The Brooding Surgeon's Baby Bombshell

Zoe’s heart danced. She lifted her arms, inviting him to join her. Gabe sat beside her instead. Their gazes held as he placed a hand over the baby. Hers came to rest on his before he slowly leaned down to kiss her. His sweet, tender ways were her undoing. This was the affection that love was made of. In her heart she’d known it when she’d invited him into her hotel room that fateful stormy night. Cupping his face in both hands, she held his mouth to hers.

His kisses were easy, caring, loving. She was being cherished with each touch of his lips. He controlled their kiss, refusing when she wanted to take it deeper. Her soul played joyous notes as he lightly skimmed his mouth over hers.

Zoe sucked in a breath as his attention left her lips to travel over her cheek. His mouth found the sweet spot behind her ear, pressed and suckled. His fingertips trailed down along the length of her arm and up again. She shuddered. Every nerve in her body was alive where Gabe’s next touch landed. He moved to her shoulder, leaving a kiss in the dip there before dropping more along a path to the rise of her breast.

Her breath hitched then caught when he cradled her in his hand. He shifted her breast, looked for a second before his mouth covered her nipple. Fireworks went off inside her, her breasts grew heavy, and her core tingled. Her fingers funneled into his hair as she relaxed on the pillow, closed her eyes and took in each precious nuance of his caresses.

“Gabe.” She lifted her shoulders, tugging his head toward hers.

He resisted. “Shh. Just feel.”

Could she take more? That was all she was doing—feeling. Her body was on fire with want. Her body throbbed, ached, begged for relief.

Gabe suckled then circled her nipple with his tongue. Her body clenched. As he continued to worship her with his mouth, his hand traveled tantalizingly slow over her hip then across her middle. A finger traced the circumference of her belly button before it glided downward. It brushed her curls and Zoe’s hips flexed. Gabe kissed the baby once more before his mouth returned to cover hers.

He pulled away too soon and she groaned, reaching for him in protest. Gabe chuckled lightly as he shifted on the bed so that her calves lay across his lap. The firm bulge of his manhood was visible beneath his pants. A slight smile came to her lips. He hadn’t remained unaffected by their kisses.

Zoe watched as he picked up her foot and began to massage it. When she pulled at a corner of the sheet in an effort to cover herself, he tugged it away.

“I want to admire you. Watch your body turn all rosy for me.”

She’d never lain naked in front of a man, much less while he touched and kissed her all over. There was something titillating and erotic about it to be desired so.

Gabe paid special attention to each of her toes, pulling gently before moving to the next. When he was done, he brought her foot to his mouth and placed his lips to her arch. Zoe sighed. This was heaven. How it should be between a man and a woman. Their gazes met and held. She bit her bottom lip as Gabe slowly ran his hand from her ankle up to her thigh, slipped inside the crease of her legs and then moved down again.

How much longer could she take his ministrations?

His wicked smile was equally sexy as he picked up her other foot. Confidence covered his handsome face. He was aware of what he was making her feel, enjoying it. After giving that foot the same attention he had given the other, he grabbed a pillow, placed it beside her, then another and did the same before he said, “Turn over.”

“Gabe, I don’t think—”

“Trust me.”

In spite of all her precautions, she’d found she could do just that. Gabe was so much more than she’d first given him credit for. Rolling not very gracefully onto her stomach, she allowed Gabe to help place the pillows so that any pressure was off the baby. She glanced back to see he had moved again so that he sat beside her hips. Over the next few minutes she concentrated on the provocative feel of his fingers as they teased their way up one leg, slipped between it and the other long enough for her center to burn with need, before moving away, leaving her wanting. Too soon his hand moved on to the other leg, teasing her to the point she quivered all over. When she believed Gabe could do nothing more to raise her arousal higher, his mouth found the curve of her back. His lips kissed their way up her back one vertebra at a time. At her neck, he pushed her hair away and gave her a sensual nip as his hand brushed the side of her breast. Zoe groaned.

“Roll to your back.” Gabe’s voice was gruff as if he were grasping for control. She couldn’t have moved without his help. Gabe’s magic hands had reduced her to nothing more than a lump of putty held together by bones. When she’d returned to her back, his attentions went directly to the V of her legs, touching, withdrawing and approaching to tease once again.

“I want to watch you find your pleasure.” His voice was low, coaxing. His lips settled on hers as his finger slipped into her center. She jerked upward, eager for relief only Gabe could provide.

His mouth slowly released hers before his look captured hers, held. He moved his finger faster. Tension built in her, squeezed, pulsed, before the dam burst. Her eyes widened as she flew off into paradise. She saw the look of wonder on Gabe’s face as she shuddered before her eyelids fluttered closed.

“Thank you,” she murmured.

He kissed her forehead. “My pleasure, honey.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

GABE’S FINGERS TRAILED across Zoe’s shoulder as he pulled back and stood. He covered her. What he’d experienced with Zoe had never happened to him before. He had always thought of himself as a generous lover and seen to his partner’s release, but he’d never given anyone the attention he had given her. He’d not worried about his own desires but hers instead, determined that Zoe understood all he felt.

She was special. Very. If she was willing, he wanted to work something out. Find a way they could stay together after the baby. When the time was right he would talk to her about

it. See if she felt the same way. But still he worried he couldn’t give her all she wanted. Could he be that present husband and father she dreamed of? Was he willing to find the balance in his life that would make it work?

He headed for the shower. It would be a cold one tonight. Sometime later he turned off the lamp and crawled under the bedcovers, pulling the warm, sleeping Zoe to him. With a sigh he drifted off to sleep. This was too right.

* * *

It was still dark when Zoe’s warm bottom rubbed against him. In an instant his body responded.

“Mmm...” Zoe murmured, before she turned to face him, her hand resting on his chest.

Gabe wasn’t sure she was awake but he certainly was.

Zoe slid her hand up his chest and behind his neck. When she kissed his chest he sucked in a breath.

“You awake?” Her sleep-laden voice sounded so sexy.

“Yes, honey. I’m awake.” And in pain.

“Honey.” She kissed his chest again. “I like it when you call me that.”

Gabe brushed his hand over the lower part of her back. He’d never called a woman that before.

“I like it,” Zoe mumbled. “And I like you.”

“I like you too.” His lips found hers.

She pulled closer, moving and shifting so the baby pressed more into his side than on his middle. Her mouth opened for him. Gabe took her invitation. His tongue found hers, performing an erotic dance that was theirs alone.

“If you continue that, I won’t keep my promise to just hold you.”

“I’d like being held but I like other things too.” Her hand moved lower.

“Are you sure?” If she continued, he would do anything she asked.

Zoe pulled his face to hers, kissing his eyes, his cheek, his chin before her lips found his. She squirmed, brushing against his arousal. That was more than Gabe could take. He rolled Zoe to her back and braced himself over her on his hands.

Gently, he entered her. Zoe lifted her hips, helping him to settle deep in her. As he entered and withdrew in the age-old manner, Zoe hissed while her fingers gripped his shoulders as he moved. His lips found hers. He increased the pace. She squirmed beneath him as if trying to work closer. With uncertain control, he built their pleasure until Zoe moaned and the tension in her relaxed. Gabe thrust a few more times, before he groaned his release. He fell to Zoe’s side and pulled her close, kissing her shoulder. Would life ever be this good again...?