“Are you okay?” Gabe asked now that they were alone.
“Yeah. Why?”
“You just had a funny look on your face a few minutes ago.” Either she’d revealed too much or he’d been watching her too closely.
“I’m just excited.”
Gabe took her hand. “I know this wasn’t what either of us planned, but I have to admit that bringing a new life into the world is pretty amazing.” He kissed her forehead.
The tenderness of the moment dissolved when there was another knock at the door, but the lingering contentment would last a long time.
Gabe held the door open for the tech, who was pushing a large machine on wheels. “Hi, I’m Sarah. I’ll be doing your ultrasound.” She positioned the machine beside the exam table. “Are you Dad?” she asked Gabe.
“Yes.”
“Then what I’d like you to do is sit in the chair until I get everything all set up. Then you can come and stand beside Mom.” She started getting the cables organized.
A perplexed look came over Gabe’s face. Zoe couldn’t help but grin. Her guess was that Gabe did most of the ordering in his world and to have this woman in control of the situation had to go against the grain. Despite that, he did what the tech requested but watched her with narrowed eyes.
“Let’s get you further up on the table.” The woman helped Zoe scoot back. “Now, please pull up your shirt.”
Zoe did, revealing the roundness of her belly, made more pronounced by lying down. She looked over at Gabe. His attention was fixed on her middle. There was something telling and intense about his focus. Seconds later his gaze rose to meet hers and his eyes softened. What was he thinking?
Soon the tech squirted a glob of gel on Zoe’s belly and had the transducer moving over her skin. The swishing sound of the baby’s heart beating filled the room. “Okay, Dad, you can come and stand beside Mom.”
Gabe didn’t have to be asked twice. When he was beside her, he placed his hand over hers where it rested on the exam table, curling his fingers into her palm. It was as if he had to be touching her. For a man who had asserted he didn’t have time or room in his life for a family, he seemed very interested in her and this baby. Maybe he didn’t know what he really wanted.
The tech continued to watch the screen as she moved the transducer over Zoe. “All right, I understand you want to know what gender this baby is. Let’s see if we can find out.”
Zoe glanced at Gabe. He was watching the screen intently.
Before Zoe could look back the tech said, “I believe with that anatomy it’s a boy.”
Pure joy filled Gabe’s face. He squeezed her hand and breathed softly, “A boy.”
Zoe looked at the screen. There was their baby boy. Would he look like Gabe? She hoped so. Tall, dark-haired with magnetic blue eyes. What child could go wrong with that combination?
A ringing sound had Gabe letting go of her hand and digging into his pocket. He looked at the cell phone and stepped away from her. Just that quickly the special moment evaporated.
“Dr. Marks.” He listened then said, “I’ll be right there.” He ended the connection and considered her, his face grave. “I have to go. I have to be there to supervise.”
His mind was already somewhere else.
“I know.” Zoe did understand. She was glad that at least he’d made it there for their special moment.
He moved around the machine and slipped out the door.
Zoe watched it close between them. It was just one more reminder nothing had changed and she shouldn’t get her hopes up.
* * *
Gabe would have never thought he’d be this absorbed in a baby. Was it because the child was his or because Zoe was carrying it? Or both? There had always been an attraction between him and Zoe, but in the last few weeks it had grown into something more. A feeling he didn’t want to put a name to or analyze, but that was taking control nonetheless.
He’d hated to leave her so abruptly, especially after his almost too late arrival. They had shared one of the most surreal moments of his life. He had been watching his son on the screen. More than that, he’d shared it with Zoe. For heaven’s sake, he was a physician and he’d gone through the OB rotation in medical school, but this time it was his child.
Although it was late in the evening before he headed out of the hospital, he still had a stop to make. Less than an hour later he pulled into the garage beside Zoe’s car. With a smile on his face, he picked up the brown bag in the passenger seat and climbed out of the car. Would Zoe think his purchase was silly or give him an understanding smile? It didn’t matter which, because he’d been unable to help himself.
