Love Me Like You Do: Winter Lake

by Rhian Cahill

  Between the salesgirl and Tristan, she was outfitted with new boots, gloves that fit properly, and a jacket in less than ten minutes.

  Cov leaned into his side while he handed over his credit card and Jem bagged all her new clothes.

  She knew she was relying on him a lot, more than she should, but right now she didn’t have the energy to argue, never mind do for herself.

  She’d be sure to make up for his support later. As soon as she got her feet under her again, she’d be better. More independent, not as much of a drain on his time or money.

  She didn’t like being beholden to anyone. It was why she’d never moved in with Gavin in spite of the numerous times he’d asked. And thank god she hadn’t. What a disaster that would have been.

  Stifling another yawn, she let Tris lead her out of the store.

  Chapter 10

  “Be happy.”

  Tristan’s words kept replaying in her head. Not that she needed them to. He’d spent the last few hours making sure she was happy.

  Anything she wanted, he bought for her; anything she needed they couldn’t find, he arranged to get. If he didn’t stop, he’d have her spoiled rotten in less than a week.

  “You okay? Do you need another pillow?”

  Covington laughed. “I’ve got three now; what would I possibly do with a fourth?”

  His gaze traveled from the top of her head to the tip of her toes. “Under your knees…?”

  He had her stretched out on his couch, a pillow behind her head, one supporting her back, and the last one tucked under her feet.

  She’d kept her mouth shut when he’d started ‘making her comfortable’ because she was tired after their dinner and shopping, and just the thought of arguing with him was too exhausting to consider.

  “I’m fine,” she said, covering a yawn with her hand.

  Tris glanced at his watch. “We’ve got just over an hour before our appointment with Jared. You should sleep.”

  Sleep sounded good. Except there were bags and bags of groceries in the kitchen that needed to be put away and then there were the three bags of new winter clothes he’d insisted she needed that she had to wash…she stifled another yawn.

  “Maybe a few minutes with my feet up.”

  The constant fatigue she’d thought a result of her lack of food consumption in the last few months hadn’t improved since she began eating anything and everything again. Something to ask the doctor about later…

  Covington wasn’t sure what time it was when she opened her eyes. The room was dark, the blinds closed, and someone—obviously Tris—had covered her with the softest blanket she’d ever snuggled under.

  Grabbing the edges, she tucked her hands under her chin and wriggled deeper into her comfy cocoon.

  “Oh, good, you’re awake. We need to leave for the clinic in a few minutes.”

  “Really?” So much for resting for a few minutes. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she sat up. “I guess I crashed.”

  “You’ve done a lot of sleeping today.” He frowned. “Are you feeling sick?”

  “No. The nausea hasn’t been as bad in the last few days.”

  Come to think of it, other than the anxiety over telling Tris about the babies churning her stomach, she hadn’t felt sick at all.

  She’d passed the twelve-week mark on Tuesday last week and since then she’d pretty much felt normal.

  Well, except for the clumsiness. And the urge to eat anything she could get her hands on. And the need to pee every other minute. And the sudden bulge of her belly. And the…

  Okay. Not so normal.

  “Covington.”

  Her gaze snapped to Tristan’s. “Huh?”

  “Do you have to use the bathroom before we go?” he asked as though he’d been asking the question for hours.

  Damn. She was doing that a lot too. Zoning out. Her mind would get on a track, and like a train, it seemed to have only one direction to go.

  “Covington.” He clicked his fingers in front of her face. “Where the hell do you keep going?”

  “Sorry.” She forced a smile to remove the worry from his handsome face. “Yes. I need to use the toilet before we leave.”

  He eyed her for a moment before offering her a hand.

  Covington let him pull her to her feet. “I won’t be long.”

  “Okay, I’ll wait by the front door.”

  Halfway down the hall she remembered she needed to grab the file her doctor in LA had given her. He’d included his cell number in case she had any trouble before she managed to find someone to take over her care. Made her promise to look for a new doctor as soon as she was settled.

