by Heidi Rice
‘Yeah?’ His eyes darkened as they fixed on hers, all traces of amusement gone. ‘And what if your new friend still wanted benefits?’
He drawled the last word, the rough emphasis raising the hairs on the back of her neck and making her scrambling pulse slow into a hot, heavy beat rippling under sensitised skin.
She propped herself against the door frame, to disguise the sudden weakness in her knees. Clasping her hands behind her back, she arched her back until her breasts strained against the buttons of her blouse.
‘I suppose I’d have to be persuaded,’ she teased as his gaze dropped to her cleavage, ‘that the benefits were worth having.’
His face lifted back to hers, and she could see the dazed sheen of desire darkening the irises to black. A muscle in his jaw tensed.
Then his arm wrapped around her waist, and he yanked her against him. His mouth came down on hers, hard, strong and persuasive and the ripple effect burst into flame.
She thrust her fingers into the short, silky strands of hair above his ears, held on as she opened her mouth to urge him in and gloried in the feel of his rough tongue exploring in sure, deliberate strokes.
He stopped abruptly, swinging her into his arms, and marched into the bedroom. She held onto him, a little giddy as the rush of blood plunged out of her head and pounded into her sex.
‘I think that can be arranged,’ he said, before dropping her onto the pile of cushions.
He climbed on top of her, pressing her backwards into the pillows and caging her in, his focus so intense it seared her skin. But she could feel the smile on his lips that echoed in her heart, when his mouth captured hers again.
* * *
They scrambled out of their clothes in seconds, the decadent pull of making love in the afternoon somehow liberating. He moulded her breasts, his teeth nipping, his tongue lathing, suckling until she exploded into a fast, spontaneous orgasm.
He grinned down at her as she drifted back to Earth.
‘That is so damn sexy,’ he murmured, his fingers still playing with the sensitised peaks. ‘Is it because of the pregnancy? Or are you always this responsive?’
‘My breasts are more sensitive,’ she said, feeling stupidly shy.
‘Good to know,’ he said, the playful grin making her laugh.
He lifted her onto his lap, the weighty press of his erection making excitement skitter back.
They had a bed, they had the whole afternoon and the bright, sultry glow of the sunshine on firm tanned flesh made her feel languid, made her want to take her time. She rocked, pushing him over until she could straddle him.
‘Hey, what the...?’ He jerked up, trying to flip her over again, take control, but she clutched broad shoulders, held him down.
‘No wrestling with the pregnant lady,’ she admonished, and he sank back onto the bed. Defeated, but only for a moment.
A wicked grin lit his face as his palm curved around her knee, then snuck up her thigh, making the muscles tremble and clench at her core. ‘Who said anything about wrestling?’
His fingers plunged into hot, wet, flesh and she gasped, the contact electrifying. She collapsed on top of him, trapping his hand, but as he grunted, frustrated, she dropped a kiss on his nose. ‘Stop it, Nate.’
He pulled his hand out. ‘Why?’ he asked, framing her face. He pushed the tendrils of hair that had escaped her chignon back behind her ears.
‘I’ve never seen you naked before.’ She gazed down at him, or the amount she could see. ‘And you’re beautiful. I want to explore.’
His eyebrows shot up. ‘I am not beautiful!’ he said, indignantly, but flopped back on the mattress and folded his arms behind his head. ‘But go ahead, if you insist.’
‘I do.’ She grinned back, and let her hands roam—taking the opportunity to explore every glorious inch. Her fingertips played in the fine pelt of dark hair that covered his broad chest, traced the outline of flat brown nipples, followed the line of hair down the ridged strength of his abdomen. Her grin widened when he quivered and sucked in an unsteady breath.
At last she sat back on her haunches, giving her a full, unencumbered view of the magnificent erection that stood up, proud and huge, from the dark curls at his groin.
She bit into her lip, gave a soft sigh of appreciation. Then wrapped shaking fingers round the column of flesh.
