was never going to work out between us anyway." Lainey stands beside me, and leans on the counter. She turns on the water and rinses as I scrape and in a few minutes, all the dishes are prepped for the dishwasher.

"I like this," I tell her, standing behind her as she stacks the last dish in the bottom shelf of the washer. I wrap my arms around her body and pull her back into me, kissing her neck.

"Are you going to like telling your board of directors that you're dating the head of the competition?" She snickers as I nibble on her tender skin then turns in my arms to face me.

"Rival CEOs caught copulating in my kitchen, news at eleven." I claim her mouth, kissing her and nipping at her bottom lip.

"And what will the press say after you told them on Good Morning America that the engagement was a mistake?" Lainey wraps her arms around my neck and grins against my mouth as I continue devouring her.

"I'm an idiot. I don't care what they think anymore. The only person whose opinion matters is you. My ego can take a flying leap. I want what I want and I'm not ashamed anymore to admit it." I feel my dick swelling, and I think she does too. It has to be obvious since my pelvis is grinding against hers.

"And what about shareholders? You think they'll be kind to you if you are caught sleeping with the enemy?" Her leg hooks around my waist and I continue grinding on her.

"I mean, we could talk about a merger," I tell her, pushing my hardening cock against her mound and she gasps. I won't take her here in the kitchen because Dylan could come home if he forgot something, but I am taking her tonight. And every night for the rest of my life if she'll let me.

"Talk is cheap..." she taunts, catching the hidden meaning in my words. "Actions speak." Her teeth rake across my neck and her hands push my shirt up, untucking it and sliding across my chest.

"Then I better show you exactly what I mean." I lift her up, grabbing both ass cheeks as she wraps her legs around me tightly and holds on to my shoulders. She's light as a feather, her slender form enveloping me as I carry her down the hall to my bedroom. I shut the door behind us with my foot and carry her to the bed where I drop her and she bounces with a giggle.

"Shit, Nix, what if your kid comes back." Her grin is cheeky as she pulls her shirt off and tosses it.

"He'll knock." My eyes are hungry to see every inch of her. I peel my clothing off faster than her. She's struggling with her panties as I crawl onto the bed, and I yank them off, accidentally tearing them.

"Hey, those were my favorite," Lainey whines playfully.

"I'll buy you a thousand pairs of them." I toss them as I nestle between her legs and feel how wet her pussy is for me already. My cock slides through her juices, teasing her entrance.

"I'm going to need them if you're this greedy all the time," she whispers huskily as I push inside her slowly, her head falling back in anticipation. A whimper escapes her parted lips as I push all the way inside. I'm so turned on by the thought of her pregnant with my baby that I can't hold back.

I want to mark her, claim her, make her mine. I want to hear her scream my name as she comes around me. I want to see her belly swell with my seed. I want to feel my baby moving inside her. I want her to be mine. All mine. And I want to be the only man who gets to pleasure her and enjoy the feeling of her thick walls pulsing around me.

Lainey's hands clutch at my chest, her nails digging into my flesh as I drive into her, her pussy squeezing my girth, and I know that I could come so hard if I let myself. But I want this to last. I want to savor her. The feeling of her skin against mine. The way her body moves against mine. The smell of her hair. The taste of her skin. The way she feels around me. How her pussy fits me like a glove. I want to remember every moment of this. How I feel inside her. How she feels against me.

"God," she moans, arching her back as her body grows taut and I know she's close "Don't... stop," she begs and I know she doesn't want this to end either. She wants to stay like this forever. I push her harder against the bed, my lips landing on hers, and I kiss her voraciously, drinking in every sound she makes, every sigh, every whimper, every breath. I squeeze one of her tits, pinching and twisting her nipple in my hand before gripping the entire thing. It's full and soft, and it draws moans from her lips.

I suck her nipple into my mouth and Lainey cries out. Her hands clutch at my back, pulling me closer to her, her hips bucking against mine. I feel her pussy squeezing me, and I know she's close. I thrust harder against her body, pinning her to the mattress, my cock deep inside her, stretching her, filling her.

"Fuck... I'm going to come," she moans, her breath coming in ragged gasps. My mouth is on hers again and I kiss her roughly as she tightens around me, pulling me toward the edge with her. My fingers dig into the flesh of her ass, as I try to hold on just a little longer. I want this to last. I want to feel her come on my dick. I want to feel my orgasm pulsing through her. To feel my cum inside her. The thought of my seed taking root inside her is enough to make me come right now. I fuck her harder and faster, just the way she likes, just the way she craves, and I feel her body stiffen as she begins to convulse. I let go, and my dick pulses inside her, my cum filling her up. "Fuck, Lainey," I groan as I come. "I love you so much," I whisper into her hair as she hugs me to herself.

"Oh god," she whispers back between gasps as she clenches her teeth.

"Marry me?" I ask her, sliding in and out of her and feeling the spasms of her strong walls around my girth.

"Yes," she whispers.

"Are you sure?" I ask.

"Yes," she answers. Her words are muffled, her head buried in my shoulder. "I love you too," she says, finally looking up at me, her bright blue eyes glistening with emotion.

