He hadn't wanted to admit that it wasn't his son, but she couldn't have known that, and he was relieved and grateful that she had stepped in and stopped him from revealing the truth to the doctor. He smiled back at Grace and the secret became theirs to keep. A new bond formed between them then; one of strength and partnership, closeness and understanding.
Dr. Hanson looked at all of the information he had collected and gave them both an approving nod. "Everything looks really good. His weight and length are right where they should be, his heartbeat is good, and he's growing well. You'll have a strong, healthy son."
"Thank you so much," Grace told him. "We really appreciate you coming out here and helping us with this. I realize that's not something you normally do, and I want you to know that we're thankful."
He nodded again as he packed up all of his tools and machines. "It's no problem at all."
Wilson was waiting to help the doctor carry his things and escort him out. As Oliver closed Grace's bedroom door behind the doctor, and turned back toward her, she came to him and wrapped him in an excited hug.
"It's a boy!" she grinned excitedly, holding him tightly.
He hugged her back and held her close to him for a long moment, wishing he could keep her there, and then he let his arms fall away as he stepped back from her. "It's wonderful news. Father and I didn't care if it was a boy or a girl, we're just excited he's healthy. It is nice that it's a boy, though... you know, to carry on the family name." He smiled at her, gazing into her eyes and trying to ignore the ache in his heart for her.
"Thank you for covering for me when the doctor thought that..." he trailed off. He couldn't say it. She smiled and stepped toward him again, sliding her hands and arms around his waist, looking up into eyes green eyes.
"It was no problem at all. It doesn't matter what he thinks or knows," She said in a quiet voice.
Oliver pursed his lips and shook his head. "He thinks the baby is mine! How come you haven't told him who the baby's father is?" he asked in anguish as frustration mounted in him.
She looked at him in consternation. "I didn't tell him because it doesn't matter who the baby's father is! Why does it matter? Why do you even care if he thinks it's your baby?"
His face contorted slightly and his eyes grew dark with pain. "Because I wish this baby was mine! I wish you were mine!" The moment he spoke the words, he couldn't believe he had given voice to them, but they were said and there was no taking it back. His heart pounded and his chest tightened. He couldn't believe he'd said it aloud. He'd thought it almost constantly over the last few days leading up to the appointment. He'd wished it deep in his heart, but he hadn't said it aloud, not even to himself.
Grace blinked and stared at him for a moment; stunned that he had admitted it to her, stunned that he had spoken the exact same things that were in her own heart. How many times, just that week, had she wished that the baby was Oliver's instead of Lance's? How many times had she told herself not to allow such thoughts and wishes in her heart and mind, and how many times had she told herself that she was the only one who wanted those wishes to be true? Now she knew that she was not alone, and that he wanted it, and more than that, he wanted her, just as much as she wanted him.
She shook her head slightly in disbelief and launched herself into his arms, holding him to her as she pressed her mouth to his, kissing him hard, hoping with that kiss to push away all of the doubt and insecurity she had felt that he would never reciprocate the ocean of feelings in her heart.
Oliver was shocked. One moment she was looking at him with eyes filled with something he could not read and understand, and he had been waiting for her anger in response to what he had admitted, but then the next moment she was bound around him, her arms encircling him tightly, her lips pressed to his as she kissed him desperately, and everything in him that wanted her, that need her, was suddenly magnified a thousand times over.
His arms wrapped around her as he returned her kiss, moving his mouth over hers fervently, as if she was the breath he needed to keep from suffocating without her. Astonishment in him gave way to a white hot flame that began to spread through him, reaching every part of him and saturating him with an absolute need for her.
Grace felt his arms and his hands tighten even more as their tongues twisted and their bodies pressed hard against one another. An ache formed in her, as need began to build and heat coursed through her, taking her over as it intensified. His mouth moved from hers, leading slowly down her neck as her head fell back and her hands moved over his stomach and the wall of muscles of his chest, up to his head as he bent it to her. She slid her fingers into his hair and held him as his lips and tongue left fire in their wake. His groin tightened and he closed his eyes for a long moment, battling his will, knowing that everything would change between them forever, but his need for her took him over, and he willingly succumbed to it.
He lifted his face from the curve between her neck and shoulder, and held her head in his hands, looking into her eyes solemnly. "Grace," he whispered her name breathlessly, "tell me what you want."
Her heart was pounding in her chest and she spoke the words she felt so strongly. "I want you... all of you," she said as she lifted her mouth to his and kissed him. He closed his eyes and met her lips, moving over them urgently as his hands went to her blouse, unbuttoning it and pulling it from her body.
Grace pulled his shirt from him, revealing his sculpted and toned chest and stomach. She ran her fingers and hands over it as she made her way to his pants, unfastening them as his own hands freed her from her bra. Their clothes gone, his hands and eyes canvassed her body, scooping gently around the full swell of her generous breasts, and the curve of her hips. Every place he touched on her body seemed to fuel the fires of desire in her and Grace could wait for him no more.
