Handcuffed Billionaire

22. Calm before the storm

22. Calm before the storm

2 months later
Natalía
"Marc!" I giggled uncontrollably. "Stop." I was finding it hard to breathe. "Stop. Okay, okay I give."
"Say it."
"No."
"Say it or I'll start tickling you again." I faked a glare at him. "You wouldn't."
"I would."
"Why?"
"Because I want to hear you say it to my face when I'm awake and not when I'm asleep."
"Fine." I took a deep breath. This was already hard for me to say, and he was forcing me to say it out loud, when he was actually conscious. "Marc Avery Paxton..."
"Yes?" He answered in the sweetest voice I've ever heard. "I...I..." I sighed deeply again before finally spitting it out. "I like you Marc Avery Paxton." His face broke into a huge smile. "Are you that happy?"
"You have no idea. There are only three things I want from you Natalía, and I'd be a really happy man."
"What three things?"
"You'll know in due time. I've already gotten one."
"What things? Tell me." I jumped on him and started tickling him. "I'm not ticklish honey." He laughed and switched things around. He tickled me until I was crying for him to stop as water leaked from my eyes. It was one of those mornings that you couldn't help smiling about later. "Okay I quit. You are the master of tickling. What do you want for breakfast?" I hated cooking, but I did enjoy taking care of my man, so I had to compromise somewhere. I headed to the kitchen and started preparing our breakfast.

"Marc. Answer the phone." The stupid thing wouldn't stop ringing. He appeared from wherever he was with cell phone in hand. "It's yours. Want to explain to me why your ex husband is calling you so damn early?"
"Don't start, Marc. Just answer it." He did, and put it to my ear.

"We have a problem," Antonio said. Whenever he used that voice I knew it was serious. I signaled for Marc to take over preparing our food and took the phone from him switching to rapid Italian. "Go ahead."
"I just got a call from his lawyers."
"About what?"
"Andrea."
"What about her?" I had to be careful with my words because I knew Marc understood Italian even if he didn't want to acknowledge it. "She applied for early release."
"Why? It's not time yet. What's the reason?"
"She's pregnant." Silence. "Natalía?" More silence. "Natalía!" I glanced at Marc while Antonio screamed my name continuously over the phone. "How long?" I didn't have to say the exact words for him to know what I meant. "Three months give or take a week or two."
"Okay I understand."
"Do you want me to take care of it?" By take care of it I knew what he meant. "No, it doesn't matter anyway."
"Natalía."
"Sign the papers Antonio. There's not much she can do anyway." I hung up, not wanting to continue the conversation any longer. The question neither of us asked was a very important one, and one that could only be determined after six months; whose baby is it?

"So what did he want?" I remained quiet. If I was to broach the topic now things would not end well. I needed time to cool off. So I walked away and locked myself in the bedroom. "Natalía." He pounded on the door. "Open the door and talk to me." Frankly I did not want to talk to him right now. I needed time to get back to the level headed Natalía, because all I wanted to do right now was scream at him. "At least eat the food you were preparing." Nice try. I knew if I opened the door he would seize the opportunity to get answers from me. Therefore, I kept quiet. Living with a person for two months allowed you to pick up on some of their do's and don't's. Marc knew that when I was like this he shouldn't bother me, and so he got ready for work as usual. Since I was locked in the bedroom it was difficult for him to get clothes. Even though I was upset I was still rational. When I was sure he got in the shower I gathered everything I knew he would need and placed them outside the bedroom where I knew he wouldn't miss them.

He came to tell me goodbye when he was leaving for work, but of course I didn't answer and he sighed heavily before walking away.

I brimmed with anger the entire day. No matter how much I tried to rationalize it, I was still pissed. Getting another woman pregnant I could handle, getting Andrea pregnant just made me want to throw up. I hated the bitch although I've never said it. Of course there isn't any certainty that it's his, but if she says it is there was nothing we could do but believe her until we could prove otherwise.