Ivorie's Surprise [Golden Dolphin] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Skye Michaels

  She could see he was watching her for her reaction to his words. She wasn’t ready to let down her guard or her poker face. “So, all of a sudden I went from Ms. James, the office fixture, who you browbeat mercilessly, to the love of your life? Forgive me if I find that farfetched.”

  Drew was distracted and absently reached for Annie, who finally consented to be picked up and lay in his lap, belly up to be scratched and rubbed. Annie was so delighted she actually seemed to grin. Just like a woman! Rub her belly and she’s yours. “Annie, you traitor. Are you changing camps?” But she remembered the comfort she had taken from Saltydawg on the Dolphin, and she thought she understood Drew at that moment. He needed comfort, and he didn’t feel he could reach to her for it. That made her sad.

  * * * *

  Drew took a deep breath. Some tact and strategy was called for here. His trip to the bathroom had been an eye-opener. He wasn’t sure what it meant, if it meant anything, but there had been a bottle of prenatal vitamins on the bathroom counter. He definitely needed to think about this. He didn’t want to blunder and say the wrong thing. It could drive her away permanently. He knew some women took prenatals without being pregnant or just because they wanted to become pregnant. But he did not remember seeing Ivorie take any vitamins at all aboard the Dolphin. Could she be pregnant with my baby? I used a condom every time—except for that once. He wasn’t naïve. He knew that condoms sometimes failed and that it only took one time. The odds that his one lapse happened during her conception window seemed pretty high, actually very unlikely. But what if she was pregnant? Talk about bad luck or maybe good luck? This wasn’t the way he would have chosen to get Ivorie back, but right now he’d take what he could get.

  “Ivorie, I want you back. I want you to give us a chance to see if we can make this work. I think we had something special. I had hoped you were beginning to care for me, too. What do you say?” He held his breath, waiting for her response.

  “I can’t make a decision on something so important on such short notice, Drew. If you want to, we can have dinner, maybe date for a while and see what happens. I’m not ready to come back to the city right now. We need to slow this down a bit. We were going to do that on the Dolphin, but it never happened. It seems you only have one speed—full speed ahead—or zero to sixty in three point two seconds.”

  “If that’s your condition, I’ll agree to that. I want to do whatever it takes to repair our relationship. How about dinner tonight?” Drew was a little disappointed. She hadn’t said she cared for him, too, but she hadn’t said she didn’t either. He was happy she had agreed to dinner and to talk. It was a start.

  “Okay, how about an early dinner tonight? There’s a great Italian place in the Village. We can go in for a pizza or whatever and talk.”

  Drew and Ivorie chatted while Ivorie straightened up the kitchen. She asked about everyone in the office. She seemed to be surprised that he actually knew how they were. Then Ivorie went upstairs to shower and change. The besotted Annie was sprawled over Drew’s lap on the sofa in the living room while he kicked back and watched the news. He was thinking about what he had seen on the bathroom counter.

  * * * *

  Dinner was delicious. Drew felt they were almost as relaxed and laid back as they had been on the ship, but he knew he wasn’t there yet. When they returned to the cottage, Ivorie turned to him and said, “Good-bye, Drew. I’m not going to invite you in because I really do want to give this a chance to work out, and I know we’d end up right back in bed without having made any progress on the relationship side.”

  He was disappointed, of course, but he realized he had been given a chance to fix this and secure his relationship with Ivorie. He wasn’t going to blow it by “thinking with his johnson.” “I understand, but I won’t say I’m not disappointed.” He grinned at her. “When can I see you again?”

  “Why don’t you come out for the weekend?” He knew his eyes lit up when she continued quickly, “We have an extra guest bedroom you can use.” His spirits plummeted for a moment, but then he remembered that he hadn’t even been sure he’d ever see Ivorie again this morning. He had to be patient. He wasn’t going to repair this relationship and cement it for a lifetime in just a few hours.

