by Sarah Bates
“And now,”
Suddenly a muffled beating noise filled the room. It so caught Alex by surprise that he jerked his head around and stared at the monitor. “What’s that?” he asked.
Samantha grinned back at him. “It’s the baby’s heart beat,” she told him. Her smile softened as she watched him study the picture, and felt her own heart trip at the look of total awe that came to his face. And now, she knew, this baby, her baby, had become so much more real to him.
She fell in love with him at that exact moment as she watched him fall in love with her child. Tears welled up in her eyes and she laughed softly when he turned his gaze to hers, so awed, so wondrous.
“Serena, Sami,” he said.
“Yes. Wait,” she blinked in surprise and quickly looked at the monitor. “What,”
Evans, who had noticed the exchange through his peripheral vision, smiled and pointed to the screen. “I believe your husband just named your daughter,” he replied.
Samantha’s eyes widened and then she laughed and turned to Alex again. “Serena.”
He grinned foolishly at her and lowered his head to kiss her, slowly, tenderly. “We’re having a beautiful baby girl,” he murmured against her lips. “Just like her mama.” He kissed her again and Evans tactfully turned to give them a little more privacy, snapping off a couple of pictures for them to take home. Then he switched the machine off and lifted a towel. “Here you go.”
Alex took the towel and the doctor stood and moved the machine back into the corner. “The nurse will have the photos waiting for you when you check out. Samantha, you’re doing perfectly. I’ll have Louise arrange for an appointment in a couple of weeks. It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Steel,” he added as he headed for the door. He didn’t take offence when neither of them responded.
Alex smiled down at Samantha and reached up to wipe her tears away. “A little girl, Sami. With your hair,” he wanted to add, and my eyes, but didn’t want to spoil the moment by reminding them both that it would be someone else’s eyes. Instead, he leaned down again and kissed her.
She wrapped her arms around him and they held each other for a long moment, then he slowly pulled back and began to wipe the gel from her belly.
“Hello, little girl,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to the bump. This caused fresh tears to slip over Samantha’s lashes and she threaded her fingers through his dark, wavy hair as he stroked and kissed her belly again.
“Serena Steel. Your great-grandpa would have been so happy to meet you,” he whispered.
“Alex,”
He looked up and his smile brightened as he moved up to kiss her lips. “Let’s go shopping, Sami. Serena needs a teddy bear.”
She nodded and he helped her sit up, but before she could slide down to her feet, he reached up and cupped her face. “Thank you, for letting me come with you. I promise, Sami, I’ll try to be the best father to our daughter that I can be.”
Her heart swelled with love for him and she nodded, leaning forward to kiss him. “She’s a very lucky little girl to get to have you, Alex.”
He shook his head. “No. I’m the lucky one. I have two of the most beautiful girls in the world, and I get to call them my own. You’re such a gift, Sami. I hope you know that. My life wouldn’t be complete without you, and now Serena, too.”
Overwhelmed with the emotions flooding through her she reached up and took his face in her hands. “I love you,” she said.
His eyes shined as his smile widened. “I love you, too.” He kissed her, then stepped back and helped her down from the exam table. “Lets go buy our daughter a present,” he said.
She sighed, feeling her heart sink just a little. Apparently he didn’t quite understand what she had meant, as his response was said in the same casual, affectionate tone it was always said in. Oh, well. She’d just wait until a little more of a romantic moment came around to explain that what she felt was different from before. Today was meant for Serena.
Chapter Seven
The problems Alex was having at work only seemed to progress as the week went on, and by the middle of the next week he was working so late that by the time he got home Samantha would have already fallen asleep.
They didn’t have much time together in the mornings before he would leave again, but what time they did share was taken up completely with Serena.
Alex had decided that the guest room next to their suite was perfect for the nursery, and then had gone out and hired movers to come pack up the furniture. Once the room was stripped bare he then hired a crew to take out a section of the central wall and install a set of French doors, so that the two rooms had an easier access to each other. Now it stood empty, a blank canvass, he had told her over a quick breakfast one morning, for her to work her creative magic.
When she worried about the expense of the whole project he had laughed and simply waved it off, kissing her as he got up to leave. When it came to their daughter, he had told her, the cost didn’t factor into anything. His Serena would have only the best.
She smiled as she flipped through one of the numerous sample books. His Serena. Their daughter. Six months ago if she had mentioned anything to do with babies or children he would have cringed. Now his whole world seemed to revolve around the precious little life growing inside her.
It warmed her, and comforted her, to know that no matter what, her daughter would always have him. She would always be loved.
She patted her belly and looked over to her dresser, where the soft pink bunny Alex had bought for her sat. Already she knew that Serena was going to be a Daddy’s girl. Alex would settle for nothing less. She smiled at the thought and settled against the pile of pillows, debating between pink and lavender to be used as the base color for their daughter’s room.
A knock sounded from the door and she looked up just as Alex walked in.
He looked utterly exhausted.
She scrambled off of the bed as he tugged his tie off. “Are you alright?” she asked, coming to a stop beside him.
“I’ve been up to my eyeballs in mud all day. Don’t ask,” he muttered when she frowned in confusion. “Just start packing.”
