Baby Be Mine

by Eve Gaddy

  He was only a man, not a saint. And she was soft, yielding, reckless in his arms. He loved her and he wanted her so much. Had wanted her forever, it seemed to him.

  He pushed her shirt up, cupped her bare breasts. Rubbed his palms over her nipples as they stiffened into taut peaks. Maggie reached for the hem of her shirt, tugged it off and tossed it aside. Her fingers reached for his shirt, swearing as she fumbled to unbutton it.

  His mouth came down on hers, hard. Kissing her, consuming her, wanting all of her, as quickly as he could have her. Impatient with her progress, he jerked his shirt over his head and lay down with her, between her thighs. He kissed her mouth, then left it to suckle her breasts. Her hands were in his hair, urging him on, her hips bucking against his.

  She moaned. “Tucker,” she said on a sob.

  He stripped off her shorts and panties, got rid of his own pants and came back to her open arms, lying between her silky thighs, pushing at the entrance to her body. She was wet, wild and shuddering and he sank inside her in one desperate push.

  “Hurry,” she said, her nails scoring his back.

  He knew it was too soon for her, but he couldn’t hold back and she clearly didn’t want him to. Her body gloved him, stroked him with her muscles clenching as he drove into her and pulled back, again and again until he exploded inside her, in endless spasms.

  Her eyes were heavy, slumberous, her lips puffy from his kisses, her hair messed up from his hands. She looked more beautiful than he’d ever seen her, even though she wore her sadness like another layer of skin. “More,” he said, kissing her lips.

  She kissed him, her tongue sliding against his and whispered, “More.”

  He carried her into his bedroom, lay her on his bed and followed her down. This time he took her slowly, seduced her until she writhed and quivered for him, and she climaxed screaming his name.

  They drifted to sleep in each other’s arms and he knew he’d do anything to keep her here, like this, in his bed, in his life, in his heart.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  EARLY THE NEXT MORNING Maggie woke in Tucker’s bed, but he wasn’t beside her. As she lay there, the night before came back to her in a collage of images. She and Tucker making love through the night, until they both fell into an exhausted sleep. Waking, eating cold pizza in bed, then making love again. He couldn’t get enough of her, and she felt the same, tracing her hands over his lean, muscular body, letting him take her places she’d only dreamed about.

  Nothing she’d ever experienced had compared to what they’d shared the night before. No one, not even Spencer, had made her feel what Tucker did. She loved him. Completely, totally. And she had to let him go.

  Maybe it wasn’t real, but it had felt real enough when he was loving her.

  The night was a blur of lovemaking and she knew she would be sore. That would go away, though. There was one thing that might not. They hadn’t used birth control. Not until they’d already made love twice.

  After the second time, he’d asked her if she was taking anything. She’d said no, but told him it was the wrong time of month. Which it was…just barely. Tucker had taken some condoms out of his drawer and she’d seduced him again and neither of them thought about anything for a very long time.

  One night. Just a couple of times. It only takes once, she thought, remembering her previous pregnancy. But no good would come of worrying. She’d put it out of her mind and pray nothing had happened.

  The night before, when she was hurting so much, there had been some excuse for her lack of caution. But she’d been behaving irresponsibly from day one, when she cooked up the scheme to marry Tucker so she could keep Grace. She found it hard to forgive herself for any of her actions.

  Tucker walked in and gave her a mug of coffee. “Thanks.” Feeling self-conscious, she pulled the sheet over her breasts before she sat up and sipped the hot brew. “God, I love the first cup of coffee in the morning.”

  He smiled and sat down on the bed next to her. He wore a pair of jeans and nothing else. She couldn’t help looking at his bare chest and remembering the feel of it beneath her hands. Remembering trailing kisses across his chest and down his abdomen….

  “I know exactly how you feel,” he said. “Are you going to work today?”

  “Not until eleven, and I get off at four. The chief has me on limited duty.” She took another sip and frowned. “I think he’s afraid I’m going to lose it.”

