Because This Is Forever (14 page)

So
Nate took over.

He
grabbed her hips and drew her down hard as he plunged upward. She bit down on
his shoulder as she squeezed her eyes shut and convulsed around him, gasping.
Her inner muscles clamped and released him in sporadic spasms. In the height of
her climax, she heard his shout of release. But she couldn’t muster the
strength to remind him to quiet down.

Mikey
was sleeping.

* * * *

Nate could
still feel her slight tremors around him and they recharged his desire. His
release had been intense and he waited until his heart slowed before he carried
her into the bedroom. The last thing he wanted was for their son to find them
like this.

He
led them to the bathroom, where they took turns stripping each other. The
bright, orange glow above them illuminated her body and the changes pregnancy
had made to it. She had filled out nicely, especially in her hips, breast, and thighs,
but his eyes focused on the C-section scar and he ran his fingers over the
faded line.

He
looked at her but she kept her gaze on his chest, obviously self-conscious about
the scar. “Does it hurt?” he asked gently.

She shook
her head. “No,” she whispered then stepped into the shower. He joined her and
they took the most erotic shower he’d ever had. He ran his soapy hand appreciatively
over her curves. They took turns washing each other and before long, Nate had
her hiked up against the glass wall, her legs wrapped tightly around him. Their
lovemaking was just as fierce and intense as it had been earlier on the couch.

A
short while later they finally made it to the bed. They lay between the cool
sheets with his arms wrapped around her, holding her close. He had longed to do
this since she’d arrived and he’d lain awake, imagining her lying in his bed
alone each night. Part of the fantasy had included them making love for hours. Now
that they had, things were forever changed. There was no way he could let them
go now. He wondered if she realized that, especially with the high possibility that
Mikey could have a brother or sister.

Her
back was pressed against his chest and he placed his hand over her belly. Her
soft body hadn’t relaxed into sleep yet.

“We
didn’t use anything.” His meaning was plain in those simple words.

She
turned to face him. “I know,” she whispered. “But we’re safe. I’m on the pill.”

Nate was
surprised by her admission. He was more surprised, however, by his disappointment.
Right now wasn’t a good time for them to have another child, not when things
between them were still unfolding. But the thought of another kid with her
excited him. He had missed so much of the earlier moments with her and Mikey.
 
He realized he wanted it all—the food cravings,
the midnight feedings, the first walks and talks. He wanted to be able to
relive the moments the next time he looked through his son’s baby book.

“Why?”
Nate asked, curious. She had been as tight as the first time he’d taken her so
she couldn’t be involved with anyone regularly enough to be on the pill. A
knowledge he’d been selfishly pleased about.

“To
regulate my period,” she said hesitantly. “A few months ago…I had been under a
lot of stress and…my cycle was a little erratic.”

Nate
frowned down at her, concerned. Was this why Mikey was so worried about her
getting sick? “Is everything okay?” he asked, trying not to sound gruff.

“Yes,
I’m fine. My body was just trying to tell me to slow down. Everything is being
regulated now,” she added with a small smile.

Nate
stared at her intensely. “What was going on? Why were you so stressed?”

When
she didn’t answer, he started guessing to gauge her response. “Was it Mikey?
The mortgage?” Then it finally dawned on him. Even now she refused to tell him.
“It was because of your mother, wasn’t it?”

Her eyes widened with stark grief. “How…”
                                    

“Mikey
told me,” Nate said. “He told me he didn’t want you to get sick and end up in
heaven like his grandmother.”

Tears
gathered in her eyes and he gathered her close. “When did she pass?”

Mia
took a ragged breath. “In September,” she whispered faintly. “The day before
her fifty-fifth birthday.” Her voice cracked on the last word. Suddenly she wrapped
her arms around him and came apart.

Her
sobs were violent and her slender body shook with the force of her tears. Nate gritted
his teeth against the overwhelming emotion that filled him at her anguish. He
hated to see her go through this but knew she needed it. He didn’t try to quiet
her. He simply held her tighter, trying to absorb some of her devastating grief.

He
stroked her back gently, waiting for the storm to pass. He couldn’t imagine her
despair. He still had both his parents around and wasn’t close enough to either
of them to truly understand her pain.

Eventually
the storm passed and he was content to just hold her and offer what little he
could.

