One Last Objection_A Small-Town Romance

by Nancy Stopper

  His voice was as calm and mundane as if he were reading out of the phone book. Like it was no big deal. But it was. Tears sprang to her eyes and she blinked them back. Until Michael, the only person who’d ever cared what she wanted or how she liked things was her.

  He slid his bowl onto the table and cupped her cheeks. “Maggie, what’s wrong?”

  At the tenderness in his voice, the tears broke through and rolled down her cheeks. “I know I admitted that I could use some help around the house, but I put it off because I was too tired to call and I don’t like people messing with my things.”

  “I’m sorry, Maggie. I didn’t mean to invade your privacy.”

  She shook her head. “That’s just it. You didn’t. You helped me but left it so I could still have things the way I like them. No one has ever cared about what I wanted. When I was little, everything had to be done the way my father wanted it. No exceptions. Then, when my parents weren’t around, no one cared whether I threw things on the floor or picked them up because the nanny and housekeeper just followed behind me and cleaned. By the time I was living on my own, I didn’t know what to do.” She buried her face in her hands. “I’m a huge mess, and I don’t just mean literally. How can someone who is in control of her professional life be such a disaster in her personal life?”

  “You’re not a mess. You’re just busy and your focus is elsewhere. But I also know that your condo being messy stresses you out, so I wanted to help.” He dipped his chin and batted his eyes.

  She stretched her neck and kissed him. Only their lips touched, but the shudder that rolled through her was enough to send a tingle through her body. He pulled her closer, gently teasing and tasting. A moan rose in her gut and he swallowed it.

  He pulled away.

  “What?” Why had he stopped kissing her? Had he thought she hadn’t wanted to kiss him?

  “I got carried away. It’s just… when you kiss me, I lose my head. You taste so good, and I could kiss you for hours. But you’re tired and you need to eat and I didn’t come over here to seduce you.”

  Little did he know that making her dinner and straightening her condo was better than any romantic seduction he could plan.

  He sat back and attacked his salad with gusto, like he hadn’t tilted her world completely on its side with a single kiss.

  When they both finished eating, he grabbed her bowl and went to the kitchen. “Close your eyes.”

  What was he up to now? She’d just napped and wasn’t especially tired. But she was aroused. He could certainly do something about that, but not while he was in the kitchen. Dishes clattered and the refrigerator door swooshed open and closed. Before long, the cushion beside her depressed and the heat of his breath covered her face.

  “Open your mouth,” he whispered.

  He placed something between her lips and the flavor of chocolate burst on her tongue. She closed her lips and reveled in the rich sweetness. A moan escaped but was quickly swallowed as he slid his mouth over hers. Her hands snaked around his neck, pulling him down and fitting his body over hers, his weight a delicious pleasure. She fingered the tight muscles of his back until she reached his ass, pulling him into her. He ground his erection against her while his hand trailed up her side, leaving a string of goosebumps in its wake. He settled on her breast and kneaded gently until she wiggled, pressing her body harder into his.

  It wasn’t enough. She needed all of him, everything he had to give. Each stroke of his talented fingers sent jolts through her body. Her nipples stiffened almost painfully, the sensations coursing through her, wiping any rational thought from her mind. It was just her and Michael, in this cocoon of his body wrapped around hers. The rest of the world, all of their worries, were forgotten.

  He broke the kiss and his hand flopped onto the couch. She stretched for his moist, swollen lips, but he backed away. What did she do now? Why did he stop?

  He sat back on the couch, raking his hands through his hair.

  She ran a single finger down his arm, drawing little circles on the way to his hand. She linked her fingers with his. “Talk to me. What are you thinking?”

  He quirked an eyebrow at her and chuckled. “Remember, Doc, your questioning skills don’t work on me.”

  “No, I’m serious. Why did you stop?” Arousal poured off of him in waves, his breathing ragged. He wanted what she was offering.

  “You’re supposed to be resting, not having me maul you on the couch.”

