by Katie Dowe
“Now I am. I thought you would not make it.”
“Shame on you,” he chided as he his hand tightened on hers. “Nothing would have stopped me.”
They both looked up as the doctor came in.
“How does it look?” Matthias asked him.
“Very positive. We have quite a few embryos to work with.” He smiled at Caitlin. He explained the embryo transfer to her and what would be done. “We will have another eight to ten weeks to know if the embryos are attached to the lining of your uterus,” he told them as soon as he was finished. “I will also be giving you progesterone to help with the pregnancy. It’s a hormone medication that will help with the process.”
“And then what?” Matthias asked him tensely.
“Now we wait.”
“For how long?”
“Eight to ten weeks,” he repeated. “You are advised to rest for the remainder of the afternoon. Go home and read a book and relax and tomorrow you can resume your daily activity.”
“Thank you,” Caitlin murmured.
The doctor nodded and left them alone.
Matthias turned to face her and lifted her hand to his lips, his intense dark eyes wandering over her face. “I have to ask.”
“Go ahead.”
“How do you feel?”
“A little cramped.”
He winced at that. “What can I do?”
“Nothing, I will go home and get some rest.”
“Want me to come with you?”
“No offense, but when we are together, I do not think about relaxation,” she murmured.
“Right.” He brooded for a moment. “I will check in on you later.”
*****
He should have known that she would not take Friday off and he had not thought of insisting that she did. He knew her enough now to know that she basically did whatever she pleased. He had called her the night before to check on her and she had told him that she had slept which was a good thing. He watched her walk into his office the next morning looking chic and ready to take on the day wearing a lime green sweater and black pants that fit her curves well. Her hair was piled on top of her head and secured with a jeweled comb. But she looked rested and quite recovered from yesterday’s ordeal. “I don’t need to ask you how you are,” he murmured as she took a seat.
“I actually feel great and positive that this is going to happen.”
“I sincerely hope so.” His eyes went to her coral coated lips and he felt himself harden as usual. He cleared his throat and did his best to ignore the throbbing in his pubic area. “What do you have for me?”
Her eyes twinkled as she looked at him. “I found this in the trash pile and decided that we should give it a shot.”
“What is it?”
“The story of a woman who went through IVF and got pregnant with triplets and then the man left her.”
His eyes narrowed as he stared at her. “You are making that up.”
“Would I do something like that?”
“I don’t know, would you?”
“I can assure you that I would definitely not,” she said loftily. “It’s actually a good tearjerker and has potential with some rewrites.”
“I don’t suppose I should ask you why you want to go ahead and publish?”
“I know you want children, Matthias, and you want them badly. Besides, the guy in this story felt the pressure and ran away because he could not afford to support three children.”
“Did he agree to go through IVF?”
She nodded. “They could not have children at first and he was the one who suggested it.”
“And he ran away from his responsibilities?”
“He did. But in the end, they made up and then lived happily ever after,” she told him with a smile.
“She forgave him?”
“She did because she loved him and understood that he was scared.”
“I hope she made him suffer first.”
She eyed him wryly. “I take it you are not big on second chances.”
“If it were you, would you be extending me the same courtesy?”
“If I was in that position, I would hunt you down and probably think about killing you.”
“There you go.”
“Then I would forgive you.”
He stared at her for a moment and then laughed. “You have my approval.”
Chapter 8
The waiting was the worse for both of them! He had relented and she either spent the night at his place or he would come to hers. In between that, he was traveling, going from the publishing house to his corporate offices in New York and staying sometimes three days there. During that time, Caitlin missed him so much that she had a hard time sleeping, but she filled the days with work and the weekends he was not around she would go around to her dad’s or have dinner with her friends. Suddenly, she who had always treasured her solitude was now finding that she could not bear to be inside her apartment by herself. The weeks of waiting was telling, and she could not bear the anxiety. The worst thing was that she could not say anything to the people closest to her, at least not yet, and she was still going to have to find a way to tell her father what was happening. He would call her when he was not around to check up on her and she wished he would be less formal over the phone.
In the meantime, there were the launch parties to plan for December and the number of book signings for the authors. The gothic series had caught the interest of a television executive and they were in dialogue with them to finalize a deal. The excitement was in the air and the sense of celebration and accomplishment was evident in all the departments. Sales of the books by her imprint as well as Worldwide Publishing were on the rise and several of their books had been on the bestsellers’ list for several weeks now. Social media was flooded with their titles and several billboards showcased the titles as well. The papers had run an article about the latest success by Matthias Zeng and the fact that his state-of-the-art gallery in Paris, France had taken the country by storm! Caitlin sat behind her desk and gazed at his serious yet handsome profile on the internet as he stood inside the gallery. Her gaze wandered over his broad shoulders encased in a grey sweater and his thick dark hair brushed back from his forehead. He did not smile a lot, she thought as she used a finger to trail over his face. He had been gone for a week and she missed him so much that it was like an ache inside her! She jumped as Steve hurried into the room. She touched a key and went back to what she had been doing.
