by Helen Conrad
His face was so close she could feel his breath on her cheek. That made it awfully difficult to keep up the glaring. She faltered and cleared her throat, but he only leaned closer.
“I don’t want to kiss some other woman,” he said softly. “I want to kiss you.”
She set her jaw in a vain attempt at control. “I won’t kiss you just for... for sport,” she declared feebly.
He stared at her for a long moment, and her heart almost stood still. Surely he wasn’t taking her seriously. Surely he was still going to complete what he’d begun here. Because the truth was just beginning to dawn on her. She wanted him to kiss her. She wanted it very, very much.
But he didn’t seem to want it as badly as she did. Instead of crossing that last line, those last few inches, he broke the tension with a quick laugh, tilting his head away.
“I know what you want. You want romance.” He grinned, releasing her shirt. “I can do romance.”
She drew back and shook her head, annoyed at him, annoyed at herself for falling for the unsubtle way he had been coming on to her. The spell was broken now. She could resist, especially when he made it so clear how shallow his interest really was.
“See, there you go again. You don’t do romance, like playing some sort of part.”
“Don’t you?”
“No.”
This was better. She was back in control.
For a moment there she’d been like a wanderer on the edge of a river, standing on a crumbling section of land, about to lose her footing and tumble into the rapids. There was no denying he was attractive. There was no denying she wanted him to kiss her again. She hadn’t felt this way in so long she’d forgotten how the thrill went jangling through her veins, how the breath caught in her throat.
It felt good. It felt exciting. If she let go now...
But she wasn’t going to do that, A sharp, slicing pain cut through her chest as she thought about it. She’d gone that route once before, and what had she gotten out of it? Nothing but anguish.
She couldn’t look him in the face. It would be like looking into the sun—too intense, too painful.
He was reaching for her hand, but she yanked it away and started to slip down off the stool, bent on escaping the temptation of this fantasy. He reached out to stop her. She reached out to push away his hand. And in the confusion, her tea went flying, completely drenching the front of her shirt.
“Oh!” she cried out.
“Is it still hot?” he asked quickly, jumping up to help her, pulling cloth away from her skin.
“No.” She glanced at him and smiled fleetingly, trying to keep him at a distance, then looked around for napkins. “It’s all right. I’ll just...”
His mouth twisted. “Come on.”
Taking her hand, he led her into the storeroom at the back of the kitchen. Supplies were stacked neatly on shelves and a large freezer hummed alongside a refrigerator. “There’s a sink in here. We can rinse the tea out. Go ahead and take the shirt off.”
She looked down at the stainless-steel sink, then up at him, waiting. He was going to leave the room, wasn’t he? But no. It seemed he had other ideas. He was standing there, just inches away. Did he really think she was going to pull her shirt off in front of him?
“Don’t tell me you’re shy.” A slow grin started in his blue eyes and worked its way across his handsome face. He shrugged carelessly. “Come on, Kat. We’re both adults.”
“No, I’m an adult,” she shot back sharply. “You’re a very large teenager. And everyone knows about teenagers and hormones.”
He laughed softly, barely grazing her cheek with the backs of his fingers. “Come on. You’re going to catch a cold, standing around in that wet shirt.”
She very deliberately pushed his hand away and glared at him. “Tanner, it’s at least eighty degrees in here. I’m not exactly chilled.”
“Maybe not. But you’re going to let that cloth stain if you don’t hurry up and rinse it out.” His eyes sparkled. “It’s all right. I’ll help you.”
There was a perverse bubble of laughter trying to make its way up her throat. She had to force it back, hoping he couldn’t see it in her eyes. “And what am I supposed to do while it’s drying, walk around here in my underclothes?”
“Oh.” He pretended an exaggerated disappointment. “You’re wearing underclothes?”
The laugh almost made it to her lips and she had to turn away. “That does it. I can live with tea stains.”
