His Doll: A Dark Bad Boy Romance Page 15

  "Are you happy, Alice?" she asks me worriedly, and I wait a while, putting my answer together.

  I don't know what to tell her. I could say I was the happiest I've ever been. I could tell her I'm living a damn fairytale. I could tell her I have the best man in the entire world. I could say it all, and she'd still worry about me.

  Instead, I give her a tight hug and she holds me like she used to when I was a child. It feels good, connecting with her like this, being close to her again. I really feel like we've rebuilt all the bridges I thought had burnt down ages ago.

  "I'm very happy," I whisper into her ear. "I've never been happier. This is my idea of perfect, mom."

  I feel a tear fall from her eyes as she holds me closer. "I'm glad, baby," she says softly. "I'm really, really glad."

  We hug each other for a while before pulling apart, and I wink at her. "So how about that new hunk, huh?" I ask wickedly, motioning towards the dining room. "You got quite the catch."

  "Oh, shush," she grins. "I picked him up at a casting at work."

  "So the job's still going well?" I ask with a grin.

  "It is," she tells me happily, and I can tell her smile's genuine. My mom's always been happiest when she was busy and working hard. She just thrives in the public eye, and it took me a while to realize I am the complete opposite of that. "I'm doing a segment nearby - I thought I could come by and help with the baby after that."

  "That would be lovely," I tell her honestly.

  "Though Jacob will probably lose his mind," mom giggles nervously, and I can't help but join in.

  "Gossiping again?"

  Jacob walks into the kitchen and we spring apart guiltily, earning us a wicked look from him. "Not at all," I tell him innocently, while my mom laughs and excuses herself, heading back into the dining room.

  Jacob comes closer to me, advancing on me like a predator. I love him when he's primal like this, like I'm his fucking prey. It makes me wet even now when I'm so heavily pregnant.

  "Plotting something?" he whispers in my ear, gathering my body against his roughly. "You know you're all mine, doll. I'm not giving you up, no fucking way."

  "You can't," I remind him.

  Two weeks ago, we got married in secret. We wanted to be alone when we did it, that's why we didn't invite anyone. We thought today might be as good a time as any to tell them all we tied the knot. Of course, mom's going to blow a coronary - she's been dreaming about my wedding since I was a child. But I promised myself I'd let her organize the baby shower, as extravagant as she wants to make it.

  "I don't want to," Jacob tells me softly, kissing my cheek. "You're mine."

  We kiss, a slow meeting of our lips burning with the deep passion we have for each other. We'd decided when I got pregnant I'd go to college the next year. I already got an acceptance letter from the one I wanted to get into the most.

  If Jacob was surprised when I told him about my major, he didn't really show it. I picked drama. I'd done drama club in primary school, and I always excelled at it. Now was the time for me to shine. And since Jacob was working from home now, he could stay with the baby. And the college was only a thirty-minute drive away, too.

  "I love you, doll," he whispers against my ear. "Remember that."

  "You too," I say. "You ready to go back."

  He winks at me and pulls on my hand gently as we head back into the dining room. Everyone roars with excitement when we come back, and Dr. Nolan gets up, clinking on his glass to get everyone's attention.

  "I have some news too," he says proudly, shooting us a look. I eye Jacob curiously, but it seems like he doesn't know what his professor is going on about, either. I lean closer and listen to his speech.

  "As some of you know, Jacob wrote a manuscript a few months ago," he says happily. "He trusted me enough to read it through, and I turned it in to my agent."

  Jacob goes stiff next to me, and I feel his hand clamping down on mine. Shit, this isn't good. He's so protective about that book it took me months of begging to get to read it.

  "I'm sorry, Jacob," the professor says. "I know you didn't give me permission, but I've always believed in you, ever since you were a young man at college. I knew you were going to go on to do amazing things, and I wanted to push you along on your way a little."

  Jacob glares at him and the whole room is filled with tension.

  "Anyhow," Dr. Nolan continues. "I got an answer back from my agent today." Jacob's fingers tighten in mine and I lean closer to him to wait for the news. I read the book though, and it was amazing. I know there can only be good news for him.

  "There are several publishers already interested in the book," the professor announces proudly. "The asking price right now is $500,000."

  I gasp and look at Jacob, and he just sits there stiffly, staring ahead of himself.

  "So, Jacob," Dr. Nolan says softly. "You need only to give your permission, and the book will be sold to the highest bidder."

  Everyone cheers and whoops, but I look at Jacob instead, waiting for his reaction. This could potentially be disastrous... he's so sensitive about his own work, and ever since he quit his job at my school, I've been worried about what he'd do next.

  We've been using the money his parents' left him, returning every cent of what my mom gave to Jacob to pay her back. The money would come in handy, but of course, it's more about Jacob exposing himself as a writer, as a person.

  "What do you think?" I ask him softly, and his hand slips from mine as he gets up. He walks over to the professor, and the two men face off silently. Finally, he leans in and claps him on the back, and everyone roars with happiness when they hug. I clap the loudest.

  When Jacob returns to his seat, he won't look me in the eye, and I know it's because he has tears in his. This has been a dream for him for years, and it finally came true. I take his face in my hands and turn it towards my own gently, and I dab at his tears when he looks at me.

  "I'm really proud of you," I tell him softly.

  "Thank you," he says, his voice rough. We look at each other for a split second, and share a soft, sweet little kiss.

  "And that, ladies and gentlemen, is true love," Tiffany exclaims from her seat next to me, and I giggle as everyone cheers.

  "I guess it is," I say softly, my hand sneaking into Jacob's under the table.

  "No," he grins at me. He gets up from his chair and lifts me up while I shriek, leaning me over with his hand on my back and kissing me deeply while everyone watches. "This is," he mutters against my lips and everyone laughs.

  "And that's why I made her my wife," he says, and I instantly pale as the room freezes.

  "WHAT?!" My mom exclaims, and Jacob grins at me guiltily.

  "Oops," he whispers, winking at me as my mother shrieks and runs closer to me.

  I keep my eyes on his as everyone demands to see the ring, and he leans back on his chair, tipping back a glass of wine and patting his lap to show me where I belong.

  THE END

  Connect with me!

  Isabella’s newsletter

  Isabella’s Facebook page

  Isabella’s review group

  Isabella’s readers’ group

  My books

  His Brat

  Big Bad Wolf

  Dark Blood

  Savage

  Wicked Ways