The Nurse's Baby Secret

He kissed her until her feet floated off the ground and her insides turned to putty.

Then he kissed her more.

Dropping to his knees, he lifted the gown she wore, revealing her very round belly.

Even in the three weeks since she’d seen him, her belly had expanded. She wasn’t svelte or sexy or anything that would light any fires, but she stood proudly anyway, because this was her body, their baby growing inside her.

His gaze lifted to hers and she saw the emotion there, that same one she’d seen all those months ago and thought it meant he loved her, the same one she’d questioned time and again when she’d been in Nashville. She wouldn’t fool herself that love was what she saw now, but there was something. Something sweet and pure and real.

He leaned forward and kissed her belly as if it were the most precious thing ever. It was.

Her knees threatened to buckle and she grabbed hold of his shoulders to steady herself. Why was he kissing her? Why was he caressing her belly?

“I guess the hiccups are gone?”

She nodded, staring down at him with her confusion no doubt showing on her face. She couldn’t have hidden it if she’d tried.

“I’ll just have to stick around until the next time. Let’s hope it takes a while, because I don’t have any place to go and definitely don’t feel up to driving back to Nashville tonight.”

“You can stay here.” After all, he had let her stay at his place while she recuperated. Letting him stay was the least she could do.

“That’s a great idea,” he said, kissing her belly again as his hands caressed her. “But we’ll have to figure out some way to pass the time.”

Was he suggesting...? Surely not. She’d stayed at his place for a month and he hadn’t made sexual advances toward her other than when he’d kissed her. To think that within five minutes of him being back in Chattanooga he’d be propositioning her was crazy.

“Let’s play cards.”

“Cards?” Were her fingers digging into his shoulders? Probably, but she had to hang on because she felt off kilter.

“Yep. I have the deck you gave me in my pocket.”

“Is that what that is?”

He grinned up at her. “What did you think it was?”

Still not understanding why he was there, why he was kissing her, her belly, and not understanding him wanting to play cards with her, she took a step back.

“Fine. Let’s play cards, but no whining when I beat you.”

He followed her to the sofa, pulled the coffee table closer. “I’m changing up the rules a little for this game.”

“Sure you are. How else do you have a chance of winning?”

“Something I’ve realized, Savannah, is that when I’m with you, I’m always the winner.”

She wrinkled her nose at him. “Have you been drinking?”

He frowned. “You know I don’t drink.”

“Why are you here, Charlie, because I know it’s not to play cards with me?”

“You called,” he reminded her.

True, she had.

“You were already on your way here.”

He nodded. “I was.”