by Lisa Alder
Jake turned away from her. “That’s the gene pool I come from. And I’m a chip off the old block. I’m emotionally detached, remember?”
Jake seemed to be cautioning Lilah.
She wanted to tell him, his father seemed sad. “But—”
”Forget it, Lilah.” Jake ripped open another box. “It’s old news.”
***
Lilah ran for the bathroom.
Third time today. Jake got up slowly from the table and snagged a can of Sprite from the refrigerator. The truth of her pregnancy was beginning to sink in. She believed she was going to have a baby.
His baby.
What if she was right?
Lilah stumbled out of the bathroom and Jake handed her the can silently. He didn’t want her to be right. Even the fact that the top few buttons of her dress were open and her cleavage played peek-a-boo with his gaze couldn’t distract him.
“You okay?”
Her eyes were glazed with tiredness, but her look was distant. “Peachy.”
Jake helped her over to the kitchen table.
“If this,” he couldn’t bring himself to say the word. A coldness settled in his gut. He didn’t want children. “Is true. We have to make some decisions.”
“I already have a list.”
“You do?”
She gave him an exasperated look. “What did you expect me to do? Sit around and wait for you to take care of me?”
“Well, no.” He wouldn’t mind taking care of her. The idea shocked him, but it was true. He just didn’t want to take care of a baby. “I guess not.”
“I’m a big girl Jake. I’ve been taking care of myself for years.” She was acting distant, almost cold.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Once I throw up I feel much better.”
That wasn’t what he meant. And she knew it.
“We have to talk about,” he gulped again. “About this.”
Her face blanched.
“No, we don’t.” Lilah pushed out of her chair jerkily. She rounded the island and widened the chasm between them. She stared at him across the broad expanse of countertop. “You were right. We should wait until we know for sure.”
“But—”
“Just put it out of your mind, Jake.” Lilah grabbed a sponge and began wiping down the countertop on the island. “That’s what I did.”
Lilah was acting very remote. What the hell was wrong with her? Did she not want this baby? Jake’s coldness grew. Was he really going to repeat the mistakes of his parents? Was his baby going to grow up with a mother who didn’t love him?
No. No child of his was going to be raised in a home without love.
“You were the one who was so hot to dismiss it. Why are you all of the sudden wanting to talk about this?” Lilah dropped the sponge and clasped her arms around her stomach.
“We need to discuss…stuff.” Prenatal care. Delivery. Day care. College. Jake began to sweat. He really didn’t want to talk about this yet. So why had he pushed?
Because Lilah was acting strangely.
“I don’t want to discuss stuff.” Lilah laughed bitterly. “Look at you, you can’t even say the word.”
“Baby.” Jake blew out a breath. He hadn’t been struck down dead. Of course, he also hadn’t acknowledged that the baby was his either. One step at a time.
“Baby.” Lilah’s face was deathly white.
She looked about as upset as he felt. “Oh my gosh.”
“The baby,” he said again firmly. Jake strode around the island to remove the physical barrier between them.
“We can’t talk about this. Talking about it will make it real.”
She didn’t want the baby to be real? “You don’t look very happy.”
“Gee, Jake,” Lilah said sarcastically. “A lot has to happen before I will get to the happy stage.”
He took a step closer to her. “Look I know you’re worried about this whole thing looking bad.”
“You think I’m worried about looking bad?”
“Yeah. You know, bad, wild, whatever.”
“You jerk!” She pushed him. “You really think I care about that right now?”
“Then what are you worried about?”
“I’m worried about the baby.” Fear hovered in her eyes. “What if I lose this baby?”
Jake stood there. Speechless. He hadn’t even thought about her feelings about the baby.
She clutched at her stomach protectively. “I don’t want to lose the baby.”
“Lilah, calm down.” Jake put his arms around her and pulled her close. “Don’t get yourself so upset.”
She took several deep breaths, blowing out through her mouth slowly.
