While I couldn't say I'd woken up bright and refreshed, at least I'd gotten a few good hours of sleep. But I was both eager and nervous about seeing Jack again. I wasn't at all sure last night's orgasm wouldn't be showing all over my face.

But when I reached the kitchen, it was obvious he'd left for his office early, maybe even before sunrise. There were crumbs on the stone countertop and the coffee pot was still half full, but completely cold. Next to his cup was a note, my name at the top in tall, scrolling letters…

Libby,

I hope you slept well last night. I was too excited to sleep, so I'm heading in to work early.

I'll be home before three and we can go over the details for dinner tonight at my folks'.

Make yourself completely at home.

I can't tell you how grateful I am.

He'd signed it with a large, elegant J and I ran my fingertips over the initial. No more grateful than I am, Jack Mason, I thought, looking around the steel and stone kitchen. To think I went from being literally homeless, to living here… for at least as long as it took me to produce his baby…

I set to work, making scrambled eggs and even made fresh juice from the bowl of oranges on the counter. I rested my eyes on the smooth surface of the lake as I ate, settling into the easy silence of the empty house. I had the next seven hours all to myself and I knew exactly how I was going to spend them. The key Jack had given me the night before was safe in my pocket. And just the thought of it there made my hands tingle.

I finished my breakfast and straightened up the kitchen. Then, on impulse, I picked up the note Jack had left me and pushed it into my pocket along with the key and headed downstairs. The next few days were going to be the most complicated and life-altering of my life. I wasn't even sure I could sort out all the complex, intense feelings I'd been having since I'd signed Jack's contract. And after that kiss we'd shared…

All I knew for sure was that I'd made the right choice. And that I wasn't waiting one more minute to release the whirlwind of emotions inside me. There had only ever been one solution in my life for how I was feeling now. And that solution was in the palm of my hands.

* * *

By two o'clock, the clay had started to come alive. I wet my fingertips again and let them slide over the slick, velvety surface.

I hadn't begun with a specific idea in mind. I rarely did. I just started to knead the clay, sensitive to whether it felt warm or cold, stiff or soft. I reached somewhere deep inside… No...no, that's not right. Rather, I let something deep inside venture out. Giving it permission to show itself, to find expression without judgement… That's what my creative experience was like. And it was soothing, exciting and exhilarating all at once.

Kind of the way Jack makes me feel, I thought, pushing and pulling the clay with my thumbs. Like how it feels to be just on the verge of something you can't even fully envision…

I looked at the clock that hung over my work table and stretched my neck. I'd been so focused for so long, I hadn't realized just how stiff I'd gotten. And the lake looked so blue, so inviting. The day had been unusually warm. Warm enough that the water should be comfortable. I had enough time before Jack got home to find out for myself. I covered my work with a damp cloth, tucking a thick layer of plastic over the top.

No, I didn't know just yet what was going to emerge. But I'd gotten a fine start today. The piece was still unformed, but it already had a sense about it. Rounded, yet delicate. Smooth with curving, elegant lines. I washed up in the huge sink that stood in the corner and enjoyed the sense of accomplishment and excitement I always felt with the gestation of a new piece.

I locked the door behind me and headed for the water. Though there were other houses on the lake, Jack's seemed to inhabit a world all its own. It sat in the deepest part of a curving sweep of sandy beach. The view was amazing, yet it felt completely private at the same time. I dug my toes into the sand and untied the thin shoulder straps that held my dress. I was naked underneath, so the sensation of cool air on all that skin had me exhaling with pleasure. I stretched my arms above my head and basked in the afternoon sunlight. I waded out to test the water. It was deliciously warm, lapping up at my knees. I moved out farther, letting the water rise between my legs… to lick underneath my breasts…

I rolled onto my back and spread out, floating on the surface, letting the water carry my weight. It lapped at my ears, making the sounds around me seem both louder and softer all at once. This was probably the most perfect day in my entire life.

I thought about Jack, and how it would feel to be carrying his child. The water washed over the mounds of my breasts and I imagined how it would feel over my round, fertile belly. By this time tomorrow I could actually be pregnant…

"Libby, for fuck's sake… Libby!" The words were distorted and far off, but the urgency of them rang like a bell.

Flailing, I came upright in the water. It was Jack's voice, still calling and with an edge of anger…

"Just what the hell are you thinking?"

I heard the words behind me right before I felt his huge arms wrap around and pull me to his chest. I sputtered and coughed, grabbing at his soaking wet suit jacket.

"You nearly fucking scared me to death, Jack! What the hell are you doing?" I was pushing at his chest. "I went for a swim, is all." I coughed again. "You damn near drowned me, scaring me like that."

His hair was plastered around his face, and he should have looked ridiculous, having jumped into the lake fully clothed to rescue me. But the fact was, he looked sexier than ever. His white shirt clung transparently to his chest and the muscles underneath were hard and beautifully formed. His arms were thick and sculpted under my hands. Water ran from his hair and dripped from the hard set of his jaw. He was pissed, but god, was he hot.

"You went too far, Libby," he said with a bite that made me stop struggling. He pulled me against him, heading back for the beach with my wet, naked body in tow alongside his. "It's alright to swim here, but not out so far. And never. Ever. Alone."

His words were punctuated with the effort of his strokes as he swam. The eroticism of being naked in the water with him was fast giving way to the knowledge that in another minute he was going to be pulling me out of the lake like wet fish. He was angry and he was right. I knew better than to swim alone. But he didn't have to treat me like a child. And I sure as hell hadn't needed rescuing. I figured righteous indignation could be a decent parry to complete humiliation…

"If you'd just let go," I argued, "I can swim back perfectly well on my own." I pushed at his chest, but his arms stayed tight around me. "You didn't have to do this…"

He kept me beside him, and when his feet hit bottom, he swept me into his arms and carried me out of the water. His suit was ruined, running streams into the sand at our feet. And my bare breasts were crushed against it. His eyes blazed into mine.

"No, Libby," he said. "I did." His chest was heaving. "As long as you live under my roof, you're my fucking responsibility and so help me, if you take another chance like that…"

"I floated out too far, Jack. But I'm a strong swimmer. I wasn't in danger."

"It's not just about you anymore, Libby. What if my baby was already inside you? And something happened and you both needed help?" His voice was still sharp, but for the first time he seemed to realize I was completely naked in his arms. My breasts were crushed against his chest, separated from his skin only by soaked fabric. And my cold, traitorous nipples were hard and round as marbles. His right arm was under my knees, his big hand cupping my bare ass. His eyes moved down for a fleeting instant before he looked me in the eyes again. "I won't have you taking risks, sweetheart," he said and I felt that hot, fluttering sensation inside. "I won't lose you when it's taken all this time just to find you…"

His gaze moved down again and I had to struggle for breath. He was looking at my body, really looking at me now. And there was no place to hide. In spite of all my bare, wet skin, I felt suddenly hot. I like how he looks at me, his eyes on my flesh…

"I won't again swim without you…," I promised. We locked eyes and an electric current passed between us.

"No," he said, with the barest hint of a smile. "No… you won't."