Reckless Redemption: A Bad Blooded Rebel Novel (Bad Blooded Rebel Series) (24 page)

I
hesitated…I was afraid to ask what was really on my mind. I took several deep
breaths before I opened my mouth to ask, “Are you…are you happy with me? I
mean, really happy?”

“Oh
Danni,” he replied, softly chuckling as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders.
“There isn’t a bastard alive that’s happier than I am right now, baby.”

“But
the past few days you’ve seemed off to me. Actually you’ve been acting
differently since we came back from Muncie. I’m just…”

“Just
what, Danni?” he asked me.

I
felt my bottom lip start to quiver and I fought tears as I confessed, “I’m
afraid that you are starting to get freaked out about me and the baby.”

Beau
released me and knelt down on the floor in front of the bed.

“Are
you serious right now? How can you think that?” he asked, hurt in his voice.

I
felt my heart start to break at his tone. “Danni, haven’t you been happy with
me?”

“I’ve
been
so
happy,” I said, tears rolling down my cheeks. “It’s just been a
crazy few months with everything that’s changed. I know we didn’t plan to have
this baby, and even though I’m so thrilled about it, I have to admit it was a
lot to take in after only a month being back together with you.”

“Danni,
baby, listen to me,” Beau said, placing his warm hands on my face and forcing
me to look at him. “You are the best thing that has ever happened to me in my
entire life. I am so happy with you and this baby,” he paused, placing a hand
on my belly, “our little girl…Danni, I’d die without you both.”

“Are
you sure? I don’t want you to feel obligated to stay with me because of the
baby.”

Beau
leaned his face close to mine and whispered, “Trust me, I’m never letting you
go. I want you now and forever.”

“I
love you so much.”

“I
love you too Danni. Don’t you ever forget that,” he whispered just before he
pressed his lips to mine.

I
closed my eyes and opened my mouth in invitation and he slid his tongue past my
lips. Reaching out to grab his shirt, I twisted the material in my fists to
keep from losing control…I couldn’t help myself. Every time Beau kissed me I lost
a piece of myself to him. As we fell into each other and made love into the
early morning, I prayed hard that Beau meant what he said and that I wasn’t
about to lose everything I held so dear.

Beau

“So,
who’s ready to taste my meat?” Jude asked, holding up a big steak he’d just
grilled.

“Load
me up, big guy,” Sadie joked, holding out a plate to him. After he placed the
steak on her plate, she bumped hips with him and danced her way to the table.

We
were on the yacht that the guys and I chipped in and bought together a few
years back. We were all having a great time, even me, although I was nervous as
fuck as the time ticked away until sundown. Danni’s engagement ring was burning
a huge hole in my pocket, but I managed to keep that hidden and still just laugh
and have fun with everyone.

It
was blistering hot outside and the cool air blowing off the river felt great.
All of us guys were wearing nothing but swim trunks and with the exception of
Brenda, who was wearing a thin cotton dress, all of the girls were rocking some
sexy bikinis.

I
was thankful we weren’t on a public beach or I’d have been beating assholes off
Sadie with a stick. My sister’s tiny black bikini left very little to the
imagination and even though it was just us on the yacht, I wished she would
have brought something a little more modest.

Jessie
was looking good in a red two-piece, Everleigh looked like a mixture of sexy
and cute in her blue two-piece with her baby belly on full display. The girl
had curves all around and I can’t say I blamed Ryder for wanting to be naked
with her all the time.

However,
I only had eyes for my girl. As Danni’s body filled out with our child, she looked
sexier and sexier and it was getting hard for me to keep my pants on around
her. There was just something so beautiful about a pregnant woman, and Danni
was the most breathtaking pregnant woman I’d ever seen.

Danni
had picked out a little purple bikini and definitely wasn’t shy about flaunting
her belly, which I had to admit I loved. I wasn’t one of those men who would
ever tell her what she should or shouldn’t wear. It made me happy that she was
proud of how her body was changing. Her top barely covered her full breasts and
her bikini bottom rested just below her expanding belly. She had cutest little
belly and I had to fight an erection constantly every day at the sight of her
changing body.

The
sun was beginning to set and I was starting to get anxious. I had planned to
propose to Danni before the fireworks started and the big moment was getting
closer. Ever since we talked last night, I was careful to be happy and less
nervous around her since she’d obviously been picking up on everything. I was very
thankful that she hadn’t discovered my plan, but I was a little hurt that she
thought I’d just up and leave her if I thought she and our baby would be too
much for me. I loved Danni more than anything else in my life, and as the days
passed I couldn’t wait to hold our daughter in my arms. How could she ever
think I’d give all of that up? I wanted all of Danni and now all I had to do
was ask her for it.

“Beau?
You there man?” Ryder asked me, nudging me with his elbow. He was holding two
plates of food and offered one to me.

“Thanks.
Sorry bro,” I answered, taking a plate from him. We walked over to one of the
other tables and sat down. “Guess I was spacing.”

“Yeah,
I could tell. You nervous, man?” he asked me.

“I
have been, but these past few hours have made me want to fucking puke.”

I
lowered my voice so Danni, who was sitting about six feet away from me,
wouldn’t hear. “How did you deal with the nerves when you proposed to
Everleigh?”

“Simple,”
he answered, taking a bite of his steak. “I already had the ring and planned on
giving it to her on her birthday. The timing never seemed right to just ask, so
after I took her out to dinner we came home and had some of the hottest sex
ever. I proposed right after that. Like I’d barely pulled my cock out before I
asked her.”

I
shook my head and barked out a laugh.

“Jesus
Christ dude,” I replied. “How a sweet girl like Everleigh hasn’t run from your
perverted ass I’ll never know.”

