Four years later

Lightning. Eruptions of thunder sounding through the room, following each flash of light that penetrated the night sky. Heavy droplets of rain drummed against windows of Carmen's home. The curtains were drawn, windows sealed shut, but the fury of the storm still filled the room, much to her dismay.

Carmen had detested thunder storms since she was a child. One of her few inexplicable fears, siding with heights and snakes. It was times like these, where Carmen experienced typical yet overwhelming emotions, that she had to remind herself it was okay to feel things outside of her comfort zone. Even after all these years, she was still a work in progress when it came to accepting the aspects of herself that simply made her human.

She knew he would be awake within a matter of minutes. Sighing out of exhaust and irritation, she grabbed the silk robe that was draped over the chair, and sat up in the bed while putting it on. Her hand subconsciously grazed over her bare stomach, protectively almost, before her fingers latched around the fabric belt and tied it around her waist.

Carmen's eyes glanced at the clock on her bedside table.

12:45

Her dark eyes rolled high to the ceiling. Of course tonight of all nights was the night he decided to stay out late and refuse to answer his phone. Perhaps it was the hormones, but she planned to show him just how exasperated she was the second he walked through the door.

Deep down, however, she was actually more hurt and disappointed than angry; tonight was supposed to have been celebratory. She was supposed to have made dinner for all three of them, maybe even find some fancy recipe online just for the occasion, and then after dessert she would have shared the news with him. Carmen had been looking forward to the look of shock on his face, and then of course his grin.

But instead here she was, sauntering down the long dark hallway alone. Her hips were slightly wider than they used to be, with a bit of extra meat clinging to them, but she swayed them as she walked with just as much seduction as when she was in her early twenties. Her gait was less provocative, though, and her face was softened by wisdom; the past four years had done her well, and with her twenty sixth birthday coming up, Carmen had never felt more content with herself.

Soft whimpering could be heard from the other side of the door as she stopped in front of a room at the end of the hall. It was almost droned out by the clashes of thunder, but Carmen could still hear it, and it made her heart ache. He must've been so scared, waking up to the loud storm outside, alone in his pitch black room and the small bed that he was still getting used to.

She wrapped her hand around the door knob and quietly opened the door, stepping into the dark room.

"Hayden?" she whispered, not wanting her voice to startle him. Her hand reached over to blindly pat the wall, until she felt the light switch and flicked it on. Light flooded the room, and she could now see the small bed against the wall, where a visible mass was hidden under the blanket.

Carmen ambled toward the bed. Kneeling beside it, she carefully grasped the blanket and pulled it back, revealing a head of curly golden hair. Emerald eyes flickered towards her, fear mixed in with the hues of green.

"Mommy," the small boy, aged three, reached his hand out to her, needy of his mother's comfort. Carmen kissed the small palm of his hand before getting into the bed beside him.

"Come here, monkey," she smiled and enveloped the child in her arms. He buried his face into the fabric of her robe, his little hands fisting the silk. Another bang of thunder filled the room, and Hayden whimpered in fright, clinging to Carmen.

"Sh, love," she coaxed to him, her fingers probing through his hair. It was getting long, she noted, so much so that it curled behind his ears. She would have to cut it for him soon.

"There's nothing to be afraid of," Carmen muttered to her son, who had refused to let go of her, his eyes screwed shut. She gently rocked him back and forth, and tried not to jump in fear herself whenever there was a flash of lightning. She needed to be strong for him. "It's just a strom, sweetheart. It will be over by morning."

There was a beat of silence before the next roar of thunder, and then Hayden's head tilted up to look at his mother. "Where's daddy?" he asked, voice hushed and words lisped. Carmen's previous irritation returned at the mention of his father, a scowl taking over her features.

"He's out," she huffed and tucked her dark hair behind her ear. "Playing poker probably."

Carmen watched with pain as the small boy's face fell sadly. She knew that he looked up to his father, and found more security in him than he did in her,  which only hurt her more. With each bolt of thunder and lightning that passed, Carmen found that she herself wished a pair of warm arms were wrapped around her, protecting her, shielding her from the merciless storm outside the walls of their home.

She cooed soft things in Hayden's ear to calm him, and herself. Her hand trailed up and down his back, rubbing it soothingly, but the boy's eyes were still wide like saucers, much to her dismay. She was hoping he would eventually fall asleep in her arms, but she came to realize that wouldn't happen unless the rain and thunder were to stop, or if his father was there.

