A baby for Christmas (Season of Romance Book 1) (6 page)

He ran his hands from her hips to her
waist and up over her small round bump to her shoulders. He couldn’t help but
kiss those pink upturned parted lips. It went on for what felt like a lifetime
and beyond, and every time he thought it might finish she pushed her lips
harder against his, and he let his tongue dance a tango with hers.

It was only when his breath caught and
he could feel her heaving chest against his that he paused.

Damn…this had to stop they needed to
talk…they had to talk…but perhaps just one more kiss.

Belle breathed in, for a split second it
was as though they were back in Virginia. Their ease of movement, a moment of
joining that would, and did, give them a lifetime connection. For the first time,
she didn’t care that she shouldn’t be doing this. It was the most sensual
experience of her life.

It was a moment in time just like
before. Belle knew she should stop it, but how? It was like a potent drink—once
you took that first drop and tasted the sweet nectar you just wanted to sip
every last drop and even lick out the bottom. Dear God, what was happening to
her?

 
Ethan Thompson
. That’s what
was happening.

“Sweetheart, I would love for us to make
love right here and now.”

“Why do I hear a ‘but’ in your tone?”

Ethan rested his forehead on hers. Belle
moved her hands from around his neck to the large hands that rested on her
hips, and covered them wrapping her fingers with his. She felt safe when he
gripped hers and raised them above her head. It seemed as though Ethan couldn’t
stop himself. He kissed her again, rendering her boneless against the onslaught
of those warm, soft lips.

Every time she thought he’d finished, he
started all over again. His tongue was persistent and it danced sensually with hers.
The solid pressure of his hard body against hers told her that she was going
nowhere soon.

 Only the need for air separated
them but he only moved back far enough so that he could kiss his way down her
neck, moving her sweater to one side so that he could rain small soft kisses
along her collarbone.

She tipped her head to one side.” I
think that we either stop this now or move to somewhere more comfortable.”

 “You don’t like being ravished
against the wall.” He chuckled and then pursed his lips as he lifted his head
to look at her.

“I like it too much,” she said as her
mind carved out every detail of his handsome face. She wasn’t sure what was
happening…the baby was something they had made together and although the
feelings in her heart were strong for Ethan— and had been the first moment she
set eyes on him— the thought of him wanting her just because she was pregnant
with his child made her wince inwardly

At this instant she could see the desire
in his eyes and that decided her to take this moment where he wanted
her
and not what she represented. A responsibility that he’d not asked for.

How lucky was she to have a memory of
something that was so very special. If it hadn’t been for the baby maybe they
would have taken this further. Her heartbeat reverberated through her ears…Holy
cow, she didn’t just have feelings for this man…Belle was in love with him! Was
that even possible after only being with him once?

“Did I kiss you enough?”

“Not nearly enough,” she whispered.

His grin was so captivating, she wondered
if he knew how utterly sexy he was when he smiled at her with that desire in
his eyes.

“However I believe that before you
kissed me you were about to object to us getting somewhat closer than we have
been,” she teased.

“That was before you suggested us
getting comfortable.” His gravelly voice was sexy to her ears.

Her nipples hardened painfully against
the wool of her sweater.

“While I would willingly follow you up
those stairs, you obviously were worried enough to say something.” She gave him
a gentle shove and took his hand so that he followed her into the sitting room.

His groan made Belle grin as she pushed
him to sit on the sofa and before joining him she stepped over to the already
laid fire that was always the first job of the day…thankfully. Lighting the
kindling around the coal it sparked immediately and before getting up, she
reached over to switch on the Christmas tree lights. The fire crackled to life
and the garland which surrounded the fireplace glowed with the lights that were
decorated around it.

She didn’t switch the lamps on, it was
romantic enough as the room glowed with Christmas cheer; it reminded her that
it was Christmas Eve. Picking up the remote control, she switched the
television to the music channel where they were playing seasonal music.

“Are you coming to sit by me or are you
going to avoid the inevitable in which case I’ll have to come over there and
get comfortable. I like the kissing.”

A shiver of pleasure smoothed its way
inside her. Keeping her hands of him was never going to work He was delicious,
kind, and gentle all the things she would want in a man…a father to her child.

“Sit.” His tone indicated that if she
didn’t he would come over to her. The expression on his face left her wanting
to feel those kisses again, but he was right. They needed to talk.

Ethan couldn’t keep his hands off her.
As soon as she sat down he pulled her close, his arm going along her shoulders,
and his fingers caressing her neck with intense purpose. Having a serious
conversation with him while he did that was going to be difficult.

 Every single caress created a
reaction that rippled through her body until even the soles of her feet
tingled. It was the same uncontrollable feeling she’d had six months ago…that
same touch that had gotten her into trouble the last time they met. Trouble of
the pregnant kind.

“You know I want nothing more than to
take you to bed and keep you there for days, months…forever,” he said the tips
of his fingers caressing the skin along the inside of her sweater.

Bella swallowed, this was getting a
trite serious, keeping her expression neutral was difficult and hard to deal
with. The feel of his fingers as they rubbed up and down her neck nearly undid
her.
D
amn if it took all her strength just not to turn into him, and ravish
him there and then.

“But?”

“First of all, I don’t want to hurt
you.”

She frowned. “What do you mean?”

“You’re pregnant.”

“Umm, I know that, Ethan.”

“Are pregnant ladies allowed to
have…sex?” He looked a little sheepish and she burst out laughing.

“Listen, I haven’t had sex since we made
this little thing inside of me. Just now, you made me remember why I enjoyed it
so much with you. It’s perfectly safe for us to get involved with
extracurricular activities.” She couldn’t help the chuckle that erupted from
her chest.

