Fulfillment (Book 3 in The Temptation Series) (13 page)

CHAPTER NINE

Riding a rollercoaster of
emotional highs and lows had been a regular occurrence for me over
the past month—mainly riding the lows. Rick and I had continued to
take nasty stabs at each other which afterwards left me feeling
pained and angry, but more so incredibly hurt. The beautiful
relationship we once shared was gone, seemingly never to return and
it saddened me. I tried desperately to get back that calm, that
blah feeling I had felt in the beginning when I had found out the
truth about him and Claire, but for some reason I was just so angry
now. Surely it was my hormones, it had to be.

I hadn’t
properly spoken to him since our 14th wedding anniversary, which
had been one week ago when he sent me a text during that day:

What do I say to you
on a day like today? - Rick

My response
had been:

Nothing, what can you
say? - Alexis

I’d never meant it to
come across as nasty or harsh, instead, my intent had been more
like ‘it is what it is, so maybe not say anything at all’.

Rick obviously
took it the wrong way and replied with:

I can’t fucking win
with you. I don’t know why I bother. - Rick

It had made me
feel completely awful the entire day, having been pissed off to the
point where I had taken it out on Bryce which was completely
uncalled for. After I had explained the significance of the
day—which was no excuse for taking it out on him—we had made up
with fiery sex on the stairs. Needless to say, his sexual ability
to make my mind stop thinking about Rick and our anniversary was
incredibly successful.

Gareth had
also triggered my emotional rollercoaster ride, because during the
past week he had been unbelievably kind, and I guessed somewhat
normal. Normal, to the point that sometimes when he was in my
presence, I would forget that he suffered from DID in the first
place. I was starting to think that maybe his medication and visits
to Jessica were really helping him, which deep down I really wanted
because, regardless of Gareth’s alters, Bryce really did love his
cousin and felt that he owed him infinitely.

With all the
ups and downs with Rick, Gareth, and even Bryce to an extent—yes,
he had still been overbearingly protective and aggravating at
times—the main reasons for my feeling uptight, frustrated and angry
were mainly due to the fact I was fourteen weeks pregnant and still
keeping it a secret. It was increasingly stressful and difficult to
do, especially around the kids. Thankfully, the time for our baby
secret to be revealed had come. Tomorrow was my birthday, and Bryce
had organised a party for me at the apartment, inviting our close
friends and family. He had also organised hotel rooms for all of
them to stay in which was not only convenient but wonderfully
thoughtful. We planned to announce our happy news at the party, but
not until we had let Nate and Charli know that they were going to
have another brother or sister first.

I don’t know
why I was so terribly nervous about telling them, especially after
the positive reaction they gave us when Bryce had tentatively asked
them during that stupid game of Truth or Dare. I guess it was just
the thought that deep down inside there was a possibility that the
news could disappoint them in some way. Regardless, the time had
come, and we had come up with the best idea of how to reveal the
information.

“Nate and
Charli, come here. We need your help with something,” I called from
where I was standing at the bottom of the staircase. Both of them
came out of their rooms simultaneously. I motioned them down the
stairs. “Remember how we came up with that idea a couple of months
ago of a treasure hunt for children staying at City Promenade?
Well, we want to test it out on the two of you before we make it
into a permanent thing. So we thought we’d have a little practice
in the apartment. Does that sound good?”

“Cool! I love
treasure hunts. What’s the treasure? Is it gold?” Charli asked,
excitedly.

“Is it money?”
Nate queried, hope in his eyes.

“No, you silly
duffas, it’s just a practice. Here, this is your first clue.” I
handed them a card which Nate began to read.

“Say it out
loud Nate, I can’t read,” Charli huffed and put her hands on her
hips, frustrated that reading was a skill she was still learning at
school.

Nate slowly
read the note out loud. “Your first clue is feeling unfit. You can
find it on the place where you exercise while you sit.” He screwed
up his face, then instantly realisation dawned on him. “The
exercise bike,” he yelled, and then he took off.

“Wait for me,”
Charli called out after him.

Bryce and I
followed. “So far so good,” he whispered as he placed his hand at
the small of my back while walking out onto the balcony following
the kids.

