She grew more confident, so he removed his hand and let her fly solo. Only, there was nothing solo about this experience. She watched him as she caressed him, her eyes turning darker, smokier, with each passing second.
Awareness shot through him. Other women had pleasured him this way, skillfully using their hands and mouth to give him satisfaction. But this woman, with hands not quite so skillful, her delicious mouth not nearly close enough to his, gave him the most erotic experience of his life. It was the look in her eyes that did it, her pleasure in watching him.
When he finally finished shuddering, he rolled away for a moment. Then he spun back and faced her, giving her a long kiss. “Thank you.”
She offered him a slumberous smile. “No, thank you.”
He traced her lower lip with his finger. “You’ll pay for this,” he teased, intending to take his time in pleasuring her.
“Oh, I hope so,” she whispered, then rested her cheek against his chest and lowered her lashes, but not before he saw a strange look in her eyes, making his heart stop beating for a second.
But before he could wonder about that look, she murmured, “I’m sleepy now, Flynn.”
He watched her eyes close fully and he took a breath, tenderly kissing her silky hair, holding her close until her body relaxed fully in sleep against him.
Yet the look she’d given had him thinking. He rarely second-guessed himself, but there’d been something different about that look. And his insides screamed she was holding something back.
Ten
Over the next few weeks as her baby grew inside her, Danielle found their relationship had moved to another level. For some reason Flynn had changed. He didn’t seem quite as hard or alone as he’d been before.
She knew she had changed, as well. How could she not? Thankfully her pregnancy was making her increasingly mellow and she was grateful, now, that Flynn had asked her to come here to live. Loving him would one day break her heart, but that was in the future. She felt more at peace with herself than she’d felt in a long time.
Of course, loving him also meant she found it harder to erect her usual barriers against him. Lord knows she tried to keep an emotional distance when he suggested she redecorate the dining room then encouraged her to do the rest of the house, or came to her birthing classes, or even when he asked her over dinner how her day had been.
Then she’d see him watching her with a glittering light in his eyes that said he wanted her…and would go on wanting her and when he’d take her in his arms later that night she’d melt for him. She’d forget for the moment that after the baby was born, she’d need to walk away from the man she loved.
Her dreams usually reflected her thoughts, and more so now because of her pregnancy. So it was no surprise when Danielle had a dream she was swimming in the warm ocean. She felt buoyant and alive as she lay on her back, looking up at the bright blue sky, Flynn beside her.
And then the dream changed. The water had turned cold and her stomach had begun to cramp. She was beginning to sink. She reached out for Flynn but he wasn’t there.
She woke with a start and realized the pain in her stomach was real, and her heart jumped in her throat as she lifted the quilt, relieved when everything seemed fine.
Then another cramp hit, making her gasp. Dear God.
The baby.
Panic filled her and suddenly she wanted Flynn by her side. Her first instinct was to call him at work. She reached for the phone, but her hand stopped midair. He’d said he had an important meeting today. Should she interrupt him?
Then something struck her. Could she really ask this of him now that she knew of his past? Hadn’t he suffered enough from the scars of his mother’s death? Could she put him through a possible miscarriage?
She almost cried at that last thought, and her hand dropped to her side. If she lost the baby…if it was going to happen…and, dear God, she hoped it didn’t…she couldn’t do this to Flynn. Not to the man she loved.
She’d go to the hospital first and take it from there. Perhaps she was overreacting. If everything was okay, she’d even call him from the hospital and tell him about it then.
She would go to the hospital, she decided, pushing herself out of bed, her knees shaky. The pain was low in her abdomen but she could still walk okay. She dressed and phoned down to Thomas, asking him to bring the car around as she had suddenly remembered a doctor’s appointment at the hospital.
Louise was a bit harder to convince, her sharp eyes watching as Danielle told the housekeeper she didn’t want any breakfast.
“You should eat something,” the older woman insisted.
“I don’t have time, Louise,” she said, and walked out to the car as carefully as she could.
Thomas helped her into the Mercedes and she schooled her features as she felt her stomach cramp again. Thank goodness the hospital was only ten minutes away.
“My God!” Flynn whispered, a white mist seeming to cover his eyes, blocking his vision. He couldn’t believe what Louise was telling him on the telephone. Danielle had started having pains and had gone to the hospital without telling him.
“She didn’t look herself when she came downstairs this morning,” Louise continued. “And then I got suspicious when she said she had a doctor’s appointment and I knew she didn’t. So after Thomas dropped her off, I told him to take me to her.”
“Don’t leave her side,” he ordered.
“Flynn, the doctor said she was going to be okay,” she assured him quickly.
