This Time, Baby: BWWM Interracial Romance (A Bundle of Joy Book 5)

by Roxy Wilson

  During half time, they both went to indulge themselves with some refreshments. “A drink?” Heath asked, but then immediately corrected himself. “Oh, sorry. Something non-alcoholic for you.”

  “Some orange juice would be great.” She still had that glazed look in her eyes, a sure sign her mind was occupied with the opera. “It was amazing, wasn’t it?”

  He nodded. “Mmm-hmm.” As he stared into her deep eyes, Heath found himself drowning in their depths. Being with her at this place, at this moment, felt right. All his doubts faded in light of the fact she enjoyed the opera as much as he did. What’s more, he was quite enjoying her company. There didn’t seem to be a need to make banal, small talk which often led to one or both parties feeling awkward, and yet there was an ease of comfort and understanding which was usually missing from his dates. “So, how did you develop a love for opera?” he asked after he got a glass of juice for her and wine for himself.

  “One of my friends loved it and often dragged me along. I developed a liking for it and never looked back.” She smiled. “What about you?”

  “My father was a musician. My older brother and I were the only ones of his six kids who developed a taste for it. But I never learned to play any instruments, although I’ve got admit, I tried to learn the guitar during my sophomore year in high school.” He shook his head and chuckled in a self-deprecating manner. “I guess I just never had the drive for it.”

  “Six children?” She gulped. “Your mother must have had her hands full.”

  “She had five boys, one after another and longed for a daughter,” he admitted. “And more often than not, one of us would be sporting long hair, not by choice, mind you.” He chuckled again. “When our sister, the sixth child, was born, all of us breathed a sigh of relief.”

  “Wow! That must’ve been quite a household.”

  “It still is, during Christmas and any other family get together.”

  Since the performance was about to start, they walked back inside with the rest of the crowd. “Where do they live?”

  “My parents live in New Jersey, same house where I grew up. My father works as a manager for the band, Din, and my mother works part-time at the hospital as a counsellor.”

  “Din?” She raised her eyebrows. “That’s the band that rose straight to the top with their first album. The lead singer is Myron Dawson. He’s your brother?”

  “The first born of the lot,” he admitted as they took their seats. “Have you heard their songs?”

  “All of them. I love their music.”

  He made a mental note to call Myron and ask him to sign some autographed pictures for her. Most fans appreciated such gestures. “Yeah, well, he’s the famous one. My sister, Tegan, is studying medicine. She’s determined to be a cardiologist.”

  “That’s a great ambition.”

  “Sure is. I suppose living with five brothers made her immune to the sight of blood and gore.”

  When the performance started, they became quiet and enjoyed the rest of the show. Moved by the brilliance of the singers, Heath watched spell bound, knowing that Tasha sat beside him, just as enthralled as he was. This ended up being one of the best dates of his life.

  It wasn't a date, he reminded himself, though he had to admit to himself it did feel like one. The more time he spent with her, the greater the chance he was setting himself up for heartbreak. Surely, she wasn’t looking at him in that way. He was merely the father of her child, the man with whom she planned to develop a civil relationship, so they wouldn’t clash when they raised their child together.

  It wasn’t good for him to think of her in a romantic manner. So how could he convince his heart to listen to his head? It seemed to be hell bent on betraying him in the worst possible way. The same as his out-of-control libido that yearned to touch her, even for just one more time. When would he ever get rid of this school boy lust that overwhelmed all his natural senses? Once they were out of the building, Heath opened the door of her. He intended to take her straight home, leaving her at the entrance, and skedaddle back to his farm. As fast as he could. Then he wasn’t going to waste any more time thinking about her.

  “How about dinner?” When the words escaped his mouth, he couldn’t believe himself. What am I saying?

  She glanced at him, her finger brushing against her temple. “But don’t you have to go back to the farm?”

  “I have to eat, so do you...” He paused. “…Why not do it together?”

  She opened her mouth as if to voice some concern but then closed it shut again. “Sure, that would be great.”

  This time, they decided to stop at a Chinese place. He didn’t think he could stomach Angel’s enthusiasm when he saw them together again. After they ordered, he sat back and watched her study the restaurant as if it was the most important thing she had to do. She felt as nervous as he did. The realization eased his mind somewhat. Is it possible she was feeling the same things that bubbled in his heart? Could she be still attracted to him? No! It isn’t possible! That one night was an aberration, a mistake. Surely, she didn’t like him all that much. “So what else do you like to do in your spare time, apart from listening to opera?”

  “Hiking. Camping.”

  Heath considered her words. Again, they had something in common. “That’s what I like too. I guess both of us wouldn’t have a problem taking the young tyke for hikes.”

  They continued discussing the merits of their favourite parks and mountains trails for hiking and camping. She had strong opinions and he enjoyed debating the finer points of a nylon tent versus a polyester one. He also discovered she liked cycling but ditched the activity temporarily since she became pregnant.

  The waiter brought over their food.

  “If only Angel saw us now,” she muttered.

  Heath laughed. “He would be advising us on the best places to get married in no time. It must be the Italian genes running through his veins. He loves a romantic tale.”

