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TWENTY-ONE
Melanie
I
woke up snuggled into Shane’s arms. We somehow ended up in his bed, but I couldn’t recall how. I traced his naked toned abs with my fingertips, inhaling his addictive scent as if my life depended on it. Intoxicated. That was how I felt. That was what my relationship with Shane looked like. We were intoxicated with lust, overdosing on the euphoric feeling we could get only from one another. Frankly speaking, he had me intoxicated from the moment I first laid eyes on him. And our relationship was mostly physical, with oh-so-good sex being an integral part of it. At first, I couldn’t say I loved Shane. I lusted him. Maybe because I wasn’t sure what love was. I was deprived of the feeling my whole life, so how could I know what it felt like? Until Shane showed me what it felt like. Until he gave me a taste of the most addictive feeling in the world. But to me, it wasn’tjusta feeling. To me, love was a mix of feelings. A sense of security, affection, and tenderness. Selflessness, because you put the needs of your loved one above yours, but also greediness because you can’t stop craving the presence of that one particular person. Sexual desire, attraction. All in one.Love. The feeling is so complex. So powerful people are ready to kill for love. Die for love. Now I could understand why. I’d die for him. I’d kill for him—Shane Vergoossen, my dangerous ride or die, and now the future father of my child.
I exhaled deeply, and suddenly the feeling of anxiety rushed through me. I bit my lower lip nervously as the events from the previous night flashed before my eyes.
You can’t be a blood donor, Miss Atwood. You’re pregnant.
The doctor’s voice kept echoing in my ears.
It’s still a very early stage. Did you know about it?
Of course, I didn’t. It was a shock for me. I felt dizzy and overwhelmed with the news. I played the past few weeks I'd spent with Shane in my mind again and again like a tape on repeat. We had spontaneous, unprotected sex many times, and there were chances I might have forgotten to take the pill. Pregnancy wasn’t something I planned, at least not so early in my life, and most definitely, not so early in my relationship with Shane.I didn’t even know if he wanted to have children or how he would react. I wanted to tell him the first thing after I left the doctor’s office, but my parents surprised me with their not-so-pleasant visit. And later… I freaked out. I wanted to wait a few days to make sure it was true. I needed a few days to get used to that thought and decide what I would do about it.
“Are you awake?” Shane growled as he turned his head to me. His heavy lids were still half-closed.
“Yeah,” I said softly, indulging in the warmth of his skin.
“What are you thinking about?” He bent his arm, caressing my hair with his fingers, and rested his head on top of mine.
“You.”
I didn’t see his face, but I could feel a smirk curling up his mouth. “I was thinking about you half of the night. I couldn’t fall asleep.”
I propped my elbow to look him in the eyes, frowning. “Why? What were you thinking about?”
Shane pulled up so that he was in a sitting position now before reaching out to his nightstand drawer. He looked down at the small velvet box he held in his hand and opened it slowly. I looked at the stunning diamond ring before casting my eyes upward, and our gazes locked. “This ring belonged to my mother. She left it for me before she…” Shane paused, inhaling deeply before continuing, his voice low and husky, so damn attractive. “She left it to me with a note. She said she wanted me to give that ring to the woman who would make my heart bloom like a rose, petal by petal. At first, I thought it was never going to happen. I thought love didn’t exist. Until I met you, Melanie. You’ve proved me wrong. You’ve proved everything I believed didn’t exist exists.” Shane took the ring out of the box and grabbed my hand. I felt my heart fluttering like crazy and butterflies dancing in my belly. A broad, genuine smile painted on my face as I looked into the eyes of the love of my life. “Marry me, Melanie.”
I shook my head yes, chuckling through tears of happiness. “I will marry you, Shane.”
A broad grin formed on Shane’s face, and he slowly slid the glimmering oval-shaped ring on my finger before he brought my hand to his lips and kissed it. “I want to spend my life with you,” he whispered, resting his forehead on mine. “I love you, Melanie. I have fallen in love with you, and there’s no turning back for me.”
“There’s no turning back for either of us.” I slid my hand at the back of his head, weaving my fingers through his hair. “Not at this stage. You’re mine, and I’m yours. Forever.”
Shane moved his hand to the back of my head, pulling me in for a kiss. He slid the other one on my waist, flipping my body so he was on top of me. In just a short moment, we were in a heated tangle, kissing hungrily, burning with untamed lust, drowning in wild desire.
AFTER AN INSANELYlovelymorning, Shane and I visited Callan at the hospital. We entered one of the VIP rooms for Vergoossens, where Shane had Callan placed as if he were one of the family members. That was one of the reasons why I fell in love with that man. Despite being a dangerous Mafia heir, he had a heart of gold. Shane once told me that it was the way Vergoossens were. Ruthless with their enemies, ready to die for their family. I thought I was lucky to soon be Mrs. Vergoossen.
I sat on the chair beside Shane and next to Callan’s bed. I didn’t want to interrupt their conversation. They talked about the events from the previous night. Callan recognized the shooter. He said it was a black-haired female with dark skin, hazel eyes, and a scar above her brow. As soon as Shane heard the description, he assumed that it was a woman called Angelina, and Callan confirmed. Apparently, she was a member of Ax’s gang, which I’d never heard of before, and they both suspected someone hired them because, as they stated, they wouldn’t go after the Vergoossens alone. I felt lost and nervous. I had no idea who they were talking about but it all filled me with horror. Unwittingly, I started twisting the engagement ring Shane had put on my finger just a few hours before. I didn’t have a chance to get used to it, and maybe that was why my thumb automatically rubbed the new piece, or maybe it was my body’s response to the anxiety. Most likely the latter. I hadn’t realized I was doing that until I caught Callan’s eyes gazing at the ring. In an instant, I let the ring be, and for a short second, our eyes locked. A weird shiver ran down the length of my spine as I could see some kind of regret written on Callan’s face.
My gaze dropped, and I cleared my throat. “Excuse me. I’m going to get myself a bottle of water. Do you want something?” I said, switching my eyes between Shane and Callan.
“I’ll go,” Shane stated. “You stay here.”
No, that’s not what I want!
“It’s okay, Shane,” I said, slightly embarrassed. “You have things to discuss, and I—”
“Babe.” Shane’s husky voice cut me off. He stood up and moved closer toward me, cupping my cheek with his hand. I fleetingly glanced at Callan, who looked away the second my gaze met his. “I don’t let my woman walk around the hospital with no proper security a day after a shooting at one of our parties. I’ll go. You stay,” he commanded, and I gave up. I knew Shane was a stubborn man who had to have things his way. I nodded, and he gently kissed my cheek. “I’ll be right back.”
I followed Shane with my gaze to the door. I felt uneasy being left alone in the room with Callan because he wasn’t just anyone. He wasn’t just Shane’s bodyguard or friend. He was someone from my past, and it felt wrong because I kept that a secret from Shane.
“Congratulations.” Callan eventually spoke, breaking in on the dreadful silence, his tone flat.
I turned to look at him. He sat on the hospital bed in a white, loose shirt and shorts. The jewelry from his piercings had been removed, probably because of the surgery. His dark-blue hair was a mess and his face held no trace of emotion. He didn’t resemble the eighteen-year-old boy I used to know.
