The First Time I Saw You

Chapter 24

Unable to stop her boss from running after her fiancé, Claire dropped her entire weight onto the chair behind her and released a sigh. She gently rubbed her belly and pursed her lips. She was still (unfairly) mad at Owen for this whole thing with Heather, and figured having Masrani yell at him could do him some good.

Unable to stop looking down at her phone in her hands, Claire rolled her eyes and dialed Owen, resting the device against her ear, waiting for him to pick up the call. Owen was on Main Street, in line to order some of Claire's favorite burritos. He was feeling bad for making her cry — or at least he felt like he was the reason why she had gotten out of the car in tears.

"Damn it, Claire..." He cursed to himself with a chuckle, his fingers rubbing the back of his neck. He had never been a fan of fighting with her, and now that she was pregnant, he couldn't take it. So here he was, about to bribe a smile from her face and end this stupid fight, make peace while toasting with a pair of extra-large beef burritos.

He was in the middle of his order, making sure the guy prepared Claire's meal the way she liked it — extra beef, extra cheese, extra beans, no onions, lots of sour cream, no lettuce — when he felt his phone ringing in the front pocket of his jeans. He smiled, seeing it was Claire. Usually, when fighting, he ended up being the first one to reach out, so this was very refreshing. "Hey, baby." He knew better than being snarky about this.

"GRADY!" An Indian accent called out for him. The man pretended he hadn't heard that while he pinned his phone between his shoulder and his ear and carefully took their snack from the young man behind the kart.

"Um...Masrani saw me crying. He noticed my bruise... and now he's after you." Claire warned.

"Did you tell him it was the shots?" Owen pulled some money out of his pocket and paid for the burritos.

"GRADY!" The man called back once more, now closer, after having marched his way over to Owen.

"He didn't give me a chance to explain." She whimpered over the phone.

Owen sighed and started walking back to the Innovation Center. "I'll see if I can lose him." Owen figured, walking right past him and casually turning the other way around, pretending he hadn't seen him.

"GRADY! When I am talking to you, you listen!" The CEO pulled the man back from his arm.

"Wow... He sounds furious." Claire sounded apologetic.

"I'll be fine, meet you at your office in ten? I have make-up burritos." He smiled, not caring Simon was standing right in front of him.

"You will need more than two burritos to get out of this one, young man!" The elder man scoffed.

"Okay." Claire sweetly agreed to Owen's suggestion. "We will see you in ten."

Owen smiled lovingly, "I hope both my girls are hungry, because this one is huge." He chuckled, hearing her giggle over the phone, and with a sigh he ended the call.

"Don't you think for a second that I am happy about this union." Simon started the moment Owen put his phone down. "I have known you are bad news from the beginning, and MY Claire came to me in tears because you hurt her!"

"Let me stop you right there..." Owen tried to calm him down. "First of all, I think I have made very clear that I love Claire, and we don't need anyone's blessing." He explained. "Second... Why would she come to you in tears?"

"She just did!" Masrani still gave him the stink eye, "And with a big purple bruise on her arm." He motioned to his own arm to show where the bruise was.

Owen closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Sir, it was the—"

"You messed with the wrong girl, Grady." Simon didn't let him finish. "I've got my eyes on you! You put a hand on her again..."

"Jeez, it wasn't—" Owen rolled his eyes.

"Knock that attitude off, young man! I can get you thrown out of this island in seconds!" Masrani reminded him who he was speaking to.

"Then go ahead!" Owen challenged him. "Leave that baby girl without a father and good luck explaining to Claire how you got rid of her future husband."

"She is having a baby girl?" Dark eyes grew big, full of anticipation. "It's not like you'll be sticking around for much longer." Masrani cleared his throat, going back to subject after realizing he had let the news that Claire was expecting a baby girl distract him.

"Yes, WE are having a baby girl." Owen nodded.

"She is having a baby girl!" Simon beamed. "Did you hear? MY Claire is having a baby girl!" His chocolate eyes sparkled.

Owen quietly slipped out of his sight while Simon eagerly shared the news with the few passing employees and guests.

"I like make-up burritos!" Claire smiled cheekily feeling Owen kissing her forehead a couple of times as she munched on her burrito. He had been able to make it to her office within those ten minutes they had agreed on.

"I am sorry for that stupid fight." He frowned, his hand gently caressing her baby bump. Claire fixed her green eyes on him and frowned. She slowly looked down and nibbled on her lower lip. "What is it, baby?" He tilted his head.

