Authors: Angie Daniels
“You want to go with me to Dairy Queen?”
“I’m in my pajamas.”
“We’ll order at the drive-through window. Nobody will see you.”
“I’ll go, but all I’m getting is a small ice cream cone. I need to start dieting and watching my weight. No more lasagna for me.” She grabbed a pair of flip-flops from under the bed. London picked up his keys and they headed out to his SUV.
He unlocked her door and opened it. Once he joined her in the front seat, he found her looking at him strangely. “What?”
“You think I’m fat, don’t you?”
“No, I don’t think you’re fat.”
Turning on her seat, she looked dead at him. “Then why are you taking me out for ice cream?”
“Because you made dinner and I thought some ice cream would be nice to cheer you up.”
“Oh” was all she said, then settled on the seat and stared out the window.
He pulled into Dairy Queen and stopped at the drive-through window. Bianca ordered an ice cream sundae and London ordered a chocolate-dipped cone. When they pulled away a few minutes later, London couldn’t help but shoot side glances at her.
She stopped licking her spoon. “What?”
“You’ve sort of blown your diet, haven’t you?”
She blushed as she looked at the size of the large cup of carbs and calories she’s ordered. “I’m starting tomorrow.”
Once they arrived home and had settled on the couch, he
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gazed down at her watching the way she licked the spoon, imagining her tongue licking something else. Feeling his body growing hard, he cleared his throat. “I’ll got some figures to work up. I’ll be in my office if you need anything.” He turned and didn’t dare look back; otherwise, he’d have taken her right then and there in the living room.
If he had turned around, he would have seen the look of disappointment on Bianca’s face.
Chapter 27
Two weeks after their trip to Dairy Queen, Bianca left work early for an appointment with her obstetrician. Dr. Lampton was a handsome and happily married physician who had delivered both her nieces and her nephew. Sheyna had recommended him, and immediately she felt at ease with him. After his physical examination, he asked her to meet him in his office. She had just taken the seat across from him when his nurse stepped into the room. “Dr. Lampton, sorry to interrupt, but Bianca, your husband is here. May I bring him back?”
Bianca was sure she had the wrong room. “My husband?” she managed to say. When the nurse nodded, she shrugged her shoulders and was sure she looked totally confused. “Sure, uh, send him on back.” When the nurse left, Bianca was convinced that she was going to realize her mistake and come back to apologize for the mixup.
A moment later London stepped inside the office. “Sorry I’m late,” he said silkily when he reached her, then leaned over and dropped a kissed on her mouth, which was hanging wide open.
He introduced himself to Dr. Lampton and they shook hands.
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“It is such a pleasure to meet you. I like to meet all the fathers before the birth of their babies if I can. Congratulations to the two of you on your first child. Hopefully, the Lord will bless you with many more,” the doctor said to London. “Mr. Brown, your wife is at twenty-one weeks. The baby is developing right on schedule.”
London reached over and squeezed her hand. “That’s good news.”
Dr. Lampton cupped his hands on his desk. “Do either of you have any questions for me?”
Bianca shook her head. London looked over at her, then back at the obstetrician and cleared his throat. “Actually, Dr. Lampton I have a question.”
“Sure.”
“How long is it okay for us to…” He purposely allowed his voice to trail off. From one man to another, Dr. Lampton knew what he was getting at. Bianca felt her nipples pucker.
“You and Bianca can have sex during the pregnancy as long as she feels comfortable. Bianca knows that if she experiences any abdominal pain or bleeding she needs to call me immediately.”
London met her eyes and she did not miss the desire burning in their depths.
Dr. Lampton turned to Bianca. “Well, if you don’t have any other questions, young lady, I’ll see you next month. Mr. Brown, it was a pleasure.”
They rose and left his office. With his hand at the small of her back, London steered them down the long hall. Bianca didn’t say anything until they were outside. “How did you know I was here?” she asked.
London stopped walking, and turned and faced her. “I saw it on the calendar.” He frowned. “Why didn’t you ask me to come with you?”