  Which kind of played into Tristan’s insistence on seeing Dr. Groves.

  She grinned as she ducked into the bedroom in search of the bag she’d put the file in. Of course she’d looked through everything, including Tris’s closet and under his bed, before she remembered it was in the big suitcase she’d left in the trunk of her car.

  “What the hell are you doing?”

  Turning fast, she straightened from her position on the floor beside the bed, lost her balance, and bumped her head on the bedside table when she fell on her butt. “Ouch.”

  “Jesus, Cov.” Tris was next to her in a heartbeat. “Where did you connect?”

  She didn’t need to answer. His hands roamed all over her head, stopping only when he couldn’t find any sign of damage.

  “You don’t have a lump but that’s not always a good thing.” He palmed her face and studied her eyes. “Can you see properly? Vision blurred? Doubled? Feel dizzy or sick?”

  “Relax. I’m fine. It was just a little-bitty bump on the head, not a life-threatening injury.” She pulled out of his grip and stood. “I need the suitcase that’s in the trunk of my car.”

  “Oh.”

  “Actually, that reminds me. Where is my car?”

  “Er…” He looked away.

  “Tristan.” She narrowed her eyes. “What did you do?”

  “Well…”

  “Where. Is. My. Car?”

  “At the mechanic.”

  “Why?”

  “I asked Larry to take a look at it.”

  “Why?”

  “Because it’s a rust-bucket death-trap and probably should be put out of its misery but I figured you’d freak out if I sent it straight to the scrapyard.”

  “It is not a death-trap.” She loved her Cavalier. She’d had it since the day she’d gotten her license. Used every penny of the money she’d saved working two part-time jobs to buy it. The car had served her well.

  “I notice you didn’t argue the rust-bucket description. And how can you say it’s not a death-trap when it coughed and spluttered its way up the street when you got here. I don’t know how it made it from one side of Winter Lake to the other, never mind from one side of the country to the other.”

  She huffed. Hadn’t she thought more than once on her trip that the old convertible wouldn’t make it? Dammit. She hated that he was right.

  Signing, she said, “Fine. A mechanic should look at it.”

  Tris laughed. “Jeez, Cov, don’t let my concern for your safety twist your arm.”

  Rolling her eyes, she poked out her tongue.

  He moved before she blinked. Swooped in and planted his mouth over hers, sucking her tongue between his lips and dancing his across it.

  The kiss was unexpected, the flash of sensation, the rush of emotion, not so much.

  She remembered kissing him. Remembered that his lips on hers had a way of wiping her mind clear of everything but him. More. More of him.

  Whimpering, she softened, her body leaning into his, her arms sliding around his waist in an attempt to find an anchor. To hold on to the one solid thing left in her world.

  The kiss went on and on until they were both gasping for breath.

  Pulling back, she stared up at him, her gaze searching his for an answer. To what question she hadn’t a clue but if she looked long enough, deep enou
gh, surely she’d find the clarity she was looking for.

  “Cov.”

  Her name whispered through his lips. The ones wet from their kiss. And she remembered hearing that tremor in his voice too. Being in Tris’s arms brought back so many memories.

  Like a movie reel, they rolled across her mind delivered in Technicolor brilliance with the added bonus of remembered sensation, taste, and smell.

  He’d played her body so effortlessly that night. Stroked her skin and marked her soul-deep with every brush of his flesh on hers. She hadn’t known anything like it.

  Tris had loved each and every inch of her with such desperate enthusiasm that she’d been helpless to do anything but surrender. Returning his passion with an urgent fervor of her own, she’d indulged in fantasies she’d never dreamed of fulfilling.

  It was the most amazing night of her life.

  And she’d thanked him by shoving him out the door the next morning and keeping their babies a secret for months.

  Taking a step back, she pulled out of his arms. “I’m sorry.”

