Chapter 20
Chapter
Twenty
“We were supposed to split the bill,” Lana said, as Sly pulled onto the highway and headed toward her place. “You should’ve let me pay my share.”
Despite her words, she didn’t seem too upset he’d insisted on paying. The truth was, she hadn’t stopped smiling since he’d announced he wanted to be part of the baby’s life.
His chest was full and warm. Maybe he didn’t want a kid, but he felt good that his decision had made her happy. He wasn’t about to analyze why that was so important. It just was.
Darkness had fallen, but in the faint light of the dash he caught that soft smile. Desire slammed into him. If not for the truck’s bucket seats, he’d have pulled her close against his side.
But that wasn’t what tonight was about, and if he was smart, he’d spend the rest of the evening pissed off at her cousin or thinking about how being a father would mess with his life—anything to keep his mind off sex.
Too bad his body wasn’t cooperating. It wanted sex with Lana. Fighting the hunger wasn’t easy, but this was the wrong time to get physical.
“You pay next time,” he said.
“I’ll hold you to that.”
Then they were both quiet, till out of the blue she pivoted in her seat toward him. “You’ll make a great father, Sly. I know it.”
He wasn’t at all sure of that, but since he was going to be a father regardless, he intended to do much better with this kid than he had with Seth.
“When are you breaking the news to your family?” he asked.
The smile he so liked faltered and disappeared. “Probably after the next doctor’s appointment.”
It was clear she wasn’t looking forward to that.
For the rest of the drive, they rode along in comfortable silence while the radio spit out a steady stream of rock ’n’ roll and country-and-western songs.
They were almost at her townhouse when he realized she’d fallen asleep. He lowered the radio volume, not that it mattered. Moments later, he pulled up in front of her town house and shut off the truck.
Reluctantly he woke her. “Lana, we’re here.”
“Hmm?” She yawned and stretched, then smiled at him, her eyes unfocused and drowsy. “I guess I fell asleep. It’s the pregnancy—I’m always tired.” She frowned at the front of her dress. “I must’ve spilled something on myself.”
The tender feelings stirring in his chest were new to him and gave him pause.
Better not be falling for her. He wasn’t, he quickly assured himself.
Plain and simple, what he felt was lust. He gave her a goofy smile and blurted the first thing that came to mind.
“You slept with your mouth hanging open and slobbered a little.”
“I didn’t! I’m so embarrassed.”
“Don’t be. You looked cute.” For a moment he lost himself in her warm, welcoming gaze, forgetting where he was and what he was doing. All that mattered was being here with her.
This worried him on a different level. He didn’t want her to get the wrong idea and assume he was getting serious about her when he wasn’t. He was contemplating how fast he could make an exit without being a jerk when the raw desire on her face stopped him.
Fresh hunger roared through him. No, not fresh.
His desire for Lana was a constant simmer inside that’d suddenly flared up.
Way up. He glanced away, grateful for the lights around the town house complex and for the people still outside after ten at night.
They had no idea how bad he needed chaperoning.
“Thanks for everything, Sly,” she said. “For your decision to be a part of our baby’s life and for a really great dinner.”
“My pleasure.” Pleasure. The word reverberated between them. Determined to behave himself, he cleared his throat. “I’ll walk you to your door.”
“Don’t bother. It’s only twenty feet away, and you see all the neighbors out and about Remember, this isn’t a date.”
The manners his parents had taught him ages ago wouldn’t allow that. “I don’t care what it is,” he said. “I’m walking you to your door.”
“Stubborn cowboy.” She let out a soft laugh. “All right, escort me if you must.”
In the brief time it took him to round the truck and reach the passenger side, she’d let herself out and stood waiting for him. Her dress clung to her curves and showed a good length of leg. Her skimpy little sandals made them seem impossibly long.
He itched to run his hands up her calves and thighs. All the way up... Hardly aware of what he was doing, he slipped his arm around her and shortened his stride to match his steps with hers.
It was a warm night, and her silk dress had tiny sleeves that barely covered her shoulders. Her skin was smooth under his hand, and the faint scent of lavender he’d come to associate with her filled his senses.
His whole body tightened. If not for the unsuspecting chaperones all around, he would’ve stopped right there, pulled her to him and kissed her until they were both out of their minds.
Stepping onto her little concrete slab of a porch, she faced him. “This was the best non-date I’ve ever had.”
“You go on a lot of those, do you?” he teased.
Laughing, she placed her hand on her barely rounded stomach for a nanosecond, but he noticed and sobered. “You touched your belly a lot tonight. Does it hurt?”
“Not at all. I’m hardly aware I’m doing it. It’s because I’m growing a baby, and I still can’t quite believe it.”
The joy on her face was something to see. “May I touch?” he asked.