He groaned, his whole body trembling, as she marvelled at its length, its girth, her body melting in preparation. Smiling up at him, she leaned down to kiss the broad head, licked the tip, but he lurched up when she opened her lips to do more.
‘No way, Tess.’
‘But I want to,’ she pleaded.
He barked out a harsh laugh. ‘We’ll have to take a rain check. It’s been over a month and I’m gonna die if I don’t get inside you in about ten seconds.’
‘Spoilsport.’ She smiled, her own arousal soaring at his desperation as he rolled them both over to press her into the cushions.
He paused, to place one warm palm on her belly, and stroke the barely visible bump. ‘It’s definitely okay, right?’
She blinked back the silly sting of tears at the question, and nodded.
Don’t get soppy, Tess. Not now.
Settling between her thighs, he gripped her bottom, holding her open to thrust heavily, burying himself deep. She gave a shocked sob at the brutal intrusion, her flesh contracting around him.
‘You okay?’ he groaned, the effort to hold back making sweat pop on his brow.
She gripped his face, tilted her hips. ‘Yes,’ she gasped as he sank deeper. ‘It feels incredible.’
He gave a strained laugh, and then started to move, in slow, strong, insistent strokes, drawing out the pleasure, intensifying it, so different from the fast, frantic couplings of their previous encounters. He forced her into the storm of sensation, making her moan as the climax hit in an almighty wave of pleasure. She heard him crash over the brutal edge behind, his grunt of fulfilment echoing off the sun-drenched walls as their sweat-slicked bodies collapsed onto the bed.
The blissful cloud of afterglow settled around her as the rainbow of sensations dimmed. She caressed the smooth planes of his back, the comforting weight of his body crushing her into the mattress, his head heavy on her shoulder. And dismissed the thumping drumbeat of her heart.
She was fine. They were fine. This was just friends with benefits.
Really, really amazing benefits.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
‘HEY, Tess? I brought supper over.’ Nate didn’t bother to knock on the cottage door as he walked into the kitchen and dumped the bag of take-out on the counter.
Ever since the sonogram a week ago, and the mind-blowing sex that had followed, he’d got into the habit of coming by unannounced. But he always brought take-out and he never stayed over, because that had made the arrangement feel more casual. But he was starting to find being this spontaneous all the time harder and harder to pull off.
His pulse rate edged up at the thought of seeing Tess again. He hadn’t seen her in a couple of days, had deliberately forced himself not to come over, in the hope that she’d call him and ask him to come. They’d had a great time over the weekend, just as they had every night he’d stopped by so far. But she hadn’t called so he’d been forced to take the initiative again.
It didn’t matter if she asked him over or not, he told himself as he strolled into the living room. If she insisted on sticking to her independence, pretending she didn’t need him to come over, he was more than ready to take the choice out of her hands.
‘Tess, where are you?’
He checked his watch. He was a little earlier than usual tonight, but where the hell was she? The skin on the back of his neck prickled as he spotted the door to her study standing open at the end of the corridor, and her empty desk. Hell, had she gone out? And if she had, where had she gone?
Then he heard a muffled groan and his irritation disappeared in a heartbeat. He charged down the corridor, the skin on his neck
now screaming in alarm.
‘Tess, what’s wrong?’ He flung open the door to the bedroom, but the room was empty, the quilt on the bed smooth and the pile of cushions neatly stacked against the headboard.
Panic shot down his spine and his heartbeat pounded against his ribcage. ‘Tess, answer me.’
He heard the groan again followed by a weak ‘I’m fine.’ And shot into the bathroom. His heart stopped cold. Tess stood doubled over the toilet, one arm wrapped around her midriff.
He rushed to her as she straightened and sent him a weak smile. ‘Nate, you’re early.’
‘Tess, what the hell’s going on?’ He scraped the hair back from her face, with both hands, cupped her cheeks. She looked exhausted and so fragile. ‘Is it the baby? Are you okay?’
She covered his hand, then drew away and turned to flush the toilet. ‘Of course. It’s just a bit of morning sickness.’
