“I don’t know. Dr. Bianchi, what do you recommend?”
Christian tapped a silver meter. “This is my personal favorite. But I’ll demonstrate all of them so you can make an informed choice.”
She nodded jerkily. “Thanks.”
Christian walked over to the sink and rolled up his sleeves before turning on the water. “My pleasure. Let me just finish up here and we can get started.”
~
Tristan closed the door after his friend pulled away. Calling Christian had been the right thing to do. He made sure that both Abby and Tristan were able to use the meter she chose with proficiency, and gave Abby his card to call should she have any questions about diabetes and pregnancy. Christian was practicing medicine in North Carolina and was more than happy to make the short flight from Raleigh to Atlanta, especially after Tristan promised a rather large check to help fund Christian’s research project.
Abby watched him with a worried expression.
“Are you unhappy that Christian came over?”
“No. I’m overwhelmed actually, and I can’t help feeling that I’m missing something. You haven’t known me that long.”
Sweetheart, if you only knew. “It’s been two months, Abby.”
“I’m talking about in the grand scheme of things.” She stepped closer. “Yet you are moving Heaven and earth to make life easier for me. Why is that?”
This answer would be important. “I’ve told you I care for you. It’s more than that, Abby.” He took a deep breath, wondering what he could and couldn’t say. If he said something Ehron didn’t approve of, would he be zapped out of here? But she’d asked...couldn’t he use that as a defense? Yes, he thought. Yes he could. “Abby, I—”
Ehron appeared behind Abby, shaking his head.
“Damn!” Tristan called out in frustration.
Abby gasped. “Tristan?”
He rubbed his hands over his face. “I’m sorry.”
She took a deep breath. “What were you going to say?”
He looked one more time at the angel, begging him for permission.
“No,” Ehron’s voice sounded in his mind. “You cannot tell her first.”
She patiently waited for his answer.
“You lose everything if you tell her first.”
Tristan clenched his hands into fists. He wanted to profess his love. Tell her that he’d never stopped. That his love had transcended death. But he couldn’t, or he would lose her.
“I love having you here. I love being around you. I love holding you in my arms.” And I will love you as long as the earth turns.
“Is that all?”
No, baby, it’s not. But I can’t tell you or the angel in the corner will take me away. “I would stay like this forever if I could.”
“Oh.” She frowned and Tristan begged for the strength to keep those three precious words to himself. He couldn’t tell her, not yet. “With all of those things you love, I thought I would be one of them.”
Tristan’s eyes widened, and he froze, praying to the God who’d shown him so much grace already to just show him a little bit more.
“Because it would really be nice if what I felt wasn’t one-sided.”
God, please. Please let her say it.
“I love you, Tristan.” Her eyes glistened as tears fell. “I shouldn’t have fallen in love so soon. I should have stayed truer to David’s memory. But I couldn’t help it. I love you as if my next breath depends on it and it’s not hormones. I swear it’s not.” She wiped at her tears. “That’s why I wanted to know why you’re doing all of this. Because I thought I already had it figured out.”
His body jolted, as if he’d stepped on a live wire, and he fell to his knees, shaking.
“Tristan! Are you okay? Should we call your doctor friend back? Oh my Lord, what can I do?” Abby got beside him so she could see his face.
“Say it again. Please? Just let me hear you say it again,” he whispered.
Abby sniffled. “I love you, Tristan.”
Tristan’s lip trembled and he wiped his eyes with his sleeves. “Again.”
Her shoulders shook as she cried. “I love you.”
“Thank you, God.” Tristan wept and pulled Abby into his embrace. He savored the feel of her in his arms. She was his blessing. His life. His rebirth. Abby was his world, and she had given him another life.
~
They were in bed, and Abby was asleep, her head on his shoulder, when Ehron appeared. “She will sleep soundly for a while. We should talk.”
Tristan kissed Abby’s cheek before getting out of bed. “She won’t know you’re here?”
He shook his head. “No.”
“But why are you here? Abby said she loved me. Am I in still in danger of—”
“No. Did you feel that jerking sensation in your body after she told you she loves you?”
“Yes.”
“That was the body accepting the soul permanently.”
“I snapped into place like a toy?”
Ehron smiled. “That’s one way of looking at it.”
Tristan took a deep breath and ran his hands down his chest. “So this body is mine now? Officially?”
The angel nodded, still smiling. “Congratulations.”
“Thanks. It’s real. All of this is finally real.” He held his hands in front of his face, flexing his fingers.
He had adjusted to the differences between his old body and this one, but now, for the first time, it was actually his. He flexed his toes. Walked to the mirror and touched his face. He grinned when he felt the stubble. Everything, from head to toe, belonged to him now and there was no danger of being yanked out. All because Abby loved him. Tristan looked over at the bed and felt his chest tighten. Abby’s hair fanned out over the pillow like a halo, her face peaceful. Tristan knew he was the luckiest son of a bitch on the planet.
“It is definitely real. And the baby wants food, so you might want to get Abby a snack.”
He knew just the thing. “Okay.” He glanced at Ehron. “Hey, are you going to be around?”
“For now, or long term?”
