Appreciation for the way she looked in the formfitting jumpsuit she’d worn.
One desire on top of another had snowballed into a need to be with her. A need to marry her and tie her to him forever. He’d come up with the contract idea as the fastest and shortest way to make her his wife.
Now that she was, he wondered at his idiocy. He should have done it right. He should have courted her as Abby deserved to be courted. She’d been deprived of a childhood. Her marriage had been nothing less than a charade. He should have seen that she needed more.
But he, too, had shortchanged her. Of all the things he’d done in his life, he’d jeopardized her greatest chance for happiness. And his?
Was it too late?
Why should Abby believe his sincerity now?
Could she ever let go of the past and love him without that damn contract hanging like a noose around his neck?
Abby’s hand covered the rigid muscles in his arm. “Devlin, are you okay?”
“Sorry, I guess I must not have gotten enough sleep last night.” As he struggled to regroup, he could see Abby wasn’t convinced by his glib explanation. But now wasn’t the time to plead his case and undo all the mistakes he’d made.
He pulled the checkbook from his back pocket. “Let’s order this bedroom set and then after the baby has outgrown it, we’ll save it for our grandchildren.”
Abby didn’t seem convinced, chewing on the side of her lip as she was apt to do when she was thinking. “Maybe I should help pay for—”
“It’s our money. Everything I own is yours.”
Did she understand what he was trying to say?
He wanted a future with her where they shared and shared alike. He understood that she’d always had to pay her own way. But that was with people who had never really loved her.
Not the way he did, with that heart-thudding certainty that this was the woman he wanted in his life and bed forever.
But Abby had heard promises like that all her life. They’d been broken time and time again. She’d learned to be cautious. Learned to trust in half measures.
It couldn’t be like that between them. He had to make her fall in love with him, keep her a bit off balance so she couldn’t put her past between them.
He had to seduce her in such a way that she’d willingly tear up the contract between them.
After they arranged to have the crib set delivered, Devlin took her to a nice Chinese restaurant for lunch. “Do you want to shop some more or tour the Parade of Homes?” he asked after they were finished eating.
“I’ve met my quota of shopping for one day,” Abby said. “What is the Parade of Homes?”
The Parade of Homes, she learned, was an annual event that showcased thirty or so brand-new homes. Most of them had been presold and were located in four different areas in the greater Madison area.
As Devlin swung the car through the streets in a community outside of Madison, he pointed out several new businesses along Main Street. “This used to be a small community that centered around farming. But during the past few years, people from Madison have started moving eastward.”
“Have you built any homes around here?”
He shook his head. “I’ve built several north of here in Sun Prairie.”
While Abby could appreciate the decors and structures in the different houses they visited, what she enjoyed the most was listening to and learning about Devlin—the contractor and the businessman—as they strolled through the elegantly attired homes.
The first house they visited was beautifully situated on a large lot at the end of a cul-de-sac, an ideal location with a number of mature oak trees shading the property. Abby loved the deck that wrapped around three sides of the house and looked over the picturesque setting.
As they walked through the handsomely decorated two-story house, Devlin examined some new gadgetry while Abby explored the kitchen. The center island in the middle of the room was large enough for six people to sit around, and she could easily imagine a family sitting there for snacks or breakfast.
The rest of the house was equally impressive, with three roomy bedrooms, two fireplaces and hardwood floors throughout.
But as charming as the house was, Abby found her attention centered on Devlin. Despite her lack of knowledge of building materials and the industry in general, he’d ask her opinion about a particular feature. Furthermore, he had a habit of taking her hand as they’d walk from room to room, reconfirming the intimacy that had blossomed the day before in the doctor’s office.
The awareness between them manifested itself. Feeding on each time he touched her. Each time he listened. He made her feel important and special. That was both comforting and threatening.
Abby knew she should be worried about the dangers of letting down her guard, but she couldn’t seem to resurrect her old barriers. Not with the unforgettable knowledge that Devlin wanted her.
Wanted her, Abigail O’Reilly Hamilton. Pregnant and a debt hanging over her head, and he still wanted her.
She couldn’t forget his confession. She didn’t want to. The reality was equally scary and intriguing.
The fourth house they visited became her favorite. She loved everything, from the stone-brick fireplace in the family room to the large master bedroom that took up half the second floor. But it was the bathroom that captivated her soul.
When they walked into the sumptuous bathroom, she stopped short. A large whirlpool bath, big enough for two people, sat in the middle of the chic interior. Shiny black cabinets, a big marble counter and reflective mirrors on all four walls made the room rich and inviting. A groan escaped Abby’s lips. “This is either heaven or belongs in a rich man’s harem.”
“Like it?” Devlin leaned against the doorway, looking relaxed except for his watchful eyes.
She ran her fingers across the marble vanity. “I could live in that whirlpool bath forever. It’s decadent, extravagant and perfect. Real people don’t have bathrooms like this, do they?”
“You would be surprised how many real people do. In particular, women love these bathrooms.” He slowly dimmed the lights. Shimmering sensuality shrouded the room. “Now what do you think?” His voice had dropped to a seductive level.