  She considered him over the beef with oyster sauce she ate. “Have you told your parents about the pregnancy?”

  “No. But I’m going to do it. Soon, I suppose. Would you like to meet them?”

  She jerked her head back and then slowly lowered her fork. “Me?”

  “I’m sure they would love to meet you. You’re presenting them with their first grandchild. Although my two older brothers are married, they haven’t started a family yet. So, this child—our child is going to be the first arrival. I can tell you now there’s going to be a lot of hoopla over this baby.”

  Her eyes widened as she stared at him.

  “Is that a problem?”

  She cleared her throat. “No, not at all. I just hadn’t anticipated the excitement it would generate in your family. I grew up with just one sibling, so it’s kind of hard for me to understand the dynamics of a big family.”

  “There are no dynamics,” he assured her. “Just make sure you state out loud and clear what you want and everyone will give you the space to do it. We believe in giving rights and protecting each other’s privacy, but only to a point.”

  “To a point?”

  It was hard to explain the undercurrents of a large family to someone who never experienced it. “Say, I won’t meddle in my brother’s business if he’s doing well, but if he’s floundering, I would need to give him a talk. You know what I mean?”

  “That would be called an invasion of his privacy.”

  “We’re used to that. There was an invasion of someone’s privacy every day. We had four bathrooms and three bedrooms when we were growing up, and there were eight of us.”

  She shook her head in bewilderment. “I can’t understand this. It’s way beyond my experience.”

  He could imagine her at one his family gathering, confused and shaken by the loud noise and drama that often took place simply because there were a lot of people, and everyone had an opinion which he or she wanted to share with others. He would enjoy exposing her to that life. Then once she got the hang
out of it, she would be the apple of his mother’s eyes. She possessed all the necessary qualities his mother would approve of: kindness, gentleness, strength of character, and ability to take responsibility for her actions.

  Damn it, why the hell was he thinking along these lines? He wasn’t planning to take her to his parents in that light. They were not involved in a romantic relationship.

  So, why not then? Why couldn’t he simply ask her out?

  She’s just another girl.

  No, she isn’t.

  Yes, she is.

  No!

  He shook his head, eager to get rid of the war that was going on in his mind.

  “Your family seems to be delightful.”

  “They are,” he agreed. After they finished, he paid the check and led her outside.

  As they walked to his car, a nice, strong breeze whipped her hair, making the silky strands fly about. She never looked so lovely and he thought he’d seen all her beauty. Heath opened the car door, guided her in, and then took his seat. He drove to her apartment. He got out and opened the door for her. As she stepped out, he could smell the heady perfume she wore as it hit his nostrils.

  Her smile cut right though to his heart. The tight control that he maintained ever since he met her slipped. With a groan, Heath drew her into his arms and his lips claimed hers.

  She gasped, but in a split second, she raised her hands and rested it on his shoulders.

  Had she made an attempt to resist or to step back, he would have let her go. Then when her arms wrapped around his neck, he couldn’t smother the moan that escaped from his lips. Heath pressed his body against hers. He deepened the kiss, thrusting his tongue inside to taste her mouth. Ahhh! Just as sweet as I remembered. The memory of their time together haunted him ever since he’d gotten a taste of her. Now, he could feel and touch her again, and nothing much changed in the time that passed.

  His blood still boiled when she touched him. Every cell in his body vibrated as she pressed her soft curves against him. Her mouth was just as inviting, her lips as soft as he recalled. Yes, she was just as tempting, as seductive as ever. Even with the emerging baby bump. When he pulled back, Heath was slightly amused to see the glazed look in his eyes. She looked just as affected by this kiss as he. It was a heady feeling to know he wasn’t alone with his crazy ideas. “I’m not going to apologize for that,” he said in a firm voice. “I’ve wanted to do that for a long time.”

  She gazed into his eyes, looking befuddled. “This complicates things.”

  “Or perhaps simplifies them,” he said. “I’ve been—well, I’ve been giving some thought to us…and it has occurred to me it might be a good idea for us to go out.”

  She frowned. “Are you asking me out on a date?”

  He nodded. “Yes, I think we should see each other that way. I’m attracted to you; we seem to have a lot of things in common, including this baby we’re having. People have far less in common when they start out.”

  She chewed on her bottom lip, apparently considering his words with care. “I can’t say this is sudden, but it’s a little unexpected. Dating you might not be such a good idea, simply because you’re the father of my unborn child. If things don’t work out, we would end up hating each other and this baby would bear the brunt of our anger.”

  Since this had been his exact fear, he couldn’t deny it. “You’re right. But think about the alternative. If we make it work, it would give this child the best start in life…parents who actually care about each other.”

  She rubbed the back of her neck as if trying to ease the tension she must be feeling. “Let me think about it.”

  “Take your time.” He stepped away.

  When she walked away, Heath had to admit he felt disappointed at her lukewarm reaction. Didn’t she feel the same way he did? The kiss was dynamite. She couldn’t have faked it. If it were any indication of their passion for each other in bed, they would wear each other out in no time. The real question was whether their desire for each other would last beyond the bed.

