“I'm glad it didn’t ruin your friendship.”

  “Absolutely. He's still one of my best friends, and I'm so happy for him. I'm over my weirdness about them having a baby via a surrogate. It was just hard to learn that right around the time I was told I probably needed to get a hysterectomy.” Her gaze sobered.

  “That slim chance came through for you,” I offered.

  She nodded. “I feel lucky in a way, but it's going to throw your life into a tailspin.”

  “It's already happened. We're in the spin, and we’ll ride it out together one way or another.” She was still nestled against me, and she felt so good in my arms.

  “You're a decent guy.” She peered up at me, nodding firmly. “A good egg. That's what my mom would call you.”

  I chuckled. “Should we take a rain check for tonight?” I asked.

  Her eyes held mine, and I tried to ignore the racket of my heartbeat in my chest and the need pulsing through me. I couldn't ignore how good she felt.

  She took a shuddery breath, shaking her head.

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means I don’t want to take a raincheck.”

  “Since we're being honest and direct, I need you to elaborate.” I needed her to outline what she wanted. I didn’t want to make any assumptions.

  Pink crested high on her cheeks. “That night with you was amazing. It almost seems silly to try to put boundaries around it now. I mean, we've already been there and done that. You’re right that there's no great time to figure this thing with us out. My gut tells me we’ll be okay.”

  “You mean ‘us’?”

  “Well, I don't know if we're going to work out like as a couple, but I think we can find a way to make things work either way. If this is just some really hot chemistry we need to burn out, we might as well go ahead and take care of that, right?”

  I burst out laughing, and she giggled with me. “Fair enough.”

  Her eyes took on a gleam, and she leaned up, tugging me down to her for another kiss. Just when I was about to lose myself in her, she broke away.

  “I'm pregnant—” she began.

  “I know that, Hallie.”

  “I know, but my body is different than it was.”

  Puzzled, I replied, “Uh, okay.”

  “My breasts are a little bigger already.”

  I waggled my eyebrows. “I am a guy.”

  “Oh, my god,” she muttered.

  Then we were kissing again, and it felt so fucking good. Whenever we were touching physically, Hallie shed the cloak of quiet subtlety, becoming bold and brash. Her hands mapped my chest. She slipped one under the hem of my shirt, her touch cool against my skin.

  Breaking free, she murmured, “I need to see you.”

  Reaching behind my neck, I caught the collar of my shirt and yanked it up over my head as I leaned away. Her lips blazed a trail over my skin, and I brushed her hair back, dipping lower to nip the soft skin on the side of her neck. I loved how she shivered and arched into me with a low moan. I shifted back, lifting her away as I stood. “I need a bed. There’s a bed somewhere, right?”

  She giggled, turning and catching my hand in hers. She led me to her bedroom. “You don't want to make do with a couch?” she teased as she flicked the light switch and a lamp came on in the corner beside the bed.

  “That one night was my best ever. After I get you out of my system, we can make do with a quickie in the living room on the couch. Right now, I want to take my time and taste every inch of you.”

  Her eyes went wide, and the flush on her cheeks deepened. My gaze arced around her bedroom. She had a four-poster bed with pillows piled high and a big fluffy down quilt. There was a dresser to one side and a nightstand on the other. I brought my eyes back to hers, facing her fully and cupping her cheeks as I brought my lips to hers for another lingering kiss.

  I unbuttoned her blouse, letting it fall from her shoulders. My body was clamoring with need. Our clothes came off in a rush with our hands and lips mapping each other until I was down to my boxers and Hallie in a pair of blue silk panties.

  We were standing at the foot of her bed, and I turned, lifting her hips onto the mattress and letting my hands rest on either side. We stared at each other. I could hear the rush of my heartbeat in my ears as everything narrowed to this moment. To nothing but us.

  “What?” she whispered as I studied her.

  “Just making sure you still want this.”

  Hallie's tongue darted out, swiping across her bottom lip. My cock, which was already swollen to the point of pain, throbbed.