“Why
didn’t you tell me?” he asked quietly.

She was
silent for a moment then said, “I…couldn’t.” She drew in a ragged breath. “I
still can’t.”

He
gave her a gentle squeeze. “Okay, you don’t have to. But I’ll be here when
you’re ready.”

She
nodded, relaxing slightly. “I must have really scared him,” she whispered
thickly.

Nate
frowned. “Who?”

“Mikey.
I got so caught up with my grief, I wasn’t eating, I was barely sleeping, and
with trying to be there for him and Leah, I didn’t realize how bad I was
getting.”

Nate
tensed. “What happened?”

Mia
trembled, her voice husky with fresh tears. “I just…collapsed. Right in front
of him,” she whispered thickly. “Right there in the kitchen. It was just us two
at home at the time and when I came to, he was crying so hard. I’ve never seen
him cry like that,” she added softly, her voice husky with suppressed emotion.

Nate
closed his eyes, his own sense of panic and despair threatening to consume him
at the thought of her being so dangerously ill. Just thinking about Mikey watching
his mother collapse like that, not knowing what was happening or what to do, must
have been terrifying for him.

“I was
so angry with myself for letting that happen,” she continued softly. “If something
had happened to me, he would have been all alone.”

“Shh,”
Nate murmured, aware of the fresh tears falling on his chest. “Nothing’s going
to happen to you,” he said gruffly.

At that
moment, Nate realized he was completely and desperately in love with this woman.
The thought of her lost to him forever was inconceivable. He had spiraled to a
dark place when their relationship had simply ended. He couldn’t even imagine
his life if she—

Nate
shook the thought away. Nothing was going to happen to her, he reminded
himself. His sudden, urgent need for her grew strong and insistent. He moved
over her and inside her in one single motion, getting as close to melding their
bodies as he could.

Chapter
Thirteen

“When
will you be back,” Mia asked, rolling up a pair of socks and dropping them into
Nate’s rollaway luggage.

They had
just gotten home from having dinner with Fred Carlson and his lovely wife,
Allison, and were getting Nate ready for his trip. Mia had been surprised by
how much she’d enjoyed herself. She had half expected it to be a strained evening
but Fred and his wife had acted as if they’d known about her and Mikey for
years.

The
older couple was warm, friendly people and Mia could see why Nate liked them so
much. He had been more relaxed and at ease tonight. In fact, he had been
more…unguarded since the night they’d made love. That night they had both let
their guard down. And it had felt wonderful.

She
hadn’t planned to break down in front of him like she had but she was glad it
happened. It had been almost therapeutic to let it all out and Nate had been
exactly what she needed—someone to hold her while she wept. It wasn’t as if she
had tried to keep her mother’s passing a secret from him but she hadn’t had the
courage to talk about it just yet. Little by little, however, she was opening
up to him and each night he just let her talk or cry or get angry.

Their
nights together these past few days were drawing them closer together and she
felt more connected to him than she ever had before. She didn’t know what
direction this all would lead their relationship and she was too afraid to ask.
She didn’t want to disrupt the newness of whatever this was. She would just
enjoy the ride until its inevitable end.

“I’m
flying back Friday morning,” he said, coming out of the bathroom with his
travel size shaving kit. He dropped it into the bag then walked up behind her and
pulled her into his arms. “I wish you and Mikey could come with me,” he
whispered against her ear, his arms wrapped around her middle.

Mia
leaned back against him. She wished they could too but he had his
responsibilities and she and Mikey would just be unnecessary distractions.

“We’ll
be fine,” Mia said, grinning as she repeated the same words he’d told her only
days earlier. She would miss him terribly, though, especially when they were now
just rediscovering each other.
“And it’ll give me time to work on your second surprise,” she
said with a soft smile, laying her hands over his.

“Second?
How many more are there?” he asked.

Mia
laughed. “This is the last,” she said. “I promise.”

“Hmm,
then what is it?”

“You’ll
have to wait and see,” she drawled sweetly. “But that should give you added
incentive to hurry back to us.”

His
arms tightened around her. “Believe me. I need no incentive,” he said, placing
a light kiss on the side of her neck. She turned to face him and they forgot
all about packing and surprises for the night.

The
next morning, she and a tearful Mikey saw Nate to the door.

