“Whatever you say.”
Wade waited a few minutes to cross the road and then jogged back to his car. Easing into the flow of traffic took some time and his fingers began drumming a rapid beat on the steering wheel. Eventually he managed to pull into a driveway near the ambulance.
He had to stifle his impatience a while longer as the police took a statement from Piper in the ambulance, getting from her as much detail about the incident as possible. Then, finally, he was allowed to take her home. The rain had slowed to a steady drizzle and the cold seeped through to his bones. But none of that mattered. Right now all he wanted was to get Piper home and to see for himself that she was okay. And then maybe to wrap her up in their bed and make sure nothing bad ever happened to her again.
His hands clenched into impotent fists at his side as he thought again about the driver who’d caused the accident. What he wouldn’t do to have a bit of time alone with them right now.
Suddenly he could begin to understand why Rex hadn’t wanted Piper to engage fully with the realities of the world. Why he’d wanted to keep his little girl safe in a fantasy world where nothing nasty ever happened to other people and where she didn’t have to face unpleasantness. After losing his wife, was it really so surprising that the man had been determined to shield his only child? It might not have been the right thing for Piper, but it would have done a great deal toward soothing Rex’s parental mind.
Transferring Piper into the car was accomplished with as much speed and efficiency as he could manage. She was already starting to feel the aftereffects of the crash and had begun to shake in reaction. He held open the passenger door of his car for her and leaned down to secure the seat belt across her body.
“Wade, I’m so sorry I smashed up the car.”
“You’re not to blame,” he said tightly.
“But it’s ruined, Wade. Did you see it? I know they say it wasn’t my fault, but—”
“There are no buts. Just relax, we’ll be home in a couple minutes and I’ll get you into that bath you wanted.”
Why the hell was she so upset about a car? Didn’t she realize just how lucky she was not to have been more seriously hurt? And what about the whole reason she’d left work early in the first place?
“I’ll need to get a ride with you to work tomorrow.”
“Work can wait. I doubt you’ll be up to it, anyway.”
“But I don’t have any sick leave,” she protested.
“It’s okay, I know your boss. Leave it with me.”
Wade flashed her a tense smile even as his fingers gripped the steering wheel. He tried to order his thoughts. He had to ask her, he just had to.
“Piper,” Wade said, fighting to keep his voice controlled and not to let any of his fear or worry cloud what he wanted to say. “Why did you leave work early?”
“I’ll make up the time, don’t worry,” she said listlessly.
“Again, that’s neither here nor there. One of the girls said you weren’t feeling well.”
“I must have had something for lunch that disagreed with me. It left me feeling off color and I couldn’t concentrate on anything at work. I just wanted to head for bed. Fat lot of good that did me. I may as well have stayed at work.”
“Are you sure it was something you ate?” he asked.
“Of course, what else…” Her words trailed off as understanding dawned. “Oh,” she said, her voice suddenly very small and her face even paler than it had been before.
“Maybe we should get you checked at the hospital after all,” Wade said.
“No, really, I don’t want to go to the hospital, seriously.”
“The doctor, then. Why don’t I get May to come to the house?”
“Wade, I’ll be fine. I’ve had an accident and I’m a bit shaken up and bruised. That’s all. And if I am pregnant, there isn’t anything we can do about it right now, anyway.”
There was a fatalistic edge to her voice that he really didn’t like but he could see she was adamant about not seeking medical advice just yet.
“Fine,” he said, his jaw so tight he thought he might shatter teeth.
How could she be so cavalier? If she was carrying his child, he wanted an assurance that both she and the baby would be okay. Whether she liked it or not, he was calling May the moment he got Piper settled.
At the house, he helped Piper in through the back door where the warm and comforting smells of Mrs. Dexter’s home cooking welcomed them.
“Oh, my, the two of you are wet through, and Miss Piper, is that blood under your nose? What on earth have you been up to?”
“Piper has been in an accident. She says she’s fine and doesn’t need a doctor, but would you take her upstairs and get her settled in a nice warm bath? She’s going to need something soothing to offset the bruises she’s earned today.”
Wade tried to downplay the seriousness of the incident, his words earning him a grateful glance from Piper who allowed herself to succumb to Mrs. Dexter’s fussing as the older woman led her from the room. The moment the women had gone upstairs, he took his cell phone from his pocket and dialed May Ritter’s number.
“Dr. Ritter, please, it’s urgent,” he said as the receptionist took his call.
“Who’s calling, please?”
Wade gritted his teeth as he replied, “Wade Collins.”
“One moment, please.”
The seriously hideous tones of prerecorded music filled his ears, doing nothing for his patience or his blood pressure.
“Wade, what’s the problem?”
“Piper was in a car accident today and I think she might be pregnant. If she is, will the baby be okay?”
“Is she hurt?”
“Mostly shaken. The air bag gave her a bloody nose and the paramedic said she’ll have bruising from the seat belt, too.”
“Okay,” May said soothingly. “So nothing too serious. What makes you think she’s pregnant? She hasn’t yet been in to see me again, or had any tests done.”
