by Qwillia Rain
Lyssa avoided the angry expression on his face. “It has to be a false positive.”
The fierce look softened. “Explain.”
Lyssa pulled the blanket over her lap. “My doctor told me a few months ago that I’m premenopausal.”
“And?” Mike settled onto the bed beside her, eliminating any distance between them.
“She told me it’s unlikely I’d be able to conceive naturally. That’s all this is. Symptoms of menopause.”
He tossed the wrapped wand onto the nightstand beside the box. “Did she say there was no way you could get pregnant?”
“No, but—” With all the signals her body had been sending her all morning, she hated the disappointment slowly rising inside her. At the same time, she wished she cared less about wanting to carry Mike’s child than she did. It was simply one more sign of how important he’d become to her over these last four weeks.
Mike watched her, waiting for her to say more. The little bit of color in her cheeks bled away. The beat of his heart increased with anticipation. This was something he could work with. He hated the idea of Lyssa being pushed into a corner, but however he could get her, Mike would take her. The baby she carried was his. Which meant by extension, she was his. He could work with that.
“It has to be wrong,” Lyssa whispered again.
His stomach knotted at the tone of disbelief in her voice. Did she not want his baby? Did she resent the idea of being tied to him through this child? Tamping down the unease and fighting the urge to shout with joy and wrap her in his arms, Mike lifted the phone from its base on the nightstand and held it out to her. “Call your doctor. Make an appointment for tomorrow.”
In what seemed like a daze, Lyssa made the appointment for the following afternoon. Once she hung up the phone, Mike slipped the wrapped stick off the nightstand and dropped it into the wastebasket beside the bed.
“Breathe, Lyssa,” he coaxed.
“It can’t be right, Michael,” she croaked, even as a thread of excitement entered her voice.
“Why didn’t you tell me? When did you take the test?” He needed to know.
She plucked at the blanket over her lap. “I took it this morning.”
“Were you going to tell me?” A warning sounded in his head. Was she not as thrilled as he about their baby? He covered her belly with his hand. “If it isn’t your condition, if it is true and you are pregnant, do you want my baby?” He had to know.
Her eyes shiny with tears, she pressed her hands to his cheeks and pulled him close. “Yes. I want our baby so, so much.”
The kiss was frenzied, rocking Mike’s balance, dropping him back onto the bed. Lips pressed, tongues tangled, each of them fought for supremacy, rolling across the sheets until he took control, pinning her to the bed beneath him.
“Whoa”—he panted breathlessly as her fingers pulled at the buttons on his shirt—“take it easy, babe.”
She shook her head. “No. I need you. Right now.”
“And you want to celebrate?” Mike leaned down, pressing his lips against hers, teasing her with a butterfly-soft touch.
“Yes.” The smile on her lips was broad as she bobbed her head on the rumpled bedding.
Holding her gaze, he ripped the T-shirt she wore down the center, baring the sexy body beneath. “Like this? You want to celebrate?”
The fingers abandoned his shirt and moved to the waistband of his jeans. She slipped the button loose and lowered the zipper before sliding her hand beneath the stretchy cotton of his boxer briefs, teasing the sensitive head of his cock. Her eyes dropped to the thickening flesh under her fingertips before rising to meet his again. “I definitely want to celebrate.”
“Shall I guess, or do you want to show me how?” Mike asked.
One hand rose to push at his shoulder while the other continued to stroke and caress the heavy length of his erection. The feel of her fingers sliding up and down his heated shaft sent shivers through his body. Following her lead, he moved off and relaxed onto the bed beside her.
Leaning over him, Lyssa tugged his shirt up, exposing the flat planes of his stomach before her head dipped. The muscles of his abdomen flexed with the wet flick of her tongue on his navel. Her attentions drifted lower. The brush of her lips followed by the lick of her tongue traced the lines of the tattoo from his right hip to his left.