“Wait.” He stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. “You win.” He began to shrug out of his suit coat. “Here, you can wear this while the shirt dries out.”
She hesitated. This wasn’t exactly what she’d had in mind, but she didn’t want to be churlish. After all, he was right. They were adults. And her bra wasn’t any tinier than most bikini tops she’d seen around the pool that very afternoon. So...what the heck? Avoiding his eyes, she unbuttoned her shirt and slipped out of it, dropping it on the edge of the sink before she turned and put out one arm to accept the suit coat.
But the suit coat didn’t come any closer. It hung right there where it was, just out of reach.
Tanner couldn’t move. Move—hell, he could barely breathe. It wasn’t as though he hadn’t seen a woman in her bra before. He’d never considered it especially arousing. But then, he hadn’t seen this woman. And somehow that seemed to make all the difference.
The light that filtered into the storeroom from an upper window gave her skin a golden glow and set her hair afire. She looked enchanted, as soft and smooth as a summer rain, as elegant as a princess.
The bra was a filmy bit of lace that didn’t conceal anything at all. Her breasts looked full and soft, the nipples pink and just barely dark and hardening at the very tips. He took in her feminine curves and desire surged in him like a hot, drugging wind. His arms turned to rubber and his mind turned to mush. He wanted her, and that was all that filled him.
“Tanner?” She was waiting, looking at him curiously.
Didn’t she feel it? Didn’t she know it was inevitable that they were going to make love? He looked at her groggily, waiting to see recognition in her eyes, waiting for her to come to him, waiting for what had to happen next.
“Tanner, the jacket,” she said, her voice shaking slightly.
And then he knew she was just as aware as he was. He slid the jacket on one arm, then the other, and then his hands slipped down and took hold of her breasts, letting them fill his grasp. A shudder ran through him as the nipples tightened against his palms, hard and provocative. The breasts seemed to harden, too, yearning for more, making him crazy,
“Kat,” he murmured, sinking his face into her scented hair.
“Tanner?” She said his name breathlessly as she turned, but she was in his arms, her lips warm and willing as his mouth took hers.
His mouth was smothered against hers, drinking in every bit of her sweet taste, her sweet smell, and he couldn’t have pulled back if he’d tried. He sank deeper and deeper into her warmth, needing more of her, glad that she seemed to need him, too.
“Tanner!”
They both went stock-still, their bodies pressed together, their hearts beating in unison. It was Shelley, calling from upstairs.
“Tanner! Quickly! I need you.”
“Shelley.”
He took air deep into his lungs and tried to readjust his equilibrium, then looked down. Kat was staring up at him, her eyes as deep as the ocean. “Kat, I’m sorry...”
She blinked, uncomprehending at first. Then she shook herself and pushed away from him. “Go to her. Hurry.”
He had to go. But it was hard. For just a moment longer he stood looking back at her.
“Go,” she said to him, her eyes clearing as she cleared her mind, “She needs you.”
Shelley needed him. He turned and left the room, stumbling at first, still breathing hard, still trying to calm his body and reorient his mind. He could still feel Kat, every curve, every movement, as t
hough her specifications had been implanted in his system—as though something about her had lodged inside him now. As though he would never be the same again.
This was really very weird. He felt as though something had happened here. All he’d done was kiss her—all he’d done was touch her beautiful body. And yet he felt... very weird. Maybe it was a good thing Shelley’s call had interrupted them. Somehow he had a feeling he’d just narrowly avoided walking through a door into a new reality. And he wasn’t at all sure he wanted to do that.
CHAPTER SEVEN:
Baby Time
“Tanner?”
Shelley was sitting up on the side of the bed, her eyes huge with excitement.
“Tanner, it’s time.” She patted her stomach. “This baby is on the way.”
Tanner stood where he was and stared at her. He felt like a man who’d just received a double whammy. He was still reeling from the first punch—now this.
“Wh-what?” he asked feebly, hoping against hope that he hadn’t heard right.