Belle turned her body and faced him, her
right leg tucked beneath her as she fiddled with the hem of the throw pillow
beside her. His arm fell away leaving her immediately bereft of its warmth.

“Is this because I won’t commit to your
preconceived idea of how we should deal with the pregnancy?”

“No, I understand that you think I’m
just doing my duty…but I’m not. I really want you to come home with me, I want
to take care of you and the baby.” He spread his fingers on her belly. “I want
to make sure that I do everything I’m meant to, in taking care of your needs.”

His unwavering support of her
requirements pleased Belle and gave her hope that she did actually mean
something to him. Gazing at him her skin sizzled at the contact of his fingers
smoothing her belly; with each movement he pushed her sweater further and
further away. She almost held her breath waiting for the contact of skin on
skin.

“So what does this mean?” She raised her
shoulders “Do we just ignore the attraction we have for one another just
because I won’t commit to what you want me to do.”

He took her fingers and brought them up
to his lips. “No what we do now is get to know each other a little better.
What’s your favourite colour? Time of year you like the most? Do you want a boy
or girl?”

Belle smiled at him encouraged by his
words. “Browns and golds, Christmas…I don’t care what the sex is as long as he
or she is healthy.”

He looked past her to the window. He
took hold of both her hands, pulled her up and kissed her hard on her mouth.
Come on, let’s have lunch then we can go for a walk.”

Her eyes widened as she looked beyond
his shoulder and out the window. “But it’s snowing?”

“It will be fun,” he said as he pulled
her through to the kitchen.

“Freezing cold.”

“Fun.”

Belle shivered, but she hid the smile
secretly pleased he’d suggested the outing.

****

Ethan grabbed Belle’s hand as they
walked down the steps from her home. For a moment he thought she was going to
pull away but then her fingers enfolded his. He’d wrapped up warm the same as
her; he liked the way the red wool hat hugged her head, the wide matching scarf
was wrapped around her neck several times and her mittens reminded him of a
similar pair his sister wore.

He breathed in the smell of pine needles
in the crisp winter air and thoughts of home filled his mind. They walked down
the small road that led away from Belle’s home and the trees either side of
them soared upwards; some of the branches drooped beneath the heavy weight of
the fallen snow.

Even though it was early afternoon the
light was fading, the sun was just peeping through the clouds. It was
retreating fast leaving an almost mystical glow on the snow. The silence was
only broken by their boots crunching in the condensed pure white flakes and the
occasional thud of snow falling from the over-laden branches.

When he gripped her mittened hand, she
turned to look at him and he smiled.

“What?” she asked as he held her gaze.

“You haven’t been this quiet since I got
here.”

“I’m thinking.”

“I know I can hear you,” he said, a
smile tugging at his lips.

“Funny man,” she replied. “Tell me what
sort of guy just takes off from his home looking for a woman he had a …fling
with.”

“One who was irresponsible with birth
control.”

“And that’s the only reason?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, when we–” she cleared her throat
“When we had sex, was it just sex?”

Ethan stopped walking making her
stumble. He caught her by the waist stabilising them both as she came face to
face with him.

“Initially it was chemistry, I felt.” He
smiled “So did you, but Belle, we didn’t just have sex, we made love creating
something that is totally amazing.” He felt the pull in his chest, his voice
had just lowered by a few octaves as he thought of what was inside of her…a
part of them both united into a human form that would be as precious as the air
he breathed.

He turned up her collar against the cold
breeze pulling her closer as he did. It wasn’t what he’d intended to do but it
just happened.

“Belle. What made you sleep with me that
day?”

She laughed. “I think we both know that
sleeping wasn’t on the agenda.”

“Don’t be facetious.” He narrowed his
eyes.

The smile on her face disappeared
instantly, and he knew she had been trying to lighten the mood but they needed
to get this out in the open.

Belle let out a deep sigh and the cold
air furled in front of her. “I don’t know, Ethan. I’ve never done anything like
that before.” She shrugged her shoulders, her hands were lying on his chest.
“Let’s keep walking, it will be dark soon. We will have to turn back.”

He let go of her, and for a moment just
watched her small frame go ahead of him. What the hell was the matter with him?
He’d never in his life been like this, but then, he’d never gotten a woman
pregnant before.

He strode forward catching up with her
and they walked side by side quietly.

“Do you want to see something?” she
asked him her breathlessness meeting the cold air in a swirl.

“What?”

She took hold of his hand pulling him
down a small path. He hadn’t realized how big the property was, although they’d
been walking for about ten minutes they were still on the drive that led to the
B&B.

“Hey, slow down or you’ll fall,” he
admonished as he took hold of her hand more firmly.

She laughed. “I’ve been walking down
this path for more years than I can remember. I could do it in the dark.”

“That may be the case but the snow is
deep here.”

They walked a further one hundred yards
when Belle suddenly stopped beside a home-made swing attached to two trees. An
old tyre was covered in snow and she cleared it off before sitting on it.

“When my mum and dad fell in love, my
Gran said they were inseparable.” She pushed her feet on the ground making the
swing move slowly backwards and forwards. “They used to sit here together.
Well, my dad sat on it and Mum sat on his lap.”

“Do you remember them?”

“She shook her head. “No, I was too
young when they died but when I come here I feel close to them. My dad built
this for my mum when she was expecting me…he carved their names into the tree.”
She jumped off the swing. “Look.”

He took a step towards her leaning down
to see what she was showing him. Belle took of her glove of to trace the
lettering. “Stephen loves Bella and baby xx”