Tristan shrugged. “I don’t know about long term, but it will be nice to have someone to talk to. I can’t exactly ask anyone else some of the questions I will have.”
“I’ll be here until you no longer need me. For now, see to Abby.”
“I will.” He would spend the rest of his life doing just that.
Chapter Eighteen
Abby thought about what happened earlier. He’d tried to speak and cut himself off several times. She was so very certain he’d been about to tell her that he loved her.
She’d beaten him to the punch. The first time was a little awkward because the only man she’d said those words to was David. But as soon as they were out of her mouth, she felt invigorated, free.
Tristan hadn’t said it back, but he’d wept, held her, and begged her to say those three words again and again. His actions had spoken for him. She was fairly certain he loved her and she could be content with that until he was ready to say the words. Until then...well, until then, she wanted more. Hugs, kisses, and falling asleep beside Tristan were great, but she missed physical intimacy. Abby listened to the conversations at the obstetrician’s office. Some pregnant women had little, or no, sexual desire. Others enjoyed active sex lives, even toward the end of their pregnancies. Abby wanted to be in the second group. She hadn’t had sex in almost eight months, and missed being touched like a desirable woman.
Desirable. The very word was laughable. Abby looked in the mirror. She wore a maternity night gown that dipped very low in front. Her breasts were generous, and her belly stretched the material just inches below. She poked her cheeks and frowned. Puffy was not the look she was going for. She lifted her legs so she could see her ankles. No swelling. Her feet were fine, still cute in fact. At least she could wear strappy sandals without worrying about her lower extremities looking like a pork loin tied with string.
She
rubbed her belly and wondered if Tristan wanted to be physically intimate while she was pregnant. She looked at the mirror, took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. There was only one way to find out. With that in mind, she walked out into the bedroom and started giggling at the sight in front of her.
How long had she been in the bathroom? Tristan had three books spread out on the bed and was studiously making notes on his laptop.
“What are you doing?”
Tristan looked up and smiled. “You’re eight months, right?”
“In two days.”
“Right. You can deliver safely in a few weeks and the baby will be full term in a little less than two months. Did you know that?”
“I did.”
“And he can hear us. Did you know that?”
Abby couldn’t help the giggle. “I did. He’s been able to hear for a while now.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “When I was staying at my house, I read to him every night.”
“Oh? What are you reading?”
“The Places You’ll Go is what I’m on now. I read the same books over and over so that maybe he’ll recognize them after he’s born. Some moms say that if they listened to songs enough while they were pregnant, the same songs would calm the baby if they were fussy later. I thought it would be cool to try that with books.”
Tristan stood, closed the books and the laptop and put them on the night stand. He sauntered over to Abby. “That’s good thinking. How are you feeling?”
“Uh, inquisitive.”
He cocked his head to the side. “What do you want to know?”
Abby swallowed hard. She hadn’t realized until right now just how awkward this conversation was going to be. “Is my pregnancy a turn-off?” Tristan’s mouth dropped open and his olive skin seemed to pale two shades. “I mean, we haven’t been intimate.” She stopped when she saw the look on his face. “Or maybe I’m just a big idiot—”
He gently put his hands on her shoulders. “Abby, honey, stop. Why would your pregnancy be a turn-off?”
She looked down. “It’s a reminder that I was married before. Or maybe you are afraid of hurting the baby.”
Tristan tugged her chin up with his finger and kissed her forehead. “No, not at all. If I wanted you any more, my brain would short out. Remember, we did try before we were interrupted by your parents.” Abby cringed at the recollection, but Tristan rubbed her shoulders in reassurance. “But you’re pregnant, and I’m willing to wait until everything is comfortable for you.”
She felt a flicker of hope. “What if I don’t want to wait?”
His eyes widened, as if he were surprised. “You don’t?”
She shook her head. “No. I want to be with you.”
Tristan took Abby’s hand and tugged her the last few steps to the bed. He looked hesitant, and she needed him to realize she wouldn’t break. “If you’re sure...”
She nodded. “I am, Tristan. I...need this.”
Tristan brushed his lips across Abby’s. She clasped her fingers behind his head and held him close, moaning as the kiss deepened. Her nipples tightened, her heart pounding with anticipation. Tristan groaned and reached down her legs.
“Oh God,” Abby exclaimed as he stopped long enough to pull her gown over her head. He lowered himself and took her panties off too. She briefly hesitated as she stood there naked. He rose back to his full height and shook his head when he saw her face.
“Don’t doubt your beauty, Abby. And never doubt how much I want you.” To prove his point, he pressed his hips against her, allowing her to feel his erection. He kissed her again and she put her hands on his hips. Abby bit at his bottom lip and Tristan groaned.
“Abby,” he said, breathing raggedly, “lie down...there.” He pointed to the headboard. “I want you to watch as I worship your body.” She did as he asked, with the pillows supporting her.
Tristan moved beside her and palmed her breasts. They were sensitive, growing more so as her pregnancy progressed, but that didn’t matter right now. Tristan sucked a tightened peak into his mouth, and Abby cried out, her hands fisting the sheets.
