by Jeannie Moon
But that wasn’t what she needed to hear.
“How it goes when no one is looking is totally up to you,” he said. “But in public, I might take advantage of being allowed to touch you.”
“Oh…” she sighed. “Okay.”
“Good.” Letting his thumb graze her cheek, Nick fell into the softness. “Glad that’s settled.”
“And when I go back to work, I can tell everyone we’re engaged, and that’s that. The parents should just mind their own business.”
“Exactly. So whaddaya say? Want to get married?”
Lila nodded and gave him a tentative smile. “If you’re sure.”
Taking her hands in his, Nick dropped a kiss on her knuckles. “I’m sure. Let’s go get you a ring.”
* * *
When she and Nick walked into the high end jeweler in Naples, Lila had no idea she’d have a fancy diamond sitting on her finger when it was all over. But that’s what happened.
Nick told the saleswoman his budget, and the older woman squinted in disbelief at the number. Lila wasn’t looking for a big flashy ring, and she felt odd about the arrangement without the symbolic diamond. But Nick had been sweet and solicitous, like she imagined a real fiancé would be, and eventually they settled on the haloed princess cut solitaire in platinum. Nick wanted her to have a bigger stone, but Lila didn’t need bigger. The ring was perfect. Not too big, but perfect.
It was so perfect Lila couldn’t help looking at it. She was sitting on her bed, admiring her ring, when there was a light tapping on her door.
“Come in.”
Nick stepped into the room looking more handsome than should be legal. He smiled, picking up her left hand and examining the new addition. “I still wish it was a little bigger.”
“I think this one is just right.”
He was still holding her hand. “You’re no diva. That’s for sure.”
Lila smiled. That was a nice compliment. “Being a diva takes a lot of effort. Not my thing.”
She meant that. Lila wasn’t high maintenance as a rule, but Nick was doing all he could to make her feel like a princess.
“I was wondering if you’d like to go out for dinner. I think we have a couple of things to celebrate.”
For a change, there was something to celebrate. She’d had a really tough month, but if she kept an open mind, things were looking better. “Um. Sure. I have to change.”
Like a gentleman, he left the room, but she didn’t know why. He’d seen everything. Lila went to her closet, and once she’d found a dress, she stood and looked at herself in the mirror. She had the tiniest bump; her normally flat belly was popping out ever so slightly. Just yesterday she felt a little flutter on the inside. It was exactly as the doctor described—like butterfly wings. It was magic, really, and Lila wondered if Nick would stay long enough to experience some of that magic for himself.
There was no doubt that he’d be a presence in their child’s life, but from where? Some military base? A consulate or embassy somewhere? Would he be in less danger, or would Lila still have to wonder when she was going to get the phone call that told her Nick wasn’t coming back?
Slipping the pretty blue maxi dress over her head, she slid her feet into a pair of jeweled sandals and threaded some earrings through her lobes. While she was putting on makeup, Nick stepped back into the room.
He was so tall, nearly six feet four, and even though he’d lost some bulk, he was still as strong and solid as an old oak. His Italian ancestry was clearly on display with his thick dark hair, dark eyes, and ruddy complexion. The man looked like a classical painting—as if he’d been plucked out of the first Olympic Games.
It made her think about the baby. Who would he or she resemble? For the first time since she found out she was pregnant, Lila felt excited instead of nervous, or scared. The future wasn’t looking like such a challenge anymore.
Nick stood next to her and stared at the bulge. “May I?”
He wanted to touch her.
“Of course.” She thought he’d do the same as he did before and just lay his hand across her stomach, but he didn’t.
Stepping behind her, his gaze locked on hers in the mirror, Nick started inching up her dress. She shuddered at first, but then she gave in to the way he made her feel. Every bit of skin he exposed was Lila surrendering to the desire. His movements were slow and sexy, teasing the heat from her core.