Nate had
already torn the envelope from its sticky-taped position on the
exercise bike. He ripped it open and pulled out a photograph,
looking at it strangely.

Charli
snatched it from his hands. “It’s you and Bryce, Mum. It’s a
picture of you two.”

“Give the
photo to Bryce and he will give you your next clue,” Nate read,
from the instructions that were attached to the picture. Charli
skipped over to Bryce and handed him the photograph, he in turn
handed her another card. She passed it to Nate who again read it
out loud. “Go and play pool...but don’t get wet.”

Charli walked
over to the swimming pool and looked into the water for the next
clue. “How do you play in the pool without getting wet?”

“Not that
pool, the pool table,” Nate explained as he grabbed his sister’s
hand. They hurried off into the man-cave, only to come back out to
where we were standing in the lounge area shortly after entering,
Charli now holding a wooden letter R. She gave it to Bryce, who
once again handed over another clue. Bryce placed the letter R next
to the picture of the two of us. I smiled.

“Your third
clue is hungry and wants something to eat. Go to the place where
you’ll find something sweet.”

This time
Charli took off heading straight for the kitchen, yelling,
“Lollies. The treasure is lollies.”

Nate ran after
her. “Wait, we have to share.”

“Do not. Not
if I find them first,” she teased while looking over her shoulder
and screamed, noticing that he was gaining on her.

Bryce laughed
as I took a seat on the couch.

“They’re going
to be disappointed when they realise the treasure is not edible,” I
said, suddenly feeling like maybe I should’ve organised some form
of tangible-treasure.

They both came
back into the lounge looking a little glum. I laughed at them. “So,
what did you find?”

“A stupid word
that says HAVING,” Charli sulked as she passed Bryce the cardboard
card with the word having written on it. He placed it down next to
the letter R.

At this point
I thought Nate would catch on by reading the clues placed next to
each other—but he didn’t. Instead, he moved right along and read
the next card.

“This clue is
in a hurry and doesn’t want to go slow. You’ll find this clue
waiting for a ride on the Crow.” Nate threw the card and spun
around heading back outside. Charli grumbled and sat down.

I gently
squeezed her knee. “What, Sweetheart? Don’t you like this
game?”

“Yes, but I’m
too slow.”

“Don’t worry.
I reckon you’ll find the next clue before Nate.” I winked at
her.

Nate came
running back in, puffing and out of breath. He passed Bryce the
wooden letter A.

Charli
scratched her head. “Another letter?”

Bryce handed
Nate the final card then came and sat next to me, leaning back on
the couch in that sexy position that I love. I stared at him and
licked my lips.
Crap! That was involuntary.

“Starlight is
asleep. Go wake her.” Nate took off again toward the
Observatory.

I fell back
into Bryce’s side. “I told you he’d go there.”

Charli
frowned. “You said I’d find the next clue, Nate probably already
has it.”

“No, he
doesn’t Charli. What did Nate just read out?”

“Starlight is
asleep. Go wake her.”

“Yes, now
think about it.”

She screwed up
her face, then her eyes widened and a large smile appeared.

“Ahhh, see? Go
and wake her up.”

Charli laughed
and ran upstairs to her room. She came back moments later holding
her baby doll, Starlight.

“I found it
Nate,” she called out as she handed Bryce the baby. Nate came
bounding down the stairs, and I cringed as I watched him,
predicting a stumble and one or two broken bones.

“Please don’t
run down the stairs, little man. You’re giving me a heart
attack.”

“What was it?”
Nate asked, ignoring my plea.

“Starlight, my
baby,” Charli answered. She looked from Bryce to me. “So where is
the treasure?”

“Read the
clues,” Bryce suggested.

I waited with
baited breath as Nate read the clues out slowly, trying to piece
them together.

“Photo, R,
word having, A, Starlight,” he said. “That’s just dumb.”

Shit! Crap!
Balls! That didn’t work.

“Who’s in the
photo?” I asked.

“You and
Bryce.”

“What’s the
letter?”

“R,” they said
together.

“What’s the
word say?”

“Having.”

Next
letter?”

“A”

“What is
Starlight.”

“A doll.”

Bryce cracked
up laughing.

