A Special Summer (Love Conquers All) (13 page)

The closeness was so sweet; this was his chance to set things on a right course. Finally all of her defenses were down. The slow rhythmic breathing of her chest and her steady even heartbeat were all signs she felt safe again.

“Summer?”

“Hmm.”

“You sleep?”

“No, I’m just resting my eyes.” She whispered in a drowsy voice.

Nick softly chuckled. She always said that when fighting sleep.

“Summer, I’m sorry for hurting you.”

“Hurting me?”

“When I grabbed you and picked you up earlier.” Nick’s voice was strained from the disgust he felt for himself. He still could not believe he’d done such a stupid thing.

Sitting up in his lap, she leaned back to get a better look at him through heavy eyes. “You didn’t hurt me, you just scared me. You were so angry. I thought you were going to …” Summer’s words trailed off as she laid her head back down on his chest. She could not bring herself to tell him she was afraid that things might have gotten violent, that he might have hit her.

Self-loathing overcame his entire being at Summer’s unspoken admission. Nick gently squeezed her tighter into his embrace. At that moment he would give all he had to take away the pain he caused her.

“Summer?”

“Yes, Nick.”’

Fumbling over his words, Nick asked, “You thought I was going to hit you?”

Silence.

“Summer?” Why wasn’t she answering? Did she still believe he would hurt her?

“Yes, I was afraid you were going to hit me.”

Pain clearly etched his handsome features. “Why? Why would you think that? I’ve never hurt you before.” Nick’s voice was barely a whisper.

No, not physical, but you’ve hurt me.
“I know. But you’ve been so mad at me lately. I didn’t know what to expect.”

Nick could not argue with her assessment. “You’re right,” was all he could say. The moment was too fragile for him to convince her otherwise. No, he would not spoil the tenderness of the moment. Summer was right where he wanted her. In his arms, believing and knowing she was in the safest place in the world.

As he stood up with her in his arms, she wanted to know, “What are you doing?”

“Laying you down so you can go back to sleep, you look tired.”

Before he could take a step away from the bed, Summer’s small hand grasped his hand.

“Don’t leave, stay with me. I don’t want to be alone.” In his arms Nick had given Summer a glimpse of what they once shared.

“Nick?”
Please stay, don’t go.

Nick rubbed his hand over his goatee. “Are you sure?” He was not sure if
he
should stay the night with her. The question was more so for his benefit and not hers.

Gently tugging on his hand, she assured him, “Yes, I’m sure.”

“All right, I’ll stay.”

Needing to be in his arms again, she scooted her body next to Nick’s until her back was firmly pressing against his solid chest. Summer reached behind until she felt a lean muscular arm. Heat surged through Nick as her soft palm caressed down cords of sinewy muscles until their fingers interlocked. Slowly she lifted his hand, bringing it around her body to rest on her swollen belly. Disengaging her fingers from the lock she began making tiny circles on the back of his hand.

Nick wanted to tell her to stop touching him. That was the problem with Summer, she could turn him on with a simple touch.

The last thing he wanted was for her to think he wanted to take advantage of her. Just as he was about to ease his hand and body away, Summer’s caressing came to a halt.

Gliding his hand over her belly to an area of activity she whispered, “You feel that?”

Nick nodded in the dark. “I feel it.”

“That’s your baby, Nick.”

Wrapping his arms fully around her, melting into her, Nick whispered, “I know. Baby, I know.”

Three days passed before Summer was able to make it back to her home. After that turbulent first night at Nick’s, things mellowed considerably between them. There were so many things they needed to say. Summer needed to explain why she’d kept her pregnancy a secret. Nick needed to know why Summer found it necessary to keep him in the dark. Each time one of them began to broach the subject they would falter sensing the timing was all wrong. Besides, Summer didn’t want to ruin the short time she had with Nick.

The night they’d shared the same bed for the first time in many months had been special to Summer. Nick made her feel safe and wanted, almost loved, as she lay in his arms. As he held her he apologized to her endlessly. Turning her to face him, he tenderly kissed her forehead, eyelids and the tip of her nose with each heartfelt word.

The next morning Summer woke to Nick lightly stroking her belly with his fingertips. She had never seen such an overtly affectionate side of Nick until that morning. After stroking her belly he proceeded to place tiny kisses over every large round portion of it as he whispered words she was unable to decipher. Summer lay still as long as possible, never wanting the tenderness he was showering on her and their baby to end.

Nick had done a great job of convincing her he would never harm her physically. No longer did she fear him in that sense. Summer’s greatest fear was that Nick would hurt her beyond the physical, shattering her emotional and psychological wellbeing. Yes, he’d been so sweet to her for those three days. That meant nothing, whatsoever, if he hadn’t changed his position.

On numerous occasions Summer envisioned her baby being literally ripped from her arms. Other times she’d envisioned herself living her life as a fugitive on the run with her baby.

Shaking the nightmares away, she’d tell herself, “I have to somehow make him understand.”

♥♥♥

“Mr. Stiles, everyone is present in the conference room.” Nick’s receptionist announced over the intercom.

“Thanks Gladys. Tell everyone I’ll be there in about ten minutes.”