There was a light burning in the kitchen but no Zoe. With the bag in his hand, he went to her hallway. “Zoe.” There was no answer. He took a few more steps toward her room. “Zoe?”
Seconds later the sound of music playing met his ears. She must not be able to hear him. He went to her bedroom door. “Zoe.” Still nothing. Now he was getting worried. Had she passed out? Fallen in the shower?
He stepped to the bathroom door and jerked to a stop. His throat tightened and his heart pounded. Zoe stood in front of the large mirror over the sink. She had her nightgown pulled up to below her breasts and was looking down while her hands slowly roamed over her expanded middle. A serene smile of wonderment lit her lovely face.
Gabe shifted.
Her head whipped toward him, her eyes wide. She reached for her gown.
“Please, don’t.” His words were soft and beseeching. “You’re so beautiful. Breathtaking.”
Zoe’s hands stilled but she watched him with unmistakable wariness.
Gabe placed the bag on the counter and slowly stepped behind her. Their gazes locked in the mirror. There was a question in her eyes. His arms circled her. She trembled when his palms touched her warm, smooth skin. Would she push him away?
His heart thundered in his ears when her hands covered his, her fingers interlacing with his. She moved them down and around until they cupped the tight globe encasing their baby. Zoe closed her eyes and leaned back against him. Gabe had never seen her look more angelic. Inhaling, he took in the soft, subtle scent of her freshness. He could do nothing more than stare. What he had in his arms was precious.
She once again moved his hands to rest at what had once been the curve of her hips. There was a small push against one of his palms. Gabe hissed. His heart swelled. Emotions too strong to comprehend grew in his chest and spread out to overtake him. This was territory he’d never been to before. “Zoe, thank you.”
* * *
Zoe stood perfectly still. Gabe’s voice was like a tender kiss upon her neck. She opened her eyes, meeting his intense, passionate gaze. He’d said he wouldn’t touch her again unless she asked him to, so it was up to her to make the first move. Turning in his arms, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pushed up on her toes. Her lips lightly touched his. “No. Thank you.”
Gabe’s mouth pressed into hers, igniting that fire that only he could. He pulled her closer. His lips slid over hers, leaving sweet waves of sensation radiating out through her body. She put her fingers to the hair at the nape of his neck, ran them through it. Moments later, Gabe’s gentle touch traveled over her back, grasping and releasing as his arms circled her, lifting her against him. She went willingly.
Where their previous kisses had been frantic, this one was loving and exploring, wondering and appreciating. Zoe moaned and melted further into him. She was sure she wasn’t taking the most rational action, but she could no longer fight her emotions.
Gabe’s mouth left hers to skim along her cheek, leaving small caresses that held more reverence than passion. He kissed her temple then the shell of her ear. “I want you. Just to hold you.”
“I want that too,” she purred against his lips.
Releasing her, Gabe lowered the gown
covering her. He took her hand, leading her out of the bathroom and across the house toward his room. Zoe had resisted going into his space. Had even put off cleaning there. Something about it was just too intimate. Now she was being invited in. Wanted.
Gabe let go of her hand at the door, moving into the dark room alone. Seconds later, a small lamp on a bureau lit the space. Gabe’s furniture was massive. It suited him. The king-size bed was the centerpiece with its dark green spread. On either side were two end tables. At one end of the room was a fireplace with enough space for a sitting area, but there was nothing there.
He returned to her, offering his hand. Zoe took it. She wanted this. Needed the closeness. Gabe led her to the bedside. His blue eyes seemed to glow with emotion. She was unable to identify which one before his lips found hers. His mouth touched hers gently, giving instead of taking. It was as if he was trying to convey his feelings without voicing them.
For the first time Zoe dared to hope that there might be a future for them.
When Gabe pulled away, he gave her another searching look. Going down on one knee, he took the hem of her gown and rolled it up. She sucked in a breath. With her heart in her throat, Zoe watched him lean in and place a kiss where their baby grew. Gabe turned his head, placing his cheek against her. Her hand cradled his head and held him close. Moisture filled her eyes.
