- Home
- Susan Mallery
Circle of Friends Part 4 Page 3
Circle of Friends Part 4 Read online
Page 3
“I’ve only seen you in dresses and skirts,” he said. “Long dresses and skirts.”
“They’re more practical for my job.”
She’d been planning on saying more. She had a whole speech that defended her wardrobe, but just then he pressed an openmouthed kiss to her belly and she forgot everything, even how to breathe.
“I’m not complaining,” he said against her skin. “I like it. Very old-fashioned, but sexy. Still, the jeans are nice. I like seeing the curve of your hips and butt. I like thinking about touching those curves.”
Her throat went dry, while other parts of her got really, really wet. “You’ve only been here about twenty minutes. How could you have thought all that so fast?”
He tugged her jeans and panties down to nearly her knees. “I thought it all in the first thirty seconds.”
Was that true? On the heels of the question came the realization she was kind of trapped. And naked. She couldn’t step out of her jeans and she was still dressed on the top half. This was not how she’d imagined things going between them.
“Carter, I...”
“Trust me.”
He bent toward her and used his fingers to gently part her. She nearly lost her balance and had to put her hands on his shoulders to steady herself. Then, while she tried to figure out how to explain that she wasn’t very comfortable, he licked her.
The combination of being slightly off balance, seminaked and the erotic kiss nearly did her in. She gasped as she felt him lick her again. Just a quick, wet caress that made everything else seem unimportant.
“Okay, yeah,” he murmured. “More of that.”
He moved his hands to her waist, then eased her around until she was on her back on the bed. Her jeans and panties went flying, then he was between her legs and she knew that she would soon be lost.
He kissed her there as perfectly as he kissed her everywhere else. Openmouthed, slow-moving and thorough. He explored her, teasing, circling, touching until he found all the places that made her gasp and squirm and beg. Just when she started to think this was a game for him, he settled over her center and picked a rhythm that made the bottoms of her feet burn.
Over and over, he touched her. As her body tensed, he moved a little faster, making her push them to the next level. She began to pulse her hips as every part of her focused on the perfect pleasure.
Her breathing quickened. She tossed her head from side to side. Nothing had ever felt so good.
Then, just as she knew the end was as inevitable as the tide, he slipped two fingers inside of her. The unexpected fullness pushed her over the edge and she lost herself in her climax.
Her release poured through her. It went on and on, making her writhe and cry out and beg him to never stop. Finally the shudders slowed enough for her to catch her breath and open her eyes.
He’d braced himself on one arm and was lightly kissing her stomach. When he looked up, she saw the fire in his eyes and knew he was a man on the edge.
“Don’t feel you have to wait,” she told him.
He hesitated about an eighth of a second, then unfastened his belt and his jeans and pushed them, and his boxers, down.
“One day we’re going to do it like regular people,” he said as he positioned himself between her still trembling thighs. “You know, get naked first. Have a conversation.”
She reached down and guided him inside of her.
He was thick and hard and he filled her until she knew she was going to have to come again.
“Conversation,” she gasped as he plunged in again, “is highly overrated.”
CHAPTER TEN
RACHEL WOKE UP to find bright sunlight flooding her bedroom and a heavy arm draped across her stomach. She felt a delicious combination of contentment and exhaustion. Despite the fact that she’d slept in, she’d barely gotten four hours of sleep in the night. She would be dragging all day. But as the reason for the dragging was fairly spectacular, she wasn’t about to complain.
She rolled on her side and saw Carter already awake and watching her.
“Morning,” he murmured.
“Morning.”
She ran her fingers across the stubble on his jaw, then fingered the stud earring.
“Such a bad boy,” she told him.
“Smile when you say that.”
She laughed. “I’m pretty sure I’m smiling about everything. What you do with a woman could be considered illegal in several states. I don’t think one man is allowed to have that much sexual power.”
“I can handle it.”
He could sure handle her.
He kissed the palm of her hand, then rolled onto his back. “What’s the plan for today? Do you have a lot to do? I’m open. Maybe we could do something together.”
Her insides gave a little shimmy. “That would be nice,” she said carefully, not wanting to appear too enthused. Hanging out was just that. Two friends spending time together. It didn’t mean anything, except maybe the possibility of a repeat encounter in bed.
“Shopping,” he said, glancing at her. “Women like shopping.”
She laughed. “Or we could go to a movie.”
“That sounds good. I like movie popcorn.” He pulled on her hand, drawing her closer. “Or we could stay in bed. I’m kinda tired. What about you?”
Before she could answer, there was a knock on her front door. Rachel glanced at the clock. It was only a little after nine. She didn’t usually get visitors. All her friends phoned rather than dropped by.
She sat up and grabbed her robe, then slipped into it and tied the belt.
“I have no idea who that is,” she said as she walked into the living room.
“I do,” Carter muttered from the bedroom.
He couldn’t possibly know who—
Rachel opened her front door to find Nina Brockett on her plant-filled front balcony.
