But this wasn’t Wilma rounding the corner. It was Josh! His powerful, black Mercedes pulled to a stop right next to her sensible, much less expensive sedan.
“Shoot!” she hissed, wishing that she’d hidden her car. But even as she thought it, Sloane discarded the option. “Not like I could hide it from him. It’s a car and there isn’t really a lot of hiding places around for something that big.”
He stepped out of his car and looked at her. Instantly, Sloane knew that he knew! How could he know? Those green eyes narrowed and she tried valiantly to banish the stress she knew showed on her face. Well, not banish it exactly. But hide it. Josh wouldn’t want to know if she was pregnant, she thought as she watched him walk towards her.
Goodness, he was so strong and vital. The man didn’t really walk so much as prowl, she noticed, not for the first time. She remembered meeting him that first day and she’d thought him dangerous then. Now she knew that he was a sweet, gentle, kind man. Merciless in business, but he’d never hurt her.
Of course, he didn’t know that she was pregnant. Or might be, she thought. Looking down, she realized that she was still holding pregnancy test. She hid her hand behind her back, then looked up at Josh.
His eyes narrowed suspiciously as he neared the doorway.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice deep and husky. Usually, she only heard that tone when he was making love to her.
He stopped less than a foot from her, hands fisted on his hips and a concerned look in his wonderful, green eyes. “Yes. I’m fine,” she lied. For the second time in her life, she’d lied to Josh and it felt so completely wrong.
He didn’t stop when he moved closer and her heart pounded in her chest. He smelled so good and she knew from the past several weeks that he felt even better. When he pulled her into his arms…yeah, just like that!
“You’re not okay,” he replied gruffly.
Sloane wasn’t strong enough to resist the warmth and security of Josh’s arms. Instead of pulling away as she knew that she should, Sloane leaned into him, resting her head against his hard chest, breathing in the scent of man and spicy aftershave. He smelled so wonderful, she thought, closing her eyes against sudden tears. A sob broke through her control. Then another. And another until she couldn’t stop the tears or the inelegant sobs. She wasn’t aware of Josh lifting her into his arms, but she felt him cradle her and she pressed her face against the warmth of his neck, letting go of the tension that had been building inside of her. Her body shook with sobs and his arms tightened around her, just holding her until the storm passed.
When she took another deep, shaky breath, then pulled away, he looked down into her eyes, wiping away some of the tears with a thumb. “Feel better?” he asked gently.
Sloane nodded, lifting dewy eyes up to his. “I’m sorry. I don’t know where all of that came from.”
“You’re worried about being pregnant,” he replied calmly.
Stiffening, she looked up at him.
She started to slide off of his lap, her breath catching in her throat. He’d leave her if she admitted it! Sloane couldn’t take that right now and she realized that, in the back of her mind, she’d decided that even if she was pregnant, she wouldn’t tell Josh. Not right away. She wanted more time with him, more time to deal with the heartache of him walking away.
“No! I’m not!” she lied again, and cringed. She really hated lying to him like this. It was so wrong! “At least, I don’t know if I am or not.”
He pulled the forgotten box out of her hands. “Why don’t you go take this pregnancy test and find out?” he suggested, those green eyes filled with gentle firmness. “Then we’ll figure out what to do next, no matter what the test says.”
Sloane didn’t move. She simply sat there on his lap, staring at the box.
“No matter what,” he vowed again. “I’m not going to disappear. Not even if you’re pregnant, Sloane. I love you. I’m not going anywhere. In fact,” he paused and shifted her slightly, reaching behind her and bringing forward a small, black box, opening the lid. “No matter what, I want to marry you, Sloane Abbot. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
She stared, stunned at the beautiful diamond ring nestled in the black velvet interior. It was a gorgeous square, center diamond with smaller diamonds lining the edge, then more diamonds along the top of the setting. She couldn’t even guess as to its worth, but it was the most beautiful ring she’d ever seen!
“You…you want to marry me?” she whispered.
“Yes. I don’t care if you’re pregnant or not.” He paused, and shook his head. “No, let me correct that. I’d love it if you were pregnant. I want to have kids, Sloane. I want a family. But only with you. I’ve dreamed about you for so damn long, and you’re finally in my arms every night. I want to make it official. I want you to move in with me. Today. Immediately. I don’t want to hide my feelings anymore for fear that I might scare you away. Seeing you worried this afternoon shook me, reminded me that I had no official claim on you.” He took her hand, squeezing her fingers. “I want that, Sloane. I want to be the man that you turn to when you’re upset. I want to be the man that helps you through the hard times, the one that you come to when you’re excited or happy about something.” He leaned forward, taking the ring out of the box and sliding it onto her finger. “I want you, Sloane. All of you. Will you marry me? Before you take that pregnancy test, answer that for me. Because I want no misunderstanding about this. I want to marry you because I’m in love with you. Not because you may be pregnant.”
Sloane swallowed hard after that beautiful speech, not sure what to say. She wasn’t even sure if she could speak! Never in her life had she ever imagined anyone saying something like that to her. He wanted her because…he loved her?
“I think I’d given up on someone loving me,” she replied, staring at the diamond on her finger.
