Mommy Midwife (7 page)

“What did you and my dad talk about?”

“How much do you want to know?”

“Everything,” she said firmly. Her parents had never told her and her sister about their work, probably because it was top secret and they were just kids. But this situation was different. She was a grown woman with her own unborn child to protect. “The more I know, the better I’ll feel.”

“It’s a long story. Mind if I join you?”

Sharing a bath might lead to physical intimacy, which was something she’d avoided since the night she got pregnant. Other women had told her how they were sexually supercharged during pregnancy, but that hadn’t been her experience. Not yet, anyway.

She shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

When he peeled off his T-shirt, her pulse rate bumped into high gear. The starlight through the window shone on the sharp ridges of his muscular arms and shoulders. Dark hair sprinkled across his chest and narrowed down the center of his body, pointing toward his belt buckle. He unfastened the belt and shucked off his jeans.

“I’m going to open the sliding glass door,” he said. “I like the feeling of cool air and hot water.”

“Sure.”

Without a hint of modesty, he walked around the tub to the windows. Naked, completely naked, he was spectacular. She couldn’t help staring at him. When he pushed the door open, a breeze wafted inside and cooled her cheeks, which was a very good thing because she was on fire.

Troy slipped into the hot tub. On the opposite side, he was far enough away that they weren’t touching, but if she stretched out her legs, her feet would bump into his knees.

He ducked under the water and bobbed to the surface again, shaking his head and grinning. “Feels good.”

“Uh-huh.” She tried to look away but couldn’t.

“Our bad guy’s name is Kruger,” he said. “That’s his alias, anyway.”

She clenched her hands into fists, fighting to control the passionate urges that coursed through her. She needed to concentrate; his information was important. “You referred to our bad guy. Yours and my dad’s? Are you both looking for the same person?”

“Not exactly. Your dad, like everybody else in the CIA, is after Kruger. He’s a legendary deep-cover agent—a sleeper. For nearly twenty-two years, he’s lived in the United States and hidden behind an undercover identity. It’s likely that he’s in a position of power. Your dad is aware of him but hasn’t been directly involved.”

“And how do you know Kruger?”

“My team discovered evidence of a terrorist cell from Rwanda that’s operating in the U.S., probably near New York. The group calls itself Hatari, and it’s being financed by Kruger.”

Espionage wasn’t her thing. Cells and sleepers and terrorist plots were beyond her sphere of influence. “How does this affect me?”

“We don’t know.” He swept his arm across the surface of the water, sending a shimmering ripple toward her. “At this point, all we can do is conjecture. Since I’m the leader of the group that found out about the Hatari plot, they might think they can influence me by kidnapping you. Or Kruger might want to get the attention of the CIA through your father.”

“Convoluted.”

“Very,” he agreed. “I picked up one potentially useful fact from your dad. According to the CIA, Kruger is involved with the oil business.”

“And why is that useful?”

“It gives a possible focus for our target. If the Hatari plot is to blow up a building, Kruger might direct them toward the offices of one of his business rivals.”

“In New York?”

“As far as we know.” He eased through the water, moving closer to her. “And there are a lot of oil companies who have offices in Colorado. Kruger might be closer than we think.”

“What should we do?”

“I’m not taking any chances.” He was beside her with his hand resting on her shoulder. “Until this is over, I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

His neatly trimmed hair was slick and wet like a seal. She reached up to stroke his temple. If she wanted to avoid getting close to him, she should climb out of the tub right now. Instead, her hand slid down to his nape, and she gazed into the depths of his dark eyes. “You haven’t asked me to marry you since we’ve been together.”

“Your dad gave me his blessing.”

“Oh, no, you didn’t.” Annoyed, she dropped her hand and pushed away from him.

“Actually, I—”

“I can’t believe you asked him.” Her irritation mounted. “And he gave you permission. What is this? The Middle Ages?”

“I didn’t mention marriage.” He pursued her through the water. “He said that you told him I proposed, and he thought it was a good idea for us to be married.”

“Of course he did.” She splashed him. “My father doesn’t think a woman can be complete without a man.”