  They needed a solid foundation for their child. He wasn’t willing to compromise that for any other thing. But damn it to hell! This woman was making him burn with every touch, every move, every look. He wanted her—and he wanted her NOW! It would take some skilful maneuvring to bring her around to the idea that they were best suited to each other. For this to happen, he would have to work quietly and without alerting her as to what he was doing. He needed to take it slow.

  A week was all he could wait. Heath was desperate to see her again. It didn’t matter what she said, he was willing to take his chance. He dialed her number and waited for her to pick up. “Hi, this is Heath.” They chatted for a while, both of them careful to stick to safe topics. “My family is throwing together a picnic since my two older brothers and their wives are coming into town for the weekend. Would you like to come with me?”

  A long pause followed his invitation.

  Heath felt sure she was trying to figure out a nice way to untangle herself from this social commitment.

  “I don’t think that would be a good idea.”

  “I haven’t told anyone about the pregnancy yet. So, you would just be coming as my friend. Nothing could be simpler than that.” Heath held his breath.

  Of course, that wasn’t strictly true. Heath was well aware of how his parents and siblings would take notice of any girl he brought to a family occasion. He’d only taken one girlfriend to a family get-together, and he married her. The fact that the marriage resulted in a divorce was beside the point. If he took Tasha, it would announce to his family that she was a big part of his life.

  Well…she was, and she would remain so, because she was carrying his child.

  It was a separate matter that he wanted more than that. Still, he couldn’t disclose this fact to her. Since he didn’t want to startle her, he intended to woo her slowly. This would be the first step in the right direction.

  “Wouldn’t it look odd?”

  “It wouldn’t,” he assured her with confidence. “And it would be nice for you to get to know them before I told them about the baby.”

  “All right,” she agreed in a reluctant tone. “But don’t tell anyone I’m pregnant. You can tell them later after I’ve left.”

  Heath felt lightheaded, free. He did a quick, silent victory dance. “That’s a promise.” He kept his voice calm. After fixing the date and time, he snapped his phone shut.

  There.

  He’d set the ball in motion. Soon, he would be able to see the results. When she saw him with his family, surely Tasha would realize he was a person who placed a lot of emphasis on people who mattered. She mattered the most and he was willing to go to any lengths to help her see that side of him.

  Chapter Seven

  Tasha wasn’t comfortable in this situation—not at all. When he said picnic, she assumed they would be going out to a park. An external setting would have diverted some attention away from her, but they were in his parent’s house. She was sticking out like a sore thumb among this close knit family.

  Adults sat on chairs in the garden or in the patio. Some were even sitting on blankets in the garden. Heath’s sister was the only one without a companion. Everyone else seemed to have their significant other with them.

  Added to this, Tasha was one of the very few people of color present.

  “I’ve brought some wine,” his mother, Barbara, said as she came to sit with her on the wicker couch on the patio.

  Tasha glanced at the wine glass. The doctor allowed her to drink a glass or two a week, but she preferred not to. “Thank you.” Taking the glass from her, she set it down on the table.

  “So, dear, how did you meet Heath?”

  Tasha had been dreading this question ever since she arrived. Despite his assurances of how she wouldn’t be the object of his family’s curiosity, Tasha found that everyone seemed to be taking a keen interest in her. Damn it. Why did she allow him to pull her into this chaotic mess? “We met
at a Christmas party.”

  Barbara lifted an eyebrow, reminding Tasha of Heath when he did the same thing. “You mean last Christmas, or one before that?”

  “Yes.” She nodded. “Last Christmas.” Tasha could see his mother doing some fast calculations. Since no one brought a new friend to a family picnic, she could almost see the older woman putting two and two together. What she didn’t know was that two and two didn’t add up to four in this particular case, but rather to three. Tasha nearly patted her stomach but then stopped. Thank God, she wasn’t showing as yet. She could just imagine the commotion it would cause if they all found out she was expecting Heath’s baby. She needed to divert Barbara’s attention from her and unto a safer topic. “You have a wonderful family.”

  Heath’s mother smiled. Regal and tall, she was quite good-looking. Even though Heath looked more like his dad, she could see a little bit of his mother in him. Perhaps it was the eyes.

  “Thank you, dear. Trust me, when they were young, there wasn’t a day I didn’t pray they’d all grow up quickly and leave for college.” She chuckled. “But now it seems as if time flew by too quickly.”

  Tasha felt anxious about raising just one child. This woman managed to raise six of them. “They must have been a handful.”

  “Oh, they were, especially Myron and Heath. Since they were only a year apart, they drove me crazy with their constant fighting and breaking things. I thought I was going to go insane but then they hit a plateau and settled down.”

  Tasha glanced over at Heath who seemed to be in deep discussion with two of his brothers. Had he told them about her? Would he break his promise and disclose the news about the pregnancy while the entire family was gathered together? “Hats off to you,” she told his mother. “It must have been bedlam when they were young.”

  “Quite right. How I longed for a daughter who would let me tie ribbons in her hair and sit beside me to watch TV while I knitted in peace. And when my darling Tegan was born…” She glanced up at her daughter who was striding towards them, “I thought I was getting a sweet, docile child, but she ran her brothers ragged as they tried to keep her alive.”