  “For what? I kissed you. I should be the one apologizing.” He dragged a hand through his hair before rubbing it over the stubble on his chin. “I shouldn’t have touched you. It won’t happen again.”

  “I’m not sorry about the kiss.” Was he insane? Who in their right mind would be sorry about a kiss like that? She might have what people referred to as ‘baby-brain’ but she was with it enough to know there was nothing to be sorry for in that kiss.

  “What are you apologizing for then?” he asked.

  She wanted to smile at the look of confusion on his face but didn’t think it would help the situation. “I’m sorry I threw you out. Sorry for whatever horrible things I said. I didn’t mean one word.”

  He tipped his head to the side and regarded her with shrewd eyes. “You don’t remember what you said, do you?”

  “Ah…” Covington shook her head.

  “Jesus.” A bark of laughter exploded from his chest. “Shit. You don’t remember a word and didn’t mean any of them anyway, and I tucked tail and ran because of them.”

  “Oh.” He’d left because of what she’d said?

  Shaking his head, he said, “Yeah. Fucked that up royally.”

  “I—”

  He dragged her in, gave her a quick squeeze, then spun her in the direction of the bathroom. “Go. We’re going to be late.”

  “But—” He gave her a slap on the ass. “Hey!”

  “Get going. I’ll call Larry about your bag. We’ll swing past the garage on the way to the clinic.”

  “Tristan—”

  “Cov, baby, one thing at a time. Right now you need to see a doctor for my peace of mind. And you promised you wouldn’t argue about this. Plus Jared is staying late just to see you so there’s that to get you moving too.”

  Dammit. Did he have to remind her this was about him more than her? She owed him so much. He was so generous in spite of her turning up out of the blue with a couple of buns in the oven that happened to be his.

  She didn’t understand why he went out of his way to take care of her. It wasn’t only because of the babies either. He’d been caring and considerate—hell, he’d offered to marry her—before he’d known he was the father.

  Except he hadn’t brought up the subject of marriage again. Not since this morning. Wouldn’t he push for that more now he knew the babies were his? Should she bring it up?

  No. Not when she’d said no and meant it.

  Her mother had married a man who didn’t love her because she’d gotten pregnant and look where that had gotten her. A lifetime in a loveless marriage with a faithless husband.

  The last thing Covington wanted for herself or her children was a house full of desperate unrequited love and silent loathing.

  No. She might be a little in love with Tris but she knew what they were—friends who’d fallen into bed with each other one time. Nothing more than two bodies enjoying mutual pleasure. And now the tiny babies growing in her belly connected them on an intimate level for life.

  Except what was with their chemistry? Was that a side effect of pregnancy hormones? How could she trust anything—lust or emotion—when her system was short circuiting every other second?

  She knew how she felt about Tristan before, then they’d had their one night and things had gone haywire, and when she thought she might have a handle on those emotions she’d discovered she was pregnant and anything before didn’t matter.

  Everything was upside down and inside out and flipped over. The one thing she was certain about was she should never have said yes to Gavin’s proposal. But if she hadn’t, she never would have met Tristan, and as much as her life had turned into one big soap opera, she didn’t regret being with him or having his babies.

  She could only hope they remained friends once the dust settled. But you didn’t kiss a friend the way she’d just kissed Tristan.

  That had to stop. As much as she wasn’t in control of her hormones, she had to keep her lips and hands off him.

  For both their sakes, they needed to stay firmly in the friend zone.

  Chapter 11

  Being careful to avoid the potholes in the dark carpark, Tristan guided Cov toward the clinic. They were a few steps away when the door swung open, the man they’d come to see smiling at them from inside.

  “Come in.”

  “Hey, Jared, thanks for staying open late for us,” Tristan said as he ushered Cov through the entry ahead of him. “I really appreciate it.”

  “No problem.” Jared closed the door and turn to Cov. “And this must be my new patients.”

  “Yes, Covington Valenti. Thank you for seeing me on such short notice, Dr. Groves.”

