Back to December (Ward Sisters Book 1) (44 page)

“Do you think they had been seeing each other behind your back?”

“No, but Charlie said earlier that they spent time together at Christmas. You know how quick that was.”

He combed his fingers through her hair. She saw a little smile at the edge of his mouth that said he was glad she had left her hair curly for the wedding. His expression turned serious again.

“You still didn't answer my question, though. Do you regret the relationship? Or running away?”

“I don't regret what we had. I do regret running scared. I was afraid. I felt
so
much for you and I thought it was all fake. That you didn't really love me, that it was all part of your publicity. I didn't realize until later that it wasn't. When I heard about Barry, that confirmed it. By then, I thought it was too late.”

“It's not too late. If you'll have me, I still want to be with you. I love you as much as I ever did. Maybe more, now that I've been without you. The last six months have been hell. The only thing that helped was knowing you were okay.”

“How did you know I was okay?”

Rob looked at her funny, like she must be joking.

“You didn't know?”

“Know what? Who's keeping things from me now?”

“Liam has been here the whole time. You didn't notice that I came without a bodyguard?”

“I've been so wrapped up in the wedding and you being here that it didn't occur to me. You're saying that
Liam
has been guarding me all this time?”

He explained that Liam had been guarding her covertly to keep the paparazzi away from her. Rob had felt guilty for making such a mess of her life and he insisted that Liam be the one to do the job, even when Rick wanted to rotate him out. The paparazzi had harassed him even more than usual since the breakup and Rob didn't dare leave Em unprotected.

“Usually, I get a little break in Europe, but this time, they were relentless. If they weren't trying to pair me with every woman who crossed my path, they were constantly asking questions about you. Which sucked, because it made me think about you all the time and it made it impossible to get over you.”

“Should I thank them then? If you were over me would you be here right now?”

“The thing is, Emily, I'm so hopelessly in love with you, I don't know if I would ever get over you.”

Em felt the tears spring to her eyes and she tried to fight them. She shook her head and the tears rolled down her cheeks. Rob touched her face, wiped away a tear. He was looking at her so sweetly, it just made the tears worse.

“I don't think I could ever get over you, either.”

Rob pulled her in for a hug and caressed her back. Em could feel his heart thud in his chest. It made her think of the first time he'd held her like that, and it made her smile.

Before she thought too hard, she whispered, “Marry me.”

Rob pulled away to look at her. “Did you just say
marry me
?” She nodded. “You...you want to marry me?”

Emily nodded again. “More than anything.”

Rob huffed a laugh. “I think I'm supposed to be the one to ask,” he said. Em rolled her eyes.

“What's your answer?” she asked.

He moved from the bed and got down on one knee. Rob took her hand in his and said, “Emily Ward, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

She laughed. Not because she didn't want to say yes, but because they were sitting there, completely naked. And instead of it seeming ridiculous that he proposed to her like that, after she'd already proposed to him, it seemed like the most natural thing in the world.

“Yes. Yes, I'll marry you,” she said, voice steady, heart and mind both absolutely sure.

He kissed her and they found themselves tangled in each other again. Mouths devoured, hands roamed, the wanting stronger than ever. The emotions overtook them, and before she knew what was happening, Rob's smooth, hardness pushed apart her folds and he was inside her.

Oh God.
It felt so good, so right for there to be nothing between them. She had thought sex with him was amazing before, but this was a whole new level.
How have I gone all these years without having unprotected sex?

Then, before she could complete the thought, she climaxed in a powerful wave and the orgasm shattered her. Rob followed, cried her name and exclaimed his love for her.

They lay there in bed, a sweaty mass of limbs wrapped around one another. As her mind cleared, the realization of what had just happened hit her like a ton of bricks.

“Rob, I'm not on the pill.”

He looked at her. “You're not?”

“No.”

“So...”

“So, there's a chance, in about nine months, that you could be a father.”

He touched her cheek, concern on his face. “Do you want to have my baby?”

“I hadn't thought much about it yet. I want to have children someday. I wasn't thinking about it right now. But then, I also wasn't thinking about marriage or even long-term relationships until I saw you in that chapel today.”

“I'm sorry. I wasn't even thinking about that. I don't want to take that choice away from you, but I'd be lying if I said that I'd be okay with you not having my baby if you got pregnant.”

“I wouldn't do that. If I was having your baby, even if we weren't together, I wouldn't do anything to prevent it. Just in case though, we shouldn't have unprotected sex again until I'm on birth control.”

