Rebel Heir (Rush Series Duet #1)(66)

Gia shook her head. “I don’t think so, no.”

“Okay. Well, you can keep up with your regular, non-pregnancy activities. Work, sleep, sex—all as usual.”

Gia glanced at me and then to the PA. “Is it normal for pregnancy to…affect your libido?”

“Yes. Very. Many women experience a decrease in their sex drive during their pregnancy. Often it’s in the first trimester and then it comes back with a vengeance toward the end.”

“Oh.”

I looked over at Gia. Her face was turning pink. She was embarrassed to ask something…maybe because I was standing next to her. I pointed to the door. “Do you want me to give you two a minute to talk?”

Gia shook her head before taking a deep breath, then turned back to the PA and said, “I think I have the opposite problem.”

The PA smiled. “Oh. I’m sorry. I misread what you were asking. Yes, it’s definitely normal to have a heightened sex drive. Every woman’s experience is individual to that particular pregnancy, and some will have an increased sexual appetite that fluctuates, whereas others might have no desire for the entire pregnancy. But you’re young and healthy, so there’s no reason not to enjoy yourself if the urge is stronger than normal.”

Fuck. Gia just told this woman that she was horny. All. The. Time.

“So…any kind of sex is okay then? I won’t hurt the baby?”

What the hell was she getting at?

“As long as you aren’t physically challenging yourself too much, yes. Your partner won’t hurt the baby, if that’s what your fear is.” She glanced at me and then back to Gia. “It’s actually a common concern in couples. So I’m glad you’re asking if it’s been weighing on your mind.”

Gia bit her bottom lip. Her pink face turned bright red now. “What about sex…without a partner?” She motioned between the two of us. “We’re not… and I wanted to ask my doctor at the last appointment, but he’s a man and he’s older…and I’d like to use a….”

While I was completely lost on what the hell Gia was getting at, apparently the secret code she was speaking made sense to the PA. “Oh. I’m sorry. Yes, absolutely. You can safely use a vibrator or any other toys that you’d regularly use. Not an issue at all.” The woman dug into her pocket and pulled out a business card. “I totally understand why asking that question to Dr. Daniels might’ve been difficult. He’s a wonderful doctor, but I get it. Please…call me any time you want to discuss anything.”

The two of them chatted away for a few more minutes, but I didn’t hear a fucking word of it. My brain was totally stuck on the fact that Gia was horny and about to go to town on herself with her vibrator.





“Is everything okay?” Rush hadn’t said one word since leaving the doctor’s office, and we were halfway to my house.

“Fine.”

“Did it freak you out to go with me? I’m sorry if it was too much to ask.”

“No. I appreciate you asking me.”

Seeing his knuckles turn white from the death grip he had on the steering wheel and listening to his curt responses didn’t make me feel like he appreciated going.

I stared down at the ultrasound pictures and tried to talk myself into believing that I was paranoid and that nothing was wrong. But I felt like I’d made a big mistake relying on Rush. It was a lot to ask of anyone, and I really needed to learn to stand on my own two feet. For the last few weeks, I’d been weighing the pros and cons on Rush’s offer to help me, to stay at his house until after the baby was born. Today made me realize it wasn’t a good idea. He had a big heart, and I believed that his offer was sincere, but it was unfair to burden anyone with my problems. I needed to set him free. As much as the thought gutted me, I knew it was the right thing to do. Like having a covered wound that hurts when you touch it, once I’d decided it was time to rip the Band-Aid off, I thought it best to do it in one quick tear. So when we pulled up to the house, I took a deep breath and turned to face Rush.

“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately. And although your offer was extremely generous, I’m not going to be staying out here after our summer share is up.”

Rush had been staring out the window straight ahead even after he’d pulled to the curb. He finally turned to me. “What? Why?”

“I need to do this myself, Rush. If I’m here with you, I’m going to just keep leaning on you, and that’s not fair to either of us.”

He looked back and forth between my eyes. “I want you to lean on me.”

I touched his arm. “I know you do. Because you’re a good man, Rush. But it’s only going to make it harder to walk away at some point. And I will keep you from moving on. Look at what happened the other night when you tried to be with another woman. You’re the most loyal man I’ve ever met. I realize now that you aren’t going to move on with me out here, even though you want to. And, honestly, neither will I.” I felt tears welling in my eyes. “So I think it’s time. Sometimes you have to let go of the things you never really had.”

Rush’s head hung with his eyes shut, so I used the opportunity to get out of the car before he saw me break down. “Thanks for taking me today, Rush.”