"This is what you really want?" Her hands pull at my hips as I thrust into her slowly. I feel my cum draining from her body, lubing her for more sex, and my dick is staying hard.

"I'll never change my mind about us. I love you. Marry me?" I ask her again, pulling out slowly and then sliding back in. She nods, biting her lip as I fuck her slow and deep, savoring the moment.

"Yes," she says, her lips turning up into a smile. She pulls me down and kisses me and wraps her legs around my waist. "Now I want another orgasm because that was fucking incredible."

"Then get ready for something even more incredible every day for the rest of your life, because once you're Mrs. Nixon Walsh, you're going to be the most sexually satisfied woman in the world."

She laughs a hearty laugh as I thrust into her again. She feels amazing wrapped around my dick; I'll do this all night long if I can stay hard...

Epilogue

Being back on the island for the past week has been amazing. Nix managed to get ahold of Millie and Marco, and we visited with them earlier. We made plans months ago for Millie's diner to cater the wedding for us, and Nix paid her triple what she wanted to charge. It's enough money for Marco to retire now and that makes me happy.

This whole thing makes me happy. I look out over the small crowd of folks who joined us for our wedding--a dozen close staff members from our companies, Dylan, Kent, my parents, and even a few friends. There are so many more people I would've loved to have at my wedding, but destination weddings are pricey. I'm grateful those who are here could come.

Nix beckons to me to the center of the large beach tent we had erected for the event. Millie and Marco carry out a large cake on a giant tray, setting it on a table situated in the middle of the tent.

As I approach the cake, I can't help but feel overwhelmed with emotion. I never thought I'd find someone who loves me for who I am, someone who accepts and supports me no matter what. But Nix is that person. And today, on this beautiful beach, we're making a promise to spend the rest of our lives together.

The cake is four tiers high, covered in the most delicate white lace frosting. Millie has outdone herself. Nix's hand rests lightly on my back as I cut into the cake. The sound of the waves crashing as the knife slices through the soft layers echoes in my ears. This beach wedding was the perfect idea, especially since Millie and Marco were so generous and compassionate with us. It seems fitting.

I take a slice of the cake and feed it to Nix, watching as he closes his eyes in pleasure. He leans down to kiss me, his lips soft and tender. I pull back, grinning mischievously and grabbing a handful of cake. Without warning, I smear it on Nix's face, giggling as he sputters in surprise.

"You're gonna pay for that," he says, reaching for a fistful of cake himself. I squeal and brace myself for the inevitable icing smeared on my face, but instead I feel his lips cover mine and taste the sweetness of the icing on them. "Every day for the rest of your life," he whispers and I grin against his lips. The small crowd erupts into applause as our photographer snaps pictures of the moment.

"I love you," I say, looking into his eyes.

"I love you too," he replies, pulling me into a deep kiss. I lose myself in the sensation, feeling his tongue exploring my mouth.

We're interrupted by a cough, and we break apart to see Dylan standing awkwardly nearby. "You guys are gross. Can I play in the waves?" he asks, holding a belly board in hand. I chuckle and look to Nix who nods in approval.

"Only waist deep," he calls as Dylan rushes off across the sand to join other beachgoers in the water. "Now, where was I?" he asks, kissing me again.

Suddenly, the air is alive with island music, and Nix is whisking me off to the makeshift dance floor. I can't help but feel grateful for this moment. This island, this man, this love. As he spins me around, I see my dad holding Kenyon, now only two months old. He'll have to go on our honeymoon with us, but I don't mind one bit. Nix catches me looking at him and reminds me gently, "This is our day, and your mom and dad are doing a great job with him." He turns my face back to him where I see all the love I could ever ask for.

"Thank you," I whisper.

He shakes his head, brow furrowed in confusion. "For what?"

"For admitting how wrong you were. I knew we were perfect from the beginning. I'm just glad you finally woke up." I tickle him playfully and he responds by kissing me hard.

"Happy wife, happy life. I guess I'll have to admit I'm wrong more often if this is my reward for honesty." I wrap my arms around his neck as he kisses me again, thanking the island gods for hearing the secret prayers I uttered the last time I was here.

It didn't go the way I thought it would, and things look different now than I hoped, but that's okay. Nix and I have a new life together. Our companies are merging while still keeping the individuality of our unique roles. He values me as a partner, and even my small team is being given equal input and authority in decisions. I never imagined things would work out this way.

As we dance to the tropical beats, I can feel the warmth of the sun on my skin and the heat of Nix's body pressed against mine. The scent of his cologne mixed with the salty sea air is intoxicating. I close my eyes and let myself get lost in the moment. The breeze kisses my skin--lots of sunblock this time though--and all I can think is how life is good.

Millie was right. Never again will I leave anything left unsaid. Life is too short to hold back when you have a desire or a need. In this case, I didn't realize how much I needed Nix until we were back at home and I couldn't have him. But now that he's in my arms, I'm never letting a day go by that I don't tell him I love him.

"I love you, Mr. Walsh."

"I love you too, Mrs. Walsh."

He spins me around and my feet leave the sand momentarily before he sets me back down. Nothing could be better than this.