  “I liked you mauling me on the couch. I was plenty relaxed.”

  “But is it… what about the baby?”

  “She’s perfectly fine in there. It’s the Mommy out here who needs a little attention.”

  He eyed her suspiciously and then scooched further away. “You’re not making this easy, Maggie. I’m trying to do the right thing.”

  “And you did. You brought me dinner and straightened up my condo so that I could rest. Now I’m rested… and I want you.” There was no way she misread his arousal, but his actions told a different story.

  “I don’t want to hurt you or the baby. What if it’s not safe? You have high blood pressure. I don’t want to do anything to make it worse.” His jaw ticked and his hands clenched into fists.

  She threw her head back and laughed. With all the research he’d done, he still didn’t have a clue. “Well, cowboy, I’m a step ahead of you. I checked in with Dr. Alexander this afternoon, and she said it was still safe to have sex.”

  He stared at her for a minute and his eyes brightened as the words sank in. There was the Michael that she’d fallen in love with.

  Wait, what? She wasn’t in love with him. What in the hell made her think that? It had to be the intensity of her pregnancy. The two of them here together. She didn’t love him. She couldn’t love him. But she did like having sex with him, and if the growing thickness in his pants was any indication, he was more than ready.

  She straddled his lap and slipped her hands into his hair. “The only one that’s going to be hurt is me if you don’t make love to me right now. You don’t want me to think you don’t find me attractive any more, do you?” Okay, that was a bit childish, but she wasn’t above bribery or blackmail. Her body was wound so tight, it wouldn’t take much to send her over the edge.

  His cock thrusting against her panties was the only answer she needed. With her skirt hitched above her hips, his warmth seeped into her core. He slid a hand up her thigh until the heat of his touch penetrated the thin scrap of lace separating them. Her body begged for him. She pressed into him, and he chuckled as he ran a single finger up her. “God, Maggie, you’re so wet.”

  She closed her eyes and listened to the timbre of his voice as he slid the fabric aside and inserted two fingers. Her channel clenched, grabbing his fingers and holding them in place. She stretched, the urge to drive him deeper forcing her body into his. He twisted his fingers, stroking in and out until she struggled to draw a breath. Her hands were all over him, digging into his back and yanking him down as he played her body like a fine instrument.

  The jolts coursing through her melded into a single, solitary sensation, pleasure filling every cell of her body, her skin tingling. She squeezed her eyes shut as her body reached for release. She was so close—a few strokes in the right place would do the trick. But as she strained, he withdrew his fingers. She cried out and her eyes snapped open. “What?”

  He rested his forehead on hers, his breathing as ragged as hers as he stared deep into her eyes. Desire swirled, the bright green of his eyes deepening to near black. But another emotion lingered behind his gaze. Could he be as affected by the turn in their relationship as she was? “I want to love you the way you deserve to be loved. Not a quickie on the couch. I want to kiss you and lick you and taste you until you are wild with need, and when you can’t stand it another minute, I want to slide into your wet heat and feel you surround me, clench me while I make love to you.”

  What in the hell was she supposed to say to that? Sure, their sex was alway
s intense, but he’d never spoken to her with that kind of passion. Before she could wrap her head around her confusion, he stood and extended his hand. In no time, he’d swept her into his arms and nuzzled her neck while he stumbled toward her bedroom. “Put me down. I’m too heavy.”

  “You’re perfect. And more than that, you’re perfect for me. By the end of tonight, you’re going to believe it as much as I do.”

  Candles burning on her nightstand and her dresser cast a sultry glow over the room. The pale yellow light of another large candle reflected off the mirror.

  “When did you do all this?”

  “Right before we ate. I wanted you to be pampered, to be taken care of tonight. Even if all I got to do was lay beside you and hold you.”

  “Really?” She nudged against his thickness. “You’d just go to sleep if that’s what I wanted?”

  He spoke through gritted teeth. “If that’s what you want, absolutely.”

  She waggled her eyebrows at him. “It’s a good thing that I want more, then. I want everything.”