She parted her lips and tried to talk but she shook her head. She knew it was all her doing and he had done nothing wrong. "You are so good to me." She uttered, too proud to admit she was the reason why they were fighting in the first place.

Owen smiled softly; he could understand the language of those piercing mint orbs like his mother tongue. He nodded, his own hazel eyes letting her know that it was okay. She smiled shyly, understanding his body language: they could read each other's minds perfectly.

"I brought something for your bruise." Owen offered quietly, pulling a tube of Aloe Vera out of his pocket. He spread some on his fingers and gently started to massage her bruise. Claire nuzzled into his neck, relaxing at the feeling of his pads healing her. Her long, freckled digits were still curled tightly around her burrito, almost as if someone was going to take it away from her.

Owen inched closer and smiled, feeling her tilt her head up so they could kiss. Claire poked the tip of her tongue out and gently slid it between his lips, asking him to kiss her deeper. She released a moan once he followed her command and leaned closer, his fingers still working on her bruise.

"I am sorry." She finally murmured. It took her a lot to say that – both of them, actually – Owen muffling her apology with a couple of pecks. "I know I've been...complicated lately...more than usual." She pouted.

"You are allowed to be complicated for the next three months and a half." He assured her. "But once our princess is born, it's over." He teased, "So you make the best of it, okay?" He leaned down and kissed her belly a couple of times.

"I love you so much..." She teared up. "I want to marry you and have your babies." She sobbed.

Owen looked up, and cupping her face lovingly, he nodded. "I think we are halfway into that." He chuckled, kissing her.

She blushed and nodded.

"Come here, babygirl..." He patted his lap and watched her slowly find her way there. Owen looked up and brushed her hair back, his other hand on the baby bump again.

Claire brushed his own hair back and let her eyes set on his. "Do you have the ultrasound with you?" She asked timidly. She knew she had screwed up big time, and now that they had calmed down, she wanted to look at it.

Owen nodded, and pulling his cellphone out, he opened the email from the clinic and showed it to her. "This is our princess." He smiled.

"She is so pretty." Claire rested her head against Owen's. "She has your nose..." She giggled.

"You think?" Owen chuckled, when zooming in, it was easy to see the little curve that was evident to be the nose.

"Yeah... see..." Claire trace her finger over the screen, following the line. "That's totally your nose."

"Okay but if she has my nose, then she has your lips..." Owen offered, and kissed those sexy lips he couldn't get enough of. "Your perfect delicious lips..." He groaned, tasting them softly.

"Her boyfriends better come thank mommy for those." She giggled.

"BOYFRIENDS?" Owen didn't like the sound of that.

"Mmhmm..." She nodded.

"No daughter of mine will have boyfriends! She won't be allowed to kiss anybody." He instructed. Claire laughed, finding his defensive nature adorable. "Did you hear that, jelly bean? No kissing boys, ever!" He shook his finger at the belly before letting his hand rest on it.

Claire hugged his neck and kissed his cheek a couple of times. "I like the name Lily for her." Claire murmured, her hand sliding against his.

"Lily?" He tilted his head. "Lily Marie Grady." He suggested.

"Lily Grace Grady." Claire nibbled on her lower lip.

"Oh, I like that one too." Owen nodded.

"Yeah?" Claire giggled.

"Head we go with Marie, tails we go with Grace." Owen suggested, fetching the change he had gotten at the burrito stand and taking a coin from it.

"No..." Claire laughed, "I am not leaving my daughter's name to chance!" She took the money away from her fiancé.

"Okay, how do you want to settle this then?" Owen offered a cheeky grin, obviously teasing her.

"The way we settle every argument we have..." Claire flirted.

Owen raised an eyebrow and licked his lips, Claire's arms sliding around his neck and her lips slowly brushing against his, making him moan, eager to feel the kiss she was going to plant on him.

"So... it's settled?" She murmured against his lips, "Lily Grace..." She pulled tenderly at his lower lip, his legs adjusting.

Owen couldn't help hugging her waist and bringing her closer to him so they could kiss fully. "...But I really like Lily Marie." He rested against the couch, pulling her with him.

"Do you still like it better than mine?" She wondered against his ear, her fingers slipping down his thigh and cupping the bulge between his legs.

Owen gulped. "It's pretty...but I like mine best." He insisted.

"Give me a minute..." Claire giggled, her lips gently nibbling his chin, feeling him adjust on that couch while she reached out to unzip his jeans.