Reunion With Benefits

by HelenKay Dimon

  Holding the packet, she hesitated. Memories of the dinner and the medication issue came rushing back at her. She thought about what could be and the decisions they’d have to make.

  Then his thumb trailed over her thighs and slipped between her legs. “Hey, you okay?”

  She heard the note of concern in his voice. Saw his eyes start to narrow. They would talk, but not now. She bent over him and pressed her mouth against his in a kiss that reassured him everything would be fine. In that moment, she believed it.

  She opened the packet and unrolled the condom over him. Didn’t waste another second thinking or debating. Not when he was right there and so ready.

  She lifted one leg and straddled his hips. Pressed her palm against his chest. Her other hand went to his length. The slightest touch had his hips lifting, as if seeking out more. And she gave it to him.

  She pushed up on her knees and fitted her body to his. Relaxing down, she let him slide into her. The connection, that friction had her heartbeat skipping again. Pressing on his chest, she lifted her body again. Slow and deliberate, she pulled up until they almost separated, and then she plunged down again.

  The movement, the up and down, had her breath hitching in her chest. She squeezed her thighs together and heard him moan. With their bodies wrapped around each other, touching in so many places, every shift she made sent a vibration racing through him. She welcomed the surge of power that moved through her.

  His hands slipped to the back of her thighs. His fingers clenched against her skin. “I need you to move.”

  It was so tempting to draw out the sweet torture. She tried for a few more seconds, but got caught in her own trap. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears and their joint breathing echoed around the room. The heated skin and slow thrust of his body into hers had that tension winding inside her again. Every muscle tightened as her head fell back.

  She let her hair drop down her back. Dug her fingernails into his skin, imprinting marks on his chest. A wild need fueled her now. An almost primal need to get closer, to feel his body buck under hers.

  His hands settled on her hips and he held her there. Kept her suspended on her knees as he lifted his hips up and down. That final move had her head spinning. The building inside her spilled over. The orgasm hit her before she was ready but right when she needed it. Raw and pulsing, her body let go.

  She closed her eyes, enjoying the sensations riding her. Feeling him tense under her. She knew he was close and tightened her thighs on either side of his waist to make it happen. Then they both lost it. Their breaths mixed and their muscles shook. She came and he got there right after her.

  There were words she needed to say. But her mind couldn’t hold a thought. Whatever it was would have to wait until breakfast, or at least until her brain restarted. Until then she could close her eyes again.

  She sank down, curling up on his chest. Loving the feel of his strong arms as they wrapped around her. Their bodies were joined and hot. They should head for the shower. That needed to happen...

  She drifted off to sleep.

  * * *

  Two hours later, he walked around her kitchen, cursing her for not having milk in the house. She drank her coffee black and professed a general disdain for milk. She insisted adults didn’t have a big glass of the stuff with any meal. She wasn’t wrong about that part, but a guy needed certain things in his morning beverage.

  Thanks to the sex, he was willing to let the oversight slide this time. Probably every time.

  He turned around and leaned against the cabinet next to the stove. His gaze moved over the condo. From here, he could see the living area and catch a peek of the unmade bed they just crawled out of down the hall to the left. Another bathroom and bedroom sat on the right side of the condo. He barely ventured over there because he had no intention of sleeping separate from her.

  The sectional caught his attention. The thing was not small. She mentioned something about wanting a couch that could function as a bed when she was too lazy to get up. A place she could curl up and watch movies. He wasn’t entirely sure what that meant but from the pillows stacked on it and on the floor around it, and that blanket rolled up in a ball, he couldn’t deny his love of relaxing on it with her.

  “Good morning.” She walked into the kitchen wearing a pair of shorts and a slim-fitting T-shirt. It had a tiny dog with big eyes on it.

  He appreciated the outfit. It might be his second favorite, next to that red wrap dress. That thing went in his clothing Hall of Fame. He seriously considered wading into her walk-in closet to find it and move it to the front as a hint.

  She was barefoot and those legs went on forever. Much more of this and they’d be back in that bedroom for round three.

  She took his mug and grabbed a quick sip. “Have you finally come to your senses and started drinking your coffee black?”

  “You’re out of milk.”

  “I don’t buy it.”

  “Which should be illegal.”

  She took another sip. “I have that stuff you don’t need to refrigerate.”

  She had to be kidding with that. “Woman, no.”

  “Fine.” She smiled as she poured her own cup and joined him in leaning against the cabinets.

  They both surveyed the condo. It was a quiet, relaxing morning. Not the way he was used to getting up but he hoped it became a habit.

  “I need to ask you a weird question.”

  And then she ruined the peace with that comment.

  “You have got to stop beginning conversations with that sort of phrase.” He pretended to wipe his forehead. “I’m already sweating.”

  “The topic won’t help.”

  Yeah, he needed to put down the breakable mug. He set it on the counter and faced her, not sure what was about to hit him. “And?”

  “We didn’t use a condom the first time.”