She blinked in surprise and swallowed the sudden lump of panic that formed in her throat. “Pack?” She didn’t understand. “You want me to leave?”
He turned to look at her when he heard the hurt in her voice, and realized what he had said. “Oh. No, Sami.” He stepped closer to her and kissed her softly. “No.” He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. “I don’t ever want you to leave.”
“But you just told me to,”
“Pack. I know.” He pulled back and kissed her again. “We’re running away,” he explained. “We’re running far, far away. Away from all the crazy mud people, from all the greedy distribution companies, and everyone else. Just you, me and the little one.” He patted her belly, which had become much more pronounced over the last couple of weeks. There was no doubting now that she was pregnant. Not even his old baggie t-shirts could hide the evidence.
The past week she’d begun to fill out in other places, too. Her face was fuller, bright and vibrant, her skin glistened with perfect clarity, and her breasts, well, she was far curvier than she’d ever dreamed of being.
“Where are we running away to?” she asked.
“It’s a surprise. Don’t pack much. We can go shopping once we’re there.” He kissed her brow and went to pull out their suitcases.
She sighed, shaking her head as a smile curved her lips. Apparently they were going somewhere hot, as he began pulling out shorts and t-shirts, so she packed mostly sundresses, wanting to go with comfort.
“Let’s go,” he said, zipping his bag shut.
“I need to change,” she replied, heading into the closet again.
“No, you don’t.”
“I’m in my night gown,” she called back.
He stuck his head into the closet just as she had been about to pull her nightgown over her head. “Private plane,
Sami,” he told her. “Wear what you’ve got on.” And saying so he reached in and took her hand and pulled her out.
Before she could even think of lifting her own suitcase he reached in front of her and pulled it down next to his, then hefted both of them. “Have you got your passport?” he asked.
Her eyes widened and she went to her dresser and began to rummage around in the top drawer. He rolled his eyes at where she kept it, and reminded himself that when they got back he’d have talk to her about the importance of keeping such documents in more secured places. Like the wall safe at the back of their closet.
“Check,” she said, holding it up.
“Good, let’s go.” And then he was out the door.
She slid her slippers and robe on and followed him out the door, wondering just where he was taking her.
* * *
Running away indeed, Samantha thought the next morning when she woke up to the sound of the crashing waves and the scent of the ocean blowing in through the opened windows. Running away to a beautiful tropical island.
She took a deep breath of the warm salty air and stretched languishly in the most comfortable bed she’d ever had the pleasure of sleeping in, then rolled over to curl up against Alex. “You never told me that you owned a house in the Bahamas,” she said through a yawn when he brought one of his arms up to drape over her.
“You never asked,” he mumbled sleepily back, snuggling her closer.
She arched a brow and turned her head so that her chin rested on his chest. “Okay. Do you own your own, private house at all your resort locations?” she asked, stroking her fingertips over his ribs.
His muscles flexed under her touch and she slowly slid her fingers down farther to stroke his flat belly.
He groaned and fisted the back of her nightgown. “Only here, and then there’s my parents’ house in Aspen. My grandfather kept it because he thought I might want to move back home someday,” he shrugged. “I like to ski, but, I guess I’ve lived in Florida too long. My blood has thinned out too much to live in Colorado full time now, I think.”
“I’ve never been to Colorado,” she said, sliding her fingertips in a slow, lazy circle around his bellybutton.
“Once Serena comes I’ll take you.” He yawned and shifted, gently massaging her back. “Maybe we can spend Christmas there. She should have snow on her first Christmas,” he mumbled sleepily.
She smiled as she watched him drift back towards sleep, and couldn’t help but sigh with contentment as she studied his handsome face. He looked so ruggedly sexy with his morning shadow.
His eyes were still shut and his breathing was deep and even. She wondered briefly if he had fallen back to sleep and shifted slightly, sliding her fingertips lower.
His muscles jerked and his free hand come up to snag her wrist when her fingertips dipped under the waistband of his pajama pants. She turned her gaze back to his face and found him watching her with dark, hungry eyes. She smiled and tipped her chin down to press a kiss to his chest.
“Just wanted to see if you were still awake.”
He wanted to tell her he was a whole lot more than just awake now, but thought it best to keep it to himself, and shifted his hips away from her. “I’m awake,” he said simply, and pulled out from under her.
He scrubbed his hands over his face, then turned and looked at her over his shoulder. “Let’s go down to the beach.”
She could have simply laid there and stared at him all day and been happy. The fact that his hair was sticking up everywhere only added to his appeal. When she snuggled deeper into the pillows and blankets he smiled and leaned over to kiss her. “Come on, Sami. I haven’t been to the beach in ages.”
“I can’t wear a bathing suit,” she mumbled against her pillow.
He lifted a brow and considered her for a moment, then grinned wolfishly. “Well, this section of the beach is privately owned, so I guess bathing suits are optional.” He laughed when her head popped up and she threw one of her pillows at him.
“You’re such a man.” She huffed, feeling incredibly flustered when he leaned down and nibbled a kiss over her jaw. Then he shifted his head and nipped at her ear.
