“And you can still go places,” he assured her with a charming smile that made her distinctly aware that he was a very good-looking man. “Only now you’ll always have a buddy by your side.”
A buddy. That was a different perspective. Before Dr. Lassiter had walked through the door, she’d been sitting on the paper sheet, confused as to what to do. But when she thought of aborting the baby, a wave of abject sadness capsized her with a violent crash. This little thing in her body — equal parts her and Boston — was already digging it’s little fingers into her heart and she knew she couldn’t abort but she was still afraid of dying. “Doctor…I have a question…”
“And hopefully I have an answer,” he said, eliciting a short smile on her part. “What’s your question?
“Birth complications. What if I die trying to have this baby?”
He sobered with a nod of understanding. “Statistically the odds are very low but a pregnancy can be dangerous in certain situations. But you’re a young, healthy woman and I don’t see any reason why you wouldn’t be just fine.”
She nodded but the image of Mindy, bleeding to death on her own bathroom floor, slammed into her mind. Mindy had hidden her pregnancy from everyone and had sworn Julianna to secrecy. Every day she wished she’d broken that promise. “I knew someone who died from a complication.”
“Oh? I’m so sorry. May I ask…what happened?”
Julianna didn’t want to talk about Mindy but she supposed she couldn’t get over her fear unless she did. “She was my best friend. We were in high school. The baby got stuck I think because it wouldn’t come out.”
“And the doctor didn’t do a C-section?”
She swallowed. “She didn’t have a doctor,” Julianna nearly choked on the words. All Mindy had had was Julianna. And Julianna hadn’t known a thing about birthing a baby. New tears followed as she shook her head. “It’s hard for me to talk about. Just tell me…what would happen if my baby got stuck in there.”
“Then we would do an emergency C-section and within minutes the baby would be out and the crisis would end.” He took a risk and clasped her hand gently as he said, “Julianna…I am so sorry about your friend. That’s a terrible thing to happen to anyone, much less a young girl who probably wasn’t ready to be a mom, but that’s not going to happen to you. I promise.”
She swallowed and wiped at her eyes. “Promise?”
“Promise.”
Julianna released a shaky breath and whispered, “Okay. Thank you. I don’t want to die.”
“I don’t want you to die either. It’s hard to hold onto patients if they die on you.” He surprised her with a cheeky grin and she couldn’t help the smile that followed. “That’s a girl. Okay, no more tears. This is a happy day where I get to say, congratulations, you’re having a baby!”
She regarded him with gratitude for being so kind and gentle when she needed it most, saying, “Dr. Lassiter, you’ve been so sweet listening to me blubber about my problems when that’s not your job. I don’t normally break down and overshare with strangers but I’m new to the area and I don’t know anyone yet and I think the situation just kind of overwhelmed me.”
“No need to apologize. You’ve got a lot happening in your body right now. Growing a whole other human is hard work. Cut yourself some slack.” His smile faded as he slipped back into doctor-mode. “However, here’s the part where I must warn you, you are very early in your pregnancy and this is generally the most fragile of the terms. I am going to prescribe some prenatal vitamins and plenty of rest. Don’t try and overdo it. If you’re tired, take a nap. Listen to your body.”
She nodded. “I have been pretty tired…and nauseous. When does that constant urge to throw up go away?”
“Every woman is different but usually by the second trimester.”
“Second trimester?” she repeated in dismay and added with a groan. “I don’t think I can handle months of this stuff. I’ve never thrown up so much in my life.”
He laughed. “Well, like I said, your body is doing a Herculean feat. Making eyeballs and all that so accept that nausea like a badge of honor. Maybe you’ll get lucky and the morning sickness will fade before your second trimester.”
“Does that happen?”
“Sure,” he answered with a grin. “In the meantime, eat small, light meals and always have a few crackers stuffed in your purse for emergencies.”