Her smile broadened. “Sure, but you won’t feel anything yet. It’s too early. We should probably go inside first. Who knows what the neighbors might think if they notice your hand on my stomach?”
Sly told himself to remain on the little porch, where they were both safe. But when she unlocked the door, he followed her in.
She stopped in the entry and turned to him. “Now you can touch me.”
Taking care to be gentle, he placed his palm against her stomach. Her silk dress was thin enough that her navel and warmth were evident. Maybe he didn’t feel the baby, but he felt plenty. He lit up from the inside out. Not the same kind of heat as sexual desire. This was different.
“You’re right—I don’t notice anything unusual,” he said, his voice husky from the emotions filling his chest. “You don’t have much of a belly yet.”
“Even after all the food I ate tonight?” Lana laughed again. “Actually, I’ve grown a little. That’s why I’m wearing a dress without a waist. Some of my skirts and pants are already too tight to button. In another month, this pregnancy will be obvious. Wait and see.”
His hand was still on her belly. He realized he couldn’t feel the elastic band of her panties. Maybe she was wearing the bikini kind. Or maybe... Sweet Jesus, was she naked under there?
“I don’t want to wait for anything.” Forgetting to keep his distance, he cupped her behind. He didn’t find elastic there either, just warm, soft flesh. “Are you wearing panties tonight? Because I don’t feel any.”
“It’s a thong. That way, you don’t notice a panty line through the dress.”
He growled softly. “Yeah?”
“Mmm-hmm.”
Her pupils dilated and her lips parted in the signal he’d been waiting for. “Well, are you going to kiss me or not?” she asked—make that demanded.
“Yes, ma’am.” He pulled her tight against his body and gave her what they both wanted.
The spicy scent of Sly’s aftershave filled Lana’s senses and his shoulder muscles bunched under her hands. Her heart thudded so loudly, she was sure he and the entire neighborhood could hear it. Then he kissed her and everything else faded away.
Home. She was home.
All too soon, the kiss ended. He touched his forehead to hers. “I’ve missed this.”
The silver flecks in his eyes seemed to glow with heat. After weeks of wanting him, she was in no mood to stop now. Eager to melt into another kiss, she tightened her arms around his neck. “Do that again, cowboy.”
He kissed her with a fierce need she felt clear to her toes.
Their tongues tangled, and she tasted coffee, tiramisu, and passion.
Her female parts grew wet and ached for him.
She tried to hook her leg around his thigh, but her shift was too tight.
Stepping out of her sandals, she stood on his boots in order to fit her body to his.
With a sound of pure male satisfaction, he walked her backward toward the sofa.
Thigh to thigh, hip to hip, his body hard in all the right places.
They sank onto the cushions, glued so tightly together they may as well have been one person. Only their clothing prevented them from joining fully. Several long, heated kisses later, he slid his hands to her breasts. Lana nearly moaned in relief.
He started to cup her, then hesitated. “Are you still sore?”
“Not so much.” She brought his hands to her nipples and showed him what she wanted.
“Okay?” he asked.
She nodded. “That feels... Yes.”
While his skilled fingers delivered dizzying pleasure to her breasts, he kissed her neck. Somehow her skirt got hiked up and one hand slid up the inside of her bare thigh. Her muscles went slack, and she was glad to be sitting down.
“You have the softest skin,” he murmured, as his warm hand slid toward the part of her that most wanted his attention.
She caught her breath until finally he breached her thong. It soon disappeared. Then, oh yes, he touched her most sensitive spot.
Moaning in pleasure, she lifted her hips right off the sofa.
“Your passion turns me on,” he growled, before he caught her in a searing kiss while his fingers drove her toward the brink.
“Sly,” she gasped against his lips. “If you keep doing that, I—I’m going to...”
“Climax? That’s good, Lana. Let go.”
“But I...” Whatever she was planning to say faded away. She flew apart.
When she floated back to earth, he kissed her. “That was beautiful. You’re beautiful.”
Lana knew better. She was probably a big mess. She smoothed the skirt of her dress down, brushed the hair out of her eyes, and glanced at his pants. His erection was obvious.
The corners of his mouth lifted. “I’m a guy—I’m used to it. I’d better leave now while I still can.”
She barely had the chance to recover before he moved away from her. “Walk me to the door?”
He stood, clasped her hands and pulled her up.
Standing in the little entry, he touched her face and kissed her again. A sweet kiss, gentle and filled with promise. “Good night, Lana.”
“Bye.” After locking the door behind him, she sank against it and hugged herself.
Good or bad, right or wrong, she was falling in love with Sly Pettit.
She shouldn’t, and not only because of the lawsuit and her family.
He cared for her and wanted her, but he wasn’t a relationship kind of man.
She’d only get hurt. Then there was the baby.
For his or her sake, she needed to forget about love and focus on a long-term friendship with him that would last.
Those arguments made a lot of sense, but her heart didn’t care.