He let his hands drop, the panic finally receding. ‘But it’s six o’clock in the evening!’ He bit down on his frustration. He’d never felt more impotent in his life. How could she sound so matter-of-fact when she’d been retching so much?
She gave a weak laugh and crossed to the sink to pick up her toothbrush. ‘The baby doesn’t seem to be a very good time-keeper. It doesn’t usually hit this late in the day though.’
The frustration shot up another notch as she brushed her teeth. He waited for her to finish, and for his blood pressure to ease out of the danger zone. But as she edged past him, making for the bathroom door, he took her arm gently, needing to hold her, needing to feel the strength in her body despite the hollowed-out look in her eyes.
‘Wait a minute,’ he said, the full import of her words finally sinking into his numbed brain. ‘Usually? You mean you’ve been sick before?’
‘Only a few times,’ she said, shrugging off his hand. ‘It’s perfectly normal.’
Not for me.
He followed her down the corridor. ‘How many times?’
He caught up with her in the kitchen, but her gaze flickered away from his, and he knew it was more than a few times. ‘Damn it, Tess, why the hell didn’t you tell me?’
Her eyes met his at last and she sent him a weary smile. ‘Do you think we could have this argument another time? I’m feeling a bit...’ The words trailed off as the colour drained from her cheeks.
He swore softly as she swayed and he scooped her up into his arms. ‘It’s all right. I’ve got you.’
‘Nate, put me down,’ she protested, but she didn’t struggle much as he carried her into the living room. ‘I’m fine.’
He sat down heavily on the couch, holding her easily in his lap. ‘Yeah, well I’m not,’ he muttered, relieved to see the colour coming back, bright pink flags flying high on her cheeks.
How hilarious was that? he thought ruefully as he ran a finger over the warm skin and watched the blush intensify. Every time he’d come over before now, they’d been ripping each other’s clothes off almost as soon as he’d got through the door. They’d eaten the take-out cold every time, their appetite for each other much more insatiable than their appetite for food. But there’d been no evidence of any embarrassment when he’d stripped her naked, when he did things to her body that made her sob with pleasure and beg for release. And now, now because he’d caught her retching, her cheeks were brighter than the Pigeon Point Lighthouse.
‘Really, I’m fine, Nate, you’re making a fuss about nothing.’ She tried to wriggle off his lap, but he let his hands slide down to her waist and held her firmly.
‘Stay still,’ he murmured, keeping his voice light. ‘You just scared ten years off my life. I need a moment, okay.’
He clamped down hard on the urge to yell at her. She hadn’t told him about the sickness, because of that damned independence of hers. But then he hadn’t asked. He hadn’t even bothered to find out what would be happening to her body in the months ahead. Because he’d been way too busy enjoying her body in the here and now. But all that was about to change. This wasn’t just about the benefits, it was also about their friendship. He’d be taking a lot better care of her, whether she liked it or not.
* * *
Tess tried to laugh at the sober look on his face, but it sounded forced. Then he pressed his forehead to hers, let his thumbs wander across her waist and settle in the indent of her hips. She felt the tiny pulse of heat at her core, the nausea and weakness finally retreating. But as he continued to caress in slow circles she struggled to ignore the possessiveness of the gesture. She swallowed past the foolish lump forming in her throat when he lifted his head, his eyes dark with concern.
‘Don’t ever do that to me again, okay?’ he said quietly, the humour in his voice strained.
She sent him a weak smile back, the tenderness and the feeling of vulnerability making her throat ache. She blinked furiously. She never would have expected him to react this way. She hadn’t mentioned the sickness because it would have felt too needy. She’d simply assumed that he probably wasn’t interested in the symptoms of the pregnancy. He’d started dropping by regularly and she liked that. The sex was amazing but she’d also enjoyed the companionship, maybe a little too much. They’d eat the take-out he usually brought while they sat cross-legged on the bed together. She’d ask him about his day. And he’d ask about hers. And it felt comfortable.
But she hadn’t expected this level of intimacy. And she wasn’t sure quite how to cope with it. She didn’t want to need him to be here, but at the same time she couldn’t deny that it was nice to have him hold her like this, to have him care.
