And there was a bump. A little round bump where her taut stomach used to be.
It was beautiful. “Holy shit. It’s a baby.”
She put her hand on the bump, a shy smile warming her face. “The maternity clothes make it look bigger than it really is. Paulie took me shopping. As an early shower gift.”
In the recesses of his mind, a not-very-happy voice wanted to know why she’d accept stuff from Paulie but not from him. He ignored it though, for now, because all that mattered was the sweet curve under her hand.
A baby. Not an idea of a baby that brought to mind memories of his niece and his nephews when they were small, but his baby—real enough and big enough to be seen…sort of.
Beth stepped back to let him in, forcing him to look away from the baby bump. “I heard you come home. Was wondering if you’d stop in.”
“I grabbed a quick shower. Smelled like two-stroke and sweat.”
She closed the door behind him. “Did you have fun?”
“Yeah. Missed you, though. Everything go okay?”
“Fine.” Pink tinted her cheeks. “I missed you, too.”
Interesting. “I thought you’d be glad to be rid of me for a few days.”
“I thought I would be, too. But I was worried about you being crazy up there, which made me think of you in general, which made me miss you, I guess.”
It was a big risk—huge—but he lowered his head and kissed her. She stiffened for a second, but then her mouth turned soft and welcoming under his. He shifted his body closer and when he dipped his tongue between her lips, she slid her arms around his waist so her hands pressed against his back.
Afraid the mood would be broken along with the kiss, he made it last as long as he could, until her body melted against his and her fingernails dug into his back and she made a whimpering sound deep in her throat. His body tightened in response and he pulled her hips against his so she could feel exactly how much he’d missed her. How much he wanted her.
“Chocolate cake,” she whispered against his mouth.
“Okay.” He blazed a trail of kisses down her jaw line, trying not to lose the moment. “Is this one of those food cravings pregnant women get, because…really? Right now? I mean, I’ll go, but it might take a while because I’ll be walking funny.”
“No, you’re my chocolate cake.” When he moved on to her neck, she tilted her head. “It’s like being on a diet and you’re my chocolate cake. I really, really want a slice.”
That’s when it hit Kevin and all the blood north of his waist rushed south. She was pregnant. It’s not like she could get more pregnant.
He’d never in his life had sex without a condom. Vicky hadn’t wanted kids yet, which turned out to be a blessing, and she couldn’t take the Pill, so even as a married man he’d had to make regular trips to the drugstore. But Beth was pregnant and she was clean and he was clean and…if she made him stop now he was going to spontaneously combust.
“The problem with you,” she said as she threw back her head to bare her throat for him, “is that I’ve already had a taste. You’re not just any old slice of chocolate cake. You’re really, really good chocolate cake with whipped cream and a swirl of hot fudge.”
He slid his hands under the open sweater to cup her breasts through the soft fabric of her dress. “One slice wouldn’t hurt.”
“One slice,” she agreed. He pushed the sweater down her shoulders, ready to find out if the dress had a zipper or not, but she took his jaw and forced him to look at her face. “Just one.”
He knew what she was saying—this wasn’t going to change anything between them—but he didn’t let it discourage him. One slice, then another. Sooner or later you had yourself an entire chocolate cake.
Grinning, he pulled his T-shirt off over his head and tugged her toward the bedroom. “If we’re only having one slice, let’s enjoy the hell out of it.”
He savored her like she was the last bit of chocolate cake he’d ever have—taking his sweet time licking her, tasting her, nibbling at her until her back arched off the bed and she pounded a fist on his shoulder.
“I can’t take anymore.”
At least that’s what he thought she said. She was panting pretty hard, so it was more gasping than talking. He lifted his mouth from the nipple he’d been enjoying, though he kept his hand right where it was, between her thighs. “I’m going to make damn sure you don’t ever eat a slice of actual chocolate cake again without thinking of me.”
“It’s bad enough you’ve ruined me for other men, but now you have to ruin dessert for me, too?”