Little Secrets: Unexpectedly Pregnant

But, for now, he’d enjoy her, take what she was so generously offering because making love with Sage was earth-shattering.

Tyce lifted his hand to touch her, to connect, but she shook her head and stepped out of his reach. Damn, she wasn’t done talking…

“I know that we are equally responsible for me being pregnant but I have this crazy urge to apologize, to say sorry for messing up your life with a baby.”

God. That was what she was thinking? That her being pregnant was something he regretted? Man, she couldn’t be more wrong. He regretted many things, particularly his inability to be the type of man she needed, but he had no regrets about their still-baking baby.

Maybe that was because he was starting to see their child as a bridge back to some sort of normality, a way to modify his ideas about families and what they meant. He was being given a second chance, as an adult, to create a unit that had all the people in all the right roles. He and Sage wouldn’t live together but his child would have a mother and a father and they would be the adults and their child would have the freedom to be a child.

And yes, maybe he was looking at this baby as the one soul with whom he could reconnect emotionally; a safe place to try that. His kid would be his kid, would be a big part of his life for the next eighteen years at least, right?

Tyce placed his hands on either side of Sage’s face, thinking that her skin was so soft, that she smelled like a field of gently scented roses. Her blue eyes locked on his and he took a step so that her breasts just touched his chest. He needed to get closer, needed to feel her in his arms, needed… God, he needed her. His head started to swim but he knew he couldn’t afford to be distracted; his answer was too important to mess up. “We’ve made a muddle of a lot of things, Sage, but you having my baby? That’s not one of them.”

“Are you sure? He, or she, is going to flip our world.”

“That’s not always a bad thing and I’m strapped in for the ride.” He kissed her nose before pulling her closer, hugging her tight. “The baby is a gift that I haven’t said thank you for so…thank you. I have many regrets, Sage, but this baby will never be one of them.”

Tyce felt a little of her tension seep out of her body so he lowered his head and slowly, gently kissed the corner of her mouth, leaving his lips there, inhaling her unique scent. This time he allowed his head to swim, and placed a hand in the middle of her back and pulled her up against his body, his erection pushing into her stomach, her breasts against his chest. Sage sighed and once again he slowly, gently traced the seam of her mouth, the edges of her lips. He wanted to plunge and plunder, to allow their crazy passion to spiral but he knew that if he let passion reign, he’d lose her.

This was a kiss of promise, of tenderness, something different than what they’d ever shared before. This wasn’t the time, he reminded his junk, to do what came naturally. That time would come later and he could wait. This moment was too important to mess up.

Tyce pulled back and then stepped away from her, running his hands through his hair. He risked looking at Sage. She held her fingers to her lips, her eyes wide and dreamy. Tyce started to move toward her, caught himself and muttered a silent curse.

His sensible side surfaced. If he didn’t corral his emotional side he would create that which would be forever difficult to tame. Later, he could love her when emotion wasn’t running quite so high, when his heart wasn’t trying to punch its way out of his chest. Yeah, it was better if they calmed down a little.

Or a lot.

* * *

Sage had run out of excuses to delay meeting Lachlyn. She’d deliberately missed a dinner at The Den to introduce Lachlyn to the clan and she’d postponed meeting her for coffee. Twice. Her excuses were so thin they had holes in them. Giving in to verbal pressure from her brothers, and subtle, silent pressure from Tyce, Sage finally asked Tyce’s sister to meet her at The Den. Linc and Tate and their kids were out of town so she had her childhood home to herself and she thought it was the right place for their first meeting.

Sage stepped into the hallway of the famous brownstone and started to unwrap her scarf. “Maybe we should’ve met at a coffee shop.”

Tyce, who’d offered to accompany her to The Den and stay to introduce them before leaving them to talk, didn’t reply. He just stood in the double-volume hallway, his eyes darting around the magnificent space. Tyce was another reason why she couldn’t delay meeting Lachlyn any longer. The newest member of the clan was his sister and she couldn’t keep avoiding her baby’s aunt.

Despite her excuses not to meet Lachlyn, Sage could admit to feeling a tad braver, a little stronger about the changing circumstances. Also, being around Tyce made her feel like she should step up a bit more. He was consistently strong and she was not talking about that most very excellent body she adored. He was mentally tough and if they were going to co-parent together, be in each other’s lives, she had to be, as well.