Undone by Her Tender Touch
Maya Banks
“When I get married, it’s going to be to a man who loves me
and is willing to be a full-time father to my child. I need those things. Especially now.”
“I can’t give you that,” Cam said flatly.
“And I’ll never settle for anything less,” she said quietly.
He shot off the couch and turned away, his hands clenched into tight fists at his side. “I have a right to fatherhood, Pippa. You can’t take that from me. I won’t allow it. I’ll fight you with every breath I have.”
Some of her frustration fled. She took a step forward and put her hand gently on his arm. He flinched underneath her touch.
“I’d never take that from you, Cam,” she said softly. “I’m merely giving you reasons why I won’t settle for a relationship like the one you’re offering.”
“I want my child safe,” he gritted out.
“So do I.”
“Then let me take care of you both.”
She wondered if he even knew that he was nearly pleading with her.
Dear Reader,
Undone by Her Tender Touch brings with it the end of the PREGNANCY & PASSION miniseries involving four men who are friends and business partners. This was such a fun series to write. I grew to love the characters and regarded them as friends. I wanted them to be happy and to triumph over adversity.
Cam and Pippa have perhaps the most difficult path to their happily-ever-after. Cam has lost it all and has no desire to ever experience that kind of pain again. Pippa challenges him on every level and dares him to give life—and love—a second chance.
Of all the heroines in this series, Pippa occupies a special place in my heart for her resiliency and her determination not to settle for anything less than the absolute best for herself and her child. And the message I leave for you, the reader, is to be exactly as Pippa is. Never settle for less and don’t be afraid to go after what you want.
Love as always,
Maya
About the Author
MAYA BANKS has loved romance novels from a very (very) early age, and almost from the start, she dreamed of writing them, as well. In her teens she filled countless notebooks with overdramatic stories of love and passion. Today her stories are only slightly less dramatic, but no less romantic.
She lives in Texas with her husband and three children and wouldn’t contemplate living anywhere other than the South. When she’s not writing, she’s usually hunting, fishing or playing poker. She loves to hear from her readers, and she can be found on Facebook or you can follow her on Twitter (@maya_banks). Her website, www.mayabanks.com, is where you can find up-to-date information on all of Maya’s current and upcoming releases.
Undone by Her
Tender Touch
Maya Banks
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
For Huggy Bear
One
She shouldn’t be so nervous about catering for a bunch of muckety-mucks, but Pippa Laingley wanted everything to be perfect for her friend Ashley Carter’s housewarming.
And really, why should she be nervous? Just because the net worth of the assembled guests was more than the national debt shouldn’t be cause for her to sweat. Okay, and there was the fact that Pippa was on the verge of opening her own storefront café and catering business and she needed this to go off without a hitch so there would be good word of mouth and maybe a few referrals.
She spun around in Ashley’s huge kitchen, mentally taking stock of what was ready to go out. Where were the damn waiters?
On cue, the door swung open, and a guy who couldn’t be more than twenty hustled through. Pippa took one look and groaned.
“Where’s your uniform?”
He gave her a blank look.
She sighed and closed her eyes. “White shirt? Black slacks? Nice polished shoes? Preferably well-groomed hair?”
His mouth worked and then he snapped it shut. “I’m sorry, ma’am. I’m the emergency fill-in. I just assumed whatever I needed would be here.”
Pippa blew out her breath. “First day on the job?”
“Yeah,” he mumbled. “A friend told me about part-time gigs that paid good money. I’m sort of filling in for him.”
Her gaze narrowed. Great. She wasn’t even getting an official employee. Some moron had decided to skip and had worked a deal with his buddy to split the proceeds for a night’s work. No way he was going to handle a room full of people. Which meant she was going to have to wade in and help.
So much for having a nice glass of wine with the girls and gushing about Ashley’s new house.
Grabbing the kid by the arm, she pulled him toward the stairs. “Come on. You have to get into something better than that.”
He blinked but allowed her to drag him all the way to Ashley and Devon’s bedroom. She barreled into Devon’s closet and hurriedly riffled through his clothing until she found something appropriate.
“Strip,” she ordered crisply.
A dull flush rose up the kid’s neck.
The sound of a clearing throat was Pippa’s first warning that she and the kid weren’t alone.
“Perhaps I should come back later.”
The low drawl shivered over Pippa’s nape and she squeezed her eyes shut in mortification. Now she and the kid both were blushing fools. She turned to see Cam Hollingsworth leaning lazily against the door, his eyes flashing with amusement.
“Why, Pippa, you cradle robber.”
She could never understand why the man always caught her at a disadvantage. She was an intelligent, well-put-together, very articulate career woman. She owned her own business, never took any crap off anyone and people rarely intimidated her. And yet, every single time she crossed paths with Devon’s friend, she always made an ass of herself.
No way she was going to let this spiral into a mire of humiliation. She glared at Cam and then stalked over, tossing him the shirt and slacks.
“Get him into this. I need him downstairs in two minutes.”
To her utter delight, Cam blinked in surprise. She’d caught him off guard. Then he frowned and looked beyond her to where the kid still stood.
“What the hell? Aren’t these Dev’s clothes?”
“I need a waiter or no one is going to get food or drink,” she gritted out. “He’s all I’ve got. I’m not letting Ashley down tonight and neither are you. So get your ass in gear.”
She stomped past him and hurried down the stairs, not waiting to see Cam’s reaction to her dictate.
When she got back into the kitchen, she quickly lined up the trays, set wine and champagne glasses out and then grumbled under her breath about having to help ferry food and drinks to Ashley’s guests.
She’d asked for three servers. She’d gotten some college kid in need of beer money. Just great.
A moment later, college kid presented himself, and to Pippa’s surprise, he’d cleaned up well. The pants and shirt were a bit too large for his lanky frame, but he looked neat and presentable. His hair had been combed back until he looked almost polished.
She gestured him over, shoved a tray of lobster tarts into his hands and then pushed him out of the door toward the living room, where Ashley and Devon were entertaining their guests.
Then she returned to the island and began pouring wine into half the glasses. She filled the rest with champagne.
“Would you like some help?”
She whirled around, still holding the bottle, and darn near tossed the contents onto the floor.
“Help?”
Cam nodded slowly. “Assistance? You look as though you could use it. How on earth did you think you’d manage this on your own? Ashley was nuts for allowing you to cater the event.”
Pippa was horrified by the offer and then, as she processed the rest of the statement, she was just irritated as hell.
“I’d hate for you to sully those pretty hands,” she snapped. “And for your information, I’ve got this under control. The help didn’t show. Not my fault. The food is impeccable if I do say so myself. I just need a way to deliver it into the hands of the precious guests.”
“I believe I just offered my assistance and you insulted me,” Cam said dryly.
Her eyebrows drew together. Oh, why did the man have to be so damn delicious looking? Why couldn’t he be a toad? Or be bald? Although on the right guy, bald was totally hot. Why could she never perform the simplest functions around him?
“You’re Ashley’s guest,” Pippa said firmly. “Not to mention this isn’t your thing. You’re used to being served, not serving others.”
“How do you know what my thing is?” he asked as he reached for one of the trays.
She had absolutely nothing to say to that and watched in bewilderment as he hefted the tray up and walked out of the kitchen.
She sagged against the sink, her pulse racing hard enough to make her dizzy.
Cameron Hollingsworth was gorgeous, unpolished in a totally sexy way, arrogant and so wrong for her in so many ways, but there was something about the man that just did it for her.