Another loud bang sounded, but this time it wasn't the thunder. It was the front door slamming shut, followed by the sound of footsteps as they thudded down the hall. Carmen pursed her lips, ready for the argument to come, but the second the door to Hayden's room creaked open, her anger dissipated into the air, and she struggled to retain it.

"Hey," a raspy voice spoke. His hair was matted down by the water, clumped strands sticking to his face. His hand ruffled through the wet locks, messing it up even more so his rugged aura was exaggerated. Carmen's lips parted as she watched him; he was truly the most beautiful man, which it impossible to stay angry at him.

Carmen's tongue glided over her bottom lip as she eyed him, her hand still stroking her son's hair. "Where have you been? It's nearly one." She tried her best to sound angry, but alas, she failed. Her hormones must have been acting up again, because all she could think about now was how sensual he looked with drops of rainwater trailing down his tan, thick arms...

"I was playing a few rounds of poker, baby. I'm sorry..." His tucked his lip under his teeth and stepped closer to the bed. "You were the one who insisted I go out and have 'guy time', remember?"

"Yes, I know," she clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth just as the boy clinging to her lifted his head, a smile greeting his face as his eyes met those of his father's.

"Daddy!" he shrieked happily, arms reaching out to him.

Harry grinned at his son and lifted him up. The sight was comical almost, how small Hayden looked in his arms, but at the same time, he appeared very similar to his father. The same green eyes, moppy hair, even the dimples indenting their cheeks were identical. Carmen couldn't help but smile fondly as she looked at them, at the two people in her life that meant the world to her. They had saved her, really, from herself and from the tasteless future she would've had. Sometimes it felt like she would implode from the love she felt for them. Her once black heart beats to a new rhythm, tearing at the seams because of her overwhelming love; she wasn't sure how she would be able to handle another one.

"Did the storm wake you up, buddy?" Harry sat down on the edge of the small bed, his son in his lap with his head tucked under his father's chin. He nodded against him.

"Yes," he lisped. "It scared me."

"They scare your mum, too," Harry snickered and glanced at Carmen, whose eyes were already rolling.

"They do not," she mumbled, a smile peeking through her supposed irritation. Harry stared at her for a few moments, teeth gnawing at the inside of his cheek while his eyes took in the sight of her pearly, glowing face, that seemed to shine even in the dim light, as though the moon lived under her skin. It seemed like she only got more and more beautiful each time he saw her, or maybe, he just fell more and more in love with her with each glance, even though he thought it was impossible to love another person anymore than he did.

"You better get back to bed," Harry tore his gaze away from his beautiful girl to look into the soft eyes of his son. He smiled a small smile and kissed the top of his head. As if on cue, the thunder and lightning from outside dwindled to a dull, distant roar, the storm blowing away. Hayden crawled under the blankets of his bed, and watched with hooded eyes as his parents turned the lights off and left his room.

"I'm still mad at you," Carmen mumbled quietly as they both padded into the kitchen. Harry chuckled and opened the fridge, retrieving a bottled water and gulping down nearly half of it, then wiping the back of his hand over his mouth.

"Sure you are," he smirked at her, that smug smirk that she had fallen in love with years ago, and even now she felt her center become hot just at the sight of it. It was infuriating just as much as it was charming.

"Well, I was mad at you. You didn't answer your phone and I was really hoping we could all have dinner tonight, as a family."

"We have dinner as a family every night, babe," Harry reminded her, deep voice laced with amusement. He set the water bottle down and leaned his elbows against the marble counter top. Carmen sighed, in defeat and content, and ambled over to him. His arm reached out to her, enveloping her body against his warm chest, with her back pressed against the counter. She burrowed her face into the dip of his neck and shoulder, inhaling his musky and dewy scent.

"I was scared, too," she whispered. "I wanted you to be here to protect me." She purred against his warm skin like a kitten, her nose pressed against his jaw. The deep vibration of his laughter caused her to pull away and smile at him.

"I thought you weren't scared, though?" he taunted, tilting his head to the side.

"You're annoying," she smiled. His head dipped down so his lips brushed against her forehead, all amusement dissipating from the soft expression over his face.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here, angel." His calloused fingertips caressed the curve of her temple, and trailed down to her chin. "I'm here now, though. You're safe."