He stroked a hand down her back and murmured nothings as she trembled. He tried to forget how silky smooth her skin felt. “It will be okay.”
“Jake, I want the baby. I want the baby.”
A tightness he hadn’t even realized was there, eased within him. “Okay.”
How could he have thought her cold? She wasn’t cold. She was terrified. Terrified to lose a baby that was still a fetus. Whose life could be counted in hours not days. What would it be like to have a mother like that? Jake’s mother hadn’t wanted him. But Lilah wanted her baby. There was no comparison.
“I want the baby.” Her head was buried in the curve of his neck and her breath blew against the sensitive curve of his ear.
“I know you do.” She wanted his baby.
They had made a baby together. In one night of hot, sweaty, mindless sex. They had created a life.
Lilah curved into his body. Jake tried not to respond as her breasts pushed against his chest. She was hurt, confused, scared.
And he had a hard on.
He shifted, hoping she wouldn’t notice.
Her arms went around his neck, and pulled him closer. He knew the exact moment when she realized.
“I know. I know. I’m a jerk.” He shifted slightly.
Lilah pressed her hips closer. Her nose nudged the tip of his earlobe.
Jake tried to step back. His erection was growing with every subtle pulse of her hips against him. “You, ah, can push me again later, when you’re feeling better.”
“I want to feel better now.” She nipped at his ear.
He should not be turned on right now. He should not.
“We shouldn’t do this.” Lilah had to hear the desperation in his voice.
“It’s a little late to worry about that now isn’t it?” Lilah pressed little kisses along his jawline.
“This won’t solve anything.” Jake tried to reason with her, but he couldn’t quite stop his hands from sliding down to cup her ass.
“I know.”
“We’re going to have the same problems.”
“But at least we’ll feel better.”
Jake wasn’t so sure about that. He tried to shock her into stopping. “It’s not dark out.”
“That’s okay.” Lilah cupped him through the heavy denim of his jeans.
Sweat beaded his brow. “We’re in the kitchen.”
She unzipped his pants, pushing them down to reach inside his briefs. “We’ll go upstairs.”
“Where is Miss Priss when you need her? To hell with it.” Jake lifted Lilah onto the island and worked at the buttons on her dress until her breasts were exposed. He brushed his knuckles along her nipples, smiling in satisfaction as her head tilted back in abandon.
A pretty pink flush spread over the pale skin of her breastbone. Her nipples poked through the sedate white cotton bra, begging for his mouth.
Jake scooped her breasts from the confinement of her bra and obliged. He pressed her breasts together and sucked both her nipples into his mouth.
“Oh my gosh.” Lilah’s hips rocked against his cock in time to the pull of his mouth. Her generous breasts, milky white and flush with arousal, spilled over his hands. Lilah squeezed her knees against his hips and burrowed her fingers through his hair. The scent of her rose bet
ween them as Jake licked his way down her body.
Lilah gripped his shoulders and pushed him upright. Then she shoved his jeans around his knees and wiggled out of her panties. “Oh my gosh, Jake.”
His new four favorite words.
Jake knew he should wait. Should prep her more but suddenly he couldn’t delay one more second.
Jake pulled her toward his straining erection and sank into her hot, wet heat. Christ. She felt so good. Even if this was wrong. How could anything that felt this good be that wrong?
Lilah rocked into him, her bare buttocks perched on the edge of the Corian countertop. Lilah pulled his head up and smashed her mouth against his as her legs gripped his waist. Her slick channel fisted him as he powered in and out of her body. Lilah met him stroke for stroke.
And together they screamed over the edge.
Lilah slumped, her arms dangled over his shoulders and her legs fell limply from his waist.
Jake stood quietly as little shocks of release pulsed through him. She’d blown his mind. Once again.
The doorbell rang.
“Oh my gosh.”
“We’re cursed.”
She giggled.
“We’re fresh out of ex-fiancées. I wonder who it could be?” he said with resignation.
