Debra Webb - In His Touch Box Set (Here To Stay, Up Close, Tempting Trace, Basic Instincts)

by Debra Webb

  Jake had everyone saying their goodbyes in no time flat. Dan, who’d celebrated a great deal more than usual, climbed into the backseat of the Volvo with his wife. Merri was busy coaching Suzy’s breathing. It hit Jake then that a baby was about to be born and he spun out of the driveway.

  He had to get to the hospital—which was clear across town.

  Chapter Seven

  “My wife is having a baby,” Dan announced to the emergency room nurse as they entered the large reception area. “Like right now,” he added, his voice rising and falling with an odd quiver.

  He still sounded a little tipsy to Meredith, but the drive to the hospital had pretty much sobered him up. It was his birthday, after all. His last big bash before forging into fatherhood.

  “Sign in,” the buxom nurse ordered. “I’ll get the proper forms to fill out.”

  “Excuse me,” Meredith interrupted. “Her water broke well over an hour ago and her contractions are barely a minute apart now. I don’t think there’s time for the paperwork or anything else.”

  The nurse nodded briskly and called out for assistance. A few moments later, they were following Suzy down the corridor toward the maternity ward.

  “Who’s going in with her?” the orderly asked. A nurse was busy taking Suzy’s vitals at the side of the gurney. It hadn’t taken long for them to see that there was no time for the usual preparations.

  “I’m the father,” Dan announced, grinning like an idiot. “This is our first.”

  “You’ll need scrubs. Come this way.” The orderly led him to a nearby room.

  In no time, Dan, wearing green scrubs over his clothes, strutted past. He shot them another silly I’m-going-to-be-a-poppa grin and disappeared into the delivery room.

  “I suppose we should go back to the waiting room,” Meredith suggested to Jake. She avoided eye contact with him, trying to forget what they had shared only minutes ago. This hardly seemed like the place to think about it, anyway.

  Jake nodded and slid his arm around her waist. The feel of his strong arm around her made her want to lean into him. But she couldn’t. She’d gone way beyond the line she had drawn, made a terrible mistake. Now they would both pay for that lack of self-control.

  He hesitated and turned to her. “Merri, I didn’t mean for that to happen the way it did.” He stared at the tile floor for a time. “I really wanted it to be special for you.” He looked directly into her eyes and smiled in that lopsided, boyish way they made her heart flip-flop. “Although it was very special for me just the way it was.”

  The sweetness of his words and the caring expression in his brown eyes made her want to throw her arms around him and tell him just how much their impulsive lovemaking had meant to her as well. But it was wrong. What she had done was wrong. She couldn’t lead him on any further. His words echoed in her mind. I think I’m in love with you.

  “Jake, you don’t understand.” She closed her eyes to block what she saw in his. “I can’t—”

  “Excuse me,” the orderly called out from the delivery room door. “We need some help in here with the father. Right away,” he added when the both of them seemed rooted to the floor.

  As if released from a spell, Meredith and Jake hurried back to the door where the orderly waited.

  “What’s wrong?” Jake demanded.

  “He passed out when the baby’s head crowned. The mother needs a coach and, well,” he sized up Jake “the father just needs someone to keep him on his feet. I’ve got to find out what’s keeping the doctor.”

  “All right,” Jake agreed. “We’ll do whatever you need us to.” Holding Merri’s hand tightly in his, Jake followed the orderly into the delivery room.

  Meredith’s heart pounded hard at the feel of his hand around hers as well as the realization that Suzy needed them. Another life was about to come into this world, and she and Jake were going to help.

  Suzy was draped and in the delivery position, a maternity nurse hovering between her spread thighs. “Don’t push,” the nurse warned. “The doctor will be here any second.”

  “I have to,” Suzy snapped. She gritted her teeth and howled against the urge.

  Meredith rushed to her side, took her hand and focused on the task. “Relax, Suzy,” she ordered. “You know the drill. Short, quick pants. No pushing yet.”

  Suzy nodded, strong emotions and a measure of fear contouring her face. But she squeezed Meredith’s hand and struggled to follow the techniques she’d learned in childbirth class.

