“How are you two doing?” she asked, lightly touching her stomach. “Everything okay? I’m fine. Still sad, but recovering. It’s going to be okay. I want you to know that. I’m going to take really good care of you both. I promise.”
There wasn’t an answer, which was probably good. Voices from inside her body would scare the crap out of her. But she felt a sense of peace—a knowing. The rightness of what she’d done settled on her. She was having Crystal’s babies. More important, these were also her babies. They might not have her DNA, but they were growing inside of her. She was nurturing them with every beat of her heart. When they were born, she would be their mother in every sense of the word.
“It’s going to be great,” she whispered.
She went into her closet and pulled out the black dress. The bodice was lightweight velvet, with a deep vee. The skirt began just under her br**sts. That fabric was lighter, more flowy, ending just above her knee.
She’d already rubbed a shimmering body lotion on her bare legs. Now she hung the robe on a hook and reached for the dress. After slipping it on, she secured the side zipper. She stepped in front of the mirror to see if it worked.
“Oh my.”
While she’d had br**sts since she was about thirteen, they’d never looked like this, she thought, staring at the cle**age filling the vee of the dress.
“At least now I know what I’d look like if I got implants.”
Fortunately the dress had a short jacket. She pulled that on and saw it hid virtually nothing. Raoul was simply going to have to endure.
She’d chosen a medium-heel black sandal. She’d barely slipped them on when she heard a knock at the front door.
“Come in,” she called as she walked to the living room.
The door opened and Raoul stepped inside.
She’d never seen him in a suit before. The dark, tailored fabric fit him perfectly, skimming over impossibly broad shoulders. He was elegant and handsome and hers.
The latter admission was as difficult to believe as the pregnancy had been. Were they really going to get married?
His gaze swept over her, starting at her shoes and working his way up. When he reached her chest, she saw him tense. He crossed the room in two strides, cupped her face in his hands and kissed her with a passion that had her trembling in her heels.
His mouth moved against her, claiming, enticing, promising. Heat poured through her.
Without thinking, she grabbed his hands and lowered them to her chest. He pushed aside her jacket and cupped her eagerly, finding her already tight ni**les and rubbing them.
Fire shot through her. She was wet and ready in seconds. She shrugged out of her jacket and fumbled with her zipper. He undid it for her, then pushed down her dress to her waist. Then her bra was gone and his mouth was on her br**sts.
The feel of his lips and tongue, the stroking and sucking, nearly brought her to the brink. Her breath came in sharp pants. Need threatened to drown her. She hung on to him to keep standing.
He moved one hand between her legs, slipping under her panties and finding her center with one sure stroke. He rubbed that place hard, as if aware how close she already was. Around and around, his mouth still on her br**sts, her hands on his shoulders, her legs shaking so hard she wasn’t sure she could stay standing.
She came without warning. One second she was riding the wave, the next she was shivering and convulsing, rubbing herself against his fingers, gasping out his name. The contractions faded and the world righted itself.
She straightened, as did he. They stared at each other. Then his mouth curved in a very satisfied male smile.
“You look good,” he said. “Did I get a chance to mention that?”
She was still dealing with aftershock. Where had that orgasm come from? Fifteen minutes ago—five minutes ago—she would have sworn she wouldn’t have a single sexual thought ever again. Or at least not until after the babies were born.
She paused to take stock of her body. Except for the lingering sense of well-being, she felt fine.
She smiled at him. “You didn’t.”
His gaze lowered to her bare br**sts. “Those are new.”
“You like?”
“The other ones are great, but these will be fun, too.”
She stepped out of her shoes. “Your turn.”
He hesitated. “We probably shouldn’t.”
She could see his erection straining against the fabric of his pants. “Dr. Galloway said it was fine. That the babies can’t see anything.”
She reached for his belt. “How about we get you almost all the way there and you finish inside me? Everybody wins.”
Wanting and concern battled. “I don’t want to put you or them in danger.”
“Me, either.”
She unzipped his pants and withdrew him. He was hard and thick and when she ran her hand down the length of him, his breath hissed between clenched teeth.
He moved closer and kissed her. She gripped him in her hand, moving up and down in a steady rhythm. As they kissed deeply, she moved faster. He touched her br**sts, using his fingers to lightly toy with her ni**les. Arousal began again inside of her. She felt the need building.