Chapter19.

"Yum yum" Little Sapphire smacked her lips together in obvious delight.
Isabella had seen a recipe of baby custard pudding in YouTube and she tried it.
Sapphire absolutely loved it.
"Horsiee" Sapphire said forwarding her favourite horse soft toy forward to be fed.
Isabella played along, acting as if she was feeding the toy.
Sapphire grinned.
"What are my beautiful girls doing?" They both looked up to see Benjamin walking in with a huge smile on his face.
"Benjiiii" Sapphire squealed happily as she slapped her hands on her high chair in delight.
Benjamin brought a package forward and Sapphire unpacked it in second.
Another squeal followed seeing a new toy.
"A cow?" Isabella asked amused. She has never seen a soft toy in cow form.
"I have never seen one before. And I thought this could give company to Horsiee. But we won't be calling it cowwie" Benjamin said
"Moo Moo" Sapphire tried to imitate the sound of a cow and collided the faces of both the cow and the horse.
"Moo Moo sounds pretty good" Benjamin said and Sapphire forwarded the new toy towards Isabella to be fed.
It has been a week since the visit from Lillian, and thankfully Sapphire was not around to witness the ugly nature of her paternal grandmother.
"Is that custard?" Benjamin asked sniffing
"Yes." Isabella said and forwarded a spoonful of custard for Ben, who happily had it.
"Yum yum?" Sapphire asked looking at Benjamin
"Yes young lady. It is yummy" Benjamin said flicking Sapphire's nose playfully.
"Why don't you go have a shower. I will have your tea ready by then" Isabella said.
"I was thinking about teaching Sapphire swimming. Why don't we start today?" Benjamin asked
"Swimming? She is only two" Isabella said in horror.
"So what? The earlier she is taught, the faster she will learn." Benjamin said
"Oh. I didn't knew. Sandro fratellons knows swimming. I never learned" Isabella said with a pout.
"Ah! Maybe I should teach you also" Benjamin said with a naughty grin making Isabella blush.
"Let's focus on teaching Sapphire swimming" Isabella said wiping Sapphire's mouth with a washcloth.
"That's right. I will teach you swimming when we are alone" Benjamin whispered leaning close to Isabella and pressed a seductive kiss on her cheeks.
Isabella's eyes widened and she pushed him away as she saw Sapphire clapping her hands looking at them.
"Benjii kissiee" Sapphire squealed and leaned towards Isabella and pressed a kiss on her cheeks imitating Benjamin.
Isabella glared at a cheeky Benjamin.
****
Sapphire looked absolutely adorable. She was wearing her little swimsuit and the inflatable armbands which Benjamin had bought on the way home.
Sapphire's squeals and giggles echoed through the poolside area as she happily splashed around in water.
"Okay. That's enough for the day Ben. Get her out of the water" Elizabeth said coming to poolside.
Sapphire protested loudly, refusing to get out of the pool.
Elizabeth wrapped the wiggling toddler in a dry towel.
"I will take her Mom" Isabella said coming towards her mother in law
"I will put her to sleep, Izzy. She is fading. You guys have exhausted her and she will sleep through the night" Elizabeth said with a smile and left the poolside, leaving the couple some privacy.
"Aren't you getting out of the water?" Isabella asked
"Yeah. Pass me the towel" Benjamin asked
Isabella forwarded the dry towel and Benjamin held her wrist and pulled her into the pool.
"Aaa. Help help" Isabella cried waving her hands and splashing water around with her eyes closed tightly.
Benjamin folded his arms on his chest and looked at her.
"Are you done?" Isabella opened her eyes and saw her husband looking at her amused.
She looked down at the water and realised that she hadn't drowned.
"Uh oh"
"It's the shallow end of the pool Bella."
"Do we really need to do this now?" Isabella asked
"Swimming is a life saving skill Bella. It's always helpful to learn swimming" Benjamin said.
"How am I going to float in water? I don't know how to?"
"I don't expect you to float in water on the first day, Bella" Benjamin said rolling his eyes
"So what am I going to do today?"
"I'm going to teach you the basics. Now listen carefully."
