My nerves were incredibly high, my heart pounding erratically. Tonight was the night. The hotel room was booked and a small bag was packed. We were all set.
The butterflies in my stomach were going crazy.
We weren't planning on leaving until later on in the day, so we spent the time inside with Jess. She didn't know we were leaving for the night, so we figured spending the day with her would help when it was time to go. So we spent the day cuddling up on the couch, watching any movie she wanted to.
And when it was time to go, I thought my heart was going to burst out of my chest. I obviously wasn't a virgin, but this was different. I would be with Ross, the man I loved, in a way I had never been with him before. It was such a nerve wracking, yet amazing feeling.
As we stood by the door, Ross holding our small suitcase, I picked up Jess and perched her up on my hip. I was going to miss my baby, even if it was only for the night. "Be good for grandma and grandpa, okay?"
She nodded, her arms around my neck. "When you and daddy coming back?"
"Tomorrow." I answered, ignoring the shocked looks on my parent's faces. I had yet to tell them Ross' new title, afraid that they wouldn't like someone else taking Danny's place. But no one could take my brother's place as Jess' father. Ross understood that, and I just hoped my parents would, too.
Once she kissed Ross goodbye, I handed her off to my mom, mouthing that I would explain everything when we came back. Was it bad that I felt guilty for not saying anything? I knew I had no reason to be, but it was almost like an instinct.
I didn't want them thinking that I forgot about Danny. I could never forget about him.
The hotel we were staying in was pretty close to my parent's apartment, according to my boyfriend, so the cab ride over there was pretty silent. My mind was on overdrive with possible scenarios for the night. Would we jump right into bed? Have a romantic dinner and then cuddle up on the bed with a movie?
Ross had been the one to book the hotel, so I had no clue what he room was going to look like. But when we stepped inside the room, my jaw dropped and a gasp threatened to escape.
It was absolutely gorgeous.
The view of the city was the first thing you saw when you stepped into the room. The king size bed was placed closely by the large window, allowing the view to be in our sight. I could already imagine the two of us under the covers, staring out the window.
"What do you think?" He questioned nervously, his smile twitching slightly.
"It's amazing." I breathed out, planting my lips on his. He eagerly kissed back, tangling one hand in my hair and gripping my hip with his other one. My hands rested on his chest, where his heart was thumping loudly. If I were to guess, I would say he was nervous for tonight as well.
Reluctantly pulling away, he murmured that he wanted to show me the bathroom. Despite my confusion, I allowed him to pull me along, where another gasp threatened to escape.
The tub was filled, bubbled covering the entire thing with some rose petals on top. Lit candles were aligned, two glasses of champagne placed on a tray with more petals surrounding. Romantic was the only word I could use to describe what i was looking at.
"How did you...?"
He wrapped his arms around me from behind, resting his head in the crook of my neck. "A lot of convincing. I just wanted tonight to be perfect. I'm usually always on call, so we never had a night with no interruptions. Tonight is just about us. Your parents have Jess, I'm not working...it's just the two of us."
If I opened the dictionary and looked up the word 'perfect', his picture would be right there.
Slowly bringing our lips together, I wrapped my arms around his neck, smiling when he hoisted me up and brought my legs around his waist. He hurried out of the bathroom, making his way back into the room. He lowered me down onto the bed, not disconnecting our lips for a second.
My mind was going into overdrive as he detached his lips and planted them on my neck. My skin was tingling with each kiss, my eyes practically rolling into the back of my head. The feel of his hands roaming my body sent my heart racing and my skin burning with a sensation I had never felt before.
But all I knew was that I fell even more in love with Ross that night.
~*~
Being with the man you loved in such a way that made your entire body tingle was...incredible. I had never felt this way before, and I used to be afraid of it. After Kyle, I thought I would never find someone that would love me as much as I loved Jess. Being single just seemed like a better idea rather than being with someone that couldn't accept me raising my niece.
But Ross did.
He didn't stop loving either one of us even after I told him the truth. He accepted it. He wanted to be a family. He wanted to help me raise Jess.
He just wanted us.
I stirred in his muscular arms, burying my head in his chest and squinting my eyes shut when the sun peeked through the curtains. He was still asleep, so I took my time to just study his face. He was like a puppy, his mouth slightly opened and small snores escaping. His disheveled blonde hair fell over his eyes, and I would be running my fingers through it if that simple action wouldn't wake him up. He just looked so peaceful.
"You're staring."
And not asleep, apparently.
I shrugged simply, giving a cheeky smile. His eyes were barely opened, but a small smirk was forming. "What can I say? My boyfriend's hot."
"And my girlfriend might be a creeper."
"Shut up." I slapped his chest, watching as it vibrated with his laughter. He grabbed my hand and laced our fingers together, resting them on his chest. "Should we go out for breakfast or order room service."
His reply was almost instant. "Room service. Definitely room service. I don't plan on getting out of bed all day." He nuzzled his head into the crook of my neck.
Like I said; he was a puppy.
