Chapter 37

Carly smiled drowsily as she felt Bo's lips on her forehead. 'You asleep?' he whispered.

'Just resting my eyes.' She opened them to look at him. 'This has to be the most romantic night you've ever come up with.' She kissed him on the mouth.

'Yeah well... you're more than worth it.' Bo's arms tightened round her, returning the kiss, a long lusty one.

Carly kissed his chin, side of his neck and chest. 'You are a one though, bringing me up here with the mind of seducing me.'

'If I recall correctly, you were the one who couldn't keep her hands to herself in the car on our way here.'

'Touché.' She kissed him again, nuzzling his neck. Bo cradled her head over his heart. 'Mmm... I could stay like this with you forever.'

Bo smiled. 'If we didn't have two little girls to go home to, I might take you up on that offer. I sort of like having you to myself. Speaking of little girls... I found the home videos of Olivia the other day.'

Carly looked up at him, surprised. 'You did? I didn't know Frankie packed those.'

'They were in a box at the back of the closet. I saw they had Olivia's name on them, with dates.'

Carly raised herself on her elbow, scanning Bo's face anxiously. 'You played them?'

Bo nodded soberly. 'You were at work and Olivia was in class, and I couldn't help it. I had to see what our little girl was like... all the years I missed.'

'Oh, honey...' Carly touched his cheek, detecting the trace of pain in his voice. Not being there for Olivia during the first few years of her life was still a touchy subject for him.

'No, princess.' Bo pulled her back down, arms round her, 'it's okay really. It was like unwrapping a precious gift. Who made them?'

'Her nanny, Barbara Hennings. When... when Lawrence was out, we would make one; it became a sort of ritual for the three of us.' Carly rubbed his chest. 'How did you feel?'

Bo thought about the first tape. Olivia at about seven months crawling across the carpeted floor, Carly smiling behind her. Olivia's hair had been in pigtails, tied back with pink ribbons- green eyes bright in her plump face. Barbara must have been resting on her stomach while taping because Olivia had crawled up to the camera, touching the lens with wide eyed innocent interest. Bo had felt something akin to tenderness and nostalgia as he'd watched each tape- Olivia in a pink lace dress stained with icing from the birthday cake she'd dug her little hands in, riding her tricycle in the garden, squealing with laughter in Carly's arms.

'A lot of things; mostly what an incredible, beautiful baby she was; playing, making those cute noises... and wishing over and over I'd been there with you when she was born, instead of... him.'

'He wasn't there.' Carly said quietly. Bo looked down at her.

'I had Olivia at a Swiss hospital. Lawrence was in London on business; but he'd sent two guards and Barbara with me. She was the one in the delivery room, holding my hand. Olivia came out all crumpled and red, poor thing.'

Bo smiled at the thought.

'After the doctor placed her in my arms, she kept looking up at me... like she was trying to read my mind or something, holding my finger in her little hand.'

Bo held her tighter in his arms, visualising that moment; hating Lawrence and Vivian all over again for taking it away from him.

'All I could think of the first time I saw her in Paris, how much time I'd missed.' He shook his head, remembering the moment he'd held their daughter in his arms. 'It was like I'd gone back twenty years when I first saw you. Just like with you- the first thing I noticed were those eyes and that beautiful face. '

Carly rubbed his chest soothingly. 'Olivia doesn't think of what would have been, she thinks of what she has now. And she looks up to you a lot, Bo. She keeps talking about how it felt she'd known you her whole life; that she didn't see a stranger waiting for her that night in Paris, but her father, in every sense of the word.'

'Our daughter's a smart kid.' Bo said softly. 'I just love her so much...'

'I know,' she replied. Bo enfolded her in his arms, unable to stop thinking about the chubby bright eyed baby he'd seen on screen and how he'd cried watching scenes of the first few years of her life, feeling so sad and angry as he thought about the rest of them- years of beatings from Larry Alamain. If his wish of time be turned back could come true, it would be spent emptying his gun into that son of a bitch's head.

'Bo, please...' Carly traced his face with her fingers. 'Don't think so much about it.'

Bo relaxed his face, eyes meeting hers. 'You're right, I'm sorry. Late's better than never, isn't it?'

Carly nodded. 'You have her now; she loves you very much and I love you very much. You're the one who insisted we think positive from now on because we have a lot to look forward to.'

'Yeah, we do.' Bo kissed her. 'A whole lot, princess. And I can't wait.'

'Neither can I.' she kissed him back, smiling up at him. Pushing back her hair, Bo kissed her more deeply. 'So... do you want a big wedding?'

Carly wrinkled up her nose thoughtfully. 'Something small with the family and close friends- nothing major. But I have a feeling I won't be the one planning it- not if Olivia has anything to say about it.'

Bo didn't cringe at the thought since Olivia was a marvellous organiser. 'Fine. But she's NOT planning our honeymoon, that's my department.' he said firmly.

'Is it going to be anything like tonight?' Carly asked, grinning.

Bo gave her a leer in return. 'More.' He kissed her again. 'Much, much more...' His lips moved to the side of her neck.

'Commissioner Brady, when will you ever run out of surprises?' Carly sighed, slipping her arms round him.

Bo chuckled, moving down to her shoulders. Carly moved, pushing him onto his back, kissing him feverishly on the mouth, down to his chest, stomach and much lower. Bo shut his eyes as she had her way with him, his arm over his face as he groaned with sheer pleasure parallel to erotic pain. Moving back up, Carly shifted to fit her hips over his, lowering herself onto him. Gasping, Bo curved his arms tightly around her waist, arching his hips to meet Carly as she moved against him; white-hot passion engulfing them.

Carl suddenly found herself on her back and Bo taking her with a new, wild desperation; tormenting her into losing control. She raked her nails across his shoulders and back, pressing him harder against her, whimpering his name. Bo planted fiery kisses on her neck, marching her passion with his own, incoherent words of love whispered in her ear. Before he knew it, he was collapsing against her, her arms in a vice grip round his neck as they struggled to catch their breath, panting.

Carly fell asleep before he did. Brushing a strand of hair from her eyes, Bo touched her face lovingly; lightly tracing her lips with a finger and thinking what lay ahead; the rest of his life with her and Olivia, who he had so much to make up to. No matter what Carly said, no matter how much he loved their daughter, he still couldn't shake of the nagging feeling of the loss of Olivia's first few years, especially her birth. He suddenly wondered if he and Carly would have another baby; a baby they could really raise together. He wanted to see Carly big and round with their child, be there when she gave birth, watch her breastfeed him or her; everything he was cheated of. Turning over onto his side, he made an arc of his body around hers, caressing her stomach under the blanket; willing his seed to flower another child born of their love, a son or another beautiful replica of the woman in his arms.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

'Come on, Olivia... you're missing the best part!' Brady yelled. 'Isn't that pizza warm enough?'

'I'll go see what's going on.' Phillip jumped up from his seat. 'Hey, kid- you're holding us up, you know!'

Entering the kitchen, he stopped short in horror at the sight that met his eyes. 'Brady! Get over here quick!'

Olivia was lying on the tiled floor, her face sweaty and deadly pale. Phillip rushed to her side, raising her head up. 'Olivia... Olivia, can you hear me?'

Brady ran in. 'oh, my God...What's happened to her?!' he cried, hurrying forward.

'I don't know, I just found her like this!' Phillip replied, scared. 'What do we do?'

'Give her CPR and I'll call the paramedics.' Brady ran out to make the call.