Juliette

Was this really how Declan was going to find out I was pregnant? In the women’s restroom of a restaurant while I was topless and sitting on his lap? This was even worse than I’d imagined when I pictured myself surprising him at his apartment to tell him the news.

I started to scramble off his lap, but when I glanced down, my eyes were riveted by the sight of his hands on my belly. I never thought I’d feel his hands on me again. Not during any of the months I’d been gone. Not even after I found out I was expecting his baby from our one night of passion. And certainly not when I saw him at the door and knew he was the blind date Lisa had been prattling on about—something I’d managed to forget when his lips had landed on mine.

It wasn’t something I could ignore any longer, though. I jerked away from Declan, grabbing my top from the floor and pulling it back on. After a couple deep breaths, I turned around and faced him. “Yes, I’m pregnant with your baby.” His eyes jumped from my belly to my face, and I could have sworn they were filled with happiness, but it had to be wishful thinking on my part. I tended to babble when I was nervous, and this was no exception. “I literally just found out, barely more than an hour ago. I swear I was going to come see you tomorrow and try to explain how this all happened. After I figured out what to say, that is. I wasn’t going to keep the news from you, but I’m not sure I’m ready to talk to you about it yet. Not here. Not right now. I really wasn’t prepared to see you tonight, let alone on a date with another woman.”

“I already told you I wasn’t on a date,” he growled, uncoiling from where he sat on the red velvet couch and stalking towards me. “I’m not going to let you use a stupid misunderstanding as an excuse to avoid talking to me tonight. I’ve waited four long months for you to come home, and my patience has officially run out.”

He waited, what?

“I’m sorry Lisa was mistaken about my reason for being here tonight. I didn’t come for her. I came for you.” He yanked me towards him, tilting my chin up with one long finger.

“How is that possible?” I whispered. “I didn’t even know I was going to be here until this morning.”

“My best friend’s wife is friends with Lisa. She’s been trying to set us up for months. I wasn’t the least bit interested in her matchmaking efforts and barely paid any attention to her, but when she mentioned the reason behind the party tonight, there wasn’t anything that was going to keep me away.”

“Lisa seemed to have missed that memo,” I grumbled.

“She’s clued in now. Before I hunted you down in here, I made it extremely clear to her that I’m already seeing someone and have no interest in dating anyone else.”

“You’re seeing someone?” I croaked, feeling sick to my stomach at the thought.

“Fuck, baby. Have you not heard a word I’ve been saying?” His hands gripped me around my waist and tugged until I was flush against his body, his hardened length pressed against my stomach. “Yes, I’m fucking seeing someone—you, the woman who’s carrying my child.”

Ah, right, the baby. I guessed it made sense that Declan would want to attempt to build a relationship with me now that he was aware I was pregnant with his baby. I only wished he’d been this keen to try for one before letting me go four months earlier. The logical side of me knew it had been a long-shot, considering I hadn’t even known him a full day before I left for Europe, but my heart had yearned for him to ask if we could try the long-term thing while I’d been away. Only he hadn’t, and this was the first time I’d heard the word ‘relationship’ from his delicious lips. Although, he had said I was the only reason he’d come to the party in the first place, so that had to be a good sign.

Seriously, I was going to drive myself crazy over him. Right about now, I really wished I’d spent a little less time focused on ballet and a little more time interacting with guys who weren’t my dance partners. Straightening my spine, hoping to find the strength to resist him, at least for the moment, I tried to step away but he didn’t let me go far. Strong hands gripped my waist and held me in place.

“Now that we’ve gotten that ridiculousness out of the way, I’d like to focus on what’s truly important—you being pregnant with my baby.” I dropped my head against his chest as tears filled my eyes. Stupid hormones. “I know you’re probably scared, but I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

If he kept up with this sweetness, I was never going to be able to resist falling into his bed again. Even if he’d been an ass about the pregnancy, I still probably wouldn’t have been able to hold out for long. Sniffling, I breathed in the masculine scent I’d missed while I’d been gone. Part of me wanted to kick myself for falling into his bed so easily, but I couldn’t truly regret the most magical night of my life. All it took was one touch, one kiss, one smell and I wanted him. So much so that I had no idea how I’d ever be able to protect my heart when we were going to be connected for the rest of our lives because of the baby.

“Hey!” a feminine voice shouted through the door, interrupting my musings and startling me. “This is a public restroom, you know. The only one for women in this place, and some of us have to go. Like right now.”

“Maybe we should take this conversation to somewhere a little more appropriate,” I mumbled into his shirt.

“It’s probably a good idea, since the last thing I need is to be arrested for indecent exposure from being caught in here with you,” he chuckled. “The hospital would not approve and it wouldn’t exactly be a story I’d want to share with our children later on.”

“You look pretty decent to me,” I sighed, stepping away from him and sweeping my gaze up his body.

“If you keep looking at me like that for much longer, there’s no way in hell either of us will make it out of here with all of our clothes intact.”

Kaboom! There went my panties. Seriously, they were drenched and of absolutely no use to me any longer—which only proved he was right, damn him. This time when I tried to step away, he let me go but took hold of my hand as he walked with me towards the door. With a flick of his other wrist, the bathroom door was unlocked and I was mortified when it flew open and revealed several gawking faces as they caught sight of Declan and me. I couldn’t really blame them since there were rumors swirling around the company that I might be a nun in the making because I never date.

He ignored them all and hurried me out of the restaurant and into a waiting cab. The ride to his place was different than the last time, but also the same in a way. The chemistry between us still sizzled, and we were just as silent, but there was none of the kissing I’d enjoyed. Instead, Declan kept me cradled against his side while he stared down at his hand resting on my lower belly. It was just as sexy as the way he’d devoured my mouth when I’d last found myself in a cab with him. Then again, anything he did was bound to be sexy since he practically oozed sex appeal from his pores. I was no less susceptible to it tonight than I had been four months earlier, which might not bode well for me since it felt as though we were retracing our steps from that fateful evening as he led me into his building.

My legs trembled as I stepped into the elevator, remembering the way he’d practically taken me against the wall the last time I’d ridden it with him. He rubbed my back in a soothing gesture, but I barely felt it as I stared at the other side of the elevator and remembered how incredible it had felt to be wrapped around his muscular body with the heat of his erection between my legs.

Barely a minute or two passing before we reached the top floor where Declan’s penthouse apartment was located. By the time the doors opened into his foyer, I was trembling with need, my doctor’s warning about increased sexual drive during the second trimester playing over again in my head. This time around, it was me who led him straight to the couch and urged him onto the cushions. “This is all your fault, and you’re damn well going to take care of it.”