  Something on the floor on the other side of the delivery table caught Meredith’s eye. Dan. He was flat on his back on the cold tile.

  “Here, use this on him.” The nurse thrust a little bottle into Jake’s hand.

  Jake crouched at his friend’s side and waved the smelling salts beneath his nose. Dan roused. Jake helped him to his feet and kept him up at Suzy’s side, opposite Meredith.

  “Ohmigod.” Dan swayed, but Jake steadied him.

  “Easy, buddy. This is the moment you’ve been waiting for.” Jake gave Dan’s shoulders a squeeze.

  Dan reached for Suzy’s other hand. “Stay away from me,” she snapped and glared briefly at him before turning her attention back to the task of breathing properly.

  ~*~

  Jake stared, dumbfounded, at Merri. Suzy never raised her voice to anyone. Never. He glanced back at the panting mother-to-be and wondered how childbirth could make such a sweet woman so angry.

  “She hates me,” Dan mumbled as he rubbed a hand over his face.

  Before Jake could respond, Suzy shot another drop-dead look in her husband’s direction. “Stop whining and hold my hand,” she commanded, then snagged Dan’s hand and squeezed.

  Jake didn’t miss the wince of pain on his buddy’s pale face.

  “Where’s the doctor?” Merri inquired quietly, her question directed at the nurse.

  The nurse wiped the sweat from her brow. “He should’ve been here by now. The ER doctors are caring for the patients from the car crash on the interstate. One is critical, and they can’t come up here to help.” She looked stressed. “We may be on our own. I’m not sure where he lives, but Suzy’s doctor is probably stuck in the backed-up interstate traffic.”

  “Is everything all right?”

  Jake read the concern on Merri’s face and worry clenched at his gut. Suzy and the baby had to be okay. He tightened his hold on his buddy. They had to be.

  The nurse nodded. “Everything looks fine. I just don’t know how much longer I can hold back the delivery.”

  Just then the doctor breezed through the door. “Give me an update,” he ordered as he strolled over to take up the position the nurse had instantly vacated.

  “Oh, Dr. Prescott, thank God,” Suzy cried, then screamed with a particularly hard contraction.

  Dan sagged against Jake.

  Merri held onto Suzy’s hand and coached like a professional, while Jake simply looked from one to the other, uncertain what might happen next.

  “It’s all right now, Suzy, push all you want to.”

  Suzy let go an ear-splitting scream, her face red with the effort of pushing.

  “Okay, relax now. The head is out,” Dr. Prescott said, looking pleased. “Lots of thick red hair,” he noted.

  Suzy laughed and cried at the same time. Merri patted her hand and swiped the perspiration from her forehead. “She’s going to be just as beautiful as you.”

  Jake felt hot and cold at the same time. He looked from Suzy to Merri. The image of Merri giving birth to his child suddenly loomed large before his eyes. Jake swallowed and blinked. The idea was overwhelming and he did the swaying this time.

  “Ohmigod, Suzy,” Dan murmured. “Red hair,” he added with awe.

  “Okay, Suzy. Big push now, let’s get those shoulders out,” the doctor instructed.

  Everything around them drifted into insignificance as Jake watched Suzy push with all her might. Merri cheered her on, while Dan wept.

  “Here she is!” Th
e doctor held the newborn up for everyone to see. A wail echoed through the room, from the baby, not Suzy this time.

  Suzy reached for her baby girl and held her close to her heart. Tears of joy streamed down her cheeks as she admired her new daughter. A tiny hand gripped one of Suzy’s fingers and Jake felt himself smile. This was amazing.

  “Look, Daddy.” Suzy smiled up at Dan. “Here’s your baby girl.”

  “Ohmigod.” Dan touched the baby’s cheek, then kissed his wife. “You’re both beautiful.”

  Merri was crying too, Jake realized. He reached across the bed and squeezed her hand. She smiled at him and Jake knew for sure then that he was definitely in love with her. And he knew what he wanted. He wanted what Dan already had. A wife who loved him, and a beautiful new baby. The realization shook him, but only a little. He loved Merri. And that’s all that mattered to him now.

