Good.
Moments ago, she’d been certain, stern, so confusion was progress, progress he planned to further.
He trailed his fingers across her cheek, her skin soft against the pads of his fingertips. Her breathing deepened, and she pursed her lips ever so slightly. But it was enough. He swooped down and covered her mouth with his and swept his tongue between her lips.
The brush of her lush mouth against his, the explosion of her unique flavor against his tongue, how his body reacted to it was a reminder, not that one was needed, of how connected he and Ariel were.
Settle
.
The word rang in his mind like a Klaxon, spurred him to show her that this thing between them could never be that. As he moved them toward her bed, he cupped the full mounds of her breasts, the hard little buds of her nipples prominent against his hands. Ariel shifted and panted out a little moan, which only convinced him of his path. Her mind was throwing up roadblocks, whispering about stories of love. What did that mean, anyway? “Love” was an idea, something that could dissipate as quickly as it appeared. But this, the physical connection between them, the tie that pulled him to her and her to him was real, could sustain them as they created their family.
All he needed to do was show Ariel that.
He dropped his hands to her waist and turned her. Arm wrapped around her waist, he bent and pushed forward until she lay with her face pressed against the bed, rounded ass high. He quickly lowered her cotton pants and then used his free hand to open his.
In one sure thrust, he entered her. And like always, she was ready for him, so wet that his entry was nearly effortless. For a moment, the world around him ceased, the only thing of import was the feel of Ariel’s warm, tight pussy gripping him, the soft pillows of her ass against his thighs.
Then he moved, thrusting into her with deep, rhythmic motions, his arm around her waist keeping her pinned to him.
“Is this settling, Ariel?” he asked, his voice and the dull slap of her ass against him with each thrust the only sounds in the room.
“Is it?” he asked again, punctuating his words with another hard stroke.
Ariel huffed a moan and gripped the bedcovers tight. He saw the pleasure on her face, felt it in how wet her cunt was, how she clenched around him, how she arched against him, trying to pull him deeper, trying to keep him there.
“Tell me this isn’t right. Tell me that this is
settling
,” he said as he surged into her. And suddenly he stopped, pulled out of her, and then flipped her, his hands cradling her face as he stared down into her eyes and again buried himself to the hilt.
It was a feat to even speak, the sensation of being inside her, skin against skin, taking most of his focus. But this was too important, they were too important, and he wouldn’t give in.
“Tell me,” he said, his voice ragged now.
Her only response was a low moan and a full-body shudder that signaled her climax. The sight of her, feel of her around him so tight and wet, triggered the release he fought to hold at bay. Yet he continued, thrusting as he spilled his seed inside her.
“Tell me,” he repeated, cock still buried as deep as it could be.
“It’s not,” she said, voice faint, husky. “It’s not settling.”
“Will you marry me, Ariel?”
“Do you love me?” she replied.
Silence, deep and heavy reigned, but Matt said nothing.
“No,” she finally whispered.
Chapter Thirteen
“It’s not the steering wheel’s fault, Matt.”
He remained silent, but Ariel stared as his huge hands, which had been gripping the wheel, relaxed in increments.
“Sorry,” he said gruffly. And then he went silent again.
He’d been this way all morning, and as they got closer to their destination, his distance and agitation had only increased. And Ariel was feeling surly as well. He’d insisted on accompanying her, but now, she almost wished he’d stayed home, especially if this was what she had to look forward to.
“Why did you pick a doctor in Charlotte?” he asked.
“I love Doc Thomas as much as everyone else, but I know him too well.”
“He’s delivered half the babies born in town for nearly forty years,” Matt said.
“Yeah, which is exactly why I don’t want him delivering mine.”
“There are folks near base,” he said casually.
This was his way of reminding her as he had so often in the last ten days that marrying him was a good idea. But she didn’t take the bait.
“I like Dr. Smith. She delivered Dani, and I’ve been going to her for years,” Ariel said instead.
Matt murmured indecipherably and then gripped the wheel tight again. Ariel huffed out a breath and then looked out the window. Engaging him in conversation was getting her nowhere, and she was too tired to argue anyway.
The remainder of the ride passed in stony silence, which continued after he parked and as they walked into the five-story medical office. He still didn’t speak when they entered the lobby and she checked in, and as she sat next to him, she watched him check out the other couples and their babies, looking so uncomfortable she thought he might leave, and her mood sank even further. She got it, she really did—but it wasn’t like she was twisting his arm.
Then she got indignant. They were equals in this, but she wouldn’t let him make her miserable either, especially not today when she should be excited.
“Ariel Mallick,” the nurse called.
She stood, and Matt followed, now radiating pure pissed-offedness. So she was surprised when, before she took a step, he gripped her hand. His grasp was firm but not tight and her annoyance lessened as she appreciated the strong, soothing touch.
The nurse led them down the hall and stopped in front of the scale.
“Go ahead, Matt. This is private business,” Ariel said.
That earned her the faintest uptick of his lips, but the expression definitely didn’t count as a smile.
“Room three. We’ll be right behind you,” the nurse said.
Matt nodded and disappeared around the corner as the nurse weighed Ariel and took her vitals. Then a few minutes later, the nurse led her to room three with instructions to undress and wait.
She glanced over at Matt, who stood against the wall, his bulk seeming to take up most of the space in the room, and she suddenly felt shy, which was ridiculous. They hadn’t made love since that night, but being naked in front of him was no big deal.
It felt different somehow though, uncomfortable, and Matt standing there glowering at her wasn’t helping.
