by Jane Godman
Looking up, Charlize beckoned them into the room. “She’s done this every time. It was love at first sight between Maya and Pal.”
Riley grinned. “I think you might have trouble when you try to leave. Pal is convinced Maya is her puppy.”
At that instant, Maya saw them. Giving a welcoming screech, she waved her hands.
“Hi, honey.” Abigail scooped her up into her arms. “It looks like you’ve been having fun.” The darkness of the day receded as her little girl snuggled close and tucked her head into Abigail’s neck. When Griffin approached, Maya reached out a hand as though inviting him to share the embrace.
“Hey.” As he leaned in close and stroked Maya’s cheek, Abigail could see how moved he was. “It’s good to see you, too.”
“She’s gorgeous,” Charlize said. “The sweetest little girl ever.”
The two women shared a smile over Maya’s head. Abigail didn’t have many friends, but admiration of her baby was a surefire way to win a place among that select group. When Charlize went to make coffee, Abigail and Maya accompanied her, leaving the Colton brothers to discuss CI business.
Pal followed them and Maya, who, despite her inability to speak, was good at making her wishes known, demanded to be put down. As soon as Abigail placed her on the floor, she wiggled her way over to the dog.
“Do they all do that before they crawl?” Charlize asked.
“The wriggling like a worm? I don’t think so. All babies seem to find different ways of getting around. I’m not sure if Maya will ever crawl. She gets around so fast on her belly she may stick with that until she starts walking.” They watched as Maya grabbed a handful of Pal’s fur in each hand and hauled herself upright. “That’s one patient dog.”
“Pal has to be the most good-natured canine in the world,” Charlize agreed. “I only hope my baby is as good-natured as Maya.” She placed a hand on her belly. “I’m blissfully happy, but this whole thing has been quite an adjustment—moving in with Riley, the pregnancy, getting engaged...”
As they watched it was as if some unspoken communication passed between the baby and the dog. Slowly, Pal took a tiny step and, still clinging to the canine’s coat, Maya moved with her. Pal glanced over her shoulder as though checking the little girl was okay before repeating the action. Gradually, they made their way across the small kitchen.
“I would not have believed that if I hadn’t seen it for myself,” Charlize said.
“Pal sure is a special dog.” Abigail shook her head. “You and Riley won’t need to buy a fancy baby walker for your own little one.”
They were still laughing when they returned to the den. Charlize carried a tray with the coffee cups while Abigail hoisted Maya onto her hip. Pal followed close behind, nudging Abigail on the leg every now and them as though checking that the baby was okay.
“I’ve been bringing Riley up to date with the latest developments in the Anthrosyne investigation and the attempts to frame you for Dr. Hardin’s murder,” Griffin said.
“I know these incidents don’t officially form part of a CI case but, given the seriousness of the situation and the overlap with our inquiries into RevitaYou, I think we should call a team meeting.” Riley’s expression was somber. “Particularly since the information you have about Landon Street could prove useful to the other CI members.” He turned to Abigail. “Are you happy to share all of this information with our sisters?”
“Of course.” She nodded. “The circumstances might not be ideal, but Griffin tells me that I’m part of the CI team now and that’s a comforting thought.”
A brief look flashed between Riley and Charlize. Although it was over in seconds, it was a lot like an I-told-you-so glance. But what had they been saying to each other about her? She didn’t know and she certainly didn’t feel comfortable asking.
“There’s a lot to talk about. How about we do it over dinner tonight?” Riley asked.
“Sounds like a plan,” Griffin said. He pointed to Pal, who had her head on Abigail’s knee as she gazed lovingly at Maya. “And a reunion.”
* * *
When they reached Griffin’s apartment, he carried a sleepy Maya inside and turned to face Abigail. “I have something important to say to you.”
“Goodness.” She regarded him nervously. “From the look on your face it must be serious.”
“It is a very serious subject. I think it’s time.”
She swallowed hard, a faint blush staining her cheeks. “For what?”
“For me to do a solo diaper change.” He beckoned her closer. “And it’s a stinky one.”
Abigail wafted a hand under her nose. “Are you sure about this?”
“As sure as I’ll ever be. You stay here while I get suited up in rubber gloves, put a clothespin on my nose, get the goggles and find a scrub top.”
She giggled. “If you can laugh, you are halfway to winning the diaper battle.”
“I am serious.” His solemn look turned into a grin. “Just stay close by in case I need help.”
She started to laugh. “From the smell, you may need reinforcements. Luckily, this little one is ready for her nap, so she may not put up a fight.”
Although she was tired, Maya appeared to view those words as a challenge. Griffin carried her through to the bedroom that she shared with Abigail. As soon as he placed her on the changing table that they’d brought from Abigail’s apartment, she tried to roll away from him.
Distract her, then pin her down. He remembered Abigail’s tactics and handed Maya a toy. She threw it on the floor and started thrashing wildly from side to side.
