Their Child?

by Christine Rimmer

  His hand tickled across the bare skin of her back sending tremors of delight through her body. The fears that continued to dwell in her consciousness were not strong enough to overcome the desires and emotions welling inside her. She undid his tie and pulled it from around his neck. Then she reached for the buttons on his shirt and began to unfasten them.

  He captured her mouth with an intense kiss that promised a world of passion. Her breathing turned ragged as she melted into the aura of sensuality emanating from him. She managed to undo two of his shirt buttons before her trembling fingers refused to cooperate. The music from the stereo disappeared from her mind to be replaced by the sound of her pounding heart and her labored breathing.

  A shiver of sweet anticipation flitted across the surface of her skin as Ry eased her dress from her shoulders. It dropped down past her hips, fell to the floor and pooled at her feet. The cool air wafted across her bare skin. He scooped her up in his arms and she snuggled into the warmth as he carried her through the door to the bedroom. He gently placed her in the middle of the king-size bed.

  There would be no turning back, Ry realized. He wasn’t sure he could stop even if he wanted to. The taste of Jean’s mouth, the creamy texture of her skin, the silkiness of her hair—everything about her sent his desires soaring. He tore at the buttons on his shirt in a frantic effort to rid himself of the garment, finally dropping the shirt on the floor. An odd sensation pushed its way through his body as he gazed at her beautiful face and the way her chestnut hair spread across the pillow. She wore only panty hose with lace bikini panties under them. Her bare breasts tempted his touch the same way they had that afternoon, but his control of the situation had disintegrated.

  The emotional impact of what was about to happen tried to gain a foothold, but he shoved the emotions aside. He reached out a trembling hand and gently stroked her cheek. He trailed his fingertips down the side of her neck, across her shoulder and finally cupped her breast in his hand. Her eyes glowed with a sensual enticement that no man in his right mind could possibly resist.

  His words were a husky whisper, his voice thick with the emotion he had tried so hard to deny. “Sally Jean, you are absolutely exquisite.” Her tautly puckered nipple pushed into his hand as she arched her back. He quickly moved to draw the delicious treat into his mouth. The overwhelming intensity of the moment sent a quick shock wave through his body.

  A rush of heated passion surged through Jean the moment his mouth came in contact with her breast. She gasped for air as she jerked her head back into the softness of the pillow. She ran her hands across the hard muscled planes of his chest, the sensation sending a tingling excitement to her already stimulated senses. Her mind whirled in a fog, her only clear thought the sensual delights they were about to share.

  His hardened arousal pressed against her thigh. She reached for the waist of his slacks and fumbled with his belt buckle in an attempt to undo it. When that failed, she tugged at the tops of her panty hose. She desperately wanted to be free of the last remnants of her clothes, to revel in the feel of his bare skin along the length of her body.

  Ry allowed her nipple to slip from his mouth, the wet bud glistening in the soft light. Slow…he wanted to take things slow and savor every delicious moment. But his frenetic motions belied his intentions as he quickly disposed of the rest of his clothes. He tossed his slacks and briefs on the floor. As soon as he was free of the encumbrances of his clothes he turned his gaze on her.

  She was a beautiful sight—the silken strands of her chestnut hair in disarray, her cheeks and forehead flushed with excitement, her eyes glistening with desire. Slow might have been his intention, but the reality wasn’t as easily accomplished. He kissed her throat as he cupped her breasts in his hands. He teased each puckered nipple with his mouth, then trailed the tip of his tongue down between her breasts. His labored breathing pounded in his chest. His pulse raced.

  He slipped his hands underneath her body, working them inside the back of her panty hose and panties until he could cup the perfect roundness of her bare bottom. He nipped at the waistband with his teeth and slowly worked her panty hose and panties down her hips, finally finishing the job with his hands by pulling them completely off and dropping them on the floor.

  He quickly stretched out next to her, the length of his body partly covering hers. His mouth came down on hers with a forceful passion that demanded as much as it gave. His hand slid effortlessly down her rib cage and across her hip, her skin smooth and creamy to his touch.

  A heated tremor of delight followed in the wake of his caress. Her blood rushed hot through her veins. Her pulse throbbed in a matching cadence with her pounding heart. Every sensor in her body felt more alive than ever before. She reached for his hardness, her fingers wrapping around the girth of his rigidity. A moment later the sensation of his fingers tickling up the inside of her thigh sent an incendiary wave crashing through her.

  Then his hand was at the core of her femininity. She felt the gasp leave her throat as much as she heard it. His tongue twined with hers, their mouths eagerly matching the way his fingers penetrated the moist heat of her sex and her fingers stroked his manhood. She arched her hips, wanting more of his attentions. Then the delicious convulsions started, quickly spreading through her body and setting every nerve ending on fire.

  He settled his body between her legs sending an incredibly intense jolt of desire sweeping through her body. Images, thoughts, feelings…everything swirled around in her head enhanced by the champagne and an evening immersed in an atmosphere of love, marriage and honeymoons. Somewhere in the back of her mind a warning bell tried to grab her attention, but she ignored it. She didn’t want anything to interfere with the delicious sensations racing through her body and the promise of what was to be. All she wanted was Ry Collier.