  Chapter Twenty

  MICHAEL’S FINGERS TAPPED a steady rhythm on his knee. What was taking them so long to call Maggie’s name? They’d been sitting in the waiting room at the doctor’s office for twenty-five minutes. He flicked his wrist to check his watch. Now almost thirty minutes.

  The past two weeks had proceeded much like that first night after Maggie’s last appointment. She went to work a few hours a day and met with the new counselor who was filling in. Each day, though, her feet were dragging by the time she got home. Michael had made or taken dinner every night and she’d stopped fighting him. That was fine by him. He enjoyed taking care of her. A lot more than he expected.

  Her hands settled over his. “Relax. Sometimes the doctor has to deliver a baby. You know these little ones can be unpredictable.”

  She was right about that. In the past two weeks, Maggie had really popped. Her belly had grown bigger each day and the baby was very active. His book said that was a good sign, but he wouldn’t believe it for sure until the doctor confirmed that everything was okay.

  Finally they called Maggie back, and he trailed down the long hall of doors to the room at the end, stopping so Maggie could leave a sample. Once the cranky nurse left them alone—but not before throwing a scowl at them—Maggie tried and failed to hoist herself onto the table. He just chuckled and lifted her up.

  She sighed as she thudded onto the table. “It’s going to be all right.”

  He didn’t think those words were for his benefit. Her hands trembled and she fiddled with her pants. He stepped between her legs and covered her hands with his. “Yes, it is. But if it isn’t, we’ll deal with it. The most important thing is your health and the health of the baby. Nothing else matters.”

  “Yeah, I know. I just want everything to be okay.”

  He wrapped his hand around her neck and settled his lips on her sweaty forehead. He’d give anything to take this stress away from her. She’d finally stopped furrowing her brows when he took a few extra minutes each night to sweep the floor or pick up in the living room. He’d carry the baby for her if it meant relieving her stress, but since he couldn’t, he was determined to make her life as calm as possible.

  “Hey, kids.”

  When had the doctor come in? He popped a final kiss on Maggie’s forehead and stepped to the side but kept his hand firmly in hers, tracing the valleys between her knuckles with his thumb. But she still trembled.

  “Maggie, how have you been feeling?”

  Maggie sighed. “I’ve been pretty tired, actually. I cut back on my hours and Michael has been helping out around the house, but by the end of the day, I can hardly keep my eyes open.”

  He shuffled out of the way, clenching his jaw so he wouldn’t show Maggie exactly how scared he was. What if something happened to her or the baby? He refused to allow his imagination to go there.

  The doctor probed Maggie’s wrists and lifted her feet and pressed against her ankles. Then Dr. Alexander pulled the cuff off the wall—the moment of truth. Michael pursed his lips and squinted at the readings as the doctor squeezed the rubber ball.

  The doctor chuckled. “Breathe, Maggie.”

  Maggie huffed out a breath and sighed. He clasped her hand tighter and leaned his chin onto her shoulder. Whatever it was, they would handle it together.

  How had he ended up here, in a doctor’s office with his pregnant girlfriend? He’d never expected to have kids, but now the thought of losing his daughter, or Maggie, was unfathomable. He’d never recover if something happened to either of them.

  Dr. Alexander released the cuff and tucked it back into the holder. What was the reading? Why was she taking so long? She sat on the little rolling chair, slid up beside the table, and grabbed Maggie’s hand.

  Oh, crap. This was bad. He slid his arm around Maggie’s waist as tears welled in her eyes.

  “Maggie, your blood pressure is still concerning. It’s not any lower, and if anything, it’s ticked up a little. There’s swelling in your hands and feet—”

  “But I read that’s normal.” Maggie’s voice broke, her desperation lacing every word.

  “Some swelling is normal, but yours is more than we expect at this stage. Combined with your blood pressure, you’re in the early stages of preeclampsia.”

  A sob escaped her lips and fat tears rolled down her cheek.