“Agreed. Not that I regret it. That was...” His expression said
intense
.

“Yes. It was. I'll make an appointment with the doctor first thing on Monday.” She smiled at him as a thought occurred to her. “I do.”

“You do what?”

“Want to have babies with you.”

“Really?”

“I've seen your family with their kids. How can I not want to be a part of that?”

“Do you know how happy they'll be to hear that you'll be part of the family? They thought I was an idiot for letting you go.”

“You didn't let me. I left.”

“Yeah, try telling that to my mother, sister and Kelly. They've been giving me crap for months.
Why haven't you called her to beg her to take you back?
I'm sure they danced a jig when they found out where I was today.”

She smiled at his hokey euphemism. “How do they know?”

He laughed. “You think Rick didn't tell them? He's been almost as bad as they have.
Liam said she's miserable. Why don't you just go out there, try to get her back?
”

“You didn't tell them about the breakup, did you?”

“No. I hated myself for what happened. I let her do that to you, Emily. I let Rachel make you believe I would really use you like that. Not on purpose, but I should have known better than to think she would be anything but vindictive. And then you left, and I knew it was the biggest mistake I had ever made not to run after you right then. But I thought it was too late, that you hated me and that you'd never take me back.”

“So, you came here today because...?”

“I still loved you. I couldn't let you go through that alone. I knew how hard it would be, to sit there in front of all your friends and family while your sister and your ex announced to the world that they were getting married. I wasn't sure you'd even talk to me, but I had to try. Then you did talk to me and I knew I had to do whatever it took to make you mine again.”

She touched his face. How did she ever deserve him? “I've always been yours. I love you.”

“I love you too. When do you want to tell everyone?”

“Can we wait? Do you mind? I don't want to share it with the world just yet, and as soon as we tell anyone else, it'll get out. I know that now. Besides, I don't want anyone to think it's because I'm jealous of Annie and Josh. That's not why I asked or why I said yes.”

“You're not that petty. Can we tell
my
family?”

“Yes. I know that they can keep things a secret. But can we keep it to ourselves for a couple weeks? It won't be often that we'll be able to have something that's just for us.”

“That means I have to wait to go ring shopping.”

“I think you'll survive. Besides, don't you know Neil Lane personally?” she joked.

He laughed. “Yes, actually, I do.” He looked hesitant. “Am I coming with you to brunch tomorrow? I know I wasn't already invited...”

“Yes. I talked to Charlie. I told her that I wanted you there. She knows she owes me. I'm making her explain it to my mother.”

He smiled and kissed her then, caressed her from rib to knee. He slung her leg across his hip and got awfully close to making love to her again. She pulled away.

“Call Rick. Tell him to give Liam the night off. I don't intend to let you leave my bed for the rest of the night. And while you're up, get the rest of the condoms from your bag. We're going to need them. All of them.”

When they finally got out of bed the next morning, they barely had time to shower and dress before the brunch. Then they made love so long in the shower that they lost track of time. Emily decided that the time she usually took to get ready in the morning wasn't nearly as important as sex with her fiancé – she still wasn't used to that.

She barely dried her moussed hair and put on minimal makeup – lip gloss and mascara – then slipped on her creamy yellow halter sundress with its turquoise hibiscus print, fitted bodice and A-line skirt. And, despite the rest of her look being more casual, she still wore the sexy, peep-toe, turquoise stilettos and matching beaded bracelet she had bought for the occasion. Christopher would be proud.

Rob walked out of the bathroom, freshly shaved, shirtless and smelling like clean man. That woody scent she noticed the first night invaded Emily's nostrils. She loved how he smelled, especially straight from the shower.

His jaw dropped, and she could see that he had gotten instantly hard. “Damn, what are you trying to do to me? I wanted to make a good impression on your family, but how can I do that when all I want to do is keep you in this room and use up another box of condoms?”

She took in the expertly tailored seersucker pants and blue polo he pulled over his head, the perfect complement to his stunning eyes. As he tucked in his shirt, she sighed. He was gorgeous, as always, and she still had a hard time believing he was all hers. Forever, now.

“I could say the same for you. We'll just have to be on our best behavior.”

She took his hand as they opened the door to leave. There stood Liam, casually dressed in khakis and a sage green fitted v-neck tee, like he belonged at a brunch for a wedding party.

“Em.”

“Hello, Liam. Fancy meeting you here. Or should I say not. I called my sister this morning and told her to make sure they added another person to the guest list. You're sitting with us, so don't try to sneak off.”

