Amanda look at Christopher, her eyes fixed despite the trembling of her voice. "I'm going to marry you but under certain conditions" she says.
Christopher's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Conditions?" he repeated, a hint of amusement in his voice.
Amanda took a deep breath, arming herself with courage. "Yes, conditions." She paused, gathering her thoughts. "Rule number one: there will be no relations between us."
Christopher's laughter erupted, a deep, resonant sound that filled the room. "No relations?" he chuckled, shaking his head. "Amanda, you can't take away this attraction between us. I will make you mine and you will love him like the first time we made love".
Amanda blushed, the color climbing her neck. Christopher's words sent a disturbing warmth through her legs. He was right, of course. The attraction between them was undeniable, a force that threatened to consume them both.
Christopher smiled, the amusement fading from his eyes, replaced by a softer, more intense expression. "She's beautiful when she's blushing," he whispered to himself, his gaze lingering on her red cheeks. The contrast between her blonde hair and the pinkish hue of her cheeks was breathtaking, an image of delicate femininity.
"Her eyes, those unbelievable blue eyes, seemed to contain the infinite expanse of a summer sky. I could drown in them, lose myself forever in their depths."
Amanda, oblivious to her inner daydreams, continued, "Okay, rule number one: I want you to be faithful to me. Exclusively."
Christopher nodded, a serious expression replacing his smile. "Okay," he said, in a low, intense voice. "Exclusivity."
"Rule number two," Amanda continued, her voice slightly hesitant, "You'll have to spend time with the boys. Quality time! Not just financial support, but real practical involvement."
Christopher's smile returned, this time sincere and sincere. "Of course," he said. "I want to be part of their lives. I want to build a relationship with them, to be a real father for them."
"And finally," Amanda said, her voice firm, "I need to know that you're in it for long time. You must be present, committed and really invested in this family."
Christopher reached across the table, his hand gently covering her. He said in a sincere voice, "Love, I understand. I know I've made mistakes in the past, but I'm ready to change. I am ready to be the man you and our sons deserve."
Amanda looked at him, her eyes searching for hers for a sign of deception, a hint of her former self but all she saw was sincerity, a genuine desire for redemption.
"I don't want to rush into this," she admitted, her voice soft. "I need time to adapt, to get used to the idea we have of ourselves... of us as a family."
Christopher nodded understandingly. "Of course. I understand. Take all the time you need."
He leaned forward, his gaze intense. "But please," he begged, "don't exclude me. Let me be a part of your lives. Let me show you that I've changed."
Amanda felt a hint of desire, a glimmer of hope that she had not dared to acknowledge. The idea that he was part of their lives, that he was playing with his sons, that he was reading bedtime stories, filled her with a warmth she hadn't felt in years.
"I'll try," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Christopher smiled, a slow, satisfied smile that lit up his face. "That's all I ask, just a chance" he said, his voice filled with new hope.
As they sat there, the silence between them was no longer heavy, but rather filled with a silent anticipation, a sense of possibility. The future, once shrouded in uncertainty, now seemed to sparkle with new hope.
"My mom wants to meet you and the kids," Christopher said. The silence that followed Christopher's confession hung heavily in the air. Amanda, asked "Your mother…She wants to meet me and the twins?"
Christopher chuckled "Yes, mother,". "The grandmother of our children. Don't look so frightened," he added, sensing her apprehension. "In fact, she can't wait to meet you."
Amanda's apprehension has not entirely dissipated. " How did she know about the children?" Amanda asked, in a cautious voice.
Christopher smiled. "It's a long story," he admitted. "Let's just say she has her manners."
Amanda raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Does it involve private investigators?" she said.
Christopher leaned back in his chair, a pensive expression on his face. "You know,… it was thanks to her that I learn that I have kids."
Amanda's eyebrows rose in surprise. "How?" she asked, genuinely curious.
Christopher smiled and explained how his mother had discovered that Amanda had his sons.
They also talked about Christopher's past, a past she knew very little about. It painted a different picture of him, a softer, more vulnerable side of the man she was beginning to know.
As they talked, Amanda learned more about Christopher's family. She discovered that he had lost his father when he was young, leaving him to take responsibility for the Kole empire at the age of twenty-three, after graduating from Harvard with a degree in business management. She now understood the source of his seriousness, the weight of the expectations that had always weighed on his shoulders.
He also spoke of his younger brother, Jeremiah, a free spirit who ran the London branch of the Kole Group, a real estate empire that spanned the globe. "We're very close, despite the distance," Christopher said, a touch of melancholy in his voice. "He's always been the adventurer, while I... I have always been in charge."
Amanda, in turn, shared stories about her own family. She spoke of her parents, their unwavering love and support, the warmth of their home. She mentioned that she had not seen them in a few months, as her mom's duties had kept her away. She also talked about Emily, her best friend, the only person who knew her through and through.