  “Absolutely.” She closed the distance between our lips, her tongue gliding in to tease mine.

  She shimmied back on the bed. I followed and shifted to her side, propping up on an elbow and glancing down. “Fuck, you’re stunning, Hallie.”

  When my eyes made their way back to hers, she was flushed all over with her breath coming in sharp pants. I lightly cupped a breast, teasing my thumb over her swollen nipple before leaning down to suck it in. Her fingers speared my hair as she arched upward and cried out.

  In all honesty, our one night before this had been so intense it was a jumble of sensations in my memory. I hadn’t had time to savor her. I slid my hand over her belly, pausing to lift my head. Our eyes met, and it felt as if something shimmered in the air between us, a connection linking us. There was a baby inside her with our shared DNA. The moment was almost too intense. Her eyes broke free first, her lashes sweeping down as she took a shuddering breath.

  I lost myself in her again, in need and sensation. I teased her other breast, swirling my tongue around her nipple and nipping lightly. She shivered underneath me. I cupped her mound, the silk of her panties damp against my fingers. I was impatient. As soon as I hooked my fingers to the side to find her hot, wet, and ready, I shoved her panties down. She kicked her legs, and they fell to the floor in a rumple.

  Her arousal slicked my fingers, and she arched into me, her hips bucking against my touch. I shifted down, dropping kisses over her belly as she trembled. I smoothed a palm along the inside of her thigh, pressing one knee to the side. I trailed kisses along her trembling skin, and she moaned impatiently.

  I dropped my mouth to the very core of her. She tasted just like I remembered, sweet and tangy with a hint of salt. With two fingers, I delved inside her, stretching her as I licked and explored every inch of her, teasing over her clit once, and then again and again and again.

  I kept going until she begged, “Chase, you're teasing me,” between ragged gasps.

  “Sweetheart, that's the point,” I said when I lifted my head.

  I almost came at the sight of her. Her hair was in a tangle on the pillows. Her breasts rose and fell with every ragged breath, and her nipples were swollen and damp. She was pure woman, pure desire. We stared at each other for several beats, and again that feeling of connection shimmered. It was elemental, visceral in an elusive way. Her hips rocked again, and I dipped down, swirling my tongue around her clit and sucking on it lightly.

  Her cry was a sharp, keening sound as she shuddered roughly against me. I stayed with her until the tension eased before I rose up, my eyes colliding with hers.

  “I can get a condom,” I said, realizing I hadn't even thought this through.

  “Well, we don't need it for birth control. I can promise you I got tested for everything under the sun after my positive pregnancy test,” Hallie explained. “I trust you.”

  “As part of our physical for work, we get tested every year. It so happens that was a few weeks before I saw you, and I haven’t been with anyone before or since.”

  I hadn't even let myself think about that. Not that I was all that busy sexually, but I didn't usually go for months like that. It’s just I couldn't get Hallie out of my brain.

  “I trust you,” she whispered.

  I eased my weight down over her, asking, “Is this okay?” She looked confused. “I’m not sure what’s comfortable. You're pregnant,” I clarified.

  “It's more than okay,” she said bluntly.

  I held still, nudging just barely into the slick kiss of her entrance. I could feel the thud of her heartbeat against my chest, pounding in tune with mine, and then I shifted, surging into her and seating myself deeply.

  My entire body strained for release, but I held tight to my control. Hallie took a breath. Letting it out, she murmured, “You feel so good.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Hallie

  Chase held still inside me, and I tried to breathe. The feel of him filling me was so intense I could feel myself already teetering on the edge of another climax. Pure pleasure slid through me as his dark eyes stared into mine. My heart thudded, each echoing beat feeding into the sensations coursing through me.

  “Hallie,” he murmured, his voice gruff and velvety.

  “Chase,” I returned in barely a whisper.