“The baby, you idiot.” Her grin was wobbly, but intact. “My water broke and the contractions are coming thick and fast. I don’t think this little guy wants to wait any longer.”
He gaped at her. “You said it wasn’t due yet.”
“Due dates are merely estimates. And this one has just been adjusted to fit a new time schedule.”
He blinked at her uncomprehendingly, shaking his head. “But the doctor hasn’t called back.”
There. That was it. Couldn’t have that baby without the doctor, now could they? He started back toward the stairs. “Just.. just hold on. I’ll go try the phone numbers again....”
She made a strange sound and placed both hands on her rounded belly, then began to breathe with a quick, whistling noise. He’d seen this before, when his niece was born, but the doctor had been there, and phalanxes of nurses, and it hadn’t scared him like this.
The baby was coming. And Shelley was looking at him as though he was supposed to take over and handle the situation.
“Not yet, Shelley,” he muttered, backing away again. “Oh, God, not yet.”
He met Kat on the stairs. A picture of how she’d looked a few moments ago slipped into his mind before he was able to shut it out, but he had to ignore it. This was more important now, this needed all his attention.
“She’s trying to have the baby,” he said tersely, brushing past her. “I’m going to call the doctor. See if you can stop her.”
“Stop her?” Kat stared after him, but he didn’t elaborate, and in a moment he was gone. She turned, shaking her head, and climbed the rest of the way to the upstairs apartment.
Stop her, huh? Just how did one do that?
She supposed she shouldn’t be surprised. Just about everything that had happened to her on this nutty day had been strange. And the strangest of all had been what had happened in the storeroom only moments ago.
She wasn’t sure what might have happened if Shelley hadn’t interrupted them. The thought brought a flood of warmth to her face again. This was something she just didn’t do, especially not with a man who she’d only met a few hours ago. What was it, the tropical air? The lack of sleep? Or was he just a charmer she found impossible to resist?
But she knew it wasn’t really any of those things. Tanner Carrington was special. She’d never met a man like this before. She’d never fallen for male lines or sexy come-ons. But she was falling for this guy, despite all her reservations. It was like a disease. She only hoped it was a twenty-four-hour bug. Then she could hope for a quick cure.
She reached the top of the stairs and looked in on Shelley, feeling slightly awkward to be horning in on such a personal time in the Carringtons’ life. But at least she’d found something to wear. She’d given up on Tanner’s suit coat once she’d found a large, light cotton sweater hanging on a nail in the storeroom. It draped across her body like a fishing net, but it was the best she could do until her shirt dried. And she didn’t have to try to explain it.
But in no time at all, she forgot about her own discomfort with her surroundings and her attire. All her attention was riveted on Tanner’s cousin. Shelley looked very different from the woman she had met in the restaurant just hours before. Her face was pale and strained, her eyes huge and dark and sunken, but alive with anticipation.
“It’s coming,” she proclaimed, happy but a bit breathless. “Gosh, this is going fast. I really never dreamed…” Her eyes glazed over and she began to pant, rubbing her belly rapidly.
Kat shuffled, finally awakening to the seriousness of the situation. “You.., you mean right now?”
Shelley nodded. “Real soon,” she got out between pants.
Kat took a deep breath and tried to steady herself. “How close are the contractions?” she asked, though she knew the answer wasn’t going to mean a thing to her, Her hands went to her throat as she began to realize what was going on here. Shelley was having a baby, and the only people here to deal with it were the two least equipped in the world.
Shelley shook her head, unable to answer, completely concentrating on her panting. At the same time, Tanner came running back up the stairs.
“The phone’s out,” he whispered hoarsely, grabbing Kat by the arm. “We’ve got to get her to the hospital. Can she walk to the car, or should we carry her?”
“Carry her?” Kat stared at him, disturbed by the frantic look in his eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous. She can’t go anywhere right now. She’s having this baby.”
“Not here!”