She pulled him to the bed with her, sinking into the pillows as he moved above her, his eyes steady on hers for a moment before he leaned down and kissed her mouth. His hand was firm on her hip, giving it a squeeze of anticipation. He brought it up to cup her breast, drawing her dark flesh to his tongue and teeth as he kissed and sucked at her nipple, teasing her as she held his head in her hands and closed her eyes, rapturous.
Oliver had let himself imagine her in rare moments, dreaming of what she might look like beneath the clothes that clung to her curves the way he wished he could, and he had let himself envision what it might be like to feel her skin against his, to feel her lips and her breath on his own skin as he lay with her and made love to her, her hands holding him tightly, and it had been thrilling, but it was nothing more than a shadow compared to the intensity of passion that was pulsing through him as his hand caressed her body, reaching down to the core of her, sliding over the soft folds of her skin there, and making her arch her back and gasp as he began to massage her, giving her waves of extraordinary pleasure.
Grace gave a breathy sigh as his fingers moved deftly over her, igniting a fierce need in her that he answered as his fingertips slipped inside of her, drawing the heat in her to his firm touch. She began to rock her hips slowly against his hand, the power of satisfaction building steadily in her as he ran his tongue over her hardened nipple, biting softly at it. The momentum increased as his fingers mastered her and she grasped at the pillows around her, clenching them tightly and crying out, overwhelmed by the release he gave her.
Just as she had begun to catch her breath and open her eyes again, his hand drifted down her inner leg to her knee, and he spread her thighs and moved himself between them. She felt him against her for a moment, hard and hot, and then he slid himself slowly into her, filling her and taking her breath away as she held fast to the solid curve of his shoulders. She pressed her hips up against him, bringing him into her fully, reveling in the feel of him taking her as their rhythm formed and they began to move together, their hearts racing, their bodies immersed in pleasure as heat radiated through them.
Beads of sweat formed on their skin as they wrestled and turned togethe
r in the bed; he arching over her, thrusting himself into the depths of her, and her riding above him, pushing herself over his hips as their bodies burned together. The volcano of pleasure they created mounted and built, and as they moved more swiftly, their desire becoming urgent for one another, they clung fast to each other, and the height of ecstasy engulfed them as they came together, shuddering and crying out; their fantasies realized and satiated.
Oliver held her close and kissed her softly as their hearts began to slow and they laid back into the bed together. He gazed into her eyes and reached up to touch her cheek gently, running his finger along the lines of it, drinking her in and trying to make himself believe the bliss he felt.
"I let myself imagine this with you," he told her in a soft deep voice, "but I never thought it would happen... I made myself let go of the hope that you and I would ever be like this. After our kiss in the rain, when I was gone, I forced myself to focus on the reality that you could only be a friend to me, maybe a best friend, because I care so much about you, but I pushed all those thoughts of sharing intimacy like this with you from my mind and heart because I was so sure that it was just never going to happen. I knew it wouldn't. I knew that you weren't mine to have, and if I didn't make myself let you go, it might kill me.
“I couldn't help being around you... you are here every day, you are part of my life, but you could never be mine. So close and yet so far away. I had to find a way to make myself believe that being friends with you would be enough. That I could handle being around you and not getting to touch you and kiss you like I wanted to, not getting to hold you and love you like I needed to with every part of my being, because you just weren't mine. It just wasn't possible, but... here we are. I can't believe you wanted me. I never would have thought it. I never would have guessed it and believed it. I still can't believe it, though we've just shared what was unquestionably the most incredible experience of my life. How... how is this real? How is it possible? How on earth did this even happen?" he asked with a confused and happy laugh, losing himself in her dark eyes.
Grace smiled and reached for his hand, closing her fingers around his. She drew his fingertips to her mouth and kissed them gently.
"It happened because I feel just the same as you do. I wanted you just as much as you wanted me." She looked a little sad for a moment and then she took a breath and said, "Did you mean what you said? Do you wish this baby was yours?"
He lifted both of his hands to cup her face and he looked into her eyes intently. "I do. I wish that I had met you first, that I had been the one to love you and that we had made that baby together, but you know what, it doesn't matter, because I love that baby as if he was mine, and I will always be there for him, and for you. I promise you that. No matter what happens, I will be there for you both. I might not have given him life, but I might as well have. He will have that much love and care from me," Oliver promised her and then leaned toward her and sealed it with a kiss.
Grace kissed him back, slowly, sensually, and then as he laid his head back on the pillow, she reached up and slipped her hand through his dark wavy hair and said quietly, "I wish he was yours, too, and I would give anything if he could be, but we are here now, and we have each other, and we have him. There's just one thing that I don't know now."
Oliver looked at her curiously. "What's that?"
"What are we going to tell Henry and Lance?" she asked worriedly.
Oliver paused. That was a lot to consider. There were two other people in the house who were bound to be significantly affected by what had changed and transpired between him and Grace, and he knew them best. She was depending on him to make the wisest move for them both, and for the baby.
He was quiet for a few minutes, thinking about it and considering every aspect. Then he took a deep breath and spoke quietly.
