Opposite Attraction (23 page)

"
You 're upset that Curtis wasn 't the one who walked through your father 's office. "

It would figure she was that transparent to him.

"
I am sorry. I am glad you came for me, I truly am. "

"
I thought you 'd like to know you still have your job at the clinic. "

"
I do not deserve that. I walked away from my responsibilities. "

He was smiling at her. "You changed lives while you were there. Did you know Regina has been working steady? Her son has been in day care at the firm and I checked up on him. He 's a cute little guy. "

Tears began to well in her eyes. "That was your doing. "

"
No. Without you stepping in to help her she would have been home when that man of hers was released and probably would have been beaten again. You gave her a new start. You gave her hope. You gave her the chance to move on with her life. You, Simone, have a gift and Marsha knew that. Curtis made sure she knew. "

Her lips began to tremble. "Curtis made sure I still had my job? "

Zach nodded.

She found that hard to believe that Curtis would stand up for her at all. It only made the tears begin to fall. "What am I going to do, Zachary? "

"
You 've taken the first step. You 've managed to almost make it through your thirties and now have become an adult. "

She slapped his arm and laughed through the tears. "This is going to be the hardest thing I 've ever done. "

"
Aren 't you ready for that? "

She took a deep breath her tears begin to dry. "I am ready for that. I am very ready for that. "

"
Trust me, sweetie. " He took her hand in his and kissed it. "Regan and I are here for you. And I know for a fact we are not the only ones. "

As Zach drove down the street to her apartment Simone began to feel the same sense of pride and peace she 'd felt when she 'd left Paris on her quest to prove to Curtis Keller that she could be something other than a pretty face. Now there were no secrets. The swell of her stomach made that perfectly clear. The father of her child might not want to love her, but she was sure he 'd be a good father. What more could she ask?

Not only did she have her job and her home, the dearest friend she 'd ever had was seated next to her. She knew if he 'd have flown to Paris and spoken to her father as he had he 'd never leave her and her baby in need.

But Simone was also sure no one would ever have to assist her again. The moment she and Zach walked out of her father 's house she knew she 'd never be back. And if she did go back, things would be different. She would be a mother and her image of that relationship, between a parent and a child, would be different -even with her own parents.

She could do this. Her life was hers to live and she 'd never been so excited about the unknown ever in her life.

Zach pulled up in front of her apartment and parked the car.

"
Go on in. I 'll get your bags, " he said.

She gave him a nod and climbed out of the car.

The flight had been excruciatingly long. One thing was for sure, until after the baby was born, she wasn 't going to sit that long on an airplane again.

Slowly she walked up the front steps to her front door. She slid her key into the lock and then pushed it open. The apartment was quiet. Sam was at work, which meant she 'd have time to settle in.

Perhaps she 'd make him dinner. Or at least try to.

Simone walked down the small hall to her bedroom. The door was closed. She turned the knob and slowly opened it.

It was dark, the blinds were closed, but there was something not right.

She reached for the switch and turned on the light.

The room was empty.

Her bed was gone. The dresser, the TV, the chair -all gone. Simone stepped in further, even the closet was empty.

She heard movement in the hallway. Just as she turned to find1 Zach she saw Curtis standing in the doorway.

"
Welcome back. "

"
Curtis, " she said his voice rose in the panic. Then she turned back to her empty room. "All of my things… "

"
Are in my apartment. "

"
Excusez-moi?
Pourquoi voudriez-vous faire? "

Curtis took a step toward her and reached for her hands. "Whoa. You went home too long. I have no idea what you said. "

Simone pursed her lips and focused on his eyes. Those damn blue, compassionate eyes. "Why did you do that? "

He ran his thumb gently over her knuckles. "I missed you. "

"
You did? " Her voice went up in pitch. She couldn 't believe he was standing right before her.

He smiled and gave her a nod. "You look beautiful. "

Simone looked down at her dress that gave to her swollen stomach. "Oh, Curtis. " The tears were back. "I am sorry I did not tell you everything before. "

Curtis raised his hand and rested it on her cheek. "Do you have something you 'd like to tell me now? "

She looked down again and then back into those eyes that haunted her every thought. She rested her hands on her stomach. "I am pregnant with your baby. "

The corners of his mouth softened. "I always wanted to be a father. "

"
Curtis. "

"
I love you, Simone. "

The very words shook her to her core. "You do? "

He nodded and stepped to her until their bodies were pressed close. "I have loved you since we danced that first time. Do you remember that? "

His hand slid down her throat, over her shoulder, and down her arm until he captured her hand in his. With1 his other hand, he placed it on her hip and instinctively she raised her free hand to his chest.