“I know, I know,” Nina said with a bright smile as she passed over a covered basket and stepped inside. “I’m interrupting. Carter’s always saying I should call instead of coming by. But it’s so much nicer to talk in person. Besides, when I went to Carter’s house and he wasn’t home, I knew just where he was going to be and I was right.”
Rachel opened her mouth, then closed it. Heat flooded her cheeks and she knew she was blushing.
“I, ah...” She pressed her lips together and struggled for control. “Good morning.”
“Morning, dear.” Nina tapped the basket. “Cinnamon rolls. Carter’s favorite. Don’t let them get cold.”
Carter walked out of the bedroom. He’d pulled on jeans and his shirt. “Mama, you gotta stop doing this.”
“Doing what? A mother isn’t allowed to talk to her only son? I knocked. Where’s the crime?”
He leaned against the door frame and sighed heavily. “Okay, fine. What are you doing here?”
“My water heater is broken. Just like that, it stopped working. Gordon is already off buying me a new one, but he’s going to need your help putting it in.”
“You could have called,” he told her.
“You weren’t home and I didn’t know if you would be going home to get the message. Besides, I don’t have Rachel’s number.”
“Cell phone, Mama,” Carter said. “You could have called my cell phone.”
“Oh. I didn’t think of that.” Nina smiled again. “Besides, it was a lovely drive over here and I’m happy to see you two getting along. It makes an old woman very happy.”
“You’re not an old woman,” Carter said. “You’re going to outlive us all.”
“Don’t say that. No mother wants to outlive her children. Now you two enjoy the cinnamon rolls. Carter, you should call Gordon and see when he’ll need you.”
With that, she waved and left.
Rachel carefully closed the front door and then crossed to the sofa. As she sank onto the cushions, she covered her face with her hands.
“I’m so embarrassed,” she whispered. “That was your mother. She knows what we were doing.”
“Oh, yeah. She’s real clear on that.” He took the basket from her and set it on the coffee table. “Rachel, it’s okay.”
“It’s not. She’s your mother.”
He sat next to her. His mouth twitched slightly and she guessed he was trying not to smile.
“You think this is funny?” she asked in outrage.
“It’s not that big a deal. She knows about the baby, so she’s probably not shocked about the sex thing.”
Oh, yeah. Good point, but still. “It’s just wrong. I felt so awful.”
“Don’t. She’s the one who barged in here. This is your home.” He grimaced. “Now it’s going to have to be one hell of a fight to convince her we’ve broken up.”
Broken up? Then she remembered. This wasn’t real. She and Carter weren’t a couple. They were just two people having a baby and trying to convince his family that they were involved, so they could end things later and get back to their original plan of just being two people having a baby.
“We’ll need witnesses,” she said.
“And a script.”
He was being funny, but suddenly she didn’t feel like laughing. Nothing about this situation was turning out how she’d thought. Carter’s family wasn’t supposed to matter, but she found herself hating the thought of Nina thinking less of her. Carter wasn’t supposed to be important, yet she wasn’t sure she was ready for the breakup they’d planned. Which meant what? That she wanted this to be real? That she wanted to get involved?
No way. Not with him. How could she be with a man who had dated nearly every single woman on the planet? He’d made it clear he didn’t want a relationship with her, so she’d better get the idea out of her head.
But wouldn’t getting involved with the father of her child be the most logical choice?
* * *
THE FOLLOWING THURSDAY, Rachel left work a half hour early and headed for her car. She felt as if an entire team of butterflies had taken up residence in her stomach and were currently arguing on the best way to fly in formation. She was shaky and scared and telling herself that everything was fine, but it didn’t seem to be helping.
Ever since she’d made the appointment with her doctor, she’d had a barely controllable urge to burst into tears. Not because she was especially nervous about the baby—having a child was still something she thought in her head rather than felt in her heart. Instead, she wrestled with the terror of being alone.
Although she’d lost her parents fourteen years ago, she still missed them. At the oddest times she longed for one or the other to be with her. Today it was her mother. She wanted familiar arms to hold her close and say everything was going to be all right. She wanted to hear stories of her mother’s pregnancies and births. She wanted a connection to family.
Maybe she should have called Noelle or Crissy, she thought as she drove toward the medical building. Both of them would have been happy to be with her. Noelle was experiencing pregnancy firsthand. But she, Rachel, hadn’t wanted to be a bother.
“Talk about dumb,” she murmured as she parked and got out of her car. “This was not the time to be noble.”
Next time, she promised herself. Next time she would call her friends. Besides, this was only a first appointment. She would be fine.
She walked into the four-story building and started for the elevator, only to come to a complete stop. There, in the center of the lobby, stood Nina, Merry and Liz.
Rachel stared at Carter’s mother and sisters. “What are you doing here?” she asked, a little surprised at the coincidence.
Nina shrugged her shoulders. “When I was over on Saturday, I happened to notice the note you’d written about your doctor’s appointment. I know, I know, I’m meddling. So sue me. I tried to forget you were coming here, but I couldn’t. I know you don’t have any family and this is your first baby. I couldn’t stand for you to be here alone.”