“Would you rather she have it in an open sports car?”
Tanner made a gurgling sound, like a drowning man. She grabbed him by the shirt. “Hey, snap out of it. You’ve been through this before. You saw your niece born.”
“Saw her?” He looked dazed. “Not in with her, not like this. I was out in the waiting room, where men belong.”
Kat closed her eyes for a moment and sighed. “So you don’t know any more than I do,” she murmured.
“Kat.” He took her by the shoulders and stared down into her eyes. “I know nothing. Absolutely nothing. And what’s more, I never want to know. We’ve got to get her out of here.”
Breaking away from his grip, Kat turned and looked at Shelley. A strange feeling of calm had come over her. When she met the woman’s eyes, she smiled, and after a brief hesitation, Shelley smiled back.
“What do you think?” she asked. “Can you make it to the hospital?”
Shelley shook her head. “Maybe, but I don’t think so. Anyway, I’d rather stay here and wait for Michael.”
“Michael!” Tanner groaned. “What does Michael have to do with this?”
Shelley’s smile was serene. “Everything,” she said softly, “Everything.” Then her eyes focused into the distance as she began to pant again.
Tanner shook his head, unwilling to give up. “There’s got to be a way,” he muttered. “What would it take? Do we need a larger car?”
He began pacing the floor like a tiger, running his hand through his hair until half of it stood on end. “Listen, I could commandeer something from one of
the neighbors.”
Ignoring him as he babbled on, Kat went to Shelley. Sitting on the side of the bed, she took Shelley’s hand, leaning close.
“What can I do?” she asked her softly. “What should we be prepared for?”
Shelley’s hand clamped down on hers with a painfully fierce grip as she finished a contraction. Panting for a moment to get her breath, she shook her head. “Don’t worry. I once helped when one of my friends had her baby early on a camping trip. I think we can manage.”
“Good. I’ll try to do everything you tell me to.” She sat back and looked at Tanner. Still pacing, he was muttering something about suing the government over the condition of the utilities services. “But what about him?” she asked, nodding toward Shelley’s cousin.
Shelley groaned. “Get him out of here,” she told Kat. “Tell him to go boil water.”
Shelley shrugged impatiently. “To keep him busy,” she said, glaring at him. “It’s traditional. Men need to do little tasks that get quick results. It makes them feel like they’re on top of things.”
Her grin was strained, but Kat matched it with a flashing smile of her own.
“Gotcha,” she said, turning toward Tanner, who was still muttering plans of sweet revenge on the telephone company and formulating a scheme for hijacking a flatbed truck if necessary. “Go downstairs,” she told him. “Boil water.”
He stopped in mid-pace and gazed at her blankly. “Boil water?”
“Yes. Lots of water. Three separate pots, in three separate sizes. We’ll need them all.”
“Okay.” He collected himself, glancing at his cousin, losing the look of panic now that he had a purpose before him. “Good. I’ll boil water.”
“You do that.”
He left, taking the steps two at a time, and she turned to look at Shelley again.
“Amazing how a man who could probably run a country falls apart at the simple things in life, isn’t it?” Shelley noted.
“Yes,” Kat answered, wetting down a washcloth at the sink in the tiny bathroom and returning to wipe Shelley’s very damp brow. “Men are a puzzling bunch. What do they want?” she added facetiously.
Shelley chuckled. “Oh, I think they make it only too clear exactly what they want. And most of it has to do with a willing, adoring slave who spends her every waking moment looking after only them.”
Kat laughed. “Well, everyone should have his dreams.”
But Shelley wasn’t listening any longer. She was panting very hard, and rubbing very quickly, and Kat drew back so as not to get in the way, watching her admiringly.
So this was what having a baby was like. It was obviously hard work, but there was something exhilarating about it. Very soon now, a new life would come into the world. She was nervous, hoping she would do the right thing. But she was confident, too. With Shelley’s guidance, this could be done.