Pregnancy Plan (14 page)

She flicked her tongue over her lips,
wanting a taste, a chance to consume him. Her finger slipped from
his mouth and she circled her arms around his neck to draw him
within inches of her lips. “Kiss me, Derek.”

With little kisses, he fed her desire.
However, he didn’t deepen the kiss like she wanted. Instead, he
stayed on the edge, tasting the fruit but not devouring the
flavor.

His rock hard erection lay against her.
Jillian relaxed beneath him, letting him have his fun. With him
home, she could afford to wait for him to move into deeper waters
and enjoy every step of the adventure. After all, they had a
lifetime together; they should have plenty of time to enjoy
themselves. And judging by his response, it wouldn’t take long.

He raised his head, and stared at her. She
whispered. “I’ve missed you, my sexy pirate.”

His gaze drifted away as if to another time.
She hoped he remembered the last time she’d called him a pirate.
Waiting for him to return from his memory, she tunneled her hands
through his hair and dark curls danced around her fingers.

Closing his eyes, he laid his head on her
chest. She continued to caress his hair while he relaxed against
her.

The overpowering feelings of love wouldn’t
allow her to stay quiet. “I am so glad your home. I’ve missed you
so much. Please don’t ever leave me again.”

He lifted his head. “I won’t.”

His heated stare burned her. The meaning
holding more than his words revealed, he offered his love.

She couldn’t hold back any longer. “I love
you, Derek.”

Locked in place for several heartbeats, he
suddenly shifted away and stood. “We better get going.”

Cold air hit her warm skin, chilling her to
the bone. Stunned, she forced herself not to read too much into the
action, and rolled to the side of the bed.

The wall around his
emotions can’t be broken overnight. This is bound to happen. He's
still recovering.
But she’d seen a small hole in the
barrier and with time, it’d come tumbling down. She just needed to
keep chipping at it.

She opened her suitcase and dug out her
clothes. Derek stood across the room, already dressed in jeans and
a black T-shirt, sliding his belt through the loops of his jeans.
His gaze followed her.

Not ready to let him off the hook, Jillian
decided to see if she could tempt him. With a wicked grin, she
slowly lifted her cotton gown. Inching it over her body until it
cleared her head then she threw it on the bed.

Ignoring him completely, she peered down at
her body. Her hand on her stomach outlined the round pocket where
their baby rested. She rubbed it gently, and then cupped her
breasts. They were larger than she could have ever imagined.
Motherhood certainly had a few added benefits. She tested their
weight.

Derek groaned and gripped the waist of his
jeans, his belt unfastened and his intense gaze centered on her.
She offered herself to him, and his gray stare fell to the round
globes in her hands.

He stepped forward, his hands curled into
fists and then he stopped, held in place by some unseen force. As
though caught in a cold flame, he commanded her next movements, a
dance of temptation with her as his puppet.

Following his unspoken demand, her hands
slid to the tip of breasts, pinched her nipples, then slid
downward, to her stomach and ran along her thighs. Heat burned, her
body melted, and he still didn’t move. She closed her eyes, wanting
to savor the glow inside.

Then reality struck.

Shocked and embarrassed by her own
brashness, Jillian turned and dressed.

He wanted her. She knew it, but for some
reason his mind wouldn’t let him take what his body wanted. Did he
unconsciously remember that they weren’t married?

No, she wouldn’t feel guilty about her lie.
According to the state of Texas, they were married if they lived
together as a married couple and proclaimed that they were married,
even if they didn’t go through the ceremony.

She just needed to convince him to take what
he wanted and push the limits every change she got.

Satisfied with her game plan, Jillian packed
her things, anxious to leave for home.

“
Would you like me to carry something
down for you?” She bent to pick up a box.

“
No, I’ll do it.” He touched her
shoulder. “They’re all too heavy for you.”

“
Not any heavier than a box of bolts.”
She smiled at her joke. Derek, the perfect straight man, just
stared.

“
Okay, I’ll carry down my bag.”
Stepping around him, she thought about what the old Derek would
have said about nuts being lighter.

****

Jillian watched Jason and Derek carry boxes
through the kitchen. The two appeared to be getting along. At least
no harsh words were coming from either of them. Jason must have
given up the idea of his brother staying in Dallas.

“
How about some coffee, guys?” Kelly
asked on their trip back through kitchen as they made their way
back upstairs.

“
We have one more load. Then
everything will be packed except the weight bench.” Jason brushed
his hand over Kelly’s shoulder with a gentle caress.

Jillian set the table while the other woman
worked on making the scrambled eggs.

“
If you’ll help make the toast, we’ll
be ready to eat in a few minutes. The bread is in the
refrigerator.” Kelly stirred the eggs.

“
Sure thing.” Jillian worked on
toasting bread while the men carried the weight bench out to the
truck.

When they stepped back inside, Kelly
announced, “Everything is ready. Let’s eat.”

“
Great, just let us wash our hands,”
Jason said.

Jillian waited for the others to join her at
the table. Derek seemed more at ease this morning. Maybe yesterday
he’d just been tired.

Everyone passed around the food and filled
their plates. Jillian dished out some eggs and grabbed a piece of
toast.

“
Would you like some bacon, Jillian?”
Jason offered the platter.

“
No thank you.” She groaned. “The baby
doesn’t seem to like it.”

“
Part of morning sickness?” Kelly
lifted her fork with interest.

“
Yes, even though I still haven’t
figured out why they call it morning sickness. It can happen any
time of the day, but it is getting a little better.”

“
Another reason not to have a baby, if
it’s as bad as everyone claims. I don’t think I could stand it,”
Kelly commented as if driving home this point to Jason.

“
Yes, and you wouldn’t want to lose
your wonderful figure,” he responded with a frown.