"Okay"
"Inhale deeply" Benjamin said and Isabella took in a deep breath.
"Now place your face in water and exhale for five seconds" Benjamin said
"But I already exhaled" Isabella said
"Inhale deeply and place your face in water and exhale right after that" Benjamin said
Isabella inhaled deeply and placed her face in the water and exhaled.
She came out coughing and spluttering water.
Benjamin patted her head trying to soothe her.
"Bella, did you inhale while inside the pool?" Benjamin asked in disbelief
"I didn't mean to. It just happened" Isabella cried
"How can it happen? Isn't it common sense? Arrey, it's a subconscious thing, that you never inhale when you are in water. How did you manage to do that?" Benjamin asked in confusion
Isabella pushed him angrily.
"I don't want to learn swimming. Not from you anyway" Isabella said furiously and waded through the water towards the edge of the pool.
Benjamin was quick to grab her hands and pull her back.
"Aww. Baby got angry?" Benjamin teased
"Let me go"
"It's red" he said flicking her nose playfully
Isabella pushed him and he pulled her closer.
"You are gorgeous" he said huskily
"What are you doing?" Isabella's voice came out as a whisper
"I'm trying to romance my wife"
"Someone will come"
"No one will come. I regret telling you that everything will go according to your pace. You move at a snail's pace Bella and I'm turning into an impatient man" Benjamin said and heat spread across Isabella's cheeks.
"Leave me Benjamin"
"Tell me with more conviction. I might leave you then"
"Benjamin"
"How much more time will you need Bella?" Benjamin asked trying hard to control his raging hormones.
He had been surviving on cold showers for a while now.
Isabella blushed hard.
"What is the meaning of this blush Bella? Does it means you are ready or does it means you are still shy?" Benjamin asked caressing her cheeks with his thumbs.
Isabella hugged him tightly
"You are everything I never thought I wanted, Benjamin. You mean the world to me" Isabella whispered into the crook of his neck.
That was all Benjamin needed to hear.
He pulled away from her lightly and looked into her eyes.
"And you, Isabella Lockwood, are my world" he said and pressed his lips on hers with all the love in his heart.
Slowly, gently he moved his lips over hers. He nipped at her bottom lip gently, then ran his tongue over it back and forth, relishing her soft warmth and the sweet heat.
She gasped and he half expected her to draw back, but she didn't. She pressed her lips more firmly to his, moved them against his just as slowly as he had, and then with alarming seductiveness her tongue traced the line of his bottom lip.
His insides turned to molten fire.
He pulled back, his breathing ragged.
He saw her looking at him with wide eyed wonder.
"Oh my" she breathed out and Benjamin grinned.
"For the first time, that was one hell of a kiss" Benjamin said and folded her into his arms, cocooning her with his body.
****
"That's great news Gabriel" Benjamin told Gabriel through phone.
Gabriel had called to inform that the final verdict of their case will be in their favor tomorrow.
"Keep Lillian away Benjamin . The woman might try something" Gabriel said
"I will handle it uncle. Don't worry" Benjamin said and hung up the call.
"Benjamin? One Mrs Lillian Thompson is here to meet you" Claire said coming inside his cabin.
"Tell her I'm not here" Benjamin said dismissively.
A few minutes later, Benjamin frowned as he heard the demanding knock on the door of his cabin.
"Benjamin, I know you're in there."
His frown deepened as Lillian walked in, with a frantic Claire trying to stop her.
"Claire. It's okay. I will manage" Benjamin said and Claire left
"I've been thinking…about Sapphire", she told him coolly.
Benjamin simply raised an eyebrow.
"She is my granddaughter and that means the world to me, but I can see the situation from your point of view. Eleanor was the closest you had of a sibling and now that she is dead…" She gave a small shrug. "I can make things easy for you, Benjamin , or I can make them difficult."
He watched her, without saying anything, but then there was no need for him to do so; he had already guessed the real purpose of her visit to the office.
"If you could, for instance, see your way to…putting a certain sum of money at my disposal, I am sure we can come to some mutually beneficial agreement over Sapphire's future. I am thinking in terms of, say…" She paused and gave another small shrug.
