A Good Time

by Shannyn Schroeder

  Griffin snaked his hand up her nightgown. Her nerves tingled in anticipation.

  He kissed her ear and his hand landed on her bulging belly. His gentle caress immediately soothed the baby. “Get some sleep, love.”

  Not sex, sleep.

  He wasn’t going to touch her, other than to rub her enormous belly. The disappointment stung, if only for a moment.

  His breath fluttered her hair as he snuggled close and anchored her body to his. He’d called her “love.”

  It seemed completely out of character for him, but she basked in the feeling and the knowledge that for right now, she was his.

  After loving him for months and dismissing it as wasteful longing, she tried to imagine a life where Griffin loved her back.

  Chapter 19

  Kendra paced the living room, and Griffin was glad Indy had class.

  “I don’t get it. Why now? You’ve been doing great at keeping out of the spotlight.”

  He shook his head. She didn’t get it. “It’s not about being in the spotlight. I love Indy.”

  Even now, after accepting the idea in his own head, it felt strange to admit it to someone other than Indy. That would change soon enough.

  “God, why her? Do you think she’s your redemption for Selena?”

  “No,” he answered quickly, but the thought stuck with him. Something to ponder later. “I don’t need redemption, but I’m determined to do this right, if she’ll have me. I’m only telling you now so you can be prepared when the news hits. The baby is due in a little over a month. That’s a shitload of news for the gossip hounds.”

  “It will probably overshadow the foundation and your program.” She stopped pacing, but her toes tapped.

  “Not for the people who matter. We were both so worried about Selena’s story coming out, and it made nowhere near the stir Night Beasts did. I guess I’m not as interesting as you thought.” He got off the couch, anxious to plan his evening. “Figure out what to do for the reception. Make all the plans you want, but be aware that Indy’s in my life and she’s not going anywhere.”

  Kendra gave him a curt nod and left.

  He was winning Indy over. He just needed to find a balance of persuasion and coercion. She no longer dodged his physical affection, so it was time to bring it home.

  Marrying Indy seemed to be the best way to keep her. Surprises. She loved surprises, and he’d planned the best one yet.

  He heard her key in the door, and he stood in the entryway to the dining room and waited. Nervousness assaulted every ounce of his being.

  She kicked the door shut and her hair swung wildly over her shoulder. Great. Starting with a pissed-off Indy wasn’t going to make things easy.

  “What?” she shot at him when she found him staring.

  “Bad day?”

  “Yes.”

  “Tell me.” He neared her and took her bag.

  “My final project. After I spent hours scouring stores to find the perfect fabric to use for the central motif for a room, our teacher decided it would be more fun if we didn’t get to choose.” She snatched her bag back and rummaged through it.

  Shoving a piece of yellow and green material at him, she continued, “This. That raging lunatic put all the fabric we bought and turned it into grab bag. I’m stuck with this hideous piece of crap.”

  She rambled, and he didn’t care about fabric. He did the only thing he knew would shut her up: he kissed her. When he closed in, the furrow between her eyes deepened. He cupped her jaw, and his tongue probed her lips. On a sigh, she opened for him. The sweetness of her mouth tempted him to take her right there, but he needed to stick to the plan.

  He pulled away and her eyes fluttered open. “Better?”

  “Much.” Her eyes were darker, filled with desire.

  “Forget school for now. I have a surprise.” The single word had her eyes brightening. He hoped their child would have the same attribute.

  He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her into the dining room. Candlelight flickered across the room, and the scent of roses filled the air.

  “What’s this?”

  “Dessert.” He pulled a chair from the table for her. “It seems I’ve chosen the perfect day for this surprise. Chocolate cake fixes everything, right?”

  He placed a thick piece of cake in front of her.

  She stopped with her fork poised above the plate while he sat beside her. “Aren’t you having any?”

  He shook his head and waited for her to start.

  Her fork sank in and she placed a bite in her mouth, leaving a drip of frosting on her lower lip. How did she manage to do that with every piece of cake?

  “Mmm.” The low moan shot straight to his groin. Her narrowed gaze locked on his. “What’s going on? This is Quinn’s cake.”

  “I asked her to make one because it’s your favorite.”

  Her tongue dipped out and swiped away the errant frosting. Her eyebrows furrowed in suspicion and nervousness entered her eyes.

  “Why?”

  “I wanted to surprise you.” He poured her a cup of tea and wished for a shot of whiskey for himself. He’d practiced what to say in order for this to be perfect. Maybe clichéd, but flawless.

  Another bite of cake made its way into her mouth without her eyes leaving his. She washed it down with a drink of tea.

  He held her hand and his plan dissolved. “Marry me.”

  The fork clanged to the plate and her mouth dropped open. Okay, maybe he should’ve stuck with the plan. “Indy?”

  “Did I hear you right?”

  “I asked you to marry me.” So it wasn’t really a question.

  She tugged away from him and stood. He’d imagined this differently. She was supposed to be in his arms kissing him wildly.

  He stood and joined her. She touched his cheek. “Thank you for offering, but I can’t marry you.”

  The pain began in his chest and burrowed deep in his stomach. “Why not?”