  He dipped his head, his lips catching mine just as he drew back before filling me again. My body moved reflexively, rocking into him as he thrust into me again and again. The slick fusion of our joining was all that anchored me at this moment as I spun inside. Sensation ratcheted tighter and tighter. His angle was just so that I could feel the pressure over my clit with each surge. The pleasure felt shocking, so good I could hardly bear it. I was chasing and chasing, my release rushing at me. He shifted slightly, reaching between us, his fingers teasing over my clit. I shattered inside as I cried out, shuddering so hard my mind went blank. All I knew was he was inside me, and I was holding him fast against me.

  I felt him tighten, his body bowing before he shuddered roughly, and I felt the heat of his release filling me. He shifted to the side, staying inside me as he brought me over. I fell against him. The pleasure receded slowly, like the tide rolling out on a gentle day, each wave softer and slower. My body was pinging with sensation as I tried to catch my breath.

  I could hear his heart beating against my ear where my head rested on his chest. I lifted my hand, shifting to bring my palm under my chin. His gaze was bemused when his eyes opened.

  “That was better than I remembered,” he said. “I didn't think that was possible.”

  I giggled. “Me neither.”

  I felt the rise of his breath in his lungs. His palm shifted to slide up my spine, smoothing over my hair. I discovered I could stay there forever, relaxed and sated in Chase’s arms with his dark eyes on mine.

  Several moments passed before he asked, “Is this the part when I find a way to gracefully get out of bed and leave tonight?”

  I didn't want him to leave. Not even a little. I shook my head and decided to be honest. “I want you to stay, but what about your dog?”

  “He’s with my dad. I thought that was best just in case.”

  “Do you do that often?”

  “Only when I know I’ll be gone for work. If I didn't come home tonight, I’d just tell my dad to go check on him, but I already asked.”

  I didn't want to admit how much I liked that. The idea he’d thought maybe he'd be staying here tonight sent a curl of warmth through me. I dipped my head, pressing a kiss at the base of his throat.

  “Oh, my god!” I gasped as Chase filled me.

  “Look at me, Hallie,” he murmured.

  I dragged my eyes open to find his dark gaze inches away from mine. Hot water rained down behind us as he held me in his arms. My back was pressed to the tile. We were starting our day off with shower sex.

  He'd made sure we were just past the fall of water because, “Well, that messes things up,” he’d teased.

  He nudged deeper inside me, and I came in a shuddering rush as he followed me over the edge. None of this felt awkward with Chase. That was something I’d remembered from our first night together. Perhaps it was because I'd given myself permission to let go, to be reckless. Although the boundaries I’d placed around us that night were gone, that unspoken permission was still there.

  After our shower, we got dressed. It was only after I'd been exposed and stripped bare inside and out with him that we had an actual awkward moment. It was time for him to go, and I needed to get to work for a scheduled session at my studio.

  Chase stood by the door, his eyes skating over my face. “I've got the doctor's appointment in my calendar. Should I meet you there? Or should we meet here, or somewhere else, and drive over together?”

  Oh, god. He was going to a doctor's appointment with me. That was how thoroughly I could forget myself with him. I'd forgotten I was pregnant. I'd forgotten we had a doctor's appointment. I hadn’t really forgotten. Yet I’d set aside the mundane details of what it all meant. I chewed on the inside of my cheek and felt a flush rising up my neck.

  He tucked his keys in his pocket and stepped in front of me, lifting a hand to palm my cheek. “What are you worrying about?” he asked.

  “Now? How much time do you have?” I managed to tease lightly, relieved that he somehow sensed my anxiety and the uncertainty threatening to undo me. “Why don't you pick me up at my studio? We can meet there and ride over together.”

  “Sounds like a plan. Will you text me the address for your studio?”

  At my nod, he leaned down. I thought he was just going to give me a quick kiss. But, oh no. Once again, he smashed my expectations to smithereens. A subtle brush of his lips over mine, a kiss at one corner of my mouth and then the other before he fit his mouth over mine in a commanding, devouring kiss. By the time he lifted his head, it was a miracle I was tingling all over and nearly a puddle at his feet.