Slowly he began to sway their bodies from side to side. The silent dance moved them closer together.

"
Why did you move all my things? "

"
Because I want you with me. I realized after you left that you shouldn 't be the only one experiencing your pregnancy. " He stopped the dance and gazed down at her. "I want to be a part of this. "

Curtis 's hands moved to the small mound of her stomach. When he touched her she felt the life inside of her jolt, he felt it too.

"
Don 't make me miss this, Simone. "

All she could do was stifle her joyful sobs.

Curtis 's hands came back to cradle her face. "Tell me I didn 't move all this furniture for no reason, and tell me you 'll live with me. "

She nodded.

"
Is that a yes? "

"
Oui
. I will live with you. " The sobs subsided and a laugh escaped.

"
Good, that bed is a pain in the ass to move. But not as hard as assembling a crib. "

She sucked in a breath and fell into his arms. "You have a crib? "

"
I want the woman I love and our baby at home with me, where they belong. "

"
I love you, Curtis. I am so sorry for everything. "

He brushed her hair away from her face. "Promise me you will never leave me again. "

"
I promise. "

"
And promise me that we will be a family. You, me, and our baby. "

She nodded in agreement.

"
And it 's up to you. We can get married now or wait until the baby is born. "

Her heart was pounding in her chest so rapidly that she put her hand there to hold it in. "Are you asking me to marry you? "

"
Very badly. But I want you to know it 's because I love you and not because of our baby. "

"
You love me? "

"
Yes. "

She pulled him in as tightly as she could. "Say it again. "

"
I love you, Simone. "

"
I love you too, Curtis, and it would be a dream come true to be a Keller, no matter when. "

There was a tapping on the door and they both looked up to see Zach standing in the doorway. "I take it this is all taken care of? "

"
Yes, thank you for going to get her. " He locked eyes with her. "She is my life. " He placed his hands on her stomach again. "They are my life. "

Simone held her breath. In that moment she knew any fantasy she 'd ever had of making him love her had come true.

Zach dropped her suitcases in the doorway. "You two owe me for years. "

He was gone before either of them noticed. "He 's a good man. "

She rested her head on his chest. "Yes he is. "

"
I 'm glad he brought you into my life, and then back to me. I was lost without you and have been since you disappeared off that yacht. "

Simone pulled back from him and looked down. "I have left everything to be here. My father disowned me and took his business away from Zach. My mother is horrified and embarrassed by me. I have nothing, Curtis. "

"
You 're wrong, Simone. " He brushed her cheek with his thumb. "You have everything right here in my arms. " He rested his hands on her stomach again and the warmth from his touch resonated through her entire body.

"
I thought it was a fairy tale, when opposites attract. "

He chuckled. "You mean when the prince comes for Cinderella? "

"
Something like that. "

"
Only you 're the prince and… "

She shook her head feverously. "No. No. " But the laughter broke free. "Okay, yes. Just like that. "

"
Fact of life, sweetheart. And trust me, this is more than attraction. This is forever. "

"
As in happily ever after? "

"
Nothing less. "

We hope you enjoyed

Bernadette Marie 's

Opposite Attraction

Please enjoy the first chapter of the next in

The Keller family series

Center Stage

Arianna pushed down on the suitcase and forced the zipper to close. The rest of her apartment was packed and ready for movers, but she 'd need all her clothes before her belongings arrived in Tennessee.

She looked around her small New York apartment. It had been a good home to her for the past decade. She 'd accomplished everything she 'd wanted. When she 'd moved there, it was to try her hand on the stages of Manhattan. She 'd played in some dives a1nd worked her way up to leads on Broadway. She 'd had a few commercials to her credit and had graced a few TV shows as an extra, but her love was still on stage. But now it was time to go home, back where her family was. Something would come together for her there; it always did.

Arianna looked at her watch. She had barely enough time to get to the airport. If there were any accidents, backing up traffic, she 'd miss her flight.

Her brother-in-law Zach had called and said her sister Regan had gone into labor with the couple 's second baby. She figured she 'd arrive just in time to get to hold the bundle of joy. Then in a few more weeks, her brother Curtis and his fiancée Simone would have their first child. She knew moving back to Tennessee was right, and getting to spoil new nieces and nephews was reason enough to be closer to home.

The flight had been miserable. Leaving New York in a January snowstorm always meant delays and aggravation. It was almost eight o 'clock at night by the time the flight landed two hours late. Carlos would be livid if he 'd been waiting at the airport the entire time.