  “It’s too complicated. Right now, you look at me and you’re picturing a family. What happens when you find out the baby’s not yours?”

  “If we’re married, he’s born with my last name.”

  “Legally, yes, but when you look into his eyes and know he’s not yours?”

  He jammed his hands in his pockets. He wanted to touch her, to prove to her this was real. “I don’t care. I love you.”

  She leaned heavily against the wall behind her and closed her eyes. When she reopened them, they were filled with tears. “What happened to not trusting yourself to get married? Am I your trial run?”

  The first tear slipped down her cheek, and he brushed it away with the pad of his thumb. “My father taught me that another woman could lure a man from his family, offer something better. It’s how I’ve lived my life.”

  She blinked and two more tears rolled.

  “He was wrong. When you find the right woman, there is no one else. I can’t look at anyone and think she’s better than what I have right here.”

  “I wish I could believe that, trust in that. Being pregnant isn’t a reason to get married.”

  “I didn’t say—”

  “Marriage never entered your mind until you thought this baby might be yours. If I wasn’t pregnant, would you be proposing now?” She folded her hands over her belly.

  He didn’t have an answer, but he suspected she was right. But he loved her; he would’ve gotten to this point eventually. “I love you. I can’t live without you.”

  Wrapping her arms around his neck she leaned into him. “I’m not asking you to.”

  He bent and kissed her tear-streaked cheeks, tasting the salt. Her head turned until her mouth found his. She tasted of chocolate—sweet, dark, and smooth. His hands moved up her body until they reached the sides of her breasts, and his thumbs sought her nipples. They were already hardened into stiff peaks. Knowing his kiss made her this hot caused his blood to race, and his dick became rock-hard.

  He fought for control. �
��We should stop.”

  “Why? It’s okay.” Her watery eyes opened and searched his. “Unless you don’t want . . . to.”

  How could she think even for a minute that he didn’t want her? He took her hand and rubbed it against his crotch, proving his desire. “I definitely want you. But you said no sex.”

  “You said you love me.”

  “I do.”

  “Then show me.”

  His hands reached around and caressed her ass. “My sources tell me sex is good for a pregnant woman. From what I understand, if mommy’s happy, baby’s happy.”

  Her fingers ran into his hair, and she laughed. God, how he loved her laugh.

  “I don’t think I want to know who your sources are, but I like the way they think.”

  He turned and blew out the candles. He held her hand to make sure she didn’t go anywhere. “Let’s go make mommy happy.”

  Indy stretched in the bed. Griffin had gone into work hours ago, but she’d slept in. She’d needed the recovery time. Never in her life had she had such slow, tortuous, glorious sex. No, they’d made love. Griffin had made love to every inch of her body. Not a cell or nerve went untouched.

  They’d had fun, pure and simple. Laughter had overtaken them when a position didn’t work and they’d needed to rearrange their bodies. They’d said so much with their bodies, deepening their connection. It felt good to hear him laugh. Afterward, Griffin stayed close with his hand on her belly to keep the baby calm so she could sleep. But with her sleeping naked, he awoke twice with a hard-on, ready for another round. She had no idea how he functioned at work.

  As she flipped back the covers, a glint in the sunlight caught her eye. Holy shit. A diamond ring circled her finger. The setting itself was simple and beautiful, the diamond gorgeous. Her heart crashed against her ribs.

  Griffin had proposed. He’d thought about it. It wasn’t the spur-of-the-moment thing she’d assumed. I told him no. We can’t get married.

  Her phone rang. Griffin must’ve brought it into the bedroom. “Hello?”

  “Good morning, beautiful. What are you up to?” Griffin sounded happy.

  “I’m sitting in bed staring at a huge-ass diamond on my right hand.”

  “If you don’t like it, we can pick out something else.”

  “I said no.”

  “I’m banking on changing your mind, and until you say yes, your finger is a better place to keep the ring than my pocket.”

  The man was impossible. “What if I never say yes?”

  He laughed as if the idea had no merit. “Then I guess you get to keep said big-ass diamond.”

  Indy dropped into silence. She didn’t know how to respond. “Are you going to be home today?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Good. Kendra needs to come by to plan for the party. Can you show her whatever she needs?”

  Party? Oh, yeah, the big extravaganza. “Sure.”

  “While you’re there, move your clothes into my closet.”

  “What?”

  “I’ve finally got you back into my bed. I’m not about to let you out again. Move whatever you need to make space.”

  Her heart hopped like a bunny on speed. “Are you sure?”

  “I have no doubts. I’ll talk to you later. Love you.”

  He clicked off without waiting for her to say anything. She loved him so much it scared her.

  Being responsible interfered with her instincts.

  If Griffin proposed before she’d gotten pregnant, they’d have been on a plane to Vegas. She’d never want to leave here. Hell, she was living in the Barbie Dream Mansion.

  What more could a girl want?

  Her instincts failed her here. She didn’t get why she held back. He loved her. He’d said so. Why not believe him?

  Tired of her brain running in circles, she rose from the bed and felt awkward strolling around naked with her big boobs and belly sticking out. The trip down the hall to her room felt weird. She’d been sleeping in Griffin’s bed, but her stuff remained in her room. He’d asked her to move her things. He told her to make whatever space she needed.

