Kahn, really?" I guide the car into the reserved spot in front of Caitlin's shop. The numbers 1:52 glow from the dashboard, indicating that we're both several hours past our bedtime. "I don't remember my Star Trek history well, but I could swear he's one of the bad guys."

"He was one of Kirk's biggest foes," Caitlin says, her voice thick with sleep. "Caused all sorts of problems for the crew of the Enterprise. Still wish he would have tangled with Picard's crew, maybe joined forces with Q, or something like that."

A dim memory of watching a ridiculously cheesy movie on the Sci-fi channel pushes to the front of my brain. "Wait a minute. Wasn't he the guy that was responsible for killing Spock?"

I've never been much of a Trekkie, but even I know that Spock was a much-loved character and that killing him off was the height of evil.

"Mmm," Caitlin confirms. "That's him."

"And you want to name our sweet dog after someone evil?"

Caitlin rolls her head around so she can see me. The soft glow of the dashboard lights draws attention to the dark circles under her eyes.

"I've always thought he got a bad rap. He started out as a brave character who undertook a risky mission that cost him everything, yet he not only managed to survive, but thrive. Plus, he was a magnificent specimen, both physically and mentally.”

Shaking my head, I shut off the car. "I had no idea you were such a sci-fi geek. How'm I only just finding this out?"

I let myself out of the car before she has a chance to exit and trot around the front of it to open the door for her. The fact that she's still sitting inside, waiting for me, tells me just how exhausted she really is. Usually she's already out and halfway to the door before I get this far.

I tried sending her home several hours ago, when Dr. DeWitt made it plain that setting the dog's leg was going to take a while, but Caitlin refused to go. She stayed there the whole time, gently stroking the dog's ears while I worked as an impromptu vet’s assistant.

Seeing how tired she looks now, I wish I'd been more insistent. Between spending her days working in the floral shop, her nights with me, and trying to plan a wedding in all the moments in between, she's been burning the candle at both ends. Tonight, it looks like the practice has finally caught up with her.

"We've been so busy doing other things," Caitlin says, continuing the conversation as I guide her out of the car. "Movie nights haven't been on the schedule.”

"It's a date." I wrap one arm around her shoulders and bend to slide another beneath her knees, lifting her up so she's cradled against my chest. "But for now, let's focus on getting you into bed. You're ready to drop right here on the sidewalk.”

She drapes an arm around my shoulders and buries her face in my neck. "I am tired," she whispers against my skin.

Sasha, who has decided that she prefers staying in Caitlin's apartment as opposed to mine, greets us at the door. She winds her long, lithe body around my legs as I deposit Caitlin on the couch. I'm a little surprised to see her eyes are still open. I expected her to fall asleep in my arms as I maneuvered both of us up the stairs.

Humming a meaningless tune, I move toward her feet and remove the canvas deck shoes she loves so much. I take a moment to massage her calves, my fingers manually manipulating the tension out of the muscles.

Caitlin groans her delight and arches her back as she presses her legs more firmly into my hands. "Whatever you do, don't stop."

Her purse slides off her lap and crashes to the ground, the contents spilling out across the floor. Sasha darts forward to chase an errant pen as it rolls under a table.

I glance at the mess without really seeing it, only to do a double take and gape at the small box sitting in the middle of the pile.

"Caitlin, sweetie, what's this?" I pick up the box and read the label, barely daring to believe the words printed on it.

She uses her elbows to push herself upright and looks at my hand. "That's why I went to the shelter. I've been feeling kind of run down and crappy all day, and then I realized that my period should have started a few days ago. So I rushed to the pharmacy and bought that test. I was going to do it by myself, but I got nervous and needed your moral support. Then I saw Kahn and kind of forgot about it until right now." She bites her lower lip and stares at me. "Are you mad?"

"Mad?" For the first time, I realize that there's a possibility that soon, less than a year, I could be a father. Until this very second, the idea has been abstract, something I couldn't take as a real possibility, but now, it suddenly feels very real. And very scary. "Why would I be mad?"

"Because I didn't tell you right away." Caitlin places a hand on my shoulder. "I know how important having a baby is to Caldwell Industries."

I'm still having a difficult time processing everything. The only thing I know for sure is that I really want to know if my, no our, baby is growing inside of Caitlin.