  He tightened his arms around her and pulled her to him. He felt helpless. What else could he do?

  “Is this because of my PCOS?”

  The doctor shook her head. “We’re not sure why some women develop preeclampsia and others don’t. All we can do is manage it and hope we don’t have to deliver the baby early.”

  Maggie gasped.

  He bit back his own reaction and tried to measure his words for Maggie’s sake. “How early?”

  The doctor turned her caring eyes toward him. How could she be so calm while delivering news that turned their entire lives upside down? “We’d like to get her to thirty-seven weeks.”

  He mentally calculated the time. They were at week twenty-five, so twelve more weeks to go. “And what happens if the baby has to be delivered early?”

  “Babies as early as twenty-seven weeks are surviving now, but we don’t need to be thinking that right now. We caught this early and we’re going to closely monitor the situation. Every week is a week bigger, a week stronger, a week healthier. When we reach thirty-two weeks, if we think there’s a risk of early delivery, we’ll give Maggie some steroids to stimulate the baby’s lung development.”

  Where was his notepad when he needed it? He’d never remember everything the doctor said. One look at Maggie confirmed she wasn’t hearing much of the doctor’s advice either. Her eyes were glazed over and she stared off into space instead of making eye contact with anyone.

  Finally Maggie refocused and he saw the strong woman he loved reemerge. “So, what’s the plan?”

  “Complete bedrest. Except to go to the bathroom, I don’t want you getting up and walking around.”

  Maggie gasped. Before she could say something about her job that would piss him off, he squeezed her waist and responded to the doctor. “Got it. I’ll make sure she doesn’t move a muscle, if I have to sit on her myself.”

  Maggie shot him an angry look, her brows knitted and her jaw firm. But she didn’t argue with him or the doctor. He’d take that victory. He admired her work and she was good at her job, but now was the time to focus on the baby. She had to see that.

  They made arrangements for appointments every two weeks on the way out of the office. But before they could leave the waiting room, Maggie sank into a chair and hid her face in her hands. Her shoulders shook and her sobs overtook her.

  He lifted her out of the chair and slid into the spot she occupied, draping her over his lap. His arms wrapped tight around her, he leaned in and whispered so only she could hear. If only his words would comfort her. He was out of his element dealing with the emo
tional aspects of a relationship. “This is going to be all right. We’ll do everything the doctor says, and our daughter will be born happy and healthy in May… just like she’s supposed to be.”

  “But what if she’s not?”

  “Let’s not borrow trouble until we need to, okay? Right now, the doctor said we have no reason to believe that the rest of this pregnancy won’t proceed without any further complications.”

  Maggie chuckled and swiped her hand across her nose. “You sound like a lawyer.”

  “That’s because I am, silly. But I’m also your friend and your lover and our daughter’s father, and it’s my job to take care of you and her.”

  “I don’t like being taken care of.”

  Didn’t he know that. “Well, you’ve got a more important job right now.”

  “What’s that?”

  “It’s your job to take care of our baby until she’s ready to be born. I can’t do that for you. But I can do other things for you so you can devote yourself fulltime to taking care of her.”

  “I guess. It’s just… I’m scared.”

  Finally she admitted what he’d known for a long time. She may put on a tough exterior, but inside her dwelled a little girl who just wanted someone to love her like her parents hadn’t.

  He hadn’t even met his baby yet and he couldn’t imagine leaving her the way Maggie’s parents had left her. He could pummel them for doing that to their daughter—couldn’t they see what a wonderful person she was? “I know, honey. I’m scared, too.”

  “You’re scared?”

  He chuckled. She had no idea. “Out of my mind. From the minute I found out you were pregnant.”

  “What are we going to do?”

  “Right now we’re going to go home and set you up on the couch.”

  “I need to call Barry and Dr. Bryson. Let them know what’s going on.”

  He gritted his teeth. Shifting her patients couldn’t be easy and he couldn’t imagine the impact on her practice, but when would she let her work go and focus on herself and the baby? “Once you get home.”