His gaze was heated when he glanced up. He took the other nipple into his mouth and worked her into a frenzy. She writhed, she moaned, she called out his name. Tristan pulled back and smiled, moving down her body, pausing briefly to lay a tender kiss on her pregnant belly. Abby realized he was being careful. Initially, she wanted a more aggressive style of sex, but Tristan was making love.
It was perfect.
He lowered himself between her legs, flattening his body to the bed. She peeked as well as she could over her belly. “What are you doing?”
“What does it look like?”
“Foreplay.”
“That’s right.” He trailed his finger along her folds and Abby nearly came right there.
“But you don’t have to... Oh my God.”
Abby’s words were cut off by a ragged moan as Tristan began licking and sucking on her most intimate flesh. His movements quickened as her responses got louder. He seemed to know her body very well. All the right places to touch. Every little area that would drive her crazy.
“Tristan,” Abby called out his name as she threw her head back on the pillows. Her body tightened. “I’m so close.”
He paused briefly. “Come, Abby. Give me your pleasure.”
~
Abby’s body responded so perfectly. Her body arched with the orgasm and she looked like a fertility goddess in the throes of passion.
Ehron, I’m so going to hug you next time I see you.
Her breathing slowed, and she looked up at him with a hooded gaze.
Tristan crawled up her body, his erection brushing against her. He reached her face and she smiled the smile of a sated lover. “Your lips were made to call out my name.” He kissed her again. “Mine. I want to be the one who brings you to moments like these for the rest of your life. I’ll spend the rest of my life proving myself worthy of your love.”
Abby nodded jerkily, tears spilling from the corners of her eyes. “I know.”
Another kiss, claiming her yet again. She ran her fingers down his back and he moaned.
“Tristan,” she said as she pulled back, “it’s my turn.”
Oh God, yes. He moved away so that he could pull his pants down and his erection sprung free. He tossed the pants off the side of the bed and heard Abby gasp.
“Wow,” she said, her gaze lingering on his groin. Tristan couldn’t hold back the chuckle and when Abby looked at him, her face was flushed with heat. David hadn’t been small, by any stretch of the imagination, but Tristan was bigger. She turned her attention back to his manhood and wrapped her hand around him.
“Abby,” he murmured as he watched her hand move up and down. She smiled at him, her blue eyes bright with anticipation, and positioned herself where she could comfortably take him into her mouth. Tristan’s breath hitched as she licked the head.
I’ll never last.
She took him into her mouth, encasing his length in wet heat. Tristan moaned and his heels dug into the mattress. Abby moved, her lips torturing him and her hands stroking the part that wouldn’t fit. He felt his body tightening and he tried to get her to stop. She wouldn’t. His legs shook, his hands grabbed onto the sheets and he shouted out her name as he had the most powerful orgasm of his life. Either of them.
~
Abby was a woman on a mission. She wanted to give Tristan everything he had given her earlier. Hearing her name yelled out and watching his magnificent body climax was such a powerful feeling. Feminine pride and pleasure coursed through her. His eyes blurred with bliss, his body coated with sweat and his chest heaved with exertion, all because she’d made him lose control.
Tristan moved so he would be facing her. “Abby, you amaze me.”
Not that she wanted to think about it, but... “Surely, someone’s done that for you before?”
“Yes, but that doesn’t matter. It’s you. Only you.”
&
nbsp; She brushed a lock of hair off his damp forehead. “I like that,” she said with a satisfied grin, “because you’re pretty amazing, yourself.”
Smiling, he got the sheet and pulled it over them. They were both pretty warm, not at all surprising considering what they’d just done. Abby snuggled into his hold.
“Are you okay?”
She giggled. “Better than just okay. I’m feeling pretty good.”
“That makes two of us.” He kissed her shoulder. “This is perfect. I can think of no better way to end the night than with you in my arms.”
“Mmm.” Abby closed her eyes as the endorphins wore off. She felt like she belonged here, with him. She yawned and settled into the pillow, her eyelids growing heavy. “Love you,” she whispered.
She fell asleep before she heard him respond.
Chapter Nineteen
Tristan stood at his office window, watching Abby walk with Alice through the peach grove. She’d brought snacks in earlier and mentioned that she couldn’t wait to bake peach pies. This had piqued Alice’s curiosity and at Abby’s insistence, they went outside to look at the fruit. Tristan saw Alice throw back her head with laughter. Abby was good for everyone. Managing to drag Alice away from her desk for something that wasn’t work-related was no easy task.
Abby slept so peacefully in his arms last night, and said that she loved him before she drifted off. He spent the next few hours awake, thinking. How could he have ever slept with Marianne when he had Abby? What idiot in his right mind would cheat on this spectacular woman?
“You may want to calm yourself, Tristan. It seems you’re within seconds of pulverizing a Bic.”
Ehron strode into the office as Tristan looked down at the pen in his hand. His knuckles were white. “It’s just a pen.”
“I could care less about that. What concerns me is your emotional state right now. For a man who just gained everything, you’re awfully angry.”
Tristan exhaled. “Tell me something, Ehron. Will there ever be a time where I get over the guilt?”
“I certainly hope not. A healthy respect for guilt keeps humans in check.”
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