"You look at it." Caitlin's nails bite into my hand and she squeezes her eyes shut. "I'm afraid to."

Heart pounding a wild rhythm, I pick up the wand and stare at the little space that tells us what the results are.

"Well?" Caitlin prompts. "Am I knocked up?"

"Not tonight."

Both of her eyes fly open and her expression sags with disappointment. "Oh. I was so sure."

She releases my hand and cups her palm against my cheek. "Jeremy, I'm so sorry. I know how badly you want this baby. How much you want to save your company from your brother. I'm sorry I failed you."

Her words rasp against my nerves. There's no way I'm letting her put this situation on herself.

"It takes two of us to make a baby, and it also takes time and the right set of circumstances, which clearly haven't happened yet."

"Not for lack of trying," Caitlin points out.

"True." I wrap my hands around her waist and still-flat tummy, the one that's going to remain flat for a little while longer, and pull her onto my lap. "And I'm looking forward to trying even harder."

Caitlin laughs and bows her head, stealing a quick kiss. "Given how intense my love life has become since meeting you, I don't think I'll survive if you try any harder."

"There's only one way to find out." I lift one hand and palm her left breast. Her muscles soften in anticipation and her lashes lower while her lips part. She doesn't look tired now. I lean closer, nuzzling the tiny patch of skin behind her ear that always drives her crazy.

She moans my name, the sound causing my cock to harden against her bottom.

"So, what do you say, baby? Want to see what fun things we can come up with for tonight?"

Caitlin sighs and leans against my chest. She kisses me, her lips soft and yielding against mine. “I think it sounds like the best idea you’ve had since you suggested we adopt that poor mangled dog.”

“Glad you approve,” I chuckle against her mouth as I match her sweet kiss with one of my own. She makes a soft mewling noise that never fails to heat my blood, and twines her fingers through my dark hair.

I shift our positions, until she’s lying on her belly on the couch. I kneel above her. With gentle, practiced hands, I ease her out of her clothing, taking my time, unwrapping her body slowly, like the highly treasured, much-anticipated present it is.

“You just lie right there, baby,” I murmur and stretch myself out across her back. “Let me take care of you, okay?”

Her response is a deep, sexy moan that has my cock jumping.

Determined to make this as good for her as possible, I ignore the demands my own body is making, and focus entirely on her.

My hands stroke and soothe, dancing back and forth over the parts that make her squirm and shout, and my mouth nips and licks. No part of her remains unexplored.

Nothing has ever felt as right, as natural as having her in my arms, and it doesn’t seem to matter how long we’ve been together, how many times we make love. Each time is just as exciting as the last. Somehow, she’s worked her way into my system, so that now I need her in my life just as badly as I need oxygen.

Knowing I’ve pushed her to the edge of her tolerance, and needing to feel her sweet heat surrounding me, I grasp her hips, pulling her up and onto her knees while I enter her from behind.

The position makes her tight, almost as tight as she was on our first night together. The incredible sensation causes my eyes to cross and I nearly forget to breathe.

I give her a moment to adjust to my length before I start to slowly rock my hips, thrusting in and out of her with long, slow strokes that have both of us seeing stars.

My hands slide lower until I find her engorged clit. I roll it between my fingers, tickling and teasing the little bundle of nerves until she screams my name and bucks back against me, the force of her climax triggering my own.

I rain kisses and nips on the back of her shoulders, marking her as my own, the way a stallion marks a mare, as I empty myself into her and we both collapse in a tangle of sweaty limbs on the couch.

Later, when we’re curled up on her bed together and Caitlin’s head is resting on my shoulder, I shift my hand, covering the place where, one day, our child will grow and develop. The words Caitlin said to me earlier rattle around in my brain, the sound of them too loud to ignore.

“I know how important having a baby is to Caldwell Industries."

Granted, when we first got together, first discussed getting married and having a baby, the only thing I was thinking about was gaining control of the business and protecting my employees, but somewhere along the line, something shifted. I’ve grown to care deeply for Caitlin, and when she told me she might be pregnant, a bolt of pure joy rocketed through me, bringing with it a stunning revelation.

Caitlin is wrong. I do want a baby, and if doing so helps Caldwell Industries, then great, but the truth is that now I no longer want a baby for business purposes. Now I want a baby because I can’t wait to hold something that Caitlin and I created.