“Aside from the obvious,” he said, thinking about how they’d spent nearly all their nights since that first time back together, “she left work early today because she wasn’t feeling well.”
“Right,” May answered.
He could hear the smile in her voice. It made him grip his phone all the more tightly in his hand. Didn’t anyone understand how important this was?
“May,” he growled.
“Okay, Wade, I know how much you want to be a dad. Look, the upside is that if she is pregnant, there is very little likelihood that anything has happened to the baby at this very early stage. Why don’t you bring her in to see me tomorrow and we’ll find out for certain if there is a baby, hmm?”
“Sure, thanks.”
May gave him a time in the late morning and Wade hung up from the call feeling minutely better than he had at the start of it. She said he had nothing to worry about. So why did he feel as if his entire world was under threat?
Mrs. Dexter came back into the kitchen.
“I’ll put together a tray for Miss Piper, something she can eat cold when she feels like it. I don’t think she’ll be up to much for dinner tonight. That crash has left her quite upset.”
“Was she okay when you left her?”
“She was just getting into the bath. Poor girl, she can’t seem to stop shaking.”
“It’ll be shock setting in. She was very calm at the scene, too calm probably. Can you make that tray for two? And when it’s ready, perhaps you could leave it in my sitting room. I’ll go up and see to her now.”
Wade ascended the stairs two at a time. For his own peace of mind he needed to see Piper was okay. As he entered his bedroom, the fragrant scent of bath crystals came from the open en suite bathroom doorway. A small sound caught his ear, a sound that made every muscle in his body tense. Piper was crying.
He was at her side in seconds.
“Are you okay? Should I call an ambulance?”
“N-no, I’m okay. I just can�
��t stop. I keep going through it in my mind, seeing that post coming toward me and feeling the helplessness all over again.”
Tremors shook her frame making ripples on the water. Wade didn’t think twice. It took only a moment to shuck off his clothes and shoes and to slide into the giant old tub behind her. He pulled her against his chest and wrapped his arms around her, holding her secure, and propping her head against his shoulder. From this angle he could see the dark angry-looking bruise that was coming out on her skin. His anger against the driver who caused the accident warred with intense relief that she had not been seriously injured. The tumult of emotions was foreign to him. Usually he had no difficulty in keeping his feelings in check, in separating logic from sentiment. But there was something about Piper that scrambled all reason.
“There,” he said quietly, “does that feel better?”
She nodded, the soft curls that clouded her head tickling the side of his neck as she did so. Her hair had grown in the past six weeks from the somewhat haphazard pixie cut she’d shorn it into when she’d gotten rid of her dreadlocks. The shorter hair had suited her, emphasizing her fine bone structure and the slenderness of her elegant neck, but he preferred this slightly softer look. The lack of structure gave her a femininity that appealed directly to his core every time he looked her way.
Wade relaxed against the porcelain and let his eyes slide closed, relishing the sense of rightness that infused him as he held Piper in his arms. If only it could always be this easy to keep a loved one safe.
His eyes flew open and his hold on her tightened. Loved one? Had he done the impossible and fallen in love with Piper all over again? No, he couldn’t have. What he felt right now was his own aftermath of shock. He was concerned about her. Of course he was, she might be pregnant with his baby and she had been at terrible risk today. It was his duty to look after her. To keep her safe. That’s all.
She nestled a little closer, and his arms tightened automatically in response. No, he didn’t love her. He couldn’t.
But that didn’t mean he was planning to let go any time soon, either.
Twelve
Piper relaxed against him in the delicious warm water, the sobs that shook her slowly easing, her tremors finally going away altogether. It was as if by his very presence Wade drew all that reaction and upset away and exiled it where it could no longer affect her.
Her hands rested over her belly, Wade’s resting over hers. For the first moment in a very long time, Piper felt one-hundred-percent safe.
Today had been one out of the bag. She hadn’t been feeling all that great when she’d risen in the morning but some toast and tea at breakfast had taken care of that. She’d hoped that lunch would improve how she’d felt again later in the morning, but instead it had left her feeling much worse.
Her mind circled the prospect that Wade had raised. Could she be pregnant already? It would be pretty soon by any standards but then again some people were lucky enough, or unlucky enough, to fall pregnant right away. Hadn’t it been that way with her and Wade to begin with?
Through the whole of their relationship eight years prior, the lovemaking had been passionate and thoroughly satisfying. And yet, she’d always held something back—afraid to let herself give in to the powerful emotions he made her feel. She’d always felt she couldn’t let him in all the way until she was truly certain of his love.
Then she’d made the play to win him away from her father’s influence, and she’d pulled out the big guns. It had been weeks since they’d made love. Plus, things had gotten so tense between her and Rex that she’d made up her mind to leave. Wade, caught in the middle between the two Mitchells, had gotten frustrated with both of them, leading to endless arguments with Piper that had served to destroy any passion between them. Wade had extended an olive branch in an attempt to make up and during a romantic evening at the scummy flat he was living in, she’d given him her all. She’d let herself love him completely, had given up her heart and soul along with her body to him in complete abandon.
