by Anne Rainey
Reilly shrugged. “Actually, even our closest friends sometimes have a tough time telling us apart.”
Lucy wriggled until Reilly grudgingly dropped his hand. “The resemblance is amazing, really.”
River’s smile broadened. “You see? She thinks we’re amazing.”
Reilly frowned. “You’re on thin ice, River.”
River ignored him and spoke directly to Lucy instead. “My brother is a bit greedy where you’re concerned, I’m afraid.”
Her grin came out of nowhere. “Yeah?” River’s flirty attitude was just the thing to take her mind off the upcoming audition.
Reilly’s arm went around her shoulders. “My brother’s right about that, at least. I definitely don’t share well with others.”
River chuckled, and Lucy found herself totally at ease with the two of them. “I bet you two were a handful growing up,” she said, curious about them.
Both men nodded, but Reilly spoke first. “We tried our damnedest to fool Mom, but she’s always been able to tell us apart and see right through our shenanigans.”
“Dad got us confused a time or two, though, didn’t he?” The mischief in River’s eyes couldn’t mask the love he obviously had for his father.
“It was loads of fun tricking him,” Reilly replied, “right up until he’d tan our hides.”
She stifled a laugh. “As I thought—a handful.”
“Enough about us,” Reilly said as he pointed to the small stage at the far end of the restaurant. “So, ready to belt out a tune?”
And then the nervous jitters returned. Lucy stepped off the stool and took a deep breath, then let it out. “Sure, but like I said it’s my first time to sing for anyone other than my bath sponge.”
River patted her on the back. “You’re going to do great.”
“River’s right. Besides, I happen to know for a fact that you don’t suck.”
Lucy frowned. “You do?”
Reilly crossed his arms over his chest, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. “I asked Sarah about you. She told me you have the voice of an angel.”
Sarah and her big mouth. “She caught me off guard once at my apartment and overheard me singing,” she explained. “I’m going to kill her.”
“Aw, don’t be mad at her,” Reilly said. “I sort of grilled her about you when you wouldn’t return my calls.”
River gave her a nudge toward the stage. “Quit stalling, beautiful.”
Lucy counted to ten, then turned and started walking across the room. Why did she suddenly feel as if she were on a pirate ship and she were about to walk the plank? When she reached the small, raised area that acted as the stage, Lucy stepped onto it and took hold of the mic stand. “I’ve chosen a slow country tune. Will that do?”
“Perfect, sweetheart,” Reilly said. “Whenever you’re ready.”
With both of the men’s attention on her, Lucy dived in headfirst. God, how she wanted to knock Reilly’s socks off with her voice, but her nerves were rioting out of control, and the first few lines were shaky. Lucy closed her eyes and absorbed the music. Soon, her worries fell away, and she found herself drifting along with the tune. The romantic words caught in her heart, and without realizing it, Lucy thought of Reilly. His rugged features, intense green eyes and sensual lips. As she sang, Lucy imagined Reilly touching her, loving her. She swayed to the beat and caressed her own neck, where she ached to feel his lips. Her hands smoothed down her sides as she imagined Reilly’s hands caressing her curves. Warm breath brushed her cheek, startling her out of her fantasy. Reilly stood in front of her, staring down at her with a look that sent her pulse into a tailspin.
“I’ve missed you,” he murmured.
“This is only an audition,” she said, knowing nothing could be further from the truth.
His eyes darkened with arousal. “Sarah was right—you do sing like an angel.”
“Thank you,” she said in a breathless voice. She looked around the room and noticed River had gone. “Did I scare your brother away?”
He chuckled. “No, he loved it and wanted me to tell you the stage is yours if you want it.”
Lucy wondered if she could truly sing to a roomful of customers. She honestly didn’t know. “I’m not trying to play hard to get, but I really will have to think it over.”
“A little scary to think of singing to a crowd, huh?”
“Very,” she replied. “I hope you understand.”
He cupped her cheek in his palm. “Of course, but I am going to try to persuade you.”