When she pulled at the waistband of his jeans, he lifted up, making it easier for her to skim the denim down to his knees. He helped her push the soft cotton of his underwear out of the way as well. His engorged shaft arched upward, curling toward his belly, a pearly drop of precum glistening against the fiery crimson and jet ink decorating the plum-shaped head.
The smile left Lyssa’s face as her fingers traced the scales and lines etched in color along his cock. Her thumb rubbed over the drop, smearing the moisture over the tip. “The black dragon has the baby.”
The words she muttered didn’t make sense, but Mike ignored the need for explanation. His mind exploded when she lowered her head and rolled her tongue around the blunt crown of his erection. Down the shaft, then back up, she licked and caressed him like a child savoring her favorite ice cream cone in the middle of summer. The moment her mouth opened and she took him inside, reason was replaced with passion.
He cupped her head in his hands and tangled his fingers in her hair as he whispered encouragements and suggestions while she pleasured him. If she wanted to distract him from the questions he still had, she’d picked an excellent way to do it.
* * *
Heartbeat back to normal, the sheen of sweat and sex cleaned away during a shared shower, Lyssa relaxed with Mike beneath the covers. She still had a difficult time grasping the possibility that she carried Mike’s baby. The temptation to pinch herself was overwhelming. Until her doctor confirmed the test, she couldn’t even think about making plans.
“Explain it to me,” Mike whispered. Spooned against her back, he stroked his hand over her breasts.
“Explain what?” Lyssa knew what he wanted; she just wasn’t sure how he’d react once she told him.
Strong fingers pinched her nipple while his other hand opened her thighs. Clamping her engorged clit between his fore- and middle fingers, he repeated, “Explain it to me.”
Whimpering at the arousal the pain stirred within her, Lyssa scrambled to find her thoughts. “I’m forty, Michael.” She stifled the urge to protest when his fingers released the pressure on her sensitive flesh.
Rough fingers cupped her cheeks and turned her to face him. “What does that have to do with getting pregnant? Women older than you are still having kids.”
“I told you. My doctor believes I’m starting early menopause.” She moved her trembling fingers to cover his lips when she saw them part to make another comment.
Mike moved her fingers away and nipped at the tips with his teeth. “You already mentioned that. I’m a guy, hon. Give it to me in simple terms. What did your doctor tell you?”
“I did—”
“No, tell me exactly what she said. Did she say you cannot have children? Did she say if you got pregnant immediately, you’d be able to halt or slow the progression of your early menopause?” His attention seemed focused on gaining as much information as possible as he propped himself on an elbow and leaned over her. “What is her prognosis for your condition?”
“She told me she believed I was in the early stages of menopause. Which means, according to the literature, my getting pregnant could be difficult but not impossible. That’s why I think the test might be wrong.” She dropped her gaze from his and moved her fingertips to his throat. The steady pulse of his heartbeat vibrated in the triangle at the base. If she started to hope, started to plan, she’d be devastated if it wasn’t true. “Promise you won’t anticipate the results of this test tomorrow.”
“You worry too much, pet. We’re going to have to break you of that habit,” he teased before he wrapped his fingers around hers. He lifted her chin with his knuckle. “We�
�ll worry about the test tomorrow. Right now we’re discussing what your doctor told you. What are the risks to you?”
“Menopause isn’t life threatening, Mike. It’s a natural process.” Lyssa rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. She hadn’t liked hearing the information from her doctor, and the literature she’d read since only frightened her more. “The chances of my getting pregnant dropped by fifty percent after I turned forty. It also increased the chances my baby could be premature, have a low birth weight, or be stillborn.”
“Are there dangers to you?”
“It doesn’t—”
Mike leaned up on an elbow and looked down at her. “Answer me, Lys. Is there any danger to you?” It wasn’t a request for information but a command.
A command Lyssa dared not ignore. Besides, he’d probably go off and find the information himself. “There are a few problems that can develop, but nothing I can’t handle,” she rushed to assure him.
“Problems like what?” She must have stayed quiet too long for his liking because he prompted a second time, “Problems like what, Lyssa?”
