As Many As You Will Give Me

"Do you think they're working together?" Francis asked, finally chiming in.

Nicholas shook his head. "No, I don't think so. As far as I know, they no longer communicate. Their whole affair and sham marriage were done out of spite. I think they're both acting now because I'm happy with Willow."

Everyone was silent for a few minutes, digesting all the information. I turned my head to give him a small kiss.

Courtney broke the silence first. "But what now? When Hector realizes his plan didn't work, he may become even more desperate for revenge. What if he continues following you, Willow? I don't like the thought of you by yourself... with the baby." Her voice broke a little. "I mean, don't get me wrong. I think you can kick some ass, but maybe you should carry a weapon or something. I don't know."

I gave her an understanding smile and Nicholas cleared his throat. "She won't be by herself. Virgil is going to be her new best friend."

I shook my head. We were still debating this scenario. He had decided Virgil's new job was to be my babysitter. I wasn't quite sure how I felt about it, even though Nicholas was adamant.

"Why not take a restraining order out on the psycho?" Lory suggested.

"That is an option we are considering too," I told her. Although we were suspicious of Benson at the moment and were thinking of going to another lawyer to discuss different paths we could take to ensure Hector stayed away from me.

After a few more rounds of questions, I was so tired I practically fell asleep on Nicholas' lap.

"We can talk more tomorrow, but I'm taking her up to bed," he said, helping me up.

After changing and falling into bed, I reminded Nicholas about his promise. I had definitely reserved enough energy for the special fingers.

.

Saturday we spent exploring and shopping in the main part of town. It was old-fashioned, yet obviously catered to the wealthy. I spent a small fortune on trinkets and souvenirs that would likely end up just catching dust.

But we had a great time all together. We stopped in a crowded bistro for lunch and fresh seafood.

When we returned to the house, we spent the rest of the day on the beach. The guys splashed around in the water for a few minutes but decided it was too cold. Courtney, Lory, and I stayed in the sun on the sand and made fun of them.

Nicholas started a fire as night settled in and we sat around the flames on blankets and bundled in sweaters. The other four went inside eventually, but I was enjoying my time wrapped in Nicholas' arms, with the sound of the surf competing with the crackling of the fire.

I was sitting between his legs, my back pressed to his chest. Every so often, I would feel his lips press against my hair, my cheek, and my neck. Each time made me nestle further back into him.

It was perfect.

I was almost sad we were leaving the next day.

"Are you glad we came?" he asked.

"Yes. I was just thinking how perfect this weekend has been."

His fingers tangled with mine as he rested his chin on my shoulder. "We can come back anytime you want."

"With all our kids?" I teased.

He laughed, shaking the both of us. "As many as you'll give me."

"How many do you want?"

"I don't know. Two? Three? Four?" He nibbled on my earlobe, his warm breath on my skin making me shiver. "How many do you want?"

"I like that range you gave." I didn't want to be a baby factory, but I liked the idea of a large family.

We sat there in silence for a few minutes, but it wasn't awkward. It was peaceful. "How many different homes do you have?"

He chuckled. "I guess we haven't really discussed all the financials, have we? That's something we need to do. If anything ever happened to me, it would all go to you."

I twisted around and stared at him, my stomach dropping at his words. "Don't say things like that."

"I'm only saying that you and our children would always be taken care of, no matter what."

Tears sprung from my eyes again. The thought of not having Nicholas was too much to bear. "Stop saying that!"

He frowned and brushed under my eyes with his thumb. "I'm sorry, baby. I didn't mean to upset you."

I turned my back to him again and took a deep breath. How could I make him understand?

"Nicholas, I gave you my heart. I didn't want to, but it happened. I never wanted to love anyone again. I almost felt like I was cursed as a child because those I loved were always taken from me." I tried to swallow my tears and be strong. "But now you have my whole heart and if anything happened to you... it would end me too. Don't you get it? Don't you understand what I meant when I said I was frantic looking for you the other day or how crushed I was when you told me to leave you?"

"I'm sorry," he said softly, hugging me tightly.

"I don't want you to be sorry, I want you to tell me you'll never leave me."

I didn't care that I was asking him for something impossible. The alternative wasn't something I could accept at the moment.

"I can only promise that I don't plan to go anywhere. Wherever you are is where I'll be. I love you."

"I love you, too."

We sat there wrapped up with each other until the fire died down, knowing our love was all we could be assured of and control right now. Any other promises were just tempting fate.

.

"Aren't you bored?"

He looked around the quad, his eyes always peeled for trouble. I would have rolled mine, but he took it all so seriously.

It had been two weeks of Virgil being my constant shadow.

Two weeks of nothing new happening. No letters, no stalkers, no threats. Two weeks of no sex.

When we had gotten home from birthday weekend, Nicholas had given me two choices: have Virgil by my side or drop out of classes. Although I knew it came from a place of concern, it pissed me off that he gave me such an ultimatum.

We had our first real fight... at least one where we were both angry and shouting at each other. I knew he was worried, but I didn't like him telling me what I was going to do. Unless it was in the bedroom.

Bedroom. Bed. Sex.

I was losing my mind. I was the one denying him, but it felt like I was the one being punished. And it wasn't like I wanted to purposely use sex as a weapon. It wasn't that at all. Well, maybe a little. But I hated the thought of that. It was more my anger at his actions that made me not want to be with him that way.

At first.

Now my anger, mixed with my hormones, made me want to straddle him every second of every day. I was just waiting on him to concede a little tiny bit that he was wrong in forcing my hand. It was frustrating that he couldn't understand my side of things. He thought he was right, and to him, that meant the end of the discussion.

Thus I had every right to leave him cold in return.

Unfortunately, my subconscious didn't agree with me. We fell asleep every night, each of us on our own side of the bed, but woke up every morning tangled together in the middle.

With Cocky Junior poking all different parts of my body.

That made it even more difficult for me to keep my hands off. Plus, with the pregnancy, I had never been so horny before. My body craved sex just from the thought of Nicholas inside me.

But I had to prove a point. It was the principle of the matter. I didn't want to be a doormat, and Nicholas needed to learn not to treat me like a child. Even if I acted like one at times.

I wanted to protect our baby as much as he did, but I wanted my input to be heard in the decision-making. He didn't have the right to control everything.

"No, I'm not bored," Virgil answered, breaking me out of my thoughts.

I sighed and tilted my face up, enjoying the sunlight during my break between classes. Fall had arrived just in time for October. The air was crisp, but it was perfect sweater and jeans weather.

"How's the studying going?"

I turned back toward him and shrugged. "Okay, I guess."