Her heart skipped a beat as she imagined Reilly’s persuasion techniques. “Oh?” She moved a step closer, bringing their bodies into contact, and the scent of his natural masculinity came over her. It made her long to run her tongue over his beautiful, full lips. “And how would you do that?”
“Like this,” he groaned as his head descended and his mouth brushed hers.
Rising up on her tiptoes, Lucy deepened the kiss. Initiating the first contact gave her a sense of feminine power. Reilly stood motionless, not touching her, as if he were afraid of startling her. Lucy wasn’t nearly as careful, though, as her fingers delved into the thick mass of his hair. A tremor raced through her body. God, how she loved the taste of him. When Reilly slipped his tongue inside her mouth, stroking the interior before playing with her tongue, Lucy came to her senses. She pulled back and saw the raw desire on Reilly’s face.
“What are we doing?” Her mind was a whirl of emotion. Reilly’s very presence drove her to do things and think things she’d never before considered. She needed to talk to him, find out what was going on between them, where this was headed. Why couldn’t she think straight when he was anywhere near?
“We’re getting reacquainted,” he replied as he fisted his hands at his sides. “I’ve missed you like crazy, sweetheart.”
“And I’ve missed you,” she admitted, knowing he deserved total honesty. “But is this really wise?” She motioned between them. “You and me? I mean, I feel like things are complicated enough right now with the baby and all.”
“You’re the mother of my child, that’s true, but I care about you, Lucy. I like spending time with you, and I want the chance to see where this could lead.” He brushed a finger over her bottom lip. “I think we owe each other that much.”
Fear of having her heart shattered prevented her from spilling her guts. Still, she didn’t want to look back on this moment and wonder “what if”. She wanted a chance with Reilly. It was now or never.
“I care about you too,” she confided. His slow, sexy grin disarmed her, and she found herself confessing, “And I’ve missed you terribly.”
Reilly took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. He kissed each of her knuckles, then whispered, “Come home with me. Let me love you, Lucy.”
His words went straight to her soft spot. Darn it, the man played dirty. “W-what about dinner?”
“I’ll cook. Whatever you want, name it.”
“Oh sure, offer a pregnant lady food,” she said, hoping to lighten the mood a little, lest she catch fire. “As if I could possibly say no.”
Reilly chuckled. “What can I say? I’m a Jennings, and we play to win.”
Lucy knew truer words were never spoken.
They’d left her car at the restaurant and taken Reilly’s truck. She’d noticed he’d driven a good five miles under the speed limit and wondered if that was out of concern for the baby. Now, as they headed up the sidewalk to the front door of Reilly’s house, Lucy’s hands trembled with restless energy. It may as well have been their first time together, the way her stomach knotted. Who could blame her? She never knew what to expect with Reilly. He’d sure as hell surprised her by offering marriage. Nope, she definitely hadn’t seen that one coming.
Once they were inside, Reilly locked the door and took her into his arms. Lucy nearly drowned in his blazing green pools as she stared up at him. God, it’d be so much easier not to melt if he was a toad. Better yet, an ogre.
“You and the baby, you’re both important to me, sweetheart,” he murmured. “Never forget that.”
The intimate moment had Lucy anxious to protect her fragile heart. “One day at a time, Reilly,” she warned him. “That’s all I’m capable of here. I can’t take giant leaps, not when so much is at stake.”
Reilly stared at her for a few seconds, then released her and stalked across the room. He stared out the sliding glass doors leading onto the back deck. Lucy was desperate to know what was going on inside Reilly’s head, but since she couldn’t, she strode to the couch and dropped her purse on the coffee table. She sat and waited for him to say something, to break the sudden tension filling the room.
When he turned around, his expression was unreadable, and Lucy hated it. “Your apartment, is it suitable for a baby?”
Where had that come from? When Lucy considered his question, she had to admit her place wasn’t truly big enough for a child. Oh, she could get away with it for the first few months after the baby was born, but she’d need a bigger apartment sooner or later. Oh God, she was horrible at this motherhood business. She buried her head in her hands as her emotions swept over her. She wasn’t cut out to be a parent. Her own mother had died, and her father had resented having to raise two daughters alone. He’d taken every chance he could to belittle her and make her feel guilty for ever having been born. She wouldn’t do that to her child. She was already making mistakes, but her baby would know only love from her. Lucy’s eyes stung with tears. No matter how hard she tried, they fell anyway, damn it.