  “Jake,” Dan said, drawing his attention.

  He turned to his friend. “She’s beautiful, buddy.”

  “Jake,” Dan repeated, “I want to introduce you to your goddaughter.”

  Goddaughter? Jake frowned, bewildered. That would make him the baby’s godfather. He looked from Dan to the baby girl in Suzy’s arms, and the world went black.

  ~*~

  Meredith kept her arm tight around Jake’s waist as they trudged slowly up the steps to his house. He didn’t have a concussion, but he had knocked his head when he’d fallen, and because of that, he needed someone to drive him home and to stay the night with him.

  There was no way Meredith was going to leave his side until she was certain he was all right. After Jake had hit his head, the next few hours had been hectic. He’d had a CAT scan, six stitches, neurological tests, and the like. The hospital obviously didn’t want to risk a lawsuit.

  Finally, the doctor released Jake, directing that he be watched for the next twenty-four hours. Suzy and Dan were safely ensconced in their room, and little Danielle was nursing at her mother’s breast.

  Meredith turned the key in the lock and pushed the door to Jake’s house inward. An alarm sounded.

  Jake swore. He staggered forward and fumbled for a light. After two tries he finally remembered the security code, and punched it into the key pad. Meredith closed and locked the door. Her body buzzed in a warning alarm of its own. She couldn’t be here, but she couldn’t leave him alone. According to the tests, he was fine, but she knew all too well how easily head injuries could take a turn for the worse. She had to stay.

  “Would you like me to get you something to eat or drink?” she asked Jake when they made their way into the great room. She surveyed her surroundings and almost caught her breath. Jake’s house was so lovely. Nothing like she had expected. The decorating was contemporary and warm, very different from the usual bachelor décor. The furnishings were rich in color and looked amazingly comfortable.

  Jake pressed a kiss to her hair. “I’m okay.” He gingerly touched the back of his head. “Just feeling woozy. Remind me to look behind me before I pass out next time.” He stretched his back. “I’m a little sore.”

  Meredith nodded. “Would you like one of the pain pills the doctor prescribed?”

  “No. But maybe I’ll go for that hot bath he suggested.”

  There was no misinterpreting the hunger in his eyes. But Meredith responded calmly enough. “Fine. I’ll help you upstairs and run your bath. While you soak, I’ll prepare you a drink. How’s that?” She smiled up at him, hoping against hope that her own desire wasn’t so obvious. The thought of touching him again, of feeling him inside her made her pulse do strange things.

  She helped him up the winding staircase.

  “You have a lovely home.”

  He tightened his hold on her shoulders. “Thanks. My sister came up from Savannah and helped me decorate it. She did a great job.”

  Meredith smiled. She knew the place had a woman’s touch. That it was his sister’s, rather than that of a former lover, was reassuring. She scolded herself silently for being jealous of a man who didn’t belong to her. She stole a glance at the man in question and affection bloomed in her chest. Any female with a single breath left in her would be possessive of a man like Jake.

  “You have a sister?” Meredith could have kicked herself for asking. Any questions she asked would only lead to his asking some of his own. And she was pretty sure she’d asked him that already.

  “Yep.” He paused in front of the second door on the right. “Older and wiser at that.” He smiled affectionately. “And she never lets me forget it.”

  A new kind of jealousy bothered Meredith. She had no siblings. She’d always wondered what it would be like to have a sister. Or even a brother.

  “You’ll have to excuse the mess. When I left last evening I wasn’t expecting company.” He searched her eyes for a moment. “I’d hoped, mind you.”

  Struggling to hold her defenses in place, Meredith surveyed Jake’s bedroom. Though clearly masculine, the room was welcoming, done in warm colors with massive, rich wood furnishings. The bed was both huge and inviting. She quickly turned to locate the master bathroom. Standing around in the same room with Jake and a bed was just not a good idea.

  She ushered him to the foot of the bed. “You take off your shoes and I’ll run the bath.” Without waiting for his response or even looking directly at him, she scurried away.

