Her Best Friend's Baby (2 page)

He chuckled. “Neither of us are. We’re thirty-one.”

She clicked with her tongue. “I’m still thirty, thank you very much. Let me have my three months.”

“Pardon me.” His deep, rumbling voice sent a sensation through her she didn’t care to explore.

“Anyway, I was thinking.” She swallowed, her heart hammering in her chest. “None of the guys I’ve ever gone out with have turned out to be any good. For the first time in a really long time, we’re both single. I want a baby.”

Leith sprung up from the chair, almost knocking her onto the floor. She caught herself and straightened, frowning at him. He stood above her, eyebrows practically in his hairline. “What are you saying?”

Zaierra stood up, not liking how he towered over her. She rung her hands and paced in her tiny living room. “I’m not asking for us to see each other, but I need a man to father my baby. I can’t even fathom going to a sperm bank. The thought makes me cringe, but my biological clock is ticking away, and it’s looking like my eggs will be powder long before anyone decent comes along.” With a small bit of bravado, she turned to face him. “So, I’m asking you if you will get me pregnant. You don’t have to take care of the baby at all or be in his or her life. I’ll take care of everything. I just want a little one to love. Will you get me pregnant?”

Leith’s shocked gaze dropped from her face to her breasts and down to her hips, then back up. “You spring something like this one me, and then stand there asking if I will do it as if I have to answer now? And the way you said it…”

“What? I just said—”

He held up a hand, a move he stole from her. “I know what you said, Zai. What this amounts to is you want me to fuck you.”

“You don’t have to be so crass, and it’s not about sex.”

He narrowed his eyes.

“I mean it’s about sex, but only to make the baby.” She chewed her thumbnail. “I guess I could ask Joe. You remember he was into me, and he’s intelligent and cute.”

“Obsessive,” Leith snapped. “He would not leave you to raise your child alone. He would see it as an in to your life, to control you. No, you’re not going to ask him, because I’d end up having to kill him and get thrown into prison. Who would take care of you then?”

She shook her head. “Please. I take care of you way more than you take care of me, but you’re probably right about Joe.”

“I am.” He folded his arms across a powerful chest.

Zaierra couldn’t help noticing how good he looked even after a long day at work. His collared shirt scarcely displayed any wrinkles, and he still smelled incredible enough to eat. Realizing where her thoughts strayed, she pulled herself together and got back to the topic at hand.

“You don’t have to answer right away. I mean, well… I’ve been tracking when I’m ovulating for a while now, and I will be in a couple of days. We could start then or wait until next month.”

His lips set in a firm line, reminding her of the one kiss they’d shared in high school. “Just how long have you been thinking about this?”

“Wouldn’t it be lame if I said I’d decided last night? No, this has been on my mind for months. I didn’t think of you as a candidate at first. I don’t want anything to screw with our friendship, but the fact of the matter is there’s no one else. I know you in and out, and you would make an awesome dad.”

Her statement causing his face to redden surprised her. Leith never blushed. He’d done too much, lived too many crazy experiences of his own making. She thought she caught pleasure in his gaze, but it disappeared no sooner than appearing.

“Not that I’m asking you to be my baby’s daddy.” She ran a hand over her face and dropped onto the couch. “I’m messing this up big time. Okay, I want you to be my baby’s daddy. That’s it. You just have to provide the sperm, and since I can’t afford in vitro, we would have to do it the old fashioned way. Um, I don’t think I’m a complete anecdote, so it might not be so bad for you.”

With her last words, she’d lowered her gaze, embarrassed to look in his face. Leith came and sat down beside her, so close his thigh brushed hers. Once again desire ignited inside her, but she wouldn’t be the first woman to be attracted to her best male friend. She and Leith had never crossed the line with each—not entirely anyway.

Leith took her hand into his lap and held it. She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. Comfort stole over her, which always happened when he was near.

“You’re a beautiful woman, Zai. Trust me, I wouldn’t be a man if I hadn’t noticed. However, I don’t want to screw up our friendship any more than you do. I don’t know what I would do without you. Sometimes I wonder what I’ll do if someone serious comes along. She might not understand our relationship.”

