Life After Dark: Book Two of the Dark Series

Chapter 22

"Come on, Nikky, let me see," Dawn coaxed as she snuggled next to him in the king-size bed.

"No, you've seen it too many times to count. Aren't you tired of looking at it, yet?" he asked, pulling her closer against his chest.

"I'll never grow tired of looking at it. Come on, it's not like it's yours. It's ours," she said, moving her head to flash her big brown eyes at him.

"Ours... That's true it is ours," he said with a teasing smile.

"That's right! And since it's ours, I want to hold it. I won't hurt it. I promise," she said, trying to maintain a serious face.

"Okay, but remember, you promised," he said before he kissed her nose and left the bed. Naked as the day he was born, he padded to the dresser and then came back to lie down beside her again.

Dawn sat up in the bed and the sheet dropped to her waist. She was oblivious to the look of desire that glowed from Nikolas' eyes as she reached for the present object of her desire. With a sigh, she said, "Isn't it beautiful?"

Nikolas opened his arms to her, and she leaned against him. He said against her ear, "Yes, it is. Very beautiful."

"Our marriage certificate. Dawn Elyse Jensen and Nikolas Mikhail Stavrosovich Cassadine... This is legal and everything, right?" she asked, moving so that she faced him.

"Yes. There's nothing either of our families can do. Our marriage is valid and legal," Nikolas said. "We have Judge Mitchell's signature and approval. Because of the pregnancy, she approved us even though we're not eighteen*, yet. Everything will be fine. You'll see."

"I hope I could be as optimistic as you. I know that there will be hell to pay today," she sighed.

"We could wait before we speak to them," he suggested. He didn't want to wait, but if she would prefer it that way, he would do it for her.

"No waiting," she said, shaking her head. "Waiting will only make it worse. I know how my family's mind works. If we wait to tell them, it would give them ammunition later. I can hear Dara now. 'Since you didn't tell us when it happened, you must have known you were doing something wrong.'"

"You do that well," he said with a small laugh.

"So, you like my Dara impersonation?" she asked with a smile.

"Not as much as I like the Dawn Cassadine one," he said as he caressed her back with long slow strokes.

"I like that," she beamed. "Dawn Cassadine...Mrs. Dawn Cassadine...Mrs. Nikolas Cassadine."

"I like it, too," he said, lowering his head to kiss her. When he raised his head, he asked, "How do you want to do this?"

"Tell them, you mean?" she asked. After Nikolas nodded his head, she continued, "As quickly and as painlessly as possible."

"If only it could be that way," Nikolas replied.

She sighed and rested her head on his chest. As she laced her fingers with his, she said, "I think we should tell them both at the same time. Get it over and done with."

"Are you up for that?" he asked, looking at their interlaced fingers. His mind drifted to his conversation with Stefan and how he viewed Nikolas' relationship with Dawn. Nikolas didn't want Dawn to be subjected to those type of remarks from Stefan when he learns of their marriage, but he also knew that there was no way she'd have him tell his uncle without her. God, how he loved her, he thought.

"Yeah. I am. Marrying you and carrying our baby are the two best things in my life. I know that our families won't be happy about it, but they'll have to deal with it," she said as she rested her chin on his chest.