Between You and Me

by Jennifer Gracen

  “Ya think?” He ground his erection against her, making them both groan.

  She kissed him, her hands on his face, stroking his beard as their tongues swirled and he pressed into her. “Is that weird?” she asked. “Would you be okay with that?”

  “Would you be okay with that?” he countered. “Because I have no problem sleeping with you, lady. Right now, I want you so bad I can’t think straight, because what you’re suggesting makes total sense to me.”

  She wrapped herself around him, her long legs and graceful arms, and kissed him passionately. He responded in a heartbeat, gladly sinking into her, holding her close and tight as they kissed. Her hips rocked against his erection and he groaned into her mouth.

  But she pulled away. They were both panting, as breathless as if they’d run a sprint. “Wait. I guess we should talk to the doctor first. About doing it that way. The natural way. I guess?”

  His whole body pulsed with want and need, but he nodded. “Probably.”

  “Okay. Tomorrow. But tonight, you don’t have to stop kissing me yet . . .” She grinned, a mixture of adorable and seduction, and his insides flooded with fresh desire.

  “Actually, I do,” he said when he found his voice. “Because I don’t want to stop, and if we need to talk to your doctor, make a plan . . . we should stop now.”

  “Okay. Yes, all right.” Her fingers traced over his cheeks, along his beard. “But I really don’t want to, for the record.”

  “Neither do I, for the record.” He smiled down at her in wonder. Her eyes were bright with desire, her cheeks flushed, her lips a bit swollen from their kissing. “You’re so damn beautiful, you know that?”

  She smiled back and whispered, “So are you.”

  He couldn’t help it, he lowered his head to kiss her again. He had to, he needed to. But he worked to bring down the heat, to kiss her slowly, until it was a sweet, tender exchange instead of an urgent blast of fiery need. “When we have sex for the first time,” he finally said, his voice low and deliberate, “it’s not going to be on the couch. I’m taking you in that big, fantastic bed of yours, you’re going to wrap those insanely gorgeous legs around me, and we’ll go all night.”

  She gave a tiny shiver. “That sounds wonderful.” Her eyes locked on his. They were still wrapped in an embrace, and his hard-on hadn’t gone down, but they were breathing calmer. “Really, the more I think about it, it makes sense.”

  “What does?”

  “Your being my donor the old-fashioned way. If it’s here at home, instead of a clinical setting, I’ll be more relaxed. And the more times we try . . .”

  “I hear you.”

  “I’m talking about sleeping together regularly, Logan. We’re both clear on that?”

  “Yeah.” He brushed her curls back from her face. “Are you sure about this?”

  “If you’re okay with it, yes.”

  “Tess.” He ground his hips against hers, his rock-hard erection pressing against her warm heat, making their breath catch. “I want you. I’m more than okay with it. I just don’t want to cross any . . . inappropriate lines, you know?”

  “I know. And I appreciate that so much. Like I said, you’re an honorable man.” Her blue eyes danced as she reminded him, “I’m the one who suggested it. And it’s my show, right?”

  “Absolutely, Miss Harrison. You’re the boss.”

  “Well, I guess I am, but . . . yes, it’s agreeing to regular sex, but not a relationship. We wouldn’t be actually dating, more like friends with benefits. But it’s a team effort.”

  “There’s that word again,” he cajoled. “Team.” He tweaked her nose and grinned. “We’ll be a good team. It’s nice to think of us helping each other. And come on, this kind of help? Can be a hell of a lot of fun. Just know that . . . the lusty stuff aside . . .” He looked into her eyes and promised, “I’m here for you. As a friend.”

  She caressed his face, ran her hand through his hair, and said, “Right back at you.” Her tone, filled with emotion, made his insides squeeze. “And I’m a good friend to have. I promise.”

  He kissed her once more, long and deliberate, as if silently sealing the deal. They looked into each other’s eyes and smiled. Then he lifted himself off of her. It wasn’t without difficulty; his jeans felt downright constrictive. When he got home, he’d have to either take the coldest shower ever or just take care of himself; he’d never get to sleep this fired up. They untangled themselves from the embrace and separated.