“She’s cranky and trying to get out of being changed,” Abigail said. “Just power through and, even if she screams, remember it’s for her own good.”
Determinedly, Griffin got on with the task in hand. Sure enough, Maya, outraged that he refused to stop, even when she threw herself wildly around, began to cry loudly.
“This is no fun for me, you know,” Griffin told her. “In fact, if we’re being honest, I’m the one who should be shedding tears.”
When he finally got her cleaned up and into a fresh diaper, Maya lay back on her mat and studied him with a resentful expression.
“Do you think she’ll ever forgive me?” Griffin asked Abigail.
“You go and wash up while I sing her favorite rock ballad. She’ll be asleep in no time, and when she wakes up she’ll have forgotten that you’re the nasty man who changed her when she wanted to stay dirty.”
After he’d disposed of the dirty diaper and washed his hands, he returned to the bedroom. Abigail was placing the sleeping baby in her crib. When Griffin moved to stand at her side, she placed a finger on her lips. Side by side, they watched over Maya as she slumbered.
The little girl looked so tiny with one hand tucked under her cheek and her dark curls fluffed up around her head. Griffin was blown away by the strength of the emotions that Abigail and Maya aroused in him. But it was more than that. There was a feeling of rightness to having them in his life that warmed him and scared him at the same time. Because what would happen when this was all over and they left? How would he cope with a normality that no longer contained them?
Abigail turned her head to look at him and he saw some of his own thoughts reflected in her eyes. She placed her hand over his where it rested on the wooden rail of the crib.
“I’m not good at this.” Why did he always have to spoil things by explaining?
“At what?” Her voice was husky.
“Everything.” He resisted the temptation to groan. “Life. Relationships...”
“Is that what this is?” She moved a fraction closer. “A relationship? I wouldn’t know, you see. I’ve never been in one.”
“Nor have I. Not really. I don’t know how to relate to other people on a personal level—”
She placed a finger on his lips.
“Can we stop talking now?”
“I think we should.”
He caught hold of her around the waist, moving her backward away from the crib.
“Wait.” Abigail stopped him before they reached the door.
He released her immediately. “Is this not okay?”
“It’s more than okay.” She smiled up at him. “It’s wonderful. But spontaneity and babies don’t mix.”
“Ah.” He returned the smile. “Bring the baby monitor to my room.”
She rose on the tips of her toes to kiss him. “Any man who can say that at a time like this definitely knows how to relate to people on a personal level.”
* * *
The few minutes between Griffin entering his bedroom and Abigail following him in felt like a lifetime. They also gave him just enough time for the doubts to set in. He closed the drapes and started pacing. This had to be a bad idea. Even if they discounted everything that was happening, neither of them was relationship material.
Who said this is leading to a relationship?
He couldn’t argue his way out of things that easily. This wasn’t about sex. He almost laughed out loud at the thought. Not about sex? So why are we sneaking into my room in the middle of the day while the baby is asleep? That wasn’t the point. The physical attraction between them was undeniable but there was so much more to it.
Even if they weren’t falling for each other deeper and deeper with each passing day, they were living under the same roof and sharing the care of Maya. They couldn’t rush into anything...
“I’m sorry,” Abigail whispered, as she closed the door behind her. “Maya stirred and I thought she was waking up.”
Then she was walking toward him and every thought went out of his head except the need to take her into his arms. Heat flared between them as soon as they kissed. When they broke apart, Abigail reached for his hand, leading him toward the bed.
“Wait.” She stopped, her expression questioning. “Are you sure about this?”
“Totally.” Her gaze scanned his face. “Are you?”
“Yes.” And he was. The doubts of a few minutes ago were gone. “I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life.”
Her smile was radiant. “What a lovely thing to say.”
As he looked down at her, it hit him. There was no need to be afraid. This beautiful woman wanted him as much as he wanted her. And right here, right now, that was all that mattered. The future could wait.
With a soft growl, he lifted her off her feet and carried her to the bed. Before he could place her on it, Abigail put a hand on his chest.
“I want to see you.” Even though the light was dim, he could see the color that stained her cheeks. “All of you.”
“Works both ways.”
Shyness and patience were forgotten as, within minutes, they removed their clothes and lay facing each other on the bed. Abigail wrapped her arms around Griffin’s neck, pressing the length of her body tight to his.
“This feels very, very good.”
Pushing her arms above her head, he gently eased her onto her back and knelt between her legs. Pausing for a second, he checked her face, looking for any signs of hesitation. Her figured that her half-closed eyes and the way she slowly ran her tongue over her bottom lip were encouraging.
Then she whispered, “I want you.” It was the only signal he needed.
Dropping his forehead onto hers, he pressed a lingering kiss onto her lips. Abigail wrapped her long legs around his hips and pulled her body up to meet his, rubbing against him. Griffin gripped her thighs, caressing them before moving his fingers closer to her core.
A little moan escaped Abigail’s lips as she fisted the sheets on either side of her hips. “Oh, please...” Her voice was a hoarse rasp.
