stomach, caught between wanting to melt into his embrace and to push away from him. She’d been the old fashioned kind of girl once, before she’d married David. She’d wanted what all girls wanted—the white knight on a white horse. The one. The only.
Her ex-husband had shot that desire cold dead when he left her. Now she didn’t know if she was ready for another relationship. She didn’t know if she was ready to risk her heart being trampled again.
Looking up at Alex, all she knew was that she’d been so glad to see him tonight she’d nearly burst with it. She’d craved him. Suddenly there he was, standing in front of her, a powerful temptation.
“I don’t know. You’re not the only one still picking up the pieces. The ink is barely dry on my divorce, Alex, and this…” She drew her brows together, shook her head with all the confusion and misery that wound up inside of her. “This was only supposed to be one night.”
“Is it something you even want?”
Angela bit her lip. Her mind screamed at her to tell him no, but the longing in his voice pushed her over the edge. She couldn’t deny him, but she couldn’t lie to him either. “I don’t know.”
He dropped his hands from her face, slipped them around her waist instead, simply holding her close. Not pushing, but not pulling away either. “You need time.”
She braced her hands against his chest. “Please.”
Alex pressed his lips to hers in a gentle, lingering kiss. Light. Tender. Bone melting.
“That makes two of us. We’ll figure things out. One day at a time.” He stroked a hand down her cheek. “Is that okay?”
When she nodded again, Alex released her, took a step back, and stuffed his hands into his pockets. “Have you been to the doctor yet?”
She wrapped her arms around herself, a chill running through her at the loss of his body against her. The sudden distance left her caught between the desire to push back into his arms and knowing the time apart would allow her to put everything into perspective.
She moved to the railing that lined the front of the porch, gripping the wooden banister in her hands. “My first appointment’s Wednesday next week.”
“Mm. I’m afraid I have court all next week. Child abuse case we’ve been building for two years now.” He moved to the edge of the steps, teetering on the top one. “I have to go. My flight leaves early in the morning. You’ll call me? Let me know how it went?”
She looked over at him. The hint of uncertainty in his eyes left no doubt to what he referred. He wanted a reassurance that she’d call him, while at the same time telling her he looked forward to hearing from her.
Touched, she nodded. Without a doubt she’d look forward to that conversation. “I’ll call you.”
He kissed her cheek, his lips lingering for a fraction of a second on her skin, then he trotted down the steps and got into his rental car.
Angela stood on the porch, watching as the purr of the engine faded into the distance, not entirely certain she’d made the right decision. She had no idea what the future held, for any of them. The very notion left her more confused than she’d been in a long time. All she knew was they were having a baby. She was about to spend time with the first man since David to make her knees go weak. It terrified her and excited her all at the same time, left her trembling on the porch, her queasy stomach revolting against the overwhelming emotion pounding through her.
She didn’t know what to do about any of it.
Chapter Eight
There it was.
Alex watched the number flash across the view screen of his cell phone’s lighted display, confusion twisting in his gut as he recognized Angela’s number. He’d spent the entire last week trying not to think about her and failing. He hadn’t gotten much past the fact that they were having a baby, let alone dealt with the overwhelming feelings he had for her.
Seeing her after the weekend they’d spent together had
Her ex-husband had shot that desire cold dead when he left her. Now she didn’t know if she was ready for another relationship. She didn’t know if she was ready to risk her heart being trampled again.
Looking up at Alex, all she knew was that she’d been so glad to see him tonight she’d nearly burst with it. She’d craved him. Suddenly there he was, standing in front of her, a powerful temptation.
“I don’t know. You’re not the only one still picking up the pieces. The ink is barely dry on my divorce, Alex, and this…” She drew her brows together, shook her head with all the confusion and misery that wound up inside of her. “This was only supposed to be one night.”
“Is it something you even want?”
Angela bit her lip. Her mind screamed at her to tell him no, but the longing in his voice pushed her over the edge. She couldn’t deny him, but she couldn’t lie to him either. “I don’t know.”
He dropped his hands from her face, slipped them around her waist instead, simply holding her close. Not pushing, but not pulling away either. “You need time.”
She braced her hands against his chest. “Please.”
Alex pressed his lips to hers in a gentle, lingering kiss. Light. Tender. Bone melting.
“That makes two of us. We’ll figure things out. One day at a time.” He stroked a hand down her cheek. “Is that okay?”
When she nodded again, Alex released her, took a step back, and stuffed his hands into his pockets. “Have you been to the doctor yet?”
She wrapped her arms around herself, a chill running through her at the loss of his body against her. The sudden distance left her caught between the desire to push back into his arms and knowing the time apart would allow her to put everything into perspective.
She moved to the railing that lined the front of the porch, gripping the wooden banister in her hands. “My first appointment’s Wednesday next week.”
“Mm. I’m afraid I have court all next week. Child abuse case we’ve been building for two years now.” He moved to the edge of the steps, teetering on the top one. “I have to go. My flight leaves early in the morning. You’ll call me? Let me know how it went?”
She looked over at him. The hint of uncertainty in his eyes left no doubt to what he referred. He wanted a reassurance that she’d call him, while at the same time telling her he looked forward to hearing from her.
Touched, she nodded. Without a doubt she’d look forward to that conversation. “I’ll call you.”
He kissed her cheek, his lips lingering for a fraction of a second on her skin, then he trotted down the steps and got into his rental car.
Angela stood on the porch, watching as the purr of the engine faded into the distance, not entirely certain she’d made the right decision. She had no idea what the future held, for any of them. The very notion left her more confused than she’d been in a long time. All she knew was they were having a baby. She was about to spend time with the first man since David to make her knees go weak. It terrified her and excited her all at the same time, left her trembling on the porch, her queasy stomach revolting against the overwhelming emotion pounding through her.
She didn’t know what to do about any of it.
Chapter Eight
There it was.
Alex watched the number flash across the view screen of his cell phone’s lighted display, confusion twisting in his gut as he recognized Angela’s number. He’d spent the entire last week trying not to think about her and failing. He hadn’t gotten much past the fact that they were having a baby, let alone dealt with the overwhelming feelings he had for her.
Seeing her after the weekend they’d spent together had
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