One Last Objection: A Small-Town Romance (Oak Grove series Book 4)

by Nancy Stopper

  He folded his hands across his lap. “There’s one more thing.”

  Now what? “What else could we possibly buy for the baby? There already isn’t enough room in my condo for everything you wrote down.”

  “Okay, well, two things. We should also talk about living arrangements.”

  Maggie held up a hand. “I am not discussing that with you right now. I’m happy where I am and you just bought a place, so let’s leave that alone for a little while, please.” She loved her condo. If they ended up together, and that was a big if, he could move in here. She didn’t know where she could put him, but no matter how hard he pushed, she wasn’t moving into his house. She was already losing a lot of her independence and so many things were up in the air, she couldn’t bear another major change in her life.

  “The other thing… well, it’s about my family. I’d like to tell them about the baby.” Michael covered her hand again. His thumb whispered over her knuckles, the steady pattern stoking a fire deep in her gut.

  She leaned back on the couch. As much as she’d like to keep her head firmly stuck in the sand, the reality was she couldn’t hide her pregnancy much longer. She’d already pulled a skirt out of the maternity clothes she bought in Philly, and her blouse hung loose instead of being tucked in like she normally wore it. Every day seemed like it added inches to her waist. “You’re right. I guess we can’t put it off any longer.”

  His face lit up like a Christmas tree and he threw her that boyish grin that she couldn’t help but return. The one she’d caught from across the room the day she’d first met him, the smile that had drawn her in. They’d been at a club in Philly, in a large group of mutual friends. She had been talking to Cheryl when a laugh from across the group drew her attention. Michael had his head thrown back, laughing like he didn’t care who heard. Such easy, comfortable humor. And then his eyes locked on hers and the smile fell from his face. He stalked across the room to her, his eyes never breaking their locked gaze. When he reached out, he stroked his fingers down her arm, grabbed her hand, and said a single word. “Dance?”

  Her skin prickled and heat pooled low in her belly just thinking about the night they met. Being near Michael was always like this—except recently when she was too tired and too sick to care. But now that her morning sickness was all but gone and she’d gotten a good eight hours of sleep the past few nights, her body was sitting up and taking notice.

  Michael had loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt until a sprinkling of his chest hair peeked out. The tailored dress shirt fit him perfectly, showing off his well-toned pecs and abs that tapered to his waist. Heat rose on her cheeks.

  When her gaze returned to Michael’s, that same smoldering look filled his eyes, the one that had her panties melting. He linked his fingers with hers and pulled her hand around his neck. With his hand on her waist, he slid on the couch until their thighs touched.

  His eyes questioned hers as he leaned forward until their lips brushed. Just a light touch, but that was enough to stoke the fire building in her belly. He pressed his lips more firmly to hers, tracing the seam before sliding his tongue inside. He swept around her mouth, filling her tongue with the flavor of coffee and chocolate. Oh, God, she missed coffee.

  Her other hand snaked around his neck and she pulled him to her. When he pressed against her breasts, she cried out.

  “Are you okay? Did I hurt you?”

  Heat rose on her cheeks. She’d never had a problem asking for what she wanted before, especially with Michael. She dropped her gaze. “You didn’t hurt me. It, uh, it felt good. They’re a little more, uh, sensitive.”

  “They are? How much more sensitive?” His hand tickled up her side and slid over her swollen nipple.

  She gasped.

  “That good, huh?”

  She nodded and he brushed his thumb over her again. She flung her head back as he kneaded her breast, his expert fingers finding every sensitive spot. After a minute, he released her.

  Her head snapped up. What in the hell was he doing stopping now. “Wha- what are you doing?”

  He waggled his eyebrows then kissed her again, this time sliding his hand under her blouse and working his way up. He never broke the kiss, even when he reached her breast. As his tongue tickled hers, he pulled the cup of her bra down, her swollen flesh falling heavy into his hand.

  “Oh, God.”