Reilly came across the room so fast she wondered if he had supernatural powers or something. It would just figure if he did. He crouched in front of her and pried her hands away from her face. His forehead wrinkled, and his light green eyes warmed. Lucy dearly wanted to believe he cared. To believe she meant something to him beyond being the mother of his child.
“I did this?” he asked as he swiped away a tear.
Despite feeling like the world’s worst pregnant lady, Lucy smiled. “Your voice gets all rough and deep when you worry.”
Reilly cupped her face in his strong hands. “I don’t want to cause you more stress, sweetheart,” he murmured. “We’ll leave this discussion for another day, okay?”
Lucy fell just the slightest bit in love with the handsome man in that moment. Reilly took all the blame for her anxiety, though it wasn’t necessary.
She placed her palm over one of his and brought it to her lap, where she began idly stroking her fingers over the back of it. “I’m just feeling a little raw right now. I hadn’t even considered the size of my apartment. I’m afraid I’m going to be a lousy mother. I mean, let’s face it, I’m so not June Cleaver.”
Reilly frowned. “June Cleaver? Why should we care whether you’re anything like her?”
She blinked rapidly, dumbfounded he would ask such a question. “She’s the epitome of motherhood. Happy all the time, seeing to her husband’s and kids’ every need, and she does it with every hair in place and a perfectly ironed dress. It’s annoying, if you ask me.”
“She was also a fictional television-show character. And while I wouldn’t mind you waiting on me hand and foot, I don’t need you to be something you’re not.” He kissed her briefly, then whispered, “I like you full of fire and spirit.” He sat next to her on the couch and extended an arm around her shoulders and played with her hair.
“That’s a nice change of pace,” she said as she thought about her failed marriage. “David always wanted me to be gentle and girly and the perfect wife. I’d tried hard to be what he wanted at first, but I quickly learned that nothing I did would ever be good enough.”
“David sounds like an idiot. He didn’t know what a wonderful woman he had.”
The sweet words sent Lucy into orbit. She scrubbed a hand over her face. “I’ll have to check my lease, but I think it’s about up. I’ll start looking for a bigger place tomorrow.”
“I’m not—” The ringing of his cell phone cut off his words. He let it ring a second and third time before sighing and reaching over the back of the couch to pick it up off the table where he’d tossed it. “I’m busy, so this better be good.”
Lucy swatted him in the chest for his rudeness, but he only shrugged. “I meant to get back to you, but I’ve been sort of tied up, Brodix.” Reilly pushed a button on the phone and said, “I hit Mute. Brodix wants to know what’s going on between you and me. The only person I told about the pregnancy is River. I figured we’d tell the family together, but Brodix is asking questions.”
“If Brodix is getting curious, then Sarah is as well.” Reilly’s family? That included Reilly’s mother. What if the woman hates me? Or thinks I got pregnant on purpose to trap her son?
Lucy heard a tinkling sound coming from her purse. She snagged her cell out of the inside pocket and looked at the number on the screen. It was Sarah.
“Hi, sweetie,” Lucy said after she hit Talk.
“What’s going on with you and Reilly? I just heard you came to see him at the restaurant today and that you auditioned too.”
“Uh, it’s a long, complicated story.” She glanced at Reilly for reassurance. At his nod, Lucy said, “So, to narrow it down, I’m pregnant.”
“Lucy’s pregnant,” Reilly told Brodix after he unmuted the phone.
Lucy could all but feel Sarah’s concern. “Why didn’t you say anything? How long have you known?”
“I waited because I wanted to be sure. Also, I needed to tell Reilly first. You were supposed to be my next stop, but Reilly sort of…blindsided me.”
“Yeah, that sounds like a Jennings, all right.” A few seconds went by, then, “Are you happy?”