  “I’ll leave in a minute,” he said. “Little hard to walk with a raging hard-on.”

  She laughed, a warm, full sound that shimmered over his skin. “Stay as long as you want.” She licked her lips, definitely swollen from his kisses, and swept her hair back with both hands. “And I’ll try not to think about how much I want to see and touch that raging hard-on of yours.”

  He groaned in agony. “Not helping!”

  They laughed together this time.

  She grasped his hands, looked into his eyes, and said. “Dream Team. That’s us. You’re making my dream come true.” She lifted his hands to her mouth and kissed his knuckles. “Thank you again, Logan. So much. I really don’t know how to thank you.”

  “You already did. So stop thanking me now,” he said. “Giving me a complex.”

  “Too bad.”

  He grinned. “Come on, seriously, you don’t have to thank me anymore. Please. I know you’re grateful, I promise.”

  “Fiiiiine.” She grinned back. “How’s that hard-on doing?”

  The thought of her thinking about it made it throb anew. “It does better when you don’t talk about it.”

  She barked out a laugh and released his hands. “Oh, Logan. We can really . . . We can have fun with this.”

  “Yeah. Maybe we can.” He took a deep breath, trying to shake the lust from his system. “Friends,” he said, scrubbing his hands over his face in an effort to break her spell. “Friends who can trust each other.”

  “And who maybe can enjoy some sexy time too,” she whispered.

  He reached up to cup her chin and said somberly, “It’d be an honor.”

  Her eyes rounded, a look of astonishment sweeping her features. “I . . . wow.”

  He smiled, dropped a light kiss on her mouth, and released her. “Don’t forget, along with the promise of fantastic and frequent sex, I’ll have legal papers to sign. That’s all on you, right?”

  “Yes.” She smoothed out her sweater, working to recompose herself. “I’ll call my attorney in the morning. You sure you’re okay with all that, right? And I’ll add in the part that I’ll never come back to try to make you do anything down the line.”

  “I’ll sign all the papers,” he said. “I don’t want a baby, you do. He or she is all yours. You don’t have to worry.”

  “And when we’re with your mom, or out in public, I’ll be the best damn girlfriend you could ever ask for,” she said. “For as long as you need me to be.”

  Unaccustomed to the intense emotions that were knocking him around, he moved in and lightly pressed his mouth to hers. Her hands lifted to hold his jaw as she returned the kiss, caressing his beard as she did. The gentle, almost tender kiss ignited something fresh, deep inside him. Something like a renewal. He was looking forward to seeing what came next. Life had just gotten a hell of a lot more interesting.

  This situation would benefit them both. They could be friends, helping each other achieve their goals. They were both being open about their wants. No pressure on him about a relationship or expectations, which was how he liked it. There’d be papers to sign, keeping it all legal from her end. And the most important part: Tess would have the baby she so deserved to have. If he passed all the tests, and the doctor gave them the green light, it was all good.

  As for her being his fake girlfriend, that could actually be fun—he could see that now. He knew his mother would adore her. Tess would get what she wanted, and he’d get what he wanted. And there could possibly be hot sex thro
wn in there between friends, a game-changing bonus he hadn’t seen coming. Game on.

  They were being honest with each other, had a clear agreement, carefully planning everything together, with everything out in the open. What could possibly go wrong?

  “So, Mr. Carter?” Those wide blue eyes of hers absolutely sparkled as she smiled gently. God, she was so damn pretty. What a bonus. “We have a deal?”

  He cupped her chin again and smiled as he looked at her. She was a fascinating woman. This Long Island lady had blown into his life like a force of nature. She was smart as hell, kind and funny, knew how to separate business from pleasure . . . and also was open to mixing the two. The spots of color on her high cheekbones deepened as he gazed at her. Holy hell, this strikingly gorgeous woman wanted him as much as he wanted her.

