Lucien (22 page)

“For how long?”

“For a while. Until we can get this place organized and on track to be productive. Probably about a year.”

“But what about your other clients? And the house your grandfather gave us?”

Luc rested his chin on the crown of her head. “I didn’t know how long this job would take, so I didn’t commit to anything afterwards. And the house… it’ll still be there.”

Elise eased back and looked up at him. “If it’s what you want to do, then I’m all for it.”

“And you’ll stay with me?”

“If that’s what you want,” she asked softly.

“That’s what I want.” His arms tightened around her.

“Then I’ll stay.”

A case of condoms. Right down the hall.

Elise pursed her lips and stared at the computer screen. The letters blurred together as her mind wandered down a well-worn path. She should have thought about it sooner, but she hadn’t. She should have been prepared for the eventuality. Her hands drifted from the keyboard to rest on her stomach.

“I might be,” she whispered. A warm and fuzzy feeling spread through her body and she sighed. Why hadn’t she thought about it sooner?
Because
, Elise commented to herself,
you were more concerned with other things, like making your husband fall in love with you and making a fairy tale romance come true.

Elise shook her head at herself. “Well, it takes two. Why didn’t my husband consider the ramifications?”

Luc had never once asked her or mentioned birth control. Why hadn’t he? Had he assumed she was on the pill?
Puhleeze
. Who ever heard of a virgin on the pill?

The reality of the possibility sank in and Elise gasped. “Ohmigoodness. I really could be.”

A brief knock heralded Luc’s entrance into the office. “Just the lady I was…,” he trailed off frowning. “What’s wrong?”

“Wrong,” Elise choked out. “Is something wrong?” She sat up straighter and absently smoothed down her skirt. She wasn’t ready to discuss her thoughts with Luc. Especially when she wasn’t even sure of what her thoughts on the subject were.

Luc came around the desk and leaned against it. He gazed at her with such open tenderness that she nearly voiced her concerns. “Nothing’s wrong that I know of, but,” he gently touched her cheek, “you look pale. Are you feeling all right?”

Think, Elise, think
. “I… guess I’m just a little tired.”
Oh, that was brilliant.

“A little tired,” he asked, unbelieving.

Elise caught his hand. “Really. That’s all. It took me longer than usual to fall asleep last night.”

Luc entwined their fingers together. “I suppose you didn’t sleep very well because of me.”

Elise relaxed and smirked. “For some strange reason, I can’t seem to fall asleep when you’re tossing and turning.” She tugged playfully on his hand. “Did you find the missing fifty thousand?”

Luc nodded. “It’s all been accounted for.” He paused and held out his other hand to her. “Take the rest of the day off.”

She took his hand and let him pull her up. “But I haven’t finished this—”

He cut her weak protest off with a quick kiss. “Go home and take a nap.”

“But how will you get home?”

Luc laughed. “That didn’t take much convincing. Don’t worry about me. I can get Ben to drop me off.” Luc pressed his lips to her temple and wrapped his arms around her. “I need you rested for what I’ve got planned for you later.”

Elise smiled and laid her head on his shoulder. “Aw, you need me.”

“Yeah. I do,” Luc replied softly. He cleared his throat and, after another quick kiss, disentangled himself from her. “Now, get your things and get out of here. And don’t even think about cooking dinner. Damn, if I want my woman slaving over a hot stove when she’s supposed to be taking it easy.”

Elise laughed as Luc found her things and stuffed them into her arms. “I’m going, I’m going.”

“You bet you are.” Luc escorted her out to the rental car and personally put her behind the steering wheel. He waited until the seat belt was buckled and closed the door. Elise rolled down the window and Luc braced on arm against the roof, leaning in for another kiss. “I’ll be home soon, darlin’.”

Elise sighed and reached out to adjust his tie. “How late do you think you’ll be?”

“I’m not sure. But I’ll try not to wake you up when I come in.”

“If you wake me up, then you had best be prepared for the consequences.” Elise caught his tie and pulled him down for a bone melting kiss. “Be good, Lucien.”

“You, too.” Luc reluctantly pulled back. “Drive carefully. I’ll be home soon.”

Elise started the engine and watched Luc walk back towards the building. She rolled up the window and put the car in gear. “All right, girley-girl. Let’s get this show on the road before you give in and do something silly like… jump him in the parking lot.” Elise chuckled and turned up the radio, then eased her way out of the parking lot and onto the main road.

At the first stop light, her mind tuned out the radio and blurted out questions like:
How does the prospect of being pregnant make you feel? How would Luc feel about becoming a daddy? If the marriage is only temporary then—

The light turned green and Elise pressed the accelerator. She sighed. “A baby.”