  Like the bedroom, the bathroom was huge. Lots of marble and tile. A glass and tile shower enclosure large enough for two. Double porcelain basins graced an intricately carved cherry cabinet that extended the width of the room. An enormous whirlpool tub of luxurious marble had been installed in front of a towering stained-glass window. Meredith sat down on the edge and twisted the handles of the faucet.

  When she was satisfied with the water’s temperature, she stood. Now all he had to do was get Jake in here so she could escape downstairs. She turned around and saw him leaning in the doorway watching her. She couldn’t quite stop herself from taking a long, appreciative look at his half-naked body. He’d taken off his shoes, socks, and shirt. All he wore now was his jeans, which he’d undone part way. She could see the black briefs beneath.

  “Your water is ready,” she announced, trying not to sound breathless.

  “Thanks.” He straightened and started in her direction.

  Meredith was helpless to do anything but observe his deliberate progress. His gaze never left her, not even when he stood directly in front of her.

  “You’re welcome to join me,” he offered softly, his voice a caress to her soul.

  “I’d better get downstairs and...” She pulled in a deep, calming breath. “What would you like?” She glanced at her watch. It was three a.m. “How about a beer or maybe milk?” If only he would stop looking at her that way...

  “A beer would be great, but aren’t you going to help me into the tub?” One corner of his mouth quirked. “I might get dizzy again and fall.”

  Meredith backed up a step. “I’ll wait outside the door and you can let me know if there’s an emergency.” She gestured vaguely. “I won’t go downstairs until you’re safely in the tub.”

  He nodded his acquiescence. She quickly stepped around him and hurried from the room. Her eyes closed tightly as she waited outside the door for him to tell her it was safe to go. His grunts of discomfort as he tugged off his jeans made her palms sweat. Maybe she should help him. No! She couldn’t go back in there for anything... unless he fell. She winced at the thought. The sound of water splashing made her eyes open wide. The memory of his muscular body immediately flickered before her eyes. A spasm clenched her feminine muscles.

  “Okay,” he called out to her. “I’m just going to lie back and relax.”

  “I’ll get that beer,” she assured him.

  As she hurried down the stairs it suddenly hit her that she couldn’t enter the bathroom without seeing him all stretched out in that big glorious tub. She slowed near the bottom of the stairs. Maybe she should have added some bubble bath.


  Squaring her shoulders, Meredith marched into the kitchen and retrieved a bottle of cold beer from the refrigerator. He hadn’t taken any of the painkillers so a beer wouldn’t hurt. On her way out she took a moment to admire the huge kitchen and its cherry cabinetry, the granite countertops and the Italian tile on the floor.

  She wondered what it would be like to live here with Jake. Did he cook? Is that why he’d designed such an elaborate kitchen? She noted the restaurant-style stainless steel stove top and oven, and the oversized matching refrigerator with glass doors. He must entertain often.

  Anxiety mushroomed inside her. Had he built this place with the goal of a wife and starting a family?

  Or was he simply enjoying one of the perks of being his own builder? Jake’s company built beautiful houses. There was no denying the fact. And he was a wonderful man. A man for whom she cared deeply. Meredith clutched the beer with both hands. But he would never want to see her again if he discovered her secret. Everything he thought he knew about her was a lie. A lie she had set in motion.

  Forcing away the painful thoughts, she slowly climbed the stairs and trudged down the long hall to Jake’s room. In a few days she would be gone and they would both be better off. She would never forget Jake... but he would forget her in no time at all.

  I think I’m in love with you.

  Meredith forced away the memory of his words. It was the lust speaking. Nothing more than a chemical reaction to the exchanging of body fluids. How could it be more? They didn’t know each other, had nothing in common as far as she could see. Well, nothing but chemistry. The intense affection each of them felt would fade quickly.

  Keeping all that in mind, Meredith strode across the bedroom and into the bathroom. She kept her gaze level on his.

  “Everything all right?” she inquired as she passed him the beer.

  He took the sweating bottle from her and sat it on the tub’s marble ledge. “No, it’s not all right.”

  Meredith studied his expression, looking for signs of disorientation. “What’s wrong?” She perched on the side of the tub and reached for his face, as if touching him would give her some clue. “Is your head hurting again? Maybe I should check your stitches.”