“Mikey,
I’ll be back soon, I promise,” Nate said, placing a quick peck on his forehead.
“In the meantime,” he added, glancing over at her, “you need to stay here and
protect our treasure.”

Mikey
nodded then grabbed her hand. Nate reached for his rollaway bag and pulled her to
him for a kiss. “I’ll call you when I land,” he whispered.

“You
better,” she whispered back then kissed him again.

In
the three days he was gone, Mia missed him terribly. It was as if her libido
had been pulled out of hibernation and now that it was reawakened, she couldn’t
wait to have him back.

She
kept herself and Mikey busy with their
special
project
for Daddy, which Mikey had dived right into. Though Mia wanted to paint
a few accent walls, the ceilings were too high for her to do herself. Then
again, painting was too permanent and though Nate had said she could make
whatever changes she’d like, her time here had an end date. There was no need
for her to put in that kind of work and money painting would require so she
settled for pictures, a few wall decals, and colorful curtains.

They
were in his office now, putting up a few pictures. She was having a hard time
deciding where to put the large, black-and-white close-up shot of her and a
one-year-old Mikey, where he was placing an innocent kiss on her lips. It was
one of her favorite photos of them.

Mia
finally found the perfect spot, which faced his desk.

By
Thursday, they had everything in place for Nate’s return. There was more color
around the apartment now, from the decorative rugs and colorful throw pillows to
the tall house plants tucked in the corners. Instead of something out of a modern
luxury magazine, the condo looked less intimidating and felt more welcoming,
more relaxing. The portraits on the walls certainly added to the effect.

She couldn’t
wait to see Nate’s reaction. She hoped he liked her surprise.

More than
she’d liked her sister’s unexpected surprise that afternoon.

“Leah!”
Mia exclaimed, swinging open the apartment door. “What are you doing here?”

“Surprise,”
her sister said with forced excitement. She stood at the door, holding a small
duffel bag, looking weary and anxious.

Mia
got over her initial shock and stepped back to let her sister in. “When did you
get here?” she asked as Leah followed her into the living room.

“I
just drove in and came straight here,” Leah said.

Before
Mia could ask her anything else, Mikey came charging toward them.

“Auntie!”

Leah
dropped her bag and waited for Mikey to assail her. “Mouse!” she exclaimed,
lifting him high.

Mia
had to wait several minutes as Mikey told Leah about his Daddy, his new room, his
first day at work, and his trip to the pier. Leah asked questions and listened intently
as he went on and on. It was obvious to Mia that her sister was purposely
stalling their own conversation.

“Mikey,
why don’t you go play so I can talk to your auntie now?”

“But
I have to tell Auntie about—”

“You
can tell her later.” Mia’s tone left no room for negotiations. Mikey slid off Leah’s
lap and trudged to his room.

Mia
turned to her sister and raised a brow. “I’m waiting.”

Leah let
out a weary sigh. “Am I not allowed to visit my only sister and nephew? Last I
checked you were still my sister.”

Mia
wasn’t buying that for a second. There was a tension in Leah, Mia couldn’t
ignore. And even if her sister wanted to stop by for a visit, she should have at
least called first.

“Why
didn’t you call to tell me you were coming?”

Leah
shrugged. “Then it wouldn’t have been a surprise,” she said. “Now stop giving
me the third degree and offer me some water or something. I just drove for six
hours straight—by myself—and I’m exhausted.”

Mia
studied her sister for a moment then stood up and headed to the kitchen. “What
do you want to drink?”

“What
do you have?” Leah asked, following her into the kitchen. She looked around the
apartment, impressed. Mia understood her sister’s reaction because she had the
same feelings when she’d first walked in here. The condo had to be just as big
as their home in Detroit, if not bigger.

“This
place is amazing, Mia. Can you imagine how much his rent is?”

“He
owns it,” Mia said absently.

Leah
clucked her tongue. “Well, excuse me,” she said, taking the glass of iced tea Mia
handed her.

Mia
poured herself a glass and they made their way back to the living room.

“I
see you’ve been making yourself at home,” Leah said with a grin.

Mia
tensed. “What do you mean?” Could her sister tell she and Nate were…involved. Things
were still so new between them that Mia didn’t know how to label it, but the
last thing she wanted was her sister’s speculations and sly comments.