He splashed her back. “Not just any man. Richard approves of me. He researched my background.”

“Just like you did with him.”

“Guilty,” he said.

“Well, I hope you two spies live happily ever after.” She groped at the side of the hot tub, trying to lay hands on her towel. “I’m out of here.”

“Wait.” He caught hold of her arm. “I’ve got a different kind of proposal. It’s not about getting married.”

She bobbed away from him, keeping her distance. “What is it?”

“We’ve never really gotten to know each other. When we talked over dinner, I think that was the longest sustained conversation we’ve ever had.”

“So?”

“While I’m acting as your bodyguard, we have to stay together. Let’s use this time. It’ll be a courtship.”

“A courtship?” She couldn’t help smiling when he used that old-fashioned word. A professor or a nerd might refer to dating as courtship, but Troy was a studly marine intelligence guy whose muscles had muscles. “Do you intend to woo me?”

“I could woo.”

“And why does that sound dirty?”

“I want to spend time with you, and I promise not to bring up the topic of marriage. No stress. No pressure.”

She didn’t make the mistake of thinking that this proposal came without a concession on her part. “And what do you want from me?”

“I want to be with you when you give birth. I want to see my son being born.”

His request touched her. A lot of men went running when they thought of a woman in labor. The mere fact that he wanted to participate said good things about his character. Still, she clung to her suspicions. “This had better not be some kind of ploy to get me into a hospital. I have a very clear idea of how I want this baby to be born.”

He nodded. “You’re the boss.”

“Well, I can’t say no. It feels right to have both parents at the birth. We have a deal.”

“And now we seal it with a kiss.”

He dragged her through the water into an embrace. Their wet bodies slid against each other until he found a position that worked. He held her sideways against his chest. As they kissed, her resistance washed away. Her tongue probed against the firm line of his mouth, and he opened his lips. His tongue engaged with hers.

She floated against him with the swirling water caressing her skin. The cool breeze through the open door prickled the hairs on her arms. She couldn’t believe how ultrasensitive her body felt. When he touched her swollen breast, it was almost painful but also felt so good.

His lips nuzzled her ear. “You’re beautiful.”

“I’m huge.”

“Ripe,” he said.

He pushed her through the water until her back was pressed against one of the jets. The gushing water massaged the region of her lumbar vertebrae, easing the stiffness that came from standing all day. While her muscles released the tension of being overtired, a whole catalog of other sensations came to life. Troy knew exactly where to kiss for the greatest response. His caresses were gentle, but he was clearly in control as he shifted his touch from her breast to the inside of her thigh. If this was his idea of courtship, she was ready for more woo-woo-woo.

Without warning, he cinched his hands under her arms and lifted her. He stood in the hot tub, holding her aloft. Her belly was completely out of the water.

“What are you doing?” She smacked him on top of his head. “Put me down.”

“Right here.” He sat her on the edge of the tub. “I want to see you.”

The breeze through the window raised goose bumps on her skin as he moved in close for another kiss. She wrapped her arms around him. The feel of his sleek, wet, muscular backside aroused her even more.

As he glided her back into the warm water, he parted her legs. Gently, he stroked her, and she felt herself coming undone. She hadn’t expected this to happen, hadn’t thought she’d see fireworks behind her closed eyelids, hadn’t dreamed of this passionate release that sent shock waves through her entire body.

He gathered her into his arms, and she rested her head on his shoulder. Making love had never been this amazing.

They floated for a moment before he helped her out of the tub and toweled her dry. When she reached for her nightgown, he took it away from her. “You don’t need that. I’ll keep you warm tonight.”

“My hair.” She reached up to touch the damp tendrils that had fallen from the ponytail.

“It’ll dry.”

In the bedroom, he pulled back the linens on the king-size bed. When they’d first entered the suite, she’d intended to discuss the sleeping arrangements with him and to request that he sleep on the sofa’s fold-out bed, but that seemed ridiculous now. She slipped between the sheets, and he joined her, nestling against her backside with his hand resting possessively on her belly.

