“I guess I’ll take that as a compliment,” she said with a wry smile.
“It was intended as one.”
“Would you like to hold the baby before I put her down?”
“I’d love to.” I cradled her head and neck as Catia transferred her to my arms. I held her closer, inhaling deeply as a slow smile spread across my face. “God, I love that smell. There’s nothing like it to calm you, make you feel grounded.” I was surprised by the wistful expression on Cat’s face. “What?”
“Nothing.” She touched my arm as she moved the pink blanket swaddling the baby away from her face so she could get a better look. “You just look so cute holding her. It’s enough to make a girl melt.”
Our eyes locked. I was dying to kiss her, but given our surroundings, I knew it wasn’t the time or place. “I booked a room when I stepped outside a while ago.”
“Our room?” she asked, looking amused.
“Of course.” There was nowhere else I’d rather spend the night. Maybe this time we could make new memories that would erase some of the old, like the sight of her walking out the door, determined to leave me behind. “Care to share it with me?”
She bit her lip. “My parents will probably expect me to head back to the beach house with them. If I don’t…”
“They’ll know we’re a couple.”
“Are we?” Her teeth sank deeper into her lip. “I wasn’t sure.”
“I’d like us to be. I know things aren’t perfect, but I can honestly say they’re getting better on my end. We’re making progress.”
“Okay,” she whispered. “Let’s spend the night together.”
Chapter Fourteen
Catia
I hadn’t expected to make love to Chase tonight. We’d both fallen into bed, exhausted, an hour ago, but I woke up feeling hot because his arms were wrapped around me. We were nearly naked since we hadn’t brought a change of clothes, and I turned around to find his lips in the darkness.
The kiss started out slow and sleepy, then I was hot for reasons that had little to do with body heat. After peeling off my panties, I did away with his boxers, braced my hands on his chest, and straddled his waist as I lowered myself onto him.
“Condom,” he said, sounding strangled.
“Do we need it?” There was no risk of pregnancy now, and I trusted Chase with my life. I knew he wasn’t the kind of man who would ever put me in harm’s way.
“You tell me.”
“No.”
“Oh God,” he said, grasping my hips to guide me. “You know I’m not gonna last like this, don’t you?”
Hard and fast suited me just fine. According to the doctor, who’d assured me everything looked good with the pregnancy, I could carry on with my normal activities, including sex. After weeks without it, knowing Chase was just across the street but out of reach, I was more ravenous for him than ever.
With every day that passed, I felt guiltier for not telling him about the baby. I would have to soon. Just not tonight. This was our time to reconnect, to get our relationship back on solid ground before I sprang my surprise on him.
In no time, he was coaxing me to an explosive orgasm that left me panting, my hands on his chest as I felt his heart beat beneath my palm. The heart of the man I loved. The father of my child.
That thought struck me as I leaned over to kiss him, whispering in his ear, “I love you.”
His arms tightened around me. “I love you too, baby.”
Baby. That word took on a whole new meaning for me now. Instead of making me melt, it reminded me that I was keeping a secret that would change his life. One he deserved to know. But before I could find the words to tell him, he distracted me with a gentle rhythm that made my eyes roll back as my body tightened in response. Again.
“That feels amazing,” I whispered, his palm flat on my lower back as he thrust deep inside me, finding the precise spot that made me question whether I could ever get enough. “More.”
“Mmm.” He responded by kissing my neck, which only heightened my arousal. “Like this?”
“Yes, God, yes.” He knew exactly what to do. Where to touch me. How to stroke me. How deep. How fast. How hard. He had making love to me down to an art form, one I hoped he would continue to master for the rest of our lives.
“Jesus,” he whispered as I clenched him in another toe-curling release that drew out his own. “Catia…”
I loved the way my name sounded on his lips, especially when his voice was husky with desire, as though he couldn’t get enough of me.
When I would have returned to my side of the bed, he held me close, kissing me reverently as he held my face. “I’ve missed you.”
My belly clenched in that way it always did when he said something sweet to remind me how lucky I was to have him in my life. “I missed you too.”
“You could have come over… after the girls went to bed.”
I wasn’t interested in hiding our relationship from them. I wanted to figure out how we could convince them I wasn’t a monster intent on taking their daddy away from them. Wait ‘til they found out his attention would be stretched even further and they would be getting a new little brother or sister they hadn’t asked for and probably wouldn’t want. They’d throw the mother of all temper tantrums, and poor Chase would have to deal with the fallout.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked when I shifted, rolling onto my side to face him. “I felt you tense up when I mentioned you coming over. Or was it the kids?”
“I don’t want to sneak around.” I sighed. “I’m trying to be patient, to give them time to adjust to living with you before they have to think about sharing you with someone else.”
He traced the curve of my shoulder with his fingertip, grinning when thrill bumps rose. “They’ll never get to know you if you’re not around, will they?”
“I know, but I just don’t want to make things any harder for you or them.”
“You’re a part of my life, and they’re just going to have to accept that.” He kissed me, obviously trying to reassure me. “As much as I love them, the tail doesn’t wag the dog, sweetheart. They’re going to have to realize that. I’ll admit I’m guilty of spoiling them. They’re my pride and joy. But that doesn’t mean I’ll allow them to mistreat the woman I love.”