"Well, let us say, for instance, three million dollars. That is hardly anything to you, Benjamin. You are a very, very wealthy man"
"You want to sell me your granddaughter, is that what you are saying?" Benjamin asked coldly
"How dare you say that. I lost my son because of your ill omened sister. She killed my son" Lillian screamed
"No, if anyone killed both of them it was you, Lillian. You were the one who destroyed their marriage with your greed, and your soulless craving for money. History repeats itself, doesn't it? And now you want to sell Sapphire to me. Three million dollars, you say"
Slowly Benjamin shook his head. He was tempted to give in and pay her, but he knew that if he did the matter wouldn't end there. Lillian would come back wanting more money and then more.
Benjamin didn't trust Lillian at all. He disliked her and he knew that she felt exactly the same way about him and that if she thought she could hurt or damage him in any way at all she would try to do so.
Even if that meant damaging her own granddaughter.
She was starting to scream at him, telling him that she would make him pay for not acceding to her demands, that if he had really cared about Sapphire, really wanted her, he would have been glad to pay her.
It was half an hour before she finally realised that he was not going to give in and left, hurling insults and threats at him as she did so.
****
As Benjamin reached home that evening, he found Isabella and Sapphire sitting on a comfortable chair in the rose garden, cuddled together.
He smiled as he saw his personal haven. His beautiful girls.
He went straight to them and sat next to them, wounded his arms around Isabella's shoulder and pulled them into his arms.
"Benjii" Sapphire squealed in happiness.
Benjamin leaned down and brushed his nose against little Sapphire's making the toddler break out into peals of laughter.
"More more" Sapphire demanded and Benjamin happily obliged.
Isabella smiled watching their bond.
"Freshen up and come Benjamin. I will get you tea" Isabella said
"No. What I need now is YOU" Benjamin said and placed his head on Isabella's shoulder.
"Tough day??" Isabella asked
"Very"
"Then maybe what you need is good head massage and a warm bath" Isabella said
"I'm tempted" Benjamin said
"Then come on" Isabella said
***
"Where is Sapphire?" Benjamin asked as he saw Isabella walking inside the room with a small cup in her hand.
"With Dad" Isabella said and then sat on the bed, Indian style.
"What's that?" Benjamin asked
"Hot oil. Now, sit on the floor"
Benjamin obliged and sat on the floor with Isabella behind him, on the bed.
Isabella ran her fingers through his hair.
"Mmmmm. That feels good" Benjamin mumbled as he leaned more into her hands.
Isabella poured the oil in her hands and rubbed them together before running her fingers through his hair again.
Benjamin moaned in relief as he felt his muscles relax.
"You have magic in your hands Bella" Benjamin said making Isabella laugh.
"So? What happened in the office?" Isabella asked and Benjamin told her in detail about the woman's visit.
"Lillian. That woman is pure evil" Isabella said making Benjamin laugh.
"I know. But nothing to worry. She will be out of our life for good after tomorrow's hearing" Benjamin said
"Tomorrow is the final hearing right?" Isabella asked
"Yes. And Gabriel said that the case will be in our favor. Mrs Fort submitted her report in our favor. So there is nothing more to worry about" Benjamin said
"That is good to know" Isabella said with a sigh.
"And once the case is over, we are going for our much needed honeymoon" Benjamin said cheekily making Isabella blush.
"Can we go to Bora Bors Benjamin?" Isabella asked
"Bora Bora? No way. We are going to some high range place" Benjamin said
"But I want to go to some coastal areas. They have more activities, like water games and all. In high range places, we only go for sightseeing. That is kind of boring" Isabella said
"Who said anything about sightseeing. We won't be getting out of our suite Mrs Isabella Benjamin Lockwood" Benjamin said and pulled her into his lap.
Isabella gasped at the sudden move.
"What??"
"I'm going to have my way with you darling. And you won't be having the energy to go sightseeing" Benjamin said leaning in for a kiss.
"You have become so shameless, Benjamin" Isabella complained softly.
"Me? I didn't start my shameless acts yet darling" Benjamin said and pulled her into a long deep kiss.
****