“We could pretend we aren’t home.”
“They probably heard you scream.” He teased.
“They couldn’t possibly….”
“The windows are open.”
“Oh my gosh.” Lilah crossed her arms over her breasts and looked around with a wild look in her ocean blue eyes.
Miss Priss was back.
FOURTEEN
Lilah frantically pulled her dress back over her breasts and shoved the buttons back into their holes. “This is getting to be ridiculous,” she murmured. “I’ve never had this problem before.”
“Good thing we didn’t take all our clothes off.” Jake grinned at her. In that moment, he looked happy.
She softened. The bell rang again.
Lilah flushed wildly and hopped off the island. She smoothed down her hair as she walked to the door.
The bell rang again.
Jake followed her. “Doesn’t anyone in this town call before they come over?”
Lilah opened the door. Peggy stood there, her finger on the bell ready to push again.
“Peggy! How lovely to see you.”
Jake came up and put his hand on Lilah’s shoulder, squeezing gently.
“What’s wrong?” Peggy asked sharply. “What did he do to you?”
Lilah patted her hair, then slid her hand down her dress. Had she not buttoned her dress properly?
“You’ve been crying,” Peggy accused. “You never cry.”
“I’m the anti-Christ again,” Jake whispered in her ear.
Lilah ignored him. “Won’t you come in?”
“What’s he done to you?” Peggy glared at Jake.
Lilah understood that Peggy had something against Jake. But still, to assume he had hurt her just wasn’t right. “Jake wouldn’t hurt me.”
Peggy looked suspiciously between the two of them.
“My Gosh, you look like you think he brainwashed me or something.” Or something. Lilah turned to look at Jake. He was turning her into a sex slave. Lilah smiled lazily. She liked it.
Jake looked at her and she let her feelings show. She stared into his eyes for another moment. She’d been cheated out of her after sex, afterglow three times in a row.
“You want me to leave you two alone?” Jake broke her gaze, and gave her shoulder another squeeze. His hand was heavy and solid against her.
“Yes,” Peggy snapped.
Jake waited for Lilah’s assent. Based on the way Peggy was acting, that was probably a good idea. Lilah nodded. “Please.”
Jake sauntered up the stairs. “Call if you need me.”
Lilah smiled slightly. He was always looking out for her. He’d offered to stay even though it was obvious that Peggy hated his guts.
Lilah watched him go, admiring the stretch of denim against his buttocks. Oh my. He had a prime body. She fluttered a hand over her face. “Is it hot in here?”
“Only between you two,” Peggy said disgustedly.
“How about a glass of lemonade?” Lilah said brightly.
Peggy waddled toward the kitchen table. “Sounds good.”
Lilah hadn’t really thought about the wisdom of going into the kitchen until she paused in the doorway. She kept her eyes averted from the island in the center of the room.
“So what brings you here?”
“I came to check on you.” Peggy lowered herself gingerly into one of the padded wicker chairs at the kitchen table. And suddenly Lilah wasn’t embarrassed.
She stared at Peggy’s hugely rounded stomach. Oh, how she wanted to be big like an award-winning pumpkin one day. Maybe it had taken her a day or two to realize how much she wanted this baby but she did now. The urge to rub her stomach was overwhelming. But instead, Lilah brought the lemonade to the table and slumped down into a chair.
“I’m…fine.”
“You sound fine, liar.” Peggy gulped down some lemonade. “What’s wrong?”
When Lilah didn’t answer, Peggy said fiercely, “Don’t let him hurt you.”
“Hurt me?” Lilah frowned. “What do you have against Jake?”
Peggy hesitated.
Lilah felt the need to defend him. “Jake has been wonderful, Peggy. I owe him so much.”
“Stop that. He’s trouble.”
“He is not.”
“He is.”
Peggy looked so distressed that Lilah said, “Forget it. This isn’t worth upsetting you over.”
