“I really wished I had the camera.” Skylar hugged her and she held her sister, allowing the news to sink in. “You’ve got to tell Damon and you can’t leave. I will get Richard to draft something up that says you’re here to stay.”
Teri laughed. “I don’t want to go anywhere.”
“Good. I don’t want you to go anywhere. I love you big, sis.”
They were still hugging as Skylar’s door rang.
“Did your men forget their keys?”
“Not likely.” Skylar stepped away from her. “I’ll be right back, and then we’ll get to work on sorting out a plan. You’re not alone and I don’t want you to feel like you’re alone. You’ve got all of us. We’re your family.”
Teri nodded.
The panic had begun to dissipate, and in its place came a sense of happiness. She was going to be a mother. For a long time, she had put motherhood out of her mind. It had become nothing more than a distant yearning to be had.
Now she was finally going to get her chance, only this felt bittersweet as Damon wasn’t here to share it with her.
“No, you cannot go up there, you fucking asshole,” Skylar said.
Teri frowned and was about to approach the door when Damon burst through it. He seemed to be panting, and the moment he saw her, he stopped. Skylar followed behind him, grabbing his arm.
“Just say the word, sis, and I will call the guys and they’ll come back and remove him.”
“I’m not going anywhere. Teri doesn’t want me to go anywhere,” Damon said.
“You’re presuming right now,” Skylar said.
He came back. That was all Teri thought as she looked at Damon.
“I’m not presuming anything. Teri is in love with me, and if I’m not mistaken, she’s very much pregnant right now, carrying my child. I know you are, because I wanted you to. At no point did I wear a condom. I didn’t want to, Teri. I know that makes me fucked-up right now, and our argument earlier was messed up. We shouldn’t be arguing, not at a time like this. Not when our futures are on the line.”
Teri’s mouth had gone dry.
“Tell me to kick his ass out,” Skylar said.
“Hear me out,” Damon said. “I promise you, if you don’t like what you hear, I’ll let myself out and I won’t bother you again.”
“It’s fine.” She looked toward her sister with a smile. “He wouldn’t ever hurt me. He’s harmless.”
“Damn straight I am. Especially when it comes to Teri, I won’t hurt her.”
“We’ll see. I won’t be too far,” Skylar said, leaving the room.
Silence fell between them.
“You wanted to get me pregnant?” Teri wasn’t going to allow them to linger on this. She had just found out she was pregnant. Her life had taken a dramatic turn, and walking away wasn’t an option.
“Yes. I came inside you, time and time again, hoping and praying you’d get pregnant. I wanted you to be, so fucking much.” He took a step toward her and another. She didn’t move away, watching as he advanced toward her until he was finally within touching distance.
Teri clenched her hands at her sides. She couldn’t move, nor did she want to.
Staring at him, she waited.
Damon cupped her face, and that was all it took for her to step into his waiting arms, to feel the world suddenly feel right, exactly how it was supposed to.
He tilted her head back. “Pixie told me about what he did to Suzie.”
“You took advice from Pixie?”
“I was desperate. I still am. I don’t want to sit back and no longer take you, Teri. I fucking love you. I’ve been in love with you for a long time. I’m not making any kind of excuse, but I … I didn’t know what to do. The life you talk about, the one with the cookies, the kids, football practice, ballet, and a station wagon, we’ve got the same dreams. I want what you do. We’re on the same page.”
Teri gasped as Damon lowered himself to one knee, and what further surprised her was the velvet square box he held up in offering.
“I want to spend the rest of my life with you. To love you, to hold you, to be with you through the good times and the bad. To always want to be with you. You’re the only woman for me, Teri. The only person I see spending the rest of my life with. Don’t leave me. Please, don’t take that job. I will do anything to keep you with me. Tell me what to do.”
She didn’t know if it was the most romantic proposal on the face of the earth, but to Teri, it was damn perfect.
She sank to her knees, cupping his face and staring into his eyes. “Don’t ever change. Love me forever. That’s all I want.”