She’d seen him often enough ever since Ashley had become involved with Devon Carter. Cameron and Devon were close friends and business partners in a consortium of luxury hotels and resorts. As Ashley’s best friend, Pippa had been to many of the same social events as Cameron. He’d been paired with her at Ashley’s wedding, and that had been ten sorts of hell, being close enough to smell him, and him so perfectly indifferent to her.
She sighed. That could be what irritated her the most. He was a luscious specimen of a male and he couldn’t be any less interested in her.
Maybe she just wasn’t his type. The problem was, she didn’t know what his type was. She never saw him with other women. He was either intensely private or he didn’t have much of a social life.
She was itching to shake his world up just a little.
Realizing she was spending far too much time mooning over Cam, she grabbed another tray, took a deep breath to compose herself and then headed toward the living room.
Pippa smiled brightly, hoping her lipstick at least was still visible. The rest of her makeup had probably melted off by now. She made her way through the room, relieved to see that many of the guests now held wineglasses. Cameron had indeed delivered the goods.
“Pip, what are you doing?” Ashley hissed.
Pippa jerked around to see her friend staring aghast at her.
“Hey, Ash, how is everything going? All your guests arrived?”
“Stop acting like the hired help,” Ashley said with a frown. “Why are you and Cam walking around serving drinks and hors d’oeuvres? And who’s the kid wearing Devon’s clothes!”
“Don’t get worked up, Ash. It’s not good for the baby,” Pippa said cautiously.
Ashley folded her arms over the noticeable baby bump—really, it was so adorable—and pinned Pippa with her most ferocious stare. Not that anything Ashley ever did could exactly be called ferocious. Could puppies or kittens be ferocious? “Pip, I asked you to do this because I wanted to help. Maybe get the word out about you, but I didn’t want you working yourself silly at my housewarming party. I need my best friend beside me, not serving me!”
Pippa sighed and handed Ashley one of the yummy snacks off her tray. “Look, the help didn’t show. All you got is me, the kid wearing your husband’s clothes and Mr. Mouthwateringly Gorgeous over there.”
Ashley’s eyes widened. “Cam? You’re talking about Cam?”
Pippa gave her an exasperated look. “I’m damn sure not talking about the infant wearing Dev’s clothes!”
“Whoa,” Ashley breathed. “I had no idea. I mean, yeah, Cam is hot in a broody kind of way, but I had no idea that was your thing.”
Pippa couldn’t even look over at him without getting a betraying flutter in her belly. “I’d like to lick those brooding lips,” she muttered.
Ashley giggled and then clapped a hand over her mouth. Her eyes sparkled merrily.
“Stop staring at him!” Pippa hissed. “You may as well be holding a sign up announcing we’re talking about him.”
Ashley turned her back to Cam, a grin still flirting with her mouth. “So how’d you get him to help out? Did you bat those gorgeous green eyes?”
“I don’t even know,” Pippa said in bewilderment. “He offered. I was kind of rude to him.”
Ashley snickered. “You? Rude?”
Pippa glowered at her. “Shut it.”
Ashley put her hand on Pippa’s arm and rose up on tiptoe to look over her shoulder. “I think I’m being summoned. Seriously, though, Pip. I’m not worried about the food so much that I want my best friend to be the serving wench for the evening. Go put the tray up and join us for a drink.”
Pippa switched the platter from one hand to the other as she surveyed the room. There were too many important potential clients to just shrug off such an opportunity. Ashley had given her the chance and she wasn’t going to squander it.
“I’ll check with you later, Ash. I have mingling to do. Your guests look hungry.”
Before Ashley could respond, Pippa was off, wading into the crowd, a bright smile on her face.
“Are you out of your mind?”
Cameron turned to see Devon staring at him as if he was nuts. Cameron set the empty tray onto the sideboard and grinned at the look of absolute what-the-hell? on his friend’s face.
“Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been asked that.”
“You’re playing waiter tonight?”
Cameron shrugged. “Pippa needed help. She looked like she was close to melting down. I figured that wouldn’t make Ash very happy.”
Devon frowned as he studied Cameron for a long moment. “I think you’re full of crap.”
But Cameron ignored Devon as his gaze caught Pippa melting into the crowd. She moved with effortless grace. She was mesmerizing to watch. He tracked her progress across the room as she smiled and greeted many of the guests. She laughed, and irritation sparked that he hadn’t been able to hear what it sounded like.
He’d been watching Pippa for months. She’d drawn his notice the very first time he’d seen her. He hadn’t actually met her then. They hadn’t been officially introduced until the third time they were at the same event. Even then he’d treated her as he treated most people. Cordial politeness. Faint disinterest. But he’d been anything but disinterested.
She hadn’t realized it, but he’d marked her from that very first moment. Like a predator marking prey. He watched and waited for that perfect moment. Working up to when he’d take her to bed and lose himself in that satiny skin and silky mane of glossy dark hair.
He could just feel the strands brushing through his fingers and falling down around them both. Her astride him, head thrown back as he pulled her down onto him again and again.
He muttered a foul curse when his body reacted fully to the erotic fantasy. He was at a housewarming, for God’s sake. The focus was supposed to be on babies, happy homes, puppies and rainbows. Not how fast he could get Pippa to his house a half mile down the road so they could indulge in a night of hot sex.
He was certain she was as attracted to him as he was to her. Often when she thought he wasn’t looking, her eyes glowed warm with lust as she fixed her gaze on him. He enjoyed those stolen glances because that was when he could see the honesty in her eyes.
The rest of the time she hid behind that brassy facade, the take-no-crap-off-anyone exterior. But inside? He was absolutely sure she was warm and gooey and all feminine purr. He couldn’t wait to run his fingers over her body and elicit that throaty sound of pleasure.
“Cam, what the hell, man? Hello? Anyone home?”
He blinked and turned to see that Devon was still standing there. He scowled. “Don’t you have a wife to tend to?”
Devon shook his head. “Do you have any idea how pathetic you look mooning over her from across the room?”
Cameron’s nostrils flared. “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”
“Keep telling yourself that,” Devon said with a snort. “Good God. Just go over there and get it done with. And then get a room, for Pete’s sake.”
“Oh, I’ll get a room,” he said softly. “She’s going to be locked in mine the entire night.”
Devon made a strangled sound of annoyance and then turned as if he couldn’t get away fast enough. Cam was too busy watching Pippa to care, though. He could see that her tray was empty. Her gaze was searching the rest of the room, a slight frown on her face. She was looking for the kid, and she didn’t look happy.
Her brow creased in annoyance, she left in the direction of the kitchen. Cameron picked up the empty tray he’d discarded moments ago and hurried after her.
He found her in the kitchen muttering swear words that would make a sailor wince. He grinned when she threatened to kick the asses of every single waiter who’d stood her up tonight.
“Where’s the kid?” Cameron asked.
She jumped, nearly sending the platter she was filling flying in the opposite direction. She whirled around, a ferocious scowl on her face. “Would you stop doing that?”
He held up his hands and took a cautious step back.
“He skipped out,” she growled. “He didn’t even give Devon’s clothes back! How am I going to afford to replace them? The shirt cost more than an entire catering job nets.”
Cameron laid his hand on her arm and she went completely still. The slender muscles in her arm rippled and he could hear the quick intake of her breath. He was right. She was satiny soft and yet firm. She either worked out or she was particularly blessed with excellent body tone. He’d lay odds that she worked out. She seemed rather disciplined.
“I’m sure Devon won’t miss a white shirt and black slacks,” he drawled. “He likely has two dozen more outfits just like it. He’s a well-ordered bastard. Not into too much variety, if you know what I mean.”
“That’s not true,” she defended staunchly. “He has a very laid-back wardrobe. Casual. Expensive casual, but still very casual.”
