Page 102 of Unravelling: Aria & Crispin
A small laugh escaped her. "That sounds painful."
"I deserve it."
She laughed again. The tension in the room began to ease.
They were to leave the next morning. The bags were packed.
That night, Crispin spooned her as he had for the last few days. When she woke from a nightmare, he was shaking her awake with a frown on his face. "What happened?"
"I was dreaming of Mami and Babi," Aria croaked.
Crispin just held her tighter and kissed her hair.
As she drifted off again, she pressed her cold feet against his calves. He hissed but didn't move.
His hand hesitantly traced her belly.
They lay on their sides, his body pressed against hers. She felt his arousal and tensed.
"Ignore it," he whispered. "It's been like this for a while. It'll go down...eventually."
She chuckled. "I don't understand. I'm so big."
"If I agree, will you smother me with a pillow?"
She pulled away, but he caught her hand.
"Wait...your boobs are bigger. They are very distracting. But the rest of you, aside from the obvious, is the same. Only more beautiful. This is my baby in here. I want to shout it from the rooftops. Of course, I want you."
A week later, they returned to London.
The house Crispin had bought was a Georgian-inspired townhouse, elegant and spacious, with a garden for future playdates.
Aria stood in the foyer, taking it all in.
"It's yours now," he said, handing her the keys. "And hopefully,ourssomeday. I thought you would want to furnish it, so I only had the essentials done. "
She looked at him, emotions swirling in her eyes and nodded.
Chapter 53
Crispin
The morning, they left the Lion's Mane Inn, the skies had turned the colour of dull pewter. The garden was slick with dew, and the hedges glittered faintly with moisture, as though the world itself couldn't quite let them go.
Dana Ridges stood at the door, arms crossed tightly over her chest, trying her best not to cry, but failing miserably. In the weeks that they had worked together, they had become the best of friends, with Dana guiding her through the obstacle course that was her first pregnancy. And now, it felt like she was leaving that support behind.
"You could always stay longer," she sniffled, dabbing at her eyes with a tea towel. "You don't have to go yet; there's still space in the winter calendar-"
"You've already given me so much love, but I need to think about what is best for my baby," Aria murmured, hugging her tightly.
The children-Ben and Josie-were inconsolable. Josie clung to Aria's legs while Ben tried, not very subtly, to slip into the back of the Jaguar.
"I could help with the baby," he offered earnestly after his father had convinced him to come out.
Crispin, crouching beside him, gave him a solemn handshake. "If you're ever in London, you all must come visit. You can show me the proper way to put the diaper on the baby. We'll have a proper tea party-I know the best place for cakes. I'll even let you boss me around like you already do."
"Promise?" Ben asked, eyes wide.