  * * * *

  Ivorie was bemused. When he had grinned that wicked, dimpled grin that took her breath away, she hadn’t known how to say no to him. She didn’t know exactly what to make of this whole situation. She had to be hopeful that they could work it out. After all, she had not stopped loving Drew just because she had been hurt. In fact, the pain his words had caused just highlighted the depth of her feelings for him. If she hadn’t cared so much, she wouldn’t have been so devastated. She also now had a baby to think of, and he or she would most likely be better off with a daddy in his or her future. She immediately called Donnie and filled her in on the amazing news.

  “Ivorie, that’s great. I hope this works out, honey. It sounds like it was all just you jumping to conclusions. Of course, he should have been more forthcoming with his emotions. Take it slow, and see what happens. I want all possible details!”

  “You would, you nosey wench. Talk to you tomorrow.”

  Ivorie slept really well that night for the first time since she had arrived at the cottage. She didn’t want to fall right in with Drew’s plans. There was too much at stake, but she was optimistic that they could work it out.

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  The following Saturday morning Drew arrived at the cottage with a weekend bag and a sack full of optimism and fresh donuts. He had been so anxious to get to Southampton to see Ivorie that he had awakened at 5:30 a.m., much to his disgust. He’d gotten up, packed his bag, had coffee and a bagel, and then sat and cooled his heels until a reasonable hour to leave. He didn’t want to appear overanxious, not that he wasn’t. Overanxious, that was. He had to laugh at himself. The sophisticated, urbane, nonchalant, slightly acerbic—okay, more than slightly—Drew Blessingame couldn’t wait to see his girlfriend. He hoped she was his girlfriend. He was driving himself nuts. This had to stop. He had to get a grip. He had restrained himself and only called her once since Tuesday, not that his hand had not hovered over his iPhone numerous times since he’d seen her last. He’d stared at the collection of photographs that he and others had taken on the Dolphin over the three-week voyage. They had been circulating via e-mail to all the passengers.

  When he walked into the sunny but slightly old-fashioned kitchen, Ivorie had a batch of fresh pancake batter waiting and coffee already made. He smiled widely. “I didn’t know you could cook.”

  “Don’t get overexcited. Pancakes and coffee is not cooking.” She grinned at him. “But I have been known to broil a mean steak and make a fabulous loaded baked potato and Caesar salad.”

  Drew sat down at the table and sipped the strong black coffee she had poured into a porcelain mug with a hand-painted golden retriever on the front. He looked at it curiously. “Grampy wouldn’t drink coffee out of anything but porcelain. He said it tasted better. When I was little, he also had me convinced you have to stir the sugar clockwise, or it wouldn’t be sweet. I miss him so much. He was a really great guy who loved jokes and fooling around.”

  Drew could see the emotion in her eyes and wanted to hug her, but he held himself back. “What do you want to do today? It’s a gorgeous day.”

  “How about a walk on the beach? Later we can go into the Village for lunch and maybe catch a movie. For dinner, I’ll make my famous steak, baked potatoes, and salad. It’s my best company meal. There’s not as much to do here during the colder months, but the Hamptons are hopping in the summer.”

  “That sounds fine to me. Tell you what. I’ll make my famous spaghetti with sausage and meatballs for Sunday night.” He put his dishes in the dishwasher and poured another cup of coffee into a to-go cup. They grabbed their jackets, put Annie in her carrier, and left the house. When they got down to the beach, the light sparkling off the water was almost blinding. Drew pulled his
shades out of the pocket of his bomber jacket and put them on. He took Ivorie’s hand, and they started down the beach. “It feels so good to hold your hand again and just be with you. I missed you.”

  She suddenly turned around and skipped backward. “Last one to the point is a rotten egg.” She took off running. He had to admit she was fast, but he had longer legs. Even though she had taken him by surprise, he caught her easily just as they reached the point.

  “That would make you the rotten egg this time.” He smiled into her eyes, pulled her into his arms, and crushed his lips down on hers. She sighed and burrowed under his jacket and into the warmth of his chest while the crisp breeze blew her hair in his face. He loved the smell of her shampoo, a light citrus scent that had stayed in his mind all week.