  He let out some of the breath he’d been holding. They’d already been through this, but maybe she forgot because she was sick with a fever at the time. “I’m sorry. That was my fault.”

  She shook her head. “We were both there. We’re both responsible for being...irresponsible.”

  That all sounded reasonable. “Okay. That’s nice to hear but I admit I’m a bit lost because you’re frowning and looking serious.”

  “What if I got pregnant?” The question rushed out of her.

  He was happy he had a hold on the edge of the counter or he might have fallen to the floor. “Uh...is this hypothetical?”

  “I’m serious.”

  He was terrified and his tongue might have gone numb. “I am, too.”

  “So?”

  “Do you think you’re pregnant?” He reached for her then. Put his hands on her waist and turned her until they stood only a few inches apart, facing each other head-on.

  She put her mug down and rested her hands on his chest. “I don’t know.”

  Not the answer he wanted...or maybe it was. He was new at this.

  “Okay. Why do you think it’s a possibility?” Because that had never entered his mind. They had sex without the condom and talked about it. About her being on the Pill and both of them always being careful until right then.

  A new phase, a more responsible one, started. Now this.

  “I was on antibiotics.” She must have seen the confusion on his face because after a few beats of silence she continued talking. “The meds can mess with the Pill.”

  The comment triggered a memory. He’d known that. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he’d filed that information away, hoping never to need to use it.

  He swallowed as he forced his voice to stay calm. Inside him was a wild frenzy. His brain skipped from question to question. His knees tried to fold. He wasn’t completely sure he was still breathing. “Do you want to take a test?”

  “We should.”

&n
bsp; She sounded so calm. How the hell was that possible?

  “If you are...” He had no idea what to say next.

  “Is that panic I hear in your voice?” A slight bit of anger vibrated in hers.

  “No.” Yes. Absolutely, yes. But they would get through it. “We’ll handle it.”

  Her eyes narrowed and her body stiffened. “What does that mean?”

  This was the one question he had the answer to. “We will do whatever you want us to do.”

  “Even if that means having the baby?”

  His vision blinked out for a second. He looked at his life as it stretched out in front of him. He’d never seen an image that included kids. For Derrick, sure. The guy was a born father. He was even great with Ellie’s grown brother. But Spence wasn’t convinced he possessed the skills. Looked like he’d be taking every class available to try to get up to speed.

  Somehow, he would manage. That’s what he did. That’s what she and a baby would deserve. No matter how limited he might be, she would be great. And he could learn to be better than his father ever was.

  He nodded. “Even then. We’ll have the baby.”

  She still hadn’t moved. “Get married?”

  He had no idea where that came from, but as he stood there, he realized he viewed that as a package. “Yes.”

  She touched a finger to the corner of his mouth. “You look a little green.”

  Of course he did. Anyone would. No one should waltz into parenthood without at least a little panic. “Didn’t you when you first realized this was a possibility?”

  For a few more seconds, she just stood there, staring at him in silence. Finally, a small smile broke out on her lips. Some of the tension strangling the kitchen evaporated as she nodded. “Fair enough.”

  Not the words he’d use, but okay. “Abby, you can count on me.”

  He hoped that was true. He wasn’t the guy who stuck around, but he would. They may have stumbled through their relationship so far, and still kind of were, but they would resolve all of their issues and concerns. And fast. He’d make her happy and do what they needed to do. But they were dealing in ifs and not facts.

  “We definitely should take the test.” We being her, and test meaning as many as he could find. There was no reason to believe one.

  “Tomorrow.”

  He didn’t understand the delay. “Why wait?”

  “We’re going to enjoy one more day of not knowing.”

  It hit him then. She really thought she was. She denied having symptoms...or had he asked that? The whole conversation was a blur. It would take days for him to unravel it and get his mind working again.

  “If you want us to wait, we wait.” It couldn’t hurt anything. They would be so early. Not that he knew anything about babies or timing, because he didn’t.

  “You’re a good man, Spencer Jameson.”

  He wasn’t, but he was trying. For her. “Because of you.”

  “You give me too much credit.” Her arms wound around his neck. The lightness in her voice suggested she’d dealt with the pregnancy information and had mentally moved on to the next topic.

  He was not so lucky.

  “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” As he said the words, he realized he meant them. Without the pregnancy news, this is where he’d tell her he loved her. Because he did. He hadn’t needed Jackson to tell him. Not really. The sensation that moved through him when he saw her, or even just heard her voice in the hallway, wasn’t like anything he’d ever experienced. It filled him, made him feel whole.

  But there was too much going on to say the words now. He didn’t want one thing messed up with the other. When he said the words, he didn’t want there to be any doubt why he did. That meant waiting, holding it inside for another few days, which was safer anyway. Once he said them, he wouldn’t be able to call them back.

  Her smile grew. “I am pretty great.”

  “And so modest.”

  She kissed him. Short and sweet. “And hungry.”

  “For food this time, right? I can fix that one right now.” He pulled back, thinking to raid the refrigerator even though the idea of stepping outside for a few gulps of fresh air sounded good.