He rose, bringing the gown up with him. Seconds later he stripped it off over her head. She shivered, her arms instantly covering her breasts.
“Please don’t hide from me. You’re stunning.” Gabe knelt and slowly slipped her panties to her feet.
Zoe stepped out of them as he pulled the bedspread back. Gabe turned and swept her up against his chest. One of her arms went around his shoulders as she buried her face in his neck, her mouth finding heated skin. He worshipfully placed her between the sheets then stood gazing down at her as if memorizing each curve and dip.
“You’re so beautiful. I just don’t have the words.”
Zoe’s heart danced. She lifted her arms, inviting him to join her. Gabe sat beside her instead. Their gazes held as he placed a hand over the baby. Hers came to rest on his before he slowly leaned down to kiss her. His sweet, tender ways were her undoing. This was the affection that love was made of. In her heart she’d known it when she’d invited him into her hotel room that fateful stormy night. Cupping his face in both hands, she held his mouth to hers.
His kisses were easy, caring, loving. She was being cherished with each touch of his lips. He controlled their kiss, refusing when she wanted to take it deeper. Her soul played joyous notes as he lightly skimmed his mouth over hers.
Zoe sucked in a breath as his attention left her lips to travel over her cheek. His mouth found the sweet spot behind her ear, pressed and suckled. His fingertips trailed down along the length of her arm and up again. She shuddered. Every nerve in her body was alive where Gabe’s next touch landed. He moved to her shoulder, leaving a kiss in the dip there before dropping more along a path to the rise of her breast.
Her breath hitched then caught when he cradled her in his hand. He shifted her breast, looked for a second before his mouth covered her nipple. Fireworks went off inside her, her breasts grew heavy, and her core tingled. Her fingers funneled into his hair as she relaxed on the pillow, closed her eyes and took in each precious nuance of his caresses.
“Gabe.” She lifted her shoulders, tugging his head toward hers.
He resisted. “Shh. Just feel.”
Could she take more? That was all she was doing—feeling. Her body was on fire with want. Her body throbbed, ached, begged for relief.
Gabe suckled then circled her nipple with his tongue. Her body clenched. As he continued to worship her with his mouth, his hand traveled tantalizingly slow over her hip then across her middle. A finger traced the circumference of her belly button before it glided downward. It brushed her curls and Zoe’s hips flexed. Gabe kissed the baby once more before his mouth returned to cover hers.
He pulled away too soon and she groaned, reaching for him in protest. Gabe chuckled lightly as he shifted on the bed so that her calves lay across his lap. The firm bulge of his manhood was visible beneath his pants. A slight smile came to her lips. He hadn’t remained unaffected by their kisses.
Zoe watched as he picked up her foot and began to massage it. When she pulled at a corner of the sheet in an effort to cover herself, he tugged it away.
“I want to admire you. Watch your body turn all rosy for me.”
She’d never lain naked in front of a man, much less while he touched and kissed her all over. There was something titillating and erotic about it to be desired so.
Gabe paid special attention to each of her toes, pulling gently before moving to the next. When he was done, he brought her foot to his mouth and placed his lips to her arch. Zoe sighed. This was heaven. How it should be between a man and a woman. Their gazes met and held. She bit her bottom lip as Gabe slowly ran his hand from her ankle up to her thigh, slipped inside the crease of her legs and then moved down again.
How much longer could she take his ministrations?
His wicked smile was equally sexy as he picked up her other foot. Confidence covered his handsome face. He was aware of what he was making her feel, enjoying it. After giving that foot the same attention he had given the other, he grabbed a pillow, placed it beside her, then another and did the same before he said, “Turn over.”
“Gabe, I don’t think—”
“Trust me.”
