The SEAL’s Accidental Pregnancy

by Katie Knight

  And yet, as they strolled toward the house, arms bumping periodically, conversation casual and easy, he couldn’t help imagining what it might be like to have this life for real. To be a couple with Diana, raising their baby together, living side by side, sleeping in the same bed, waking up each morning to her smiling face, doing all the stuff happily married people did.

  He'd never imagined himself wanting a normal life, wanting a family, wanting connections.

  But Diana brought those long-buried pieces of him back to life, made him believe that maybe, just maybe love wasn’t the enemy. That maybe he could open up to someone, let them in, share his deepest, darkest parts with them. That intimacy could lead to places other than pain and loss and grief.

  “Penny for your thoughts,” she said as they turned the corner and headed toward the house half a block down. Thankfully, there were a lot of people around. Demetri kept his head down and kept walking, not wanting things to seem out of the ordinary.

  “Nothing,” he said, heading up the walk to the house. Luckily, no one seemed to be home at the nearest neighbour’s place. No car in the drive, no lights. Speaking of lights, they’d need to be careful about using them so as not to draw attention to the fact that someone was living inside what was supposed to be an empty house. He set the bags down, then went around the back, picking the lock like he had the night before using the bobby pin he always kept in his pocket. By the time he got the door open and walked to the front door to open it for her, she’d picked up all the bags to carry them in. He immediately took them all from her again, despite her protests. “Nope. My job to do the heavy lifting, not yours.”

  She sighed and shook her head, squeezing past him into the living room. “I’m pregnant, not an invalid. I can help.”

  “I know you can.” He locked the door behind them and carried their stuff into the kitchen. “But you shouldn’t have to. You’re doing enough growing our kid.”

  “Funny.” She followed him in, then snuck around him to grab the bag with the furniture polish and dust cloths. “Fine. You put the rest of this stuff away. I’m going to clean.”

  He pulled a face. “You do that voluntarily?”

  “Sure. I like to clean. Helps me think.” She stared down the hall, then gave him a smile over her shoulder that went straight to his groin. “Have fun in here. See you in a bit.”

  Fifteen

  “This is nice,” Diana said later that night as they sat across from each other on the floor of the living room, the coffee table between them. The air smelled of lemon furniture polish from her cleaning earlier and wax from the flickering candles lighting their dinner of chicken soup and crackers. Bottled waters and a plate of cookies completed the ambiance. Still, it was fun and cute, and quite honestly the most romantic time Diana had had in a while. “Thanks for cooking.”

  He grinned at her, his teeth white and even in the warm glow of the candlelight. “You’re welcome. Thanks for cleaning. Can’t believe you like doing that.”

  “I do. Like I said, it helps me think.” She’d gotten her head clear while she’d worked, straightening the beds they’d slept in, then tidying the bathrooms and dusting the living room. Done a lot of thinking about the way things were now, along with the state of things back home and where she’d like them to be in the future. They wouldn’t hold her teaching job forever and she was running out of sick days. Her house was gone, and she’d have to find somewhere new to live until the insurance kicked in and she could have the house rebuilt. And then there was the man across from her. Demetri. In truth, he’d taken up most of her thoughts this afternoon. She’d come to a few decisions about him too. Everything around her seemed in flux at the moment, but Demetri was the one constant. He’d remained at the back of her mind these past months, and not just because of the baby. She still wanted him, even more now than she had back then, perhaps because she knew him better now. These past few days had been a learning experience for both of them, and getting closer to him had only made her desire him more. Not that she had illusions about where any of this was going. She wasn’t naïve, not anymore. Her ex had all but ruined her daydreams of happily ever after the day he’d walked out on her. And this thing with Demetri—whatever it might become—wasn’t some Instagram perfect romance and she wasn’t one of those blushing bride influencers. She was a soon-to-be single mom, a woman making it on her own with a messy romantic history and an uncertain future. But she finally felt like she was standing firm in her own power, like she had the confidence to make her own decisions and handle the consequences, whatever they might be. The weight of his stare made her skin tingle with awareness and she lowered her gaze to the table as she asked, “How’s your soup?”