  “Feel good?” he mumbled against her lips.

  She grunted something that could have been yes, if her brain and mouth were actually connected, which they weren’t.

  He tilted his head, sucking and licking her lower lip as he caressed her breast, each stroke sending jolts through her body. With his other hand, he released the buttons of her blouse. He sat back and stared at her for so long that she actually blushed. “God, Maggie, you’re beautiful.”

  The endearment washed over her, the reverence in his voice as shocking as it was tender. Their relationship had never been about this type of emotion. Hot, steamy sex, yes. But she couldn’t really dwell on his tone when he licked his way down her neck and slid his tongue between her breasts.

  Her breathing grew ragged.

  He smoothed his tongue across her breast and circled her nipple. She wriggled, trying to push her body into him, begging for more. When he sucked, a jolt shot straight to her core. Her back arched and she moaned. Who knew that her nipples would be so sensitive when she was pregnant?

  She placed his hand on her other breast then wrapped her fingers around his head, holding him in place. He continued to suck and tease and nip with his lips and teeth, each touch, each stroke, each graze twisting her into more knots. Heat pooled in her gut and spread down her arms and legs. Tingles traveled up her spine. Oh God, she was going to come, just from him sucking on her breasts. Her body begged for the release.

  She squeezed her knees together to ease the ache between her legs.

  All of a sudden, Michael pinched one nipple and sucked the other into his mouth.

  She screamed as the overwhelming sensation set her on fire. Her legs trembled and she threw her head back, struggling for breath as heat coursed through her body. She couldn’t keep her eyes open—her mind went completely blank.

  Eventually, his strokes slowed and his lips pulled away. Her muscles relaxed as her core continued to pulse. She sank into the couch and flopped her hands around his back.

  He lifted his head, his lips wet and swollen. His hair poked out in several directions. Had she grabbed his head? She couldn’t remember. He’d shoved every rational thought out of her mind, her focus solely on him, when he touched her like that.

  “Damn, that was sexy as hell.” He slid up her body and kissed her, his lips barely touching hers. His chest heaved as he stared into her eyes. Had he been as affected as she had?

  It wasn’t just the physical reaction, which was fucking unbelievable, but there was a new, more emotional connection between them.

  Naw, couldn’t be. Her hormones must be working overtime. Why then did she open her arms to Michael and invite him to tuck his head in the crook of her neck? She didn’t cuddle. Ever.

  He quirked his eyebrow at her? Yeah, he knew her too well. But he laid his head down and snuck his arms around her waist. With her blouse open and her breasts exposed, every rise and fall of his chest brushed his shirt across her damp, sensitive skin.

  She ran her fingers through his soft hair and smoothed down the stray strands. Eventually, their breathing calmed and Michael raised his head. “So that’s a yes to telling my family?”

  She laughed, pushed him away, and smacked him across the back of the head. She quickly slid her bra in place and yanked her blouse closed.

  “Damn, I was enjoying the view.”

  She buttoned her blouse. She couldn’t concentrate half-naked, and she certainly couldn’t focus when he turned that wolfish leer her way.

  “I thought we could tell them at Christmas. Everyone will be together.”

  “I kinda hoped
to have a little bit longer before I had to deal with the stares and snickers about the single woman getting knocked up.”

  The rest of the town, she could handle. But deep down, what Michael’s family thought of her, as his girlfriend, had become extremely important to her.

  Michael’s eyes softened and he covered her hand. “Anyone that says that to you will have to answer to me.”

  “That’s sweet, Michael, but I can stand up for myself. It’s the twenty-first century. Women can have babies alone if they want.”

  “That’s the thing, though, you don’t have to be alone in this. I’m here for you.”

  That was what she was afraid of. Him and his entire family. She liked his relatives, those of them she knew, but all of them at once? That was a lot of people, all at the same time, to meet as Michael’s girlfriend. “Are you sure Christmas is best? I don’t want to ruin their holiday.”

  “Are you kidding me? They’re going to be thrilled.”