“Come play in the sand with me, Sami,” he whispered.
Her whole body shuddered as his words caused an image to pop into her head that wasn’t nearly as innocent as it had sounded. Her breath caught and she stared up at him, wishing that he would change his mind and want to stay inside and play.
His eyes were darker than she’d ever seen them, deep storm gray, and his nostrils flared slightly. He seemed on the verge of doing just as she had hoped, then he suddenly pulled away and stood. “I’m going to go for a swim,” he told her in a rough voice, then he grabbed his swim shorts from his suitcase and disappeared out one of the doors.
She hesitated for a moment, then blew out a deep breath and climbed out of bed. If she couldn’t stay curled up in bed with him, she could at least go play in the sand.
She pulled a pair of shorts and a t-shirt from her suitcase, then came up short when something small and flimsy caught her eye. She reached down and pulled out the top to a bright turquoise bikini, and wondered when Alex had had the time to dig it out of her bottom drawer and add it to her things. Must have been when she’d gone back into the closet, she decided.
She stared at it for a moment, then went to drop it back into her case. It won’t fit, she told herself. The top will be far too small now. But then again, she had never actually really filled it out all that well before.
When she heard the back door open and close she sighed and reached out and picked it back up, as well as the matching bottoms and the tropical print sarong she wore with them. It wouldn’t hurt to try, she told herself, and since she was alone in the house, stripped out of her nightgown and panties and put on her suit.
Sure that she would look like a fool, she padded into the en-suite bathroom to see how she looked. And was surprised to find that the suit was rather flattering on her more curvier physique. Smiling, she quickly brushed her teeth and combed through her long golden curls, which she opted to leave loose, then she tied her sarong around her hips, just bellow her belly, and stepped back to check out the end result.
Not too shabby, she decided, and with a nod she walked back out to the room, dug her sunglasses out of her purse and snagged some fruit for her breakfast on her way out the door.
She was munching on a banana and standing with her feet in the surf when Alex came up out of the water. She smiled and waved as he slowly walked towards her, soaked through, the waves crashing majestically behind him.
“Wow,” he said when he reached her. “You look,” his voice trailed off as he looked over her again and tried to find the words to describe her.
She took another bite and considered him, wanting him all the more as she watched the beads of water slide down his wet torso and drip from his dark hair and eyelashes. Then she noticed where his gaze had begun to linger and rolled her eyes. “Don’t get too used to them,” she said, resting a hand on one of her hips. “They’re not permanent.”
His gaze snapped back up to her face and he grinned. “Sorry,” he said, though she could tell he wasn’t the least bit contrite by the gleam in his eyes.
She shrugged and took the last bite of her banana. “Might as well enjoy them while they last.” And then she turned back towards the house.
He stared after her and wondered what exactly she had meant as his body tightened with desire. But then she turned back to him and he laughed when she held up a plastic bucket and shovel. “Where on earth did you find those?” he asked when she came back to him.
She shrugged. “They were sitting on the corner on the deck.”
“Ah.” Then he remembered that the housekeeper had a little boy. “Well, mote or castle first?” he asked.
She grinned. “Castle, of course.”
He chuckled and helped her sit down in the wet sand. “Castle it is then.” He began to dig through the wet sa
nd, piling it into three small dunes beside Samantha so that she could shape it the way that she wanted.
By the time that they had finished, it didn’t look much different, but Samantha was proud of their efforts.
“Well, now that our master piece is completed, how would you feel about taking a walk?” he asked, pushing himself to his feet
“Sounds like a plan.” She tipped her head back and smiled brightly as she held her hand up to him.
Alex helped her up, brushed lose sand from her sarong as he slipped his arm around her. “Are you having fun?” he asked as they strolled down the beach.
She sighed contentedly and snuggled closer to him as they walked. “Yes. It’s beautiful here.” She looked up to him and pressed a kiss to his stubbled cheek. “Thank you for bringing me.”
“I thought that we deserved a vacation.” He bent down and picked up a shell, absently handed it to Samantha. “So much has been going on the last few weeks, we haven’t been able to spend much time together.” He picked up a second shell, handed it to her. “We haven’t even had a chance to talk about how Serena’s nursery is coming. Have you picked out the colors yet?”
She smiled as he handed her a third shell, and thought the gesture all the more sweet for the fact that he didn’t seem to notice that he was doing it. “Actually, I had been thinking about either lavender or pink, but now I think maybe a very soft sea foam green.” She chuckled softly when he halted and looked down at her, his nose wrinkled in distaste.
“Green? For a girl?”
“Hear me out first.” She tugged on his arm to get him walking again. “Sea foam green. Which is a very pretty, girly pastel, by the way.” She tipped her sunglasses down when he grunted. “Anyway, I’ve kind of been inspired since we got here. Picture this,” she spread her arms out, as though setting a scene, “Soft, sea foam green walls, white trim and white wicker furniture, and mermaids. Water color paintings of them on the walls, figurines and stories of them on shelves. Maybe a mobile of them over her crib, with a sound box always softly playing the sound of rolling waves. And shells, lots and lots of shells. What do you think?”