“Because you think your father didn’t love you?”
She shrugged, not wanting to admit that one person had so much influence in her life. “Maybe,” she hedged. Then she looked up at him. “Or maybe it’s because I’ve been in love with you for so many years that…”
The rest of her sentence was lost because Josh kissed her, his arms tightening around her until she could barely breathe. When he finally lifted his mouth, she was stunned by the passion in his eyes.
“Say it again,” he urged.
“I love you,” she whispered, wondering if she’d ever be able to say those words without feeling this quivering terror in her chest.
“I love you too,” he told her, and bent his head, kissing her again but more gently this time. Over and over, he brushed his lips against hers until she couldn’t take the teasing any longer. She lifted her hands, bringing his head down to hers and kissed him with all of the love in her heart.
He laughed, pulling her hands away. “If we don’t stop that, then you’re never going to give me the answer I want to hear.”
“I love you,” she whispered again, her fingers and eyes tracing over his facial features, stunned by the luck in her life.
He chuckled, and kissed her again. “That’s nice to hear, but not what I’m waiting for.”
“Marriage?” she whispered.
“Yes. Marriage. I want all of you. And I want to know that you can accept all of me, quirks, temperament, and all.”
She laughed, delighted. “I’ve dealt with you for the last eight years,” she replied.
He grinned slightly. “Think you could handle me for the next eighty years?”
Sloane threw her arms around his neck. “Yes!” she gasped, shocked that this was happening to her. The dream! It was the most beautiful dream coming to life!
He laughed, pulling her closer. “Damn, I never thought you’d finally agree!”
She laughed as well, relief surging through her in a wave that was so powerful, she felt a bit dizzy. Then he kissed her again and she let her fingers slide underneath his jacket, feeling his powerful muscles bunch
and tense under her touch. But she didn’t stop, needing to feel him, needing this proof that he wanted her.
A long time later, they were both breathing heavily in her bed, the sheets and pillows…somewhere. Josh groaned, pulling her against him and she smiled contentedly as she snuggled into his side.
“So, you’re going to move in with me tonight, right?” he asked.
She smiled, feeling a glow of happiness warm her body. Or maybe it was the heat of his body that was warming her. The man had muscles packed onto muscles, which made him feel like a furnace heating the front of her body while his hands skimmed up and down her back.
“Move in with you?”
She thought about that for a moment, then the flash of light caught her eyes and she turned her hand, staring at the ring. The ring that meant that he truly loved her. That this wasn’t just a dream where she’d wake up the following morning and feel that painful stab of sadness and loneliness that had gripped her world so many times over the years since she’d met him.
This was real.
She turned her head. “Do you really want to marry me?”
He looked at her, blue eyes clashing with green. Slowly, he nodded. “Yeah. I’ve been in love with you for so long, Sloane. I won’t settle for anything less than marriage,” he vowed. And with that, he kissed her. This wasn’t a kiss of passion. It was a promise. A kiss for the future. Together.
Epilogue
“What’s wrong?” Josh demanded, standing at her desk and glaring down at her, but the ferocious look wasn’t as effective when he put a hand on his own flat, taut stomach.
“More nausea?” she asked, pulling open her drawer and taking out a box of gingersnaps, which she handed to him.
“Cookies?”
She smothered her amusement. So far, she’d had an absolutely wonderful pregnancy. No morning sickness, no pains, no problems at all. Josh, on the other hand, hadn’t been so lucky. The nurses and doctors at the obstetrician’s office laughed every time they came in. They’d heard of the father having sympathy pains before, but Josh took that to a whole new level. He never threw up, but he’d had a constant upset stomach since she’d finally taken the pregnancy test, which had confirmed that she was truly pregnant. He’d also had headaches, back pain, mood swings, and had been grouchy a lot lately.
“Yes. Ginger is supposed to ease the nausea. See if that works.”
He rolled his eyes and set the box down on her desk, refusing to give in. He’d already been to his doctor who had done numerous tests, then declared him to be one of the healthiest patients he’d ever seen and diagnosed him with pregnancy sympathy pain.
“I’m fine,” he replied with disdain. “You’re changing the subject.”
She stood up and pulled a chair closer to her desk, putting a hand on his shoulder to force him to sit down. “I’m not the one that fell asleep at seven o’clock last night, dear,” she replied, kissing his cheek to sooth his wounded male pride.
“How much longer on this pregnancy?” he growled, rubbing his forehead.
She couldn’t stop the giggle when he rubbed a hand over his chest, then looked at his hand.
“Stop looking at me!” he grumbled.
Sloane looked down at his groin. Sure enough, he was fully erect. “I love being pregnant!” she whispered.
He grabbed her hand. “I never knew that a woman in her fifth month of pregnancy could be so voracious!”
She smiled, a seductive look that she knew drove him wild. “That’s one part of this pregnancy you can’t complain about.”
He chuckled. “I love that aspect. It’s the fact that I fell asleep at seven o’clock last night that I don’t like!”
She laughed again, leaning back slightly. “I’ll admit, having you take over all of my pregnancy discomfort is truly amazing!”
