We get home, and getting myself to move from the car to the house is a bit of a struggle. I stagger toward the living room, but before I get to the couch, Cora grabs my arm.
“I think it’s better if you go straight upstairs,” Cora says.
My male senses perk up. I encircle her waist. “Just what I need. I can’t wait to get you naked and make you scream.”
“You’re not going to make anyone scream tonight,” she mutters as we climb the stairs one at a time.
It’s slow progress, but somehow, I can’t make my feet move faster. I use the wall for support and make my way to our bedroom.
I collapse heavily on the bed and sit down at the edge.
“I’ll get your shoes off,” Cora says and kneels in front of me.
“I can do it myself.” I make a move to bend forward, but I guess the wiring in my brain is messed up because I flop down the opposite way and land on the bed facing up.
Cora giggles. “You’re funny when you’re drunk.” She lifts my legs and swings them to the bed. “Your legs are dead weight.”
Her voice sounds like it’s coming from very far. I raise my hands in a gesture that she should get on top of me.
Chapter 34
Cora
I’m on my second cup of tea when Thomas walks into the kitchen looking like he’s been run over by a truck. He looks sinfully handsome with his hair messed up and his eyes straining to see. I laugh.
“Morning,” he mumbles and comes to kiss my forehead.
He’s wearing boxer briefs only, and my gaze is drawn to his big, sexy frame. I have a sudden urge to fold myself against that massive chest and have his strong arms encircle me.
“Morning.” I get up and pour a mug of coffee for him.
He takes it gratefully and wraps his big hands around the mug. He takes a sip and then another. “Ah, now I’m beginning to feel human. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” I sit back down and observe him as he drinks his coffee.
There’s so much I want to ask him, but I have to wait for the right time, not jump on him when he’s just woken up. Forefront on my mind is what he asked me last evening about staying with him. I don’t understand what he meant. I stayed awake half the night figuring out what he might have meant. Does he want us to try and make it work between us? That thought excited me so much that it made my baby wake up and spend the next half hour kicking my belly.
“I feel like an idiot for drinking as much as I did yesterday. I’m sorry. Did I embarrass you at work?” Thomas asks.
The temptation to trick him is high. I wear a solemn face. “You did. We need to talk about that this morning.”
A stricken look comes over his features, and he places his cup down on the table. I can’t stand seeing him like that, even for the purpose of a joke.
“I’m just kidding,” I tell him, and he grins, his features smoothening out. “You’re funny when you’re drunk.”
“That’s the first and last time you’re seeing me drunk. I usually limit myself to three beers. I guess I was too excited yesterday.”
“Congratulations on getting the job,” I tell him. “Not that I had any doubt.”
“Thank you,” Thomas says, and then his forehead creases. “Am I imagining stuff, or did I ask you to stay on?”
My heart drops to my belly. “You did.”
He holds my gaze, and electricity sizzles between us. “And what did you say?”
“I never said anything.”
“Okay. Maybe I should ask you again. Can you stay on until after the baby is born?”
I frown as it dawns on me that once again, I’m allowing myself to fantasize about the impossible. He doesn’t sound like a man who wants to try and have a relationship. He sounds like the Thomas I’ve always known who is afraid of love and vulnerability.
“Why?”
He looks away. A small ball of pain forms in my chest.
“You’ll need help with the baby, and I want to be there for you,” he says.
My heart feels like it’s shrinking, and the ball of pain in my chest grows bigger. It’s silly of me to hope that he will say he has feelings for me and wants us to be a family. Why do I always hurt myself like this? I put on a neutral expression and hope that the pain is not reflected in my face. No point in humiliating myself further.
I need to wear my big girl pants. I’m soon going to be a mother, and I can’t afford to be making decisions based on my emotions. I must think of this as the first big test.
What is best for the baby and me? I will indeed need help with the baby, especially for the first few weeks. I’ve been reading a lot on newborn babies, and from what I gather, it takes a while to settle into a routine. Then, of course, there the fact that Thomas is the baby’s dad and an obstetrician. So yeah, I’d want to be near him, but I do need more information.