Nick's Baby Read online

  Their lips met in a storm of passion that threatened to undo everything. He wanted to taste every nip and nook of her. "God, you taste good, even better than I remember." he whispered as his lips wandered over her face, touching, kissing, needing. He'd give in to this sudden wanting growing, festering, and unleashing. He wanted to be gentle, to take his time, to give her everything, to make her feel.

  His hands went from her hair to the hem of her teddy in one long caress, achingly slow. Without further thought, his hands strayed to her thigh and she uttered a soft guttural sound. A slow slithering hand found the velvet bud of her womanhood moments later, finding it hot and surprisingly moist as he slid the silk aside.

  Silk? He groaned from deep within. Goody-Two-Shoes wore silk? How much could he take?

  "Oh yes," she cried as his fingers slid inside the silky teddy and began the rhythm of life. Still, he needed to slow down, to take his time, to show her what love could be like.

  Suddenly his kisses became softer, more languid. His hand moved upward to cup her face. Their lips fused like hot glue, tongues mating slowly, lapping like kittens to warm milk. His big rough hands crept slowly over her with incredible gentleness, reveling in her smallness.

  He slid the thin strap of the ice blue teddy from her shoulders, and his hands glided over her as it slithered down her curves. He groaned.

  He held her tight against him for one long moment, and then he moved away, just far enough to peel the teddy downward, slowly. Deliberately he slowed his actions; his desire to please her took over.

  With unerring accuracy his kisses went lower, to the soft lobe of her ear where he whispered sweet nothings, to the sweet hollow of her throat, tasting, laving, and demanding. Then finally he eased down to the swell of her small but perfect breast. He lost his breath for a moment as his eyes feasted on her. She was like no other woman he had known,so small, and yet so womanly. His hands cupped her like precious jewels. As her pearly breast grew and puckered, his tongue circled her, enticing a response from her that she was helpless to fight. His nose nudged the pink bud; his eyes glittering at her reactions, her soft moans of pleasure became his reward.

  "You're so gorgeous." He whispered between kisses and nips.

  He suckled her, lathering her with the moistness of his warm tongue and lips. His breath blew softly against her till she squirmed and moaned her pleasure.

  Fireworks went off in his head, as he realized the specialness of this coming together. He coveted the moments, savoring them in his memory for later. If she had to get pregnant, if she had to have it this way, then he would love her so much, and so hard, that she would never be able to forget the father of her baby. And his baby would be born of love, he vowed, his love.

  He wanted to shout out his emotions in some sort of release. He wanted to cry, for the love they would share but not keep. He wanted to kiss every part of her until she forgot who she was, where she came from. Yet most of all, he wanted her to know that loving a man could be good, unforgettable. He wanted her to quit thinking, and just feel.

  He wanted so much, so little.

  When her small, perfect little body, was on fire for him, when she squirmed to be closer, to feel him inside her, he urged himself down on top of her, as the last piece of silk joined the rest. How his clothes joined hers he wasn't sure, but he remembered hot and eager little hands pulling and snatching.

  She reached for him, pulling him tighter, moaning softly against him as he let his fingers build the fire. He gloried in the way her legs encircled him, the soft guttural sounds in her throat urged him in his quest to conquer her.

  "Oh Nick," she whispered, "Please—."

  Then unable to sustain the tension mounting in them both he entered her. For a moment, he closed his eyes and reveled in the feel of just being one with her. Nothing prepared him for the rightness of it. Only God could make them fit so perfectly.

  Slowly he began the rhythm that swirled her into a tunnel of sensations. He wanted this to be so special, to wait until they could no longer wait.

  It was a glorious high as they reached the highest plateau together, crying out for each other. "Oh, Nick, yes, love me," she cried out as her teeth sank into the hard flesh of his arm, his shoulder, as her fingernails dug into his hard fleshed back.

  Nick didn't flinch; he reveled in her need of him. He wrapped his heart around her like a soft, warm blanket, his eyes meeting hers. He was lost in her happiness, in his.