  “Good.” He finished his last bite and pushed his empty bowl aside. “Yours?”

  “Very tasty. You heat up a mean can of food, mister.” She smiled and he grinned, and the night became a little brighter. “Have a cookie.”

  “Already did.” He continued to watch her eat, his dark eyes tracking each time she licked her lips. The flickers of heat in her core sparked into a wildfire of need in her veins and she nearly choked on a noodle. To cover, she grabbed her water bottle and took a long swig. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Uh, sure,” she said, wiping her mouth with a napkin. “Anything.”

  “If you could go anywhere in the world, like on vacation, where would it be?”

  Taken aback, she blinked at him a moment. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected his question to be, but it wasn’t that. “Don’t know. That’s kind of random. Why do you want to know?”

  “Just trying to understand you better.” He stretched out, basically lying on his side now across from her, resting on one elbow, his dark gaze half-lidded and completely intoxicating. “I’ve told you more about myself the past few days than I’ve ever shared with pretty much anyone else, ever, but I still don’t know much about you. The important stuff anyway, like your hopes and dreams, your likes and dislikes—outside of food—and your goals and aspirations.”

  “Goals and aspirations?” She couldn’t help snorting. “Wow. Did you read Cosmo while you were cooking or something?” He gave her flat look and she shook her head. “Sorry. Fine. Let’s see. I suppose if I had to pick anywhere for a dream vacation, I’d pick one of those luxury, all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean. You know, Sandals or one of those places. I’ve always wanted to go, but never had the money.”

  “What about your old boyfriend? Wasn’t he some hotshot banker? Didn’t he ever take you on a nice vacation?”

  She snorted. “Definitely not.” She finished the last of her soup and crackers, then pushed her bowl away. “My ex was a selfish prick who only ever thought about what he wanted.” God, just saying those words now was oddly freeing. “Too bad I didn’t see it back then. I was too in love with him. I went all in on that relationship when he was just going through the motions. He always said resort vacations were a waste of money. And then I found out he took his new girlfriend to a resort in Hawaii the week after he walked out on me. Bastard.”

  “I’m sorry,” Demetri said, reaching over to place his free hand atop her stockinged foot. His expression was sad and sincere. “But from what little you told me that night at the ball and over these past few days, you are way better off without that jerk.”

  “I know.” She tucked her hair behind her ear, ignoring the lingering ache in her heart from the past. “I am better off. It’s just hard sometimes, being on my own.”

  “You know I’ll try to be around more, help with pregnancy stuff, as long as my job doesn’t get in the way.” His warm fingers felt nice on her foot, rubbing small circles over her skin through her sock. “If you want me, that is.”

  God yes, I want you.

  She bit back those words, though, not wanting to break the cosy ease vibrating between them now. It had been so long, too long, since she’d been with a man who’d touched her like this, without judgement or expectation, with only genuine trust and s
incere appreciation. Heady stuff indeed. Really, the only man she’d ever been with who’d looked at her the way he did was Demetri. Her passion for him notched higher still, going from simmering heat to full boil. She scooted a little closer to him, allowing his fingers to skim upward over her ankle to her calf.

  “If you ignore the danger, and the running for our lives…having you around the past couple of days has been surprisingly easy and nice.” Her voice had gone a bit breathy now without her consent. His gaze sparked with heat as he continued massaging her leg, higher and higher. He stopped at her knee, sitting up slightly to move closer and knead her muscles better. She damned near moaned it felt so good. “And I’m not just saying that because of your fantastic hands.”

  He raised a brow at her, his expression growing more sinful by the second. “You like me touching you?”

  Diana bit her lip. “You know I do. That feels amazing.”

