Evening Star (Star Quartet 1)

“Yes, you were right. I care about the baby’s health and my own.”

“You gave Jennifer her comeuppance,” he said on a smile.

Giana giggled. “Yes, I did it well, didn’t I?” She turned on her side toward him and gently caressed the black hair on his chest. “How drunk are you, Mr. Saxton?”

“Never too drunk,” he said. “You’re always easy.” He felt her hand glide down to his belly, and stiffened.

“Do you think any man could excite me, Alex?”

“No,” he said.

“I don’t think so either,” she said. “You are so beautiful, Alex.” She rose to her knees above him and leaned down toward his mouth. “Even though you st

ink of brandy, I want to kiss you.”

“You think all will be forgiven if I let you seduce me?”

Giana grinned to herself at the irritation in his voice. “No, I’m simply thinking of myself.” She rubbed her breasts against his chest, and reached her hand down to grasp him. “Aren’t you even a bit interested, Alex?”

“Witch,” he said.

“I love you to kiss me,” she said when he released her for a moment.

Alex rolled her on her back and dipped his mouth down to hers again. His hand was gentle on her breast.

“He is growing,” he said into her mouth as his fingers caressed her swelling belly.

Alex raised his face and smiled down into her eyes. “You’re beautiful, Giana, save for your feet.”

She blinked at him. “My feet? You’re drunk, Alex.”

“I didn’t want to hurt your feelings before,” he said, frowning down the length of her legs, “but the brandy has loosened my tongue. You have flat feet, Giana.”

He glided his hand down her leg, pausing a moment to caress the back of her knee, and picked up a foot. “Flat,” he said. “At least they’re small feet, and don’t intrude too much.”

Alex grinned shamelessly at her, slipped off the bed, and said, “I need more light. A man likes to see what he’s doing.”

He moved the lamp close, and resumed his study of her. “Yes, it’s only your feet I can find any fault with,” he said with satisfaction after a moment. When he covered her again, her legs grew slack and her body opened to him. She cried out his name, her hands tangling in his hair, and tensed beneath him.

“Only your feet.” He felt her muscles contract as he thrust inside her, pulling him deeper, and he fell on top of her, moaning his pleasure against her neck.

He fell into a drunken, sated sleep, pressed against her back, his hand lying negligently on her belly.

It has been a very good day, Giana thought to herself, snuggling closer to Alex’s belly.

Alex suddenly said, “I did my best to fatten you up today. We’ll see Monday if Dr. Davidson thinks you less of a runt.”

To Giana’s utter chagrin, Alex insisted upon being present when Dr. Davidson visited her. And he was in a devilish mood.

Elvan, aware to the soles of his feet of the scene around him, found that he was blushing again. That Alex should remain simply wasn’t done.

“Have you felt the baby move yet, Mrs. Saxton?”

Giana shook her head.

“Nor have I,” Alex said.

Elvan cleared his throat. “Are you resting each afternoon, Mrs. Saxton?”