She flinched, drawing away from his hand. Her nipples had been sore lately, not uncommon, given her condition.
He leaned forward, trying to read her face. “Hey, you okay? I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
She tried to bury her face in the pillow to avoid his curiosity. “Uh, just…” She wanted him to believe it was her cycle prompting the symptoms because if he began to suspect it was something more, he would be relentless.
“Oh shit, sorry.” He kissed her cheek. “I’ll be more careful, I promise.”
His compassion and understanding made her want to cry. There was no way she deserved this man. “It’s okay. Don’t worry.”
He brushed her hair back from her face. “I’d never do anything to hurt you. You know that, don’t you?”
She nodded, trying to fight back the tears.
“Hey, what is it, baby?” He kissed her shoulder. “You look upset.”
She shook her head. “No, I guess I’m just a little tired. It’s been a long week.” A long week of trying to distract herself with work so she wouldn’t think about him.
“I hear ya.”
She rolled over, snuggling against his side. “Listen to me complaining.” She settled her hand on his chest. “You must be exhausted after the week you’ve had and you go back out on the road week after next, right?”
He raised his hand to stifle a yawn. “That’s the plan.”
She looked up at him. “You think you’re going to be okay with it? Travelling to different cities every day, living on a tour bus…”
He grinned. “I don’t know. Can I count on you to be there to keep me company?”
She hated herself for allowing him to believe they could have a future together. “You know I have a business to run. I can’t just follow you all over the world.” Not that she wouldn’t like to.
He brushed his lips against her hair. “I know, that was just wishful thinking on my part, I guess. But as long as I have you to come home to, I’m good with it.”
Maybe claiming one last night with him had been a mistake. She should tell him now, before they made love again, that it had to be over.
He shifted his weight to cover her. “I know patience is supposed to be a virtue and all that, but I don’t think I can wait any longer.”
Her hands moved up his back. “Kiss me,” she whispered. So much for good intentions. When he looked at her like that, like he wanted to devour her, the only thing she could think about was having him inside of her again.
“Condom?” he asked.
She inclined her head toward the nightstand. “You’ll find some in there.”
He reached over, grabbing one from the box before closing the drawer. He grinned at her before tearing the package open with his teeth.
Once he had it open, she seized the package. “Why don’t I help you with that?”
He chuckled, dropping his head. “Darlin’, if you touch me right now, I’m liable to go off like a rocket.”
“Ohh, I wouldn’t mind seeing that.” She gripped his shaft, sliding her hand up and down before rolling the condom on.
“Sweet Jesus,” he muttered. “You don’t know what you do to me, woman.” He positioned himself over her, pausing long enough to look into her eyes and make that connection before sliding home.
She closed her eyes and tensed, needing to savor the moment. When she was alone and missing him, she wanted to remember what it felt like to have him surrounding her, his weight on top of her, filling her, his scent flooding her.
He leaned forward, easing his hands under head. “You need a minute, baby?”
Baby. That one word served as a reminder that she was carrying his baby. A little boy or girl he would never know. She hated herself almost as much as she hated Abby for doing this to him. He deserved to know his child, their child, to be a part of his or her life.
“I’m okay,” she whispered, closing her eyes. “Make love to me, Ty. Please…”
“My pleasure.” He leaned forward, nuzzling her neck as he slid in and out, stroking her. “That feels so good.” His breathing was ragged. “It’s been too damn long.”
She wrapped her arms and legs around him, trying to draw him closer, knowing it would never be close enough to ease the ache in her heart.
He reached an arm up to grab the headboard as he increased his intensity. He thrust in and out furiously, creating just enough friction to maximize her pleasure. “Ah, I’m gonna need a…” His face contorted in ecstasy, outlining his hard edges. “Minute, or I’m gonna lose it.”
She loved to watch him on the verge of losing control. Knowing that she had the power to make this tough guy melt in her arms satisfied her in a way sex alone never had. She knew it was because what she shared with Ty went beyond sex. It went beyond the bedroom. It was a soul-deep connection that left her feeling awed and terrified. “It’s okay. Just let go, Ty.”
“No, I want to make you…”
She squeezed him with her inner muscles, taking the decision out of his hands.
“Damn it, girl.” He gripped the headboard with both hands, tensing before giving into the sensation. As he absorbed the shock of his powerful release, he said, “My God, I think I’m gonna pass out.”
She laughed as he slowly withdrew and eased off the bed. “Be right back.”
She watched him walk to the bathroom. He was amazing. Hard muscles, bronzed skin, massive shoulders that tapered down to a narrow waist. She sighed. How the hell was another man supposed to compete with that? She reached for the remote control for her sound system and pressed the button, filling the room with the sound of music. His music.
He came out of the bathroom, grinning. “Would somebody turn that shit off?”
She laughed and patted the bed beside her. “Come here, cowboy. You wore me out. Time to get some sleep.”
He slipped between the sheets, tucking his arm around her as he settled her head on his chest. “G’night, baby.”
That was the last word she heard on his lips as she drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Fifteen
Ty woke up to the sound of screaming and crying.