We stayed in bed until our stomachs growled, forcing us to give in and order in breakfast. Trying to be all cute, Ross fed me bites from his plate, purposefully dabbing some whip cream on my nose. I did one better and put whip cream on his head.
If it weren't for Jess, we probably would've stayed in the hotel for another night, but I missed my baby and couldn't wait to see her. Ross missed her too and didn't mind leaving a bit early to go see her. But that didn't stop us from having a great time in our hotel room.
Hope the cleaning crew scrubbed everything down really well.
By the time we got back to my parent's apartment, it was nearing four in the afternoon. I squeezed my little girl so tight, peppering her face with kisses as she giggled and told me to stop. I rarely ever left her for twenty-four hours, and the only time I had no choice was when I was in the coma. I couldn't even imagine what she went through.
I noticed my mom giving me looks, and I sighed, setting Jess down. I knew she wanted to talk about what she heard, but now? Couldn't she wait?
"I'm gonna go unpack our stuff." Ross murmured in my ear, kissing my cheek before heading down the hall. I followed my parents into the kitchen, taking a seat at the table as they sat down across from me.
My heart was hammering in my chest. Were they going to tell me they disapproved of all this? Tell me that I was being a horrible person for allowing Jess to call Ross daddy?
"Are you mad at me?" I blurted out. I felt like a child getting in trouble.
My parents shared a confused look. "Why would we be mad?" Mom questioned. I shrugged. I really didn't have an answer. The explanation I did have seemed so ridiculous. "We're not mad, honey. Just..."
"Shocked." Dad finished. "We never expected Jess to call him that."
Okay, that was understandable. I honestly never expected it either.
"She loves him." I told them. "She absolutely loves him, and I'm not going to tell her to stop calling him daddy. When she's old enough, I'm gonna tell her about Danny and who he was. I'm not replacing him, and Ross knows that. He knows everything, guys, and he accepts it."
It was like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders when I told him everything. I was no longer scared he would run away, but filled with love instead. I could never forget the look on his face when he declared his lover for us.
I could only imagine mine was the same.
I had a feeling Ross knew what my parents and I were talking about, because he didn't cut in during the entire conversation. I was relieved that they were okay with Jess and her relationship with Ross. They expressed the slight concerns they had, but I assured them that they had no reason to be. I knew why they were concerned, though.
But Ross was no Kyle.
He wasn't going to runaway because he was too afraid to raise another person's child. He was here to stay.
Ending the conversation, mom went to start on dinner while I made my way into the living room. Jess was settled on Ross' lap, both staring intently at the tv where Bubble Guppies was playing. I stared at Ross, who looked back with an innocent expression.
"Why does it look like you're enjoying the show more than her?" I questioned with a raised eyebrow.
He shrugged. "You get into it." He lazily wrapped an arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer. "Everything go okay with your parents?"
I nodded. "Yeah. Everything's fine." He didn't need an explanation or clarification. He knew he was the topic of our conversation, and I appreciated that he didn't ask questions. The lightness of my tone alone was the answer he needed.
The night went on as usual, no awkwardness between my parents and Ross. We enjoyed the delicious dinner my mom made, retiring to our respective bedrooms shortly after. While Ross showered and got ready for bed, I tucked my little girl in.
Her doll was cradled under her arm, the blanket pulled over so it pressed against her chin. Her eyes were getting droopier by the second, and I knew it would be any minute before she completely succumbed to sleep.
"Mommy?" Her tired voice murmured as I began to walk out of the room.
"Yeah, baby?" I crouched down in front of her, brushing my fingers through her hair.
"I lub you."
I smiled, kissing her soft forehead. "I love you, too, Jessie-Belle."
Those three simple words made me want to curl up in bed next to her, but I forced myself out of the room and into mine. Ross was already in bed, leaning against the headboard with his phone in his hand. I made sure the door was shut and locked before jumping onto the bed, my legs straddling his waist and my lips crashing onto his.
His phone was long forgotten, falling onto the floor.
"You're killing me." He groaned, pulling away, breathless. "Your parents are down the hall and Jess is right next door. Having sex with a full house is not exactly a good idea."
I grinned evilly. "But it's fun to torture you."
"Fun for you. Sucks for me."
He planted one last kiss on my lips before reaching down for his phone, resuming his previous position. From what I could glance from the screen, he was on Twitter. Huh. Never pegged him for social media. Even I wasn't on any.
While he was entertained with celebrity gossip, I quickly showered, letting the hot water hit my tired muscles. Showers weren't the same without my...shower buddy.
"So I was thinking we could take Jess to the aquarium tomorrow." Ross announced once I stepped back into the room, clad in my pajamas. I wrung my wet hair with the towel in my hand, sitting down at the edge of the bed.
"Sounds good." Jess absolutely loved fish, while I loved all marine life. They were just so beautiful and fascinating.
I looked up when the bed shifted. Ross was biting his lip nervously, wringing his hands. Before I could question what was wrong, he opened his mouth. "I asked your dad something today."
Asked my dad something? "What?"
What could he possibly ask that would make him so nervous?
"I asked for his blessing."
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