by Nadia Aidan
“I have to go.”
“Maia, don’t hang up like this. At least tell me when is your first doctor’s appointment so that I can be there.”
She shook her head, trying to swallow back the tears clogging her throat. She’d known all along having a child with Chad would prove to be a mistake. She loved him far too much, far too deeply to be alright with him dating other women. Deep down she’d known she wouldn’t be able to handle this.
She’d never been a jealous person before, but this was different. Until two weeks ago, she’d never admitted her feelings for Chad, never faced what losing him would ultimately mean to her.
“You know what, don’t bother,” she choked out. “I’ll just call, Lena.” She hung up then, before Chad could say another word and the tears could fall.
* * * *
“Goddamn it, Maia,” Chad cursed, slamming the phone into its cradle just as his best friend and partner walked into his office.
Dylan looked at him with raised eyebrows. “If you’re cursing Maia’s name already this can’t be good.”
“She hung up on me.”
“Already? I thought baby mama drama didn’t start until after the baby was born.”
Chad glared at Dylan. “Don’t start with me, man.
“I wasn’t. I actually just came in here to congratulate you. Lena told me the news.”
Chad leant back into his chair and shoved his hand through his hair with a weary sigh. The mention of Lena’s name reminded him of Maia’s parting words before she’d hung up on him. Damn it. Why was she being so difficult? He’d apologised, told her he wasn’t into Gwen, which was true. He already felt guilty enough. She was right. He should have been there celebrating with her, and not out on a business dinner that could have waited another day.
Had he known before he went to dinner, of course, he would have cancelled with Gwen, but Maia never waited for explanations, she just reacted. Most of the time, he loved her impulsive nature, today wasn’t one of them.
“Speaking of your wife, I need you to ask her something.”
Dylan gave him a speculative look, as if he already knew he wasn’t going to like being dragged into the middle of his war with Maia, and neither would Lena. But what could he do? He refused to let Maia shut him out of this entire process. He’d promised her that he would be there with her every step of the way, and he planned to. This was his child too, and he refused to let Maia forget that. Besides, Dylan and Lena had always been dragged into the centre of the mess that masqueraded as his relationship with Maia. What was one more time?
* * * *
Maia had barely held onto her anger through her appointment, even as brief as it had been. As soon as she stepped out of the doctor’s office, she rounded on Chad.
“I told you not to come here.”
His lazy grin almost made her heart stop. It wasn’t fair that he could be so devastatingly handsome, that her body could still want him, when she was so mad at him.
“No, you never told me not to come, you told me don’t bother, that Lena would go with you.” He looked around with dramatic flourish and she rolled her eyes. “But I don’t see, Lena, do you? So, here I am.”
“You’re so immature.”
His eyes narrowed. “I’m immature? Says the woman who refused to tell me anything about her doctor’s appointments, then hung up on me, and then refused to take any of my calls.”
“Whatever.” She stepped around him and started to walk off. She couldn’t do this with him right now. It had been a week since their argument over the phone. She thought she was over it, thought she could handle seeing him again, but the moment he’d walked into the waiting room that morning, she’d realised these feelings for him, the rawness she felt when she saw him with another woman, they weren’t going away. If anything, it was getting worse.
She stopped when he called her name and glanced at him from over her shoulder. Her gut clenched when she realised how close he was, not even an inch separated them. She stared up into his liquid emerald eyes, and she swore she could have drowned in them.
She wanted to close her eyes, and shut him out. God, when would this end? When would this hole in her heart disappear? Probably never, she decided. Just her luck, it would probably never mend.
“I’m not going anywhere, Maia.”
She crinkled her brow in confusion at his words.
“Your childish antics will never work on me. I promised you I would be here with you from day one, and I intend to keep that promise.”
He walked off then, and she stared at his back. She knew he would keep his promise and that was the problem, because she didn’t want to do this alone, but she didn’t think she
could endure the next nine months, the rest of her life even, with Chad in it, but still not quite a part of it.
Chapter Six
Chad bounded up the steps to Maia’s home and pressed the doorbell. Normally, he met her at her appointments, because that’s how she preferred it, but today he decided he would pick her up. It was their three month check-up and he was excited. They’d made it past the first big hurdle.
She opened the door in a flurry, and a tiny fist closed around his heart when he saw her. He both lived for and hated these monthly appointments. She refused to see him outside of her doctor’s appointments, so that each month when he did see her, he practically ached for her.
He hated that he still craved her so strongly, the very sight of her, the familiar scent of her. It was torture, and he’d put himself in this hell. Had he not gone out on that stupid date with Gwen, Maia would never have pushed him away. At the time, he’d thought it was for the best for both of them, but now he wasn’t so sure. He was miserable without her, more so than he’d ever been before. He wanted to be there with her everyday of her pregnancy, and now she wouldn’t let him.
“Chad. What are you doing here?”
“I decided to pick you up this time. It’s a big milestone, don’t you think?” He said with a sheepish smile.