“No, she’s a
baby. Now read those all out again.”

“Mummy and
Bryce, R, Having, A, Baby,” they both said together.

Nate’s eyes
widened, and I held my breath.

Charli said it
again still not quite catching on.

“Mummy and
Bryce, R, Having, A, Baby. A Baby...really? A real baby?”

I stood up and
rubbed my belly. “Yes. There’s a baby growing in here; your baby
brother or sister.”

Nate smiled.
Oh thank fuck.
Charli stepped closer and touched my tummy.
“Can she hear me?”

“I think so,”
I answered.

“Hi, I’m
Charlotte, your sister,” she yelled like a banshee into my
stomach.

Bryce and I
laughed, and a tear of joy rolled down my cheek. Bryce leaned
forward and gently rolled up my top a little. I still wasn’t overly
showing, but when I was standing there with nothing to cover my
bump, it was visibly protruding—a little bit.

“You don’t
need to yell, Charlotte. Just talk like this.” He placed his lips
to my stomach and gave it a soft kiss. I swear I felt a little
flutter.

“How do you
know it’s a girl?” Nate questioned. “It could be a boy.”

“Are you a
girl or a boy?” Charli asked in a lower voice, smiling at Bryce as
she spoke into my belly. For some reason we all stayed quiet,
appearing to be stupidly waiting for an answer.

“We will find
out in just over a month if you have a baby sister or brother.”

“A month? Is
that when she’ll be born?” Charlotte was pirouetting in front of
me. “I can’t wait. Can I pick her name?”

“Settle,
Petal. No, we will find out if the baby is a boy or a girl when
Mummy has an ultrasound, then you can help pick a name.”

“What’s an
ultrasound?”

“An ultrasound
is a special camera that can look inside your tummy.”

Nate walked
over and hesitantly touched my bare stomach. “I can’t feel
anything.”

I placed my
hand on his head and gave it a gently rub. “You won’t be able to,
Sweetheart. Not yet anyway. Maybe in a few more weeks, you might
feel the baby kick.”

“Kick?” Charli
asked. “Why would the baby kick you?”

“Because there
is not a lot of room in there, so babies push and kick at their
Mummy’s tummies. You used to do it
a lot
.”

“That would be
weird,” confessed Nate. And he removed his hand looking slightly
distressed.

Bryce placed
both his hands on my belly. “I can’t wait to feel the baby kick.”
He flexed his fingers gently. I looked down at him, my eyes
suddenly piercing his with an ignited yearning. He registered my
gaze and twitched his eye.
Fuck, I love this man. This
incredibly sexy, sweet, father of my unborn child. I want to
undress him and show him just how much I crave, lust, love and
appreciate him. I want to show him with my tongue, my hands, my
mouth, my wet, sleek—.
My tummy rumbled, snapping me out of my
inappropriate head-porn.
These hormones are driving me freakin’
crazy. One minute I’m horny as hell, the next I’m vicious, angry
and short tempered, then after that I could cry a river and eat
pickles with chocolate.

“Was that the
baby? Did she growl? Is she angry?” Charli blurted out, starting
intently at my stomach.

I laughed.
“No.”

“Are you
hungry, Hunny?” Bryce asked.

“Yeah a
little.”

He stood up.
“What can I make you?”

“Um...I could
go some of that yogurt you made the other day, the one with the
raspberry sauce.”

“Sure.
Anything else?”

“Um...yeah,
maybe one of those turkey baguettes with the Swiss cheese. Oh, oh,
and a chocolate brownie. I feel like a chocolate brownie with
caramel. Does the hotel kitchen make brownies?”

He raised his
eyebrow and smiled then kissed me on the cheek. “They will today,
my love.”

***

Bryce had
arranged for the hotel’s kitchen to make me a freshly baked
chocolate caramel brownie, together with a turkey baguette. He had
also organised for Sebastian to collect a hot white chocolate with
a marshmallow from Gloria Jeans—that was just lunch. For dinner, he
made a steak and mushroom pie with sautéed vegetables. I had
laughed when he dished up my plate, and as a side he had made me
rice cakes with peanut butter—Bryce, Nate and Charli passed on
those.