Growing Love (Brookfield) (8 page)

“A
prostitute bar!” Had she heard right?

“Connor!” Alyssa shoved at her boyfriend’s chest. “Diane doesn’t need to hear this in her condition!”

“I didn’t know,” Matt said in his defense. “I left as soon as I knew what it was.”

“How could you not know?” Alyssa
demanded, turning back to him with fiery eyes. “I probably should have waited and asked you another time, but now that it’s out there,” she lifted her arms in a “what now?” gesture, “you may as well explain yourself.” She stepped over to Diane and whispered low, “I’m sorry, sis.”

Diane
ignored her, too intent on Matt’s face. She held her breath as she waited for his answer.

“
I’m not going to sit here and explain this, because once again, I’m the bad guy. I’m always the bad guy for you Duncan women. And you never believe a word I say anyway.” Matt brushed past them.

“What? Matt,
” Diane called.

“I’ll see you at home. Now I can be the bad guy for not feeding you as well.” He pushed open the glass door
and the bell jingled loudly behind him.

“Alyssa, what’s going on?” Diane
crossed her arms over her belly this time, feeling another Braxton Hicks coming on.

Alyssa sighed heavily. A worry line appeared on her forehead. It was obvious she didn’t really want to reveal whatever it was.

“Alyssa,” Diane injected a warning note into the name, “out with it. You started this. Now finish.”

“
Okay,” her sister raised a hand to stay any further words, ”the other week Matt went to Guave’s Bar. It’s well known as a—“

“
Prostitute bar, I’m guessing. I’ve not heard of it, but apparently you have.” Diane sighed. “Maybe he was telling the truth. How did you find out he was there?”

“I heard it at the hair salon. The guys from his construction site sent him there.”

This town and its gossip. Welcome to small-town living. “Did you happen to hear if he took someone home?”

“He was there. Why else?”

Diane was torn. Her sister had a point. Matt was at the place and he was single. So if he wanted to pay for sex, he could. But a bigger part of her believed Matt. She couldn’t see him going to a place like that knowing what it was. It just wasn’t Matt.

“I’m going to go talk to him.”
Diane turned.

“Want the book you came for?” Alyssa asked.

“No. I’m not in the mood for it right now.”

She left and started the short walk back to Matt’s. He’d gotten so upset. Not really about the bar thing, but about the way her sister
and her had acted. He’d mentioned it before, but she hadn’t given it much thought. But now she saw how much this bothered him. She needed to find a way to fix this. She didn’t think Matt was a bad guy.

When she entered the home she was sharing with Matt, it was silent.

“Matt,” she called out, but there was no answer.

She walked farther in and back tow
ard the bedrooms. She peered into his room and found him in the bed sound asleep. A nap sounded good. She leaned against the doorjamb and sucked on her bottom lip. What would it be like to curl up in the bed with him?

Slowly, she walked, waiting for something to stop her. But as she stood next to the bed, he didn’t stir. She climbed onto the bed, feeling it dip under her weight. She lay with her back to him.
For a moment she was still, but then she wiggled her hips a little to make the bed bounce, hoping it might wake him and perhaps cause him to wrap an arm around her. She missed cuddling with him, the feel of his strong arms holding her close.

But he didn’t stir
and she fell asleep disappointed.

Chapter Nine

Matt opened his eyes and wondered if he was awake. Someone was curled up in his bed with him. He sat up and stared down. It was Diane.

She rolled onto her back then opened her eyes. She stared back at him. Did she realize she’d climbed into bed with him? And did this mean anything?

“I hope you don’t mind,” she whispered.

Mind? Hell no
, he didn’t. In fact, that was the best nap he’d had in a long time.“Uh, no. We’ve only got one bed right now. And you’re in no condition to sleep on the couch.”

She pulled herself into a sitting position and
fluffed a pillow behind her. “Can we talk?”

Women, they always wanted to talk. Couldn’t they just enjoy this moment together? “I guess.”

“I believe you.”

He raised an eyebrow. “About?”

“The club. I know you wouldn’t want to hook up with a prostitute, single or not.”

“Thank you. That means a lot to me.” He sat back against the headboard next to her. “I had no idea what the place was. The woman I met there, she was very forward
. I knew something was off.”

Diane laughed. “You’re too handsome to go somewhere like
that. I’m sure you could find someone a more traditional way.”

She still thought he was attractive. That meant the world to him. Lord knew he found her sexy as hell. The woman glowed all the time. It took everything in him to hold back half the time from touching her.

“Oh!” She jumped.

“What? Are you okay?”

“The baby did a flip, it felt like. He’s really kicking.” She reached out. “Give me your hand.”

She laid his palm on her hard, round belly. His son was moving and it was the craziest thing he’d ever felt.

“Wow, he’s active.”

“A future soccer player.” She grinned.

This was the most magnificent thing he’d ever experienced in his life. He stared at her stomach underneath the thin cloth of her top and could see it bounce along with the movements.

“Matt,” she said softly.

“Yes.” He looked up and into her blue eyes.

“I really want to kiss you.”

Oh God, he wanted to also. But if he kissed her, he wasn’t sure that was all he could do. The area below his belt already wanted to reconnect with her.

“Please.”

Fuck. He reached out, wrapped a hand around her neck, and pulled her face to him. His lips were inches from hers. Now was the moment to pull back, but he couldn’t. Her fingers laced around his neck and into his hair. Her lips met his and that was it. He thrust his tongue into her mouth and she met him with equal need.

