Author's note: I am very happy with the way this chapter turned out. I hope it satisfies all your shipping needs. ;) Thank you for reading, favoriting, and following. And thank for reviewing. Taking that extra time. It means a lot.
Happy reading!
Chapter Six
"It's a lovely time for a walk." Jill said as she and Adrian lounged in the sitting room together.
Her husband nodded, still focused on his evening newspaper. "It looks like a lovely afternoon. Don't stay out too long in the sun."
"Adrian, it's almost sunset." She pointed out.
He folded his paper down and looked out the window. "So it is." He raised his paper up. "I lost track of time."
She leaned closer. "Are you feeling all right? You've been distracted."
He finished the article he was reading and folded the paper in his lap. "I can't find Sydney. I don't know when she's sleeping. She said something about asking for a transfer, but never told me she actually did."
She put a comforting hand on his arm. "I'm sure she's fine."
"I'm sure she is." He stood. "I need to paint."
"Okay." She sat back.
He sighed and rubbed his temples. "You wanted to go for a walk."
"I'll find Eddie." She reassured him.
Adrian smiled. "Yes, a romantic walk on the beach at sunset."
Jill stood, her stomach sticking out in her advanced months.
He stepped closer and placed a hand on the bump. "How is he today?"
"He's active." She smiled. "Giving Mommy lots of pain. He's kicking pretty hard." She pointed to her side.
He moved his hand to where she pointed. "Oh, I feel it." He smiled and stepped even closer, placing his other hand on the opposite side. "This is amazing."
She looked at him and felt the tug of his emotions. He was so in love with the baby already. He was scared that it could all go bad in these last weeks. And, just under the surface, the thought of losing Jill in childbirth.
She turned her face up and brushed a kiss across his lips.
Adrian smiled and rested his forehead against hers. "You'll be okay."
"We will." She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and his arms moved around to her back.
They held each other for a while. They breathed the same breath and Adrian grinned as he felt the baby move against him.
"He likes it when you're close. He likes the sound of your voice."
"Does he? How can you tell?"
"He moves when you speak."
"What about Eddie?"
"He likes Eddie, too. When he's acting up, moving around too much at night, Eddie speaks to him and he calms down so I can get some sleep."
"It's good to know that he likes the both of us."
"Yes."
Adrian kissed her cheek and stepped away. "Find the man you love and go on that walk. You need it."
"Are you going to be all right?" She asked, placing a hand on his cheek.
He nodded. "I'll figure everything out with her." He patted her stomach. "Stop giving your mother such a hard time, baby." He smiled. "I'm going to paint for a while."
"And I'm going to spend time with someone special." She rubbed her thumb across his cheek and them left the room.
He was deep into the painting when the butler O'Brien came into the room.
"My lord, you there is an Alchemist here to see you." He said softly.
Without looking up, he said, "Does this person have a name?"
"She said it was Sage, my lord. Sydney Sage."
Adrian smiled, not looking up from his painting. Relief. "Send her in."
"Yes, sir."
He continued with his work. He heard her soft footfall as she stepped into the room.
After a long silence, her voice came at almost a whisper. "It's as beautiful as your work always is."
Adrian sighed. "Oh, Sage. Again with the flattery." He stuck his brush in the jar of water and sloshed it around. "I thought you were in Rome and loving it."
"Why would I stay in Rome, basking in amazing architecture ranging from ancient to modern, when I can come here to see this lovely home that seems built specifically for you?"
He looked over his shoulder, pausing a moment in his painting. "It was made more for Jill." He went back to work. "Why did you leave?"
"A lot of reasons. Partly for you. I missed actually being in your presence. Did I make a wrong choice? You haven't turned to give me a proper look-over since I walked in."
"Of course you made the right choice. I was worried because I haven't been able to contact you in weeks." He painted a few more silent minutes as she moved around the room.
"I'm sorry to disturb you in the middle if your art." She said after a while. She stood in front of a painting of Jill, looking as beautiful as she remembered, maybe slightly more mature.
He placed a paint-stained hand on her shoulder and turned her. "I'm sorry if I seemed rude. I wanted to finish that." He leaned close and kissed her cheek. "And I missed you."
"I missed you, too." She grabbed the end of his paint smock.
He smoothed his hands over her hair. "Where are you staying?"
"The Sanderson boarding house." She said, looking dreamily into his eyes.
"I like the Sandersons. I play cards with their oldest son. How are they? I haven't seen them in a while."
"They seem very well. And they are kind. When I asked for directions here, they were most excited that I was a friend of yours and gave me the use of their horse and buggy for the evening." She smiled affectionately. "They said you keep odd hours."
Adrian stroked her cheek. "We simply keep our lights blazing at all hours of the night. There is never much telling when we'll be home or receiving visitors because we don't always take them at the fashionable times." He kissed the tip of her nose. "So you never said why finally you left. It wasn't for me. It couldn't have been. I know I'm amazing, but I won't flatter myself in believing you would do anything solely for my sake."