  Her skin was moist and hot, her eyes danced in the darkness, and a smile broke across her face as she lay cuddled into his arms moments later.

  He couldn't let her go yet. He wasn't sure he could ever let her go again, not after loving her so thoroughly. He'd hoped he had been tender enough, slow enough, but his own wild passions had at long last overtaken the situation. He smiled at the memory of her reaching for him when they met each other with such equal force.

  Thoughts of her leaving made him hold her tighter, and kissing the top of her head. How could he want her over and over again? How could he ever get enough of her? She tasted sweeter than any woman he'd ever known. It was as though her very taste were made for him. She felt so right in his arms.

  Nick didn't want to think of her leaving him, couldn't, so he erased it from his mind. He thought only of her, with him, loving him, nurturing this newfound feeling for all the moments he might have with her. Could she ever learn to trust the feeling of love?

  Later she giggled joyously into his ear, "I never thought I'd be doing something like this in the back of a '57 Chevy."

  "Sorry, but it's better than that cot I've got in the back room, believe me." He whispered, his lips still lingered against her heated skin. Yet even as he spoke the words, his heart shouted with words of love, unexpressed.

  "Is it morning yet?" she gasp when his lips captured one peak of her breast and suckled. She squirmed, and moaned and began touching him, as though he was a road map and she needed to memorize her destination.

  "Not quite, why?" he rasp, giving up the luscious nibble as she continued to delight him.

  "Because I'm dead tired, but I still want you . . ." she cried huskily and reached for him again.

  "Have your way with me, then woman. I'm yours," he added his lips finding hers once more, "For as long as you want me," his mind cried. He didn't want to think about anything but making love to this beautiful creature in his arms.

  When his lips left hers he sat up, stared down into her love-drugged eyes, "I want to kiss you," he whispered.

  When she continued to stare, saying nothing, he moved downward slowly until his lips touched feather light against the moist heat of her. She whimpered aloud.

  He parted her legs, seeking her out. His lips surrounded her, sending her into wave after wave of emotional ecstasy. She moaned uncontrollably. He wanted to be gentle, tender, loving. He wanted to brand her with this special kind of loving, so that she would never forget him.

  Finally, grasping his head, urging him onward in his quest she moved herself against him. She moaned and gasped, "I never dreamed . . ."

  He smiled contentedly against her, then when she could stand it no longer, and she pulled him upward, he made a hot, wet trail around her belly button and up over the hardened tips of her breast before she reached to grab him and guide him into her again.

  This time she became the aggressor, and he laughed aloud as she rolled him over and straddled him.

  He watched in heated fascination as she threw back her head and clutched him tightly. Her hips moved slowly at first, then at his lead, more quickly. It was as if all inhibitions were gone and she took the lead. He'd never seen anything quite so beautiful in his life. He bit back his words of love to her, because he feared she'd stop and wouldn't believe him. Yet here, in the backseat of a Chevy he vowed his love for her to his God.

  Later, much later, he locked the garage door, and then returned to her side. She was already asleep, curled deliciously on the seat with a smile on her face, a real smile, one
that took his breath away as he stared down into her flushed face. She looked so young, so vulnerable, and the primitive need to take care of her surged through him.

  He wondered how long she would be content to be with him. He wondered if there was the slightest chance of making this a permanent arrangement. He wasn't thinking rationally, but he didn't care. Getting a blanket out of the trunk, he sighed heavily as he covered her up. Then he curled up against her, careful not to wake her, but holding her possessively closer than he had before. Before his eyes closed he remembered thinking he wished dawn would never come.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  "What's the matter with you, Leonetti, your mind off in space or somethin'?"

  "Sorry Dutch, it won't happen again." Nick glanced at his boss and wiped the sweat from his brow as he balanced himself once more and continued on his way with the heavy steel beam.

  The yell from a nearby co-worker whom he nearly hit with the beam had brought him back to reality. He'd never been so careless.

