“Burr,” she said with a little shiver as she shifted her position and wrapped her legs around his waist. “I think you’d better keep kissing me. I’m getting cold.”
He’d been so happy and more than willing to oblige. Without hesitation, her nimble hands tugged his dress shirt from the waistband of the black slacks he still wore and ducked inside. He inhaled sharply when her cool fingers splayed over his abdomen and slid up to his chest and then down again. She began plucking at the buttons of his shirt as he shoved the skirt of her knee-length ivory dress up to her hips and then reached around her to work the zipper seductively down her back. The sound of it opening and the soft, warm feel of her beneath made his skin tingle and heat, and sent a jolt of awareness to his already hardened shaft.
They’d both been so desperate to reconnect physically that it had taken less than a minute to push their clothes out of the way and for Cade to plunge deep inside her. She cried out, her hands clutching his shoulders and he slammed into her again. As his rhythm increased, her soft moans of pleasure were like music to his ears. They spurred him on, just as her legs and the heels of her feet against his backside encouraged him to move faster, drive deeper, until they were both crying out and clutching each other tight.
That had been a magical moment, but nothing compared to their evening after they’d unpacked and Cade had set up their meal in front of the large fireplace. He had planned everything to the last detail. The way he’d touch her as they ate. How he’d hold a plump strawberry up to her lips for dessert. How he’d relieve her of her clothes while he seduced her with his hands and mouth. He’d even planned out the orgasms he would give her in front of the flames. And he’d been very successful at all of it, but she’d been the one to give him the greatest gift.
It had been seven months since that night and he could still feel her body against him, her heart matching the thundering of his as she’d straddled his hips and joined their bodies once again. He couldn’t take his eyes or hands off her.
Once they’d both cried out their release, Addie had collapsed onto his chest and his arms held her tight.
“I love you,” she’d whispered, her warm breath cooling the sheen of perspiration on his skin.
“I love you, too, sweetheart.”
She lifted her head to gaze into his eyes. “Will you love me when I’m fat and bloated, too?”
He laughed. “I’d love you no matter what.”
She had frowned at his reply and he still felt like a fool for missing her hint.
“What?” he’d asked, unsure what he’d said wrong.
She’d rolled off him and rested her head on his shoulder. “I know you’d said you wanted a big family…” she started, but her voice trailed off.
With a finger under her chin, he lifted her gaze to his. His heart clenched at the doubt he read in her eyes. “Do you not want that now?”
They’d talked about it before and he’d thought they were on the same page, but it had been quite a while. Maybe she’d changed her mind after being attacked. Why hadn’t I thought to ask her about it again?
Her eyes widened at his question and she shook her head. “Oh, no,” she said quickly, “I still want that, it’s just…” She dropped her gaze, but when she looked up again, she was smiling and a glimmer of mischief twinkled in her eyes. “When were you thinking of starting this big family?”
He had sighed in relief. “Well, maybe a year or two. Why?”
The smile on her face slipped just a bit. “How would you feel about this coming December?”
“I…well…I-I,” he’d stammered, taken aback. December had only been seven months away at the time. He’d stared at her, confused, and then the truth hit him like a lightning bolt. “You… You’re…?”
“Yes,” she said with a huge grin. “Are you okay with that?”
“Okay? You’re having my baby?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, sweetheart,” he’d said, turning on his side to pull her into his arms, “I’m fantastic! We’re having a baby!”
The rest of their honeymoon had been filled with more lovemaking and talk about baby names. He’d repeatedly ran his hand over her soft belly, hardly able to believe that another of his dreams was growing inside her.
Addie had changed his life so drastically when she’d stopped to offer him a ride. She had healed his bitter heart, given him reason to dream and hope again, had even brought his brother and the life he’d missed back to him. Without even trying, she’d tilted his miserable life back onto its axis and made him happier than he’d ever thought he could be. He wanted to be there for her now.
“Cord,” he said, the sense of urgency swelling inside him felt like a bomb about to explode, “please hurry.”
Cord must have heard the note of fear in his voice, because he revved the engine a little more. “We’re almost there.”
They finally rolled down the street of the local hospital and turned into the parking lot. They found Joe Baker standing near the emergency entrance, shifting from foot to foot, waiting for them to arrive.
“You go in with Joe,” Cord said as he pulled up to the entrance. “I’ll park the truck and be right in.”
Cade barely heard the last part of Cord’s statement as he shoved open the truck’s door and jumped outside. “Where is she?” he demanded.
“I’ll show