  “Yeah?” His fingers slid higher up her thigh as he leaned in, putting their faces mere inches apart. “Know what else felt amazing?”

  Unable to find words now, she shook her head and licked her lips. He followed the sweep of her tongue with his gaze, his pupils blown wide.

  “Kissing you on the sofa that night in the hotel room. You tasted incredible. So hot, so sweet, so soft.” As if in a daze, he moved closer still and nuzzled her ear. Diana let a small groan escape, closing her eyes to enjoy this moment, this man, this second chance to have him again. “And your breasts. God, the feel of them in my palms. I’d give anything in the world to hold you, hold them again. Kiss them, take your nipples in my mouth and suck them, tease them. Make you scream my name until you came apart in my arms.”

  “Yes,” she whispered, twining her hands through his short dark hair, keeping him near, wanting more, so much more. “Please.”

  “Please what, darling?” He nibbled her earlobe, his breath hot against her cheek. “You need to tell me what you want, what you need.”

  She moaned, louder this time, and arched against him, pressing herself to his chest, suddenly desperate to have him, however she could get him. “You. I want you. Please, Demetri. Take me to bed.”

  He pulled back slightly, looking as drunk on desire as she felt. His sexy grin took her need to a whole new level as he stood, then bent to scoop her up in his arms and carry her down the hall to the master suite. “Your wish is my command, darling.”

  Demetri still couldn’t quite believe this was happening, though the tension thrumming through his body and the feel of Diana in his arms told him it most definitely was. Between kisses, he managed to manoeuvre them into the bedroom without too much trouble. Then he let her slide down his front until her feet rested on the floor, all her sweet curves melting into his straining hardness, and his knees nearly buckled.

  He tried to tell himself that this was just normal lust, that he was shaking and flushed and needy as hell because he’d gone too long without a woman, that all this meant nothing more than good sex. But no matter how many times he might repeat that in his head, the yearning in his heart said otherwise.

  It was uncomfortable. It was uncanny. It was unbelievably real and poignant and powerful.

  It seemed that once he’d let a tiny bit of emotion out where Diana was concerned, it had unleashed a maelstrom of feelings. He couldn’t seem to get enough of her—the way she tasted, the sweet scent of her arousal, the tiny moans she gave whenever he nuzzled that one spot where neck met collarbone. Damn. He could die a happy man right now and regret nothing.

  Her fingers found the hem of his T-shirt and tugged it up, her nails scoring over his abs and making him growl with need. “Too many clothes,” she said, her words making his already hard cock ache to be inside her. “Want you naked on top of me now.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said, enjoying this more aggressive side of her. Enjoying everything about her, really. He tugged off his clothes fast, then helped her with hers until they were both skin to skin. She had the nerve to try and cover herself with her arms, blushing and looking away, and his chest squeezed. “What? What’s wrong?”

  “I…” She sighed. “I’m different from before, that’s all. I’m not the same as you remember.”

  It took him a minute to process what she was saying. No way could she think she was anything less than perfect in his eyes. To reassure her, though, he cupped her cheeks and met her uncertain gaze. “Diana, you are and always have been the most beautiful woman in the world to me. Nothing could ever change that. I like everything about you, every inch of your luscious body makes me wild. You’re perfect to me.”

  Tears gathered in her lovely eyes before she blinked them away, her smile glorious. Instead of responding, she pulled him in for a long, deep kiss that left them both breathless when they pulled away. Then she took his hand and guided him down onto the bed beside her, running her fingers over his chest like she was trying to memorize everything about him.

  “You’re pretty perfect too,” she said, leaning in to trail kisses down his neck. “I’ve thought about our night together so many times these past few months, remembering how good it was, how good it felt to have you inside me. I want to feel that again.”