“Diabetes for one. There’s also a danger of developing high blood pressure, preeclampsia, and eclampsia.”
“E-what?”
Lyssa grimace, then explained, “Eclampsia. It can cause high blood pressure, swelling of the face and hands, and protein in the urine.”
Mike’s look grew concerned. “Okay. What results can follow eclampsia if you develop it?”
Lyssa hesitated, but Mike’s hand moved beneath the covers and settled over her stomach. “Hospitalization at the least,” she confessed.
“And at the worst?”
She swallowed, dropped her gaze to the pulse beating in his throat before she looked back at him. “At the worst, a severe stroke or death.”
Mike cursed. His fingers curled around the curve of her hip and pulled her closer. “And what does your doctor say? What are the chances you could develop any of these conditions?”
Lyssa turned her gaze away. There was no way she was going to go into all the particulars and worst case scenarios that came with conceiving a child after the age of thirty-five or forty. If Mike was this freaked out over a few of the risks, his knowing that she could be putting her life at risk would definitely send him over the edge. So she fudged the truth a bit. “It’s a crap shoot. Every pregnancy is different and can pose a risk. I’ve discussed it with my doctor and have gone through all the prescreening tests. There are no indications that any baby I might conceive may develop genetic defects based on my family history.”
“That wasn’t what I asked, Lys. I wanted to know if you could develop any of the conditions you told me about.” He held her gaze and asked, “If they have tests for the baby, do they have tests to confirm you won’t develop any of those conditions that would be dangerous to you?”
“There’s no way of knowing if I’ll develop any of the conditions.” Before he could protest, she added, “But based on Mattie’s history with her pregnancies and since my doctor will demand close supervision and excellent prenatal care the entire time, there should be no problems.”
“But there’s no guarantee?”
“No. There’s no guarantee.”
Mike shifted, settling over her, his thighs between hers, the warm length of his arousal stirring sensations he’d sated earlier. “How will you feel if you are pregnant?”
Lyssa was sure the smile lifting her lips revealed the excitement she felt. With only a few days left of their agreement, she refused to acknowledge how comforting it would be to have Mike to rely on this time around. If she was pregnant, it was only a matter of time before she’d have to tell Mike about the baby she’d lost.
Keeping her tone cool, she informed Mike, “If I am, I want you to know I won’t expect anything from you.” She hurried on, her attention more focused on reassuring him than on his response. “My work allows me to stay home, to be able to care for the baby on my own. I make plenty of money, so there’s no reason—”
His fingers halted the rest of her words as he stared down at her. The heat in his gaze communicated the error she’d made in trying to remove responsibility from him. “Wrong answer, love.” Between them, he shifted, aligning his body with hers. Holding her gaze, he thrust forward, sealing himself within the warm clasp of her flesh. “I’m not leaving.”
“The thirty days is almost over. There’s no reason to stick around.”
Mike smiled, stroking his body deep within her. “Halsey’s protect what’s ours. You and our baby belong to me. Get used to it.”
That’s what thrilled and frightened her—belonging to Mike. Him belonging to her. Lyssa arched closer, enjoying the heat of his body within and around hers. The advance and retreat of his cock reinforced the feeling of connection she’d been reluctant to acknowledge growing between them. Any thoughts regarding her future or the child she might be carrying scattered as Mike nipped the skin beneath her ear, drawing her attention back to him. The grin on his lips was contagious. She smiled up at him and then dropped her head back, a moan slipping from her lips at the rough, pounding pace Mike set between her thighs.
A soft gasp from her and he stopped, poised over her, waiting.
Lyssa wriggled beneath him, confused at the pleasure the brief jolt of pain stirred within her. She wrapped her legs around his hips, gripped the sleek muscles of his back with her hands, and she arched up toward him, silently urging him on.
Mike complied, his thrusts pushing her body deeper into the thick mattress and silk sheets cocooning them. Every touch drew her closer to the edge. Tugging her toward the danger of falling, tumbling into the trap of emotions she knew awaited her since assigning the role of lover to Mike.