It occurred to her that their passion had been one-sided. She’d gotten all the pleasure and really ought to reciprocate. Before she could make a move, a sweet lethargy overcame her and she slept.

Chapter Six

In the morning, Troy was awakened by a kiss and a not-so-subtle caress. Without opening his eyes, he responded, sliding his hand over the lush contour of her belly. Her skin was smooth and slightly moist, reminding him of the hot tub.

“Don’t make a move,” she whispered. “I want to give you a very special start to the day.”

“But I like to move.”

“And how do you like this?” She raked her fingernails down his chest to his belly button and lower.

“Keep going,” he growled.

This was, without doubt, the number one best wake-up
call he’d ever had in his life.
Give the lady a trumpet and let her play reveille.
He kept his eyes closed, using his sensory memory to record every kiss, every caress and every stroke. He memorized her scent and the taste of her sweet lips. When she’d driven him nearly crazy, he returned the favor.

Afterward, they lay side by side on the king-size bed, breathing hard and very happy. When it came to sexual compatibility, they were a good couple. No, make that a great couple. They had chemistry out the wazoo. Not a bad foundation for a relationship.

He turned his head and opened his eyes to study her profile. Her nose, though small, was well-defined. The corners of her mouth naturally turned up, and when she smiled, her eyes crinkled. He didn’t know her expressions well. Watching her was still a revelation to him.

“It’s after eight o’clock,” she said. “I told my sister that we’d be in Denver for lunch.”

The drive from Keystone was a couple of hours, but he was in no hurry to get moving. Swimming through the undercurrent of tension between Olivia and her parents wasn’t going to be fun. Plus, Troy was uncomfortable about being the guy who was responsible for getting Olivia pregnant before they’d even had a real date.

Hoping he might find an ally in her family, he asked, “What’s your sister like?”

“Bianca is the favorite daughter who does everything right. She graduated from Yale Law at the top of her class, and she’s a third-year associate at one of the most prestigious firms in Denver. Last year, she bought a terrific house with some help on the down payment from my parents.”

“You mentioned her boyfriend.”

“He’s out of the picture.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Us Laughton girls don’t seem to do well with long-term, committed relationships.”

Lying on his side, he propped his head on his fist, enjoying the rolling view of her belly and breasts under the sheets. “How come?”

“Bianca would say my problem is being a hermit who hides in her mountain lair every time she sees a man coming. And I’d say she’s a lawyer, trained to pick everything apart.”

He didn’t think of Olivia as a hermit. She’d come to him on the night they’d made a baby. Since then, she’d avoided him, rejected his proposals and made it clear that she was a totally independent woman.

Though he didn’t understand, he wasn’t ready to go that deep this morning. Things between them were going well, and he wanted to keep it that way. “Why do you think your sister is the favorite?”

“Our parents had high expectations. They truly believe that their girls are destined for greatness. When I showed an interest in medicine, they assumed I’d become a doctor. They don’t understand why I chose to be a midwife.” She turned her head to look at him. Her blue eyes held a challenge. “Do you?”

“Do I what?” He had the sense that he was walking into a minefield.

“Do you understand why I’d want to be a midwife?”

He considered for a moment. If he answered wrong, she’d lump him into the category of insensitive jerks. “I know you like helping people. That’s why you volunteer with my brother at the clinic. I think, for you, being a midwife is a calling.”

She nodded. “What else?”

“Delivering babies usually has a positive outcome. I get that part, for sure. At the end of labor, you get to be with a happy mother and a brand-new infant. That sounds like a great job to me.”

She rewarded him with a smile. “You’re smarter than you look.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“A guy who’s as pretty as you shouldn’t—”

He gave a snort. “Don’t call me pretty.”

“Let’s just say that you don’t look like a nerd.” She leaned toward him and kissed his forehead. “Can we call room service? I’m starved.”

They took their time getting ready, lingering over the menu and talking and eating. Though they seemed to be settling into a comfortable pattern, she started getting twitchy and tense when it came time to get dressed. Finding the right outfit to meet her parents seemed to be a real big deal, and she changed clothes a half dozen times.