Read Online Dear Darling by Elle McKenzie - Free Book Online Page B

spread against his lips as he trailed kisses along my neck and collarbone.
    “I think that’s a great idea.” Grabbing his hips, I pulled him on top of me. “Husband of mine,” I whispered as he pushed himself inside of me for the second time as husband and wife.
    The next morning, we packed our bags and headed to the airport.
    “So, are you going to tell me where we are going?” I asked after we were both settled into the taxi.
    “Okay, I think you’ve earned it. We’re heading to . . .” He paused, grinning at me the whole time as I sat willing him to tell me. “Barbados.”
    “Oh wow. Really? Seriously?” Bouncing up and down on my seat, I couldn’t stop the excitement that flowed through me. A whole week in Barbados just me and Eli. I was too excited.
    “Yep, all that sun, sea, sand and… you know.” He winked, and I blushed the colour of the sweater I was wearing.
    “How long is the plane ride?” A thought popped into my mind as a wave of nausea flipped my stomach.
    “Are you okay?” His eyebrows knitted together in a worried frown.
    “Yeah, it’s just morning sickness. I hope the trip isn’t too bad.”
    “Oh, I hadn’t thought about it . . .” he trailed off.
    “Hey, it’s okay. You didn’t know, and I’ll be fine in a few minutes. We’ll nip and get some boiled sweets from the duty free.” I smiled widely, trying to reassure him that everything was perfect.
    It turned out that my worry was for nothing, and the plane ride went smoothly. By the time we landed, it was dark and both Eli and I were exhausted, but we made it. The humid air clung to my body like dew on a blade of grass, and I pulled off the sweater I’d been wearing and threw it into my carry-on bag.
    “Come on, let’s go find the hotel, wife.”
    “Okay, husband.”
    We spent a lot of time on the beach outside the hotel, sitting on the loungers, reading, and chatting about everything and nothing. We would sit outside in the evening gazing at the sky. Eli loved that there were barely any clouds at night and spent countless hours pointing out constellations and telling me stories about how they were named.
    “Did you know that you can only see around a thousand stars right now? All those songs and poems you read about a million stars are false.” He turned to me and winked.
    “I love the passion you have in your voice when you talk about the sky. It’s one of the reasons why I love you so much.” He stood and moved towards me before crouching and laying his head against my stomach. He had been talking to my stomach for the last few days, telling the tiny baby inside me all about space.
    “Do you know how much I love you already?” he said with a quiver in his tone. It was quiet on the beach, and it was as if the waves themselves hushed so that they could listen to his whispered words as well. “My sperm donor was a bastard. I will never do those things to you, I swear.” I stilled. Not because he had cussed when talking to our unborn child, but because this was the first time he had ever mentioned his father.
    “Please tell me what happened,” I said quietly, stroking his dark, silky hair as his head rested on my belly. I felt him shiver and then sniff as he moved his head and sat up.
    “My father was a nasty drunk for as long as I can remember. My mum loved him fiercely, so she would let him get away with his bad moods and temper. He would often come home drunk and take it out on Aaron and me. He never once hit my mother or my sister, Shelley. I think that’s why she stayed, because he never touched her. She once said that it was because we needed to learn to be men. ‘A good slap never did anyone any harm,’ she’d say, ‘It’ll toughen you up for the future.’” He looked away from me and back to the sky, and I waited. I didn’t pressure him; I gave him the time he needed.
    “It’s why I love space so much. I would spend hours outside because it was safer there than in the house. I loved looking