Sydney looked up at him. She touched his face, relishing how wonderful it was to do so in real life after all this time. "I did a lot of thinking while I was there. I was around the Alchemists, mostly men, who always said such harsh things, generalizations. And it made me angrier every day. They said all the things I grew up with about your people. There were things they said about you and Jill... And then they always made me feel like I was nothing because I'm a woman."
He wiped at her cheek. Until that moment, she didn't realize she'd been crying. "So you left?"
"I had a lot to do before just leaving. I asked for the transfer back to America. They were reluctant. I was granted a leave of absence to get my life in order and decide what I wanted to do. They think I want to be married." She shrugged. "I've already been in correspondence with an old friend of ours. He said he'd help me get back into a different life."
"You don't need our friend. You have me. I know we can't get married, but I can take care of you. There is a house for sale very close." He looked toward the doorway and then wrapped his arms around her. "Please, Sydney, take me up on my old offer."
She looked at him a moment. "What would your wife say?"
"His wife says it's the best idea he ever had." Jill said from the doorway.
Sydney smiled and let Adrian go. She walked to meet Jill. "Oh, look at you." She wrapped her arms around the younger woman. "You look good."
Jill blushed and placed a self-conscious hand on her bulbous stomach. "I'm a whale."
"I think she's just trying to be complimented." Eddie contributed. "She's gorgeous and she knows it. I tell her all the time. And Adrian says it quite often, too."
"Yes." Adrian had a look of adoration cross his features, remembering the moments the two shared a short time earlier.
Sydney felt a flash of jealousy and saw the same emotion pass over Eddie. He even took a step closer to Jill and placed a possessive hand on her shoulder.
She looked up at him and the two shared a smile. She gave his hand a reassuring pat and then turned her attention to Sydney once more. "The house is beautiful. And it's close enough for daily visits."
"And we can picnic on the beach on nice evenings." Adrian added.
"The whole family?" Sydney asked in an undertone.
Her lover smirked. "Of course. We'll have two houses full of them, right?"
"That's still up for negotiation. At least on my part. And we don't need to flaunt too much. It could be detrimental to Court and Lissa's reign."
"Always so serious." Eddie commented.
Jill laughed. "You're one to talk. We don't... Well, you keep me at arm's-length more often than not, especially at Court."
The guardian shrugged. "I'm trying to keep you safe. Like Sydney just said, it's for the good of our people."
"Yes. The good of our people." She said.
"It's a fight they have a lot." Adrian said in whisper to Sydney. "Are you staying for supper?"
The woman smiled. "I'd love to."
Jill said, "I'll let the kitchen know."
"No." Adrian and Eddie said at the same time. They stared at each other a moment. Their friendship was at an odd point as they tried to figure out their roles. Eddie's jealousy only became more heightened as Adrian showered Jill with affection and waited on her. Adrian only wanted what was best for Jill and the baby.
Eddie spoke. "I'll go. You stay. And sit down somewhere."
Jill let out a very un-ladylike groan. "I'm not going to break. I'm tired of both of you acting like lifting a finger to run this household properly will cause severe damage to the baby or me. I'm fine. Women far more advanced in carrying a child have done far more than I do, even with what you allow me." She turned as quickly as she was able and stomped out of the room.
Sydney stood uncomfortably as the men stared each other down once more. Eddie followed after a moment.
"She'll be fine." Adrian said. "Sydney, let me show you around." He took her hand and led her out of the room.
"It's a lovely house." She said as they made their way back down the stairs from the top floor.
"There's one more room I want to show you. We passed it briefly." He pushed a door open and she looked around the frame. "You may go in, if you wish."
She stepped back and looked at him aghast. "Into your bedroom? While the whole house is awake?"
He looked around. "No one is around." He took her hand and kissed it as he stepped into the room. He smiled seductively. "Come in. Help me test the bed."
She smiled and followed him in, closing the door behind her. "This is highly improper."
"Our staff is well-paid." He pulled her to the bed and sat with her. He placed a hand on her cheek and leaned forward. "I missed this."
She didn't have time to respond because their mouths were pressed together. Sydney opened her mouth and allowed his tongue exploration. She slipped her hand under the lapel of his frock coat and around his back. Adrian moaned into her mouth and pushed her back against the mattress.
He pulled away, sucking her bottom lip into his mouth and letting it go. "I think we should go be with the others."
She smiled up at him and nodded.
"I'm sure the Sandersons will want their carriage back."
She sat up and cupped his cheeks between her hands. "Is there any way to send it back?"
He smirked. "Now you're talking. Send it back and say you had one glass too many and couldn't make it back."
"Or just say you all wanted to catch up with me and would probably keep me late into the night and thought it best to let me stay in one of your many spare rooms."
He smiled and kissed her. "Or that." He got up. "Let me change into something covered in less paint." He disappeared into his dressing room and she continued to lounge on the bed.
"Are you enjoying the prospect of becoming a father?"
"Oh, yes. Nothing makes me happier. I've felt him moving around in there." He walked out. "I can't wait to hold him in my arms and argue about who he looks like."
She smiled. "You are so gorgeous right now."
He leaned over her and kissed her softly. "Let's go join the others."
The meal passed with good conversation. Sydney told them of all the lovely things she'd experienced in Rome. She glossed over all the bad experiences she'd shared with Adrian earlier.