Lucy thought about that. Was she happy? The answer was a little murky. She only knew that with Reilly, the next seven months would certainly prove to be exciting. When she thought of it like that, her answer was easy. “Yes, I am.”
“Then I’m happy too.”
Lucy could have hugged her at that point, even though she hated all that wimpy crap. And just like that, for the first time since seeing that little plus sign on the pregnancy test, Lucy began to truly get excited. Sarah always did that to her. After divorcing David, Sarah had been there with her through all of it. At a time in her life when she thought she’d never be able to smile again, Sarah had kept her sane.
They talked for about half an hour, and Reilly paced the room the entire time. His call had ended within minutes.
Finally, Sarah was ready to hang up. Lucy still sported a grin when she dropped her phone into her purse and stood. Reilly’s hot gaze wiped the smile right off her face. He stared at her with intense longing. “Did you get Sarah all squared away?”
She tucked her hair behind her ear. “She’s ready to spend an outrageous fortune on the baby. It’s crazy how excited she is.” Lucy walked to the sliding glass doors and opened them. As she stepped out, a gust of cool, evening air hit her. She loved the summer nights. It was her favorite time. She often wondered if she’d been an owl or some other nocturnal creature in a former life. Caught up in her thoughts, Lucy never heard Reilly come up behind her.
“When you were talking to Sarah, you were smiling. It was the first time I have seen you excited about the baby.”
She hadn’t realized that. Did he think she was unhappy about the pregnancy? Lucy turned around, intent on setting him straight on that score. “Don’t get me wrong, I love this baby, and I’m glad I’m going to be a mother. But I’m scared, Reilly. This isn’t how I pictured things. Not even close.”
His arms stole around her waist and he pulled her close. “It’s not my ideal situation either, but I will take care of you. There’s no need for this fear. Let it go and allow yourself to be happy.”
“Reilly,” she warned, “there will be no ‘taking care of me’. I’m my own person, and I’m not about to change.”
“We’ll see,” he promised with a wicked gleam in his eyes. When he began backing her into the r
oom, closing and locking the doors behind him, Lucy’s blood turned to molten lava. He placed her on the couch, then went about unbuttoning her blouse. Lucy had half a mind to stop him, but the other half, the naughtier half, didn’t. The flimsy material fell open, exposing her white satin bra. Reilly made quick work of it. He cupped her breasts in his palms and groaned.
“It feels so good when you touch me,” she admitted, her voice raw with hunger.
“Then I should definitely touch you very often,” he whispered. “Daily, in fact.”
Reilly dipped his head, sucking one already erect nipple into his mouth, and savored the needy sounds Lucy made. Sweet, soft and just the right fit for his mouth and hands. He could feed on Lucy’s lush breasts for hours. He flicked his tongue over and around her nipple gently at first, then rougher, demanding her flesh to beg for him. He cupped the round globe and pulled it up higher, kneading the supple skin with skilled fingers. Lucy’s moan of delight sent a lick of fire through his bloodstream. Reilly took joy in her animated responses to him. He gave in to his primal cravings and bit down gently. She arched upward, compliant and clearly aching for his touch. His hand answered her unspoken plea.
Letting go of her breast, Reilly journeyed down until he found her precious mound. He shoved at her skirt, then delved in with his fingers. His nostrils flared as he picked up her succulent scent. Anxiously, he tugged her panties down and pushed them off. He searched through her damp curls until he found her budding desire. She was swollen and throbbing and sopping wet. He fondled and toyed with the little nub until the teasing became too much and she came, exploding and screaming out his name. It was the sweetest thing to watch Lucy come totally undone at his hands.
Reilly moved away and tore at the button fly on his jeans. He yanked and pulled until his clothes littered the living room floor. In the red haze of his lust, her pleading barely reached his ears. She held out her arms, waiting to embrace him, even as her body welcomed him in.
Reilly touched her thigh and Lucy jumped a little. “So responsive,” he noted, his voice low and uneven. The provocative sight of her bare, plump tits glistening from his ministrations and her skirt pushed up around her waist, baring her rounded hips and the tempting juncture between her thighs, challenged Reilly’s control something fierce. “Fucking hot,” he groaned.