Smoothing the gooseflesh that sprang up over her arms, she didn’t dare tell him what she really thought. Her fantasies were decidedly erotic and R-rated, with Devlin playing the lead role.
In the sensual setting, she could easily imagine them sharing the tub-for-two, picturing Devlin’s naked shoulders rising about the frothy water, feeling the sleekness of his skin against hers. In her mind’s eye, he would lean over her and place his lips to her throat, blazing a trail of kisses along her pulse points.
“Abby?”
At the sound of her name, Abby jerked back to reality. She saw Devlin straighten and take a step toward her. She held out a hand to ward him off. It was hard enough to think when he was standing six feet away. If he moved any closer, she didn’t know what she’d do. “I’m fine. Really. I’ve never seen a room like this before.” She knew her words were tumbling over each other without rhyme or reason.
The prudent thing to do was escape before she did something that would embarrass them both. “I don’t think a room like this is what we need for the baby.”
His gaze stroked hers. “No, this isn’t for a baby or the kids. It’s strictly for adults.” Devlin quit moving toward her but continued to watch her closely, the intensity cranking up a notch. “For us. I think it would be a good idea for us to add a bathroom similar to this to the house. We could use it at the end of a long day when all the kids are in bed. Doesn’t that sound relaxing?”
Sharing a hot tub with Devlin would be anything but relaxing. Stimulating. Hot. Seductive. Yes. But relaxing? Not until her sex drive shriveled up from disuse. Even then, she doubted being with Devlin in a sea of bubbles would be relaxing. “Something like this costs a lot of money.”
“Money isn’t an object.”
For him,
it probably never had been. She searched for another possible excuse to keep him from building temptation onto the house. “When would you have time to build it? Summer is your busy time.”
“My crew needs one more project to fill in this summer. No reason they can’t build a bathroom and extra bedroom for us.”
He had an answer for everything. Or so it seemed. She wished she had the courage to ask him what he was really proposing. But she didn’t. “Why didn’t you add a room like this when you built the house?”
“I didn’t see a purpose or have a need for it.”
And he did now?
Even though he hadn’t moved, she felt surrounded by him.
He wants you.
But for how long? What would happen when he got tired of her? When the newness between them waned?
They couldn’t stay locked up in a bathroom forever.
Desire couldn’t be sustained. Then what would happen?
“We’d turn into prunes.” She’d said the first thing that came to her mind.
Devlin’s gaze claimed hers. “I’ll rub lotion on your back if you rub some on mine.”
Oh, Lord. Was he trying to drive her crazy?
Her husband stood with his feet apart and his thumbs anchored on the edges of his jean pockets, bold desire gleaming from his gaze. The man didn’t play fair.
Desperate, she shut her eyes against the steamy images he provoked and implanted on her senses. For both their sakes, she needed to put an end to this. They’d only regret it later if they let things get out of hand now. Using the only defense weapon she had left, she forced a yawn.
Fortunately, she didn’t have to feign one. After being on her feet most of the day, she was tired. And given the amount of energy she’d had to raise to combat her emotions, she was dog-tired.
Suddenly, the full wattage of light returned. She blinked at Devlin.
Concern had chased away the high voltage of passion on his face. “You look like you need a nap. Are you ready to go?”
She nodded. But she couldn’t resist taking one more lingering look at the bathroom.
As he took her arm, Devlin said, “I’ve got the manufacturer’s brochure and several others. We can look at them later if you like.”
Liking was not the problem.
Abby slept most of the way home. When they walked into the house, Devlin steered her to the bedroom. He pushed her gently down on the bed and pulled off her shoes. She couldn’t raise her eyelids or open her mouth to thank him when he drew the bedcovers over her and then quietly left the room.
Waking several hours later, she checked the digital clock sitting on top of the dresser and saw it was nearly seven o’clock. She couldn’t believe she’d slept so long. Pushing back the blankets, she swung her feet off the bed and was halfway across the floor when the door opened and Devlin came in.
“Sleep okay?”
“I think I slumbered with the dead.”
He grinned at her. “Welcome back to the living. Are you hungry?”
“Starved.”
“You want to go out to eat or rustle up something here?”
It would probably be smarter to get dressed and go out to eat, but she didn’t have the desire to be smart right now. The kids would be returning in the morning and they wouldn’t get too many opportunities to eat at home, just the two of them. Alone. “Let’s eat here.”
It didn’t take them long to prepare a quick but satisfying meal. They talked about the kids, Devlin’s construction jobs for the summer and other safe subjects.
As they adjourned to the kitchen to do the dishes together, Devlin insisted on washing.
“You missed a speck of food on this plate,” she told him, offering him the dish.
He arched his eyebrow. “Sure you don’t want that piece later for a snack?”
“That’s mighty considerate of you but I think I’ll pass.”
“I’m a considerate type of man.”
“Humble, too.”
“I didn’t think you’d noticed.”
