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For the first time, Chantelle really understood what money could buy—almost anything. When Dominic had proposed she’d thought they would have a summer wedding, at the earliest. But once they’d returned to London he had made a few phone calls and things had started to move at a dizzying pace. Well, dizzying for the poor organizers—neither she nor Dominic moved a muscle, except to give final approval when required.
The press soon got news of their engagement and then seemed to have nothing better to do than take photographs of them every time they appeared in public. Her 20-carat diamond ring had been copied when one newspaper had shown it magnified several times to emphasize the clarity of the diamond. Some jewelers reported that it had become the most requested engagement ring design in the following week. Everyone had their own interpretation of the bows, the most popular being ‘Dominic tying himself to her’ but no one guessed the real reason.
Sumptuous, the only way to describe their wedding which took place at Weston Park, a 17th century stately home, two days after St Valentine’s Day.
It was only the radiant glow on the bride’s face that stopped her from being eclipsed by the maid of honor’s beauty. Her younger sister was getting prettier every day and had the height and bone structure that might one day lead to a modeling contract. Charmaine and Darcy’s seven-year-old daughter, Fionnuala, as beautiful a contrast of skin color as the bride and groom, wore matching flower girl dresses. Little Dominic was impossibly handsome as the ring bearer—Chantelle paused at the sight of him, undecided whether to marry the uncle now or wait until the nephew was old enough...but only for a nanosecond.
Early the next morning, leaving their guests in the very capable hands of the staff at the venue, the newlyweds jetted off to Paris for a honeymoon Dominic promised wickedly, Chantelle would never forget.
***
ON 19th April, the night of his 30th birthday and at a party which was held at his home, Dominic stunned guests by announcing at the end of his speech, “Thank you all for your gifts, but I don’t need them.”
Chantelle looked up at him, appalled. Her husband was arrogant, demanding, impatient, but never rude.
Before she could reprimand him for insulting his parents, siblings, nieces, nephews, in-laws and close friends, he continued, “Because today my beautiful wife gave me the best birthday present ever.”
“You shouldn’t talk about sex in front of your parents,” one of the twins shouted across the room.
Riordan or was it Reilly, Chantelle still couldn’t tell them apart.
“Thank you, Reilly.” Dominic obviously didn’t share her difficulty. He turned to his parents and said, “Mom and Dad, I apologize, but I do have sex.”
The room erupted with laughter.
“But,” he continued, when the room had quietened. “But because of it, my lovely wife and I are expecting a baby in about seven months’ time.”
The laughter and applause threatened to take the roof off this time. Brothers and sisters converged on them from all sides.
This is what she loved the most about Dominic’s siblings, she mused as she was squeezed and hugged enthusiastically by one after the other, their sheer jest for life. With so many mini O’Briens running around already, they still joyously celebrated news of another.
Shawn, seated next to her, looked pleased and a little shamefaced that his sister was having sex. She’d given him the news earlier in the day—just after she’d told Dominic and they’d spent a little time ‘celebrating’.
***
ON 7th May, at the world premiere of Fast and Furious 6, a reporter asked as Dominic and Chantelle made their way up the racing blue carpet,” “Mr. O’Brien, is it true that you and your wife are expecting your first child in September?”
Dominic ignored the question, but looked at Chantelle and smiled.
She gave him a very cross look in return.
The reporter had the month wrong, but they weren’t expecting a child early November.
They were bloody expecting two!
And it was entirely his fault.
She didn’t have any twins in her immediate family.
He had dared laugh last night when she knelt by the bed and prayed that they would have a boy and a girl, or two girls, or non-identical boys. If they had to be identical boys, she prayed, make them nothing like their uncles, Reilly and Riordan.
But earlier today when she’d informed Philippa O’Brien that she’d been told that she was expecting twins, her mother-in-law had laughed and said she hoped they were boys because Darcy and Deirdre had been little terrors!
Chantelle was now at a loss as to what sex of babies to pray for.
All she could hope for really was that they were healthy.
And that she and Dominic loved each other for an eternity.
Who would have thought that she would have been lucky enough to find a man so confident in her and their love that it would give her the confidence to think that they would spend a lifetime together?
Hand on heart she knew that if he lost every penny tomorrow he would still be the only man she wanted to spend every waking, breathing moment with.
Her ring, though she had been horrified when newspapers had hinted at its actual value, was a beautiful reminder of the fateful night she danced for her sexy billionaire.
The End