Peggy relaxed. “You’re right. After all, in a few days he’ll be gone forever.”
Lilah started with guilt. Maybe not.
“Lilah?”
She didn’t say anything. Just because she was positive she was pregnant wasn’t enough proof to go telling anyone about it.
“Jake is leaving soon. Right?”
Lilah bit her lip.
“Oh Lilah, you can’t let him stay. He only wants to hurt Tom. I know it.”
“What?” Surprise had Lilah lifting her head. She certainly hadn’t expected that.
“I didn’t want to tell you about this but—” Peggy stood dramatically. “you’ve left me no choice.”
Lilah figured she was better off staying silent.
“I dated Tom when he was in high school. Did you know that?” Peggy prowled around the little family room attached to the kitchen.
“Uh, no.”
“Well I did. He was a sophomore and I was in eighth grade.”
“What does this have to do with Jake?”
“One night—” Peggy looked as if she were going to start crying. Then, she let the words out in a rush. “I cheated on Tom.”
“With Jake?” Lilah was shocked. Then another thought occurred to her. “You were having, you know, with Tom in eighth grade?”
“No silly.”
“So then you and Jake didn’t….”
“No! We just kiss—”
”On second thought, don’t go into details.” Jealousy ate at her. Jake had kissed Peggy.
“Do you still want to be friends with me?” Peggy asked in a small voice.
“Of course. Why would you ask that?”
Peggy rubbed her back slowly. “Sometimes you have such impossibly high standards that I’m afraid if I do something wrong, you won’t be my friend anymore.”
“Truly?”
“You’re so good all the time. You never cuss, you never say bad things about people, you’re kind to everyone.”
Lilah said dazedly, “I struggle every day to be proper and not wild.” To be proper like her daddy and aunt had always preached.
“Lilah you are so far from wild, it’s laughable.”
Lilah tried to take everything in. “What about getting married to Jake?”
“Well, there I t
hink you snapped. But it was kind of nice to realize that you’re human too.”
Peggy waddled back over to the island. She had no idea how human.
“Even so, everyone knows it’s Jake’s fault.”
“It’s not Jake’s fault,” Lilah said sharply.
“Don’t you see? It’s just like high school.”
Lilah wasn’t sure how this was like high school, but she figured Peggy would get to the point in a moment.
“Jake only married you to take you away from Tom.”
“Peggy that is so far from the truth. He is a nice guy.”
She shook her head, with conviction. “No, he isn’t.”
“So what happened after that night?” Lilah asked casually.
“Hmmm? Oh, Jake left town about a week later. And I broke up with Tom. I just didn’t feel right after.”
“So Jake left town.” Jake had left town. A week after he’d betrayed his best friend. He’d run away. Lilah couldn’t blame him. But it set up a pattern she wasn’t crazy about. He’d run away after Brandi had broken their engagement.
He didn’t want a baby. She knew that. It didn’t take a genius to figure that out. What if he ran from Lilah?
“Oh.” Peggy’s distress snapped Lilah back into focus.
“What’s wrong?” Lilah jumped up.
Peggy gestured to the puddle on the floor. “My water just broke.”
Lilah freaked. What did she know about babies?
“Jake!”
***
“I hope she’s okay.”
Jake watched Lilah pace the floor of the waiting room. Finally, he snagged her hand and pulled her into the plush cushioned chair beside him.
“She’s done this three other times, I’m sure she knows what she’s doing.” Jake wasn’t about to add to her fears by commenting that this labor thing sure took a long time.
A tiny frown of worry wrinkled Lilah’s brows and she bit softly into her bottom lip.
He was a sick man. All he wanted was to soothe her with a kiss. Preferably a long, steamy one that involved both of them naked.
Instead he brushed a stray hair away from her cheek. Her ‘never neat’ bun was in more disarray than normal. Lilah’s ocean blue eyes looked at him with worry. And he didn’t want her to make the next leap into worrying about their baby.