Zaierra chuckled. “Yeah, I think she’d have a problem with you sleeping over.”

“I only do that when I’m not involved.”

“Uh-huh. I don’t know how you deal with this peanut apartment when you own a huge mansion of a house.”

“My house isn’t a mansion.”

“Might as well be.”

He tickled her side, making her jump. When she would have darted away, he caught her and dragged her back. Zaierra struggled in his hold, but as usual, Leith reminded her of his incredible strength. She tumbled back to his chest and made it to her feet, only to be captured again. She fell on his lap, her ass grinding into his crotch. Leith wrapped his arms around her, pinning her arms to her sides. He laughed low in his throat. “Now where are you going?”

“That’s not fair, Leith. You’re stronger than I am.”

“And don’t you forget it.”

Whenever they played this way, his shaft grew tight, but she had always put it down to the male body. Even without stimulation, their shafts could go hard for no reason. Of course knowing the reason and feeling the erection were two different things. She tended to fight more to get away because she never wanted him to find out how it turned her on.

“Let me go, you bum.” She smacked his thigh with the little movement she managed.

“Make me.”

Zaierra rolled her eyes. “See this is why you can’t have a permanent girlfriend. You don’t know how to behave appropriately with me.”

He sighed. “Fine.”

When he let her go and she rose, disappointment set in. She put her hands on her hips and frowned down at him. “I think we should start acting our age.”

Leith’s comebacks were always swift. “Didn’t you know? I
am
acting my age. As a man, I don’t have to be serious until at least thirty-five.”

“Idiot.” She laughed and then sobered. “Listen about what I said. You—”

“I’ll do it.”

She gaped at him. “What?”

He stood up. “I’ll do it. I’ll be the father of your baby.”

“Why? I mean, you don’t have to. I think it was crazy for me to even suggest you.”

“No, it wasn’t.” He ran his hands down her arms, a comforting gesture he’d used many times when she drew close to freaking out. “I can’t think of a man worthy of the job. You’re right. All of your previous lovers were assholes. I can’t let you give them the privilege.”

“
You
can’t?”

“No, I can’t. So I will do it.”

“Leith, maybe you should think about this and get back to me. I sprung it on you out of nowhere, and I don’t want you to regret it later. We can even talk to a lawyer and get him to draw up papers that say you won’t have any obligations.”

He turned and walked to the door. “I’m not willing to give up parental rights to my child. I may not have another. If that’s not okay with you, then we call it off. I’m going to sleep at my house tonight. We can talk about this later. Two days, you said?”

She trembled so much at that moment, words stuck in her throat. “Yeah.”

“I’ll take off early, and you do the same so we can have plenty of time.”

Lightheadedness had her gripping the couch’s arm. She swallowed, knowing what they would need to do. Sure she’d asked him, but the reality of him saying yes blew her away and stole her ability to think straight.

“Okay,” she said, her breath a whisper.

He nodded and disappeared out the door. Zaierra spent the next hour with her knees pulled up to her chest, trying desperately not to imagine her and Leith naked and locked in each other’s arms.

Chapter Three

What am I doing, what am I doing?
Zaierra rung her hands and paced. She’d just come out of the shower and lotioned down her body as well as put on a bit of spritz to highlight her natural scent, but if she didn’t calm the hell down, she’d start sweating like an animal. Was she even doing the right thing? Would sleeping with Leith screw them up? She wasn’t sure, and worse, down right afraid. Leith told her he’d be over in an hour, and it wasn’t like she could put this thing off for a few days. The test she purchased from the drug store confirmed her own calculations—ovulation. Today and tomorrow were it, or they would need to wait until next month. She didn’t think she could handle the stress if she delayed that long. Better to get this first time over with and then move on from there.

She walked to the mirror and dropped her towel on the floor to survey her body. A bit hippy and thick in the thighs, she didn’t look too bad. Turned to the side, her belly poked out less than it did a few weeks ago when she’d taken up doing crunches every morning. Two hundred at her last count, her strength and ability had increased, so she couldn’t complain. Still, what would Leith think? Maybe they should do it in the dark. Yeah, that might be a good idea.