  She didn’t have to ask twice. Demetri rolled her onto her back and set about showing her just how much he wanted her, starting by kissing her lips and working his way down to her breasts, lavishing them with all the attention he’d dreamed about since he’d seen how beautifully and lusciously pregnancy had altered them. When she was panting and arching beneath him, he moved lower, kissing her baby bump before positioning himself between her legs and leaning in to trace his tongue over her slick folds.

  “Oh, God. Demetri.” She tangled her fingers in his hair, guiding him, keeping him close, and he made love to her with his mouth and tongue, inserting first one finger, then two inside her, preparing her for him. It wasn’t long before she clutched him tight to her and cried out, climaxing hard. “Yes, God yes!”

  He kissed his way back up her body, then cupped her cheek again. Desire rode him hard, but he wanted to be sure, had to be sure this was what she wanted. “Will it be okay, with the baby and all?”

  Diana nodded, her expression sated and sleepy and infinitely sexy. “Last time I saw the doctor, she said sex was fine. Even said it might help relax me.” Then she sat up slightly. “Oh, there’s protection. In my bag. Not that we need to worry about pregnancy, but…”

  “You carry condoms in your bag?” She was a single independent woman who could do as she pleased. He shouldn’t be surprised she was proactive with her birth control. Hell, he should be relieved, since he didn’t have anything with him. Still, the idea of her being prepared for the sake of other men bothered him more than he cared to admit. Which was silly, since he had no claim on her. No right to tell her how to live her life. And just because he’d been living like a monk since their last encounter together didn’t mean she had to. Diana nodded and he got up to grab her bag from the hall where she’d left it earlier when they’d returned from their shopping trip. He carried it back into the bedroom and dug around until he found the small silver pouch. “Got it.”

  Demetri started to rip it open with his teeth, but she stopped him. “No. Bring it here. I want to put it on you.”

  Well, damn. He wasn’t going to turn down an offer like that.

  He climbed back into bed and handed her the condom, then stretched out on his back while she got to her knees beside him. As she began to kiss and lick her way down his body, though, he began to realize maybe this wasn’t the best idea after all, considering he nearly came just from the feel of her fingers caressing his balls.

  “Uh,” he moaned as she bent and took the tip of his cock between her lips, sucking him gently. Demetri gently twined her silky hair through his fingers, his hands shaking from the effort of keeping his control. “That feels amazing, darling.”

  She licked and stroked him for a few more minutes until he drew her away, unable to take any more of her sweet torture. She frowned
down at him. “What’s wrong?”

  After kissing her deeply, he pulled back, resting his forehead against hers. “Nothing wrong. That was fantastic. You’re fantastic. But if you keep that up, this will all be over too fast, and I want tonight to last.”

  Diana smiled and kissed him again, then relaxed against him as he rolled her under him once more, careful to rest his weight on his forearm to keep from crushing her or hurting the baby. He positioned himself at her wet entrance and then slowly, carefully slid inside her.

  So hot, so tight, so incredibly wonderful. She was everything he remembered and nothing he ever expected to have again.

  Once he was fully inside her, he held still to allow her body to accommodate to his size. Then she wrapped her legs around his waist and dug her heels into his backside, urging him onward, and Demetri was lost. He withdrew and thrust again, setting up a steady rhythm that had them both on the brink of orgasm all too soon.

  “This is so good,” Diana said, pulling him down for another open-mouthed kiss. “I’m close.”

  So was he. He reached between them to stroke her most sensitive flesh and felt her slick walls contract around him, milking him.

  “I’m… Oh God. Yes, Demetri!” she called out, gripping his shoulders tight as he thrust into her once, twice, three times. He was doing his best to be gentle but his control slipped at last and he cried out, burying himself deep inside her as he came hard.

  When it was all over, he slumped down on the bed beside her, drawing her close with his arm around her shoulders until her head rested on his chest, right over his still-thundering heart. She snuggled against his side, her fingers tracing lazy circles over his skin as they both hovered on the edge of sleep.

  “That was…wow.” Diana’s words were quiet and groggy.