She nodded her head slowly, her hands slipping under his shirt as she wrapped her arms around his torso. She could feel the soft protrude of his spine as she massed her fingers into his skin, eliciting a gentle moan to sound from his parted lips.

"There's something I want to share with you," Carmen breathed, an excited smile dancing at the corner of lips. This wasn't exactly how she planned on telling him, at one in the morning, both of them embracing each other against the kitchen counter, but it would have to do.

Harry hummed in response, only mildly paying attention since his mind was busied by the sight of her exposed neck. He maneuvered his head so his lips could attach to the soft skin. He sucked gently, tongue massaging over the vein that was just barely visible under her opalescent skin, and his hands probed along the slit in her robe, grazing over her stomach.

"Harry," Carmen whined quietly, even though her head was naturally tilting back to allow him more access to her neck. "I really need to tell you something."

"I'm listening," he mumbled against her skin, smiling. He pulled away only slight to blow hot air over the bruising spot on her neck, making every nerve in her body waken with pleasure. She groaned in frustration and fisted his shirt in her small hands, pushing at his chest.

"I'm pregnant," she blurted, wide eyes staring at up him to gauge his reaction.

"You... what?" Harry looked at her, his sexual trance leaving him as he registered her words. "You're pregnant?"

"Mhm," she bit her lip and nodded. Her dark eyes drifted away from his as she play with a button on his shirt. "I found out a week ago and I went to the doctors the other day. I'm almost six weeks."

"Oh," Harry blinked and there was a moment of quietness that made Carmen unsure of how he felt. Was he upset? Did he not want it?

Before she could ask him anything, however, he broke out into a grin, two indents popping out in his cheeks.

"That's great, Carmen. We're going to have another baby." His hands cupped her face and he molded their lips together in a smiley, soft kiss, showing her just how happy he really was about the news. It's not like he hadn't been secretly trying for months or anything...

"What will your mother think?" Carmen uttered a bit insecurely after breaking the kiss. Harry raised an eyebrow, confused and slightly annoyed that still, after three years, she would bring his mother up as if her opinions actually meant anything.

"What do you mean 'what would she think'? She will be happy for us," he rolled his eyes and went back to kissing her neck. He had more... important things on his mind than his mother.

"Yeah, but we're not married and we are going to have two kids together. Don't you think that's a bit unconventional? Your mother will not approve."

"Don't care," Harry mumbled simply, undoing her robe and letting it slide off her shoulders. He trailed wet, sloppy kissed along her collarbones. He had just found out his girlfriend was pregnant, and more than anything he wanted to make love to her.

God, he loved her.

"You're ignoring me again," Carmen giggled and pushed at his shoulders. "I'm serious, Harry. I don't want her to hate me."

"Too late for that," he teased, tongue swiping over her skin knowledgeably; he knew exactly what spots would have her withering under his touch. Harry felt her hand smack his chest at his remark, and he pulled away finally, laughing.

"It really isn't anything to worry about," he flicked the end of her nose with his fingertip. "We can just get married if you are going to be so worried about it."

Carmen, naked and all, jut her hip out and crossed her arms over her chest. "It is something to worry about-" Her lips smacked shut so quickly that it was almost audible, and her eyes widened. "Wait, did you just-"

"I did," Harry grinned. He was enjoying her reaction far more than should have considering the extremity of the situation. Marriage was a big deal, something neither of them had even considered before they met each other, which is why they didn't go through with it after Hayden was born. Harry was going to be thirty in no time, though, and Carmen wasn't getting any younger either.

"Are you asking me to marry you?" she questioned, voice hushed as though she couldn't believe the words coming out of her own mouth.

"Well I don't have a ring or anything, but yeah." Harry rolled in his lips before kneeling down on the tiled floor. He smiled up at her, at his beautiful vixen, and took her hands in his.

"Carmen Vicino," he cleared his throat. "Love of my life, mother of my children... Will you marry me?" A crooked smile took over his lips, green eyes gleaming.

"Get up, you dumb ass," she grabbed him by his elbows and urged for him to stand up, charming giggles escaping her lips. They both laughed together harmoniously, as Carmen draped her arms around his neck.

"Of course I'll marry you," she whispered once their laughter quieted, and pressed her lips to his.

*****

cheesy, but cute. :)
thank you for reading this story, i had fun writing it. and please go check out my other two books which i will be hopefully updating soon lol