  “I doubt it. He’s just trying to give you a break.”

  His hand caressed her arm. She wished that simply seeing him, much less having him touch her, didn’t make her want him again. She had to call a halt to this newfound intimacy. “Do you want to file or should I?”

  His hand still stroked her skin, making her shiver. “File what?” he asked absently.

  “File for divorce.”

  His hand stopped its movement and he stared at her, a frown gathering. “Are you trying to piss me off?”

  “No, I’m trying to be practical. The reason for our marriage no longer exists. Grace is with her mother now.”

  “You can ask me for a divorce after last night? After we made love—hell, I can’t even count how many times? Are you kidding me?”

  “Last night was about comfort, for both of us. You and I both know that.”

  “That’s all you think it was? Comfort?”

  He had dropped his hand but he still sat beside her. Too close. “I know that’s all it was. So, who’s filing for the divorce?”

  “Neither of us.”

  “Tucker—”

  He held up a hand to stop her. “There’s no reason to rush into a divorce. I’m hurting, Maggie. Maybe not as much as you are, but I have feelings. I told you yesterday, I love Grace, too. Why make losing her any harder on us than it already is? Besides, you don’t even have a place to stay.”

  True. Her house was rented for another several months. But there was no way she could stay with Tucker for too long. Not that it mattered. The damage was already done. She’d been in love with him for weeks now.

  “All right, we can wait a little longer. But I don’t think we should have sex again.”

  For a minute he simply stared at her and then a sly smile curved his mouth. “You don’t think we should make love again,” he repeated.

  His dark hair was messed up, probably from her running her fingers through it a hundred times. The stubble on his face gave him a sexy, almost rakish air. Coupled with that devilish expression in those gorgeous blue eyes, she didn’t trust him, not one tiny inch.

  “That’s right. I don’t.”

  He reached for her mug and placed it on the bedside table. Then he stepped back and calmly stripped out of his blue jeans.

  “Tucker! What are you doing?”

  In about twenty seconds he stood in front of her, stark naked and very aroused. And smiling that same devilish smile. Maggie knew she was toast. Still, she tried.

  “Put your clothes back on. This is crazy! We’re not going to—”

  He stopped her argument by leaning down and kissing her. Her body betrayed her. She wanted him, and he knew it, damn it. He got into bed with her, pulled down the sheet and stroked her breasts slowly. They had already tightened in anticipation, and she felt herself growing damp instantly, aching with need. “Damn you, Tucker,” she murmured against his mouth.

  “You might as well face it.” His hand slid between her legs and he cupped her, exploring her boldly as he strung kisses along her jaw. “This particular Pandora’s box has been well and truly opened. And it’s not going to close anytime soon.”

  She pushed him onto his back, reached for a condom and sheathed him with it. Then she straddled him, teasing him with her body until they were both wild with need. “I hate when you’re right,” she said, and took him inside her. Seconds later, she came in a torrent of pleasure, then felt Tucker spend himself inside her with her name on his lips.

  She couldn’t move so she lay on top of him, boneless and exhausted. Tuck
er was right. Celibacy was out of the question now. She might as well enjoy him for as long as they had together.

  Even if they couldn’t spend every moment in bed together, at least there would be long periods of time when she wouldn’t have to think about the mess she’d made of her life. And what she intended to do about it.

  HE’D AVOIDED THE AX, Tucker thought a couple of weeks later, but each day was a new battle. Maggie still seemed determined to go through with the divorce. Even though he talked her out of it every time she mentioned filing, which was damn near daily, he felt pretty powerless to stop it ultimately.

  You can’t make someone love you, she’d once said. And he was trying everything he knew how to make her fall for him and so far, he’d failed spectacularly. It appeared Maggie was right on about that.

  “Tucker, are you all right?”

  He glanced up at his secretary. How long had she been standing in front of him? “I’m fine. What did you need, Janice?”