  Well, he couldn’t think of a more worthy teammate. Or a friend. Or a sexier potential lover. All he knew was he was a lucky man, having fallen somehow into an ideal situation. He could help make this incredible woman’s biggest dream come true. That was paramount, and made him feel better than anything he’d done in a very, very long time. He could help someone . . . make a lasting difference. Do something deeply good, just for the sake of it, and then be able to walk away.

  “Miss Harrison,” he murmured, “we have a deal.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Logan sat quietly during lunch; hell, he didn’t have to say much. Tess and his mother were chattering away like old friends. They’d hit it off immediately, as he’d thought they would. How could anyone not like Tess? She was open, friendly, down-to-earth. And really smart. Annmarie liked that, he knew that as well as he knew her. Having been a middle school math teacher for twenty-five years, Annmarie was sharp as a tack, with a keen barometer for bullshit. Tess passed the bar with flying colors before she’d ever stepped foot in the house.

  As Annmarie peppered Tess with questions about her job and New York, Logan ate and mused about the past six days. Two visits to the fertility clinic; the first one, he’d filled out a bunch of forms, had a quick basic physical exam, then been discreetly ushered into a cushy, private room to give up his sperm sample. He’d felt awkward and sat there for two minutes, mildly embarrassed at why he was there. Then he brushed it away, took a deep breath, and got down to business, looking at it as a job that had to be done, a simple task. All he had to do was think about Tess . . . how she’d felt beneath him, the taste of her mouth, the softness of her skin . . . and he’d been able to deliver the goods in record time.

  The day after that, he’d gone to tell his mother about the new relationship he’d started, and how soon did she want to meet his new girlfriend? Even now, he couldn’t help but smile at the delighted, shocked look on Annmarie’s face. That alone had been worth the barrage of questions that followed. He hadn’t seen his mom that energized in months.

  The next evening, he, Tess, and his mom had gone out to dinner at one of Annmarie’s favorite restaurants. Tess had just been herself, and Annmarie loved her immediately. The little things Tess had thrown in—touching his arm or hand here, dropping a quick kiss on his cheek there—had helped sell the premise. By the end of dinner, Annmarie was convinced they were a happy new couple, and her obvious joy filled him with relief. Yes, it was a lie. And he hated lying to anyone about anything, most of all his mother. But was it harming her, or anyone else? Dammit, she was happy. His dying mother was happy. Some white lies were worth it.

  Now, as Tess answered questions about the Holiday Ball, he gazed at her. God, she was great. She was cool as could be, not overselling them as a couple, just being her fantastic self with the right additional amount of random gestures of affection. And she was so goddamn gorgeous, just looking at her made his blood heat. Dressed simply in an emerald green sweater, jeans, and knee-high tan riding boots, she was relaxed and chatty and exuded light. She didn’t seem like a haughty head of a huge New York City company or the precious sweetheart of a powerful billionaire family. She was just . . . normal. Both pleasant and enchanting in every way.

  Playing the smitten boyfriend to her was easy as could be, because the fact was, he was crushing on her, he could admit that. But that was it. A little crush, a lot of lust, but mostly easy camaraderie. There was no pressure here; she was his friend now. It was amazing, all the way around.

  She glanced over at him from beneath her lashes and smiled. “You’re staring,” she said flirtatiously.

  “Can’t help it,” he replied. “You’re gorgeous.” Being able to say things like that was more fun than he’d ever cop to.

  “Awww.” Tess’s smile bloomed as she said, “Back at you, Thor.”

  He rolled his eyes and laughed. “Remind me to kick Ford’s ass for telling you that stupid nickname.”

  “If the huge Norse-god shoe fits . . .” Tess let her voice trail off and winked.

  Annmarie sighed a little. “You two are adorable. I love it.”

  “Well,” Tess said to her, “thanks for making such an incredibly handsome son. I do enjoy looking at him. It’s a nice bonus, since he’s such a great guy.”

  Damn, she was good at this. Logan warmed inside at her words; yeah, they were fake, but they were perfect, exactly the kind of thing his mom would like to hear. Flirting with her was fun. He reached for her hand and gave it a quick squeeze of approval. She winked at him again, then pulled her hand free to take another bite of her pasta salad.