“Could you…?” She tilted her head toward the door.
“No,” he said, flat and completely uncompromising.
Anger scratched at her spine, and Ariel was glad that she’d had her blood pressure taken already.
“Okay,” she gritted out between clenched teeth. Then she undressed, moving in jerky movements she didn’t doubt revealed her annoyance. And yet, nothing in his demeanor changed. He was just as distant and cold as he’d been all morning.
When she had the gown on, she sat on the examination table and didn’t look in Matt’s direction. She heard him move though, then felt his hand on her shoulder, not the warm touch that she’d come to love and crave, but she didn’t feel the distance that had been growing all morning either.
There was a knock on the door, and then Dr. Smith, her middle-aged OB, came in.
“Ariel, great to see you again,” Dr. Smith said. Then she turned toward Matt expectantly, but before Ariel could speak, Matt interjected.
“Mathias Poole, the baby’s father,” he said.
“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Poole,” Dr. Smith said and then she turned back to Ariel and glanced over the chart she held. “So you’re about seven weeks, due in thirty-three.”
“How firm is that timeline?” Matt asked.
“Not set in stone, but close. Could be up to three weeks sooner, or as much as a week later. It’s up to the little one mostly. Is there a specific concern?” Dr. Smith asked.
“No, not with the dates, but what about her job?” Matt said.
“What about it?”
“She does heavy labor and works with dangerous chemicals.”
“That’s not good for baby, but I understood Ariel had made arrangements.”
“I’m right here, you know,” Ariel said, not bothering to hide her annoyance.
“We’ll talk about it later,” Matt replied, sounding like he was two seconds from exploding. Ariel was about one.
Dr. Smith raised a brow but turned back to Ariel. “Lie back so I can examine you.”
Ariel did, and when Dr. Smith pulled her gown open to expose her stomach, she felt weirdly vulnerable. Her stomach was leagues away from flat, but there was no hint of the pregnancy yet. Still, she knew that Matt was watching her intently, and she couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking.
Dr. Smith examined her. “Everything looks good. Do you want to hear the baby’s heartbeat?”
She nodded and then waited, breath bated as Dr. Smith put the small sensor on her lower stomach. The strong, galloping heartbeat filled the room, and Ariel’s chest clenched. She was almost afraid to look at Matt, but couldn’t stop herself. He still stood tense, muscles bunched and tight, but his eyes had a softness that she’d never seen, and she understood what he was feeling. That heartbeat, the little life that they’d created, was a humbling and marvelous thing—no matter the circumstances.
The rest of the visit passed in a blur, and as she stood at the nurses’ station and scheduled her future appointments, Matt stood behind, silent and having retreated back into himself after hearing the baby’s heartbeat. She reached into her purse for her wallet to pay her co-pay, but he moved more quickly than she’d seen in a while and slapped his credit card down instead.
Ariel didn’t know what to make of that, but she held her tongue.
A task that became increasingly hard as they drove back to Thornehill. By the time they reached her house, Ariel had completely had it with his attitude.
“Have a nice day, Matt,” she said.
She got out of the car without waiting for his response.
••••
Matt watched Ariel storm into the house, but he stayed in the car. He was feeling so many emotions, ones he rarely if ever felt, and ones he didn’t know what to do with. He’d have to deal with those later, though, because he and Ariel needed to talk.
He got out and followed her after she went to the house, relieved that she hadn’t locked the door.
“Ariel?” he called and then hearing the harshness of his tone, he repeated it softer this time, “Ariel?”
She didn’t respond, so he moved deeper into the house, and found her in her bedroom. He watched for a moment as she paced angrily, breathing deeply. Then she turned on him, eyes blazing with fury.
“Look, you don’t have to be a part of this if you don’t want to be,” Ariel said.
His heart leaped into his throat and in three long strides, he stood in front of her.
“What the fuck does that mean?” he asked.
“It means this is already hard enough, but I’m not going to let you make it any harder,” she said.
“Are you saying you’re going to keep my child from me?” he asked, voice icy.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Matt. Or any more ridiculous than you’re already being. But I won’t deal with your bullshit,” Ariel said.
“What bullshit?”
“You’ve been pissed off all day. And I know you think I trapped you, think that marrying me is the right thing to do even though—”
“Trapped me? Why would you say that?”
“It’s obvious. Like I said, you’ve been pissed off all day, and you’re taking it out on me. I know you’re upset, but—”
He was stunned. She thought he was angry with her?
He reached for her, felt the jab of disappointment when she flinched, but that faded when she didn’t pull away from his touch. He stepped closer, bringing her body to his, feeling the relief that had eluded him for so long—since the last time he’d touched her, in fact.
“I don’t know where you got that ridiculous idea, but toss it right out of your head. I’m a man, I made my choices and I’m as responsible for this as you are. You got that?”
When she said nothing, he repeated himself. “You got it, Ariel?”
She nodded grudgingly, and he caught her gaze with his. “I have been a little…terse, but it’s not you, or the proposal.”
He was displeased about that and was still convinced that they needed to get married, but even that wasn’t the source of the preoccupation that had been building since Ariel had told him about today’s appointment.
“What is it, then?”
“We’re going to have a baby,” he said, surprised by the wonder he heard in his own voice. “A baby,” he repeated. “I never expected to say those words. And I have no fucking idea what I’m doing,” he said.
All at once her face and her body softened. “It’s wild, right? Hearing that little heartbeat. Makes it more real somehow.”
“Yeah, it does,” he said, his voice soft.