I knew Chase wasn’t a pushover, but as a parent, it couldn’t be easy to take a hard line, especially when your kids had just been through major turmoil and you were wrestling with your own guilt about the part you played in it. He would have done anything to protect me, but I hated that he felt he had to. I’d always been able to hold my own in a battle of wills.
“How do you want to handle this?” I asked, stroking his chest. “You said maybe I should start coming over after the girls go to bed. Do you really think that’s the best approach?”
“You tell me.” He brushed my hair over my shoulder before bringing my hand to his lips. “You’re more than welcome to join us for dinner if you’d like to get to know them better.”
It wasn’t a question of whether I wanted to get to know them better. I had to. Whether they liked it or not, I was going to be the mother of their half brother or sister. “Why don’t you guys come over to my place for dinner one night next week?”
“You want the home court advantage, huh?” he asked, looking amused.
“Something like that.”
“If that’s what you want, baby, I’m good with it.” He kissed me again. “Anything to make you happy, Cat. You’ve got to know that.”
***
I invited them to dinner on Monday, only a few days after I’d suggested it, and as I scrambled to set the table, I realized I should have given myself more time to prepare. The stuffed shells were in the oven, the salad was tossed, and the bread was browning in the bread maker, but I was a wreck. I chastised myself for being so silly. I handled two-hundred-pound contractors for a living, yet I was afraid of two pint-sized divas? That was ridiculous.
I took a de
ep breath as the doorbell rang, and I repeated my new mantra, “You’ve got this, Cat.” I pasted on a smile as I opened the door. “Hey there, I’m so glad you could come!”
Emily raised a blond eyebrow as she hugged her white stuffed bear a little tighter. “Daddy made us come. We didn’t want to.”
So that was how it was going to be? Fair enough.
Chase curled his hand around his daughter’s shoulder as he said through clenched teeth, “What did I tell you about minding your manners, young lady? Last warning.”
“It’s okay,” I said, offering Elsie a half smile as she eyed me warily. “Please, come in. Dinner’s almost ready.”
Chase surprised me with a kiss on the cheek that made both girls scowl. He produced a bottle of wine. “For you.”
“Thank you,” I said, feeling the blush creep up my cheeks. “Why don’t you all have a seat?” I gestured to the living room. “I’ll get us some drinks. What would you girls like?”
“Coke,” they said in unison.
“First of all,” Chase said, setting his hands on his hips as he studied them, “I didn’t hear that request followed up with a please, and second of all, when did we decide you were allowed to drink soda tonight?”
If everything turned into an argument with these three, I didn’t know how I would survive the night, much less the rest of our lives, under the same roof. Maybe I could keep my house across the street and raise our baby myself while Chase corralled his daughters. Of course I knew he would never go for that. He would want us to raise this baby together…while sharing a bed.
“Please, Daddy?” Elsie asked, folding her little hands under her chin as she pinned him with big blue eyes that would have melted an ice sculpture.
I tried to keep a straight face as he rolled his eyes before holding up his index finger. “This will be your one and only this week, so enjoy it.” As an afterthought, he turned to me. “Sorry, that’s assuming you have it.”
“Of course,” I said, earning a small smile from the girls. “Coming right up. Wine for you?” I asked him.
“Actually, I’d love a beer if you have it.”
“Sure thing.”
He gestured to the flat screen TV above the fireplace in my family room. “If you don’t mind, they can watch their program while I help you with dinner?”
“Help yourself,” I said to them. “The remote’s on the coffee table.”
“Thanks,” they muttered in unison.
One polite word was at least a step in the right direction. I’d take it. In the kitchen, I reached into the fridge for Chase’s beer and a bottle of water for myself.
“You’re not having a glass of wine?” he asked, frowning. “It’s one of your favorite merlots.”
I’d known he would question why I’d refrained from wine at dinner and coffee afterward. I hated lying to him, but it was better than the inevitable explosion when I told him I was pregnant and had been keeping it to myself. I would tell him, just not with his girls sitting in the next room.
“I have a bit of a headache,” I said, brushing my hand over my temple. “Wine and coffee usually make it worse.”
“Can I get you something for it?” he asked, looking concerned.
“Just this.” I stepped into his arms and tipped my head back for a kiss.
He smiled against my lips before threading his hands through my hair. “Thanks for doing this, Cat. I know when they get to know you, they’ll love you as much as I do.”
I wasn’t convinced, but I appreciated the sentiment, especially since I knew how much he wanted it to be true. “It’s my pleasure.”
“Have you talked to your sister today?” he asked.
I slipped out of his arms when the bread maker beeped, indicating the end of the cycle. “Yeah, I talked to her this morning. Dustin brought her and the baby home yesterday. They’re getting settled in nicely. Lovenia’s been eating really well, which alleviated a lot of stress for Kara. I know she was really worried about that.”
He smiled as he leaned against the counter, watching me. “I love that name—Lovenia.”
“Yeah,” I said, tipping the warm bread onto the cutting board. “I just hope they don’t call her Lovie.” I wrinkled my nose. “My grandmother had a parakeet named Lovie, and that damn thing squawked all the time.”