“We have a hitch.”
She looked over at him. He was sharply dressed as usual in a thick white sweater and cream pants with a scarf thrown around his neck which should have looked ridiculous but not on him. He had expressed an interest in her a few weeks ago by inviting her to have dinner with him and she had firmly told him that the only thing they were going to have was a business relationship. He had backed off quickly and had told her he understood. He was very valuable to her and she had no idea how she had done without him before.
“What is it?”
“The cover design for the Gothic series is wrong, color is wrong, and the design is askew.” He came and placed the folder on her desk. “I had words with Lucy in the design department and she insisted that it was what the author wanted.” He clucked his tongue as he hovered over her. “It’s wrong and we should change it. It is now the end of November and we are shooting for a December publication. What do you think?”
She studied the design and agreed. It was very nice but not edgy enough for the contents of the book. “What do you have in mind?”
He looked pleased that she was asking his opinion. “The dungeon scene.”
She frowned thoughtfully. “You mean the dungeon sex scene?”
“Why not?” He spread his hands expressively. “Every awful and unseemly thing that is written about is in there. Make it a smoky grey with the dungeon and everything in it as a backdrop with the two people the only colors on the cover. She would be wearing that filmy white dress and
he would be clothed in some sort of loin cloth with his muscles rippling as he crushed her body to his.” Steve’s attractive face had taken on a faraway look as he detailed the idea. “His dark hair falling forward and almost covering her face but not quite.” He looked at Caitlin with a grin. “What do you think?”
“I think I just had an orgasm.”
“Really?” His eyes sharpened at that.
“Down, boy,” she told him dryly. “I like that. Get Lucy to buy the idea and you are probably going to have to sweet talk her, she is pretty territorial where her designs are concerned.”
“I know how to sweet talk her,” he said smugly.
Her eyes narrowed as she stared at him. “Are you sleeping with her?”
“Now why would you think that?” he asked her airily as he took up the folder. “I will let you know what she says.”
Caitlin watched him leave with a smile on her face. She really liked him and after only a few short months he had proven himself to be very valuable. She leaned back against her chair and pressed her hands against her flat stomach. Could there be babies growing inside her now? she wondered, feeling her heartbeat quickening. What if it never happened? She had stayed away from thinking about that because she did not want to have to face the consequences of never seeing Matthias again! How could he mean so much to her after only a few months? Her FaceTime app lit up and her heart hammered as she saw his name appear. She touched the icon and felt the tremors as his handsome face came into view. “You are supposed to be heading home.” His deep voice over international channels sounded as if he was right in the room with her! It was after six which meant that it was past midnight in Paris where he was.
“And you should be asleep,” she pointed out.
He smiled at that. “I just came from a gala at the gallery. You would have loved it.”
“Was it a business thing?” She tried to be casual but did not quite accomplish it.
One thick eyebrow lifted. “Was that your way of asking me if I was with someone, Caitlin?”
“Were you?”
“I am not going to answer that,” he told her mildly. “You might at this moment be carrying my children and I spend most of my time with you. When you ask me something like that, you make me out to be a person I am never going to be.”
“Sorry,” she muttered. “Hormones.”
He inclined his head. “I will be back tomorrow. Go home and get some rest.”
She opened her mouth to tell him that she missed him and changed her mind. “You too.”
The connection was broken and her concentration along with it. He was coming home tomorrow, and she could not wait to see him!
*****
But he did not make it back until Friday night. She did her best to quell the disappointment when he told her that he would not be there and buried herself in work. There was plenty to go around! The launch party for the latest in the detective series was due out in December as well as the Gothic series. The publishing house was abuzz with activities and Caitlin kept busy. She did not leave work until almost eight and by that time she was dead on her feet. She let herself inside her apartment and went to take a quick shower before climbing into bed. She was almost asleep as soon as her head touched the pillows. She heard the ringing of her phone as if from a distance and finally opened her eyes to look at the red lights of her bedside clock. It was almost three AM. Who on earth could be calling her at this hour? She picked up her phone and her heart quickened as she saw that it was Matthias. “Hello?”
“I am outside your door.”
That woke her up immediately! “I will be right there.”
