Beautifully Forgotten (25 page)

Her soft sounds were driving him crazy. Her head dropped onto his shoulder while her hips moved against his hand. His thumb continued the assault on that pleasure point as he pushed two fingers inside her, her body moving silkily up and down as she rode him. He wanted to drop to his knees and take her in his mouth, taste her as she came, but she was so close. His lips brushed over her ear, “Ride it harder; come for me.”

Her muscles spasmed and she bit his shoulder to stifle her cry as she climaxed. It was the fucking sexiest thing he’d ever seen. Her face was flushed and her eyes still warm with desire when she looked up at him. He held her gaze and brought his fingers to his mouth to lick off her taste.

“Fucking sweet.”

Ember was suddenly quiet and he was about to ask her what she was thinking when her hand unconsciously moved to her stomach. “I went to see the doctor yesterday.”

It took him a second or two and then his hand covered hers as what she didn’t say slammed into him. “You’re pregnant.”

She linked their fingers. “We’re pregnant.”

He wasn’t sure what emotion he felt more strongly, joy or fear. He held her gaze when he asked, “What’s that look for?”

His heart twisted with love at the sudden tears in her eyes. “This is a good thing, right?”

His voice caught, but he answered honestly. “Incredible.”

“But?”

They were pregnant. He couldn’t lie, he was thrilled, but he was also terrified. What if he became his sick fuck of a father? Ember would leave him, he’d insist on it, and losing her would be the end of him.

“Trace.”

A piece of him was growing inside of her and that thought brought on a surge of protectiveness in him.

“Penny for your thoughts?” She moved closer before she asked, “Tell me what’s putting that look on your face.”

“What if I’m like him? What if I’m really a sick son of a bitch like my father? What if I abuse our child?”

Ember reacted to that as if he’d slapped her. “How the hell can you even think that?”

“How the hell can I not?”

It was compassion that filled her voice when next she spoke. “You are nothing like your father, but I see I’ll have to remind you of this repeatedly over the next seven months.”

A reluctant smile tugged at his mouth. Her unwavering belief in him was fucking humbling. He moved to her and wrapped her in his arms. “Probably.”

Looking down into those eyes, he knew she was his home. He’d do anything for her. “I want to go with you for your next prenatal visit.”

“I would really like that.”

“How far along are you?”

“Seven weeks. I hadn’t even realized that I hadn’t gotten my period. It has never been regular and being so happy, I honestly just didn’t even think about it.”

The fucking shit she said. He smiled and his heart beat faster in his chest.

He pulled her to him and sealed her perfect words with a kiss.

D
arcy arrived to work very early on Monday. She couldn’t lie—she was disappointed that Lucien had made no attempt to contact her over the weekend, and considering he’d called her a whore, twice, he should have. Her office door was closed, which was odd since she always left it open. As soon as she flicked on the lights, she gasped in delight. Her entire office was one colorful garden—vases filled with every color and variety of flower covered every horizontal surface.

One vase, filled with peonies in varying shades of pink, sat right in the middle of her desk. She reached for the card and couldn’t help but laugh at Lucien’s apology.

I was a dick. Forgive me.

“So?”

She turned, her heart in her throat, to see him leaning in the doorway of her office. He took her breath away, and to see him looking so contrite and sexy—damn, she’d forgive him anything. But she was going to make him work for it.

“The flowers are beautiful.”

“Do you forgive me?”

“For calling me a whore because I was dancing? I’m still on the fence.”

“I suppose I deserve that.” He entered her office and stopped just in front of her. “I thought about what you said, how I didn’t fight for you. You’re right, I didn’t. At the time I was so devastated, losing Sister Anne and then you, I guess I just shut down. I should have come for you.”

She wanted to throw herself into his arms, but she held her ground. He needed to know that he couldn’t keep throwing their past in her face.

“I’m sorry about Friday night.” He looked down for a moment before he said, “I was jealous.”

His words made her feel almost giddy, but she schooled her expression. “Jealous. Well, there was no need to be. I was just dancing.”

“But not with me.”

She tilted her head and smiled. “You didn’t ask.”

“And that’s all I need to do? Ask?”

Her expression changed from teasing to sincere. “I’ve never denied you anything, you know that.”

His fingers played with a lock of her hair and though she had the sense he was up to something, he said not a word before he turned and walked out of her office.

Around noon, Darcy went to get a bite to eat, but when she stepped out of her office, there was a sign on the wall just opposite her door that said, “Join me?”