  “I'll see you then. Text me the three things.”

  “Huh?” My brain was mush.

  “You know three favorites. We're going to know each other for a long time, Hallie. We might as well know a few more details.”

  My lips curled into a smile. I managed to stand there clinging to what little composure I had until the door clicked shut, and I heard his footsteps retreating across the landing and down the stairs. I leaned my back against the door, sliding my hips down to the floor, feeling as if I were melting inside and out.

  “Oh, my god. Chase is dangerous,” I murmured to myself as I lifted my head and thumped it against the door with a deep sigh.

  Emotions twined like a vine within the intense physical sated quality I felt after last night and this morning. Chase actually seemed like a nice guy, but I didn't trust much in the world when it came to relationships.

  My cell phone vibrated loudly. I stared at the coffee table before rising from the floor and crossing over to fetch my phone off it. When I lifted it and looked down, my heart seized and then lunged, casting out beats unsteadily.

  I stared at the name flashing on the screen. For a moment, I was going to ignore it, but I was all about facing down the asshole on the other end of the line. Maybe it was because of what I was going through right now, but I wanted to turn the page on this chapter of my life. Sliding my thumb across the screen, I tapped to answer.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi, Hallie. It's Brad.” As if I didn't know it was him.

  “Hi, Brad.” I rolled my eyes as I looked down at the screen. “What can I do for you?”

  “I was wondering if we could have dinner.”

  I was struck speechless for a moment and simply stared at the phone. “Excuse me?” I finally said.

  “Look, I understand why you might not want to, but I've actually started treatment,” he explained.

  “Uh, okay. What does that have to do with dinner and me?”

  Brad was my only serious relationship after high school. He'd become a raging alcoholic. Now I knew, looking back, that he'd been one when I met him. I just didn't know what I was witnessing. He was one of those guys in college who partied hard, so hard that it was messy. He had a sweet side, and he came across as carefree and light when he was sober. That was the guy I'd fallen for. Over time while we were together, it wasn't so fun anymore. I'd had a miscarriage, and that was what finally blew us apart. He thought having a baby would help him stay sober, or that was what he said when we found out I was pregnant. That was before I knew I had endometriosis, although my doctor said it was difficult to predict when it had begun.

  The night I had miscarried, Brad had been out partying. I'd started bleeding and then bleeding more and more. The fact that he was calling right now nearly sent me into a panic attack. Miscarriages are awful at any time, but they’re worse when you’re all by yourself and scared. When I was alone and bleeding, I drove myself to the hospital, where they confirmed what was happening. An ultrasound showed the miscarriage in progress.

  I’d tried in vain to call Brad, who was too drunk to answer the phone and didn't make it home for three days. That wasn't the first time that happened, but it was the last time it happened to me. We'd only spoken twice since then. Both times, he’d tried to persuade me to get back together with him. The last time had been over two years ago.

  “I’m really glad you're in treatment, Brad, but I don't want to have dinner with you.”

  He was quiet, and I expected an argument. He surprised me when he acquiesced. “I understand. As part of my treatment, I'm trying to make amends. It's one of the twelve steps.”

  I bit my tongue, silently ordering myself not to be bitter. Brad used to think the twelve steps were bullshit. He’d said so many times.

  “I know I used to say the twelve steps were bullshit,” he said as if reading my mind. “But they're not, and they're helping me. I know I can't fix what happened, but I want you to know I'm genuinely sorry.”

  My heart gave an achy thump in my chest, and my throat felt thick. I blinked because I’d already cried more tears than I ever wanted over Brad. It's hard to love someone and lose them piece by piece. I'd done my own reading, and I'd even gone to Al-Anon. I knew the man I’d loved wasn't the man who fell further down the slope of alcohol. All the parts I hated were the addiction, but it didn't change that he was still responsible for his own actions.