Not just any baby
, her lovesick mind corrected,
but a child with the man you’re in love with. How does that make you feel?

Elise pursed her lips. “I might
not
be pregnant.”

And you might be
.

She gripped the steering wheel tighter. “Okay, let’s suppose for one minute that I am.”

Okay. Keep going.

“I’d have to tell Luc.”

Naturally. A pregnancy isn’t something which can be hidden from a lover for more than a couple of months.

“Luc is more than a lover,” Elise retorted. “He’s my husband and I love him so much it hurts.”

True, but love isn’t supposed to hurt.

“We are not going to argue about that again,” she told herself. “The fact of the matter is, I love Luc and he’s my husband and I want children.”

Oh? You do?

“Yes, I do.” She slowed for another red light and thumped the steering wheel. “I don’t know if I’m ready for children, but… oooh, a little boy with Luc’s eyes? He’d be so cute. Or… a little girl. Oh. I want one. I may never get another chance. Who knows how long we’ll stay together and…,” she trailed off, unwilling to go down that line of thought.

Oh sure, Elise wants one, but what about Luc? Doesn’t he get a say in this?

“Whatever say he had, he lost when he forgot about birth control.”

Uh-huh. And Elise “conveniently” forgot to ask about birth control?

“Oh, shut-up,” she muttered. “I hate arguing with you. I mean, me.” Elise groaned and pulled into the driveway. “You always have to have the last word. Why won’t you let me win one measly argument?”

Because an overly developed conscience never sleeps. All day long, it’s think, think, think. And while we’re on the subject of brooding over possibilities… has it occurred to you that Luc may not be able to have children? Ever think of that, Elise?

Elise gasped and, stopping the car, slid the gear shift into park. “Not have children? Why wouldn’t he be able to? He’s young and virile and—
Ohmigoodness
. I’ll never be able to sleep now.”

Elise smiled into her pillow as Luc’s hand skimmed up her leg to rest on her hip. “If I didn’t know you so well, I’d be angry at you.” She shivered deliciously and snuggled her backside closer to him. “Coming into my bed at this hour, waking me up. You didn’t wake me up last night.”

He kissed her shoulder, her neck, the base of her ear. “I made up for it this morning.”

“Yes, you did.” She turned her head to meet his kiss. “Which is why I know you’re not two timing me.”

“I’d never and you trust me,” he murmured into the hollow of her throat.

“Mmmm.”

Luc cupped her breasts, kneading them before lowering his mouth to the nipples. “And you adore me.”

“I do?” Elise arched herself into his mouth.

“Yeah.” He raised himself over her, grinning. “You do.”

“Oh.” She smiled and framed his face with her hands. “And do you adore me?”

Luc caught her legs and shifted her underneath him, reaching down to caress her into accepting him. “I love it that all I have to do is kiss you and you’re ready for me.”

Elise gasped from his ministrations. “I answered your question.”

He kissed her long and hard, driving into her with one swift stroke. “Ah darlin’, you are so very… adorable,” he rasped, then covered her mouth with his and erased all thought from her mind as he loved her until she could barely breathe let alone think.

Afterwards, Elise lay half on, half off Luc’s chest, idly tracing her fingers along the muscular lines of his abdomen. A stray thought worked its way into her mind and rooted. Too tired to argue with a nagging thought or follow the string of tangents it would produce, Elise decided it was time to stop playing the middle man for her mind and let her husband argue with her overactive intellect. “Luc?”

“Yes, darlin’?” He combed her hair down her back.

“Have you had a vasectomy?”

Luc froze. “What?”

Elise pushed herself up and onto her elbow. Luc started laughing and she sighed. “I’ll take that as a no.”

His gray eyes gleamed and teared with mirth. “Why would you ask me that?”

“Because you don’t seem too concerned about getting me pregnant.”

“Pregnant?” Luc sobered. “Are you?”

Elise sucked in her bottom lip. His expression was unreadable. “I… I don’t know. I could be.” She hesitated a second then asked, “Would it bother you if I were?”

“No,” he answered quickly.

“Well, it shouldn’t considering that you never once asked me about birth control.”

“You’re not on the pill.” A funny look entered his eye. “Are you?”

“For goodness sake, Luc. Until a few weeks ago, I was a virgin.”

“Oh. Right.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Do we have to talk about this now? Can’t we talk about it tomorrow? Over breakfast? Or lunch? It’s been a long week and this is the first Saturday that—”

Elise’s jaw dropped and her temper soared. “Over lunch? Do you realize how this is going to change everything? How it may have already changed everything?” She threw back the covers and grabbed the first thing she found, his shirt, then shoved her arms into it and stood up, giving in to the urge to pace. “I could be pregnant. And I don’t—”

“Elise.”