Chapter 154 Not Getting Any Younger
Byron paused right in the middle of unbuttoning her floral-patterened dress. “Uh… yeah. I thought we’d agreed we would have a baby once we were married.”
“But not right away!” Emily exclaimed, sitting up on the bed.
“I know, that’s why I didn’t suggest it on our wedding night,” Byron said smoothly.
“You were thinking about it on our wedding night?”
“Hey, excuse me for wanting to start a family.” Byron got up and went to the other side of the room, trying to remain casual as he snacked on some biscuits. “I didn’t know it was such a crime.”
“I’m sorry if I seemed a bit abrupt,” Emily said, “but it just came as a bit of a shock to me that you wanted to do it so soon.”
“I’m not getting any younger,” he said sullenly.
“You’re only thirty. Lots of people start having kids at an older age nowadays.”
“Okay, so when were you planning to have kids?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “At least not for another couple of years. I have so many things to do nowadays.”
Byron looked like he was about to leave the room, and she went to stop him by grabbing onto his hand.
“Byron, don’t be upset,” she said.
“I’m not,” he replied, “it’s just kind of a shock to me too. I guess I was expecting to do it sooner.”
“We can still do it,” Emily said, raising her eyebrows in a suggestive gesture.
“I meant having kids.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Come here…” She led him back to the bed, where they sat side by side. “Tell me, what’s so great about having kids anyhow?”
“For starters, they would look like you,” he began.
“I already look like me. Isn’t that enough?”
“Of course it’s enough.” Byron put his arm around her and squeezed her closer to him. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel that way. You’re everything I’ve ever dreamed of and more. Maybe that’s why I thought having a family with you would be even better.”
“How would it be better?” Emily pouted.
“There would be a cute kid who has the same beautiful laugh as you,” Byron said, stroking her cheek with his thumb and running his fingers through her long hair, which had taken on a more wavy texture due to the heat and humidity.
“I guess…” she said. “But that’s the thing, people love their kids so much. It’s almost like they forget their husband or wife is someone they love too. All they care about is making the kid happy.”
“That’s not going to be us,” Byron said sincerely. “I promise, I will always love you as much as I love you now, which is a hell of a lot. I can’t imagine loving anyone more than I love you.”
Emily felt much more reassured, but that didn’t mean she was totally ready for kids. “I like the way things are now,” she said, “Just the two of us together. I want to enjoy it.”
“All right,” Byron said softly, “if you’re not ready, I’m not going to rush you.”
“Thanks,” Emily said, “I was never one of those people who dreamed of having children from the age of five.”
Byron nodded. “I wasn’t either. But just imagine a boy or girl who looks like you riding around in a little toy fire truck…”
“We’re going to spoil them with a fire truck?” Emily asked, feigning shock.
“Why not?”
“I don’t want the kid to be a spoiled brat.”
“Okay then, imagine them in a fire truck they made themselves out of cardboard.”
Emily laughed heartily, tipping her head back. “Poor kid!”
She lay back on the bed and pulled Byron down into her embrace. “I guess it wouldn’t be so bad,” she said. “At least it would be funny when they fail to make anything that resembles a fire truck.”
“So your parenting style is laughing at your child as you watch them fail?” Byron said. “A little unusual, but I could work with that.”
“And in the meantime…” She kissed him fervently on the lips. “We could still do it… for recreation rather than procreation.”
“I’m into that,” Byron said, his voice taking on a low, rumbling quality.
“Well, since we’re both agreed…” She reclined slowly onto the bed, drawing him down with her. “Let the honeymoon begin.”
His kisses raised the level of hotness in the room at once, making her forget about any talk of babies. All she could focus on was the sexy man in her embrace.