  Dutch was right. He'd been off in space ever since Kelsey had come to the garage that night. It'd been nearly a month and he hadn't heard her word from her. A month! Not a day went by that he didn't want to pick up the phone and call her. Just to hear her voice again. God, he hadn't let a woman get under his skin in years. Why'd it have to be her?

  He couldn't get that night out of his mind. Making love to Kelsey had been beyond wonderful. There were no words to describe it. And afterwards, the love and protective feelings that surrounded his heart every time he looked at her curled in the backseat of that Chevy made his heart lurch in his chest. He was in love with Kelsey O'Sullivan. "Dummy," he murmured to himself, "She doesn't love you. She purposely seduced you. She got what she wanted. And that's the end of it."

  Maybe he should have said something that next morning, instead of sitting on the floor of the garage staring at a busted engine. As if an engine was on his mind at a time like that. But what could he have said? There could be no real future between a guy like him and a woman like her. So he'd held his silence—and so had she.

  Nah, the princess got what she came for, and left. End of story.

  But it was more than just Kelsey walking out without a backward glance that got to him. It was more than her not saying anything about feelings, caring, loving. It was more than sex, too. Sex didn't begin to describe what they had shared. He'd never felt this strong, belonging pull with a woman.

  But still, it was the prospect of having a kid out there somewhere that he might never see, never be with that tore his heart into a million pieces. He had lost so much with his silence, but would it have done any good to say what he felt? Kelsey had wanted a baby, not him! She'd set the rules, he'd abide.

  He'd get over this whole mess in time, he had to!

  ~~~

  "You're a little sicker with this one, aren't you?" Jackson asked, a frown lining his forehead, his concern obvious in his voice. That same compassion she had seen from the very beginning was surfacing again, and for her benefit, Kelsey realized.

  Memories of her first pregnancy washed over her and tears filled her eyes, her lips quivered as she wiped them with a tissue, "A little, yes."

  "Perhaps we should cut down your working hours, and I can handle some of the load for you."

  "Not just yet, but maybe you're right. I certainly don't want to take any chances with this child." She glanced up at Jackson and bit her lip. "We'll see. And thanks for all your support Jackson. You make me almost sorry I didn't choose you."

  "I'm glad you didn't, I'd be a nervous wreck." Jackson said smiling at her. "So, why don't you go home for the day? You look piqued and I can handle the office. There's nothing pending now that the merger has been established. I'm sure Ralph will stick around to complete things, and then be on his way."

  "What would I do without you, Jackson? But please, not a word to Ralph about this."

  "Never fear. The heel hasn't even inquired about you since he's been here." When she didn't react Jackson went on, "Naturally, your undying gratitude is always appreciated, now go home, I'll call you later."

  "All right, but if you need me," she began only to be cut off.

  "I'll call, now go on."

  Kelsey berated herself for being so weak, but she simply wasn't feeling well enough to argue with Jackson. Besides, she knew Jackson was totally capable of handling everything. "Jackson," she paused. "Remind me to discuss a full partnership with you, later. That is if you're interested."

  Looking surprised, Jackson's brow raised, a sign he was very interested. "I'll remind you, if you're serious."

  An hour later, she parked her car in the driveway and went inside. She told Dorothy she was going to lie down and didn't want any calls except from Jackson.

  But sleep eluded her, she tossed and turned, her excitement and fear loomed now that she was alone. Sadness welled inside her. Alone, the word that haunted most of her life. She was still alone, except for the tiny life growing inside her.

  How silly to be sad, now of all times, she scolded herself. Isn't this exactly what she had wanted? Yes, a baby, at long last someone to share her love with. But not just any baby, Nick's baby, a very special baby.

  How would Nick react if he knew she was pregnant? Should she call him? She wanted to, but his words kept echoing in her mind. He didn't want to know about the child. Keep it impersonal, she reminded herself. However, that night in Nick's garage had been anything but impersonal.

  Nick had been so quiet the next morning at the garage, not mentioning their night of passionate lovemaking. He acted cool and indifferent, as if nothing had happened. But it had been earth shattering for her. Nick had awakened the real woman in her, made her realize what loving a man was all about.

  Even in her marriage she never experienced such sensations from a man's touch. It hadn't been just the sex, either. And thinking of it in terms of sex, she shook her head. We didn't have sex, we made love. She'd felt an emotional bond with Nick, feelings of warmth and caring she'd never shared with anyone, not even Ralph. If only she could have wrapped her arms around Nick the next morning and told him how she really felt. In that brief span of time she had never felt so cared for, so protected in her life, as though Nick's love might shield her from all the hurts of life.

  But pride had kept her lips silent, that and the fact that she had so brazenly used Nick for her own purposes. Well, she got what she came for all right, and that was the end of that.

  God only knew what Nick thought of her now.

  She ached to call him, to tell him about the child they had conceived in the back of that '57 Chevy. Maybe she was using the baby as an excuse to talk to him again. But she so needed to hear his voice, just his voice.

  Being pregnant seemed different this time. Carrying Nick's baby thrilled her beyond words, and yet, she felt anxious, too. She was terrified of being a mother. Yet this was what she had dreamed about, had asked for, what she believed she wanted and needed from life.

  Who would the baby look like? Would she be black haired and dark skinned like Nick, or blue eyed and blonde or perhaps a mixture of both? Kelsey preferred the latter; otherwise she'd never get Nick out of her head. Although she feared this constant heartache would not go away. He had touched more than her flesh; he had touched her heart and her soul.

  Guilt riddled her. She had used Nick for her own means. Granted she had paid him for his services but nonetheless she had used him. A man like Nick. She wondered if he hated her. He had every right. She had purposely and selfishly seduced him. She had sought him out to have a child, regardless of cost. And the cost had been much higher than she could possibly anticipate. Sex hadn't made her fall in love with Nick; she'd been doing that ever since he walked into her office that morning so unsuspecting. It had been the reason she was so sure she wanted Nick to father her baby, his strong sense of family obligation, his loyalty, and the fact that he didn't bother to hide how much he cared for his family. Who wouldn't fall in love with a man like that?r />
  And now she was going to have his baby!

  Yet something vital to herself and the baby was missing. She now realized that without Nick, the victory was shallow.