She climbed out of bed and made her way toward the front door, opening it quickly. He came inside and without a word, pulled her into his arms, his mouth moving over hers hungrily, his fingers digging into her waist as he pressed her against him. Caitlin welcomed the roughness, the urgency with her own. She had not been with him in over a week now and she had suffered from withdrawals! He pulled away from her, his hands coming up to frame her face, his intense dark eyes searching her face. “I have been flying all night,” he whispered huskily. “I told myself that I should let you get some sleep but-” His head bent and he took her lips again. He pushed aside the robe, letting it pool to the floor as his fingers raced over her bare arms and came between them to cup her breasts through the thin silk of her nightgown. He lifted her and took her into the bedroom, letting her slide down his body slowly as his mouth continued to devour hers. He had spent the entire travel thinking about her and what he was going to do to her when he saw her and had barely managed to appear normal when his driver picked him up from the private helipad where they had landed. He had told the man to take him there instead. He ended the kiss, his breathing harsh, his body on fire! He had spent the week thinking about what they should do about the unique situation that they were in and he had yet to come up with a solution!
“Matthias?” she whispered, her hands spread over his chest.
“Hmm?” His hands cupped her full breasts and teased her nipples causing the tremors to heighten inside her body! “I need you.”
“Have me,” she told him simply. She stepped back and slid the straps down her arms, letting the nightgown slither to the floor. She had not put panties on and stood before him naked. His intense dark eyes wandered over her naked flesh for a moment before he hurriedly took off his clothes. Caitlin sighed as she reached for his fully aroused penis, her fingers stroking the rigid flesh and sending the need thundering through his body. He stood there for a full minute while she continued to stroke him, feeling the heat inside his body. But then he could not take anymore. He had to have her now! He lifted her and placed her on the bed, joining her and moving over her, his hands at the sides of her head. He lowered himself, his fingers curled into fists, his face intense with passion! Caitlin was the one who guided him into her, sighing as he went in deep and stopped, his eyes meeting hers before his head descended and claimed her lips in a soul-destroying kiss as he started to move inside her. Caitlin clasped his waist with her legs and lifted her body against his with an eagerness that told him how much she had longed to feel him inside her. She gave and he took, again and again, never seeming to be able to get enough of her! He had come to grips with the fact that she made him feel more than he had ever felt before! He had no idea what that meant, but for now he just lost himself inside her, the way he had been thinking of doing ever since he had been away from her. He felt the stiffening of her body and the tightness of his and realized what was coming! Caitlin dug her fingers into his shoulders as the orgasm slammed into her! She let go the same time he did, and her moans were caught inside his mouth as she gave in to the wash of emotions that went through her body. He emptied himself inside her, holding her against him when it was finally over!
He shifted as soon as he could and held her inside his arms, his fingers stroking her back and feeling the tremors of her skin. He did not say anything, and Caitlin was not sure she should either. She had been pining for him and he had come to her and that said a lot, that said that it was more than just an arrangement and that was all she needed to know. “I brought you something,” he told her quietly, finally breaking the silence.
“Oh?”
“I saw it and thought of you.”
“What is it?”
He moved away from her and got off the bed, her eyes following his lean muscled body as he went to get his jacket and took out a slim velvet box. He came over and sat next to her, opening the box. Caitlin stared at the most magnificent emerald suspended on a platinum necklace. The stone shone in the darkness of the room, shooting out fire like a living breathing thing. “I bought it at an auction.”
Her eyes lifted to his face. “Do I want to know the cost?”
His thick brows lifted. “No, you don’t.” He took it out and secured it around her neck. The stone nestled in the groove between her breasts and lights flashed out from the stone.
“It’s beautiful,�
�� she whispered, fingering it. “Thank you.”
“You are welcome.” He pushed his fingers through her tousled hair, feeling the ends of the strands for a moment before letting go. “I have been doing some thinking.”
He was still sitting at her hips, his expression sober.
“I think we should get married.”
Caitlin felt her heartbeat quicken at that and wished he had preceded that with expressions of love. “Why?”
He smiled slightly. “We are going to have children together and I want us to be a family. You know how I feel about that.”
“And that is all?”
“We are very good together.” He hesitated briefly. “I am still trying to process what I feel about you.” He shrugged. “I am not very good at this, Caitlin.”
“I don’t have to process what I feel for you. Matthias.” She eased herself up against the pillows. “I am in love with you.”
His eyes flared at that and he stared at her and did not say anything.
“I don’t expect you to say it back, but at least a response would be perfect,” she told him lightly.
“I don’t know what I feel.” He reached for her slender hands and stared down at them with a slight frown before looking at her. “Let’s get married and we will figure the rest out.”
“What if I am not pregnant?”
His hands tightened on hers. “I have every faith that it will happen. I want it too much.”
“So, do it.”
*****
It was the middle of December during the busiest time at the publishing house that they went back to the doctor and got the good news! They waited in silent anticipation as he did the examination. Matthias gripped her hand and laced his fingers through hers. They had not given the slightest indication that they were in a relationship and Caitlin had told him that they should wait until she told her dad which she had not done yet. Dr. Fritz finished his examination and pushed back his stool with a smile on his face. “I have very good news.”