Julianna sighed and her thoughts immediately went to Boston. If he were here he’d no doubt hire a nutritionist and a full-time chef to follow her around to ensure her every need were met. Ugh. What a nuisance that would be. But then if he were there with her, she’d also be snuggled up to him every night, too. Their bodies had fit together in a way that defied explanation. She smoothed her hand over her still-flat tummy and looked to the doctor to ask with hope in her voice, “Can I hear the heartbeat again?”
“Absolutely.” He grabbed the Doppler and lubed it up again as she laid down and lifted her shirt. After he found the little bumping bean inside her, he grinned as fresh tears of wonder filled her eyes, saying, “Most beautiful sound in the world, isn’t it?”
Yeah…she kind of had to agree.
Well, girl…looks like you’re going to be a mother. Wow. Talk about a crazy turn of events.
#
The rest of the day as Miles Lassiter went through his various appointments, his new patient Julianna Holly remained in his mind. What an incredibly beautiful woman, he thought as he returned to his office to write patient notes. Her smile could light up a room but the sadness in her eyes pulled at him in a way that shouldn’t. He never dallied with a patient — ever — and he didn’t see himself making an exception for Julianna but he wasn’t going to lie…the temptation was more powerful than anything he’d ever experienced. He wanted to know more about her — there was definitely a story behind those sad eyes — but good sense told him to steer clear. A beautiful woman with a tragic story was his kryptonite. And he’d been burned too badly the last time he’d succumbed to that urge. A woman was part of the reason he’d relocated to St. John, to get away from the memory of how he’d been used and thrown away like a dirty maxi pad. And he’d just gotten his head on straight again by burying himself in his practice and charitable work.
So stop thinking about Julianna Holly. Whatever her problems are, they do not involve you beyond being her doctor.
Good advice that he planned to take.
No matter how intriguing he found the lovely Miss Holly.
#
Boston landed at the St. Thomas airport and while everyone else was exclaiming about the dense humidity, he simply grabbed his carry-on and pushed on. Richard had procured transportation and after locating the driver, climbed into the air-conditioned Towncar as it whisked him to the ferry.
St. John wasn’t very large but it might be a challenge to find a woman who was determined not to be found. However, she’d plainly underestimated his determination to reclaim what belonged to him.
Woe her. Don’t chase her down like a dog.
He shook Richard’s advice from his head in irritation. Woe her? Why the hell should he do that? He owned her. Because you live for her smile and the feel of her body beneath yours is the most sublime experience you’ve ever known and she’s as stubborn as you are so forcing her is bound to make things worse.
Boston closed his eyes against the sudden sting and ground away the moisture with the flat of his hand. He needed sleep and food. This situation was curdling his brain.
After a half hour ferry ride, he caught another Towncar, which took him to a small rental car agency and he climbed into the nicest vehicle they had — which wasn’t saying much — but he didn’t care about the vehicle. As long as it got him from Point A to Point B, he could give a shit about the wheels. A short drive later, he was at the luxury hotel and tossing his bag onto the bed, striping his soaked shirt to stand by the open window. There was a slight breeze but the benefit was suffocated by the cloying humidity. He was
going to need a shower before he could think straight. His hotel room had a stellar view but he wasn’t there to admire the azure beauty of a pristine bay. He turned away and headed for the shower but just as he was to the bathroom door, his cell chirped and he scooped it up with sudden anticipation when he realized it was a text from Hank.
She’s staying at a place called Larimar. Don’t ask how I got that information. A sizeable tip on my next payment would be appreciated.
Heady joy ripped through him at the realization that Julianna had been found but even as he wanted to jump in the car and drive like a maniac to the location, he forced himself to calm down. He needed a plan. He needed to ensure that he had the right leverage to ensure that Julianna never ran away again.
A slow smile spread across his mouth as he shut the bathroom door. Things were starting to look up.
-4-
A fine sheen of sweat slicked Julianna’s heated skin as she twisted in her lover’s arms, gasping and crying out as his tongue flicked the swollen nub at the epicenter of her pleasure zone, helpless to escape the riot of wonderful sensations marching up and down her nerve endings. Everything felt magnified and tripled in strength as her lover manipulated her body to greater heights of pleasure, so much so, that it bordered on pain.