“Please what?”
“Please touch me.”
“I am touching you.” He smiled into her eyes.
“Ah, Griffin. Don’t tease me.” She looked down the length of her body at him. “Please touch me there.”
“You mean here?”
Leaning forward, he took one long lick at her center. Abigail cried out, her head falling back on the pillow as her whole body trembled. Holding her steady with his hands on her hips, Griffin swiped his tongue through her folds, over and over. Burying her hands in his hair, she thrashed wildly, grinding her hips up toward his face.
“Oh, oh.” Her cries echoed around the room.
Grasping her thighs tightly, he parted her legs wider before taking her clit in his mouth. As he sucked, then flicked his tongue across the surface of the sensitive flesh, Abigail came apart.
“Griffin!”
She was jerking and shaking as he held her down, murmuring in pleasure at her reaction. After a minute or two, she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down into a kiss. He groaned into her mouth, tilting their heads so that he could kiss her deeper and harder, his own desire burning further out of control.
“I almost forgot.” Abigail raised her head to look at him. “Do you have protection?”
“Yes.” He leaned across and reached into the top drawer of his nightstand.
She trailed a hand down his body. “Then I think we should use it.”
* * *
Abigail couldn’t believe that the amazing orgasm Griffin had just given her with his mouth had only partly satisfied her. Only minutes later, she wanted to feel him driving into her, their bodies slick with perspiration, their hearts pounding in time. This wild side to her personality was as new as it was unexpected. But she knew she could trust Griffin and maybe that was why she was able to let go of her inhibitions with him.
Moving her hands down Griffin’s body, she gripped his taut ass and pulled him tight against her. The moment their hips met, and she shifted beneath him, a groan rumbled deep in his chest. The depth of emotion in his eyes took her breath away.
“I didn’t know it was possible to feel this alive.” As he tore open the condom packet, she sensed he was having trouble speaking.
Abigail moved one hand down between their bodies and stroked his hard, throbbing shaft. “So big.”
He thrust his hips, moving in her grip. “Any more of that kind of talk and I’ll be so turned on the condom will be a waste of time.”
“Then maybe I should help you with that?”
She rubbed her thumb across his head before taking the latex sheath from him. Using one hand to pinch the top of the condom at the tip with her thumb and forefinger, she rolled the condom down while stroking his length. From the way Griffin drew in a sharp breath, she figured he approved of her technique.
He leaned toward her and kissed her mouth, and she wrapped her legs around his back, opening herself up to him. She could taste herself on his lips, but she could also taste him. And she loved his flavor.
He moved his right hand down, guiding himself to her and she tilted her pelvis. As he slowly pushed into her, then retreated again, she gasped at the sensation of him filling her. It was so intense and pleasurable that her inner muscles spasmed just at that first entry. She gripped his waist, holding on tight as he drove deeper each time.
Her body was on fire, the flames starting at the point where their bodies connected and blazing a path along her nerve endings. Whimpering in frustration, she ground her lower body tighter against his. Lifting his head, he smiled into her eyes before pulling back slightly. Holding him tighter, she jerked upward, trying to force him to go harder and faster.
In response to her action, he kissed her deep. As she sucked on his tongue, he lost some of his control. His hips bucked and he plunged wildly in and out.
“Yes.” Throwing her head back, Abigail arched her back.
He surged forward, filling her completely before holding still. She loved the feeling of every inch of him pressed into her sensitive inner walls. But the
longer he held himself still deep, the more she needed the motion of him powering into her, rubbing his flesh against hers.
She lifted her hips, pleasuring his length with her body and chasing her own fulfillment at the same time. She was so close. Maddeningly, deliciously close. Griffin moved in time with her upward motion, and her body started to convulse. She cried out, holding on tight to Griffin’s forearms. As he let go of all restraints, her body spasmed around him and she welcomed every thrust.
She tightened her inner muscles around him as light and color exploded through her body. After a moment, Griffin jerked and cried out as his own climax hit.
Wanting to keep the connection between them for as long as possible, she wrapped her arms around his waist. He bowed his head into the curve of her neck and they remained still, breathing hard for several minutes. When he finally collapsed on the bed beside her, Abigail turned toward him, tucking her body tight against his. She could hear the pounding of his heart against her ear as he stroked her hair.
She felt curiously conflicted. Her body was at peace, but she wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. It was as if a cork had been popped and her emotions had come pouring out like champagne from a bottle.
Griffin was her rock in a stormy sea. He was the only person she trusted. Now he had become so much more than that. What had happened between them was so much more than sex. She hid a smile against his chest. Although the sex was pretty amazing. It had confirmed everything she’d hoped and feared.
She wasn’t falling for Griffin Colton. She’d already fallen.
Chapter 11
“I think I should try looking after Maya on my own., Griffin said the next morning. He looked like a man who couldn’t quite believe he’d said those words out loud.
Abigail gave him a doubtful glance. “What am I supposed to do while you two have a little bonding time?”