Avery was thrashing around in bed shouting, “No, my baby. Please, don’t let him take my baby.”
Startled, he sat up, torn between listening to her rant and waking her. In her dream, Avery believed she had a baby and someone was trying to take him or her away? What the hell was that about?
“Please, don’t do this, I’m sorry. I should have told you. It was my fault. She needs me. I’m her mother…”
She was crying harder now, sobbing.
Ty touched her shoulder, afraid of startling her. “Avery, honey, wake up. You’re having a bad dream.”
“No, you can’t,” she shouted. “I won’t let you.”
He shook her more forcefully, trying to put her out of her self-induced misery. “Avery, wake up.”
Her sobs started to subside as she forced her eyes open. She sat up in bed. “Where’s the baby? What have you done with her? I want my baby.”
Ty stared at her, trying to decide whether she was awake. She appeared to be. Her eyes were wide open.
She jumped out of bed and ran down the hall.
He got up to follow her, concerned she might hurt herself if she wasn’t fully awake. “Where the hell are you going?”
“To the nursery,” she shouted over her shoulder.
“Nursery? What nursery? What are you talking about?”
She stopped in the doorway of her second bedroom, a small home office. She turned toward Ty, looking upset and confused. “What happened?” She pressed her hands to her stomach.
“Sweetheart, you were just having a bad dream. You must have imagined you had a baby and someone was trying to take her from you.”
“You,” she whispered. “It was you.” She touched her fingertips to her mouth, as though she wished she could take the words back.
“Why would I try to take your baby?” He looked at her carefully. His gut told
him this went beyond a random dream.
She covered her face with her hands, rubbing her eyes. “I don’t know. Listen, you’d better go, Ty.”
He glanced at his watch. It read 3:04 a.m. “You want me to leave now? Why?” He grabbed her wrists, pulling her hands away from her face. “What’s going on with you? And don’t tell me nothing. I can see there’s something wrong.”
She shook her head. “It’s nothing. It was just a stupid dream.” She shook free of his grasp and stalked past him into the bedroom. After bending to pick up his clothes, she thrust them at him. “I’d like you to go now, please.”
“I don’t get it. Last night was amazing. I felt like we were really connecting. Then you have this weird dream and now you can’t get rid of me fast enough.” He knew there was some connection between the dream and her attitude toward him. He just needed more insight to put the pieces together.
She sank down on the edge of the bed, sighing. “You’re wrong. This has nothing to do with the nightmare. This is about you and me.” Staring at the floor, she said, “It’s not going to work. I’m sorry. Last night never should’ve happened.”
He fisted his shirt in his hand. She was doing it again, trying to push him away. Only this time he wasn’t going to let her. “Are you telling me you don’t want me, you don’t feel anything for me?” If she tried to convince him of that, she was wasting her time. He knew what she felt for him was as powerful as the feelings he had for her. If she needed a little more time to come to terms with it, he could give her that, but he’d be damned if he’d let her walk out of his life again.
She looked up at him briefly, her eyes quickly scanning his face before diverting her attention to the bedside clock. “I’m not going to lie. I do have feelings for you, but I don’t love you, Ty, I’m so sorry.”
Okay, that hurt, but he still wasn’t willing to accept it without a fight. He couldn’t force her to feel something she didn’t, but his instincts told him she was living in denial, out of fear. He had to uncover that fear before he could help her get past it. “I don’t believe you.”
She looked up; seemingly surprised he planned to challenge her claim. “You have to believe me; it’s true.”
“Last night, that was the real you, Avery. That was the woman behind the mask, the one you’re afraid to show to the rest of the world.” He sank down to his knees in front of her. “You let me in last night. Why are you trying so hard to shut me out now? What are you afraid of, honey?”
She sighed, her breath coming out in a shaky huff. “I’m afraid of hurting you. You don’t deserve that.” She rested her hand on his shoulder. “You’re a good man. You’re just not the man for me.”
“Why not?” He had to force himself to ask the question. If she was determined to end this, he had to know why he wasn’t good enough.
“Why are you making this so difficult?”
“Answer the question. Tell me why I’m not the guy for you.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re really going to make me do this, aren’t you?” When he said nothing, she grabbed a pillow, holding it against her mid-section. “Fine, I’ll tell you. I’m used to dating men who are sophisticated, wealthy, and professional, like Jeffery. Not cowboys who want to be country singers.”
He felt like she’d kicked him in the gut. Maybe he should have walked away instead of calling her out.
“I’ve gone to the finest schools in the world, built a successful business on my own. I need someone in my life who’s travelled the same path I have. And I’m sorry to tell you that isn’t you. Let’s face it. We couldn’t be any more different.”
She was right. His family had been struggling financially since the day he was born. They were hardworking country folks with good values and better intentions. He wasn’t ashamed of where he came from, but she clearly was. “I’m not good enough for your high-society parties? Not good enough to meet your prep school friends, is that it?”
She laughed. “Come on, could you really see yourself on my arm at a black tie charity ball? That’s my life. It’s who I am. You could never fit into my world, no matter how hard you tried.”
