Page 80 of Power and Possession
“Fine. But I get to dote on you. Bring you whatever food cravings you have.”
“Deal.” I wasn’t sure how I felt about this pregnancy,but I was sure about my love for Steele and our future. He’d already stepped back from the illegal aspects of his business and separated it from his other ventures. Cooper was now fully responsible for the darker side of importing, and Steele now just ran his hotels and restaurants and imported boring items instead of priceless world artifacts. Now that he was out of that line of work, I felt safer and more secure. At first I wasn’t sure if he would agree to it, but once I explained that we could never have a family if we were constantly looking over our shoulders, he’d supported me.
I moved to the couch, grabbing the afghan and snuggling up. Steele moved right next to me, holding me close to his chest. I could hear every thump of his heart, and for the millionth time I was so thankful that neither myself nor my father had stopped it from beating.
“Ash, how do you really feel about this?” He kissed the top of my head and then weaved our fingers together.
A million thoughts scampered through my head, but while there was some fear, there was also excitement. We’d been together for several months, and while we had our share of arguments, we were strong.
“I’m okay. Really. I’m nervous, but I think we can handle it. How are you?”
He ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m excited. I’ve never had a family before, so the babies I make with you will be my first. They’ll inherit my title, my property, my money. It’s more than I could have wished for.”
At only three months pregnant, I didn’t waddle down the aisle, but I definitely didn’t feel like the model bride.
Martha was a flower girl, and Henry was the ring bearer. As they pranced ahead, I stood back, looking out before me.
The estate had been decorated beautifully, and it hardly looked like our house. Instead, the entire garden area wastransformed, with large archways of flowers lining the white runner. There were only a handful of people there to witness the ceremony, but that was fine with me. I didn’t want a big fuss.
I walked forward, my mother’s dress trailing behind me. Steele had gone to great lengths to acquire it, especially considering all my father’s property had been seized. It was a soft ivory color, satin and form-fitting. If it hadn’t been for the severe bouts of morning sickness, there was no way it would have fit. I was curvier than my mom, and also pregnant. But the first trimester hadn’t been kind to me, and I’d lost ten pounds. Steele was incredibly stressed about my weight loss, flying me to a world-renowned obstetrician in Germany even though I tried to convince him it was normal.
He was so attentive to both of us.
The aisle was decorated with soft pink rose petals, and I felt my stomach flutter as I looked ahead, seeing Steele. Cooper was standing next to him, leaning slightly on a cane. He’d healed well, but the break in his leg was severe and he was undergoing physical therapy to walk normally again.
Steele’s eyes met mine, burning and intense. I was used to seeing him in formal attire, but he looked so handsome in his black tuxedo that it took everything in me not to run to him. He didn’t seem to blink as he watched me walk towards him, his gaze more intense than I’d ever seen it. It was full of promises and love, passion and devotedness.
He was everything I never knew I’d needed. I’d spent so much time convincing myself that I shouldn’t be with him, lost so much time fighting our attraction, our friendship, and then, finally, our love. It took two near-death experiences to make me realize it, and at times I didn’t know how I could have been so blind. In retrospect, it could have been my parent’s unhealthy relationship that soured me, or even just my isolation and lack of ability to converse with other people about my feelings.
But it didn’t matter now. We were finally there, at the end of the path, ready to become man and wife.
As soon as the rings were exchanged and the vowspledged, I knew I was exactly where I needed to be.
With Daniel.
Steele
Ashlynn was incredible. Her labor wasn’t easy, or short. I’d never seen her more scared or nervous, her body shaking with exhaustion. But at the end of it, she gave me something I never thought I’d have.
A daughter.
The second she was passed over to me, I marveled at how a squealing little infant could change me so completely. But, given who her mother was, I shouldn’t have been surprised.
These two girls had changed my life and formed it into something good. From the ashes came my true family. My Ash. And my new daughter.
Ember.
A name to match the fire and passion she would inherit from her mother. She would turn the world on its toes, fight every obstacle in her path, and possess so much beauty and grace that she would seem ethereal. Just like my Ashlynn.
My wife.
My daughter.
My family.
The only things in this world that were truly worth possessing.