Once the dress was at her hip, he slid his big, rough hands over her tummy. He kept them there, letting the warmth penetrate her body, touching their child. Skin on skin, her memory flashed to the last time they made love. They teased and tasted, lingering in the moment. Never had she felt more desired…until that moment when the man who fathered her child caressed her body like it was the most precious thing in the world.
Lila closed her eyes, her head dropping to one side as his lips grazed her neck. “I love how you smell. Right here,” he said as he left a kiss on her collarbone. “This is where you are, your scent. When I was captured, I would dream about you, about being inside you.”
Lila turned in his arms, bringing her hand to his face. He smiled, kissed the top of her head, and let her dress slide back down her legs. Resting his forehead against hers, Nick breathed out.
“We should go,” he said, his voice strained. “Our reservation is in twenty minutes.” Pressed against him, she could feel his very healthy erection against her body, and his heart was pounding like a drum. Leaving him in that condition seemed mean, but he’d brought it on himself. Turning away, she tried to stop thinking about how much she wanted him.
“Where are we going?” she asked while dabbing on some lip gloss, pretending not to have been affected by his touch.
“Junonia. At the resort. I thought we should go someplace special. On the island.”
“Where we can be seen.” He was so smart. It was that super spy brain of his.
He cocked his head to the side. “Like the happy couple that we are.”
“I could get used to you,” she said without a thought.
There was a pause for a second, and then Nick responded. “Same.”
Chapter Five
Nick had no idea what possessed him to touch her like that. But once he had his hands on her, felt her soft skin, her warmth, how much he’d missed her came back in a rush. He wasn’t lying when he told her he’d dreamed about her when he’d been captured. He’d had very vivid dreams between the beatings, and thankfully, his subconscious mind gave him her.
Memories of Lila had saved him from going crazy.
She’d saved him from giving up.
He figured if he brought this up to the shrink the marines wanted him to talk to, the doc would tell him his reason for choosing Barefoot Bay, as opposed to a dozen other places he could have hidden out, was all about Lila.
And that could be true. It was probably true.
But he’d had no idea her house had burned down. Or that she was pregnant.
She needed him, and more and more, Nick realized he needed her. She was like air to him. When the fuck had that happened?
It could have been over the past few days, but the more Nick thought about it, she’d had him as soon as she smiled. First it was a laugh, then a meal together, and then he’d found comfort in her bed. They had been together for days, and Nick, who was always on edge, felt calm.
Happy.
Their table at Junonia was right at the edge of the outdoor deck. The night was beautiful, not too hot, and the restaurant was packed. Lila sat across from him examining her menu and looking more beautiful than he remembered. It could have been her pregnancy. She was glowing from the inside out, but Nick figured it was more. It was the resilience. The strength. And here she was saddling herself with a guy who didn’t know what he wanted to do when he grew up.
“Nick?”
A menu waved in front of his face. Shit.
“My goodness, you are off in space,” she said.
“Sorry, I’m just thinking ab
out everything that happened today.”
“Second thoughts?” Her eyes examined his for any doubts he might be having.
“Nope. None. This is the right thing to do.” He took her hand and held it. “You?”
“I still worry you’ll regret the whole thing.”
“I won’t.”
The waiter came over, described the specials, and took their drink order. As soon as he walked away, a short, stocky woman with bright blonde hair took his place.
“Lila!” she squealed. “It’s so great to see you. It’s been too long!”
The woman leaned in to kiss Lila in greeting, but he saw his girl stiffen in response.
“Oh! Louise, hi! I saw you two days ago, didn’t I?”
Louise, whoever she was, snorted. “Oh, oh yes. Of course. And who is this…?”
Here was a golden opportunity. Lila needed to grab it.
“Louise Brandon, this is my fiancé, Nick DeMarco.” Atta girl. “Nick, this is Louise, she’s a teacher’s aide at the high school.”
More squealing. “Fiancé! I had no idea. I mean I knew you were pregnant, that got around last week, but I had no idea you and the father were serious.”
