“Mmm.” As he licked her nipples, her clit throbbed with need and she wiggled against his cock. He chuckled, the sound causing his mouth to vibrate against her flesh.
“Where’s your room?”
Lauren scrambled off him, took his hand, and led him to bed.
Chapter Eight
“I have to go home.”
Lauren snuggled closer to Hank, reaching between his legs. “I can’t convince you to stay for another round?”
He shifted to give her better access to his cock, amazed at how quickly he was getting hard again. Her touch was incredible. “It’s a tempting offer, but Rosa has to leave by eight o’clock.”
She lifted her head to look at him. “Rosa?”
“Angel’s nanny. I’m a single parent with a full-time job. I tried daycare but they weren’t very flexible about my long hours. And hiring a nanny didn’t cost a whole lot more. But I like to be the one to put Angel to bed, and Rosa wants to spend the evenings with her husband, so I try to always be home by eight.”
Lauren nodded and lowered her head to his chest while she continued stroking him. They lay in silence and Hank wished he could just spend the night. The idea of waking up next to Lauren was appealing. But he had to think about Angel. It had been difficult to leave her with his sister when he first met Lauren. That had been the only night he hadn’t spent at home since she came to live with him.
His thoughts wandered to the new baby. They hadn’t discussed the evolution of their relationship any further, but if he was going to be involved, he wanted the whole experience, midnight feedings and all. That wouldn’t happen if he was at his place and she was here.
“Come home with me,” he said.
Lauren stilled, and then looked up at him again. “What?”
Hank shifted to a sitting position. “It’s Friday night. Come spend the weekend with me.”
“Is that a good idea? What about Angel?”
The more he thought about the idea, the better he liked it. “She needs to get used to having you around, because by the time the baby’s born, we’ll be living together.”
Lauren sat up, too. “Living together?”
“I told you I want the whole fatherhood experience. I can’t have it if we’re apart.” Her eyes searched his and he grabbed her hands. “Actually, forget just living together. Marry me.”
“What?”
“I know this is happening fast, but I can feel that this is right. You’re right. For me.”
Lauren’s eyes watered and Hank stroked her cheek. “I told you I played the field for a long time. I never saw the need to settle down, because really, no one else got under my skin like you. Since we met, I can’t stop thinking about you, and this last month I’ve been a bit of a basket case without you around.”
“But Angel –”
“She needs a mother figure, aside from Rosa. I don’t want her to forget her mother, but she needs a stable life, just like the baby. We can be a family.”
The tears spilled from Lauren’s eyes and Hank brushed them away with his fingertips. “I love you, Lauren. I can’t bear the thought of not having you near me. Please, say yes.”
He held his breath. He’d never told another woman that he loved her, and now that he’d put it out there, Lauren held the power to crush him. Sweat trickled down the side of his face, and the longer the silence stretched, the more he felt sick to his stomach. Had he made a mistake?
“I think that before I say yes, we need to ask Angel,” Lauren whispered. “I don’t want her to resent me or feel like I’m barging into her life.”
“But you’ll consider it?”
Lauren smiled. “Yes.”
****
When they pulled into Hank’s driveway, Lauren thought she might vomit again. She could hardly believe how fast things were moving. This morning, she’d been desperate enough for a family that she’d actually considered going back to Roger. She shuddered at the thought. It wouldn’t have worked, and she knew it. Now, she had a marriage proposal from a man who set her heart pounding like Roger never had, a baby on the way, and the possibility of a real family, but the final decision was in the hands of a four-year-old girl.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped out of the car, clutching her purse to her chest. Hank grabbed her bag from the trunk, slung his arm around her shoulders, and kissed her. “It’ll be fine.”
Not trusting herself to speak, Lauren settled for a quick nod. They headed up the walk and through the door.
“Angel! I’m home!” Hank yelled.
Lauren heard a squeal from somewhere in the house.
“Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!” Little footsteps pounded and a small girl whipped around a corner, and then skidded to a stop. She looked from Lauren to Hank. “Daddy, who’s that?”
“I won’t tell you until I get my hug.”
She grinned and ran to him. He swept her up in his arms and kissed her cheek. “I missed you, sweetie.” Shifting the girl in his arms, Hank turned toward Lauren. “Angel, this is someone very special. Her name is Lauren.”
“Hi, Angel. It’s nice to meet you.” Not knowing what else to do, Lauren held out her hand.
Angel raised an eyebrow and then took Lauren’s hand, giving it an exaggerated shake. She was even cuter in person than her picture.
“Let’s go to the kitchen and let Rosa get going. Lauren and I want to talk to you about something.”
He set her down and she raced off down the hall. Hank took Lauren’s hand and they followed. In the kitchen, they found Angel chattering away to a plump older woman who was tidying up the counter.
“Rosa, this is Lauren.”
Rosa glanced down at their entwined hands and then grinned at Lauren as she wiped her hands on her skirt. It surprised Lauren when the older woman pulled her down for a hug. “It’s nice to meet you,” she said. She stepped back again and turned to Hank. “I’ll see you on Monday morning.” She kissed Angel’s forehead and disappeared. A few moments later the front door closed.
Hank lifted Angel up and sat her down on the counter. “Angel, we have something exciting to tell you.”
“What?”
“You’re going to be a big sister.”
The little girl looked thoughtful. “I am?”
Hank nodded. “I told you that Lauren is very special. I love her a lot, the way a Daddy loves a Mommy, and we’re going to have a baby.”
“I like babies.”
She’s adorable, Lauren thought, liking the way Hank had approached this.
Hank ruffled Angel’s hair. “I know you do, sweetie. And Daddy wants us to be a family. You, me, Lauren, and the baby. I want to marry her so she and the baby can live here with us. But we wanted to make sure it’s okay with you.”
Angel looked over at Lauren, a serious expression on her tiny face. “Do you love my Daddy, too?”
Lauren took Hank’s hand and met his gaze. “I love him a lot.” He smiled and gave her hand a squeeze.
“Okay. You can stay.”
Breathing a sigh of relief, Lauren smiled. “Thank you, Angel.” To her surprise, the youngster held out her arms to Lauren. After a moment’s hesitation, Lauren picked her up and hugged her. She met Hank’s eyes over the girl’s shoulder, and swore they looked a little watery.
Angel pulled her head back and looked at Lauren. “Can I be the flower girl?”
Lauren laughed. “Of course you can.”
Her eyes lit up and she threw her arms around Lauren’s neck. “Yay!”
Hank put his arms around both of them, and gave Lauren a tender kiss. Her heart swelled with happiness, and she looked forward to spending the rest of her life in his embrace.
The End
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Losing It All Over Again Page 4
