Oh my God. He’s jumping really far ahead. “We didn’t plan on staying married.”

He stopped pacing and moved to sit on the edge of her chair. “I know. And maybe we won’t. I think a baby changes things. No… I know a baby changes things. But until we both know exactly what we want I say we move forward slowly.”

“How does that look?”

“I like where we’re at, Samantha. I like coming home to you, having you here. Until one of us wants to change that, I say we just continue on like we’ve been doing.” His gaze searched hers.

“And after the year is up? After the baby is born?”

“The year doesn’t have to change.”

She knew that, but hearing him say it aloud tossed cold water on her face.

“You didn’t want to hear that,” he said, seeing her reaction.

“No. It’s what we agreed on.”

His hand slid up her calf and rested on her knee. “Do you want more than a year?”

“Right now, I don’t know what I want. I just found out I’m pregnant. I’m going to be a mother forever. That’s the only solid thing I know is going to happen. Everything else is a big, fat question mark.”

“Let me give you one more solid thing then.” He patted her knee. “I’m going to be this child’s father. I won’t abandon you, or our baby. You have my word.”

She knew that. Deadbeat duke daddy didn’t sound like Blake.

“Can I ask you something?” She knew she was about to open him wide with her question, but she needed to know his thoughts.

“Of course.”

“Do you want more than a year?”

He paused, took a breath. “I think we owe it to our child to give each other the option for more time.”

“Stay married for the baby?” Didn’t that sound like a bad soap opera?

He didn’t answer, instead he asked. “Do you like it here with me?”

What a silly question. Of course she did. “It doesn’t suck.”

He laughed. “So we push aside deadlines and contracts unless it does suck.”

“Can we do that?”

“Honey, we can do whatever the hell we want.”

She laughed then. A real laugh that hadn’t come since she’d learned of the pregnancy. “Until it sucks then. I think morning sickness sucks.”

He laughed now, inching closer to her. “That doesn’t count. I’m told delivery sucks too.”

“Yeah, well… that won’t count either. I’ll get fat. That sucks.”

Blake’s hand inched up her thigh, past her hip, and lay on her now flat tummy. “I’ll bet you’ll be adorable with a baby bump.”

“Ha, you say that now. You’ll think it sucks later, I’m sure.”

His warm hand slid around her waist and up her ribcage. When it reached the underside of her breast, her brushed a thumb over her clothed nipple. “These will swell, that won’t suck,” his voice grew husky.

Samantha caught her lip in her teeth. “I’m told they hurt and you won’t be able to touch them. That will suck.”

He leaned forward. The heat of his breath filtered over her lips. “I can handle all those sucky things if you can.”

“Is that a challenge?”

His eyes sparkled with mischief. “Maybe.”

“It sucks that you know how to push my buttons.”

His lips lingered over hers, not touching, but so close. “I suck already?”

“I can handle it.”

A brief brushing of his lips over hers wasn’t enough. She leaned forward wanting more. But he pulled back a tiny bit. “I’m glad it’s you having my baby,” he confessed. “You’re going to be a wonderful mother.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Yes, I do.” He kissed her, really kissed her to the point where stars sparkled in her head and she forgot she was outside where the world could watch.

In Blake’s arms, as he nibbled and kissed his way around her lips, neck, and jaw, the world didn’t suck.

Chapter Twelve

The morning sickness got worse instead of better. And that sucked! Each day Blake, trooper that he was, agreed that her morning queasies sucked but he was going to help her through it until it got better. They agreed to keep a lid on the pregnancy through the first trimester, mainly because of the risk of complications and miscarriages. The doctor had assured them both after the second month they had nothing to worry about, but they waited to tell anyone anyway.

Samantha didn’t even reveal anything to Eliza, which wasn’t easy. But she thought it was best to keep her friend in the dark to avoid any slips in conversation.

True to his word, Blake stood beside her. There were times he needed to fly to Europe, but the trips were short, three days at most. It sucked when he was gone, but was always wonderful when he came home.

The days started to drift together, the nights always a memorable experience in Blake’s arms. Then, just as the doctor had predicted, the morning sickness fairy stopped her daily visits.

Blake returned home after a day in the office when Samantha had spent her time removing furniture and wall hangings from a room across the hall from theirs.

She was hoisting a small table from beside the bed when Blake’s alarmed voice yelled from the door. “What the hell are you doing?”

She dropped the bedside table, nearly hitting her toe. “You scared me,” she told him.

Blake stepped beside her, hands on his hips. “You shouldn’t be lifting furniture.” His eyes swept the room. “Have you cleared everything in here?”