Cameron shrugged. “Can’t say I’ve ever made it into his closet.”
She suddenly giggled and then stopped herself, but her eyes were full of mirth.
“Glad you find me so amusing.”
“It’s not you as much as the idea of you poking around in Devon’s closet. You have to admit, it’s pretty funny.”
He rubbed the pad of his thumb in a slow up-and-down pattern above her elbow, and she went quiet again.
“Would you like me to take food out this time or would you prefer I make another round with wine and champagne? Hell, it’s Dev’s tab. I vote we take some bottles out and let everyone pour up what they like. You and I can circulate with food and watch everyone get wasted.”
She studied him a moment, cocking her head to the side. “I never realized you actually had a sense of humor.”
He lifted an eyebrow, taken aback by her candor.
Then she blushed and briefly closed her eyes. Just when he thought she’d stammer out an apology, she reopened her eyes and stared evenly at him.
He couldn’t help it. He laughed. This time it was her eyebrow that went up.
He pushed in close to her, until their bodies were nearly touching. So close that her scent and soft warmth enveloped him and held him captive.
He brushed his hand over her cheek, pushing back that velvet cascade of hair. And it was every bit as silky as he’d imagined. He wrapped one finger in it, tugging experimentally.
“Here’s what I propose,” he murmured. “Let’s make another pass. Load everyone up on food and drink. Set out a few trays within easy reach and then we ditch this place and go to mine.”
Her lips parted and her eyes went glossy, the pale green mesmerizing. “Is that a proposition?”
“Bet your sweet little ass it is.”
“Surely you can do better than that.”
Both his brows went up.
She narrowed her gaze. “You’ll do better or I’m taking my sweet little ass home. Alone.”
Ah, but he did love it when she got all sassy.
He leaned in, touched his lips to hers. He cupped the side of her neck, sliding his fingers around the slim column to delve into her hair. He pulled her close, molding his body to hers as he took full possession of her mouth.
Heat slicked through his veins like rapidly flowing lava. He wanted her. To the point of desperation.
When he finally pulled away, they both breathed heavily and her eyes took on a sleepy, drugged look.
“How about I take you home with me and we make love all night long?” he murmured.
She licked those delectably swollen lips. “Now that’s better.”
Her husky voice shot straight to his gut and he realized he was a short fuse away from taking her right here in his friend’s kitchen and damn anyone who saw.
“You get the food,” he said in a strained voice. “I’ll get the wine.”
Two
Cameron pulled Pippa out the back door and the brisk chill of the winter air blew over her ears. She tugged her hand from Cameron’s long enough to pull her coat tighter around her, but he quickly reclaimed her wrist, hauling her ever closer to his car.
He stopped abruptly when they got to a midnight-black Escalade. He turned with a frown, still holding tightly to her hand.
“How did you arrive? Did you drive?”
Drive? She didn’t even own a car. Nor did she have a license, which was problematic given that she needed a delivery van to cater events.
She shook her head. “Ashley sent a car for me.”
He paused, arching one eyebrow. “And how did you get all that stuff here from New York?”
She flushed, feeling as though he were judging her and her abilities.
“I shopped here. Had the wine delivered. Ashley has an excellent kitchen.” Pippa should know since she was the one who’d stocked it from floor to ceiling. Ashley was clueless when it came to cooking, but Pippa was working to rectify that.
Cameron opened the passenger door to the Escalade and all but pushed her inside. “Good enough. It works out perfectly. I’ll have a car drive you back to the city in the morning.”
With that, he shut the door, leaving her a little disgruntled at how eager he seemed to be to get rid of her before they even had sex.
He stalked around the front, yanked open his door and climbed in, keying the ignition before he’d even settled onto the seat.
Then again, her feminine pride was stroked just a bit over how desperate he acted to get her to his house so the sexing could commence.
She knew he didn’t live far. Ashley had commented on the fact that they were now neighbors with Devon’s purchase of the new house.
Cameron tore down the driveway, his hands tight around the steering wheel as he navigated onto the paved lane. He drove about a quarter mile before turning into a gated drive. The gate swung open and Cameron accelerated up the winding path to the house.
Pippa couldn’t make much out about it in the dark. There weren’t any lights on. The mansion loomed in the shadows. It looked unwelcoming. She wondered if it was a hulking monstrosity built from stone like a medieval dwelling. She’d heard Devon tease Cameron about his “cave” and now she was curious.
Just before they got to the house, lights began to flicker on. Pippa realized that Cameron was turning them on remotely from the SUV. She leaned forward, trying to get a glimpse but was prevented as Cam pulled into the garage.
Determined that she wasn’t going to succumb to nerves or be caught at any disadvantage, she slid out of the passenger’s side and walked around to meet him by the door. He ushered her inside, one hand pressed to the small of her back.
They walked into a sprawling kitchen that made her drool with envy. It was nirvana to someone like her, who’d rather be hard at work over a stove than anywhere else. It was like a showroom, so immaculate that she wondered if anyone ever used it.
He didn’t pause or allow her to, either. He pressed ahead, running a gauntlet through a huge living room to the wooden staircase that opened into the foyer where the front entrance was. Tugging her behind him, he mounted the steps. She nearly had to run to keep up.
By the time they made it into the spacious master bedroom, she was slightly winded. But before she could think to catch up, he yanked her to him, molding her body against his. His lips found hers in a ravenous kiss that muddled her senses.
“You are so damn beautiful,” he muttered as his mouth skimmed down her jaw to her ear. “You drive me crazy. Across the room. If I even know you’re near.”
She smiled a tiny smile of satisfaction. What woman wouldn’t love to hear this?
He set her apart from him, his hands almost rough on her shoulders. He stood breathing hard, his fingers curled into her flesh.
“We need to discuss a few things before we get carried away.”
Though his words came out calm, his eyes blazed with a wildness that made her shiver. He wanted her. There was no question. She’d never been quite so devoured by something so simple as a man’s gaze.
“There are things you should know. Things I need to make clear so there is no misunderstanding.”
Her curiosity piqued, she lifted an eyebrow and gently shook away his hands. She eased onto the edge of the bed and then crossed one leg primly over her knee.
“Do go on. I’m listening.”
He frowned a moment, as if he couldn’t quite ascertain whether she was teasing him. Okay, she totally was, but what could be so important that he’d put a screeching halt to some pretty hot foreplay? Not that they’d really gotten that far into anything yet, but the way he kissed made her feel like they were already having sex.
He wiped a hand over his mouth, cupping his chin for a brief moment before he pinned her once more with that glittering gaze.
“I don’t do commitment. I need you to understand that if we go to bed together, this is a one-night stand. I won’t call you in a few days. I won’t call you, period. I’ll expect you to leave in the morning. I’ll provide a car for your transport back into the city.”
She blinked and then she laughed. It was clear it was the very last thing he’d expected her to do. Had he maybe expected her to stomp out of his bedroom in a huff?
Still smiling, she rose and sauntered toward him. When she was in his space, she let her fingers trail up the buttons of his shirt and then to his neck and jaw.
“You’re way too serious, Cam,” she drawled. “I was hardly anticipating a marriage proposal. If you expect me to cling to you and beg for more when this night’s over, you’re destined to disappointment. What I want is hot sex. Can you give me that?”
Relief flared in those gorgeous blue eyes and his nostrils quivered as his breaths came in harsh spurts. He was reaching for her when she put a hand to his chest.
“Not so fast, hotshot. I have a few things I’d like to get out of the way, too.”
He looked caught off guard and his brows furrowed in quick reaction.