“We are,” Lila continued. “And he’s right here.”
Louise grabbed her hand. “The ring is beautiful! My goodness.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Louise,” he interjected. Not really. Nick did, however, want to grill her for information. How did everyone know about the pregnancy?
“You’re a lovely couple. How did you meet? Oh, wait…DeMarco. Are you related to Queen Josie?” The woman wasn’t leaving, even though it was time for her to move along. Nick, knowing his height could be intimidating, stood.
“Josie is my sister, yes.”
“Well, that’s interesting.” Louise twisted her fingers nervously. “Where have you been?”
“I’m in the military; I was overseas. Thank you so much for saying hello,” he said. The brush off was rude, but he didn’t give a shit. Something about Louise bothered him. A lot.
“Oh, of course. Is the engagement a secret?” Louise looked back and forth between Lila and Nick.
“Not at all,” Nick said, knowing his answer didn’t matter. She’d be running her mouth no matter what. “You can spread the word.”
He couldn’t be sure, but as Louise said goodbye, it seemed she was disappointed the information wasn’t more exclusive.
“That was weird,” Lila whispered when Louise was out of earshot.
“Don’t trust her,” he warned. “Will she be able to get the word out?”
“Trust her? Not a chance. But we can count on her to tell anyone who’ll listen, bless her heart. Lou runs the copy room. Nice lady, has three sweet kids, but she’ll flap her gums anytime she gets a chance. Look.”
Eyeing her at a table on the other side of the restaurant, Nick saw Louise was focused on the tell-tale glow from a cell phone.
“Perfect. Text away, honey. That’s exactly what we need. Fight ignorance with information.”
“God willin’.” Lila raised her sparkling cider in salute.
She was staring at him, a grin turning up the corners of her pretty pink mouth. “What are you lookin’ at?” he asked in his best New York accent.
“Nothing. It’s just funny seeing big bad Nick figuring how the copy room clerk fits into his plans.”
“Our plans, future Mrs. DeMarco. Our plans.”
“Right,” she said. “Our plans.” The quiet settled between them and Nick didn’t know exactly what she was thinking. He was generally pretty good at reading people, but Lila kept him guessing.
“How did you know there would be someone here tonight who would spread the word about our engagement?” she wondered.
“Law of averages. This isn’t a big island and this is a very popular place. Chances were someone was going to be here from your school. It could have been a student bussing tables, another teacher, but we got lucky with Louise.”
“Hmm. So you took a chance.”
“Not exactly,” he shrugged. “It was a calculated strategy.”
“You got lucky,” she teased.
“Maybe later,” his mellow baritone teased, “I will”
It only took a second for Lila to realize what she said had a double meaning, and in that time, Nick’s smile had turned wolfish. If he had half the chance, he’d devour her, and it was likely Lila would let him.
Earlier, when they were standing in the bedroom, his hands just a touch from dipping into her panties made Lila insane. She’d stopped that encounter, but now? She doubted she would. Talk about regret.
“You make me crazy, you know that?” he growled. “All I want to do when you look at me like that is make love to you until you scream.”
Lila didn’t know how she was looking at him, but she loved that she could drive him to the edge of his control. Of course the feeling was pretty mutual; Lila lost her mind when he was close. “You aren’t alone.”
“No?” There was that grin again, only this time, he leaned in, brushing his lips over her ear. “Good to know. Because it’s my mission to get you into bed once we get back to the house.”
Lila giggled. “What happened to taking it slow and letting me take the lead?”
“I plan on going very slow.”
Lila could feel the heat rising in her face as her belly tightened. “We have to be careful. We could lose control of the situation so quickly.” Her head and heart were already spinning wildly. He’d been back a day.
“You’re always in control, baby. Always.”
* * *
They tried to slow down the inevitable with a leisurely dinner, but there was no denying how much they both wanted to be alone. On the short drive back to the house, with the tension in the car swirling around them, Lila’s phone started chirping. Texts from friends at work were pouring in. “The news is out.”