  Earlier that day, they’d had their second visit to the clinic. The test results were all in. His sperm were totally viable, passing all the markers. The whole package combined, apparently, made him a good candidate. It was a go, if they both agreed to it. The look of pure elation that washed over Tess’s face . . . her face flushed and her eyes shone with tears of joy. He’d been so happy for her happiness, he’d reached out and hugged her.

  Then Tess and Dr. Fuller had an extensive conversation, which Logan sat and listened to without a word. It was Tess’s decision. However she wanted this to play out, he’d abide by it without question. Tess asked Dr. Fuller about their getting her pregnant the old-fashioned way, and the doctor was fine with it. She explained to both of them about the timeline; how having sex a few times before, during, and after the ovulation period would certainly tip the odds of conceiving in Tess’s favor. They could try it that way for a few months, and if Tess still wasn’t pregnant, they could embark on more direct, clinical methods. By the end of the appointment, Tess had made her decision. Logan would be her known donor, and they’d go about conceiving the natural way.

  Then they’d gone back to his house to have lunch with his mom. And all he could think about was getting started. He knew that was a little weird; it’s not like they were dating and he couldn’t wait to get his new lover into bed for a romp. They’d be having sex for one reason only, a very set agenda and goal. But . . . yeah, getting to take this lovely woman to bed, and all the fun, erotic ways he could try to get her pregnant . . . it was mind-boggling to think about, actually. He was a little scattered . . . and eager, excited, nervous, all of that.

  “Hey.” His mother’s voice cut into his thoughts, jostling him from his reverie. “Where are you?”

  “Sorry.” He flashed a grin. “Just have some things on my mind, got lost in there.”

  “You okay?” Tess asked.

  “Great,” he assured her. He grasped her hand and lifted it to his lips, lightly kissing her knuckles. Her eyes held his for a long beat. An unspoken message passed between them, and a rush of color went to her face. Yeah, she was thinking about it too. A burst of liquid heat swept through him as he contemplated what lay ahead for them . . . the thought of having her . . . maybe even that very night, if she wanted to get started. God, he hoped she wanted to. He supposed he’d find out soon enough.

  * * *

  That evening, Tess had hoped a long soak in the tub would relax her, but it hadn’t worked. Her mind and body were all hyped up, anticipation holding her in its merciless grip. After a nice lunch at his mother’s hou
se, Logan had driven her home.

  “Will you come back tonight?” she’d asked, her voice feeling small in her throat.

  “You want me to?”

  “Yes, I want you to. I think . . . we can get started on our other secret project. If you want,” she added hastily. “If you don’t want to—”

  “I want to.” His voice was low and deliberate as he admitted, “I’ve barely been able to think about anything else since we left the clinic.”

  “Me too,” she confessed in a whisper. Her heart rate skyrocketed and her stomach did a wobbly flip. “So . . . what time is good for you?”

  “Well, I put off work this morning to go to the clinic. I need to do some things now; they’ll take all afternoon, into dinnertime maybe . . .” He gently scratched at his beard as he thought, a gesture that was becoming endearingly familiar to her. “You have dinner without me, do your thing. I’ll come over at eight. Is that good for you?”

  “Yup. I’ll see you then.”

  All afternoon and evening, Tess’s mind had churned without stopping. So much to think about, so much to absorb. She was going to have her baby. It was so overwhelming and wonderful . . . and now, the icing on the cake, a pseudo-date with Logan. Entering into the process of trying to get pregnant by actually having sex, that was a fringe benefit she hadn’t counted on. To say it was thrilling was an understatement. Simply put, Logan was hot as hell.

  She was excited, exhilarated, turned on, and a little giddy. But the nervousness overrode all that, and she wondered why. There was no reason to be nervous; she trusted Logan completely. He was a good man, and he’d be good to her in bed, she just knew that. She supposed it was just basic, anticipatory pre-sex jitters.

  She wanted to get pregnant, yes. But she also wanted to please him. If he was going to be doing her the tremendous favor of having sex with her regularly, she wanted him to enjoy it. That was normal, wasn’t it?