"It isn't fair to either of us for me to ask this, but we have to keep this between us for now. I don't know when Lance will be coming home, but as much as we both wish it were different, the fact is that you are carrying his child and he has some say in what will happen with the baby, and that may affect what happens with us.
“I might not like it, but we have to consider him in this and I don't feel like we can make any decisions about anything until he returns and we find out what his intentions are. I think for now, we should keep this a secret between us, and not let my father know that anything has changed, and not let Lance know either, until we find out what he is going to do." He sighed heavily. It was a great deal to ask and he felt horrible for having to ask it of her, but he was asking it of himself as well, and he knew that it was the best way to do it.
She frowned sadly. "If that's what you think is best, then I guess that's what we will have to do. I think it's incredibly selfless of you to put Lance into the equation with us, but there's just no getting around the fact that he is in the equation. He is the baby's father, and he's your brother, and he does have a say."
Oliver couldn't stand to see the sadness in her eyes. He leaned close to her and whispered, "He may have a say, but not until he gets home, and until he gets home, I am going to do my level best to make the best of the time that we have together." He lifted his chin and pressed his lips to hers, kissing her softly. She laughed quietly as she slid her arms around his neck, and it wasn't long after that, that she pulled him on top of her, and he entered her again, making love with her late into the night.
***
Oliver made good on his promise, and in each day that followed, he found every reason to spend time with Grace, helping her in her greenhouse, or at least trying to until their talking and teasing led to touching and kissing, and they wound up in each other's arms, making love on the sofa in her lounge.
She was every bit as interested in him, and every night they were either in her bed, or in his, touching and loving, finding passion and release in each other's embrace. She even locked the two of them in his office one morning after breakfast and they indulged in moments of fast love before she slipped away again to let him work.
They picked their daily walks back up, and he showed her the woods and every part of the grounds. Her favorite was the sitting bench by the pond beneath a weeping willow tree. It was secluded and peaceful, and she loved sitting there with him, laying against his chest and his shoulder as he held her.
"This is the best spot on the property," she told him one morning as they watched the ducks in the pond, swimming and splashing. "I wonder what it looks like in the afternoon. Why don't we ever come here later in the day?" she asked curiously.
He kissed her forehead and looked down into her eyes. "Because this was my mother's favorite spot on the property as well. She and my father used to come here quite often, and now that she's gone, he comes here alone in the afternoons; I guess to be with her, or her memory. It's his special place, too," he said in a low voice as he touched her cheek gently.
She raised her chin, looked up at him and smiled. "Well, I love it even more now that I know that."
He lost himself in the beauty and sweetness of the moment and smiled back at her. "I love you," he said softly.
There was a moment then when his heart stopped and he couldn't believe he had said it out loud. She stared at him in surprise for a moment, but then her full lips curved upward and she reached for his hand on her cheek and held it. "I love you, too."
Oliver leaned down to kiss her again, and as his lips were tasting hers, she jumped suddenly and sat straight up, clutching his shoulder. He looked at her worriedly. "What's wrong?"
She laughed and clutched her belly, looking at him in amazement. "The baby! I think he just moved... I think he kicked me!"
Oliver's face changed from one of concern to one of utter delight. "He kicked you? You felt him? Where?" His eyes lowered to her belly as if he might have been able to see it should it happen again.
She looked down and placed her hand on the side of her belly where the baby had nudged her. She helped Oliver position his hand there as well, an
d then she looked up at him as they waited quietly for a moment. They shared an excited gaze as the moments passed, and though they were long moments, they were rewarded when they both felt a soft bump against the wall of her stomach.
"Oh wow!" Oliver exclaimed. "I've never felt anything like that before."
"Me either!" she said, laughing with him. They spent much of the next hour feeling around her stomach for the next movement. It was a joyful morning for them. They went back to the house, excited and talking about the experience, and later that afternoon, Henry was able to feel the baby moving as well.
The old man was enormously thrilled, and Grace could see how much it meant to him to be able to share in the precious moment with her. Things between her and Oliver had changed again, though not subtly this time. They had admitted their growing love for one another, and it brought forward the questions in her mind about what would change when Lance returned to the house, and how things would be. She hadn't planned on falling in love, and certainly not with Lance's brother, but there they were, and there was nothing to be done about it.
Oliver felt like he was living in the golden calm before the storm. Everything between him and Grace was amazing. They had admitted their love for each other and it grew stronger every day. Their passion grew just as much, and they made love like newlyweds; every stolen moment they could during the day, and for long hours every night, losing themselves in each other's arms. But he didn't like hiding it from his father, and he didn't like the feel of impending doom that hovered at the back of his mind, knowing that Lance was going to be returning home at some point. He knew that when he did, he was going to have to sit down with his brother and tell him that he had fallen in love with the woman who was carrying his child, and ask Lance for his blessing, because Oliver had made up his mind he wanted to ask Grace to marry him and spend the rest of her life with him, which complicated every possible aspect of their situation.
The Baby Shower Page 61