As they retreated to the sitting room, Jill gushed about the nursery and told Sydney about the mural Adrian was working on for one of the walls in the play room.
"I can't wait to see how it turns out." Sydney contributed.
"It's going to be great." Jill said with a smile at her husband.
Eddie slammed his glass down on the table. "This is bullshit."
"Not this again." Jill mumbled.
"Maybe I should just stay in my own place like everyone told me." He got up and left the room without another word.
"Eddie, wait." Jill followed.
"What's going on?" Sydney asked.
Adrian sat back with his tumbler of scotch. He sloshed it around. "Eddie is afraid that Jill and I are falling for each other."
"Are you? With the baby on the way, it could change the way you both feel." She said reluctantly.
He took a sip from his glass. "She kissed me today."
Sydney watched him over her tea cup. "Did you like it?"
"I didn't hate it." He took another sip of his scotch. "I do think it could be because of the baby. At the time I was thinking about all the bad things that could happen to him and her…"
"And she picked up on it and wanted to reassure you." She suggested.
"Maybe." He met her eyes. "Are you angry?"
"Promise me you don't love her the same way you love me." Sydney begged.
"I promise, Sage. We're not like that. True she's carrying my baby, but that doesn't change my feelings. There is no romantic love between us."
She nodded and gave him a reassuring smile. "I believe you. And I believe I would like to move into that house."
He smiled. "Good. I'll look into the purchase tomorrow." He took another drink. "Come to bed with me."
She smirked. "You don't waste any time, do you?"
"Not when I haven't seen you in the flesh for more than a year. Everyone is heading to their own beds; we let the servants keep normal human hours. The guardians and us, we stay up late." He leaned closer. "Come to bed with me."
"Okay."
He smirked. "I need to see about some things. You wait here." He leaned down and kissed her forehead.
A short time later, he held out his hand to her. They walked up the stairs together. As they passed by Jill's room, they heard the sounds of the pair making up after their argument.
"That was short-lived." Adrian commented. "They always are."
Sydney giggled and put her hand over her mouth.
"I don't really have anything." He told her as they stepped into his room. "You know, to prevent anything."
"I don't really care at this point. I'll live just a few feet away from you. Maybe we'll have our babies all together." She pushed his coat off his shoulders. "Or maybe we'll get lucky and there won't be a baby."
"You really don't want them?" He kissed her and started unfastening the buttons of her dress.
Her fingers worked at his buttons. "Promise me they won't be sent away." She moved her head aside so he could kiss her neck.
"They won't darling." He turned her around and worked on the lacing of her corset, kissing her shoulder as he took it away.
As soon as she was naked, she climbed into the bed and watched him hungrily as he undressed and joined her. He kissed her hard as he moved over her. He trailed heated kisses all over her body as she moaned and writhed beneath him, bringing her to the brink of pleasure with his mouth.
She let out a frustrated groan when he pulled away before the end. He gave her a sheepish grin and kissed his way back up her body.
"Damn you." She said just before she pulled his mouth down to hers. She rolled him onto his back and gave him the same treatment.
She kissed his hip and looked up at him as he panted.
"Please." He begged.
She stuck out her tongue and licked his length from base to tip, taking him in her mouth for an agonizingly short moment. She lifted her head away, smiling at him in the same way he had as she made her way back up to his mouth.
They exchanged heated kisses. Adrian rolled Sydney onto her back and slid into her without much preamble. She clutched at him.
"God." She moaned. "Adrian."
"I'm not both." He panted.
"Pretty close."
He chuckled into her mouth as he pushed into her. She dug her fingers into his back and moaned as she met the climax he had denied her before.
She flipped him onto his back and took over. She leaned over him and took control of his mouth. She sucked his lower lip into her mouth and sucked hard on it. He moaned and gripped her hips tighter as he thrust up into her. She sat back, scraping her nails down his chest.
"Sydney." He gasped.
She smiled and sped up. He held fast to her hips and threw his head back with a yell as he came. She paused and looked down at him as he panted, his eyes closed. She leaned down once more and kissed him softly before moving away. She kissed his shoulder.
He kissed her forehead as he slipped his hand into hers. "I love you."
"I love you, too." She rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. "I wish it were easier."
"Making love is always easy." He said with a smirk.
"Our life." She pointed out.
"Oh, yeah, that."
She smiled. "Of course making love to you is easy. It's like we were never apart."
"I could divorce Jill."
She sobered. "No, you couldn't."
He rolled into her and pressed his face into her neck. "No, I couldn't. I couldn't leave my baby behind and I definitely couldn't take him away from her."
"We'll be fine." She combed her fingers through his hair and kissed his forehead. "Do you want a big family?"
"With you? Not unless you want to. Jill and I agreed we'd have two. I don't know how many Jill and Eddie have decided to have. But in the end, I'd like to think of the children they have as ours as well."
"That sounds nice." She yawned. "I just want two or three. Maybe four. Four is a good number."
"Yes. So is five. Six." He chuckled.
She yawned again. "I'm tired."
He tightened his arms around her. "Sleep. You're finally home where you belong."