Her heart skipped a beat as she imagined Reilly’s persuasion techniques. “Oh?” She moved a step closer, bringing their bodies into contact, and the scent of his natural masculinity came over her. It made her long to run her tongue over his beautiful, full lips. “And how would you do that?”
“Like this,” he groaned as his head descended and his mouth brushed hers.
Rising up on her tiptoes, Lucy deepened the kiss. Initiating the first contact gave her a sense of feminine power. Reilly stood motionless, not touching her, as if he were afraid of startling her. Lucy wasn’t nearly as careful, though, as her fingers delved into the thick mass of his hair. A tremor raced through her body. God, how she loved the taste of him. When Reilly slipped his tongue inside her mouth, stroking the interior before playing with her tongue, Lucy came to her senses. She pulled back and saw the raw desire on Reilly’s face.
“What are we doing?” Her mind was a whirl of emotion. Reilly’s very presence drove her to do things and think things she’d never before considered. She needed to talk to him, find out what was going on between them, where this was headed. Why couldn’t she think straight when he was anywhere near?
“We’re getting reacquainted,” he replied as he fisted his hands at his sides. “I’ve missed you like crazy, sweetheart.”
“And I’ve missed you,” she admitted, knowing he deserved total honesty. “But is this really wise?” She motioned between them. “You and me? I mean, I feel like things are complicated enough right now with the baby and all.”
“You’re the mother of my child, that’s true, but I care about you, Lucy. I like spending time with you, and I want the chance to see where this could lead.” He brushed a finger over her bottom lip. “I think we owe each other that much.”
Fear of having her heart shattered prevented her from spilling her guts. Still, she didn’t want to look back on this moment and wonder “what if”. She wanted a chance with Reilly. It was now or never.
“I care about you too,” she confided. His slow, sexy grin disarmed her, and she found herself confessing, “And I’ve missed you terribly.”
Reilly took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. He kissed each of her knuckles, then whispered, “Come home with me. Let me love you, Lucy.”
His words went straight to her soft spot. Darn it, the man played dirty. “W-what about dinner?”
“I’ll cook. Whatever you want, name it.”
“Oh sure, offer a pregnant lady food,” she said, hoping to lighten the mood a little, lest she catch fire. “As if I could possibly say no.”
Reilly chuckled. “What can I say? I’m a Jennings, and we play to win.”
Lucy knew truer words were never spoken.
They’d left her car at the restaurant and taken Reilly’s truck. She’d noticed he’d driven a good five miles under the speed limit and wondered if that was out of concern for the baby. Now, as they headed up the sidewalk to the front door of Reilly’s house, Lucy’s hands trembled with restless energy. It may as well have been their first time together, the way her stomach knotted. Who could blame her? She never knew what to expect with Reilly. He’d sure as hell surprised her by offering marriage. Nope, she definitely hadn’t seen that one coming.
Once they were inside, Reilly locked the door and took her into his arms. Lucy nearly drowned in his blazing green pools as she stared up at him. God, it’d be so much easier not to melt if he was a toad. Better yet, an ogre.
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“You and the baby, you’re both important to me, sweetheart,” he murmured. “Never forget that.”
The intimate moment had Lucy anxious to protect her fragile heart. “One day at a time, Reilly,” she warned him. “That’s all I’m capable of here. I can’t take giant leaps, not when so much is at stake.”
Reilly stared at her for a few seconds, then released her and stalked across the room. He stared out the sliding glass doors leading onto the back deck. Lucy was desperate to know what was going on inside Reilly’s head, but since she couldn’t, she strode to the couch and dropped her purse on the coffee table. She sat and waited for him to say something, to break the sudden tension filling the room.
When he turned around, his expression was unreadable, and Lucy hated it. “Your apartment, is it suitable for a baby?”
Where had that come from? When Lucy considered his question, she had to admit her place wasn’t truly big enough for a child. Oh, she could get away with it for the first few months after the baby was born, but she’d need a bigger apartment sooner or later. Oh God, she was horrible at this motherhood business. She buried her head in her hands as her emotions swept over her. She wasn’t cut out to be a parent. Her own mother had died, and her father had resented having to raise two daughters alone. He’d taken every chance he could to belittle her and make her feel guilty for ever having been born. She wouldn’t do that to her child. She was already making mistakes, but her baby would know only love from her. Lucy’s eyes stung with tears. No matter how hard she tried, they fell anyway, damn it.
Reilly came across the room so fast she wondered if he had supernatural powers or something. It would just figure if he did. He crouched in front of her and pried her hands away from her face. His forehead wrinkled, and his light green eyes warmed. Lucy dearly wanted to believe he cared. To believe she meant something to him beyond being the mother of his child.
“I did this?” he asked as he swiped away a tear.
Despite feeling like the world’s worst pregnant lady, Lucy smiled. “Your voice gets all rough and deep when you worry.”
Reilly cupped her face in his strong hands. “I don’t want to cause you more stress, sweetheart,” he murmured. “We’ll leave this discussion for another day, okay?”
Lucy fell just the slightest bit in love with the handsome man in that moment. Reilly took all the blame for her anxiety, though it wasn’t necessary.
She placed her palm over one of his and brought it to her lap, where she began idly stroking her fingers over the back of it. “I’m just feeling a little raw right now. I hadn’t even considered the size of my apartment. I’m afraid I’m going to be a lousy mother. I mean, let’s face it, I’m so not June Cleaver.”
Reilly frowned. “June Cleaver? Why should we care whether you’re anything like her?”