Moving his other hand from her belly, he let it caress her lower back as they kissed.
He still couldn’t believe they were lip-locked. His gut told him they should stop; she was a taken woman. But damn it, that was
his
son in her. Wasn’t it his right to kiss her if she wanted to be doing this with him?

He pulled back.

“Why’d you stop?” she whispered breathlessly.

“How far can we really go?”

She let her finger caress down his neck to his chest. “However far you want to.”

He groaned.
She couldn’t be talking about sex, could she? “You mean…all the way?”

She nodded. “I
have desires I want you to fulfill.”

“You’re killing me.”

She kissed his chin. “You could be drilling me.”

He started to object, but she crushed her lips to his mouth
, not giving him a choice. Diane always knew what she wanted. They could do this. Play for a little.

She pushed on him
slightly as she climbed onto him. How could this woman move with her belly? With her straddling him now, he reached around and cupped her breasts. Holy cow, they were triple the size. With both hands, he kneaded both of her breasts, pushing them together. He did his best to keep the dirty thoughts at bay. He was failing.

Her nipples were hard under her padded bra. He really wanted to lift her shirt, pull the bra c
up down, and roll them between his fingers. Or better yet, lick them and squeeze his face between her cleavage.

He’d always been a boob man and she’d had an ample set before, but now.
…wow.

His erection pressed into her center and she slightly grinded. He needed to get this under control and quick. Other
wise he’d be spilling his seed in his pants as he fantasized about her breasts slapping him across the face.

“Stop.” He pushed her back.

“I don’t think I can. I haven’t had sex in way too long. Please, Matt, please.”

“Fuck, don’t beg me.”

“I’ll do whatever I have to.”

“Diane, what’s going on?” He was confused. Her comments about no sex in a long time
were off. Was Tom not having relations with her, or was she referring to her time here in Brookfield? Hell, he hadn’t had sex since her. Imagine if she’d gone that long.

She climbed off of him and he missed feeling her heat against him. But she didn’t say anything, which only meant one thing. She was hiding something.

“Talk to me,” Matt said.

“I don’t know if I can.” She paused. “You’re the last man I ever slept with.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I’ve been keeping something from you.”

This didn’t sound good. “Tell me.”

“I’m not with Tom.”

“You broke up?”

She shook her head. “I never was with him
. When I returned home after our fight, I let Tom go, but we stayed friends.”

“So you let me beli
eve all this time that you and he were together?”

“I’m sorry.”

He climbed off the bed.

“Where are you going?”

“I need to think.” He walked out of the room. He needed to be anywhere but here. How in the world could she have kept this from him? Let him think all these weeks that she was in a relationship with Tom? Did her family know?

*
* *

Crap, crap, crap
. Diane hopped out of the bed as best she could to go after Matt, but the second she stood, she had to pee—bad.

After her bladder was taken care of, she knew he was gone and she c
ouldn’t chase after him. She had to make this right. Maybe she could twist this somehow, the way she always did to get things better again. He never did ask if they were together. He’d assumed.

She sighed. No, that wasn’t the way to handle this. She needed to be an adult. She needed to grow up and face this problem head on. But at the moment, what could she do?

She could walk her pregnant self around town until she found him. That was what. She needed to show Matt she was going to fight for him, that he was important to her and she never wanted to be without him again.

After slipping on a pair of flats, she grabbed her purse. Once she made it down the flight of stairs, she pushed open the door to the building. The sun was bright, blinding her at first. Now to figure out which way he went.

Matt loved sweets. So he might be at The Cookie Jar. But he also liked coffee, so The Roasted Cup was always an option too. And of course, they were in opposite directions. However, she had a feeling he wasn’t going to be close to Alyssa’s bookstore, so she’d choose the one farthest away for now.

As she walked up the sidewalk, she decided when she saw him she’d tell him that she loved him. Because she did. He
was the only reason she was still here. Having him back in her life made everything complete. At this point, she would give it all up just to have Matt and the baby. Maybe when things were right they could start talking about names. She wished she had a name for him, but nothing felt like a good fit yet. Matt might be the key in helping her.

As she made it to The Cookie Jar, she checked the tables out front but didn’t see him. She opened the door and was greeted right away
by the lady behind the cabinet. Diane nodded in greeting, but her gaze darted. No Matt.

“Diane,” a woman said.

She turned to see a familiar face. What was her name?
Julie
. “Hi.”

“How are you feeling? You look great,” Julie said.

“I’m doing better. I was having some false labor issues. That seems to be getting better.”

“I’m glad.” A little girl peered from behind Julie. “This is my daughter.”

She was a beautiful child. “She’s pretty.”

“It’s a good thing. She’s a handful.” Julie laughed.

Diane grinned. “I hate to be so short, but I’m actually looking for someone and he isn’t here. Good luck the rest of your pregnancy. We don’t have much longer.”

“You too.”

Diane turned and left the bakery. Taking a deep breath, she dreaded the walk back, especially because it was all uphill. Thankfully Brookfield wasn’t a huge place, so it wouldn’t take too long.

With her hand on her lower back, she walked. A few minutes later, The Roasted Cup came in to sight, as did Matt. He sat there with the newspaper in hand.

“Matt,” she called as she got closer.

He turned
, looking surprised to see her. “What are you doing? You need to be resting.”

As she stepped closer to him, she stood still a moment
, catching her breath. “I’ve been hiking all over this town looking for you.”

He pushed back from his chair and pulled out one for her. “Sit down.”

She nodded, but as she took a step toward the chair, she felt a trickle down her leg.

He was at her side
instantly, arms around her, as she leaned and grabbed the chair. “Diane, you okay?”

She shook her head. “No. I either peed myself or my water broke.”