He’d been trying to convince himself they could make it work, despite their differences, because they loved each other. But if she didn’t feel the same way, it was pointless. “Okay, I get it.” He stood up, gathering the rest of his clothes. “I won’t bother you again.”
Avery waited for the soft click of the door before she fell back on her pillow, sobbing. She hated herself for saying those cruel and hurtful things to him. They couldn’t have been further from the truth. She didn’t give a damn about the money or their roles in society. She loved Ty for who he was, kind, generous, hardworking, and honest.
He was getting too close to the truth. She could see it in his eyes after she’d woken from that awful dream. He was starting to put the pieces together and she had no choice but to throw him off the path, to distract him. Judging by the look in his eye when he left, she’d succeeded.
She glanced at the bedside clock. There was no way she was going to be able to go back to sleep or focus on work. Instead, she turned on the television, curled up in the fetal position under the duvet that still smelled like him, and watched sitcom reruns until she finally dozed off.
Hours later, the telephone and alarm clock rang simultaneously, rousing her from sleep.
She sat up, pushing her hair out of her eyes. Checking the call display, she muttered a curse. Her mother was the last person she wanted to deal with today.
She punched the button to silence the alarm and cleared her throat before picking up the phone. “Hi, Mom, what’s up?” She fell back against the pillows and rubbed her bleary eyes. Thank God for concealer to hide those nasty dark circles she was bound to have.
“Hello, darling. I didn’t wake you, did I?”
Her mother’s faux concern grated on her nerves at the best of times. When she was already on edge, it was unbearable. “It’s okay. It was time for me to get up.”
“Ty isn’t there, is he?”
Ty? How the hell did her mother know about him? “No, why would you think that?”
“Your young man came to see us recently. I have to admit, Avery, I was surprised, to say the least.”
Avery ground her teeth. Her mother was nothing if not an elitist. She was undoubtedly prepared to rake her over the coals for dating a man who was beneath her. “Why were you surprised?”
“He’s a lovely young man. Your father and I think he’s perfect for you.”
Avery sat up so quickly she smacked the back of her head against the headboard. “What are you talking about?”
“He told us how he feels about you.” Her mother sighed. “You know I’m not one to be taken in by heartfelt declarations, but I must say he had me convinced. That man loves you.”
She felt the hot burn of tears stinging her eyelids. She wished she and her mother had the kind of relationship that lent itself to full disclosure. Sadly, they didn’t. But she could use someone to share her burden and her mother, the shrink, seemed like the most likely candidate at the moment. Maybe she could put on her doctor hat and help her make sense of the mess that was her life.
“Mom, I have something to tell you.” She took a deep breath, bracing herself for the backlash. “I’m pregnant.”
Her mother emitted a sound that sounded suspiciously like an excited squeal.
“Are you okay?”
She giggled like a schoolgirl. “Of course I’m okay. This is the best news I’ve heard all year. When is the baby due?”
“Not until the spring, but…”
“Ty must be so excited. When he told us about Melanie, it was obvious how much he wanted a child of his own.”
The guilt stabbed her like a sharp blade through the heart. “Ty doesn’t know about the baby. I can’t tell him.”
“What? What are you talking about? He is the father, isn’t he?”
Avery sighed. Her mother still had a talent for making
her feel like a rebellious teenager instead of a grown woman. “Of course he’s the father, Mother. Are you suggesting I sleep with dozens of men at one time?”
Her mother gasped. “You know that’s not what I meant. Shame on you for even suggesting such a thing.”
Avery rolled her eyes. For a woman who made her living listening to the depraved musings of the marginally unstable in the psychiatric ward of her local hospital, her mother could be such a prude.
“Suffice it to say, Ty is the father. But I can’t tell him because his ex-wife is back in the picture, making all kinds of threats and demands.”
“I thought he and Abby had been separated for years.”
Wow, Ty apparently did believe in full disclosure. He had told her parents all the sordid details of his life. How he still managed to make a good impression was beyond her. Had it been anyone else, her parents would have been crucifying her for her poor taste in men.
“They have been, but she’s back in the picture now. She found out that I’m pregnant and she’s threatening to go to the tabloids with her sad story about how her husband cheated on her and is having a baby with his mistress. Country music is still a pretty conservative business. She knows that kind of story would be enough to end his career before it even got off the ground. I can’t do that to him, Mom.”
Anna sighed. “I can certainly see your dilemma. So, what will it take to make this little bitch disappear?”
It was Avery’s turn to be shocked. Her mother never used profanity. “Are you suggesting we have her knocked off?”
She laughed. “No, darling, nothing that sinister. Women like that are after one thing, money. I’m suggesting we buy her silence.”
“I’m afraid that’s not going to work. She thinks the big payoff will come if she stays married to him. That’s why she’s trying to get me out of the picture. She wants to cash in on the platinum records, sold-out tours, not to mention the notoriety.”
“You’re confident he’ll achieve that kind of success?”
“I have no doubt about it.” Ty had everything it took to be a megastar in this business. The only thing standing between him and stardom was her and their unborn baby.
Reckless (Nashville Nights) Page 18