A small smile quirked the corner of his mouth. 'Good, because I'm not giving you a choice.'
She bristled in irritation. Who did he think he was that he could make ultimatums like that?
'You do?' she asked doubtfully and a little suspiciously.
'Yeah.' Excitement laced his voice. 'I can go with you to the doctor's appointments, can't I?'
'Yes.' She nearly choked on the word, but knew she couldn't deny Grey the chance to hear the baby's heartbeat, and maybe see the baby move within her belly. She blew out an aching breath. Sharing the stages of her pregnancy with Grey was going to be joyful, as well as painful. She wondered if she'd survive this new unorthodox relationship they were establishing, one based on their mutual responsibility to the child inside her and nothing more.
'And how about those classes where they teach you to relax and breathe that funny way?'
'Lamaze.' That's where she firmly drew the line. La-maze was too personal and intimate an experience, one that required touching. How could she concentrate on her breathing technique in class when the man she loved but couldn't have was rubbing her back or gently caressing her belly? Her focus would be on
'Jade is going to be my coach,' she said, hoping to dispel any notion or obligation he felt to be by her side during those laboring hours.
'No way,' he said adamantly. 'No offense to Jade, but I want to be there when the baby's born.'
Feeling drained and uncertain about this whole part-time parent stuff, Mariah rested her head on the seat. 'Grey, you don't have to do this-'
'I want to do this. I
She shivered in apprehension, wondering if he'd go so far as to sue for custody if he didn't get his way. 'Of course not,' she said, her temper rising. 'I just don't want you to think that I'm going to make demands on your time.'
He smiled very slowly, erasing that intimidating expression. 'You won't have to, because I'm going to be around a lot.'
Great, just great. She rubbed her forehead as the car rolled forward, moving onto surface streets. 'I know you're busy, Grey. I don't expect you to see the baby every day-'
'I'll make the time. Every day.'
Mariah took a deep calming intake of air. There was little she could say to his insistence on being a daily part of his child's life. She wanted that for this child, to know its father and spend time with him on a regular basis. But how was she going to survive seeing Grey every day, knowing that he had a life separate from hers-one that didn't include her, only their child?
He pulled into his driveway and cut the engine in front of his enormous, elegant two-story house. She stared up at the structure, a house built and designed for a bachelor with no intentions of getting tied down to a wife, and certainly not a child who would track dirt onto his light-colored carpet and leave toys strewn from one end of his impeccably clean house to the other. No, a family hadn't been in Grey's future thinking, and she worried how father and child would adjust when she wasn't there to smooth out the awkward moments between them.
The warmth of Grey's large hand beneath her blouse, then sliding down the waistband of her stretch pants startled her out of her thoughts. Her breath caught sharply and she grasped his wrist, though he didn't seem inclined to remove his hand from the taut curve of her belly. Their gazes locked, his so full of wonder and awe she wanted to cry.
'Grey…' Her voice quivered, as did her body. She'd missed his touch, and hated that she was so weak she didn't have the will to pull his hand away.
His fingers probed her firm stomach. 'I've been wanting to do this since the day at your office, but I was afraid you'd sock me one.' He smiled ruefully.
Her grip on his wrist relaxed, foolishly giving him free rein to explore her stomach. 'What makes you think I won't now?'
He chuckled, the deep, sexy sound making her shiver. 'I'll take my chances, sweetheart,' he said, his voice amused. 'Have you felt the baby move?'
She smiled, wanting nothing more than to share her body's changes with Grey. 'Yes.'
His eyes sparkled enthusiastically. 'What does it feel like?'
How could she explain such an indescribable sensation? 'It feels like a butterfly fluttering around in my belly, with a few swift jabs for good measure.' Without thinking of the implications, she slid her palm over the back of his hand and guided him lower, to the spot where their baby liked to fuss and kick about the most.
His gaze dropped to her heavy breasts, taking in the changes there while his fingers drew lazy circles on her belly. Gradually he dragged his gaze back up, stopping briefly on her mouth, then onward to her eyes.
'You look beautiful like this, you know,' he said huskily.
He was melting away her defenses by attacking her weak points-her desire and love for him. 'Grey, don't do this-'
He cocked his head innocently, making him more irresistible than he already was. 'Do what?'
Swallowing the thick need gathering in her throat, she withdrew his hand from beneath her blouse, which he allowed without protest. 'Make this arrangement any more difficult than it already is.'
'Is there something wrong with telling a woman she looks beautiful? Especially when that woman is carrying my child?'
With a gentle, persuasive pressure of his fingers on her chin, he brought her face back toward him again. 'I haven't stopped wanting you, Mariah,' he said, his voice soft and sincere. 'If anything, the time we've been apart has only intensified my feelings toward you. Made me realize exactly what was missing from my life.'
She pulled her chin from his grasp, trying not to soften to his will. It proved to be one of the most difficult feats of her life. 'What are we doing here, Grey?' she asked tiredly.
He stared up at the house for a long, quiet moment, then said, 'There's something I want to show you. Will you come with me?'
She opened her mouth to say no and request that he take her back to Casual Elegance. But there was something in his eyes, a combination of hope and anticipation that changed her answer to yes. At her nod, he released a relieved breath, quickly climbed out of the car, and came around for her.
With her hand secured within his, she followed him inside the house and up the staircase to the second floor. All the while she sensed the coil of nervousness in his body with every step he took. He paused at the guest bedroom, his free hand resting on the doorknob.
Mariah frowned. What was so spectacular about his guest room that so obviously had him tied up in a knot of tension? He slowly opened the door…and then she knew.
A whitewashed crib, matching changing table and dresser replaced the queen-size canopied bed and armoire that had occupied the room before. A rocking chair was positioned near the window, a big, soft teddy bear with a huge red bow sitting in the seat.
Her chest tightened when she realized the wallpaper was the one she would have chosen-a carousel of plump, whimsical zoo animals shaded in soft pastel colors. Everything matched the design, from the crib set and border running along the top of the room, to the diaper holder and the curtains framing the window. Obviously the room had been professionally decorated, but how had Grey known this was the design she'd envisioned for her own nursery?
Despite herself and the pain slowly invading her body, she moved into the room and toward the crib. She