“We wanted to come, too,” Merry said, giving Rachel a hug. “Shelly’s sorry she couldn’t make it, but the sitter we hired got the flu and she offered to stay with all the kids. But she’s here in spirit.”
Rachel opened her mouth to speak, then couldn’t when her throat got tight and her eyes began to burn.
“You didn’t have to do this,” she managed to say, “but I’m really glad you did.”
Nina exhaled in obvious relief. “Here I was all braced to be told to mind my own business. I’m glad you’re not mad.” She slipped an arm around Rachel. “All right. Let’s go talk to this doctor. Between us, we’ve had a lot of kids and we know the right questions to ask. You’ll be fine. Pregnancy is sometimes easy, sometimes hard, but then you have a baby and it’s all worth it.”
“She’s right,” Liz said, claiming her other arm. “When you’re ready, we’ll tell you stories about childbirth. It’s not so bad.”
“Take the drugs,” Merry added.
“Exactly,” Liz said with a grin. “Why suffer?”
They continued to offer advice all through the elevator ride and into the doctor’s office. The four of them claimed a corner of the cheerful waiting room. Rachel held on to Nina’s hand and found she didn’t miss her own mother quite so much.
“This means a lot to me,” she said. “You can’t know how much.”
“We’re happy to be here.” Nina patted her hand. “This isn’t about Carter, you know. This is about you. Whatever happens with him, you’re one of the family.”
Rachel touched her stomach. The pregnancy had been an accident and for a while she’d thought it might be a disaster, but now she was starting to wonder if having this child was the best thing that had ever happened to her.
“Dr. Richards will see you now,” the nurse said. “She’d like you to start in her office, so you can talk. She’ll do the exam after.”
They rose together and headed for the large office. There were plenty of chairs. Nina stayed next to Rachel while Merry and Liz were on either side of them.
When Dr. Richards entered, she grinned. “I love it when a baby brings a family together. Good afternoon, ladies.”
Rachel bit her lower lip. “I know this is kind of a lot but...”
Her doctor, an attractive woman in her midforties, shook her head. “Don’t apologize. The more support, the better. There’s no better source of information for a pregnant woman than other women who have been through it already. They understand what’s happening to your body and they know what questions to ask. All right, first things first. Your due date.”
Rachel fought against embarrassment as she said, “I, um, know the day I got pregnant.”
Liz nudged her. “I heard it was night.”
Merry laughed. “I heard it was a very good night.”
“Girls,” Nina scolded. “Stop. You’ll upset Rachel.”
But Rachel didn’t mind the teasing. It made her feel a little less self-conscious.
“Technically it was night,” she admitted and gave the date.
“That makes the calculations easier,” Dr. Richards told her. “So we have a due date.”
“Not that the baby will come that day,” Nina said.
“Exactly,” Dr. Richards said. “But it gives us something to shoot for. I’ll be giving you an examination and doing some preliminary blood work. I expect everything to go normally. You’re in great health. There are some dietary changes I’d like you to make, which we’ll also discuss.”
“Prenatal vitamins,” Liz said with a groan. “They made me constipated, so drink lots of water.”
“Yeah, drink now, before the baby decides to spend all day sitting on your bladder.”
They continued talking, exchanging stories and advice. Rachel listened more to their voices than their words. The information wasn’t as important to her as the connection. They had meant what they said—that she was one of them now. A member of the family. It had been so very long since she’d been able to be a part of something so very precious.
* * *
CARTER STOPPED BY his mother’s house after work.
“You called?” he said as he walked into the kitchen and found her stirring something on the stove.
She raised her head for his kiss, then studied him with her dark eyes. “I wanted to talk to you.”
“Water heater working all right?” he asked as he grabbed a cookie from the cooling rack and then pulled out a chair at the round table by the bay window.
“It’s fine. You’re always good to me, Carter. You come by whenever I need you. You’re the same with your sisters.”
He wasn’t sure he liked the sound of that. On the surface, it seemed to be a compliment, but he knew his mother and she hadn’t asked him to stop by so she could give him a pat on the back. Life was never that easy.
“And?” he prompted.
“You’re a good man. I appreciate that. I take some of the credit.”
He grinned. “Of course you do.”
Her smile faded. “Rachel went to the doctor today.”
He dropped the cookie onto the table and stood. “What? Is she all right? Did anything happen?”
His mother waved him back into his chair. “She’s fine. It was a routine prenatal visit.”
Right—pregnant women had to go to the doctor. That made sense. “She didn’t tell me,” he said, more to himself than his mother. He’d seen Rachel most of the weekend. Why hadn’t she said anything to him? Was she trying to keep him from getting too involved or had she thought he wouldn’t be interested?
Whatever she thought of him, he had a right to be involved. He was the baby’s father.
“She didn’t tell anyone,” his mother said. “I saw the note when I was over on Saturday and Merry, Liz and I just showed up. I thought she might be angry, but she wasn’t. Do you know why?”