“I assume you’ve got condoms. Or rather, I’m not assuming anything. No condoms? No sex. I’m clean, in case you’re wondering. It’s none of your business when the last time I had sex was or who with, but it’s been long enough that I’ve had blood work done since. And I never have unprotected sex.”
“I’ve got them,” he growled. “I’m clean. I don’t give a f—” He cleared his throat. “I don’t care who you had sex with last or when. Been a while for me, too. I’m clean and I always use condoms.”
She reached for him, bunching his shirt into her fist, and then she yanked him forward. “Then we have nothing else to talk about,” she said just before she dragged him down to meet her kiss.
Lust gripped Cameron by the throat and squeezed until he was light-headed. She was everything he’d imagined and a whole hell of a lot more. She was sweet, spicy, feisty as hell and she was seducing him in his own bedroom.
He loved how impatient she was, yanking at his shirt, pulling it from his pants. He was used to being the aggressor in bed, but it was a huge turn-on to have Pippa boldly staking her claim.
When her fingers slipped into the waistband of his slacks and began undoing the fly, he nearly lost it. He took in deep breaths, trying to calm the adrenaline boiling through his veins.
But then, as soon as the fly was loosened, she reached down and cupped his erection.
Oh, hell.
She leaned up on tiptoe to kiss him, all the while caressing his length with soft, silky fingers. “You know, I’d love nothing more than to drop to my knees and give you the best experience of your entire life, but not the first time. I’m a little more demanding the first time with a new guy. I expect him to rock my world first.”
If that wasn’t a challenge, he didn’t know what was. He pulled her away from him enough that he could walk her back to the bed. He pulled just as impatiently at her clothing until she was wearing nothing more than the sexiest damn lingerie he’d ever seen up close and personal.
She was an absolute siren in black. Black hair and wicked black lacy panties and bra that barely covered her nipples. Her hair was delectably mussed, giving her that just-out-of-bed look. And her eyes. So sultry with liquid eroticism. She wasn’t just beautiful. She was bloody amazing.
He tumbled her onto the mattress, enjoying the way she sprawled, laid out for him, a feast for his senses. And he wanted to indulge them all. Touch, sight, smell … He wanted to hear her whisper his name and her throaty sounds of passion. But most of all he wanted to taste every inch of her skin.
Knowing if he didn’t take care of the condoms now, he’d never stop in the heat of the moment, he fumbled in the night-stand, pulled out the entire box and tossed it on the bed.
Then he came down over her, captured her mouth and molded her soft body to his.
It was like being struck by lightning. An electrical charge surged through his body, tightening every one of his muscles. She returned his kiss every bit as passionately as he kissed her. Her hands roamed over his back, exploring every inch of his flesh.
Remembering the vivid fantasy he’d had earlier that night, he rolled, taking her with him until she was positioned astride him.
The reality far surpassed the weak fantasy he’d spun in his head. Nothing compared to having her here, in his arms, her thighs pressed to his sides.
“Undress for me,” he said hoarsely. “Right here where I can watch.”
A wicked smile glimmered on full, kiss-swollen lips. Slowly she reached behind her and began to unclasp her bra. Instead of letting it fall immediately, she held the tiny lace confection to her chest and then allowed the straps to slide down her arms inch by inch.
He was barely capable of breath. The anticipation was killing him. And then finally she pulled the bra away, baring her full breasts to his avid gaze.
And they were perfect breasts. Perfectly shaped. Perfect size. Just the right amount of bounce. Firm. High. Delectable nipples that just begged for his mouth.
“I’ll need your help with the panties,” she murmured, her eyes flashing mischievously.
He couldn’t even stammer out a reply. He nodded, but then right now he’d agree to damn near anything.
She leaned forward, pushing her gorgeous breasts mere inches from his mouth. Then she slid one leg over him so she was no longer straddling his hips. She turned then and began working her panties slowly down her buttocks.
He wasn’t at all sure what he was supposed to help with, but he was game. He turned over on one elbow and reached to steady her waist with his free hand, letting his fingers wander down the small of her back, enjoying the feel of so much silky flesh.
When the underwear was down to her knees, trapped there by the mattress, she turned on her back and stretched her legs over his chest.
More than happy to accommodate, he took over, pulling the panties the rest of the way until they came free of her feet. He tossed them across the room and went after her like a starving predator.
He slid over her body, the sensation of skin on skin nearly undoing him. He kissed her neck, nibbled, tasted and teased and then worked down, wanting nothing more than to have her breasts underneath his tongue and lips.
She was utter perfection. Curvy, sweet, not too slim, not too heavy. Just … perfect.
A sigh escaped her when his lips closed over one straining nipple. It was an intoxicating combination of hardness and velvet. Luscious. So very soft. He sucked gently at it, rolling it between his lips. He flicked his tongue repeatedly over the point, bringing it to an even harder bud.
Then he slid his mouth over the hollow between her breasts to the other nipple. For several seconds he played, idly toying with it. She twisted restlessly beneath him, her breaths coming more rapidly now.
“You are so damn perfect,” he murmured. “I can’t get enough of you. You taste better than anything you could possibly cook.”
He looked up to see her lips form a pout. “You haven’t tried my cooking, then,” she said. “I’m a wonderful cook.”
He laughed. “It was a compliment, or at least it was meant to be.”
“I think you’re doing just fine without the compliments,” she said in breathy delight.
He cupped her breast in his palm, shaping it, watching as the nipple hardened again. “You like this. What else do you like, Pippa? Tell me how to please you.”
“Oh, you’re doing fine. No complaints here. I love it when a guy takes his time and doesn’t just think about his own pleasure.”
“Oh, but this is my pleasure,” he murmured. “I love touching you. I love tasting you. Love watching you respond. How your eyes go a darker green when you’re really turned on. And that little vixen smile that tells me I’m in for one hell of a good time.”
“On second thought, keep on with the compliments. I’m liking this very much,” she purred.
“Where do you like to be touched?” he whispered.
Her eyes darkened again. She reached for his hand and slid it down her belly to the juncture of her legs. She guided his fingers over her softness to the tiny bundle of nerves at the apex and gently stroked the tip over it.
Then she moaned when he took over himself. Oh, yeah, she liked that. A lot.
He could be just as wicked as she could. Still stroking through the soft, velvet folds of her femininity, he lowered his head and sucked her nipple into his mouth.
She let out a cry and arched upward, her hands tangling in his hair. She was forceful. Nothing dainty about her. She knew what she liked and demanded it. He loved that about her.
He stroked his thumb over her clitoris one last time and then he pulled his hand away long enough to snag a condom. He leaned down to kiss her as he parted her legs. He wanted it to last, too, but he also knew this wouldn’t be the only time tonight. There was no way he’d get enough and he planned to use every single minute she was here to his advantage. Neither of them would be able to walk the next day but he was more than okay with that.
He nibbled at the corner of her mouth. “Are you ready for me?”
She responded by wrapping her legs around his waist and arching upward. He smiled at her impatience.
He planted his forearms on either side of her shoulders. “Guide me in, Pippa. Show me how you want it.”
Her pupils flared and then she reached down, circling him with her fingers. She positioned him against her opening and arched just enough that he slid in the barest inch.
They both let out an anguished sound and he could hold back no longer. Flexing his hips, he drove deep. At first he thought he’d hurt her, but then she dug her fingers into his shoulders and all but roared at him not to stop.
He grinned, kissed that ferocious mouth and then began to move in a frantic rhythm. There was no style, no grace. Their lovemaking couldn’t be described as polished or smooth. Far from it.