In the morning, when they’d woken, she’d assumed he would prove that he returned her love by going along with her plan to leave New Zealand behind. After all, hadn’t they both just had the most amazing night of their lives? Didn’t he love her enough to come with her when she left? Apparently not.
She still couldn’t believe she’d been so stupid, so naive even, to have thought that she could tempt a man like Wade with what she’d had to offer him back then. Yes, she’d loved him, but what kind of life could she have given him? He was a smart, ambitious man, and she’d tried to get him to give up all his prospects for a role as her arm candy while she traveled the world. He never would have been happy with a purposeless life like that. Truth be told, she hadn’t been happy with it, either. Not that she was willing to admit that—especially at first. She had tried to tell herself that she was better off without a man who would let her go after a night like the one they’d shared.
Of course, finding out she was pregnant as a result of that night together she’d seen as some kind of karmic retribution for her behavior. And then losing that baby had been harder to deal with than she’d ever anticipated. She’d never expected to want a child, or to love it. And she’d never realized what a massive hole it would leave in her life when it was gone. She’d gone back to partying afterward, trying to numb the pain, but that was her first step in really growing up.
Now she felt—hoped—that she’d left that selfish past behind her. But what did the future hold? She may already be pregnant, again. With Wade’s child, again. A child conceived—again—in love on her part…but not on his. Could their story have a happier ending this time?
Wade stirred, lifting one foot to toe open the faucet and run some more hot water into the bath. She hadn’t even noticed the water had cooled.
“Another ten minutes and then I think we should get out, okay?”
“Sure, the wrinkled prune look really isn’t my best.”
She felt him turn slightly and press a kiss to the top of her head.
“I can think of better,” he murmured.
Piper leaned forward and turned off the running water. Aside from a few aches and pains, most of them centered from the pressure marks across her chest, she felt a whole lot better now. So much so, that when she leaned back against Wade, and discovered a vital part of him was also feeling pretty darn good, it was a simple matter to roll over and place her knees on either side of his legs.
“Hey, aren’t you supposed to be resting?”
“I feel fine,” she said, even as shifting her body made her wince a little.
“Fine, huh? Doesn’t look like it to me. Piper, we don’t have to—”
“I want to, Wade. I want you. I want to make love to you and make all the bad stuff go away.”
Wade skimmed his hands up and down her arms lightly. “And will it go away?”
“Let’s find out, shall we?”
She leaned forward and kissed him, a hot, wet kiss that sent a slow beat thrumming through her veins. Her hands slicked across his shoulders and she relished the vital strength of him. She’d never been more grateful for life than she was at this very moment. The accident had been surreal, the aftermath even more so. But this, this was something quantifiable, something valid and true.
The man beneath her had given her second chances, and with them had shown her a generosity she’d never expected, despite their very rocky start. But now, the reality of making up to him all that she’d destroyed so long ago was completely within her grasp. And it wasn’t all that was within her grasp, she acknowledged as the blunt tip of him nudged against her lower belly. She lifted her hips and used one hand to position him at her entrance before slowly and carefully lowering herself until he was buried within her. Deep inside she felt the flex of his hardened length and she rocked gently against him.
Sensation built within her in steady waves as she continued to move. Wade’s hands gripped her hips, his fingers taut against her sk
in. His eyes met and locked with hers, silently urging her on, glazing with desire as she let her hips undulate back and forth.
Water sloshed against the high sides of the bath, every now and then spilling over the side and onto the tiled floor, but she didn’t care. Not when every nerve in her body was centered on the point where their bodies joined. Not when her body felt so aflame that she thought the water about them might boil off. Wade raised his head and captured one of her nipples with his mouth, his lips sealing around the tightened aureole and his teeth lightly scraping the extended tip.
A spear of heat shot directly from her breast to her core and as Wade began to suckle the rigid bud, her orgasm began to creep over her—at first a gentle swell of pleasure, but rapidly culminating in a crash of sensation that made spots swim in her vision and her body shake with its force.
She collapsed against him, even as he thrust upward, lost in the glory of his own climax. Both were oblivious to all but the passion that spent itself in tiny aftershocks that made them shudder against one another. Each clench of her body triggering another with him, each flex of his erection setting off a chain reaction that tingled all the way to her extremities.
“I didn’t think it could get any better between us,” she panted against his shoulder.
In response Wade wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close to him. They were each obviously as reluctant as the other to relinquish the closeness, the sheer perfection of physical pleasure they’d achieved together but, after some time, the cooling water about them became sufficient incentive to pull apart and get out of the bath.
Wade wrapped one of the big thick bath towels from the heated rail around his waist before using the other to dry Piper with gentle strokes. Under his careful ministrations she unexpectedly felt ridiculously emotional. She bit her lower lip to hold back the sob that built deep inside. Wade looked at her, worry drawing his brows together in a straight line.
“Did I hurt you?”
“No, I’m just still a bit of a mess, I think.”
“It’s okay,” he said, reaching for one of the large fluffy bathrobes on the hook behind the bathroom door and helping her into it. “It’s been quite a day, hmm?”
The Pregnancy Contract Page 13
