Made My Own Choices

"So how long is this drive?"

Nicholas reached over and took my hand to hold in his. "We're avoiding rush hour, so probably around an hour."

He wanted to be alone again today—just the two of us—to check out the house he found for us. So we were in a sedan because he didn't want me or the baby to be cramped in his favorite car.

It was the day after his meeting with Simon, and I wasn't quite sure how I felt about it all. Nicholas had gotten home late the night before, looking tired, but relieved. He had pulled me into his arms and told me everything that happened.

The problem was: nothing much had happened.

It should have been good news. It should have made us happy when Simon basically backed down immediately once Nicholas presented everything he had. That he didn't put up any fight and agreed to cut all ties with the Rowes.

As relieved as Nicholas seemed, I couldn't avoid feeling unsettled. It was all way too easy. Nicholas had been geared up for battle, but Simon waved the white flag at the first sign of trouble. I sighed and squeezed his hand, wishing I could let it go and not worry about it anymore.

"What are you thinking about?"

I glanced over at him, his profile perfect as he raced down the highway. "It's just difficult to believe it's all over. It doesn't make sense to me. Why try pushing you and Rosemary together for so long and then give up so easily?"

"I don't know if I'd label it easy. He knows I have him right where I want him. He's not stupid."

Yes, Nicholas had worked hard to get every single bit of dirt on Simon he could find. And he found a lot. Bribery, blackmail, possibly embezzlement... Mr. Hewitt had been quite the bad boy. But even with all that, plus everything Nicholas had on Rosemary, it was still hard for me to believe he backed off so quickly.

"I didn't say he was stupid. But what was the point? Why did he go to all the trouble? Why hire Hector to try and break us up?"

His lips formed a thin line. "I asked him why, and he said why not? He's a dick and was trying to play God. I guess it was like a game to him. To see how much he could control. He said at first he wanted me and Rosemary together because he thought I'd keep her in line. That I was a smart kid, unlike the losers she always seemed to end up with. Plus he'd have my dad under his thumb even more if we were family."

I cringed at the thought of them together.

"But his little princess didn't fall in line with his plans. At least not until a few years ago when he threatened to cut her off if she didn't get her shit together. That's about the time she decided she did want me, and Simon made it his mission to make it happen. The fact I'd made a fortune over the years was a bonus to him."

Money was probably his biggest motivating factor. Greedy asshole.

"Well, let's say Simon is telling the truth, that he won't bother any of us ever again, I doubt Rosemary will agree. I think she's psychotic."

He snorted. "Yeah, she's completely lost her shit. I don't know what happened or when. She used to be a good person." He broke off and shook his head. "Anyway, I told Simon to make sure she stayed away from you, me, and everyone, or I would leak her shit to the tabs."

"She doesn't seem to follow his orders very well," I grumbled. I wished this bad feeling I had would go away.

"Hey," he said after a couple of silent minutes. "Would you be okay with having Virgil with you until you finish this semester? I just want to be careful."

The fact that he was asking me and not telling me was an important step in our relationship. At least it was to me.

I smiled over at him. "Sure. There are only a couple of weeks left. I'm kind of used to him being my shadow now."

Our laughter at that lightened the mood in the car, and I pushed my worry back as far as I could. The scenery was very pretty as we headed up, and I grew more excited the closer we got.

"We're getting close," he said, glancing at the GPS device.

It was hard to see any of the mansions we passed along the way, most of them gated, set far back from the road, and obscured by trees. But the glimpses I did get didn't disappoint. Nicholas had a taste for only the best.

We pulled into a drive, and Nicholas entered a code for the gates to open. It was surprising for him to have that kind of access without a real estate agent or somebody as an escort, but I brushed it off.

"Oh..." The house had just come into view, and I could barely form words. It was beautiful. Entirely way too much. But absolutely stunning. I could see why Nicholas had chosen it.

We pulled around the drive to the columned front entry. The outside was a light-colored stone that was accented by white and black trim around the shutters. The style itself was very similar to the vacation house but on a slightly smaller scale.

I imagined it would cost a pretty penny to keep this thing heated in the winter.

"Hang on," he said when we stopped before I could make a move to open my door. He got out and ran around to my side to help me out, and I chuckled to myself. He probably would have put me in bubble wrap if he could, but it wasn't like it was raining or snowing out.

It was actually a relatively nice day for late fall, the air crisp and cold, the sun occasionally peeking through the clouds. I took his hand and only grunted a little getting out of my seat.

My belly seemed to get bigger every day.

"How many bedrooms?"

He closed the car door and took my arm, leading us to the front door. "Six.”

"Bathrooms?"

"Uh, seven I think."

I thought he would knock or ring the doorbell or something, but he took out a set of keys and unlocked the door. I narrowed my eyes at him, particularly when he immediately disabled the alarm after getting us inside.

Something very suspicious was happening. "Nicholas Rowe, did you already buy this house?"

He pulled me close in a hug, a half-smile on his face. "Hmm. If you don't like it, then no. It's just an investment. If you do like it, then yes."

How could I even respond to that? He was amazing and infuriating at the same time. He brushed my hair back and kissed up and down my neck, well aware of how to get his way in almost any situation.

"I think Harry will like it," he said, rubbing my belly.

I scrunched my nose and pulled away to shake my head at him. "Please tell me you don't want to call him Harry. I don't like that name. The other kids will tease him."

He threw his head back and laughed before calming down and sending me a grin. He threw every bad name he could and I had to wonder. Did he purchase a book of bad names while I wasn't looking?

He laughed again, pushing me backward until he had me pressed against the wall. I rather liked the kissing attack he laid on me. His lips were everywhere, his hands sliding up and down my body. When he started moaning, I knew we needed to stop before we began christening the rooms.

"You know, if you don't let me out of the entryway to see the house, we may never figure out if you actually bought it already or not."

He nipped that spot below my ear one last time before groaning. "Yes. Let's look around." He pulled away, licking his bottom lip. "But it would probably look even better if we were naked."

I just shook my head.

We inspected every room, each one better than the one before. He didn't even try to hide his smugness, knowing how much I loved it. It was perfect, just as he'd guessed. And just like that, he got his way. Like always.

.

The next couple of weeks went by in a blur. Not only did I finish up classes for the semester, but Nicholas had me picking and choosing everything from curtains to couches for our new house.

Clara was a lifesaver in that regard. She would come over several evenings during the week, helping me skim through magazines, websites, catalogs, and samples. Her suggestions were always spot on to me, and I would have just handed the reins over to her completely, but she insisted it was better that I made my own choices.