After several moments of intense silence, she replied,
“London, I didn’t think you wanted to come.”
“Well, I do.” Standing in front of her, he raised his hand and rested it on her round belly. “Remember, that’s my child you’re carrying. Besides, I care about you and I promise to be there every step of the way.”
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Because he promised to be there. She wished he was here because he loved her and this was where he wanted to be.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” he said and focused his attention on her mouth. Doing so caused her breathing to quicken. Her lips began to tingle. Deciding that a kiss was the only cure for her beating heartbeat, she leaned forward and tilted her face toward him.
London didn’t need any further hints. A moan surged from his throat the moment his lips pressed down on hers. Instantly, she opened to him, inviting the mating of his tongue. Desire beat in her blood and drummed in her ears, consuming her mind and heart. Need radiated from him, as well. She felt it in the intensity of their kiss. She felt it as their bodies came together, making her aware that he was hard and aroused.
Breaking off the kiss, he looked down at her and she saw the hunger in his eyes. His gaze was intense, determined. “What do you have scheduled for the rest of the afternoon?”
Bianca had felt that kiss clear down to her toes. Sexual tension surrounded them. She tried to slow her breath and slow her pulse, but nothing could bring calmness to her body, which was tense with wanting him. “Nothing,” she said, after inhaling deeply and blowing out a rush of air. “I was planning to spend the rest of the afternoon at home.”
“Good, because I plan to spend the rest of the day with my wife.”
London curled his fingers around hers and escorted Bianca to her car, then helped her in and kissed her again before walking away.
“Oh, boy. I’m in deep trouble,” she said to herself as she started her car and followed her husband home.
That evening, London insisted on taking Bianca out to dinner.
Over the last two weeks, the morning sickness had ceased and her appetite had increased—considerably. He watched with amusement as she finished a KC strip steak, a loaded potato and aspara-gus and then asked for the dessert menu. They shared a slice of Granny Smith apple pie with vanilla ice cream, then headed home.
As soon as they stepped into their bedroom, he pulled her into his arms. Slowly, he undressed his wife, guided her over to the bed then planted kisses in every area imaginable. He caressed the roundness of her belly, then moved his mouth to nuzzle her there.
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She whispered his name as he moved even lower. When he couldn’t wait a second longer, Bianca nestled him between her parted thighs, ready and eager for him to become one with her.
He felt more than physical lust for the woman who gazed up at him with sparkling eyes. His feeling for Bianca was love. London brought his mouth to hers as he entered her.
Slowly, he began to move. There was no need to rush. As far as he was concerned, they had the rest of their lives. Heat began to build and Bianca raised her hips and met his thrusts, and it wasn’t long before she was crying out his name and he hers shortly afterward.
Rolling over, he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly as their heart rates slowed.
“I’ve missed holding and touching you,” he confessed.
“Me, too,” she admitted and he could tell by her heavy sigh that the admission had been difficult for her.
“Then we will have to make sure that we continue to find time for each other.”
He held her, but could tell that she hadn’t fallen asleep. “What are you thinking about?”
She gave a frustrated sigh. “London, I’m scared about us. I’m scared because I’m five months’ pregnant and I don’t know the first thing about being a mother.”
He chuckled softly and dropped a kiss on the top of her head, his hold on her tightening. “You’re going to make a wonderful mother, Bianca, so stop worrying.”
Her cheek was against his chest. She was sure to hear the strong beat of his heart. “I can’t help it. I’ve never done this before.”
“Neither have I, but we’re going to do fine. Bianca you are the most caring woman I know. I’ve seen you with your niece.
You’re going to be a fabulous mother.”
“And you’re going to be a wonderful father.”
“Thanks, because I’m scared to death,” he said and the two of them laughed like a long-married couple.
“As for us. Don’t worry. I’ve never cared about a woman they way I care about you. So much has happened these last several weeks that I need to ask something of you.”