It was animalistic, with Pippa taking every bit as much as she gave. She demanded everything he had and more. He’d never made love to a woman more fierce than her, and he loved every minute of it.
She fused her mouth to his. Then she nibbled at his jaw and moved her mouth lower to sink her teeth into his neck. He’d wear her marks for days and it stroked his male pride to think of someone else being able to see the marks of her possession.
But she wouldn’t be without marks of her own. Oh, hell, no.
“Are you with me, Pippa?” he panted out. “I need you with me. I’m close.”
“Sooo there,” she said from behind clenched teeth. “Go hard, Cam. Don’t let up. Please just don’t let up.”
As if he could.
He let out a roar of his own and began driving into her with powerful, quick strokes. He wasn’t aware of anything but her. Only her. Writhing beneath him. Surrounding him with her sweetness. He smelled her, heard her, could still taste her on his tongue. And, oh, man, he felt her all the way to his bones.
“Cam!” she cried out.
Her fingers gripped his shoulders and she shuddered violently beneath him. He gathered her in his arms and let out a shout of his own as his body seemed to fracture and break into about a million pieces.
The next thing he knew he was flush against her, all his weight atop her body. It felt so damn good even though he had to be crushing her. But she wasn’t complaining. In fact, she was wrapped so tightly around him that he couldn’t have moved if he wanted to.
He lay there several long seconds while he caught his breath, and then with a groan, he rolled to the side so he could dispose of the condom.
When he looked back, Pippa was sprawled rather indelicately on her back, her expression dazed.
“I think you killed me,” she murmured. “When can we do it again?”
Three
Pippa dragged her eyes open and stared dumbly at the white cloud enveloping her head. Her body felt as though it had been hit by a freight train, but, oh, man, was it a wonderful feeling.
It took her a moment to realize she was facedown on the pillow. She lifted her head, her hair falling like a curtain over her eyes. Impatiently, she shoved it back and propped herself up on her elbow.
The bed was empty. Well, almost. At the end, her clothing was neatly folded, a nice subtle reminder that she was to depart as soon as she awakened. She wrinkled her nose. Cam certainly hadn’t stuck around. She couldn’t even tell he’d been in bed with her. No indention in the pillow. No lingering scent. No warmth. Nothing at all to indicate that they’d spent the entire night tearing up those wonderfully luxurious sheets.
With a sigh, she pushed herself up farther, holding the sheet over her breasts. Then she snorted over the realization that she was being unreasonably modest. He’d made himself clear. He wanted no awkward next-morning encounters. She didn’t have to worry about him barging in unannounced. And even if he did, it wasn’t as if he hadn’t seen her boobs already.
Not only had he seen them but he’d licked them, kissed them, nibbled at them and worshipped them over and over.
A shiver stole over her and her skin prickled, her nipples hardening at the memory of just how hard and often they’d made love through the night. She’d be lucky if she could manage to dress herself and get down those damn stairs.
She was tempted to take a really long hot shower. Her last attempt at a shower had been interrupted, and, well, she’d just gotten sweaty all over again. Many times again after that shower with Cam. But he wanted her out and she wasn’t going to delay things.
She checked her watch and groaned. It was past nine. She should have been up and out a lot earlier but she hadn’t drifted to sleep until well into the morning.
Nothing like wearing out her welcome.
She scrambled out of bed, wincing as all of her muscles protested the movement. Hell, she hurt in places she’d never even used before.
After pulling on her underwear, she slipped the dress over her head and put on her shoes, beating a hasty path to the bathroom to try to do something with her hair. She had makeup in her purse but she wasn’t going to bother. She had no one to impress and the car would drop her outside her apartment.
After brushing the tangles from her hair, she twisted it into a loose knot and fixed it in place with a large clip she’d pulled from her purse. She perched her sunglasses on her nose, satisfied that she didn’t look like such a fright.
Taking a deep breath, she exited the bedroom and quietly walked toward the stairs. She had no idea if Cam was even here, but the last thing she wanted to do was draw attention to her late exit from his bed.
She tiptoed down the stairs and when she reached the bottom, she was greeted by a tall, somber-looking man who was an indeterminate age somewhere between forty and seventy.
“Miss Laingley, the car is out front waiting to take you into the city.”
She winced. “I’m sorry. Has it been waiting long? I’m afraid I overslept.”
The older man smiled kindly at her. “Not at all. There’s no need to offer an apology. Come, I’ll see you out.”
He offered his arm, but that was awkward so she pretended not to see and walked ahead of him toward the massive double front doors. She paused when she got there, suddenly realizing she hadn’t gotten her coat. With a frown, she turned, only to see the man holding it open for her.
“Thank you,” she murmured.
No matter what Cam had said about it being a while, it was obvious she wasn’t the first woman he’d given such a spiel to. His butler or whatever the hell this guy was had the whole process way too down pat.
She slid her arms into the sleeves and then pulled the coat closed as the man opened the door. Cold air billowed in and Pippa blinked at the sudden white. Then she smiled. “It snowed!”
“Indeed it did. At least six inches according to the weather.”
This time when he offered his arm, Pippa took it to descend the steps. She still had on those toothpick heels she’d worn the night before, and while they were sexy beasts for shoes, they weren’t appropriate for icy conditions.
He was solicitous of her the entire way, ushering her into the back of the sleek black sedan that was already warm and toasty. He hung there a moment, staring into the backseat as he held on to the door.
“Have a safe trip, miss.”
“Thank you,” she murmured.
He closed the door and the driver pulled down the drive that had already been cleared of snow. She turned in her seat, staring back at the house she hadn’t gotten a good look at the night before.
It was a hulking piece of construction, but it wasn’t as looming or intimidating as she thought it might have appeared. It looked entirely normal. In keeping with the other mansions that dotted this area.
It was, however, extremely private and surrounded by thick woods on all sides. There was no way to tell the total acreage, but she guessed it was a lot. She couldn’t see another house or even the road as they wound their way down the drive.
Yes, it did appear that Cam was Mr. Reclusive as Devon had suggested. Now that she’d had a taste of all that dark, broody passion, it made her wonder just how often Cam ventured out to lure a woman back to his cave.
She nearly laughed. She made it sound like he was the Beast, sulking in his lair while he waited for Beauty. But if anything, Cam was Beauty. The man was sinfully gorgeous and forbiddingly perfect.
And he could make love like a dream. She’d wear and feel the effects of his lovemaking for a week. A sharp tingle snaked down her back, invading her limbs, bringing awareness and arousal all over again.
She gave one last look to the imposing structure as the car turned the final bend of the driveway. Then with a sigh, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes.
Cam stared through the slat in the blinds of his upstairs office as the car bearing Pippa back to the city drove away. For several long seconds, he continued to stare, even when it disappeared from view.
He turned away and stood for a long moment, hands thrust into his pockets. It annoyed and bewildered him that he had no idea what he was going to do next. He experienced a sudden surge of restlessness, an urge to go do something, although what, he had no idea. He only knew that being here, alone, in his too-quiet house was suddenly … unbearable.
He scowled. It was the damn woman. He’d been caught off guard by everything about her. Maybe he’d expected someone more like Ashley. Sweet, shy, innocent, naive, a bit vulnerable, in need of protection. Maybe his ego had been stroked by offering Pippa a night in his bed. Maybe he thought he’d been granting her a favor while indulging in what he’d wanted to do from the moment he’d met her.
Instead, she’d rocked his world. This was a confident, self-assured woman who wasn’t afraid to reach out and take what she wanted, and she’d wanted him. His ego should be assuaged by that. But he found himself disgruntled because … the damn roles had been reversed.