“You don't have to do that, Em. I can fend for myself.”

“I insist. You owe me, now that I know you've been following me around for months and didn't even bother to say hello. I thought we were better friends than that.”

Liam had enough sense to look sheepish. “I wasn't supposed to let you know I was here.”

“Well, I know now. And I assume you and I are going to be spending a lot of time together for the foreseeable future. My family might as well get used to seeing you around.” She dropped her voice to a whisper and leaned close to him, so only he – and Rob – could hear her. “I'm asking my brother-in-law to make you my permanent personal bodyguard.”

She saw the understanding dawn on him. He looked at her in shock and then smirked and shook his head.

“Okay. Since I don't see any evidence, I assume this is under wraps for now?” Liam asked quietly. He looked at Rob and then Emily for confirmation. They both nodded. “Good enough. Let's get to breakfast. I'm starving.”

“Didn't you eat once already? You haven't been up since 7 a.m.?” Emily asked as they walked to brunch.

Liam looked at Rob. “Uh. No. I, uh, was busy. This morning. At that hour.”

Rob laughed out loud and Emily was confused. “Was she a bridesmaid? Red hair? Busty?” Rob asked.

Liam said nothing. Rob laughed and shook his head.

Emily looked at Liam. “You did
not
sleep with Nina!” He stared straight ahead. “Liam! She's practically young enough to be your daughter!”

Liam whipped his head to look at her. “Jesus, Em, I'm not that old! I'm 33, the same age as Rob! And
she's
25!”

“Wow, Liam, you must really like her if you bothered to find out her age,” Rob teased. Liam was silent. “You know she's going to be there, at brunch, right?” Liam tensed. “Oh, man, you've got it bad!”

“Shut up, Rob,” he muttered. In the dining room, Emily tried not to laugh as Rob squeezed her hand and stifled a chuckle. Poor Liam looked tortured.

“Let's do this.” Liam sighed.

Guests milled around, but Em easily spotted Josh and Annie with her mother. Gail wore her fake smile. She hadn't seen them yet, but she'd steeled herself for it.

Most guests had Mimosas or Bloody Marys. Emily looked at Rob and Liam. “Let's hit the bar. I think I need a drink,” she said.

Liam exchanged a look with Rob, who shrugged.

Drinks in hand, they sat at their table. Emily thought Liam might faint when Nina walked toward them. Charlie's best friend glanced shyly at Liam and said hello as she sat next to him. Emily and Rob shared a look and tried not to smile, sipping their drinks to cover.

Minutes later, brunch was served. As the first course was cleared, Emily's 75-year-old great-aunt Laurie asked her to introduce the two young men seated next to her.

“Auntie, this is Rob. He's my...boyfriend. And this is Liam. He's my friend and bodyguard.”

“Bodyguard? Why would you need a bodyguard?”

Liam twitched. He'd seen something.

“Excuse me,” Liam said, wiped his mouth and stood. “I'll be right back.”

The whole table watched him leave. Emily looked out the window, and she knew what had caused Liam to move.
Reporters
. He stepped outside and spoke to them briefly. Moments later, he had returned and the reporters had left.

“Sorry about that. They won't be bothering us.”

Emily's aunt looked at her with a startled expression. “What was that?”

“Auntie, Rob's a famous movie actor. That's why Liam is my bodyguard. To keep the reporters away if I don't want to talk to them. Right now, he's guarding me and Rob. And since this is Charlie's post-wedding brunch, there isn't any reason why reporters should be here.”

“So, you're a movie actor, eh? Been in anything I might have seen?” asked her aunt around bites of quiche.

Rob smiled and Liam tried to hide his smirk. “It's possible. I've been in the business for a while and I've done a variety of films.”

“What's your name again?”

“Rob. Rob Deacon.”

“Huh. Nope, never heard of you.” Rob laughed. He liked her aunt as much as she did.

Just then, Gail strolled to their table, the perfect hostess who, Em knew, seethed under the calm demeanor.

“Hello, everyone! I hope you're enjoying the meal! Emily.”

“Hello, Mom.”

“Deac! Nice of you to join us so unexpectedly. Who is your friend?” Gail asked.

Rob stood and extended his hand. “Mrs. Ward, please, call me Rob. It's nice to finally meet you. This is Liam. He's our bodyguard. We were just discussing that with Aunt Laurie.”

“Deac? Why did she call you Deac? I thought your name was Rob?” Aunt Laurie asked.

“Auntie, Deac is Rob's stage name. His real name is Rob,” Emily noted.