  As much as he wanted to prolong the foreplay, Ry could not postpone his overwhelming desire for that final intimate connection, the physical union of their bodies into one. He had never wanted anyone as much in his entire life. The heat of her excitement radiated to the core of his life.

  He broke the kiss, but only for a moment—only long enough to gasp, “Sally Jean…” then his mouth was on hers again. He tried to form some sort of conscious thought, but his raging desires shoved everything else out of the way.

  He slowly penetrated the core of her womanhood with his hardened arousal, the sensation so intense that it nearly took his breath away. He tried to set a slow pace, to establish a smooth rhythm. Each of his thrusts were met by an enthusiastic response from her as they moved together as if they were long-time lovers. Time seemed to stand still as he reveled in the intense feelings coursing through his body. They were one and it was exquisite.

  Her arms tightened around him. Her gasp of euphoria spurred his release of ecstasy. His body stiffened. He tightened his hold on her as hard spasms shot down through his thighs and up to his chest. It was the most breathtaking sensation—the most profound lovemaking of his life. His pulse raced in wild abandon, but his mind was a blank. He couldn’t get any thoughts to crystallize other than the one that told him being with Jean was what made it so special.

  His breathing slowly returned to normal. He stroked her hair, brushing the loose tendrils away from her damp cheek. The dim light glistened on the thin sheen of perspiration that covered her face. The fire of passion glowed in her eyes as it reached out to him. He felt himself being drawn into an emotional whirlwind that left him ecstatic and frightened all at the same time. He caressed her shoulders, not wanting to release her from his embrace.

  Jean finally managed to bring her ragged breathing under control. She had never felt so totally satisfied in her entire life. Everything she had ever dreamed about Ry Collier had come true. He was without a doubt the most exciting and giving lover any woman could ever wish for. Their lovemaking had been the most significant and exciting event of her life.

  She allowed a soft moan of desire when Ry cupped her breast, gently manipulating her har
dened nipple between his fingers. His lips nibbled at her earlobe, then a moment later they were on her mouth with a sizzling determination. The fiery passion of their coupling hadn’t even died down when the flames burst into a renewed fervor of unbridled lovemaking.

  Ry opened one eye just enough to see that the digital clock on the nightstand read nine o’clock. The bright morning sun filtered in through the drapes. It was much later than he thought it would be. Normally he would have been out of bed a couple of hours ago if not earlier, but it was very late last night when they had finally fallen asleep. A warm sensation enveloped him as he thought about the reason why it had been so late. Even though he was now fully awake, he closed his eyes and allowed his mind to drift over everything that had happened.

  It had been an incredible night, so much more than he ever imagined or anticipated. Jean was in his bed, wrapped in his embrace and sleeping next to him. It was a sensation he didn’t want to ever lose. A dark cloud invaded his glow of contentment. What type of personal price would he have to pay to keep it? He knew the cost would be high. At the very least it would require a commitment to a relationship. Was that too high a price? Higher than he could afford to pay? Or was willing to pay?

  Had he purposely seduced her with champagne to break down her resolve? Were his intentions less than honorable? Had he taken advantage of her in spite of the fact that she had previously told him he was rushing her? And now that they had made love, what would she be expecting from him?

  They had made love with an intensity greater than any he had ever known and it had made a major impact on his reality. He knew he was far more emotionally involved than he had intended, than he had ever been before and much more than he had wanted to be.

  And that truly frightened him beyond anything he had ever encountered or imagined.

  He tried to shove the disturbing thought from his mind and dwell instead on the warm glow of contentment their lovemaking had produced. But his attempts were short-lived as the disturbing thoughts returned. The magnitude of his emotions were something he didn’t want to deal with. There was no way a true relationship would ever work. The only commitment he was interested in was to his work and building his fortune. Maybe he would have room to handle a commitment after he met his goal of twenty million dollars by his thirty-fifth birthday. Jean stirred, drawing his attention away from his troublesome thoughts.

  The veil of sleep lifted from Jean’s brain as she rolled over on to her side. A soft warmth spread through her as Ry slid his hand across her stomach so that his arm encircled her body. She had never experienced anything as overwhelming as the lovemaking they had shared. Before last night she thought she might be falling in love with him. But in the wake of their lovemaking and with the new day she realized there was no longer any doubt or uncertainty. She was in love with Ry Collier. What she didn’t know was what to do about it.

  Their lovemaking had been surrounded by an almost frenzied sense of urgency. They couldn’t keep their hands off each other. It had been like an out of control wildfire that couldn’t be stopped. All the pent-up sexual tension had escaped in an incendiary explosion. There had been no thought to what the morning would bring, only the immediacy of the here and now. She had been swept up into a whirlwind of desire and fulfillment and the euphoric afterglow continued to radiate inside her.

  Then stark reality knocked the dreamy contentment from her mind, replacing it with a cold jolt of anxiety. A warning thought had tried to get through her clouded mind before they made love, but she had refused to accept it. What had been euphoria just moments earlier had quickly turned to alarm. They had been so single-minded about their lovemaking that they had failed to take precautions. A cold shudder attacked her senses. Ry had not used a condom.