“I’ll be there soon,” he managed to say, not daring to believe that. He dropped the telephone back in place, then strode out the office door, throwing out instructions to Connie to get his car now.
How could Danielle even think about not telling him? Did she think he cared so little about her and the baby? Didn’t she know he loved her?
It hit him then. They belonged together. She was his, and he was hers.
He loved her.
He swallowed hard and tried not to think about losing her. Losing them both. Dear God, please don’t take them away from me. He couldn’t imagine a life without her now. Danielle filled every crevice, every pore, every beat of his heart.
By the time he arrived at the hospital, he’d been to hell and back. He didn’t even see Louise get up and leave as he entered the room. He had eyes only for Danielle, whose face had lit up when she saw him, sending a jolt of love through his chest.
“Flynn, everything’s fine,” Danielle said hurriedly as he strode toward her. “The doctor did some tests and they’re all normal.”
An avalanche of relief swept over him…through him…Danielle and the baby were going to be okay.
He kissed her hard, then pulled back with a rough groan. “You should have told me,” he rasped. “I wanted to be with you.”
Her eyes softened as she reached out and touched his face. “I know how your mother died, Flynn. Louise told me.”
He swore. So that was what this was all about. “She’s fired.”
“Don’t be mad at Louise. She did tell you I was here, didn’t she?”
Okay, so maybe he wouldn’t fire her. Louise loved Danielle anyway. How could she not?
He brought her hand to his lips. “I love you, Danielle. I love you with everything in me. With all my heart.”
Her lips parted on a gasp. “You do?”
He took a breath, stared intently into her eyes and thanked God he had a second chance to say what he was feeling to the woman he loved. “I want you, my love. And I want to be inside you. Not just with my body but with my heart. You are part of me.”
A whirlwind of emotions flickered over her face, then settled to just one. “I love you, Flynn Donovan. You’re everything I want in a man. You’re good and kind and decent and you’ve lifted the darkness from my heart. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Flynn’s heart expanded, stunned by the sheer look of love shining from her eyes. It wrapped around him, flowed through him, became one with him. He had to have her in his life. It was that simple.
He kissed her again, lingered, then shaped her face with his hands. “You already knew you loved me, didn’t you?”
Soft pink entered her cheeks. “Yes. It was the time you came back from Brisbane just to be with me.”
He remembered that night well. It had been the first time she’d initiated their lovemaking, when he’d felt she’d kept something back. Now he knew what that something was.
“Will you marry me?”
Her eyes shone. “Oh, yes.”
“That’s what I like to hear.” Then he realized what he’d said and he winced. “I’ll try not to smother you. I’ll let you have time to yourself. You’d be a wonderful interior designer and I think you should do some training. You’ll do well and—”
“Thank you for that,” she said, reaching out and stroking his chin. “As long as you love me I’ll be happy, my darling.”
He kissed her mouth again, believing her, believing in her. “If my love is all it takes, then you’re going to be one very pleased lady.
Epilogue
Danielle sucked in a sharp breath. “Oh. Here comes another one.”
“Do your breathing exercises, sweetheart,” Flynn coaxed.
A few minutes later, she relaxed back against the pillows, perspiration moistening her top lip. “That one’s over.” She looked at Flynn and sympathy filled her eyes. “You really don’t have to stay with me. I’m fine.”
He muttered a swearword under his breath. “I’m staying.”
A worried frown marred her forehead. “It might get stressful,” she warned.
He swallowed hard. “Do you know how stressed I already am?”
A soft curve touched her lips. “No. Tell me.”
He caught her hand, kissed the inside of her wrist. “Temptress.”
She smiled with love. Ever since their marriage three months ago, every day had been more than wonderful. She couldn’t have asked for a more loving husband, nor for a better family and friends in Louise and Thomas, and in Flynn’s friends, Kia, Brant and Damien.
She gasped. “Flynn, I need to speak to the nurse,” she said as another contraction took hold.
“Where’s the bloody doctor?” he growled, and strode to the door, looking up and down the hallway. “He should be here by now. I’m paying him enough.”
As the contraction subsided, Danielle began to focus on her surroundings again. She looked at him and saw he was white around the mouth. Poor Flynn. He wasn’t used to not being in control.
Another contraction hit. “Ooh, here comes another one. I think it’s time to have the baby. I’ve got the urge to push. And it’s gett-ing stron-ger,” she panted.
He wiped her brow with a damp cloth. “Is there anything I can do?”
She grasped his hand and squeezed. “Just be with me.”
He pushed the hair out of her eyes. “I’ll be here, my love.”
His words helped on one level, but not on another when the next contraction was fast rolling into the last one. They were coming so close together. She couldn’t stop a moan of pain.