“She
knows I’m a freak and she loves it. And don’t sit there thinking she’s all innocent,
bro, because that girl can get dirty.”

“She’d
have to just to keep up with a former slut like you,” I answered.

“Only
for her now. That girl is my entire world and I love her more every day than I
did the day before. My chest actually aches from how much I love Evie,
especially now that she’s pregnant with our son.”

“She
does look beautiful sporting that little belly of hers,” I admitted, taking a
bite of my food.

“Well
so does Danni. She’s five months pregnant and rocking a string bikini like it’s
nothing. She’s hot as hell, dude.”

“Who’s
hot as hell?” asked Jude as he took a seat next to me.

“You
are, big boy,” Ryder joked, blowing him a kiss. “I was just watching you
grilling that meat over there and I couldn’t help but stare at your sexy ass.”

Jude
laughed and answered, “Well you had your chance with me but you had to go and
get married. What does she have that I don’t?”

“Tits
and a pussy, man,” Ryder snickered, and suddenly I heard giggling around me.

I
looked up to see Danni, Jessie, Everleigh, and Sadie all laughing at our table.

Everleigh
rolled her eyes and said, “It’s like I can’t take him anywhere.”

Sadie
took a drink of her beer and replied, “Oh trust me you have it easy. Every
single place Jude and I go women are practically doing a strip tease for him.
Ryder brags about you, but Jude literally has to beat the whores off of him.”

“Aw,
come on Sadie, give yourself some credit. I never have to beat them off me
because you go all hell cat on them before I have a chance to speak,” Jude
laughed, winking at her.

“Shut
up. It’s annoying,” she replied back to him.

I
could see the subtle blush in her cheeks, telling me that she still had
feelings for him. I felt irritation at that…I tried to warn her away from him
but apparently she hadn’t listened to me. She looked right at me a few months
ago and told me she didn’t have a crush on him anymore. It pissed me off that
she lied to me. I would talk to her about it later…I had more pressing issues
to deal with at the moment. I was about to propose to my pregnant girlfriend in
front of all of her family and friends and my pulse was racing out of control.
“Whatever, the point is that Ryder loves Everleigh and its sweet. Moving on,”
Sadie said, taking another drink of her beer.

Danni
looked over to me and smiled brightly, the setting sun casting an angelic glow
on her sun kissed skin. This is it, I thought. This was going to happen now…I
couldn’t wait another minute. I smiled back at her as I nervously ran my hands
on my shorts under the table. I looked away from her to see Dan smiling at me
with pride. He nodded, letting me know that he agreed this was the moment. I
blew out a nervous breath and stood up from the table.

I
looked at Ryder and he grinned at me quickly as I stepped to where Danni was
sitting.

“Hey
beautiful,” I said as I leaned down to kiss her plush lips. “You having a good
time today?”

“Oh
yes, this yacht is amazing and the river is so beautiful at sunset.”

I
toyed with her hair, twisting the tips in my fingers. I felt my palms starting
to sweat. I played with her silken locks and barely noticed when I felt her
fingers intertwine with mine.

“Beau,
are you okay? You look nervous.”

I
locked eyes with her and forced a smile. I couldn’t stall any longer. Here goes
nothing.

“Yeah,
baby, I’m fine. There’s just something I wanted to ask you and it’s kind of
important.”

Danni’s
eyebrows furrowed and she sat up straight in her chair.

“Is…everything
alright?” she asked, her tone serious.

“Actually
it is. Everything is more than alright. My life has been damn near fucking
perfect since I got you back.”

“Then
why do you look so nervous, Beau? You can tell me,” she urged.

I
looked around and noticed everyone was paying very close attention to us.

“Danni,”
I said, getting on my knees in front of her, “I am a selfish man. I know this.
When I first saw you at the concert that night, I wanted you. I wanted you the
way I usually wanted a woman…for just one night. I know that sounds harsh but
that’s all I knew back then.

“Then,
after I talked to you and got to know you better I started to want more. But
when I kissed you that first time, my whole world changed. I may not have
realized it then, but the first time your lips touched mine, I belonged to
you.”

Tears
were welling up in her eyes, making the blue depths of them glow in the light
of the setting sun.

“Beau,”
she whispered, emotion clogging her throat.

I
took her hand in mine and before I could chicken out I pulled the ring box from
my pocket. I shifted my weight to one knee and when she saw the box she gasped
loudly.

“Danni…”

“Oh
my god,” she whispered, the tears now flowing down her cheeks. I heard gasping
and squealing from the girls behind me.

“Danni,”
I repeated, “there has never been anyone in my life who has fought as hard for
me as you have, who has loved me as much as you have. I don’t deserve you in
any way, but if you trust me with your heart I will fight every day to make
sure it stays safe. I love you with everything in me.”

I
paused and opened the box. When her eyes landed on the three karat platinum
diamond engagement ring I’d picked for her, her eyes went wider than they
already were.

“Daniella
Elizabeth Sharpe…will you marry me?”

My
heart thudded in my chest for about a half a second while I waited for her
answer…it was the longest half-second of my life. Before I began to panic, her
eyes sparkled and she blurted out, “Yes! Yes, a thousand times yes!”

I
smiled so wide that my face hurt. “Yes? You’ll marry me?”

Danni
flung herself into my chest and wrapped her arms around me.

“Yes
of course I’ll marry you! Oh Beau, I love you so much,” she cried, burying her
face in my neck.

“Love
you,” I mumbled out, emotion suddenly clogging my throat.

All
this time I had worried that she wouldn’t be ready…and she said yes. This
wonderful, beautiful, loving, breathtaking girl was going to be my wife.