“Damn!”

Zaierra spun around to find Leith standing in the doorway of her room, and she with not a stitch of clothing on, froze in place.

Without shame, Leith entered the room, eyes taking in her nakedness from head to foot. Zaierra’s heart beat out of control, making her feel like she’d have an attack at any second. She licked her lips and put a hand to her hip, trying for an unassuming pose. The quiver in her limbs gave the lie to her movements. “It’s nothing you haven’t seen before, and I thought you said an hour.”

“I’ve never seen you when you didn’t dart behind something so I couldn’t see clearly.” He stepped closer. She resisted retreating a pace. “You have big breasts. My baby will be well-fed.”

“Leith!” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Will you stop? I’m embarrassed enough as it is. Who says I’m breastfeeding? And get out so I can put something on.”

He dragged her hands down to her sides. Under his scrutiny, her stupid nipples puckered. She cursed her body. If she didn’t get a grip quick, he would figure out how much she wanted him.

“Why would you want to put something on when we’re going to fuck?”

“Stop saying it like that.” She shut her eyes and sucked in a breath when he moved so close his chest skimmed her rigid peaks.

“If it will make you feel better, I’ll get undressed too.”

Zaierra panted.

“I think we’ll enjoy ourselves. You know how much I love sex.” His lips brushed her neck. When had she tilted her head back?

“Leith.”

“I’ve known you were beautiful from the start, Zai. Why do you think I wanted a black woman so badly? Now I get to test out fantasies of being with you. We can both get it out of our system and enjoy ourselves in the process.”

Somehow his words hurt, but she swallowed the emotions and nodded. This was about getting her pregnant, so she needed to forget everything else. To let go enough to enjoy herself probably wouldn’t happen, and it didn’t matter anyway.
It’s about the baby. Remember that, Zaierra, and you’ll be just fine.

The rustle of clothing signaled that he followed through with his plan. She told herself to keep her eyes shut, but she couldn’t help it. Leith’s body was sexy, and if she had the chance to check it out up close and personal, she had to take it. When she opened her eyes, she took in his bare chest. With his shirt half way down his arms, she followed his movements, loving the way his biceps strained against the material. Those things should be declared illegal. Zaierra licked her lips and forced her gaze in another direction. Unfortunately, it skittered on his abs. Not even thinking about what she intended to do, she ran her fingertips over his skin, amazed at the tautness and the plains and valleys. One could get off with feather touches all over his body. At least she thought so.

“You like that?” he asked, and she almost choked.

“You’re okay.”

He chuckled. “If nobody else knows, you know how hard I work to stay in shape.”

Did she though. Even when he slept at her apartment, Leith woke early to get in his exercise regimen. How could he possibly like her extra curves when most of the women he dated were the tiny kind that could blow away with a moderate wind?

Leith placed her hands on his belt buckle. “Help me with it?”

Her throat went dry. “Sure.” The squeak in her tone pissed her off. Leith would think her a virgin, but she’d had her share of lovers over the years. Just like he dipped into women outside his race, she’d been with black and white men. Some hot, some not so much. Despite that, Leith seemed to be in a whole different league.

“Hey, hey,” he whispered and pulled her closer to give her chaste kiss. “Don’t be so nervous. I promise I’m going to make you feel good. There’s no reason for us to do this and not like it. We’ll still make a baby together.”

Her heart thundered in her ears. How could he be so calm about it when she felt like she would fall apart any second? She managed to get his belt undone and unbuttoned his pants and lowered his zipper. With a burst of determination, she stuck her hand inside his pants and lost the ability to go farther when her fingers touched his erection. Leith’s huge palm covered her hand, and he forced her to rub him from base to tip. Her mouth watered. She’d seen him several times, but his length and thickness still made her head spin.

“Am I big enough?” he teased.

She looked up and rolled her eyes at him. “You know you are.”

He leaned in to press his lips to her ear. “Tell me you’re so tight I have to squeeze in.”

Zaierra grasped his arm to keep from falling on the floor. “You’re too full of yourself. You know that?”