She’d noticed, all right.
She noticed even more things when his arm brushed against hers as he leaned over to wipe the counter, triggering curlicues of heat inside of her. How had she ever thought she could resist this man?
Did she want to?
After the last dish was put away in the cupboard, Devlin asked, “Want to play a game, watch some television or look at those brochures we brought home?”
A game sounded relatively safe. “What kind of game?”
“Poker?”
She wrinkled her nose. “Do you have Scrabble?”
He groaned. “That’s a woman’s game.”
“I happen to be a woman, in case you haven’t noticed.”
“Oh, I noticed, all right.” His heavy look of desire didn’t need an interpreter. “I could teach you the fine points of strip poker.”
“I didn’t think strip poker had any finer points.”
“It depends on what side of the table you’re sitting on.”
The devil lurked at the back of his green eyes and Abby knew better than to trust him. Why had she thought playing a game would be safe? For some reason, he was trying to stoke the fires raging between them. She decided to take the upper hand. “What other games do you have?”
Devlin didn’t seem quite ready to give up his suggestion. “We could get naked right away and then you wouldn’t have to worry about losing your clothes.”
She refused to be provoked. “I suppose we could each play our own game of Solitaire.”
He grimaced, and pulled out a chair from the dining-room table for her to sit in. “I’ll check the boys’ rooms and see what they’ve got that still has all the pieces.”
He came back with Boggle, a game that Abby had always found stimulating.
But the stimulation she’d enjoyed in the past became a distant memory to the kind Devlin introduced during the game.
After the sand ran through the timer, he read his list aloud. “Big, beg, beged—”
“Beged isn’t a word,” she protested.
“Sure it is.”
“No, begged is spelled with two g’s.”
“Not in my dictionary.”
She narrowed her gaze. “And what dictionary would that be?”
His leg bumped against hers beneath the table. “The Unabridged You-Don’t-Need-Two-G’s Dictionary.”
“Really?” She tried to move her knee away from his. “I’ve never seen that dictionary on any bookstore or library shelf.”
He flashed her a grin that wouldn’t have been admitted in public places as his hand came across the table and cupped hers. “You won’t find it any of those places.”
“So where would I find it?” She could barely corral her thoughts as his thumb stroked hers.
“On the inside door of the men’s restroom at Bart’s Gas Station.”
She refused to give him the satisfaction of pulling away and letting him believe he’d gotten the best of her. She lifted her chin to a disbelieving angle. “I haven’t been in the men’s restroom at Bart’s Gas Station.”
“That’s too bad.” His sincerity didn’t make the grade. “I guess you’ll have to take my word for it.”
She shook her head. “On the women’s side of Bart’s Gas Station, they spell it b-e-g-g-e-d. And since this is a woman’s game, as you put it, we’ll have to go by the rules on the female side of the wall.”
Lazy amusement gleamed at her. “Are you sure that’s on the restroom walls?”
“Just as sure as you are that beged is on the men’s side.” Her smile would have made a feline proud. He gave in. Temporarily.
As they played several more games, Devlin defended bas, pikul and loks.
More than once she threatened to get a real dictionary, but he wouldn’t consider it. As their debates heated up, so did the sexual tension between them. Somehow, her legs became trapped inside of his. She couldn’t move without generating more friction between them.
The game had become one of sexual undercurrents.
She didn’t want the evening to end, for them to go to their separate beds. For tomorrow to come. For the real world to descend and end this chemistry between them.
The clock struck eleven as they finished another game, and Abby looked up to see Devlin watching her. “Ready to call it quits?”
Was his voice huskier and deeper than usual? With the blood pounding in her ears, she couldn’t be certain. She licked her lips. “My eyes are starting to see double.”
His gaze tracked the movement of her tongue. “Likewise.”
She groped for the game box. “We’ll have to play it again sometime.”
He stood up and looked down at her from his full height. “Next time, I get to choose the game.”
After he left to return the game to the bedroom, she got to her feet and walked into the living room. She was too keyed up to sleep. Her legs were a bit stiff from sitting for too long, so she walked over to the window and stared out into the night. A cloud had passed over the moon and she could barely make out the craggy face.
A few minutes later, she felt Devlin’s presence behind her, the full weight of his gaze upon her.
“I used to talk to the moon when I was a little girl and we’d keep each other company.” She rubbed her hands over her arms and turned toward him.
He didn’t mock her or ask her why she needed to talk to the moon. “Do you talk to him now?”
“No, I’m not a lonely little girl now.”
“Why not?”
“I have a family and everything I’ve ever wanted.”
“Everything?” His question was low and strained. “Do you have everything you really want? Everything you need?”
The silence ticked between them as Abby tried to read his expression. Then she realized that she didn’t need to look any deeper than what was on his face. He hadn’t made any secret of what he wanted. He was waiting for her to decide what she wanted.
And if she would dare reach for it.
She shook her head. “No, I don’t have everything I want.”
“Tell me,” he demanded, without taking a step closer to her.
And Baby Makes Six Page 13