Midwife's Longed-for Baby & the Prince's Cinderella Bride & Bride for the Single Dad (9781488022142)

by Anderson, Caroline; Berlin, Amalie; Taylor, Jennifer

  A frown pleated her brow and her eyes were troubled. ‘Then what’s the problem? Life doesn’t come with guarantees, and Ben knows that, but you’re talking as if you’re expecting it to go wrong between us. It can’t work with that attitude. We both have to be behind it one hundred percent, or it won’t work. It can’t work.’

  ‘I am behind it,’ he said. ‘I was behind it before, and look what happened.’

  Her hand caressed his face, her fingertips gentle against his cheek. ‘Yes, look what happened. We didn’t talk, we didn’t say “I love you”, we didn’t take care of each other. We just let everything between us grind to a halt because I didn’t get pregnant. And we won’t do that this time. We can’t do that this time, because that’s not what it’s about. It’s about the fact that we love each other and want to be together, and we can’t let that fail, so why don’t we just kick this baby thing into the long grass and concentrate on us? Because I miss you, Nick, I miss you so much.’

  His fingers stroked her cheek tenderly, sliding down to cup her chin as he shifted towards her and touched his mouth to hers in a gentle, lingering kiss.

  ‘I miss you, too,’ he murmured gruffly. ‘And you’re right, we can’t let it fail this time. We’ll give it everything we’ve got, no holding back. But on one condition. This baby thing—I don’t want to think about it or worry about it until we’re feeling confident and settled and we know we’re strong enough to face it. I’m almost one hundred percent sure that we’ll need help in some form or another, and I don’t want to start down that road until we’re both sure we’re ready. If we ever are.’

  She nodded slowly. ‘I’ll buy that. It’s a good idea.’

  He kissed her again, the caress tender and sensuous, the passion reined in. But it was there in her, too; he could feel it simmering just below the surface, ready to explode at the slightest provocation, so he drew back.

  She curled her fingers over his jaw and let her fingers explore the texture. He could feel his stubble catching on her skin, grazing softly against it, and her pupils darkened.

  ‘You didn’t shave today,’ she murmured.

  He felt her smile against his lips and drew away again. ‘No, I didn’t have time, and anyway, you said you liked it.’

  ‘I do.’ She smiled back and leant in again, kissing him once more, her fingers still curled softly against his jaw. ‘Stay with me,’ she murmured, and he felt his pulse hammer in his throat. Could she feel it? Probably.

  He turned his face into her palm and kissed it, then got to his feet. ‘Not tonight. Not when I’m exhausted. I need some sleep, Liv, and so do you. I’ll see you tomorrow and we’ll talk then.’

  ‘Stay anyway,’ she said suddenly. ‘You can use the spare room if you don’t want to share ours. You’ve already slept in there, it’s not like I’ve got to find clean sheets for you. I might even bring you early morning tea.’

  ‘No, Liv, I’m going to Sam’s. I’ll ring you in the morning.’

  He cradled her head in his hands and kissed her lightly on the lips, then forced himself to let her go. ‘Sleep well. I’m sorry I woke you.’

  ‘You, too. And, Nick? Don’t worry. It’ll be all right.’

  CHAPTER TEN

  HE KISSED HER AGAIN, then let himself out, and she listened as he started the car and drove away.

  Would they really be all right? She could only hope, because that was all she had left, but at least she had hope now. It was more than she’d had for ages, that and determination, and she was going to do everything in her power to make this work.

  If he applied for the job and didn’t get it for some reason then they’d go elsewhere, because one thing she was sure of, she wasn’t losing Nick again, come what may. She’d live in a hut delivering babies in some third-world country so long as she was with him.

  She went back into the kitchen to turn off the lights and realised he hadn’t had the curry. Poor Nick. He’d be eating toast again, but it was too late now. She threw it out, set the alarm again and went up to bed.

  * * *

  Nick made himself some toast—again—and went to bed alone, racked with frustration and buoyed up by hope.