  * * * *

  Ivorie looked out to sea so he couldn’t see her eyes. I missed you, too. More than I’m willing to admit, and probably more than it’s good for you to know.

  Ivorie knew she was a goner as she sank into his kiss. His tongue raided her mouth as she opened for him. She had always thought he was a superior kisser, and now she had no doubt. The natural-colored, hand-knit Irish fisherman’s sweater draped the fabulous shoulders and chest she knew were under there, and she ached to run her hands over the smooth, taut skin that covered his sculpted muscles. His worn blue jeans fit his butt lovingly as they showcased his long legs and muscular thighs. She wanted to get her hands on that butt as well. This time he’d had the sense to wear sturdy running shoes and didn’t have to kick them off and go barefoot in the cold, wet sand.

  When he came up for air, he said, “I love you, baby. I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable by saying it too often, but I don’t want to make the mistake of not saying it enough, like before.” Suddenly his eyes looked sad. “I’m sorry I hurt you.”

  “I know that some of that was a misunderstanding, but some of it was you not trusting yourself. You’ve got to get over that, Drew. If it takes time, that’s okay. Just don’t take too long.”

  “I’m working on it, baby. I really am.”

  They had a great day, lunch in town, a movie, and a late afternoon nap in the hammock on the back porch, cuddled under mounds of quilts. Ivorie snuggled up against Drew’s chest and thought she’d died and gone to heaven. She was trying to keep a lid on her emotions, but it was getting harder and harder. She didn’t know if some of what she was feeling was pregnancy hormones kicking in or just her natural reaction to Drew. She knew she had to be careful.

  “I’m going to get up and start supper. Why don’t you stay here and relax for a while longer? Keep Annie warm.”

  “Okay,” he said sleepily as he gently stroked the tiny dog curled on his belly. Ivorie had to smile. Then she had an inspiration and reached for her cell phone to snap a picture. She knew that no matter what happened, she would treasure that picture for a lifetime.

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  Drew and Ivorie were cuddled on the couch watching a movie with Annie stretched across both their laps. Dinner had been great, and Ivorie had made a bowl of popcorn. It didn’t get much better than this. Well, okay, he had one idea that could improve the day, but they had to talk about a few more things first, though.

  “Are you going to come back to work?” He waited in anticipation of her answer.

  “I don’t think it’s a good idea right now, Drew.” She smiled at him to lessen the sting of her words he guessed. “Let’s see how things go between us first. I think the office atmosphere would be too much.”

  “Can you afford not to work?” He had an idea she had assets, but he was worried nonetheless.

  “Yes. I’ll be fine.”

  “Are you sure?” He had to know she’d be okay no matter what her decision was about them.

  “Really, I’ll be okay. I have a trust fund that I can take the income from. I never have before. I wanted to be independent, but I think this is the right time to take advantage of it. My grandparents wanted to be sure I’d always be okay, fair weather or foul.”

  He wanted to get one last thing out in the open before he tried to talk her in to bed. “When were you going to tell me about the prenatal vitamins in the bathroom? Or were you planning to tell me at all?”

  He could see the shock on her face. Obviously, the vitamins had completely slipped her mind. “Uh…”

  “Ivorie?”

  “Okay. Busted. I was going to wait to tell you. I didn’t want a baby to be a factor in whether we got back together or not. Not that, uh, we were together before.” He could see she was embarrassed and still unsure of his feelings.

  He pulled her around, none too gently, and skewered her with his hot gaze. “As far as I was concerned, even if I didn’t verbalize it, we were together. I’m sorry I didn’t share my feelings with you sooner. But that’s no excuse not to tell me you’re pregnant.” He waited patiently for her response as she obviously tried to spin this in her direction.

  “Drew, please don’t be mad. I have more to think about now than just myself. I had to be sure that we’d be together for the right reason.”

  “I think my bun baking in your oven is a damn good reason.”

  “Yes, but it can’t be the only reason.”

