The following days were emotional. Amanda introduced Christopher to the children who, to her surprise, immediately adopted him. She felt a feeling of abandonment, as if her children were moving away from her to be closer to their father. What did she expect? That they would reject their father? They are only one year old, they are not yet aware of the situation. One evening, on her way back from the park, Amanda wanted to put the children to bed, but Liam refused. He cried and refused to be separated from him. Finally, Christopher stayed with him in his arms until he fell asleep, then returned him to Amanda who put him to bed.
Amanda and Christopher sat in the living room, the air between them charged with unexpressed tension. Christopher broke the silence first.
"Thank you for letting me be a part of their lives, love. It means more to me than you think."
Amanda nodded, her gaze fixed on the floor. "I just want what's best for them."
Christopher leaned forward, his expression serious. "Me too. And I want to be there for them, for all of you." He stopped, the intensity of his gaze making him catch his breath in his throat. Then, with emotions in his voice, he murmured, "Marry me, love."
The world seemed to be tipping over on itself. Petrified, she looked at him, her mind shaken. All her instincts were screaming at her to run, to flee from this intoxicating attraction, and yet she was strangely nailed to the spot. He took this moment of stupefied silence as an invitation, leaning closer, his eyes shining with a possessive hunger that terrified and exalted her at the same time. He reached into his pocket and took out a velvet box. When he opened it, a flash of dazzling light caught her attention. A beautiful diamond, sparkled inside, its facets reflecting the light in a thousand mesmerizing ways.
Emeralds, the same bright green as the eyes of his sons, the eyes of their sons, the eyes of their father, Christopher... The image crossed her mind. A chilling realization invades her. It was not just a proposal; It was a declaration of ownership, a claim to her life and her children.
His touch, when it finally came, sent an electric jolt through her, causing her whole body to vibrate. The attraction he exerted on her was as powerful as the day they first met, a brute and primitive force that threatened to consume her.
Amanda looked up at him, her gaze fixed on his, and as he approached, she felt his breath on her cheek, warm and heavy.
"No, I'm not going to let him play with my head. I will not let him destroy my peace" she thought, her heart beating at a frantic pace.
But his gaze, hypnotic and devouring, held her captive. The distance between them was shrinking, inch by inch. He was about to embrace her, to seal his fate, when a wave of icy resolve washed over him. With a sudden burst of strength, she pushed him away, her hand instinctively withdrawing from his embrace. The air crackled with the consequences of their near collision, the silence that followed being deafening in its intensity.
Christopher burst into a crystalline, sexy laugh that sent a shiver down Amanda's spine. The kind of laughter that would make any woman's head spin, a sound that seemed to resonate in her soul. "You know I want you, it's not a secret and I know you want me too " he said, his voice filled with a confidence that frightened and exhilarated her at the same time… "The attraction between us is as strong as it was on the first day. You try to hide it, but I can see it. I see it in the way your eyes blink at me, in the way your breath stops when I get too close."
Amanda answered "Yes, I want you. But desire is not a sufficient reason to marry you, Christopher. What about love?."
Christopher frowned. "I'm not going to lie to you and promise you eternal love, Amanda," he said, his voice low and intense.
"Love... it evolves. It's changing. Sometimes it fades. What I am proposing is a better future for you and our children. A marriage based on trust, respect, mutual support. A partnership. That, Amanda, is ten times stronger than one built on fleeting feelings."
Amanda felt a glimmer of respect for her honesty. He wasn't trying to bring her down with romantic promises. He offered her stability, security, and a future for her children. Could she, after all, really trust him? Could she risk her heart again, only to see it broken once again?
The silence spread between them, heavy with unspoken words.