  “Well, we can start with that official Dr. Groves thing, but I hope we get to Dr. J or Jared before we meet your little ones. Tristan mentioned you have a copy of your file from your previous doctor; do you mind if I go over that while you get settled in the exam room? Oh, and before we start, is Tristan allowed in during your appointments or not? It’s completely up to you.”

  “Hey!” he protested as he handed over Cov’s medical file. “They’re my babies.”

  “Yes, I believe they are, but currently they’re wrapped up in this lovely patient who definitely is not your baby.”

  Jared grinned to soften his words but it didn’t help. Tristan did not like the idea of being kept out of the room while the other man examined Cov regardless of his doctor status.

  “It’s fine. Considering my condition, I don’t think there’s anything he hasn’t seen before,” Cov laughed.

  “Not seen, no, but perhaps heard? Have you listened to the babies’ heartbeats yet, Covington?” Jared asked as he led them deeper into the clinic. “I’d like to do that tonight and if possible get you back here tomorrow for an ultrasound so we can take a better look. Of course, that depends on what I read in your file.”

  “Whatever you think is best. I wasn’t sure if you were able to take over my care or if I’d have to go to a bigger town for the rest of my pregnancy,” Cov said as she entered the room Jared opened for them.

  “Unless there are special needs that crop up during the pregnancy, we should be able to deal with everything here even with you expecting twins. You haven’t had any issues so far?”

  “Just some weight loss due to morning sickness that hung around at all hours.” Cov grimaced and Tristan’s stomach clenched. He hadn’t been there for that. Hadn’t supported her through those weeks. “Don’t get that look. It wasn’t your fault you weren’t there.”

  “How do you know what I’m thinking?” he asked.

  She shrugged. “Don’t really. Lucky guess.”

  “Hmm…”

  “Okay, I’ll just go over this while you get comfy in one of those highly fashionable gowns we doctors make you put on.” Jared grinned. “Be right back.”

  The door swished closed behind him leaving them alone and suddenly Tristan felt uncomfortable. “Are y
ou sure you’re okay with me being here? I can wait outside until Jared comes back,” he offered.

  “Really? Tris, don’t be stupid. You’ve seen every inch of me, and while some of those inches have already stretched in different directions, I’m more than happy to have you with me.” She swallowed, her eyelids lowering, her lashes hiding her eyes as she murmured, “I want you here.”

  Without thinking about it, he reached out and pulled her against him. “I’m here. Right where you want me, whenever you want me. I just need you to tell me to back off or come closer or whatever. I don’t want to make this hard for you, Cov. But I really, really, want to be there for every step from now on. I missed the first few months. I won’t miss any more unless it’s what you want.”

  “I want to do this together. We made them together. I know we didn’t mean to, but we did, and I get that I haven’t given you a choice in this and it’s a lot to drop on you this far in, but I wouldn’t want to be doing this with anyone else.”

  “Me either.” He dropped a kiss on her head then moved her to arm’s length. “Let’s get you out of that coat so you can get into that flattering green gown.”

  Smiling, Cov let him remove her coat and boots before she started to undress herself. She was stripped down to her underwear in seconds, and he found it hard to breathe, the room far too warm.

  He averted his eyes and swallowed hard while he held out the gown for her to slip into. When she turned her back to him he realized he’d expected her to step into it but of course Jared would need access to the babies so the gown needed to go on in reverse to what he was used to.

  “You okay? If you don’t want to stay, you don’t have to,” Cov murmured over her shoulder as she moved to the exam table.

  “What? No. Sorry.” He shook his head. Tried to shake loose the lust fogging his good sense. “I’m a little nervous. This is a first for me.”

  “Me too. I heard the racing thuds that the doctor said were two heartbeats once before but I was too shocked to take notice of what they were pointing out on the screen. It will be nice to do this together.” She held out her hand and he grabbed it with both of his.