  “Look, I was going insane when I thought I wouldn’t be able to find you, and that had nothing to do with a bun in the oven. It was all about you. And the way you make me feel about myself. I know I’m a better person when I’m with you, and I’d already decided on the Dolphin to make some changes in the way I interact with other people. I wasn’t always a monster, as you so gently put it, but circumstances and timing had a lot to do with the change in my personality. I don’t want to make excuses for my past behavior. I just want to change it, and I know you can help me with that—you and the bun. I love you, Ivorie. I’m not confused about that. Before you answer, I want you to know that if you don’t want to do the BDSM thing, that’s okay with me. I wouldn’t want that to be a deal breaker. What do you say?”

  “The BDSM thing really isn’t an issue. I realized that I can trust you no matter what we’re doing. I kind of like it—not any of that extreme stuff like whipping—but the other stuff was good, even the spanking.” She blushed, and he could see she was a little embarrassed. “I might be willing to try some other things,” she said hesitantly. “I especially liked dressing up and role-playing.”

  “That’s good, baby, but I wouldn’t want you to think our relationship hinges on kinky sex, because it doesn’t. I want you for yourself.”

  * * * *

  Ivorie smiled through the haze of tears in her eyes. His beautiful face was slightly blurry when she clasped her hands against his rough cheeks and brought his mouth down to hers. She brushed her tongue into his mouth and deepened the kiss. “Take me to bed, Daddy.”

  “Okay, Mommy. How soon can we get married?”

  “Drew! Let me catch my breath first, okay? This is all happening pretty quickly.”

  “No kid of mine is going to be born on the wrong side of the blanket, so to speak, and I’d rather you didn’t walk down the aisle with a baby bump. I know it’s the fashion in Hollywood, but that’s not what I want for us. I don’t want to wait, Ivorie. I’m sure about how I feel. Now we just have to determine how you feel.”

  “I’ve loved you for a long time, probably even before the trip, but I can’t say that I liked you then. That’s not the case anymore. I can honestly say that I love you, and I like you—just like a normal person. How about we wait at least a couple more weeks before we make a final decision? I’m only planning on doing this once, and I want to get it right.”

  “Okay, no more than three weeks—two if we can manage it. I’m not giving you any more time than that to wiggle out of this. How about we talk to Jamie and his sort-of-stepmother who plans weddings and see if we can wrangle a few days on the Dolphin. I’d like to get married like Jamie did. It would be a very small wedding, very private, but also very elegant—just like you. What do you think?”

  �
��Do you think they could lock the doors to the dungeon? I don’t think Grammy needs to see that! But other than that, I’d love it.”

  He laughed. “You might be surprised, but of course they can. We can do anything you want.”

  He gently deposited Annie on the floor and pushed Ivorie back on the couch. He pushed her sweatshirt up and ran his hands down over her belly, which was still flat as a pancake. “I can’t wait to see this belly nice and round with my baby growing in there. What a rush! And to think, it’s all because of one slipup with a condom. I guess God, or Mother Nature, or whatever, is having a good chuckle over this.”

  “I think he’s smiling and telling Grampy, ‘See, I told you so.’ I just know God and Grampy have been watching this little drama unfold from Heaven. Ha! And you’re lucky Grampy didn’t come back and kick your butt.”

  Drew slowly and gently pulled the zipper of her jeans down as he kissed his way down her belly. She raised her hips, and he slipped the jeans down and off. Ivorie did the honors on his jeans, and he stood up to kick them and his sneakers off. He pulled his sweater over his head and stood looking down at her. “Your turn.”

  Ivorie stripped out of the rest of her clothes and stood up. Drew picked her up and carried her to her bedroom. He laid her down in the center of the canopy bed and came down on top of her, spreading her legs open with his hips. He nestled his hard, hot cock into the vee of her thighs and nudged. She clasped her legs around his waist and tried to maneuver him into position for a quick entry. She grabbed the gorgeous butt that was the engine that powered the beautiful, thick cock she was desperate to feel inside her again. It had been too long.