He laughed as he moved in behind me, settling his hands around my waist. It wouldn’t be long before my baby bump started to show. Eight more weeks, at most. I wondered how Chase would react to my changing body. Would he be as attracted to me? Knowing him, the sight of me pregnant with his baby would drive him crazy. At least I hoped it would.
“Penny for your thoughts,” he whispered, kissing my neck.
“I was just thinking…” I couldn’t tell him the truth, but maybe I could introduce the subject in a way that wouldn’t raise any red flags. “If I had a daughter, what I would name her.”
“Well? What would you name her?”
“I’ve always liked the name Cora.”
“That’s pretty. And for a boy?”
I couldn’t believe we were talking about baby names while I was carrying his and he didn’t even know it. It seemed surreal. “Alexander, maybe. It’s tradition in Greek families for the son to name his first-born son after his father, so Darius won’t have much of a choice if he wants to keep Dad happy.”
“You think he and Chelsea want kids?”
“I think so,” I said, remembering I’d forgotten to pour the girls’ drinks. Reaching into an overhead cupboard, I snagged two small glasses.
Chase, seeming to read my mind, grabbed a can of soda from the fridge. He took both glasses and set them on the table before he split the contents of the can between the glasses. “I’ll take these into them. Unless you’d rather they drink them out here?”
“No, in there is fine.” I needed a little more time before I faced the firing squad. When Chase returned, I said, “I’m heading up to the Hamptons this weekend. We all are, just to spend a little more time with the baby and do what we can to help Kara and Dustin. You want to come?”
“I’d like to, but the girls have dance lessons this weekend.”
“Oh,” I said, trying to hide my disappointment.
“I could ask my parents, but—” His cell phone rang and he held it up, revealing his father’s name. “Speak of the devil. Excuse me. I should take this.”
“No problem.” I took the stuffed shells out of the oven.
My heart raced when I heard Chase’s tone change from casual to concerned. He asked probing questions that led me to believe something terrible had happened.
He cursed softly when he hung up. “My mom broke her leg.”
“Oh no! When? How did it happen?” I already adored Doreen and hated to think of her in pain.
“Apparently she was on a ladder, trying to get a box down from a high shelf when my dad wasn’t home, and she slipped and fell. They’re setting it now, but he’s going to need a little help getting her home.” He glanced into the family room where the girls sat transfixed in front of the TV. “I hate taking them to the hospital, but I guess I don’t have a choice.”
“Sure, you do,” I said impulsively. “You can leave them here with me. We’ll have dinner together, and if you’re not home, I can take them over to your place and get them ready for bed. I’ll stay with them until you get home.”
Appearing stunned, he shook his head slowly. “Babe, as generous as that offer is, I can’t ask you to do that. You’re all just getting to know each other.”
“What better way than to jump into the deep end, right?”
I couldn’t pretend I wasn’t nervous at the prospect of being left alone with them, but I refused to be intimidated any longer. We all just had to figure out a way to get along. Not only for the sake of the man we loved, but for the sake of the baby I was carrying.
“You’re sure about this?” he asked, looking skeptical as he drew me into his arms.
“Of course I am,” I said
, patting his chest. “You just go. Take care of your mom. She needs you now. And give her my love.”
He smiled before kissing me. “Have I told you how much I love you?”
I took the house key he offered. “Hmm, not today.”
“I love you so much.” He punctuated it with a kiss. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure.”
“Not just for taking care of the girls, but for coming back to me, Cat.” He traced his thumb over my lower lip. “You’ve reminded me how good it feels to be happy… and in love.”
***
We sat around the table, eating in uncomfortable silence. Since they’d responded to all of my questions with one-word answers, I’d all but given up.
“Hey,” I said, “have you seen pictures of Kara’s baby yet?” Since Chase hadn’t taken any at the hospital, I doubted they had.
“No,” they said, glancing at each other.
“Would you like to?”
“Sure,” Elsie said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
I wasn’t surprised they were excited about seeing baby pictures. Chase had told me they couldn’t wait to meet the newest member of Kara and Dustin’s family.
“Let me get my phone,” I said, jumping up from the table. I hurried back to find them whispering and giggling, which was better than sullen silence any day. I scrolled through the images. “Here we go. This is Lovenia.”
“Oh,” Elsie said, gaping at the image. “She’s so cute!”
“Look how tiny she is,” Emily chimed in.
I smiled, relieved we were finally making some headway. “Your daddy tells me you girls were just about the same size as Lovenia when you were born.”
“Really?” Emily asked, her mouth forming an O.
“Yup.” I handed them the phone so they could scroll through the rest of the baby images in the folder I’d assigned to my beautiful niece. While they were thoroughly enthralled with the pictures, I asked, “Who wants an ice cream sundae?”
“Me,” they said, grinning.
That was the first real smile I’d ever earned from either of them, and I felt as if I’d just won a valuable trophy. “Coming right up.” As I reached into the freezer to get the ice cream, I asked, “Do we have any peanut allergies?”
Catia (Starkis Family #6) Page 14