  He’d been so tempted to stay with her, so tempted to scoop her up in his arms and carry her up to bed, but he wanted it to be better than that, better than some random fumble when he was reeling with exhaustion and running on empty.

  No. If they were going to make a success of it, they needed a clean slate, and that meant taking it all back to first principles.

  A first date to remember…?

  He could take her to Zacharelli’s. Leo wouldn’t have had time to speak to them by tomorrow, but he might get lucky with a cancellation—or, failing that, there’d be somewhere else he could take her to and spoil her.

  And then he’d bring her back here.

  Sam and Kate were away for the weekend, they’d have the place to themselves—and neither of them was working on Saturday, either, so they could get up when they wanted, or stay in bed all day. No prying neighbours, and even more importantly, no ghosts from their tortured past. No echoes of sadness, no blighted memories, just the two of them alone together with a clean slate.

  Less than twenty-four hours and she’d be here with him, in his arms.

  The wait was going to kill him.

  * * *

  ‘Do you have any plans for tonight?’

  She cradled the phone in one hand and carried on sorting washing with the other. ‘No—I thought you were coming over?’

  ‘I am. I’m taking you out for dinner. We’ve got a table at seven-thirty. Wear something pretty.’

  Her heart jiggled happily in her chest. ‘Are you taking me on a date, Mr Jarvis?’

  ‘I am, Mrs Jarvis. I most certainly am.’

  ‘How posh?’

  ‘Oh, nice but not that posh. Smart casual?’

  She smiled. Nick did smart casual like no other man she’d ever met. ‘Perfect.’

  Except it wasn’t, of course, because she didn’t have anything in her wardrobe that fitted any more that could come under the heading of smart casual. She hadn’t had any need for it until now—unless…

  She opened her wardrobe and pulled out a subtle blue-grey dress that hadn’t seen the light of day for over two years. It had a soft metallic sheen, the fabric almost fluid, and she’d given up wearing it because it hung on her after all the running, but Nick had always loved it because it exactly matched the colour of her eyes.

  And, she remembered, he could take it off easily.

  A secret little smile on her face, she stripped and pulled it on, and it fitted perfectly again now she was a sensible weight. And she had some ridiculously high heels that were covered in tiny sparkly bits—nothing casual about them, but Nick was a sucker for high heels and she hadn’t been able to resist them.

  But he’d said they were going for it, holding nothing back, so—underwear? She tugged open the drawer and found nothing that was other than practical and utilitarian. She’d hadn’t bought sexy underwear for ages, but she was going to today, and when she’d done that she’d see if she could get a manicure and pedicure. Nick always found painted toenails a turn-on.

  Fizzing with excitement, she hung the dress up, pulled on her jeans and a jumper, and went shopping.

  * * *

  She was wearing that dress.

  His pulse shot up, and he had to take a deep breath and count to ten. Twenty when he clocked the shoes.

  ‘How do I look?’

  ‘If we didn’t have a table booked, I’d slam the front door and carry you upstairs and to hell with everything,’ he said tightly, ‘but we do, so let’s not talk about how you look, eh?’

  She smiled the smile he hadn’t seen since the day after her accident, and he leant in and kissed her cheek. H
er signature perfume wafted over him, and he sucked in his breath and pulled away.

  ‘You look beautiful, Liv. Come on, let’s go.’

  ‘Is it far? Only the shoes aren’t very practical to walk in.’

  He laughed softly and shook his head as he settled her coat on her shoulders. ‘No. No, it’s not far, but we’re taking the car anyway.’

  ‘So where are we going?’ she asked as he pulled off the drive and headed towards the sea front.

  ‘On a need to know basis…’

  ‘Nick, tell me!’

  ‘No. It’s a surprise.’

  ‘We’re not—no, we can’t be…’

  She trailed to a halt as he pulled up beside the prom, backed into a space and cut the engine.

  ‘Yes, we can. I rang this morning, and Leo has already spoken to his staff.’

  ‘But—it takes months to get a table! It’s got two Michelin stars, Nick, for heaven’s sake! It’ll cost a fortune.’