  “As long as you’re sure.”

  “Absolutely.” The smile on Michael’s face faltered and he grew quiet for a minute.

  She knew that look. When he had something on his mind, he pondered the right way to broach the subject, measuring his words like the lawyer that he was. The best thing for her to do was wait him out.

  He finally sighed. “I met with Rachel and Sawyer today. She asked about her birth father.”

  Yet another reason they should ease into this announcement. Maggie had barely floated the idea of them dating with Rachel. Maggie still needed to make arrangements for Lucas and Rachel to transition their counseling. They knew her as Dr. James. How would they accept her as Maggie, Michael’s girlfriend?

  “Did you tell her?”

  “Yes.”

  “How did the conversation go?”

  “Surprisingly well. She was disappointed when she realized her father had been alive when she’d first found her birth certificate. But she was pretty excited about the prospect of siblings, especially sisters. I had to talk her out of contacting them right away.”

  “Could you imagine someone showing up on your doorstep saying ‘Hey, I’m your long lost sister?’”

  The truth was, Maggie could imagine. Her own father had a whole other family somewhere. She didn’t know anything about them, and as far as she knew, they hadn’t asked about her, either. She didn’t want that constant reminder that her father couldn’t be faithful to her mother. Not that her mother was any better. And Michael wondered why she didn’t want to marry him. She didn’t know how to be a wife any more than she knew how to be a mother. She might have been shoved into motherhood, but she wouldn’t be shoved into a loveless marriage the same way.

  The few times she’d been around both of her parents when she was young, simple conversations devolved into arguments. Maggie would race up the stairs, her hands covering her ears, and hoping for the yelling to stop. Why would anyone want to voluntarily set themselves up for that kind of heartache?

  Some would question how she could be a counselor with those opinions on marriage. She’d asked herself that as well and spent a lot of time discussing her views with Barry. In his opinion, one that she valued, her experience made her perfectly suited to counsel couples. And it wasn’t like she was telling them what to do—she simply helped them determine what they wanted for themselves and then gave them the tools to achieve their goals.

  “Maggie, are you okay?”

  Michael’s face came back into focus. She shook her head. “I’m ok. I just got distracted for a minute.”

  “My fault. I’m laying all my troubles on you when I should be supporting you. Have you eaten?”

  As if in response, her stomach growled.

  Michael laughed. “I guess I got my answer. Now let’s get you… and my baby… fed.”

  Chapter Eleven

  MICHAEL STARED AT the neat line of pressed and hung shirts in his closet. His stomach churned as he ran his finger along the sleeves. He’d finally gotten Maggie to agree to go on a date. A real, honest-to-goodness date. He’d show her that he could be a good husband, a good provider, and not take away her independence. If he could do that, then he might finally convince her to say yes.

  She was starting to give in. Her eyes betrayed her true feelings even as she’d argued with him the other night. Maybe now that her morning sickness had passed and she was sleeping better, she would see the logic in his proposal.

  They were as explosive as ever together. He hadn’t intended to seduce her the other night, but her body was so responsive, so sensitive, and he couldn’t resist making her come… with just his tongue on her breasts. Her pale skin had flushed and sweat had beaded over her lip as she gave herself over to him.

  And she’d never been more beautiful.

  She’d finally agreed to go out on a date, and he was pulling out all the stops. He’d court her, show her exactly how much he cared for her, and she wouldn’t be able to refuse his proposal.

  He slid the navy blue button-down off the hanger, the one she said turned his hazel eyes deep green. The last time he’d worn it, she hadn’t waited long before stripping his shirt off and showing him exactly how turned on she was.

  He headed down the hall of his cottage, buttoning up his shirt, when the doorbell rang. He checked his watch. Whoever it was would have to be quick. He had to leave in ten minutes to pick Maggie up.

  He ripped the door open.

  “Joey, what a surprise.” Michael stood back and allowed him to enter.