‘Is there anything I can get you?’ he asked, and her heart pounded into her throat. ‘Cos I’m figuring the sushi I bought is probably off the menu.’
She wrinkled her nose. She loved sushi, but she wasn’t sure she could keep it down at the moment. ‘Dr Hillier recommended dry toast and herbal tea.’
‘Cool.’ He eased her off his lap, stood up. ‘You stay there and I’ll go get it.’
‘Nate, it’s okay, you don’t know where anything is. I can get...’ But as she tried to stand he placed his hands on her shoulders, edged her back down.
‘Tess, I can figure it out. Let me get it, okay? It’s not that big a deal.’
As he strolled into the kitchen, leaving her sitting on the sofa, she tried to persuade herself he was right. That it wasn’t that big a deal. But as goosebumps pebbled her skin she wasn’t entirely convinced.
Their relationship had changed somehow. Had deepened in a way that didn’t feel quite so casual any more. And the realisation wasn’t doing a thing for her heart rate.
* * *
‘You always smell so good in the morning,’ Nate whispered against Tess’s hair. His arm snaked around her midriff and he pulled her back against his chest.
She smiled at his dark head in the bathroom mirror, his hair still glistening from the shower they’d just shared. The skin under her ear buzzed pleasantly as he nuzzled her neck. She put down the mascara wand. Trying to do her make-up in the morning with Nate in the bathroom was generally a bad idea. One or other of them would get frisky and she’d end up doing a client meeting with only one eyelid properly shaded.
Predictably enough his palm strayed down to the compact mound of her belly, and her thighs got wobbly, even though they’d had lovely, languid wake-up sex less than twenty minutes ago.
‘How’s Junior?’ he murmured, still nibbling on her ear lobe.
She covered his hand, glad that the enquiry sounded a lot less tense than it had a couple of weeks ago, the morning after he’d discovered her retching in the bathroom.
He’d stayed the whole night that night for the first time, rubbing her tummy gently while she’d drifted to sleep. And making her breakfast in bed the following morning when she woke up.
She pushed the memory away. It didn’t really mean anything. It just made more sense for him to stay over, instead of driving all the way back to the city late at night.
‘Junior’s fine.’ She
picked up her lip-liner pencil. ‘Now go away before I end up with only half a face on again.’
He made a groaning sound but stepped back. Affection swelled in her chest as she watched him turn his attention to the tie looped round his shoulders. She swallowed down the lump of emotion at the concentrated frown on his face. Funny after having him ‘drop by’ more and more frequently over the last month, it was all the little things about him she had become so accustomed to. The way he liked to spoon in bed after they’d made love like lunatics, the fact that he had no difficulty bounding out of bed at six o’clock when she never felt fully awake now until nearly noon. And the way that little crease always appeared on his brow when he was tying his tie in the morning.
Swivelling round, she brushed his fumbling fingers aside and knotted the tie herself, as she’d also become accustomed to doing.
‘What are your plans for today?’ he asked, leaning forward to check the knot she’d made in the mirror.
‘Eva’s finally coming over for lunch with Carmy, and then I’m checking out that new hotel in Half Moon Bay I was telling you about as a possible wedding venue.’
‘Um-hum.’ He adjusted the tie slightly, then aligned the ends against the buttons of his shirt. Lifting her chin with one finger, he kissed her on the lips and her heartbeat bumped her throat at the tender look in his eyes. ‘I don’t suppose you’ve given some more thought to my offer of investment?’
She turned back to the sink, irritated by the casual enquiry. She did not want to have this discussion again, especially when she was feeling a little fragile and enjoying the comfort and companionship of the mornings they spent together maybe a bit too much.
‘I’m serious, Tess. I’m interested in investing in your business. I can’t understand why you won’t even consider it.’
She found his gaze in the mirror, saw the little crease of consternation on his forehead, but it wasn’t quite so endearing any more. ‘I know you’re serious. So why won’t you believe me when I say I’m serious about not wanting your investment?’