There was something so deliriously awesome about giving yourself over to your lover, she realized with delirium, tumbling ever deeper into that chasm of dark desire and endless passion. She arched as her lover sucked the first aching nipple into his hot and greedy mouth, feeding him her flesh as if his life depended on her for sustenance, and groaned as tendrils of sweet pleasure spiraled through her body, knotting together into a giant pulsing ball of need and want. Suddenly his hand traveled her belly, pausing to cup her woman’s mound with possession as he murmured against her damp flesh, “You’re mine, sweetheart and you always will be,” before slowly working his finger deep inside her. He crooked his finger and beckoned, stroking her G-spot with unerring accuracy until she was panting and begging for more. How could he know her body so well? Without fail, heading straight for the most responsive places guaranteed to make her squirm and embarrass herself with desire?
“Not fair,” she gasped, shaking as his thumb lightly and very tenderly strummed her clit while his forefinger played with her G-spot. She was so close…and yet her blessed release skittered from her grasp. She groaned in frustration and he chuckled, the sound rich and knowing, and she gripped his cock, squeezing the head and popping a groan from his lips. “Two can play that game,” she murmured, closing her eyes as he withdrew his fingers, knowing what would come next. And she wasn’t wrong. Within seconds, his mouth had replaced his clever fingers and within seconds she was nearing her release. Her skin erupted in sweat as she strained against his mouth, greedy for more. “Yessss…” she begged, twisting her hands in the sheets, holding on for dear life as the biggest orgasm of her life threatened to knock out her lights.
But just as her thighs began to shake and her breath caught in her chest, readying for that awesomely beautiful and rending of her soul that came from every muscle clenching at once in perfect concert, her eyes popped open and her promised orgasm disappeared like wisps of dandelion seeds floating on the wind. “Noooo,” Julianna cried softly, still partly asleep but totally aware that she’d been denied something great. “That sucked,” she said, rolling to her stomach and burying her head in the pillow as every muscle protested the denial. She returned to her back and stared up at the ceiling, irritated and dissatisfied. Her core ached, wanting a big, thick cock to fill it, and she actually kicked her feet a little like a kid denied a treat. Well, that blows in a big way. Was this a pregnancy thing? If so, she was going to have to invest in a vibrator because she couldn’t go through nine months of thwarted orgasms — that combined with her hormones could get someone killed.
Julianna bit her lip and closed her eyes…maybe she could…well, it was worth a shot. She let her fingers stray to her damp folds and after using her own juices to slick the tender nub that demanded release, she slowly rubbed it until she found the right spot. Boston jumped to her mind and she let him remain. In her mind, it was his tongue, not her finger, pushing her to that brink, coaxing her to shatter into tiny, wet pieces and suddenly, she was there — falling apart and seeing stars as her womb clenched and pleasure radiated throughout her body, sending her into blissful oblivion for a few moments. Ahhhh, she’d needed that. Yeah, except she’d needed Boston in her head to get there. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and suddenly needed to vomit.
Yep. That seemed appropriate. Mind-blowing mental sex and then the need to puke.
Ugh. So far pregnancy sucked.
After a quick shower, she slipped into a sundress and went into the communal breakfast room where she found the resort host, Lilah Cales, fixing a plate of fresh fruit for her four-year-old twins, Lana and Jack, as they climbed into chairs and waited. They were adorable island kids with matching white-blond hair and giant blue eyes that mirrored the impossibly clear waters of the Caribbean. “How did you sleep?” Lilah asked as she put the plates in front of her children with a warm smile. Lilah had been the first person Julianna had met when she checked into the upscale resort and she’d liked her immediately.
“Pretty good,” Julianna lied. In truth, she’d tossed and turned, too accustomed to Boston’s solid body nestled beside her to get good REM but she wasn’t about to tell the owner of the resort that. Besides, she was going to have to get used to sleeping without Boston eventually anyway. You’re never going back to him? She shied away from answering that pointed question in her head because she didn’t have the answer. She was confused about everything and she couldn’t trust how she felt because her hormones were hijacking her brain. “You have a beautiful place. I’m glad I found it.”