She returned his smile, even though it was weak at best. For the past three months she’d been distant with him, the most he’d ever gotten was her chilly politeness.
“Sure. I’ll just grab my stuff.”
Minutes later she was seated beside him in his car, but he realised maybe he’d been premature to hope that she’d warm up to him. She didn’t say much of anything, despite his attempts at conversation.
And after their appointment, on the drive home, he was faced with much of the same. He was almost relieved when they arrived at her home, because the tense silence was killing him.
He cut the engine and started to get out to open her door, but froze when she spoke.
“Are you still seeing that woman? The girl from the restaurant?”
After an entire day of the silent treatment, this was what she wanted to talk about? She didn’t look at him, she kept her gaze directed straight ahead. There were so many things he wanted to say to her—that she shouldn’t do this, that no matter what he said, this was futile, that it wasn’t any of her business anymore—but he said none of those things.
In the end he simply told her the truth. “No. And I was never seeing her in the first place. She’s a client, Maia, that’s all.”
She looked at him, and he hated that he couldn’t read her, but when she smiled, even though it was a small one, the tension that had corded every muscle in his body since he’d picked her up that morning eased.
She opened her mouth to speak, but stopped all of a sudden. Her eyes grew wide with alarm as her hand covered her small bump.
Fear gripped him at the expression on her face. He called her name as he jumped out of the car and came around to her side, flinging the door open so that he could stoop down next to her. “What is it, sweetheart?”
The alarm in her eyes gave way to awe, and when she turned to him she smiled. “I think I felt the baby move.”
He frowned. “Isn’t it too early? Didn’t the doctor say you wouldn’t
feel anything for another month?”
She grabbed his hand to place it over her distended belly. “I swore I felt something. I’m sure he moved.”
He shook his head after a full minute when he didn’t feel anything. “Are you sure it wasn’t something you ate this morning?”
“Chad!” She swatted his chest, but her smile was radiant.
He knew this was a mistake but couldn’t help himself. It had been so long since he’d seen her eyes so bright, her cheeks flushed with laughter. He leant in to capture her lips, his hand still pressed to her belly.
Surprised, she gasped against his mouth, but her body instantly recognised him, as her mouth opened to his searching tongue, her hand cradling his cheek to hold him to her.
He felt like he’d come home, and when he drew his mouth from hers, he almost had to suppress a whimper. He leant his forehead against hers, taking in air, and that’s when he recalled the words she’d said just moments ago.
“You said he.” Chad lifted his head from hers. “You called the baby he.”
Her smile was rueful. “I just have a feeling it’s a boy. Or at least I hope so. ”
“Really?” Personally, he hoped for a girl, but in the end he just wanted their child to be healthy and happy.
Her revelation sobered him. They’d never once talked about their thoughts on the sex of their child, or even a name. They should have talked about something like this by now. They should have discussed many things.
He helped her out of the car. “What are you doing the rest of the day?”
She looked at him and shrugged. “My manager is running the gallery today so I was actually going to take the rest of the day off.”
He smiled. “You know what? Me too. And since it’s almost lunchtime, I’ll make us something to eat.”
She started to protest, but he didn’t give her the chance as he ushered her inside.
For too long, he’d allowed their personal issues to cloud the most important issue of all. They were going to be parents, and no matter what else happened between them, it was time they started acting like it.
* * * *
After lunch, Chad cleaned up the kitchen while Maia took a nap. Throughout their meal they’d talked about many of the issues Chad had hoped they would regarding Maia’s pregnancy and their child, but they still had so much more to discuss, more plans to make, and it was hard for them to do all of this with their infrequent contact, just once a month at a doctor’s office.
Chad had wrestled with an idea throughout lunch. And while he knew Maia would resist at first, he also knew if they could agree to it, in the end this would be best for their child.
But he wouldn’t broach the subject now. They were both tired and he needed more time to figure out how he could warm her up to the idea.
Chad finished up in the kitchen, and moved towards Maia’s bedroom to let her know he was planning to leave shortly. He knocked softly and waited. After a few seconds of silence, he opened the door and peaked inside, a frown crossing his face when he saw her bed was still made.
“Maia?” He called softly as he stepped inside.
“In here.”
He strolled across the room into her bathroom, and he stilled when he saw her in the tub with her eyes closed and her head back. Her hair was wet as it hung over the edge, the bubbles licking at her smooth skin. Already, he could feel his body tightening, even though she hadn’t so much as said a word, hadn’t even looked at him. But Maia didn’t have to, for she’d always had this effect on him. Just the sight of her, her naked flesh peaking out from the frothy bubbles was enough.
“I thought you were taking a nap,” he managed to croak out.
She opened her eyes, with a small smile. “I couldn’t sleep. My back was hurting.”
Her words propelled him into action. He’d been waiting for the perfect excuse to cross the room to be closer to her—to touch her.
He dropped down beside her, taking the soft sponge from her fingers.