The meeting would have to wait; he was preoccupied with thoughts of Summer, the baby, and the time they’d recently spent together. Murmuring a curse, he was still disgusted with how badly he treated her. He remembered how fragile she was as he held her in his lap. With words and touch he profusely sought to calm and soothe her. A weight lifted when Summer’s demeanor became somewhat relaxed. Her stance was still guarded; however, she no longer was a bundle of nerves when interacting with him.

Nick was astounded, yet pleased when she requested that he not leave her alone that first night. Stunned when she nestled herself against him and encouraged him to feel the evidence of life in her womb as she quietly whispered, “
It’s your baby
.” The softness and gentleness of her touch ignited his passion for her. He refused to ruin the tenderness of the moment. Instead he focused his energy on soothing her fears away. Nick sincerely meant every caress, stroke and tender kiss he planted on her beautiful face.

What he felt for Summer as she lay in his arms, he refused to acknowledge. No. He wasn’t in love with her. Sure he still cared for her, wanted to do the right thing by her and their baby. But when and how did he go about doing what was right? How did he know for certain she wasn’t playing him for a fool? Being a fool once for a beautiful woman was more than enough. Never again would he give his heart to a woman.

Confusion consumed Nick. So many emotions warred inside of him as he contemplated what to do about his relationship with Summer, if it could be called a relationship. He wanted to pick up where things had left off with them. After the way he treated her was it possible? Would she be able to love him the way she had before he abandoned her months ago? True, he had held her all night as she slept like a newborn in his arms; however that didn’t mean a thing. He would do anything to regain that special relationship with Summer. Kevin had been on the money. Summer
was
the best thing that ever happened to him.

Rubbing his hand across his jaw, Nick truly was at a loss of what to do for the first time in his life. If it meant apologizing, he’d do it on his hands and knees. Heck, he would buy her anything she wanted. A bigger house, new car, furs, jewelry, anything as long as things could go back to the way they were before he left the states. Yet another part of him didn’t trust her. She tried to manipulate him, or so he believed. Bile rose in his throat every time he relived the night of going to her and finding her pregnant. Deep in his soul he knew if he had never listened to that small voice in his head telling him to go see Summer he would have never known she was having a baby.
His
baby. The possibility of having a child somewhere out in the world and not knowing it infuriated him. Any decent man would want to know if he had a child.

Standing and straightening his tie, he headed to the door. Taking long purposeful strides down the corridor to the conference room, Nick’s mind shifted gears. Shedding off thoughts of Summer and the baby, he eased into predatory mode as he entered the conference room and announced, “Gentlemen, we’re about to engage in a hostile takeover.”

A pin drop could be heard as everyone witnessed the ominous expression Nick wore on his handsome face. The group of professionals quickly grasps the understanding that he was gearing up for battle with every intention of being the conqueror.

Rushing in the front door to get out of the cold, Summer dropped her things on the floor and plopped down on the sofa. “Five more weeks to go,” she said to herself as she patted her belly. Right away, her thoughts went to Nick when she touched her belly. It had been five days since she heard from him. She wasn’t at all bothered by it, because she understood they both needed the distance.

Life went on as usual with the exception of Ava and Starr doing round the clock vigils after she spent those three days with Nick. “We just don’t want to see him hurt you anymore than he already has.”

Both Ava and Starr felt guilty over the situation with Nick. After all they were the ones who convinced her to go out with him. Summer tried telling them things were “okay” between her and Nick. But they knew she was holding back and wasn’t telling them everything.

To Summer’s amazement her parents were not upset about Nick’s unexpected return. Thanks to her dad, Summer was sure of. However, her mother had advised, “Watch yourself baby, men can be so complicated, even downright unpredictable.”

Summer understood exactly what her mom was talking about. After spending all night in Nick’s arms the next day he became somewhat distant. He hadn’t treated her rude, hadn’t lost his temper or anything, just kindly kept to himself, mostly working in his office. Summer was disappointed when Nick slept in his room while she slept in the guestroom. No way would she have objected to lying in his arms every night they were together under the same roof.

Rested after sitting and thinking for ten minutes, Summer pushed herself off the sofa and padded to the freezer. Peeking in, not finding what she was craving, she began to pout. “I don’t even believe this.” Summer wanted to throw herself in the floor and have a tantrum like a four year old as she discovered her craving was not about to be satisfied. She had eaten the last of it two nights ago. “Shoot, I should’ve asked Starr to take me to the store.”

Brrrrg. Brrrrg.

“Hello?” Summer snapped.

“Have we had a bad day?”

Summer’s heart skipped a beat. She was as giddy as a teenager.
He called.

“Not really.” She wanted to tell him she was better now that he called.

“Then what’s wrong?”
Tell me baby and I’ll fix it for you.

“I ate all the ice cream. I don’t have any more left.”

Grinning into the phone, he could tell she was pouting. She looked so darn cute when she pouted. “Sounds like a state of emergency.”

“Ha, ha, you’re so smart,” she sneered. What did he know? He’s never been pregnant before with a maddening craving. Shoot! It was a state of emergency!

“Are we getting an attitude, Miss Summer?”

“No, Mr. Nick.” Still pouting she whined, “I just want some ice cream that’s all.”

Chuckling, Nick pictured Summer with her arms crossed and lips poked out.

“Would you like me to bring you some?”

“Would you?” She asked hoping he would because she was going into withdraw. “Of course. Anything for you baby,” Nick smoothly whispered.”

Thanks.” Summer softly replied.

“Raspberry truffle.”