It was almost as if she had been the one to say, Hey, I want you but I don’t want any strings. She’d taken control.
He’d acted like an out-of-control, desperate, raging sex fiend. Nothing like the composed, commanding man he liked to present to the rest of the world.
And that … well, that bothered him. A lot.
Shaking his head, he walked down the hall back to his bedroom. He entered hesitantly, which was stupid given that he’d seen her drive away, but somehow her presence was still firmly imprinted. He could smell her.
His gaze traveled over the rumpled bed linens, the mussed pillows. One of the sheets was barely clinging to the bed. Most of it was on the floor.
He should have taken her to one of the guest rooms. He didn’t bring women to his bedroom. Ever. If he’d actually been thinking the night before, he would have remained downstairs where she wouldn’t have breached the areas private to him at all. But the only prevailing thought he’d had was to get her into bed, however fast he could do it.
Lust was a bitch.
A controlling, fickle mistress from which there was no escape. At least not when it came to Pippa Laingley. Maybe now that he’d had her six ways to Sunday, his blood would cool and he wouldn’t lose his damn mind every time she came within a hundred feet.
His gut told him this was in no way true, but for his peace of mind, he was going with it.
He walked into the bathroom, wincing at the mess facing his cleaning lady. The shower door was still open. Towels had been discarded on the floor. The countertop was a mess thanks to his impatience. He’d swept the surface bare with a quick hand right before lifting Pippa onto the edge so he could have her again.
There were at least two discarded condoms on the floor.
He gingerly leaned down to toss the one by the sink into the nearby trash can and then went for the one on the floor by the shower. He used a tissue to pick it up and started for the trash can when he noticed something that sent panic knifing through his stomach.
He froze, unable to even process the evidence before him. Then a string of obscenities blistered the air. His stomach balled into a knot. Sweat broke out on his forehead and his mouth went completely dry.
He closed his eyes, willing it not to be so, but when he reopened them, he saw irrefutable proof in his shaking hand.
The condom had torn.
Four
Pippa was tempted to throw her cell across the street, but only the knowledge that she’d have to replace it kept her from giving in to the urge. What else could possibly go wrong today?
She’d found the perfect place for her bakery and catering business. It was in a nice area. The terms were satisfactory. It had already been outfitted with the necessary facilities. All she’d need was a little remodeling to the front to accommodate eat-in customers and she’d be set.
After so long doing word-of-mouth events, she was ready for a more solid step. One that would give her a steady income versus never knowing when she’d land her next gig. Her meager savings had kept her in her current apartment, but if she didn’t start bringing in a regular income, it would be gone in a year.
She was certain she could qualify for a small-business loan, but in order to get the necessary funds, she needed a signed lease. Which she had, at least until her Realtor had called her to inform her that there was a problem.
Suddenly her dreams of cute cupcakes, yummy little pastries, intricately decorated bonbons and delicious-smelling breads evaporated.
She blew out her breath in a cold fog and mounted the steps to her apartment. She fumbled with the lock just as her cell phone went off, which only renewed her desire to toss it into oncoming traffic.
She managed to push inside to where it was a great deal warmer, and after kicking the door shut with her foot, she glanced down at her phone. It wasn’t a number she recognized, but given that she’d handed her number out to potential clients, she couldn’t afford not to answer the phone.
With a sigh, she punched the receive button and put it to her ear. “Pippa Laingley.”
She was in the midst of trying to shrug out of her coat when she heard Cam’s voice over the line.
“Pippa, it’s Cam.”
She paused and then chuckled, leaving her coat dangling from the arm that was bent to her ear. “Well, hello, Cam. What a surprise. I distinctly remember you saying you wouldn’t call. To what do I owe this honor?”
“One of the condoms broke,” he said tersely.
She quickly switched the phone to her other hand so she could shake away the coat. She left it there in the doorway and walked toward her living room, sure she hadn’t heard him correctly.
“Say that again,” she said shakily.
She sank onto the couch, clutching the phone tightly to her ear.
There was an indistinguishable sigh and then he said, “The condom we used in the shower. It broke. I didn’t discover it until after you’d left. Since we were in the shower, there would have been no … evidence … at the time. I didn’t notice.”
Her heart lodged solidly in her throat and she closed her eyes. No, she wouldn’t have noticed, either.
He’d been insatiable, but then so had she. The very last thing she’d considered at the time was whether the condom had performed as expected. Obviously if it would have happened at any other point, they would have known. But in a shower?
“Pippa, are you there?”
The strident demand shook her from her thoughts.
“I’m here,” she said faintly.
“There are things we have to discuss.”
She frowned. “Why are you only just now calling me? When did you discover this?”
There was a pause. “I found it yesterday after you left.”
“And you’re only just now telling me?” she shrieked. “This would have been good to know yesterday when there was something I could have done.”
Even as she was furious at him, she wasn’t sure what she would have done. A morning-after pill? It would have been a bit late for that, but what did she know about such things? She could have at least done some research and made an informed decision.
“Calm down, Pippa.”
The condescension in his tone just pissed her off even more.
“Don’t tell me to calm down,” she seethed. “You aren’t the one who has to live with the consequences of that broken condom.”
“Don’t I?” he snapped. “If you think an unplanned pregnancy doesn’t affect me every bit as much as it does you, then you’re delusional. Now quit shouting at me so we can discuss our options like adults.”
She bit hard into her lip to prevent the outburst straining to break free.
“Now, I assume from your reaction that you aren’t on any sort of birth control.”
“No one can ever accuse you of being stupid.”
“Cut the crap, Pippa. I get that you’re scared and caught off guard. This isn’t a picnic for me, either. You taking this out on me helps neither of us.”
Realizing she was doing exactly as he’d accused, she went silent, her grip still tight around the phone. She should have thrown it when she’d had the urge. If she had, she wouldn’t be having this harrowing conversation right now.
“I think you should move in with me, at least until we know if you’re pregnant.”
Her mouth fell open and her brow creased in disbelief. “What?”
He sighed again. “Perhaps this isn’t a conversation we should be having over the phone. I can pick you up in an hour.”
She got her wits back in time to utter a hoarse, “No.”
“Then what’s your preference?” he asked impatiently.
She put her hand to her temple and dug her fingers into it, massaging the increasing ache.
“Look, Cam, I’m not moving in with you. That’s about the most absurd suggestion I’ve heard. We don’t need to talk face-to-face. Right now, I have no desire to see you. I’m in shock. I need time to figure out my options. I don’t need you breathing down my neck. If it turns out I’m pregnant, I know where to find you, and believe me, you’ll be hearing from me then. Until that point, I’d appreciate it if you just backed off.”
“Damn it, that’s not what I want. Look, Pippa, I need to know that you and the … baby … are safe. If there is a baby, I mean. The best way to do that is for you to be close where I know you’re taken care of.”
There was quiet desperation in his voice and an odd detached tone that suggested to her he wasn’t even focusing on the real issue at hand. His head seemed to be somewhere else and that annoyed her all the more.
He was worrying about her and a theoretical baby’s safety, and at this point she was just worried that there was a theoretical baby.
“I don’t care what you want,” she said evenly.
She pulled the phone away from her ear and punched the end button. Then realizing that Cam was the persistent sort, she turned it off and thrust it away.
She sat there for several long minutes, staring into nothing as she tried to absorb the implications of that broken condom. She wasn’t stupid enough to laugh it off and say something absurd like, Who gets pregnant from that one time? There were any number of pregnant women who’d naively asserted the same thing. She wasn’t one of them.
She shot to her feet, needing to do something. Information. Probabilities. She knew the timing was probably good, but she hurried to her bedroom to dig out her diary where she kept information on her menstrual cycle.