It won’t last. No one could love you. No one wanted you. The bitter voice of Aaron Lawrence slithered through her mind. Lyssa countermanded the thoughts. No, he loves me. I believe him. I do.
A soft snicker sounded in her head. How could he love a liar like you? How can anyone love a liar?
The accusations were irrefutable. She had lied to Mike. Doubt circled, the whispers growing louder, but she slapped a gag on it. Fuck off, I’m not listening. And she wasn’t, not any more. He loves me and I love him and when the time is right, I’ll tell Mike about our baby, but not yet. The thoughts dissipated like early morning fog. She suspected they’d return, but she was ready, confident she’d be able to face them and win.
Her resolve must have increased the color in her cheeks. She could feel the power and strength trickle through her. It seemed to have communicated itself to Mike, because his body stilled over her.
Dark eyes gazed down at her, asking questions she was uncomfortable answering right now. Frustration tightened his features, but only for an instant. Humor lifted his lips as he leaned close and pressed a kiss to her lips. When he drew back, Mike winked at her. “Wonder if you’re actually carrying triplets like Mattie did?”
Lyssa groaned, recalling the first pregnancy her sister had gone through within weeks of her marriage. “You better pray it doesn’t happen, kid.”
Mike nuzzled her throat. “Why’s that?”
She nipped his neck and waited until he looked down at her. “If it’s triplets, there’ll be no more playtime for your dragon. Ever.”
His laughter vibrated against her chest and he increased his pace. “Ah, you forget, pet. I still make the rules.”
When Lyssa opened her mouth to snap back at him, her words vanished on a gasp of pleasure. Deft fingertips rubbed over and around her clit, making her body tremble at the tingles skating up and down her spine. This time, she assured herself as she curled tighter around him, soaking up the heat and passion his lovemaking evoked, she’d let him have the last word.
But only this time. Mike needed a strong woman. He deserved her, and Lyssa intended to keep her dom on his toes.
Chapter Fifteen
Throughout the examination the following afternoon, Mike stood beside her, holding her hand and
whispering reassurances when her thoughts strayed. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t ignore the fear circling inside her mind about the baby she’d lost. It occupied her every thought. Weakening the determination she’d finally tapped into last night.
“Well,” the doctor began as she eased Lyssa’s feet from the stirrups, “I’m going to go check with the nurse about the tests. Why don’t you get dressed and we’ll talk when I get back.”
Lyssa nodded. She’d mentioned to the doctor the spots of blood she’d discovered this morning as well as the light bout of cramps that had woken her. Both frightened her. She worried that her body was determined to thwart any efforts to get pregnant.
Listlessly she let Mike help her off the table and out of the paper gown. Getting dressed seemed to sap what little energy she had. Mike didn’t try to reassure her as he carefully fastened the buttons of her blouse. The stockings she’d worn he left tucked in his pocket. When she moved to return to the cold table, he stopped her, tugging her into his lap as he settled onto the extra chair, uncaring of its lumpy cushions or the inflexible back that forced him into an upright position. Draping her legs over one of the arms, he held her close and eased her head down on his shoulder.
Out of his pocket, he pulled three lengths of string. Taking her left hand in his, he carefully wound each piece around her ring finger, lining them up next to each other. The first was green, the second blue, and the last black.
Lyssa touched the strings with the fingers of her right hand. “What’re these for?”
“Trying to decide.”
“Decide what?” Lyssa rolled the threads up against one another as she recalled the gold thread he’d put on her finger weeks ago.
“Whether I should get you an emerald, sapphire, or opal ring to go with your wedding band.” Mike lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the string-wrapped finger. “I’m thinkin’ opal. Black fire opal to be exact. Halsey tradition, you know.”
“Mike, you don’t have to—”
His fingers covered her lips. “Even if the doc comes in and says you aren’t pregnant, Lys, I’m taking you home and marrying you once you’re feeling better.” His hand smoothed her hair away from her cheek. She never raised her eyes from the tiny embroidered insignia on the left breast of his polo shirt.