  After a shower, she planned to do that. They were a couple. They were in love. She should be happy. Part of her held back, though. The same part that refused his proposal. She had no doubt he’d take care of the baby no matter what, but she wanted more for her child.

  She needed to know Griffin loved her baby. She had no way of knowing for sure until the baby was born. Waiting was the smart thing, the responsible thing.

  Being responsible sucked.

  By the time she’d managed to move her small wardrobe into Griffin’s room, she was starving. In the kitchen, Griffin had left a note on a stack of papers. She flipped through to see he’d placed an ad for a part-time cook and full-time nanny. The pile contained the first batch of applicants. He wanted her to go through them and choose some to interview.

  Life suddenly seemed too real. He’d pushed her into a committed relationship whether or not she wanted it. He was creating a family where there shouldn’t be one.

  The microwave beeped with her leftover pasta, and the doorbell buzzed. Her stomach growled, so she took the plate with her to answer the door. Swallowing her first bite, she opened the door.

  Kendra strode in looking peeved.

  “Hi, Kendra. Nice to see you again.”

  “Thank you.” Her heels clicked on the hardwood floor. She moved straight to the computer lab.

  Indy followed, shoving more pasta in her mouth. “Did you need me for anything?”

  “No. I can take care of everything.”

  Indy shrugged and went back to the kitchen to finish her lunch. The woman obviously didn’t like her, so Indy didn’t need to waste energy trying to make small talk.

  In the kitchen, she read the first couple of applications and decided she had no idea what to look for. She’d never hired anyone for anything. A piece of paper could never tell her enough about an applicant. She needed to look someone in the eye to form an opinion.

  She shoved the papers back in a pile and cleaned her dishes. Before heading upstairs to work on her project with the hideous fabric, she went to check on Kendra.

  From the hall she heard Kendra comment, “I don’t know what Griffin was thinking when he allowed her to do this. I feel like I’m standing in the ghetto.”

  Anger propelled Indy into the lab. When Kendra saw her, she quickly said good-bye and closed her phone.

  “Griffin and the kids love the lab.” Indy fought to keep her voice calm.

  “Of course they like it. This program is supposed to take them out of the trash and into the business world.”

  “They get that from what Griffin teaches them. The program is about the kids—and they are still kids.”

  Kendra strode across the room, heels clicking, until they were nearly toe-to-toe. Even without her heels, Indy stood a head taller.

  Disdain shot from the woman’s eyes. “I don’t know how deep you think you have your teeth in him because of this.” She pointed at Indy’s stomach. “But I will not let you ruin all of the work I’ve done.”

  “Me? I’m not looking to ruin anything. I created a room I thought the kids would enjoy working in.”

  Kendra hitched up her chin. “I know he’s been looking at jewelry, but it won’t last. You’re not the first gold-digging piece of white trash to come his way.”

  Indy shoved her right hand behind her back to hide the evidence. If Kendra noticed, she didn’t comment, which led Indy to believe she hadn’t seen the ring.

  “You will drag him down. The scandal of you being knocked up and seen with him will ruin his credibility. Playing house with you will not make his history with Selena go away.”

  The words were more effective than a slap. Indy straightened her shoulders and stiffened her back despite the shot to her heart. “Griffin is a big boy who makes his own decisions. He hired you for PR, not to be his mother.” Indy turned and said over her shoulder, “Don’t let the doo
r hit you on the way out.”

  The lame parting shot didn’t say much, but Indy didn’t have enough venom to fight the truth. She’d known it. In her heart, it was part of her refusal to marry him.

  Once reporters got a picture of her, questions would be raised. She’d be labeled a slut or he’d be pegged as irresponsible. Then Selena would be brought up again. Either way, who would want to expose their children to that?

  Back in her room, Indy turned the radio up and began work on her project. Kendra’s opinion didn’t matter. She’d meant what she’d said about Griffin making his own choices, but she also wouldn’t bring bad publicity to the foundation and the kids.

  She loved Griffin too much.

  She’d hide out for a few weeks, and the baby would be born. They would have their answers and deal with it then.

  Dodging Griffin’s proposal shouldn’t be too difficult. If she told him to give her time, he’d have to respect it.

  Within the walls of the house they’d be a couple, but no one else would know. His reputation would be safe.

  She’d have time to build her business and prove herself.

  For the next few weeks, the house became a hive of activity. Party planners and caterers moved through, finalizing everything for the launch. They all traveled with Kendra, so Indy kept her presence minimal.

  Griffin pressured her to interview chefs but made no mention of marriage. She’d read through the applications to appease him, but no one jumped out at her. It would help if he’d told her what he wanted.

  They slept together every night. They’d lie together in the dark and discuss their days. She’d never felt as safe and secure and whole as she did in his arms in the middle of the night. That knowledge made her days with Kendra livable.

  Three days before the party, Griffin came home carrying a garment bag and thrust it at her. “Here.”

  “What’s this?”

  “The reception is formal and you haven’t gone shopping. The saleswoman assured me it would fit.”