Any single, sexually active woman was a moron if she didn’t keep track of such things.
She slipped to the page where her last entry had been written and then calculated the days in her head. Then she let out a harsh groan. Could the timing have been any better? Not that she could possibly predict when she was ovulating, but if she went with averages, there was a good possibility that this weekend had been her prime baby-making window.
Okay, so it was entirely possible. The next thing she needed to do was figure out her options, if she had any.
She went back to that damnable phone, turned it on and ignored the cacophony of sounds signaling missed calls, voice mails and text messages. They were probably all from Cam. The man was likely on his way here.
She punched in Carly’s number and hoped like hell her friends were available.
A moment later, Carly’s sunny voice spilled over the line and Pippa sagged in relief.
“Pip! How’s it going? Have your lease all straightened out? I have to tell you I’m so excited for you! How did Ashley’s housewarming go? I was so sorry to miss it. I hope she wasn’t too disappointed.”
Pippa flinched from the onslaught and waited to get a word in edgewise. “Carly, are you free? I need the girls. This is an emergency.”
There was a brief silence and then Carly said, “Pip, are you all right? What’s happened?”
“I’ll tell you when we’re all together,” Pippa croaked. “Can you call the others?”
“You bet. Oscar’s?”
Pippa hesitated. “Yeah, but make sure we get a private table.”
“Do you want me to call Ashley?” Carly asked. “Is she still in Greenwich?”
As much as Pippa wanted and needed Ashley there, she wasn’t sure if it was a good idea. But she was just selfish enough to see if Ashley would make the trip in for her.
“See if she can make it,” Pippa said in a low voice. “But make sure … Tell her I want her to be careful.”
“If she knows you need her, she’ll be there,” Carly said in a comforting voice. “We’ll all be there, Pip. You know that.”
“Yes, I do, and I love you all for it.”
“Give me some time to get everything ironed out and then I’ll text you with a time everyone can meet. In the meantime you know you can come over. I only have one appointment this afternoon. You can always hang out here at the salon. I’ll even do your nails.”
Pippa smiled. “Thanks, Carly, but I’ll just meet you guys later. I need to figure some stuff out.”
Pippa could practically see her friend’s frown.
“I’m worried about you, Pip. Be careful, okay? I’ll see you as soon as possible.”
Pippa hung up the phone, relief so great she was shaky with it. She had the best friends in the world. Smart friends. They’d be able to help her figure this out.
In the meantime, she wasn’t sticking around the apartment in case Mr. Broken Condom decided to make an appearance. The very last thing she wanted right now was to face the potential father of her potential child.
Five
Pippa lengthened her stride as she neared Oscar’s. There was a mix of snow flurries and tiny pellets of sleet in the air, stinging her cheeks as she walked.
She’d hoped the cold would bring her around. Make some of the shock wear off. But she was still reeling from Cam’s phone call and all that was going to help her right now was an emergency session of the girlfriends’ round table.
She opened the door to Oscar’s and unwound the scarf she’d hastily thrown around her neck. She scanned the room, relief easing some of the awful tension when she saw her friends already seated in a corner booth way in the back. It was perfect.
As she made her way through the maze of tables, Tabitha looked up and waved fiercely. Sylvia, Carly and Ashley quickly turned. Carly rose as Pippa approached.
She got hugs from everyone and finally she squeezed into the booth beside Ashley, who looked at her with concern.
“What’s wrong, Pip? Carly called us all but she wouldn’t say what was the matter.”
“I haven’t told her yet,” Pippa said ruefully. “I may be jumping the gun here, girls. But I’m freaking out and need your help sorting through my options.”
“Oh, my God, what is it?” Tabitha exclaimed.
Sylvia frowned. She was the older and more serious-minded of the group. Not to mention ultrapractical. She’d have solid advice. Pippa would bet any amount of money on it.
Pippa drew in a deep breath. “I could be … Well, there’s at least a slim possibility that I’m pregnant.”
“What?”
Pippa winced as all four of her friends exclaimed at the same time.
Ashley’s eyes rounded and she stared at Pippa in question. “Oh, Pip, how sure are you?”
“I had a one-night stand the other night.” She glanced up at Ashley and grimaced. “With Cam. We left Ashley’s party together. He took me to his house and we had sex. Lots of sex.”
Ashley looked robbed of speech. Sylvia just kept wearing that frown. That damn disapproving frown that reminded Pippa way too much of how a mother would look. Well, Pippa’s mother wouldn’t look that way. She’d congratulate her daughter on snaring a wealthy baby daddy and then tell her to milk him for all he was worth. Not exactly mother-of-the-year material.
Oh, Miranda wasn’t evil. She wasn’t even a bad mother. She was just superficial and very mercenary. Pippa supposed she could even admire her mother for being so shrewd when it came to relationships. Miranda Laingley was out for number one and number one only. And she refused to apologize to anyone for it.
“I’m not following,” Tabitha said slowly. “Maybe I’m dense here. If you just had sex with him, why on earth are you worried about pregnancy?”
“Because one of the condoms broke and the timing is perfect in my cycle,” Pippa replied.
“Cam?” Ashley squeaked. “Okay, I knew you were kind of crushing on him, but you and him? Really?”
“You needn’t look so flabbergasted,” Pippa muttered. “The attraction was mutual, I assure you.”
Ashley looked immediately contrite and threw her arms around Pippa, hugging her tightly. “Of course it was, sweetie. Oh, my gosh, poor you!”
“I’m so unbalanced by all of this. The timing couldn’t be worse. Oh, my God, you guys don’t even know this yet. With the pregnancy scare, I just blanked it out, but the lease on the building space fell through. I don’t have a place for my shop. And now this. I’m trying to get my business off the ground. I have no health insurance and I’m in no way prepared to be a mother. I just want to cry, but I know that solves nothing.”
“You cry, honey,” Carly said fiercely. “We’ll figure this out.”
“You know we’d do anything for you,” Ashley said. “You all helped me so much when I was going through such an awful time with Devon. I can never repay you for that.”
Pippa sniffled, trying to hold back the tears that threatened. “You never have to repay me, Ash. I love you. We all do. I love all of you guys.”
“When exactly did you have sex?” Sylvia interjected.
“Saturday night. All of Saturday night. Well into Sunday morning.”
Sylvia reached for Pippa’s hand. “You can go to your doctor and have him advise you of the alternatives.”
“I’ll pay for you to go to the doctor, Pip,” Ashley said. “I’ll take you myself.”
An uneasy flutter settled into Pippa’s chest. She rubbed absently at the discomfort. It was the way she felt when she imagined taking measures to prevent a pregnancy that could already have begun.
“Pippa?” Sylvia asked gently.
“Oh, God, I feel so stupid,” Pippa whispered. “I can’t make that kind of decision in an instant. How can anyone?”
“Okay, what is your gut telling you?” Carly asked. “What are you afraid of? Is it the pregnancy itself that scares you? Or is it the idea of being an unwed mother and not being able to support yourself and a baby?”
“You aren’t making any of it sound appealing,” Pippa muttered.
“You don’t have to make a decision right this minute,” Tabitha broke in. “Taking a morning-after pill or getting a shot aren’t your only options. You could totally wait and see if you even are pregnant and then pursue your options then. Women have many choices these days, Pippa.”
Ashley squeezed Pippa’s hand and stared urgently at her friend. “If you want this baby, if there is a baby, you have to know we’d help. All of us. You wouldn’t be alone. I just want you to make the best choice for you. But whatever that is, you have our absolute support.”