“Oh,
please,” Leah said, exasperated. “Look at this place. How many men do you know would
have pink throw pillows on their couch? It’s got you written all over it.”

“It’s
coral,” Mia muttered.

Leah
laughed. “Right. And the pictures? Nice touch. I was wondering why you wanted
me to send them. I see you’re settling in quite nicely,” Leah added with a
wink.

Mia
shook her head. The way Leah spoke made her feel as if she had ulterior motives
besides wanting to give Nate something warm and familiar to come home to. Then
again, her sister would never understand.

“It’s
not like that,” Mia said simply. “I just wanted to do something nice for him.”

“Okay.
If you say so.” Leah finished her tea in one drink and looked down at the glass.
“Now, do you have something I can
drink,
drink?”

Mia
shook her head. She had come to notice Nate didn’t keep alcohol in the
apartment. Not even simple social drinks like wine or beer. She hadn’t mentioned
it since she rarely drank herself. But she had wondered.

“The
only thing we have here with some kick is cranberry juice,” Mia told her.

Leah
made a face. “No, thanks,” she said, placing the empty glass on the center
table. “So…where’s the man of the house, anyway?”

“Traveling
for business,” Mia said, placing her own glass down. “He’ll be back tomorrow
morning. Why?”

Leah
shrugged. “No reason. Just figured it wouldn’t be a problem if I crash here
tonight.”

Mia
didn’t confirm or deny. It wouldn’t be a problem, but she wasn’t going to let
her sister spend the night without letting Nate know first. Despite his insistence
she make herself at home here, she was still acutely aware that it wasn’t.

She
would tell him when he called tonight, which he had made a point of doing every
night he’d been away. He would talk to Mikey before bedtime then call back a
few hours later, while she was preparing for bed, to wish her good night. He
would tell her how much he was missing them.

Each
night she waited up, desperate to hear his voice before she closed her eyes.
She needed that small contact, needed it like earth needed rain, and each night
it got worse. But he never missed a call, not even last night when it had been
later than usual and he hadn’t called back. When he eventually had, their usual
innocent conversation had soon turned naughty.

He
had whispered in great detail all the things he planned to do to her when he
got home, and Mia had been struck speechless yet thoroughly aroused. Once she
got in the groove of their naughty phone play, she responded with her own
detailing of things she also wanted him to do to her when he got home. In the dark
of night, she had felt bold and wicked but it was when she had begun telling
him of all the things she wanted to do to him that she had rendered him
speechless. The phone had crackled with his harsh breathing, and when he had
finally responded with
‘damn, baby,’
Mia had convulsed into giggles.

“You’re
such a tease,” he had murmured roughly but his own laughter had been like dark
velvet. Despite her mirth, though, she had been no less affected by their…talk.

Later
that night, as it grew closer to Mikey’s bedtime, they waited for Nate’s call
but it never came. The disappointment on Mikey’s face tugged at her heart and
she didn’t argue when he refused to go to bed.

“Mommy,
call him again.
Please
.”

“Mikey,
I just called five minutes ago. It’s going straight to voicemail so that means
his phone is off.” Despite her words, Mia dialed the number again. Again it
went straight to voicemail. He must have gotten tied up or was out of range.
Either way, he would return her messages, she was sure. It was just a matter of
when because apparently their son wanted to be up for it when he did.

“Okay,
you can wait up another hour for him then you’re off to bed.”

Less
than an hour later, however, they found out why Nate hadn’t called. He had been
on his way back home.

It was
a little after nine when Nate walked through the front door. Mikey jumped off the
couch and ran to him. “Daddy!”

Mia watched
as Nate picked him up and gave him a fierce hug.

“Now
what are you still doing up?” he asked.

“Mommy
said I could wait up for you.”

Nate
turned to her and she gave him a soft smile. “We were waiting for your call,”
Mia clarified, “but I see you managed to make it home early instead.” Though
she was surprised to see him, she was thrilled to have him home too. She wanted
to do like her son and cling to him too, but he looked weary and travel worn yet
happy to be home, if the grin on his face was any indication.

 
“I was actually hoping to get here by dinner
to surprise you but that didn’t work out. And then of course my phone died so I
couldn’t call you.”

“Well,
we’re happy you made it back early,” she said, still smiling. “Right, Mikey?”

“Yeah,”
he said, resting his head on Nate’s shoulder.