Page 67 of Wed to the Devil

"Hah!" Talia gives a small snort of laughter and shrugs a shoulder. "Well, so far as the baby goes, I'm afraid the cat is out of the bag now. I blurted the truth out when I was fighting with Daisy. So now I just have to prepare myself for everyone else to freak out about it."

Talia's admission hangs heavy in the air between us, as if it were a physical presence that neither of us want to acknowledge. The only sound is the ticking of a nearby clock and the distant rumble of traffic outside.

Finally, I speak up, "Well, there's no going back now. We just have to prepare ourselves for everyone else to freak out about it."

Talia nods her head in agreement and takes a deep breath. "Yeah... I know. We should probably let Remy and your father know first before anyone else finds out."

I nod in agreement, though I'm feeling apprehensive about how our families will react to the news. Talia must sense my unease because she gives me an encouraging smile.

"It's going to be okay," she assures me.

We spend the next few minutes discussing who we'll tell first and when would be the best time for that conversation. Soon enough we come up with a plan and I feel a bit more confident that we can make it through this announcement unscathed.

But once word gets out that Talia is pregnant, there's no telling how people will react or what kind of gossip will start circulating around town. People are notoriously nosy when it comes to other people's business and something like this is sure to set tongues wagging . The gossip could lead to serious consequences for our relationship and our unborn child if handled improperly.

Talia smiles gratefully, squeezing my hand in response before leaning into my shoulder and burying her face into it. I wrap an arm around her comfortingly and pull her closer, letting her draw strength from me as needed. We sit like this for a while longer until Talia finally pulls away and stands up abruptly.

"I'm dying of hunger all of a sudden," she announces.

I readily agree, my stomach grumbling at the thought of food. We make our way to the top deck, where a table is set with a gourmet meal prepared by the yacht's chef.

We sit down and as I tuck into my salmon and grilled vegetables, Talia watches me with amusement. She seems content just to enjoy the moment and not push me further on the topic of her pregnancy.

As conversation flows between us - ranging from topics such as books to music - I casually mention my mother, who loved the sea and often took me sailing when I was young.

"That sounds like it must have been really special," she says softly with a small smile.

I nod in agreement, feeling suddenly nostalgic for those trips that seemed so far away now.

"It was," I reply. "We'd take the boat out for days at a time and just enjoy being on the water together. It was the only place where I felt completely relaxed."

I can sense a newfound respect and understanding towards me from her as she listens intently while I regale her with tales of my childhood days spent sailing with my mother.

By the time dessert comes around, a rich cheesecake with cream topping, I'm looking at Talia like she is going to be my nightcap. She looks beautiful in the soft light of the setting sun; her eyes sparkling and her lips curved into a gentle smile. Her smell is sweet and natural, her perfume light and airy. Her body smells of the sea, and fresh flowers. Her hair smells like vanilla, her skin is soft and warm.

As the night wears on, I request for a white-uniformed yacht steward to set up a classic movie in the yacht's home theater. The steward has almost every movie available, but I already know just what I want to watch.

"North By Northwest," I tell the young man. Turning to Talia, I arch a brow. "Have you seen it?"

She frowns, thinking. "Isn't it an old movie?"

"It was made by Alfred Hitchcock in the nineteen fifties. It stars Cary Grant as an ad exec who is mistaken for a spy and hunted by foreign operatives. You'll love it."

Her lips twitch. "I'm sure I will. I don't really watch many movies."

I smirk. "I'll introduce you to all the classics. You'll have plenty of downtime to catch up on movies before the baby comes."

She doesn't reply to that but her eyebrows arch ever so slightly, as if asking me silently, "will I?"

The young steward sets up the projector and dims the lights. I settle into my seat with a bowl of popcorn. Talia sits next to me, her gaze fixed on the screen as the opening credits roll. As the movie plays, Talia leans her head against my arm and I instinctively wrap mine around her. She softly relaxes against my chest, our hands entwined in one another. A moment of bliss washes over us, one I am desperate to hold onto for a little longer.

We watch in comfortable silence, only speaking up when we find something particularly amusing or captivating. It's so effortless to talk to her like this; no tension or hostilities between us.

Talia grins from ear to ear as the credits roll, her eyes dancing with delight. "That was amazing!" she exclaims, still snuggled up against my chest.

I chuckle at her enthusiasm. "I'm glad you liked it."

She looks up at me with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Now I want to see more movies like this one! What other classics do you recommend?"