Pippa could no longer hold back the tears. They streamed down her face as she stared at her best friends in the world. “I don’t know what I’d do without you guys.”
“You forget one important part of the equation,” Sylvia pointed out.
Everyone looked at Sylvia.
“The father. Obviously you’ll have us, but is he going to take responsibility in this matter?”
Pippa nodded. “He would. I have no doubt he would. I told him I’d let him know if I was pregnant and until then to back off. I just had to process all this, you know?”
“Yes, honey, we know,” Carly said sympathetically.
“This probably sounds crazy to all of you, but from the moment I realized there was a possibility, everything changed for me. I began to imagine this tiny life inside me and even though I could take a pill and it would all go away …” She took a deep breath. “I’m not sure that’s what I want.”
She looked up at each friend in turn, but she saw no judgment or condemnation in their eyes. All she saw was unwavering love and support. Determination. Loyalty.
“If … If there’s a baby. I think I want it.” She swallowed the knot in her throat and then spoke with more conviction. “I know I want it.”
“Take some time to get used to the idea,” Sylvia advised. “There’s no hurry. You don’t have to make up your mind today or even tomorrow.”
But Pippa knew the more the initial shock wore off, the more firmly she’d be entrenched in the idea of having and keeping her baby.
Her baby.
Already she felt fiercely protective of it.
Out of the wreckage of her shock and confusion came the very firm realization that she’d never do anything to end the pregnancy. Nor would she ever give up a child she gave birth to. Her possessiveness and the strong surge of love she already felt were shocking in their intensity, especially because she didn’t even know if she was pregnant.
If she was, whatever happened, she would keep the child. She’d go to Cam and together they’d work out an amicable solution.
Maybe she was being stupidly naive, but until he showed her differently, she was going to believe wholeheartedly in his sense of responsibility.
Her hands shook as she raised a glass of water to her mouth. After taking a long drink, she put it back down and then leveled a stare at her friends.
“Okay, girls, how long do I have to wait before I can take a pregnancy test?”
Six
Pippa paced the floor of her living room, trying not to stare at the little stick lying on the coffee table just a few feet away.
“It isn’t time yet,” Ashley said when Pippa stopped and hesitated.
“Why does it have to take so long?” Pippa exploded.
She couldn’t take not knowing another minute. The past weeks had been ones of unimaginable stress with Cam breathing down her neck, asking her every few days if she knew anything yet. The last time he’d asked, she’d all but screamed at him to back off. Maybe he’d finally gotten the hint or maybe she’d just sounded that desperate because he hadn’t been in contact for the past couple of days.
The hell of it was, he acted concerned. It almost seemed as though he was acting on the assumption that she was pregnant and had made it his mission to “check on” her frequently.
He was making her insane.
“It’s only been two minutes,” Ashley soothed. “It doesn’t do any good to sit and stare at it. It won’t make things go any faster.”
Pippa sank onto the couch. “You’re right. It’s driving me crazy, though. I just feel it. In my gut. I’m pregnant. And don’t tell me it’s some psychological crap and that I’m imagining all the symptoms. I’m just telling you that I feel different. My boobs are sore. I’m queasy. My smell is off. Weird stuff gets to me. Like the smell of cupcakes. Who the hell gets sick smelling a cupcake?”
Ashley smiled. “I don’t think you’re imagining anything, sweetie. Let’s wait for the results and then we’ll tackle the solution together. Okay?”
Pippa groaned and closed her eyes. The past three weeks had been a form of torture she never wanted to repeat. She changed her mind from day to day. One day she thought having a baby would be great. She and Ashley would have little playmates. On other days she thought she was solidly out of her mind and was terrified by the prospect.
And, well, she felt a little stupid. An unwanted pregnancy at her age? She wasn’t some stupid teenager playing around with unprotected sex. She’d always been so damn careful. Always!
She’d never considered herself terribly old-fashioned, but still, she’d preferred to have children within the boundaries of a loving, committed relationship.
“Okay, you can look now.”
They both stared at the stick on the coffee table like it was an ugly bug neither of them wanted to get close enough to squash.
Pippa’s stomach curled into a vicious knot. “You look. I don’t think I can.”
Ashley reached over and took Pippa’s hand, squeezing hard. “Just remember, that no matter what the outcome, it’ll be okay. I promise.”
Pippa nodded, then slammed her eyes shut as Ashley reached for the stick. She didn’t even want to see Ashley’s reaction. Her heart thundered until she could feel it jumping into her throat.
“Pippa,” Ashley said gently. “Open your eyes.”
Pippa cracked open her eyes to see Ashley’s solemn expression. Ashley laid the stick back onto the table, her gaze still centered on Pippa.
“What?” Pippa demanded, unable to stand it any longer. Ashley’s expression told her nothing. Nothing at all! “Am I pregnant?”
“According to the test you are,” Ashley said slowly.
Pippa deflated in a whoosh, sagging forward as she reached for the test, wanting to see the confirmation herself. It was a bit blurry and she blinked rapidly to bring it into focus.
And there it was. A big, glaring plus sign that pretty much said, Yes, you’re pregnant.
“Oh, my God,” she whispered.
Ashley looked uneasily at her. “You aren’t going to do something crazy like faint on me, are you?”
Pippa managed to close her mouth, but she was numb from head to toe. It was as if Ashley was talking from a mile away and Pippa was having this surreal out-of-body experience. The entire room seemed to slow down and become a big void of white noise.
Pregnant.
With Cam’s baby.
Mr. I Don’t Do Relationships.
Mr. I Won’t Call You.
As screwups went, this one was epic.
She closed her eyes again and groaned. “What am I going to do, Ash? Cam is going to freak. He gave me this long speech about how he didn’t do commitment, it was just sex, blah, blah, blah. A baby is definitely a commitment.”
“Take a few days. Let yourself come to terms with the shock. Then talk to Cam,” Ashley advised.
“I need to talk to him now.”
Ashley frowned. “Pip, you’re upset. You aren’t thinking rationally. The last thing you need is to go up against Cam. He can be … He’s intense, okay? He’ll bulldoze over you.”
“No one’s going to bulldoze me. I need to talk to him now. Other than me, this affects him the most. He deserves to know so he can start planning accordingly. It’s not like I’m going to wait a week and then suddenly decide not to tell him. The result will be the same no matter when I talk to him, so why wait? Besides, he’s been blowing up my phone for weeks now. No sense holding off any longer.”
Ashley sighed. “I just don’t want you to make any impulsive decisions. He can be persuasive. That’s a nice term for it. He can be ruthless.”
“I can hold my own with him. I’m not afraid. This is as much his problem as it is mine. I’ll be damned if I spend the next week agonizing over my future alone. If I suffer, so can he.”
A laugh escaped Ashley and her eyes danced merrily. “Okay, you just convinced me that he won’t rip you to shreds and have you for dinner.”
“Damn right he won’t,” Pippa muttered. “If he even tries, he won’t ever have to worry about fathering another child.”
Ashley laughed again and then impulsively leaned over to hug Pippa. “You know, this is going to be just fine, Pip. We’ll be pregnant together for a little while at least. Devon and I will do anything we can to help, and you have Tabitha, Carly and Sylvia. Oh, and my mother. She views you as another daughter, and when she finds out you’re pregnant, look out. She’ll have you packed in so much bubble wrap you won’t be able to breathe.”
Pippa grinned. “I love your mama.”
“And she loves you.”
Pippa sighed and then rose from the couch. “Not to be rude, Ash, but I need to do this before I end up losing my nerve. I just want to get it over with so I don’t have to live with unnecessary stress.”
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