“Thank you. It’s a family business. Me and my sister, Lora and her husband Heath, run the resort while my twin sister, Lindy, helps from afar.”
“A family of three sisters…wow…that sounds awesome,” she said, having often wished she’d had a sister, although her brother was pretty great as far as a sibling went.
“It can be but it can also be a pain in the butt,” Lilah admitted with a laugh. “Ever hear of the old saying, ‘Too many cooks in the kitchen spoil the soup’?” At Julianna’s nod, Lilah said, “Well, we’ve spoiled a number of soups before we got it right. Now things are good but it wasn’t always that way. Do you have any sisters?”
“No, just a brother.”
“Ah. My brother-in-law Heath was like a brother to me when we were growing up. And then he went and married my oldest sister and now he truly is my brother. So it all worked out.”
Julianna smiled at Lilah’s story, liking the willowy blond even more. “Well, I love it here. It’s so peaceful. And the water is so beautiful.”
“I agree,” Lilah said with a dreamy smile. “Best place on the planet as far as I’m concerned but then, I’m biased.”
Julianna’s gaze strayed to the twins and she couldn’t help but ask, “Were they a surprise? I mean, having twins?”
“Not exactly, because I’m a twin, too, but they were definitely a happy surprise to me and my husband.”
Of course she was married. Very happily judging by the silly smile on her sweet, tanned face. What would it be like if she were married to the father of her baby? Like a normal person? Not someone who had sold her virginity for an unholy amount of money and then gotten pregnant by accident? Yeah, not the sweet story Lilah probably had with her husband. She swallowed a self-pitying sigh and pasted a bright smile on her mouth for Lilah’s benefit. There was no sense in dumping her sob story on her nice host. “Well, your kids are adorable,” Julianna murmured and excused herself to grab a plate of fruit.
“Is everything okay?” Lilah asked, noting her sudden change. “I’m a great listener.”
“That seems to be everyone’s thing here,” Julianna said, risking a small shy smile, not sure if she should share such person
al details with a near stranger. “No, I’m okay. Just going through something right now. I don’t want to bore you or make you uncomfortable.”
“Not possible if you knew my family better.”
She laughed. “Well, I’m not sure I’m ready to talk about it yet.”
“No problem. I’m here if you change your mind.”
“Thanks. I think I’ll just take my breakfast on the patio to watch the waves.”
“Excellent choice. Very soothing. Enjoy!”
And then Lilah joined her children for breakfast, leaving Julianna feeling very sad that her situation was so vastly different than any normal person and wondering how she was going to parent a child under such circumstances.
She supposed she had nine months to figure it out.
#
Miles emerged from the water after his early morning swim and realized someone was sitting on Larimar’s patio enjoying breakfast. As he walked closer, shaking off the water as he went, he recognized Julianna and hesitated when his pulse jumped a little. Larimar was owned by the Bell family and operated by the three sisters, Lora, Lindy, and Lilah, along with their various husbands and he happened to be friends with all three, which was why he was renting one of the resort’s bungalows. Damn, why did it have to be her? He had two choices, stop and head in the opposite direction or keep going and walk right up to her and say hello. Of course, he knew what he should do but that option didn’t appeal to the distinctly male perspective checking out how lovely she appeared in the morning sun. Before he could make his choice, fate took matters into it’s own hands and Julianna glanced up and startled when she saw him coming toward her. Well, time to be neighborly. “Good morning,” he said with a crooked grin to cover the sudden butterflies erupting in his gut at her sweet, uncertain smile. “Now what are the odds that you and I are both staying at Larimar? Are you stalking me or am I stalking you?” he joked and his insides warmed at her amused chuckle. “Seriously though, funny coincidence, huh?”
Leverage (Part II) (Billionaire Romance) Page 3