  She caught his arm as he brushed past her. “Thank you.”

  Gratitude. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. Then again, he didn’t feel much of anything at the moment. He was numb. “For?”

  “Everything.”

  Fourteen

  Abby didn’t often get a summons to come to Derrick’s office in the middle of the afternoon. He called her or sent a message. That worked best since she had a calendar full of meetings and phone calls, but she pushed everything for this meeting.

  Now that the school renovation project was a go, she had about a hundred deadlines to set and people she needed to corral. Not that she minded. This was her favorite part, setting everything down and seeing the hard work turn into something real.

  That’s kind of how she thought of Spence. He’d stayed at her house for a string of nights. Settled in and looked right at home there on her couch. He’d even survived the baby talk this morning. She almost didn’t. Her emotions had roller-coastered all over the place as she watched his facial expression change. Surprise to panic to should-I-run. The good news is that last one only came in a flash then was gone again.

  But they needed to know the truth in case they had to make plans. No more guessing. She had two tests in her bag. Tonight they would have the answer.

  Her stomach flipped at the thought. She’d held it together so far, but she was pretty sure she’d be bent over blowing into a paper bag no matter what the result was. The anxiety growing inside her guaranteed that.

  Speaking of the possible future daddy...she looked up right as she turned the corner to the hallway leading to Derrick’s office. Spence stood there. Tall and confident. The unexpected sight of him made her steps falter, but she quickly regained her balance.

  “What are you doing?” She put her hand on his arm. Even thought about kissing him.

  Despite the lack of traffic in this hall, she refrained from the public display of affection. It wasn’t really her thing. They needed to keep a work–home life separation anyway. Human Resources had suggested a list of things they should do and not do. French kissing in the hallway had to be on there somewhere.

  “Derrick asked to see me,” Spence said.

  Her hand tightened on Spence’s arm. She didn’t notice until his shirtsleeve bunched in her palm. “Me, too.”

  He frowned at that information. “Maybe Ellie?”

  The thought tumbled in Abby’s head. Her mind raced to the worst scenario. Just when she thought she’d stumbled on the worst, she came up with another. “Oh, no.”

  “It’s okay.” Spence put his hand over hers. The warmth on his skin seeped into hers. “He wouldn’t be at work if something was wrong with her at home.”

  “Right.” Derrick would burn marks in the carpet getting out of there and to Ellie. That’s who he was.

  But Abby got back to walking, just in case. Even picked up the pace a bit.

  They passed by Jackson’s office. His phone rang. The door was open but he wasn’t at his desk. Not an unusual occurrence since he seemed to answer to everyone in the building. People called him for help and advice.

  Derrick’s door was open and she heard voices, both of them familiar. Carter mumbled something in an unusually serious tone. It was enough to get the worry churning inside her again.

  Spence pushed open the door and they stepped inside. “What’s going on?”

  “We have a problem.” Carter’s gaze slipped to her as he spoke. “Close the door.”

  This couldn’t be good. Closed-door meetings sometimes meant nothing, but the look on Carter’s face—drawn and a bit pale—suggested this was big.


  Spence shook his head. “What did Dad do now?”

  Just the mention of him touched off a new bout of frustration inside her. Anger welled, ready to boil up and spill over. Eldrick had that effect on her and likely always would.

  Carter continued to stare. A strange coldness washed over Abby. She was so used to his smile and joking. From the minute she met him, she’d been struck by his genuine warmth. Derrick had to work at it. Spence tried to hide his. Carter was open and out there...but right now, he held his jaw stiff enough to crack.

  Derrick dropped a large envelope on his desk. It had been opened and there was a note on top and photos spilled out. “It’s not Dad.”

  Now he looked at Abby, too. The joint force of Derrick and Carter’s angry attention only upped her anxiety levels. She handled stress fine but this crashed over her.

  She mentally raced through every project, trying to think of what might have happened or gone wrong. It couldn’t be the possibility of a new baby because she doubted Spence would have told them without knowing for sure or talking to her first. And she couldn’t imagine either one of Spence’s brothers having this reaction.

  No, this was something else. Something fundamental that drove right to the heart of their loyalty to her and trust in her.

  She looked at the familiar envelope. She couldn’t place it, and then it hit her. The delivery at the family dinner. Jeff Berger, the big jerk.

  “I don’t understand what’s going on,” Spence said as he took a step toward Derrick’s desk.

  Carter kept his focus solely on her as he spoke. “Look at the photos.”

  Spence picked them up, filed through them, hesitating on the second before looking at them all again. With every movement, every shift, Abby felt her happiness drift away. Jeff had set her up. Somehow, he figured out how to get to Derrick. Worse, to Spence.

  “What am I looking at?” Spence turned to her. “What are these?”

  She couldn’t avoid taking a turn now. She stepped up beside Spence and reached for the photos. Nothing in them proved to be much of a surprise. Her at the restaurant with Jeff. Jeff leaning in. His smile. It all looked intimate, so completely wrong and out of context to what really happened.