Chapter 33
Zoe woke up to darkness and blessed silence. Something was wrong. Sitting upon the bed, she looked at the baby monitor and clicked it on and off to see if it was working. It seemed to be.
Turning, she saw that Archer wasn’t in bed. Had baby Julia cried and she not heard her? Very unlikely. Getting out of bed, Zoe padded through the corridor and passed by Lucas’ room. The door was closed, but she could hear him snore a little. Since the end of the school year, her brother could sleep twenty out of twenty-four hours of the day. He was definitely in his teenage years and it wasn’t completely surprising. And she didn’t dare think about the amount of food he was chowing down!
There was a soft light coming from Julia’s bedroom. Trying to be as quiet as possible, she peeked inside, and her heart swelled at the sight. Archer was in the rocking chair with only his sweatpants on, cradling his daughter in his muscled, tattooed arms, holding her bottle. Each time he looked at her tiny form, with its tuft of red hair and silver eyes, his face couldn’t be more handsome or filled with love. It was a great contrast to see this hard, cold and dangerous man be so caring, not only for Julia, but for her and Lucas.
After the whirlwind of Julia’s birth that went amazingly well according to the doctors, because Zoe, besides managing the contractions and the pain, had to deal with three panicked men. Lucas had arrived during a contraction and went into full little brother mode, almost attacking Archer and Lazarus who were supporting her through another contraction. Fortunately, after a minute of explanations and assuring Lucas that they were friends, she was on her way to the hospital.
The other struggle was to tell Lucas to go to the waiting room, but it was a lost battle for her. In the state the boy was, Zoe didn’t have the heart to leave him alone. So, she told Lazarus to keep an eye on him, and make sure he didn’t see the worst of it. Archer hovered by her side, as nervous and helpless as Lucas and Lazarus, to the point where one of the nurses scowled at the two adults, telling them in no uncertain words to keep it together or leave the room. Zoe would have laughed if another contraction hadn’t bent her in two. She thought it was the undeniable military tone that shook them out of their panic. Lucas stayed close and Archer held on to her hand throughout, and Zoe was incredibly grateful. Without them, she didn’t know what she would have done.
At Julia’s first scream in the world, it was as if something in Archer changed and transformed. There was a new drive in him, a new energy, as if he’d expanded, grown taller. It was amazing to see. The slight downside was how much more controlling he became. That part, Zoe dampened quickly. She understood his need to protect, but decisions would be made by the two of them. And taking in Lucas’ opinion too. She came as a trio now. Her fears on that account hadn’t been warranted. Of course, it took some time, but Archer was willing to do anything to win Lucas’ trust. Lucas, on the other hand, took his sweet time to acknowledge him as a permanent feature in Zoe’s life, but she suspected it was more to make him pay for not being there during her pregnancy.
The true bonding happened when Archer promised him to teach him how to drive with the Aston Martin. Great bribery that worked wonders. Each time Archer needed to go out on errands and invited Lucas to come, he took the Vanquish S. Smart man.
One thing she didn’t win was Archer wanting them all to move back to Chicago with him. At first, she was reluctant, but he wouldn’t be swayed. Blackwood Energies was taking off and he needed to keep a close eye on it, and he would feel much safer if they were in a secured building.
It took some time for Zoe to be swayed, especially since she liked her little New England home. Lucas was reluctant at first, but after being promised he wouldn’t have to move before the end of his school year, he became quite excited by the new opportunity. Archer had found a three-story brick building that he bought and remodeled, and they would all move into the top floor. It was on a nice street, within walking distance of the Navy Pier. He told her that one of his brothers was living nearby with his new wife, but with the move and the baby, Zoe hadn’t had a chance to go out much. Finalizing the move with Lucas finishing his last tests and little Julia was enough to send her mad.
Three months now. Three months since her daughter was born and Archer reappeared in her life. Love couldn’t describe the feeling inside her. It was more than she ever hoped for, to the point where her life before this wonderful, loving, infuriating, caring, selfless man was inconsequential. Her life truly started with Archer.
Very slowly, so as not to startle him, she walked into the room and went to sit against the wall facing him. Archer’s eyes were so soft, and a little tired, but happy. She loved him happy. She loved him any way she could get him. Gently, he removed the nearly empty bottle from Julia’s sleepy mouth and transferred his daughter against the towel on his shoulder to burp.
When she finally did, he simply held her and rocked the baby. When he spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper. “I didn’t want to wake you.”
Zoe shook her head, murmuring too. “It’s the silence that woke me.”
“Yeah, she’s pretty vocal. Just like her mom.”
Zoe pouted. “How would you remember, we haven’t had sex in a year, smartass.”
A carnal gleam made his silver eyes turn to molten steel. “Oh, I remember. Every time I see you, every time I kiss you, every time I touch you, every time I take myself in hand in the shower.”
Heat pooled between her legs. She had gone for her follow-up appointment with her new doctor here in Chicago yesterday, and he had told her that if she wanted to have sex again, she was good to go. Of course, Archer didn’t know, and it seems she had the opening. Her sex drive was slowly coming back with a vengeance and she suspected it was due to Archer always parading around half naked when he was home all the time.
“How dare you! In front of your daughter. Do you know babies are like sponges, they assimilate anything? And that will be biting you on your ass when she’s a teenager with horny males flocking all around her.”
The look of horror made her giggle.
“I’ll install a lock on her door tomorrow.” Softening his expression, he cradled the sleeping infant and carried her to her bassinet. “No sex for you, young lady, until you are married.”
At this Zoe snorted. “And what does that make me, Mr. Blackwood?”
Making sure his sleeping daughter was well covered, Archer turned, his body rippling as he moved before her. The cad knew the effect it had on her.
“Are you asking me to make an honest woman of you?”
Archer had made several allusions, but they never discussed the topic and Zoe wasn’t sure where she stood. It was preferable to avoid the question for now. They were trying to find their footing with each other through all the changes. Or maybe she was a little bit scared at that step for the moment. Or was she evading again?
“I’d rather be a naughty girl with you.”
It was subtle how his body shifted to a predator mode, just before he reined himself in, probably remembering the doctor’s orders. Back was the cool Brit when he took her hands to help her stand.
“Come, I want to hold you in my arms before the world catches up with us.”
Something flashed in his eyes. Worry. Zoe let him lead her to their bedroom, placing her arms around his waist. “What’s troubling you?”
“Can we just go to bed?”