  She took a calming breath in an attempt to still her rapidly growing trepidation. It will be okay. The chances of me getting pregnant are remote. There’s nothing to worry about. The words played over and over in her mind. She wanted to believe them. She tried to believe them. She needed to believe them. But that didn’t stop her anxiety from turning to panic.

  Pregnant…what if she ended up pregnant? What would she do? What would she say to Ry? What would Ry think?

  “Are you awake?” Ry asked.

  His words interrupted her escalating fears, bringing them to a momentary halt. She managed a soft whisper. “Yes, I’m awake.”

  “Are you okay? You don’t have any regrets about last night?”

  His words tickled across her senses bringing back the warm glow she had experienced upon waking. “Regrets? No, I don’t have any regrets.” Regrets that they had made love? Regrets that she had experienced the most incredible night of her life? Absolutely not.

  Then the dark cloud of doubt presented itself again. But, regrets about their lapse of good sense in not using a condom? A little shiver darted through her body. She hoped she would not have cause for regrets.

  He kissed her cheek before reluctantly working his arm out from under her and relinquishing his embrace. An immediate sense of loss told him more than he wanted to know about his emotional involvement. He tried to keep his voice neutral so that none of the deep emotion coursing through him would escape into the open to betray his inner feelings. “It’s late. It’s after nine o’clock.”

  Shock hit her and surprise surrounded her words. “Nine o’clock? I had no idea it was that late.”

  “And we have a wedding to attend that starts at two o’clock.”

  She sat up, taking the sheet with her to cover her nude body. Her fully alert mind caught the distance that had crept into his voice. It sent a wave of trepidation through her. Was it her imagination or was it his way of telling her that this was all there would ever be? That any type of an ongoing relationship was out of the question? That they didn’t have a future together, at least not the type of future she would want? Had she again lost her heart to someone who would use it badly then leave?

  She forced a blasé outer manner to match his, desperate to keep her true emotions hidden. She was not that schoolgirl of fifteen years ago and she knew that fantasies had no place in real life. She had eagerly walked into last night with her eyes wide-open to what she was doing in spite of all the champagne and the sensual atmosphere. It had definitely been the most glorious night of her life. Accepting responsibility for her own actions was not a problem.

  She would show Ry that she could be as casual about things as he was, that she was certainly not putting any pressure on him. “You’re right. I need to go home. I must look a mess. I’ll have to hurry if I’m going to be at the church in time to help Susan get ready.” She glanced around the bedroom while shoving down her mounting trepidation. “Now, if I could just remember where I left my clothes.”

  Ry climbed out of bed and moved quickly toward the closet. “Let me get one of the hotel robes for you.” He felt the chill in the air and knew it wasn’t due to the temperature. What had been heated passion last night had turned to cool civility. What should have been an intimate time of touching, stroking and murmured tenderness had turned into awkward politeness. Circumstances could be blamed for part of it, the time constraint that said they needed to hurry to get ready for the wedding. But he knew he was as much to blame.

  He handed the robe to her and then put on the other one. “I’ll make some coffee.”

  “No…” She pulled on the robe, then slid out of bed. “I really don’t have time. I need to go home. I promised Susan I’d be at the church by noon to help her with her hair and clothes. That doesn’t leave very much time for me to get ready.”

  “I…uh…I suppose you’re right.” The nervous tension churned in the pit of his stomach. He knew he needed to say something to her to reassure her about last night. Something to tell her that he had not taken their lovemaking lightly. Quite the contrary. It had been more profound than anything he had ever experienced, but the emotions attached to it were more than he could handle.

  He watched as she collected her clothes, th
en disappeared into the bathroom. He needed to clear out his thoughts, to get some sort of logical handle on what was happening. He wandered into the parlor room of the suite. He made coffee and as soon as it was ready poured himself a cup. If only the wedding wasn’t in a few hours. If only he had some time in which to try to figure everything out.

  He heard the bathroom door open and a moment later Jean stood in the doorway between the bedroom and the parlor. She was dressed and obviously ready to leave.

  “If you wait a couple of minutes I’ll throw on some clothes and walk you to your car.”

  “No, there’s no need.”

  “Are you sure? It will only take a couple of minutes for me to get dressed.”

  “I’ll see you at the church.” She turned toward the front door.

  “Jean…” He didn’t know what to say. He stood there feeling totally helpless. Even though they would be seeing each other in a few hours, he couldn’t let her walk out, not like this. A cold shiver of anxiety darted through his body. Exactly where did things stand between them? Was he about to make as big a blunder as he had fifteen years ago? She was the type who would want a commitment. She was also the type who deserved one. But it was the one thing he couldn’t offer her.

  In spite of that, he couldn’t let her just walk out the door without saying or doing something. He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly for a moment, desperately wanting to cling to the sensual warmth they had shared in his bed. Her arms slipped around his waist. He cradled her head against his shoulder and stroked her hair. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

  “Yes, I’m fine. I’m just feeling a little stressed because of the late hour. I have lots to do.”

  “Jean…” He took a steadying breath, then spoke words that were far removed from what he wished he could have said to her. “I’ll see you at the church.”