  Janice was in her mid-fifties and scarily efficient. She tapped the pad she held in her hands with a pen. “You called me in to discuss the Atkins file with me. But you’ve been out in the ozone for the past five minutes since I’ve been standing here.”

  “Sorry, my mind was elsewhere.” On his wife. His soon-to-be ex-wife unless he figured out a way to convince her to drop that idea. “Can you get my father on the phone? We can take care of that business later. It will keep.”

  “Of course, I’ll be glad to.” She shot him a considering glance as she left.

  He massaged his temples and wished he could concentrate on his work, but that obviously wasn’t happening. It pissed him off, because he never neglected work and he didn’t intend to start now. Even though he didn’t have anything pressing currently, he still had clients and they still had needs. Now, if Maggie would just relax and let him—He wadded up the piece of paper he’d been making notes on and threw it across the room. Damn it, he was doing it again.

  He arranged to meet his father for lunch at the Scarlet Parrot. He walked in at noon to find his father there before him. Delilah Randolph greeted him as he came in. They chatted briefly, then she put her hand on his arm. “I don’t want to bring up painful subjects, but I was so sorry to hear about Grace. Not that I’m not happy for her mother, but I know how hard giving her up must be on you and Maggie.”

  “Thanks. It’s worse for Maggie.”

  “I saw you with the baby, Tucker. It’s hard on you, too. But at least you and Maggie have each other.”

  For now. And Maggie wasn’t talking. Every night he tried to get her to talk about her feelings, but she refused. She’d let him make love to her, but she wouldn’t talk. Not about anything important, and not one word about Grace. “Has she talked to you about Grace?”

  Delilah shook her head. “Nothing beyond the bare fact that Grace’s mother had returned and Grace was going to live with her. But you know Maggie likes to keep things close.”

  Understatement of the decade. They reached the table where his father waited. Tucker shook his hand and ordered an iced tea.

  They talked for a few minutes and after the waitress dropped off their drinks and took their orders, Harvey said, “Is there something particular you wanted to talk about?”

  “Yeah. And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell Mom.” His mother would probably advise him to divorce Maggie and forget about her. However, she’d been surprisingly sympathetic when he’d told his parents about Grace, and had even asked if there was anything she could do for Maggie.

  “Not if you don’t want me to. What’s wrong?”

  Unsure how to begin, he took a sip of tea. “I’m in love with Maggie,” he blurted out.

  “I could point out that you’re married and supposed to be in love with your wife, but I take it that’s a problem,” Harvey said after a moment.

  “Oh, yeah. She’s not in love with me. She only married me because of Grace.” He told him the story then, about the bargain they’d struck, including the part about no sex.

  Harvey laughed. “I find it hard to believe you agreed to that condition.”

  “So, I was stupid. I’d convinced myself all I felt for her was friendship. That didn’t last long, for me, anyway. Then, the night Grace left…Maggie was hurting and looking for comfort.” He paused, thinking about that night. It hadn’t been all about comfort, regardless of what she said the morning after. “I didn’t take advantage of her, if that’s what you’re thinking. I tried not to, but I—she—” He broke off, shrugging, not wanting to go into detail. “Anyway, it happened.”

  “I think you were hurting as much as Maggie was, Tucker. I know you love the baby. There’s nothing wrong with turning to your wife for comfort.”

  “Even if she isn’t really your wife?”

  “The marriage may have started out a sham, but it sounds like the real thing now.”

  The waitress returned with their food and after eating a few bites, Tucker continued. “That’s the problem. It’s not a sham, not on my part. But now that Grace is with her mother, Maggie says the reason for the marriage no longer exists. She keeps bringing up divorce, and that’s the last thing I want.”

  Harvey ate a bite, then asked, “Have you told her you don’t want a divorce?”

  “Not exactly. So far I’ve just been dragging my feet.”

  And seducing her every night. He’d thought making love would strengthen their relationship, but even though Maggie clearly enjoyed the sex, Tucker knew she was holding part of herself back. He applied himself to his food without much interest.