“Okay.”
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“Forget about the agreement. Forget about the father of your baby. All I want you to do is focus on the three of us, your husband, our baby and you, and the life we can have together. I want you to allow whatever happens to happen and when the time comes we can evaluate our relationship and decide at that time how we want to spend the rest of our lives. How does that sound to you?”
She was silent for so long he thought she had fallen asleep.
“Bianca?”
She raised herself up and he saw the tears that brimmed her eyes and the smile on her lips. His heart skipped a beat.
Did that
mean she had feelings for him, too?
he wondered.
“I think that sounds like a wonderful idea.” She then kissed him. London groaned then rolled her onto her back.
They were going to be just fine, and he was going to enjoy it for as long as she allowed him in her life. As far as he was concerned, the end would never come.
Chapter 28
She went to work the next day with a smile on her face. There was no point in denying it. She knew with all her heart that she wanted her marriage to work. She wanted it to last longer than the twelve months and, after what London said, she had a feeling he wanted the same thing. And that was fine with her. No more holding back. She was going to show London just how much she loved him.
Around four, Bianca decided to leave work early. She had been trying to improve her cooking skills and decided to try her hand at fried chicken. Grabbing her briefcase, she headed out of the office and waved goodbye to her staff as she approached the elevator. After exiting the building, she walked across the parking lot, when someone jumped in front of her and caused her to start.
“Hey, baby,” he smiled. “I’ve missed you.”
Bianca was flabbergasted to see Collin standing right in front of her. It had been weeks since he’d shown up in her town house, yet he had the nerve to pop up as if it had just been yesterday.
She swallowed hard and tried to keep her anger at bay.
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She studied Collin’s face. His nose was too thin, his forehead wide and his chin weak, not strong and square, like London’s.
She wondered what she had ever seen in him.
Collin leaned back against the hood of her car. Bianca silently groaned and cursed herself for leaving early. If she had stayed a few minutes longer, he would have entered the hotel and she could have had security escort him out. Hungry and eager to get home, she pursed her lips. “Collin, what do you want?”
“You. I want you back.”
Bianca was speechless for a moment.
How could he just waltz
over here and think she would take him back after the way he
had treated her?
she wondered. She felt furious, hurt and a surge of other emotions all at once.
“Collin, go away,” she hissed then reached for her key and walked over to the driver’s side.
He stood up straight. “Your marriage may have fooled everybody, but it didn’t fool me.”
Her stomach churned. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“That’s my baby you’re carrying.” He pointed to her stomach.
Her pregnancy was obvious in the pleated blue maternity top.
“And you’re not keeping me from it. I’ll get a DNA test. Then I’m going to sue you for joint custody. No court will keep me away from what’s mine.”
“Whatever,” she said and tried not be appear affected by his threats when, in reality, she was shaking in her heels.
Collin laughed long and hard. “Just think, when that baby spends summers with me, you’re going to have to pay me child support. Now won’t that be something.”
Anger stiffened her spine. She was ready to give him a piece of her mind, but she didn’t want to let him know how much he’d upset her.
“Really?” she snapped irritably. “Well, we’ll see about that.
No court would give a two-timer like you a child.”
“We’ll just have to see.”
“We will.” She had a baby to protect. “London is the father of my child.”
“We’ll see about that, Bianca. I devoted six months of my life to you. That has to be worth something. And remember this—if
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you won’t share custody, I’ll sue for full custody. You’ll hear from my lawyers.”
Her blood ran cold. “And you’ll hear from mine if you keep harassing me.”
He turned on his heels and walked to the other end of the parking lot, whistling merrily.
Bianca raced over and emptied her stomach behind a shrub.
When the sickness relented, she stumbled to her car and stabbed the key in the ignition with a trembling hand. She had to get home. She placed her hands on her belly and whispered, “That man will never get his hands on you, my darling. Not if I have anything to do with it.” By the time she reached home she had it set in her mind that she was going to do whatever it took to keep him away from her child.