She took his hand and pulled it down to press his large palm against her belly where their baby grew, the one she already knew would be loved and cherished by its parents the way the two of them never had been.
“We’ll have to get a move on with the wedding if we don’t want a gate crasher.”
His head rose, and for the first time ever, even in the half-light, she could see every emotion cross his face. His expression was completely unguarded. Shock, concern and a flicker of complete and utter panic.
But then the scar on his top lip bobbed as his mouth stretched into an awed smile.
His hand stroked her invisible bump as he stared down at her abdomen. “How long have we got?”
“Eight months.”
He drew her into his arms. The sure, solid beat of his heart pounded against her ear as warm hands stroked her back, but he didn’t say anything, so she had to ask.
“Are you okay with this?”
“I’m overjoyed,” he murmured against her hair. “And scared to death. Does that answer your question?”
“Absolutely,” she said, the width of her own smile giving the full moon a run for its money. “Because that’s exactly how I feel.”
His hands paused for a moment on her back. “But from now on rough sex against a door is off the table.” He held her hips to draw her back, a stern frown marring his brow. “You should have told me about junior before we did that...”
And so it begins, she thought.
“I’m pregnant, Jared. Not an invalid.”
He hoisted her into his arms. “Shut up, Katherine, and do as you’re told for once,” he said as he carried her into the guest-house’s bathroom as if she were as breakable as glass.
But as he made slow, agonizingly gentle love to her, the water cascading down their naked bodies, she let him have it his way, just this once.
Once he had coaxed her to a devastating climax, they collapsed together into the lavish guest bed. He held her securely in his arms as he dropped into sleep. There would be no nightmares tonight, she knew as she stroked the damp locks of his hair, heard the deep, contented murmur of his breathing—and planned the best way to jump her new fiancé first thing tomorrow morning so she could show him rough sex against a door was never off the table.
But she couldn’t keep her eyes open, her sated body beckoning her into dreams—bright, beautiful, wonderful dreams full to bursting with all the possibilities, the challenges, the joys and intense, all-consuming love for him and their children the months and years ahead would hold.
* * * * *