“Deac? Like Deac Roberts?” Aunt Laurie asked. “Holy shit! You're Deac Roberts!” The whole table laughed as it dawned on her. Everyone except Emily's mother, who wore a tight smile.

“Emily, darling, can I speak to you for a moment?” her mother asked as Aunt Laurie peppered Rob with questions. Em kissed Rob quickly on the lips and smiled. She followed her mother out of the room to a back hallway.

“What is he doing here, Emily?” her mother asked under her breath, smile still stuck on her face.

“He's here with me, Mom.”

“I can see that, but you said that you ended things with him because he played you for a fool. Why would you take him back? Didn't I raise you to have more
self-respect
than that?”

“I was wrong. He didn't play me for a fool. I found out months ago, but I wasn't about to tell you that because I knew how you felt about the situation. And I didn't think he'd want me back after the way I treated him.”

“Oh, and if you treated him so poorly, what is he doing here? At your sister's wedding, of all places?”

“Well,
Mom
, he didn't want me to be alone when I found out that my darling sister was sleeping with my ex-boyfriend. And that they were engaged. Not that anyone
else
seemed to care about my feelings.” Her mother kept silent, lips pursed. “Your silence is
very
reassuring. Get used to him being around, Mom. He's not going anywhere. And get used to Liam. He'll be with me all the time, now.”

“Why would you need a bodyguard all the time, Emily? You live here. No one comes here.”

“Yes, well, that could all change, but the point is that I'm with Rob, now. Permanently. Which means Rob will be here. And if there is one thing I've learned this year, it's to expect the unexpected. Reporters will show up anywhere to get a story.”

“What do you mean, permanently? You don't intend to
marry
that man, do you?” Gail said under her breath.

“What if I do, Mom? Will you disown me? Because that would be a huge mistake on your part. Rob is one of the best people I've ever met. You'd be lucky to know him, not because he's famous, but because he's wonderful. The sooner you accept that I'm with him, the better off you'll be. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to eat my food before it's cold.” Emily turned on her heel and left her mother speechless.

She went back to the table and Rob gave her a look that asked if everything was okay. Because he could read her so well, she tried to convey that it would be.

Eventually.

The conversation was lively, with Aunt Laurie still astonished that she hadn't picked up on Rob's identity before. Even Liam laughed.

Rob got suddenly quiet and Em looked up to see why. Josh loomed at their table while he stared at them.

“Josh. This is my boyfriend, Rob. And you remember Liam, our friend and bodyguard.”

“Hi. Nice to see you both. Em, can I talk to you for a minute?” He looked uncomfortable. Good. He should be.

She stood and kissed Rob again, gave him a look to say she was sorry. He squeezed her hand as she left and continued his conversation. Liam looked at her like he wanted to follow and she shook her head.

When they were in the same hallway where she had spoken to her mother, Em crossed her arms over her chest and said, “What do you want, Josh?”

“What are you doing with that guy?”

“I'm sorry, is it hurting your feelings to see me with him? Because if it is, then good. You're the absolute
last
person on the planet who has the right to comment on who I'm seeing or not seeing. I'm in love with him and he's in love with me. I don't really give a damn what you think.
You
dumped
me
, remember? And then you slept with my sister.”

“I dumped you after you slept with
him
!”

“No, you made an assumption about something without getting the truth from me. Like a video on the internet meant more than the five years we spent together. I didn't sleep with him until after you broke up with me. I felt like I owed it to you to make it official first, out of respect for our relationship. But you wouldn't know anything about having respect for our relationship, would you?”

“Emily...”

“Don't, Josh. If you want to be with Annie, and the two of you love each other, that's fine. But don't try to pretend that you care about more than your own ego. I never meant to hurt you when I fell for him. If you had as much respect for me, you could have at least told me about you and Annie before you dropped to your knee and proposed to her in front of all our friends and family yesterday. At least Rob wanted to make sure I wasn't hurting when that happened. He flew across the country to ensure I wasn't alone.”

“How'd he know? We didn't tell anyone.”

“You're forgetting the tabloids have been tailing me for months, Josh. Annie and I look enough alike that they thought she was me. Rob's assistant found out and she told him. He came here yesterday to make sure I was okay because he couldn't catch me on the phone. Which is more than I can say for you or my sister.”

“I'm sorry, okay? We should have told you we were together a long time ago. There was never a good time.”

“It doesn't matter anymore. It's done. But you have
no
right to an opinion on who I can and cannot be with, do you understand me? None.” She was on the verge of tears.