In spite of all her precautions, she’d found she could do just that. Gabe was so much more than she’d first given him credit for. Rolling not very gracefully onto her stomach, she allowed Gabe to help place the pillows so that any pressure was off the baby. She glanced back to see he had moved again so that he sat beside her hips. Over the next few minutes she concentrated on the provocative feel of his fingers as they teased their way up one leg, slipped between it and the other long enough for her center to burn with need, before moving away, leaving her wanting. Too soon his hand moved on to the other leg, teasing her to the point she quivered all over. When she believed Gabe could do nothing more to raise her arousal higher, his mouth found the curve of her back. His lips kissed their way up her back one vertebra at a time. At her neck, he pushed her hair away and gave her a sensual nip as his hand brushed the side of her breast. Zoe groaned.
“Roll to your back.” Gabe’s voice was gruff as if he were grasping for control. She couldn’t have moved without his help. Gabe’s magic hands had reduced her to nothing more than a lump of putty held together by bones. When she’d returned to her back, his attentions went directly to the V of her legs, touching, withdrawing and approaching to tease once again.
“I want to watch you find your pleasure.” His voice was low, coaxing. His lips settled on hers as his finger slipped into her center. She jerked upward, eager for relief only Gabe could provide.
His mouth slowly released hers before his look captured hers, held. He moved his finger faster. Tension built in her, squeezed, pulsed, before the dam burst. Her eyes widened as she flew off into paradise. She saw the look of wonder on Gabe’s face as she shuddered before her eyelids fluttered closed.
“Thank you,” she murmured.
He kissed her forehead. “My pleasure, honey.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
GABE’S FINGERS TRAILED across Zoe’s shoulder as he pulled back and stood. He covered her. What he’d experienced with Zoe had never happened to him before. He had always thought of himself as a generous lover and seen to his partner’s release, but he’d never given anyone the attention he had given her. He’d not worried about his own desires but hers instead, determined that Zoe understood all he felt.
She was special. Very. If she was willing, he wanted to work something out. Find a way they could stay together after the baby. When the time was right he would talk to her about
it. See if she felt the same way. But still he worried he couldn’t give her all she wanted. Could he be that present husband and father she dreamed of? Was he willing to find the balance in his life that would make it work?
He headed for the shower. It would be a cold one tonight. Sometime later he turned off the lamp and crawled under the bedcovers, pulling the warm, sleeping Zoe to him. With a sigh he drifted off to sleep. This was too right.
* * *
It was still dark when Zoe’s warm bottom rubbed against him. In an instant his body responded.
“Mmm...” Zoe murmured, before she turned to face him, her hand resting on his chest.
Gabe wasn’t sure she was awake but he certainly was.
Zoe slid her hand up his chest and behind his neck. When she kissed his chest he sucked in a breath.
“You awake?” Her sleep-laden voice sounded so sexy.
“Yes, honey. I’m awake.” And in pain.
“Honey.” She kissed his chest again. “I like it when you call me that.”
Gabe brushed his hand over the lower part of her back. He’d never called a woman that before.
“I like it,” Zoe mumbled. “And I like you.”
“I like you too.” His lips found hers.
She pulled closer, moving and shifting so the baby pressed more into his side than on his middle. Her mouth opened for him. Gabe took her invitation. His tongue found hers, performing an erotic dance that was theirs alone.
“If you continue that, I won’t keep my promise to just hold you.”
“I’d like being held but I like other things too.” Her hand moved lower.
“Are you sure?” If she continued, he would do anything she asked.
Zoe pulled his face to hers, kissing his eyes, his cheek, his chin before her lips found his. She squirmed, brushing against his arousal. That was more than Gabe could take. He rolled Zoe to her back and braced himself over her on his hands.
Gently, he entered her. Zoe lifted her hips, helping him to settle deep in her. As he entered and withdrew in the age-old manner, Zoe hissed while her fingers gripped his shoulders as he moved. His lips found hers. He increased the pace. She squirmed beneath him as if trying to work closer. With uncertain control, he built their pleasure until Zoe moaned and the tension in her relaxed. Gabe thrust a few more times, before he groaned his release. He fell to Zoe’s side and pulled her close, kissing her shoulder. Would life ever be this good again...?
The Brooding Surgeon's Baby Bombshell Page 12