Page 108 of Santa's Baby
I fire off a simplenoto Orla before my phone is abandoned at the table. I’ve no time left for the Agency, or the politics, or the intricacies of Tiffany’s official verdict. I’m far too concerned with making a baby with my baby.
I finally shut my past behind me, and soak in the wonder of Tiffany.JustTiffany. No Creamgirl left in sight.
“One last thing…” I reach into my suit jacket pocket and pull out what’s left of the snow globe, just Santa, on his sleigh seat, with the naked chubby girl bouncing on his lap. “It really could be us,” I say, “our worlds we knew have been shattered, yet here we are, still together.”
“Wow,” Tiff says as she takes it from me. “I guess we have ourselves a perfect tree topper.”
I chuckle. “Good idea. We need a tree first, though.”
“Come on, Reuben,” she says, grabbing my hand. “Let’s get upstairs and make my big belly a bit bigger, as soon as we fucking can. The tree can wait.”
28
TIFFANY
Ican’t wait to get up to Reuben’s bedroom. It’s like a consummation. Something that feels almost sacred.
I want to make love to him.
Truly make love to the man I love.
I grip his hand in mine as I lead us upstairs. It’s going to be a wild ride from this day forward, in the best of ways – I’m going to make sure of it.
I never thought I’d be in a position where Kian would pale into insignificance, but the gorgeous Reuben Sinclair has risen my soul to a whole new level.Thisis a man who knows what love is. I see it in his eyes, I know it from his smile, and I feel it in his touch as he pulls me close when we cross the threshold.
Fuck, how my mushy heart is racing as he brushes a thumb across my cheek.
“I didn’t know what dreams I’d been missing, until I found you.”
I still can’t believe he’s resigned from the Agency, abandoning such a treasure trove for a girl like me. He sees more in me than Kian ever did, and it’s become so obvious now. The guy I thought was my soulmate didn’t know my soul at all. Not like Reuben does.
“I guess this is monogamy, then?” I smile up at my former boss. “Wild, isn’t it? How things pan out.”
“Extraordinary. Just like you.” He brushes my hair from my shoulder and plants a gentle kiss on my neck. “I need you, Tiff. I need our future.”
“So do I.” I look up into his eyes. “I lied about not being a mummy with kids girl, by the way. I just gave up on the idea long ago.”
“For the sake of Creamgirl?”
I shake my head. “Nah. Creamgirl was the thing that kept me going. Throwing myself into my happy place of sex without strings just kept the pain at bay.”
“What pain were you running from?”
I’m so hot and horny for my new love that it seems a bizarre time to be baring the hurt of my past, but it feels so natural. For once, I feel utterly secure.Done and safehas a whole new meaning. Not just in relation to Kian, but in relation to the rest of my early life. My own family didn’t really give a toss. Mum was always arguing with my stepdad, who hated me from day one. My older brother never bothered with me, just called me a weird bitch whenever we crossed paths and pushed me aside.
Then there was Josh who became my family. My first taste of something unconditional.
Until I met Kian and figured I’d found the one.
“I had one serious partner a few years ago,” I tell Reuben. “It was turbulent, but I loved him. I thought that was my one shot. Figured I’d lost it.”
“I understand that. Taking off my wedding ring felt as though fate was leaving me in the dirt.” He kisses my temple. “Did you have your future all mapped out in your mind? I know I did when I got down on one knee to Jeanette.”
“Yep. To every last detail. I even knew what colour walls I wanted in our dream home living room.” I shimmy out of myelf dress and tights, and he unclips my bra. “I knew what car I wanted. I knew what style of wedding dress I would wear. I knew what we were going to call our kids.”
For once, the memory doesn’t feel so bad.
“What were you going to call your children?”