  ‘I know, and guess what? It’s worth every penny just to have you beside me again. This is our first date, Liv. The first mark on our clean slate. Ready to rewrite history?’

  The smile lit up her face. ‘Absolutely. What a perfectly wonderful idea.’

  She reached for the door handle.

  ‘Uh-uh. Wait for me.’

  He got out, went round and opened the door, and she stepped out onto the prom and the sea breeze caught her dress and flirted with the hem. She pressed it down with her hand, and for the first time he noticed she was wearing her wedding and engagement rings.

  He slid his fingers through hers, lifted her hand and pressed his lips to the rings, then freed his hand and offered her his arm. ‘Just so you don’t fall over and snap the heel off those shoes before I get to take them off you,’ he murmured, and smiled as colour seeped into her cheeks.

  ‘Nick!’ she said under her breath, but there was a thread of laughter in her voice and she tucked her hand into his arm, the diamonds sparkling in the evening sun, and he laid his other hand over hers and walked her to the door.

  To their astonishment it was opened by Leo, with the baby propped up against his shoulder held securely by his father’s hand.

  ‘What are you doing here?’ Liv asked, sounding astonished.

  ‘Amy wanted to show him off, so her mother’s babysitting the girls for a bit, and we heard you were coming down so it seemed like perfect timing. We’ve only popped down for a few minutes. Come and join us for a drink, if you’re not in a hurry to eat? We’ve just opened some excellent Prosecco.’

  ‘No, we’re not in a hurry but we don’t want to intrude—’

  ‘Don’t be ridiculous. Come on, Amy wants to see you.’

  * * *

  Leo handed round the glasses, and they all toasted the baby who seemed perfectly content snuggled down in his father’s arms. Leo looked pretty happy, too, and so did Amy, but it wasn’t long before the party broke up because little Rocco was beginning to stir and Amy wanted to take him home and feed and change him.

  ‘You know what it’s like when they’re tiny and your milk’s just come in and everything hurts—I just don’t want to do that in public yet!’ she murmured.

  ‘I can understand that,’ Liv said with a smile, and kissed Amy goodbye, trying desperately hard not to be jealous. ‘Don’t forget, any problems, any questions, either ask your community midwife or give me a ring—I don’t mind, any time. Here—my number.’ She jotted it on an old envelope in her bag and handed it over. ‘Now go and enjoy him.’

  ‘We will. And thanks again.’

  ‘Yes, thank you, both of you,’ Leo added. ‘I hope you enjoy your meal.’

  The maître d’ appeared at their sides with a welcoming smile and showed them to their table, and after they were settled Liv looked up and met Nick’s eyes.

  ‘I can’t believe we’re here.’

  ‘No, nor can I. We tried before once—do you remember? It was impossible.’

  ‘I don’t remember that. I thought this was our first date?’

  His brows tweaked together, followed by a slow, lazy smile as he propped his elbows on the table and leant towards her. ‘So it is.’ He reached out and took her hand, his thumb stroking softly over the back of it. ‘Did I tell you how beautiful you look tonight?’

  She felt herself colour. ‘You may have done, but I don’t mind hearing it again. You don’t look so shabby yourself, either, and I see you’ve shaved.’

  ‘Well, you see, my mother told me that it was bad form for a chap to give a girl a rash on her lip from too much kissing—’

  ‘Did she really?’

  His sexy chuckle rippled over her and made her body quiver. ‘No, of course not, but we should probably test the theory.’

  ‘Sounds good.’

  ‘I thought it sounded like a thoroughly bad idea,’ he said softly, and she felt her pulse pick up a notch.

  ‘Excuse me, are you ready to order or would you like a few more minutes?’

  ‘Um—I think that would be a good idea,’ Nick said, straightening up, and she had to bite her lip. ‘Stop it and read the menu before we get chucked out,’ he muttered, trying not to laugh, and she looked down and felt her eyes widen.

  ‘Oh, my life, everything sounds amazing!’

  ‘Doesn’t it just? How many courses do you want?’

  ‘Oh, two, max. I can’t eat any more than that.’