“What are you—”
“You said your back was hurting.” He leant into her, the hand holding the sponge sliding down her back and he massaged her muscles in a circular motion. “I’m just trying to help you work out some of your aches.”
“Chad.” He heard the warning in her voice, but his own internal alarm had gone off the moment he’d set foot in the bathroom.
For a man who was trying to move on, he seemed to keep finding ways to end up right back where he didn’t belong—with his hands on her.
He probably would have been fine, probably wouldn’t have given into temptation had she not turned those soulful, topaz eyes on him, that brimmed with lust and love, and the one emotion he was powerless to resist, hope.
Dipping his head, he kissed her shoulder, his lips inching their way to her neck. He dropped the sponge to splay his hands across her back, gently stroking her flesh. His lips made their way to her cheek, and when she turned to face him, her mouth a hairsbreadth from his, he closed the scant distance, capturing her lips with his.
He went up in flames in that instant, his mouth devouring hers, his tongue mingling with hers until he was sure her essence would linger there forever.
In one fluid motion, he plucked her from the tub, cradling her close. He carried her into the bedroom, and laid her across the bed. His eyes never left her as he peeled off his damp shirt.
He was just undoing his jeans when he noticed her trying to cover herself with the edge of the comforter.
He stilled. Maia had never been shy around him before, but the way she averted her gaze, her fingers curled tight around the blanket gave him pause.
“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?”
She looked at him with those wide golden brown eyes of hers that flashed with a brief glimmer of what he could only describe as embarrassment.
She shrugged then, her smile sheepish. “My body—I—it’s different.”
He swept his gaze over her as he moved towards the bed. “Of course it’s different. You’re pregnant.”
“I know. It’s just—”
He knew what she was hinting at but he cut her off with a finger pressed to her lips as he covered her with his body.
“You’re beautiful. Every inch of you.” He emphasised his point as he set about kissing practically every inch of her. By the time he settled between her thighs, he knew the last thing on her mind were her insecurities surrounding her changing body.
Draping her legs over his shoulders, he buried his face against her cunt, his tongue pushing inside her.
“Chad,” she gasped, her fingers curling in his hair as she thrust her hips up at him. His body tightened within the confines of his pants, and with one hand he undid his jeans to seize his cock within his palm.
He pumped his hand up and down the length of his shaft, not once breaking the rhythm of his lips against her swollen sex. He inhaled the musky scent of her, dragging it deep into his lungs, as her juices flowed into his mouth. He drank from her pussy, savouring the spicy taste of her on his tongue, until she was panting beneath him, her body twisting in the sheets.
“Chad, I’m about to come.” She panted, tugging on his head. “I want you inside me.”
He didn’t hesitate.
In a single motion, he kicked off his jeans to settle within the circle of her thighs.
With her legs hooked over his shoulders, he drove into her on one jagged thrust.
Her cry mingled with his hoarse groan, as the tight, juicy heat of her surrounded him.
Her pussy was wet as he thrust into her, clamping down around like a tight vice. She shook and shuddered beneath him as she came and he rode her sweet body through the tremors of her climax.
He closed his eyes as he fucked her, her throaty moans drowning out their slick flesh slapping together.
A warm tingle gathered at the base of his spine, as a ball of pleasure curled in his belly. She clung to him, her hips surging off the bed to take him deep, her nails digging into his shoulders
.
He wanted it to last, wanted to savour every second of this moment, but he couldn’t hold back. It had been far too long. Sweat dripped from his body, and the muscles in his ass flexed as he slammed into her with deep, powerful thrusts, until a sharp edge of heat sliced through him and he felt as if he was splintering apart.
He called her name on a strangled groan, his seed erupting deep within her spasming cunt. Chad quivered above her, until his muscles could no longer weather the strain of holding his own weight.
He was careful not to cover her with his heavy frame as he collapsed atop the bed, his body falling beside hers.
Shudders still racked him as he lay there next to her, his breathing ragged for a long while. And when he could finally take in a normal breath, he draped his arm across her waist, pulling her close.
He turned to look at her, and she met his gaze with a sleepy, satiated smile. Unable to help himself, he leant into her to place a gentle kiss against her ripe, bee stung lips.
As he pulled away, he berated himself, because he knew this shouldn’t have happened. He knew making love to her had been a mistake, but when he was around her like this, just the two of them, and the demons of their past didn’t seem to cloud their present, their future, well, it was hard to see reason during those times.
It was probably because he was feeling so comfortable, so at ease, that he chose that moment to blurt out what he did, even after he’d told himself earlier that he would mull over his idea for awhile.
“I’ve been thinking.” His gaze was unwavering. “What if I moved in here with you for awhile?” When she started to object, he rushed ahead. “Your place is closer to my job and it would allow me to help you out more, the further along you get in your pregnancy.”
Her eyes were wide as if she couldn’t believe he’d even suggest such a thing.
“No.”
“You have to admit it’s a sound plan.”
He frowned when she let out a snort as she turned her head away. “Wouldn’t it cramp your dating life?”
