New Beginnings (The Billionaire’s Baby #4)(40)
Author: Helen Cooper

“It sure has been a long road.” She grinned at him and kissed his cheek, and then his nose and his lips. “And if you ever pull a stunt like that again without telling me, it will be a much longer road.”

“I know.” He sighed. “I’m sorry, Sophie.”

“I forgive you.” She caressed his face. “I know you did it for me. But it broke my heart. When I saw you with Alexis and I heard you say you loved her.”

“I didn’t know you were watching that.” He shook his head. “I can’t believe you went to The X Club.”

“I had to go for Ella,” she said earnestly.

“I know. And thank you.” He sighed and looked sad. “I didn’t know things were so bad for her.”

“But she’s getting help now.” Sophie squeezed his hand. “That’s the most important thing.”

“Yes.” Max stroked Sophie’s hair. “And apparently she is seeing someone new.”

“No way?” Sophie frowned.

“My mom told me.” Max smiled. “Apparently she’s head over heels in love.”

“Joseph is in Africa, right?”

“Yes.” Max smiled. “He’s working for a diamond mine that a friend of mine owns in South Africa.”

“So at least we know it’s not him.” She laughed.

“Thank God.”

“So maybe this guy could be the one?” Sophie looked at him hopefully.

“Let’s hope so. I’m going to have him checked out to make sure that everything is kosher though.” He kissed her lips. “But right now, I want to concentrate on the fact that you are my one and only beautiful wife.”

“Am I?” She grinned at him and he licked her lips. “I better not find out that there are others.”

“You are the one and only in my life, Sophie. Without you life would not be worth living.”

Sophie held his hand to her heart and stared into his eyes. “Max, I love you for the man that you are, strong, kind, calm, loving. I love you for protecting me, for loving Jacob, for adoring Winter. You are the man that every woman deserves. I thank you for taking care of Alexis. What you did for her that night is beyond words. I am happy to be married to a man that will go out of his way to love and care for others. I am happy to have given my heart to the man who owns my soul.”

Max touched her stomach and rubbed it. “Winter could have no better mother, Sophie. I could have no better wife. Ella could have no better friend. God made our two souls as one. There is no me without you, Sophie. There is no good in me without your love, there is no strength in me without your heart.”

“Oh Max.” Sophie stared at the man that she adored and she knew that finally, after everything they had been through, they had their new beginning.

“I hope you don’t mind that I am going to devour you tonight.” Max grinned.

“Only tonight?” Sophie raised an eyebrow.

“You want more?” He grinned.

“I think you signed on to devour me tonight, tomorrow night and every other night as long as we both shall live.”

“Well I guess I did sign on for that.”

“Max, what are you doing?” she squealed as she felt his hands running up her leg.

“There’s nothing to say I can’t start right now, is there?” He grinned as he his fingers found the garter on her thigh. “I’m going to have fun pulling this off with my teeth.”

“What, now?” She looked at him with wide eyes.

“If you want.” He grinned and licked his lips.

“Oh Maxwell Van Harkel, I love you.”

“I love you too, Mrs. Van Harkel.”

Epilogue

“Is it funny that I think Winter and Jacob look alike?” Sophie laughed as she played with the babies in the grass. “I really think they have the same smile.”

“They get it from their mother.” Max smiled at her as he poured the wine and put food on their plates for the picnic.

“Even though I’m not Jacob’s birth mother?” She cocked her head and smiled at him.

“Well, you know I’m not his birth father.” Max laughed. “The court made me take the paternity test remember, when we filed for adoption.”

“I know, dear.” She grinned at him. “It’s just funny how alike they look. They even have the same mannerisms.”

“That’s because Winter does everything Jacob does.”

“She does love her big brother, doesn’t she?” Sophie smiled.

“Almost as much as he loves her.” Max reached over and played with Sophie’s hair. “And almost as much as I love you.”

“But no one could love as much as I love you.” She smiled at him.

“I’m just happy that we all love each other as much as we all do.” He kissed her cheek.

“I would have loved him if he was yours as well.” She looked at her son and felt her heart expand with tenderness. “I can’t even imagine a life without Jacob.”

“You would have loved the child I made with Alexis just as much?” He raised an eyebrow at her.

“Yes.” She looked at him with a sweet smile. “I love all of you, Max, and that includes your sordid past. I would have loved Jacob no matter what.”

“I know, my love. I know.” Max stared at his wife as she stared at their children and he felt his heart expand. “We’re really lucky, you know.”

“I know.” She tickled Jacob and he giggled up at her. “We have two wonderful healthy children, enough money to raise them and we have each other. I can’t believe how lucky we are.”

“It does feel like a dream sometimes.” He handed her a sandwich.

“A dream that would be made even better if you changed their diapers sometimes.” Sophie laughed and Max groaned.

“Life’s not perfect, my love.”

“Near perfect is good enough for me.” She picked Winter up and passed her to Max. He held her carefully and stared down at his daughter with love in his eyes.

“I can’t believe she is one already.”

“I know.” Sophie picked Jacob up as he laughed.

“Momma, tickle, tickle.” He rolled around in her lap.

“Jake honey, you have to eat lunch first.”

“No, tickle.” He laughed up at her and she bent down and buried her face in his stomach and blew raspberries on it as he laughed in delight. Max and Winter stared at them with big smiles. Sophie sat up again and looked at Jacob in the eye.