  ‘Main and dessert? I know you women like a pud.’

  ‘Sounds lovely, and I wouldn’t like to appear greedy on our first date,’ she said, her lips twitching, but he didn’t smile back.

  ‘You can have anything you want tonight,’ he said, ‘anything at all,’ but his eyes said far more than those apparently simple words, and it took her breath away.

  ‘That was the most amazing meal of my life.’

  ‘Mine, too. I can’t believe they wouldn’t let us pay. Do you fancy a stroll?’

  Liv looked down ruefully. ‘I do, I’d love to, but they’re not really strolling shoes.’

  ‘No, they’re not, are they? Maybe on our next date.’

  She tilted her head and smiled. ‘You want to see more of me?’ she asked mischievously, and his mouth twitched.

  ‘Definitely. A lot more.’

  ‘Mmm. I want to see more of you, too.’

  The light from the streetlamps caught the beating pulse in the base of his throat, and his voice was low and promising. ‘I’m sure that can be arranged. Shall we go?’

  She tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow, and he led her to the car, opened the door for her and went round to his side, starting the car in a silence screaming with tension.

  Two minutes later they’d pulled up outside the cabin.

  ‘There are no lights on in the house.’

  ‘They’re away,’ he said, and she thought of the significance of that—the utter solitude, the privacy, no one to see or care what they did so they could be free to be themselves—and a shiver of need ran over her.

  The cabin was softly illuminated by a bedside light, drawing her eyes to the bed. The curtains were closed, the bedding crisp and smooth, but not for long. Her pulse picked up and she turned towards him wordlessly.

  His hands settled gently on her shoulders and he stared down into her eyes, his own intent and focused solely on her.

  ‘I want you, Liv,’ he said, his voice quiet but sure. ‘I’ve never wanted anyone as much as I want you now, but if you’re not ready for this, if you don’t want it, then tell me.’

  She met those serious, steady eyes, his gaze unwavering, and knew she’d never wanted him or needed him more. ‘I want it. I want you, Nick. I always have, right from the first moment I saw you, and I don’t think I can wait any longer. Make love to me—please?’
>
  His eyes closed briefly, and when he opened them again, passion burned bright in their depths. ‘My pleasure,’ he said, his voice little more than a breath that whispered over her skin, and taking her hand, he led her over to the bed and slowly, inch by inch, he drew the dress up over her legs, her body, her upstretched arms.

  It fell to the floor in a shimmering puddle, and he stood back and looked at her, those hot eyes raking over her body and leaving a trail of invisible fire in their wake.

  A fingertip followed, tracing the top edge of her bra, following a strap down from her shoulder, over the swell of her breast, dipping down into the hollow of her cleavage. It swept under the lace, trailing back up, his hand sliding in and following it until her breast was swallowed by his warm, clever hand.

  His thumb flicked her nipple oh, so gently, and she gasped. So he did it again. And again, and all the time his eyes were locked with hers.

  ‘Nick,’ she breathed, her voice choppy, not knowing what she was asking, but he knew, and he bent his head, his eyes finally releasing hers as his hand pushed the lace out of the way and his mouth found her breast.

  His tongue flicked over her nipple, then circled it before drawing it into his mouth, and her hands gripped his shoulders, her breath sobbing now, the ache in her body so intense she could barely stand.

  ‘Nick…’

  He lifted his head, tugged back the covers and pushed her gently back until her legs met the bed. She sat down abruptly and he tipped her back, ran his fingertips around the top of her new and barely there lace shorts and peeled them slowly, inch by inch, down her legs.

  He reached her feet, eased them over the shoes and then picked up one foot and ran his tongue over the inside of her ankle, up over her calf, behind her knee, then up, along her inner thigh.

  She knew what he was going to do, knew just how good he was, how exquisite it would be, and she felt her body liquefy for him.

  At the first touch of his tongue she dug her fingers into the bedding, biting her lips to stifle the scream, but she couldn’t silence it and she could hear as well as feel his breath as it sawed in and out of his chest.