Teresa Carpenter - A Pregnancy, a Party & a Proposal

The flavors, peach and blackberry, exploded in her mouth. A few more bites finished it off. She sighed. A glance at her plate revealed he’d gotten his wish. She’d eaten all her bagel plus fruit and his yogurt. And she felt great. More energized than she had in forever.

“Finally you’ve a little color in your cheeks.”

She gave him a cool glance. “Saying I told you so is unbecoming.”

He shook his sandy head. “I’m just glad you’re feeling better.”

“Thanks.” What else could she say without sounding petty? To his credit, he appeared sincere.

To break the moment she pushed the button on her armrest. Julie appeared within moments to clear the table. But all too soon she and Ray were alone again. It was all she could do not to twitch in her seat. How to get him to move away?

Turned out she didn’t have to do anything. Phone in hand, he stood up.

“If you’ll excuse me, I have some calls to make?”

She nodded and he moved across the aisle and up to another row of seats. Able to breathe freely, she refused to acknowledge she missed the heat and comfort of his proximity. Some alone time to think was exactly what she needed. She felt the best she had in days—make that weeks.

Maybe she’d actually be able to concentrate and come up with a course of action for this abrupt change in her carefully crafted life plan. So far she hadn’t quite been able to wrap her mind around the enormity of the fact she carried a child within her. And that kept her from making sense out of the chaos in her head.

Which left her feeling out of control and desperate to get her life back.

Panicked, really.

The last time she’d given up control, she’d lost a part of her soul.

Lauren couldn’t go through that again—especially when she had a child to think of. She required her lists, her goals, her plans. She craved order, needed to be in charge. Only then could she cope.

She stared unseeing out the window.

Some things were obvious. Once Tori returned Lauren would tell her family. She would continue to work. She would tell Ray. It all sounded simple and straightforward. It couldn’t be more complex.

Even telling her family. Sure, they would love and support her. She had no doubt of that. But there’d also be disappointment and concern. And questions. Personal questions, not easy to answer.

Continuing to work would require compromise and sacrifice. Deciding between daycare and a nanny was only one decision to be made requiring careful research. She also needed to consider housing—whether to sell the duplex and move to a bigger place in a family-friendly area. It didn’t need to be done now, but it was already on her mind. A part of the mix keeping her from finding the necessary peace to deal with everything.

Telling Ray. Yeah, she’d been playing ostrich there. She knew she had to give him the news. Yet the where and when were still questions. She had no idea how to approach him, but she did know it wouldn’t be before this deal with his grandmother played out.

It wouldn’t be fair to distract him at this time.

And, truly, everything else hinged on his reaction. Any plans she conceived were contingent on how involved he’d want to be.

Her stomach roiled. The realization threatened the scant control she’d managed to muster.

She drew out her phone and powered it up. She had a couple of her own calls to make.

* * *

About forty minutes before they were scheduled to land Ray roused Lauren. Halfway through the trip she’d stretched out on one of the couches and slid into a solid sleep. She hadn’t moved an eyelash when he’d dropped a blanket over her and stuffed a pillow under her head.

She was slow to awaken. He had no idea if that was natural or not, as they’d never actually slept together. He tended not to sleep with the women in his life. Too messy.

How fragile she looked. He traced the shadows under the fan of her lashes. She said she wasn’t sick, yet she was tired and pale and a couple of times he’d caught an expression on her face that made him think she might be fighting off nausea. Perhaps it was the aftereffects of stress. Handling her sister’s wedding during Hollywood’s biggest party season must have been a challenge, even for a pro like her.

She was such a strong woman—quick and intelligent and in control—he tended to overlook the fact she was quite delicate.

“Lauren.” He ran his hand up her arm, gave her shoulder a gentle shake. “Wake up, Sleeping Beauty.”

“Hmm?” She sighed and shifted onto her side. “Ga-way.”

He grinned. “No, I’m not going away.” Leaning over her, he pressed his lips to hers. “But I’ll join you if you’d like.” That ought to wake her up.

“Ray...” Her lips opened under his and an arm snaked around his neck, pulling him close.

The action put him off balance. He went down on one knee to keep from tumbling on top of her. He’d happily follow up on his offer to join her on the couch as soon as he knew her mind was as engaged as her body.

Meantime, he sank into the kiss.

Instantly the chemistry ignited between them. Angling his head, he slid his tongue past her lips to taste the honey of her mouth. Her sleepy response seduced him into a slow, deep exploration. The meandering journey pulled them down a path not yet taken. The softness of the moment was different but every bit as hot as their bolder encounters.

She sighed and shifted fully onto her back. The drag of her fingers through his hair was a dreamy caress, a subtle demand for more, for longer, for slow and sensual. He willingly set the pace, lingering over each touch, each taste, each smell, satiating all his senses. Her breath sighed over his cheek and he took satisfaction in each little moue and gasp.

Never had he burned for a woman like he did for her. And she was right there with him, her responsiveness inspiring him to new depths.

The gradual, sultry building of passion urged him to tenderness, to lengthy kisses and gentle insistence. He worked his hand under her sweater and glided up her silky skin, seeking the bounty of her breast.

She suddenly went very still and her hand came down on his, effectively pushing the stop button on his attempt to move their embrace to the next step.

“Not a good idea,” she mumbled in a sleep-husky voice.

He groaned and tested her resolve, sweeping his thumb across the warm flesh of her stomach. She gasped and tightened her hold, but the knit of her sweater separating her grasp from his was a thin barrier to his persistence.

“Shh, Dynamite,” he whispered against her lips, “you’re dreaming.”

“Liar.” Her lips lifted in a smile under his and then she turned her head aside. “My body is too alive for me to be asleep.” She pulled his hand free of her clothes. “We agreed no touching.”

“You started it, wrapping yourself all around me.” He kissed a path up her jawline to whisper in her ear. “Let me finish it. We can start the no touching when we get to New York.”

She moaned deep in her throat—a sound he took to mean she was tempted, if the look in her golden eyes meant anything.

“Uh-uh.” She planted both hands on his chest and pushed. “I did not start it. You kissed me first. When I had no resistance. Unfair, Ray.”

He let her up, slid onto the couch next to her when she pushed into a sitting position. “Spoilsport.”

An arch glare came his way. “Really?”

The show of ire along with her mussed hair and just-kissed lips was too sexy for words. Made him want to take up where they had left off. Forget about apologizing. Besides, he still maintained she’d started it. His had been a mere peck on the lips; she had taken it to the next level.

Not waiting for a response, she rolled her eyes, then glanced back at him. “Why did you wake me?”