He growled, taking her hand and pulling her forward. “Yeah, but payback is hell!”
She rolled her eyes. “Why are you threatening payback?”
“Because I’m the one getting tired, having the morning sickness, and dealing with the back problems!” he snapped. “This is embarrassing!”
She laughed, delighted with his grumpiness. “I think it’s only fair. I’m the one carrying the baby.”
“Yeah, but you look sexy as hell. While I just keep getting all of the negative stuff.”
Sloane shrugged, but she felt…amazingly alive! Partly because of the pregnancy, and partly because she loved him so much.
“You changed the subject,” he realized. “What’s worrying you?”
Sloane’s amusement disappeared. “Rayne isn’t coming home for the holidays,” she explained. “Apparently, she has some big project she’s working on. I even told her that we could fly out to see her instead.”
“What did she say to that?” he asked. “I can have my pilot fly to New York to get Pepper and we could be in San Diego by morning.”
She lifted a hand, touching his cheek as she smiled to him. “You’re so sweet to offer. But I already offered to fly out there for the holidays. She told me not to. She said that she really had to push hard to make her deadlines and that we’d just be in the way.”
Josh’s eyebrows went lower over those green eyes of his. “That doesn’t sound like Rayne,” he replied.
“I know!” She sighed, rubbing her forehead. “Something is wrong, Josh. I just…I can’t figure out what’s going on. We talk via Skype all the time, so I know that she’s healthy. And she seems happy, but…?”
“But what?”
Sloane shrugged. “Sometimes, her happiness seems a bit forced. Like she’s actually sad but pretending to be happy.”
“Let’s just take a trip out there ourselves and find out what’s going on.”
Sloane bit her lip. “Do you think that’s a good idea?”
“Why not?” he challenged. “I’ve wanted to head out to San Diego to check on a few investment opportunities anyway but held off, wanting to be here with you.”
Sloane blinked, her hand moving to cover her stomach. “Wait a minute. Have you been holding back because I’m pregnant?”
“Yes,” he replied evenly. “And I’m not going to apologize for it either,” he told her firmly. “You’re my first priority, Sloane,” he told her firmly. “You and this baby are too important to me. I’m not going to allow any unnecessary stress.”
She thought he was the sweetest man alive! “But you’re willing to fly out to San Diego now?”
His fingers squeezed hers with silent support. “Something is wrong with your sister. That means that you’re worrying.” He took her hand and pulled her onto his lap, hugging her close despite her rounded belly and extra weight. “If you’re worrying, then so is the baby,” he explained, putting a hand over her stomach. “So we’ll fly out to San Diego. We’ll review these businesses and, while we’re there, we’ll take Rayne out to dinner and you can see for yourself that she’s okay.”
He kissed the top of her head. “I don’t want you worrying, Sloane. It isn’t good for the baby and you don’t sleep well.”
She grinned and snuggled closer, loving the way he was so affectionate now. “Fine. As long as you have other business in the area. I don’t want you to fly out there just for me.”
“Rayne is my sister-in-law now,” he told her, lifting her hand to kiss the gold band nestled against the edge of her diamond ring. “I’m concerned as well. She’s family.”
Sloane smiled, leaning against him more completely. “Thank you,” she whispered. “Have I mentioned that I love you?”
He kissed her softly. “I’ll never get tired of hearing it,” he replied. “I love you too.”
“And thank you for taking such good care of me and my family.” Her hand brushed against his chest, her fingers teasing his flat male nipple.
Immediately, she was scooped into his arms and carried down the hallway to his bedroom. “You’re doing that on purpose!” he growled before setting her down beside the bed and stripping off her clothes
.
Sloane laughed, delighted with his urgency, but her fingers were just as frantic to get his clothes off. In the end, they didn’t get naked, her fingers brushed his nipples too often so he simply twisted around so that she was straddling his hips while he lay back on the bed and, protecting her belly, thrust into her again and again, his fingers finding all of those delicious places on her body that drove her wild. Buried deep inside of her like this, he felt every tremble of her tight, wet body. His fingers teased her nipples while he thrust harder and faster, eventually moving down her body to grasp her hips with one hand while his other teased that nub, gently, then faster and harder until he heard her cry out with her release. Only then would he let his own body tumble over to a climax that just seemed more intense and powerful with every encounter with this beautiful woman!
When she collapsed on top of him, Josh shifted, protecting her and the baby, but refusing to lose his connection with her.
“Damn, I love you, woman!” he sighed, wrapping his arm around her.
She smiled. “Marriage with you will never be dull,” she laughed. “I love you too, Josh.”
Request from Elizabeth: Would you mind leaving a review of this story? It doesn’t have to be long – just a few words such as “I loved it!” or “Amazing story!” – or whatever you thought of Sloane’s story. Reviews are the lifeline of a book and help tremendously. Just click HERE to leave a review – and THANK YOU!
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Keep scrolling for a titillating excerpt from Book 2 in The Abbot Sisters Series – Rayne’s story!
Excerpt from Pregnant with the Sheik’s Heir
The Tycoon's Baby Revelation (The Abbot Sisters Book 1) Page 13