Jillian studied the couple until Derek
interrupted. “When are you two getting married?”

Jason whispered something, at the same time
that Kelly answered. “We haven’t set a date yet.”

“
Why not?” Derek pressed.

“
We’re in no hurry,” Kelly commented,
while her fiancé munched down on a piece of toast.

“
But why wait?”

As the east Texas scenery flew by, Jillian
wondered why Derek had grilled Jason and Kelly about their wedding.
Did he think they were having problems in their relationship?

Neither had answered his questions, hedging
until Derek, frustrated, had stood and stated it was time to go.
He’d backed out of the driveway before she had a chance to fasten
her seatbelt.

Jillian stomach rumbled as the nausea hit.
She turned the air vents to point directly at her face and closed
her eyes, hoping to avoid the problem. The bumpy ride of the truck
didn’t help her queasiness. The world spun behind her closed lids.
Needing to focus on something else, she opened her eyes and stared
at him.

He’d lost weight. His cheeks were leaner,
adding a more defined angle to his jawline. His dark curly hair,
now longer, lent an artistic flare to his looks. She liked it. His
broad shoulders flowed into strong muscular arms and ended with his
square fingers. The only other noticeable change from his weight
loss was a much flatter stomach.

Hers turned over, unwilling to settle down.
She glanced around--the black leather seats--the clear glass
windows--an exit sign for Terrell. “Derek, can we stop and get
something to drink?”

“
Sure, when we come to the next
exit.”

Jillian sat back trying to tell her stomach
to wait and felt the rumbling begin. Even with no bacon, she felt
the hot bile at the back of her throat.

“
Pull over. Now!”

“
Okay, hold on.” He steered the truck
to the side of the road.

Her hand on the door handle, she opened the
door as soon as the vehicle stopped and rushed through the weeds.
The uneven ground caused her to stumble. Five feet from the truck,
she lost her breakfast and braced her hands on her knees to keep
her from falling forward. Once finished, she drew in several deep
breaths to calm her racing heart.

His hands slipped around her rib cage,
pulling her back against him for support. Slowly, Jillian
straightened, using his strength to reinforce her own.

She stood in the circle of his arms and
turned. “I’m sorry about this.”

“
You should have said something
sooner.” He bent down and carried her back to the truck. With her
door still open, he set her on the bench seat and studied her
face.

Not sure of what he was feeling, she tried
to lighten the mood. “I guess you didn’t plan on the ‘in sickness’
being so soon after the ceremony. Or maybe, I should say ‘for
worse.’

“
What?” He sounded
confused.

“
You know ‘For better, for worse, for
richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health’ The marriage
vows.”

His lips parted into the first true smile
she’d seen from him since he’d arrived home. Her heart exploded
with the joy. She cupped her hand over his cheek. “Oh Derek, I’m so
glad you’re home. I have missed you so much.”

He kissed her on the forehead. “I’m glad to
be here.”

He shut the door and walked around the front
of the truck, then settled back in his seat. “Try to relax. I’ll
stop at the next exit.”

Not having buckled her seat belt, Jillian
slid to the middle of the seat. “Do you mind if I sit next to you?”
She dropped her hand onto his thigh.

“
No,” he replied, pulling back on the
highway.

She fastened the middle seat belt, then
leaned her head against his shoulder and relaxed. Somehow just
touching him made her feel better. She closed her eyes, and thought
about how much he meant to her. Everything that had happened to
them had only tightened the bonds between them.

He might be different than when he left, but
his actions a few minutes ago proved he still cared. She would do
everything she could to see that their marriage worked.

****

Tall trees surrounded each exit. A
barbecue’s place sign stated the next exit was in a few miles.
Jillian had told him it took about two-and-half-hours and by his
calculations they should be close.

Derek thought he had the right exit and
steered the truck onto the off ramp. When the truck stopped at the
interchange, she stirred beside him.

“
Are we there already?”

“
No, we’re just on the exit
ramp.”

“
You mean I’ve been sleeping all this
time?”

He shrugged. “Is this the right exit?”

“
Yes, just turn left.” She yawned and
settled back beside him. She wrapped her arms around his arm, her
breasts pressing intimately against him. “I can’t believe how much
I’m sleeping lately. It must be because of the pregnancy. Thank you
for letting me catch a few winks.”

He placed his hand on her thigh, and
inwardly groaned at the response her hug was causing. He had to
control his desire for her. The last time they were together they
had set each other on fire. But he didn’t want the fire to burn
out. They needed to get to know each other and establish a
limitless connection. If he rushed her, he might lose out in the
long run.

Derek knew he’d changed since the last time
he was home. The past few days in the hospital had given him plenty
of time to think. The blow to his head caused his mind to play
tricks on him. At one point, he had questioned his own sanity. But
Jillian had been there in his thoughts, the whole time keeping him
grounded to reality.

His hazy thoughts and the missing pieces of
his memory were still areas of concern. But he wouldn’t let them
stand in the way of his future with her. Now with the baby coming,
she needed him more than ever. He’d take it slow and not rush her
like he did the first time.

He’d convinced her to married him. And now,
thank goodness, they had plenty of time to grow closer and build a
life together. He only needed to be patient.

“
It’s not far now. Right down there is
our hardware store.” She pointed down a street to the right. A
number of stores lined each side of the street. Derek couldn’t tell
which one was hers.

He stopped at the red light several streets
later. The small town of Gladewater lay before him.

“
Turn left here on Highway 80 and
it’ll be several roads to your right. I’ll tell you when you need
to turn.”

He followed her directions, and
glanced around at the surrounding neighborhood. They passed large
oak trees in front of old brick houses. Some of the houses appeared
to have been built around the turn of the century. All looked well
taken care of with neat yards and fresh paint, a nice family
neighborhood.
A great place to raise a
child.