  “A bunch of the guys are heading over to J.J.’s for wings and beer. Thought I’d grab you on the way by.”

  “Can’t, man.”

  “Why not?”

  “I’ve got a date.”

  Joey propped on the arm of the couch. “A date, huh? Who with? I mean, I know every sexy woman in town.”

  Michael shook his head. That was all he needed, Joey sticking his nose into his relationship with Maggie before Michael had convinced her to make it more permanent. “None of your business.”

  Joey laughed and slapped Michael on the back. “What good was you moving home if you’re not going to let us meddle in your love life?”

  Michael shoved his keys in his pocket. “And that right there is why I didn’t move back sooner.” His words may sound harsh but he loved that he could now be included in last minute plans, like Joey’s guys night out. But not tonight. Tonight was about Maggie.

  Joey nudged Michael’s shoulder. “Oh, come on, Mikey, you love your family and all of our meddling ways.”

  Joey was right about that. Regardless of how much they were up in his business, he’d missed this kind of relationship with his brothers when he lived in Philly. In the Bennett family, sticking their nose in is how they showed their love. Michael wrapped his arm around Joey’s shoulder. “Maybe sometimes. But not this time.”

  “Okay. We’ll back off… for now. This girl must be serious.”

  More serious than any of them knew. He wasn’t about to tell Joey that just yet, though. “Are we still on for poker tomorrow night?”

  “Yep, at my place. Brittany and Sarah are going out and dragging Rachel along, so it’ll just be us guys. Tony’s gonna come.”

  “That’s great. I haven’t had a chance to catch up with him since we saw him at Original Pizza.” Michael checked his watch. “Listen, loser, I’d love to stay and chat but I’ve got places to go, people to see.”

  “And you still won’t tell me who this mystery woman is?”

  He shook his head and grabbed the bunch of gerbera daisies off the table. He didn’t even know Maggie’s favorite flower. That was important information for a boyfriend, a husband, to know, right? “I’ll introduce you at Christmas. She’s coming to dinner. I already talked to Ma.” He’d give anything to be able to tell his parents they were getting married when he announced Maggie was pregnant.

  “Wow, bringing her for Christmas. This is a big deal. How did you have time to get serious already?”

  Michael s
hoved Joey out the door. “You’ll get nothing outta me.”

  Joey laughed as he returned to his truck, pulled out of the driveway, and gave a final wave. Michael may scoff, but his family was important, even more now that he was going to be a father. Maybe once they’d announced Maggie’s pregnancy, he could get some tips from Sarah about how to better support Maggie. It was killing him not to be able to talk to anyone about the baby.

  Michael climbed into his SUV. Even when Maggie had visited Philly, he hadn’t driven her around. They’d either walked or taken a cab. The focus hadn’t been on building a relationship—it had been about sex. Tonight, they were going on a real date and he felt like he was a teenager all over again—driving over to pick up a girl for a first date. He even sported a churning stomach and bouquet of flowers.

  A few minutes later, he knocked on Maggie’s door, flowers in hand.

  No answer.

  He knocked again, his hand raised to pound, when the door swung open. Before he could ask what took her so long, his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth.

  Maggie wore a short gold outfit that clung to every one of her curves. He followed the line of her dress to mid-thigh where miles of creamy skin trailed down to dangerously high strappy shoes. Damn, he loved those shoes.

  He clenched his fists to keep from dragging her into the condo and throwing her on the bed. He wouldn’t take long. Shoot, any horizontal surface would do. He could slide her skirt up and be inside her in five seconds flat. But that wasn’t what tonight was about.

  Her eyes brightened and she smiled. “Are those for me?”

  He glanced down at the flowers in his hand. He’d nearly forgotten, what with his mind being blown and all. He extended the bouquet. “I didn’t know what kind you liked.”

  She brought the bundle to her nose. “I love gerbera daisies. These are perfect, Michael. Thank you. Come on in while I put these in water.”

  “Maybe I should wait here.”