  “Let me take a wild guess. You haven’t told her you’re in love with her, either.”

  “No.” He’d been picking at his food, but at that he glanced up at his father. “Do you think I should?”

  Harvey blotted his lips with his napkin. “Frankly, Tucker, I can’t figure out why you haven’t already told her. How can you expect her to know what you feel when you haven’t talked to her about anything?”

  “I didn’t want to know for a fact she isn’t in love with me.”

  “That’s a remarkably negative way of looking at it. And not like you at all.”

  Tucker pinched the bridge of his nose. “I haven’t been myself since the day Maggie talked me into marrying her. She’s making me crazy. Usually I’m good at reading people. But Maggie takes keeping her cards close to her chest to a whole new level.”

  “Tell her how you feel, Tucker. You might be surprised to find out she’s in love with you, too.”

  Maybe. But what would he do if she wasn’t?

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  “MAGGIE, IT’S SO GOOD to see you,” Lana said. “I can’t tell you how many times I started to go next door and then realized you weren’t there. Come on in.” She opened the door wider and waved Maggie inside.

  “Thanks. I hope you don’t mind but I thought I’d catch you at home. I know you take off Wednesday afternoons.”

  “Since when have I ever minded you dropping by? Did you think that would change just because you got married?”

  “No, but I didn’t want to catch you in the middle of something.”

  “I’m not doing a thing.” She patted her stomach, which was huge. “I’m supposed to be nesting. I’m due in a week and Gabe’s been having a fit that I haven’t quit work yet. He wants me to start maternity leave yesterday,” she said with a laugh. “I just can’t see sitting home waiting to deliver, though.”

  “Maybe it will happen sooner than you think.”

  Lana lowered herself carefully into the rocking chair. “I sure hope so. Gabe is driving me crazy hovering over me.” She sighed and added, “He’s even taken on more help at the shop so he can be with me more often now that my due date is so close. Which is great, don’t get me wrong. But who knew he’d be such a mother hen?”

  Maggie stifled a pang of envy. She didn’t begrudge Gabe and Lana their happiness, she knew how much they deserved it. If only she hadn’t made such a royal mess of her own
life, she might have shared that same kind of happiness with someone. Not just someone, she thought. Tucker.

  “Is Gabe here, then? I didn’t see his truck out front. Don’t tell me he cleaned out the garage enough to fit both cars in there.”

  “No, no,” Lana said, laughing. “I thought since he has all this free time, he might as well be useful. I sent him to buy ice cream. He should be back any minute.”

  “I need to ask you something before Gabe comes back. And would you mind not saying anything to him? Or to anyone?”

  Lana sat up straight and pinned her with a sharp glance. “Are you having a medical problem, Maggie? Why didn’t you come to the clinic? Of course I wouldn’t talk about your medical concerns.”

  “I didn’t come to the clinic because I didn’t want Tucker to hear about it. It would be just my luck that his secretary would see me go in or worse, his mother. I just need to ask you a question. How accurate are those early pregnancy tests you can buy?”

  “Some are more accurate than others. How early are we talking? False negatives are fairly common if it’s taken before you miss a period.”

  “My period is three days late and I’m normally regular as clockwork.”

  “They’re about ninety-seven percent accurate at that point.”

  “What about false positives? Are they common, too?”

  “No. False positives do occur, but they’re rare. I could give you a blood test. They’re extremely accurate. Do you think you’re pregnant, Maggie?”

  Maggie sat on the couch. Her head was reeling, even though she wasn’t surprised. First off, she’d barely managed not to barf the last few mornings. After she took the test earlier that morning, she’d decided to check with Lana, just to make sure. If she was having a baby she wanted Lana to be her doctor. Unless…“Are you planning to go back to work after the baby is born?”

  Lana smiled. “Yes. I’ll take a couple of months off and then I’ll go back part-time. So you do think you’re pregnant.”

  She nodded. “The test I took this morning was positive. And I’ve been queasy in the mornings.”