He held his hands up. “I did not say that.”
“You’re complaining we don’t have ordinary vanilla sex like most old married couples, and here I was thinking men wanted variety. In fact, you even used that word. You told me you like variety.”
“I was not complaining.” He grinned. “If it’s really because you think I’ll be bored, there is something to say about the bounce of a nice mattress.”
“I’d like to keep this thing between us fun and carefree.”
“And you think a bed would derail that?”
She sighed. “I think a bed says, hey, we’re married. Let’s have babies and go to PTA meetings and barbecue in the backyard.”
He chuckled softly until a sharp glare from her cut through his amusement.
She turned to get plates out of another cabinet.
“When were you planning to tell me about the baby?” he asked.
She struck her head a second time, a painful blow that pulled a choice curse word from her lips and produced tears in her eyes. He grabbed her waist. With concern etched on his face, he rubbed her injured scalp. The pain disappeared and was replaced with another sensation, a disturbing one. Warmth spread to her lower region. How could a single touch from him ignite her passion? For years she’d kept to herself, no sex with anyone, but since marrying Chase, she wanted it all the time.
Perhaps it was a hormone change due to pregnancy. “How did you know?” she asked.
“It doesn’t take a detective. You were worried you couldn’t conceive and eager to see a doctor. The next thing I know, you tell me you didn’t go to the doctor and would get around to itsomeday.”
“I did not say that. I let you assume I didn’t see one.”
“Let’s not argue over semantics. Why didn’t you tell me?”
She gestured to the cooking chili and to the kitchen table. “That’s what I was planning to do tonight.”
He stood behind her. His arms went around her, and his hands slid over her belly in an intimate way. She felt the warmth of his fingers through the thin material of her dress, and her breath quickened. “Your breasts are fuller now, and your stomach is rounding nicely, things only your lover would notice. That’s how I knew.”
Heat rose to her cheeks as his words stirred her appetite for something other than food. She leaned back against his body and felt the evidence of his arousal. Her hand went to the stove knob, turning it off. It was done anyway. Dinner could wait; she couldn’t.
She turned in his arms and boldly kissed him. It happened so fast it wasn’t clear which of them initiated the kiss. He moved at the same time she did, and she melted against him. Her legs turned to butter. Good thing he wrapped his strong arms around her or she might have become a puddle at his feet.
The stove timer went off. If she didn’t turn the oven off and remove the cornbread, it would burn. She moaned softly and sank into the kiss. His arms tightened around her before relaxing enough so she could wiggle free. Since he didn’t seem in a hurry to take her to another room, she served dinner.
They ate half the meal in silence.
Then he ruined it by returning to his earlier question.
“Seriously, why can’t we use our bed?”
“I told you already” She closed her eyes for a moment and took a breath. “This isn’t a real marriage. There are certain things I need to do to protect myself.”
His eyebrows lifted. “From what? From me?”
“From caring too much. Okay? I don’t want to fall for you, because I know this isn’t real. It isn’t going to last. We’re together so we can have a baby and you can hold onto your position at Grayson.”
He ate another bite of chili and gestured for her to continue.
So, she did. “To me, sharing a bed is a real marriage. Being intimate in a bed is part of marriage, so I feel like if we never do it in the bed, I can keep that wall between us. I can hold back my heart.”
“You’re cute when you act all weird and freaked out over nothing.”
“Nothing? You’re the one that made it crystal clear marriage is a death sentence and the last thing you want. I’m just trying to keep it light and breezy.”
He shook his head and chuckled. “Adorable.”