Page 42 of Daigo

From the first moment he laid eyes on her, he acknowledged wryly. She filled him up to the brim. He loved her completely. As frustrating as she tended to be at times, he would rather be with her in the eye of the storm than be with anyone else.

He came in silently, taking the time to shed his jacket. It was no longer snowing, but the beginning of March was proving to be as brutal as the other months. The cold was icy fingers trickling through layers and touching skin. He was not usually affected by the cold, but this time he found himself shivering as soon as he stepped from the cozy warmth of his vehicle. It might also be due to the fact that he had grabbed a light jacket instead of the heavier one in his anger and haste to get out of the house.

Both the sitting room and bedroom doors were wide open. The fire was blazing in the hearth, and his wife was propped up with pillows at her back. She had on glasses. This pair also had wide frames but was a deep purple that sat well with her caramel complexion.

Her mass of hair was in big twists and piled on top of her head. The nightgown was of the palest lavender, one thin strap slipping off her shoulder. Her face was clean and fresh, making her look like a teenager. And she was frowning at the documents balanced on her drawn-up knees. A pen was tapping on her left cheek as she continued to stare at the document in complete absorption.

When he pushed off the jamb, she lifted her head, her eyes meeting his.

"You're back."

"Hmm." He crossed the room to sit on the chair. Removing his boots, he nodded toward the folder. "Problems?"

She shook her head and decided that voicing her resentment of him leaving her for an hour was not the way to make amends for angering him earlier.

"The accountant sent me over some things. I've been toying with the idea of expanding the back to widen my office and put in more space for inventory. The store is attracting more and more clientele."

"I see." Rising, he tossed his boots into the corner of the huge closet. They connected with the frame and made a thudding sound. "I'm going to take a shower, and then I have some work to finish."

Before she could say anything, he was striding into the adjoining bathroom.

Staring after him with a frown, she heaved out a breath. So, he was still pissed. All right. She took several deep breaths. She would wait until he came back out to start eating crow and swallowing her pride.

Returning to her file, she made several concise notations in the corner of the document. An addition was necessary and had to be done before spring. She had the capital to get the work done but wanted to run it by her husband before she did anything. She also knew he was going to be upset at the idea of her taking on added responsibilities.

But he had to understand that her store was important to her. It might not be on the same scale as Nakano Global, but still, it was her damn effort and work that had brought it to where it was now. And she was proud of her achievement. She did not want to be seen as merely Mrs. Daigo Nakano, and he had to realize that.

Taking a deep breath, she laid aside the file when he came back in. Fighting the quick surge of desire for his lean, wet body, she focused on his face. His hair was still damp, several locks falling over his forehead.

"You should get some sleep," he murmured as he pulled out drawers. Dropping the towel that had been draped low on his hips, he stood there utterly and completely unselfconscious in his nakedness as he took out a pair of sweats. Who could blame him, she thought, her mouth going dry. With a body like that, the man ought to be walking around naked.

When he donned a faded gray T-shirt and turned to leave the room, she called out to him.

"We need to talk."

Sighing impatiently, he turned to face her, steeling himself against her softened expression.

"I have work-"

"And we promised each other when we got married that we would never go to bed with unresolved issues. Please."

Squelching her disappointment that he had chosen to sit on the sofa instead of the side of the bed, she lifted her chin and began. "You had no right reminding me that I was the one who wanted to go the IVF way. I thought we both wanted children."

"That ship has sailed, and yes, you were the one who pushed for it. I'm not going to apologize for saying what I did."

"All right." She waved a hand to dismiss it. "I've done some thinking and decided you're right. I can do the three-days thing-" She grimaced at that. "You had a room transformed for me, and I can put it to effective use.

"Maxine and the others are quite efficient in dealing with things when I'm not there. I want these babies, Daigo." Her expression turned earnest. "More than anything in the world, and if it means staying home and putting my feet up, then I'm prepared to do so. I hate it when we fight," she blurted out.

His expression softened. "So do I. But you're the only person I know who can push my buttons like that. I want you safe, Shelby-Anne. The idea of losing you twists me up inside, and I cannot stand it. If you don't realize the influence you have on me, the hold, then I don't know what else to tell you or how else to show you how much I love you."

Tears threatened, and she swallowed them back. Hormones were racing like mad through her body, and it was frustrating. "No one has ever loved me the way you do. I grew up thinking that no one ever would. Then you came into my life, and I thought it was a fluke, that you only wanted sex."

"At first, that's what I wanted." He rose and came to sit on the edge of the bed. He took off her glasses and put them aside before taking her small hands with their slender, elegant fingers in his. She was so small, he thought achingly, and that was what was bothering him. How the hell was she going to carry three babies to term? And if she did, what was that going to do to her?

"Or at least, that's what I tried to tell myself." He lifted her hands to his lips and closed his eyes. "I only want to protect you, and if that's archaic or it doesn't sit well with you, then tough. You're my life. You occupy every inch of me. You fill me up to overflowing. Do you get that?"

She sniffled and nodded, words failing her. "I don't deserve-"