  ~~~

  "So, would it be out of line if I asked if you were pregnant?" Nick's voice sounded throaty, even to himself. He had waited for her to call, but she never did. It had been two months, long enough to know, he reasoned.

  "I'm going to the doctor this afternoon. But, yes, I think I am."

  Nick groaned inwardly. Pregnant with his child. Did Kelsey have any idea what this did to him? Feelings of joy mixed with anger surrounded Nick. Protectiveness squeezed in on him. He wanted to march over there and claim what was his.

  But where was the exuberance in her voice? She didn't sound as happy as he expected her to. Was something wrong and she wasn't telling him? Shouldn't she be happier?

  "Are you feeling okay?"

  "I've got a bad case of morning sickness, actually. That's what makes me so sure I am pregnant, though. Some foods make me ill just smelling them."

  "I'm sorry for that, but congratulations, I guess."

  "Thanks."

  "I hope you don't mind me calling, Kelsey." He cleared his throat again. "I had to know. Is there anything I can do? Do you need anything?"

  "No, nothing. Everything is fine. Jackson has even offered to take over some of my work at the office, until I'm feeling better."

  "I'd like to have met this Jackson. He seems like a nice kind of guy. I can't imagine why you didn't pick him to father your child."

  There was a soft chuckle at the other end, "I almost did, actually. I mean he has all the right qualifications. He's sophisticated, educated, and he looks like a celebrity. I think you and Jackson would get along well."

  "Maybe you should have picked him, then."

  "No," she hesitated, "I picked the right man for the job. Because, despite all that, Jackson and I are just friends."

  "Yeah, sure. Look, let me know if you need anything, Kelsey. Anything at all."