Pregnant with the Rancher's Baby: Reclaimed by the Rancher

She knew she would have to put aside all of the things that had been holding her back and that she might very well end up getting her heart broken again. But as one of her coworkers always said, the heart wants what it wants. And her heart wanted Nate.

“I think we’d better...stop this before I do something that’s sure to...get me into big trouble,” Nate said, sounding as short of breath as she felt. He moved her to his side and turned to face her. “Right now, I want you more than I want my next breath and as bad as I hate to say this, it might be best for you to sleep across the hall tonight.”

The warmth inside her increased and her pulse raced. “Is that what you want me to do?”

“Hell, no!” He laughed as he shook his head. “What I’d like to do is to take you upstairs right now, remove every stitch of your clothes and spend the entire night making love to every inch of your delightful body.”

Her heart skipped a beat and she had to remind herself to breathe. “Then why don’t you?” she asked before she could stop herself.

A deep groan rumbled up from his chest a moment before he leaned back to look at her. “Jessie, I’m not in any shape right now to be a gentleman. The past week has done a real number on my nobility and willpower. If you don’t mean what you just said, then it would be a real good idea to put some distance between us right about now.”

Reaching up, she cupped his lean cheeks with her hands. “I don’t want to move away from you, Nate. I want to be so close to you that our hearts beat as one.”

He closed his eyes for a moment and she watched a nerve jerk along his jaw. “Are you sure about this?”

“Yes,” she said decisively. She would face whatever consequences her actions caused later. At the moment, being in Nate’s arms, having him love her as only he could was all that mattered.

“Let’s go upstairs, darlin’,” he said, getting up to help her from the couch.

Neither spoke as they walked out of the media room, across the foyer and up the stairs. Words were unnecessary. They both knew what they were about to do was the next step in resuming their relationship and whether it worked out for them or not, Jessie knew in her heart she would regret it for the rest of her life if she didn’t give them the chance to find out.

He put his arm around her shoulders as they went down the hall to the master suite and once the door was closed behind them, he took her in his arms for a kiss that left her weak in the knees. When she sagged against him, Nate swung her up in his arms to carry her across the sitting area to the king-size bed.

“From what I’ve read, it should be safe for us to make love,” he said, setting her on her feet. He reached up to trace her jaw with his index finger. “But I want to make sure, darlin’. Did Dr. Evans mention anything that might indicate we shouldn’t?”

“No.” His concern was touching. “As long as we aren’t rough, everything should be fine.”

He chuckled as he lifted her maternity top up and over her head. “No wild, swing-from-the-rafters-like-a-monkey kind of sex, huh?”

She smiled. “I don’t recall you and I ever engaging in anything like that before.”

Shaking his head, he kissed her collarbone as he unfastened the clasp of her bra. “That’s never been my style, darlin’. I’ve always preferred taking my time and loving every inch of you.”

A shiver of anticipation coursed through her as he slid the lacy straps from her shoulders and tossed it aside. “I’ve always thought your body was beautiful,” he said, his tone husky as he cupped her breasts in his calloused palms.

She knew her body looked vastly different than it had the last time he’d seen it and although she felt sexy and took pride in her impending motherhood, she had heard that some men found it to be a turnoff. “A lot of things have changed because of the pregnancy,” she said, feeling a little self-conscious.

“I noticed that at the doctor’s office today,” he said, nodding. When he kissed each of her breasts, then raised his head, the look in his eyes made her feel like the most cherished woman alive. “Maybe it’s because it’s my baby you’re carrying, but I’ve never seen you look more beautiful than you do right now.”

His heartfelt compliment caused a lump of emotion to clog her throat and she raised up on tiptoes to press a kiss to the steady pulse at the base of his neck. “You look pretty good yourself, cowboy,” she said, loving the look of sincere appreciation in his dark blue eyes.