“Yeah? Good, maybe that will shut everyone up long enough for you to have this baby in peace.”
“Mmm hmm. Dinner was nice. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I know it served another purpose, but I really did want to take you out.”
“I had a good time.” Once they pulled in the driveway, Lila knew it was decision time. Was she going to take Nick to her bed, or let him down gently? Sending him to his own room was definitely safer, but she was tired of always being safe. Or sensible. She wanted to let loose.
Their affair a few months ago was like that. Spontaneous and passionate, Lila had felt more alive than ever before. Was it risky? Sure, but she never doubted that it was worth it.
Walking hand in hand to the door, Nick unlocked it and let her into the dark house. Just one light illuminated the main level, casting a glow from the kitchen through all the rooms.
They stood by the front door, waiting to see who was going to make the first move. Lila wasn’t letting go of Nick’s hand. That had to mean something, didn’t it?
“I… I don’t know what to do,” she whispered.
“What do you want? We’ll do whatever you want.” Nick pulled her into his arms. He could be so gentle. So different from the kind of man she expected him to be.
“I want you, Nick. I’ve missed you.”
The kiss he dropped on her lips, soft and lingering, was filled with sweetness, longing, and all kinds of dirty promises. He didn’t hesitate when he scooped her in his arms and carried her to the bedroom.
Lila was allowing herself to be swept into a dream, and she was okay with that. Lowering her to the bed, he leaned over and grabbed the hem of her dress, lifting it over her head. There, lying in her bra and panties, her belly showing evidence of the child they made, her breasts spilling out of her bra, Lila knew she’d made the right choice.
His gaze locked on hers as he sat next to her, his hand stroking her bump as he had before. But this time, his fingers inched inside her panties. Lila shuddered as he stroked between her legs, and he smiled.
“We fit, you
know that? Everything about you fits me. That’s what’s magic about being with you. It’s like our bodies were made for each other.” He moved his hand, cupping her fully. “You’re wet. Hot and wet.”
She felt one of his fingers and then another tease her entrance and rub at her clit. It was heaven and her mind began to cloud as he took her deeper into this erotic dream.
His fingers slipped inside her and Lila moaned, loving the invasion, knowing what was to come. “Oh, God. Nick…”
“You’re sure about this? Please tell me you are.”
“Yes. Yes. I want you. Make love to me.” Her voice didn’t sound like her own, and before she could draw another breath, he was kneeling on the floor. Her panties were gone and his fingers were now joined by the gentle teasing of his tongue. The stroking, the friction and heat it caused, was overwhelming. Every nerve ending was firing as he brought her closer and closer to her climax.
“Nick, I’m so close…”
He looked up and smiled at her warmly. “So soon? We can’t have that.”
Crawling up the bed, he popped the clasp on her bra and let it fall open, exposing her very swollen breasts. “God, pregnancy gives all kinds of gifts, doesn’t it?”
He teased one of her nipples with his tongue, and Lila was unprepared for the wave that rolled through her. Apparently, her breast had become extraordinarily sensitive. “Ahhh…oh, my God.”
“Hang on, beautiful, we’re just getting started.”
With that his fingers plunged into her and his mouth sucked and teased as the sensations built. The rhythm of his fingers, the warm wetness of his mouth brought her to the edge.
She was breathing hard, fast, and she was completely aroused. “In me. I want you in me.”
“There’s plenty of time for that, love. Plenty. Let me finish what I’ve started and then we can get serious.”
“This wasn’t serious?” It felt pretty serious to her.
“Honey, I’m just playing with you. I’ve been dying to touch you and taste you for days. For months.”
Grinding her hips against his hand, Lila smiled. “So I’m just a play thing for now? Is that it? Spoils of war?”
“I guess I’ve been rewarded for getting through hell. Coming back to you is better than any medal.”