Down the hall she could see another sign. This one had an arrow and she followed that to the next one, up the stairs, down a hall to a door with a sign that read, “Took you long enough.”

It was the door to the roof and she pushed it open to see Lucien standing next to a small table with two large crystal bowls filled with pudding. When she reached him, he pulled her chair out and settled her napkin in her lap before he took the seat across from her. He lifted his spoon and waited for her to do the same, before he winked. Words weren’t needed. It was, hands down, the best lunch ever.

Two nights later Darcy sat in her apartment with her thoughts entirely on Lucien. After their lunch of pudding, he’d walked her back to her office and kissed her hand before returning to his own office. The following morning there had been a small box on her desk. She’d been hoping there would be a follow-up to the flowers, but she didn’t expect this type of gift. She opened the box to find a mug bearing Lucien’s face. She’d laughed out loud at the ridiculous picture. It would, of course, sit prominently on her desk, just like he knew it would.

She threaded her fingers through her hair as worry tingled her spine. She had to tell him about the baby, but she didn’t know how. She’d suffered with guilt for years over subsequently losing their child. Would he hold her responsible too? It was terrifying, and yet she knew they’d be unable to move forward until she overcame her fear and told him.

Darcy’s morning was booked, so at lunchtime she went in search of Lucien. She’d take him to lunch and tell him everything. She stopped at his office door and took a minute to just look at him. He glanced up, saw her, and smiled.

“Would you like to go to lunch?” she asked.

“Yeah. What are you in the mood for?” he asked as he moved from his desk toward her.

“Chinese.”

“I know a place.”

Outside, the sun was bright in the blue sky. He reached for her hand, something so simple, and yet it made her feel as if she were on top of the world. She never thought that much about hand-holding, but holding Lucien’s hand, when it was done so naturally, almost unconsciously—yep, she liked it a lot.

They reached a silver truck on the corner. “We’re getting Chinese from a truck?” Darcy asked.

“No better place in the city, trust me.”

He carried the white plastic bag while leading her to what was, according to him, the perfect place to eat it. They stopped in front of one of the horse drawn carriages and, after paying, he helped her up into it. He settled next to her and dealt out the cartons.

“I’ve never ridden in one of these before,” she said.

“Me neither.”

“Well then, how do you know it’s the perfect place to have our lunch?”

His smile was slow to form, but breathtaking when complete. “We’re moving, so if I say something stupid, you can’t escape.”

“You’re an idiot.” But inside she was grateful that he couldn’t walk away after she told him her news.

He never took his eyes from her when he said, “I have been, but I’m working on that.”

His words surprised her. And his lips were so close that if she leaned into him, she would feel them under hers.

“I’m going to kiss you,” he said softly. And then those lips were on hers and she sighed, granting him full access to her mouth.

Minutes later, he leaned back as if he were trying to keep himself in check, but desire burned in his eyes when he looked at her.

“Tasty,” he said, then grinned. “The Chinese, I mean.”

Now was the time to tell him, but she couldn’t get the words out. The thought of him never again looking at her with such tenderness was enough to make Darcy delay for just another day.

“Ember, Trace, this is Dr. Lipton. If it’s all right with you, he’s going to sit in on your ultrasound today. He’s a neonatal surgeon whom I asked for a consult,” Dr. Cole said.

“Sure.” Ember’s voice sounded a bit strained, not surprisingly since she was nervous, a feeling Trace shared.

“Okay, let’s get you ready.”

Dr. Cole handed the paper gown to Ember before showing them to a room. “We’ll be back in ten.”

Trace turned to Ember once the doctor had left. She was looking at the ultrasound machine.

“That doesn’t look very comfortable,” she said.

Trace’s eyes followed hers. “No, it doesn’t.” He took a step closer to her. “Are you okay?”

“Nervous.”

“We should get you undressed.”

“Normally, that statement from you makes me almost light-headed in anticipation, but not so much today.”

“I’ll be right here.”

“I know.”

Trace placed the gown on the table before reaching for the hem of Ember’s shirt. “Arms up, sweetheart. When this is over, I’ll buy you a cake pop.”

She grinned. “Two cake pops.”

“You got it.”

A knock at the door signaled the arrival of the doctors. They took a few minutes to get everything set up. “Are you ready, Ember?”

“Yeah.”

“I know it’s a bit uncomfortable, but try to relax.”