Forged in Steele (KGI #7)(74)

She cupped his jaw in her palm and stared up at him, her eyes warm and soft. “I’m glad because I’m not sorry either. I’m betting we end up making a beautiful baby.”

“If she’s anything like her mother, that’s guaranteed.”

She smiled. “So when will my parents be able to come? I hate to impose on you even more by letting my family come here, but they’ve been frantic the last few months and they’re determined to see me with their own eyes so they can stop worrying.”

“That’s understandable and you’re not imposing. I don’t blame them for wanting to see you as soon as possible. I’ll talk to Sam about it in the morning. For now I thought we’d relax for the evening and turn in early. We both need some sleep. I have to report in with Sam anyway, so I’ll add commandeering a KGI jet to the list.”

She swallowed visibly and looked suddenly uncertain, her eyes casting downward. Her teeth flashed, sinking into her bottom lip, a sure sign of her agitation. He gently thumbed her lip away and then nudged her chin upward.

“What’s bothering you, Maren?”

She shook her head. “Nothing. Just wondering. It’s stupid, really.”

He cocked his head, curious about what she was thinking. “Tell me.”

To his surprise, she blushed, her cheeks going rosy with color. “I was going to ask where I was going to sleep, but you showed me to the guest room. It was a silly thought.”

He went still, his pulse suddenly thundering in his ears. Then he cupped her face in his hands, forcing her to look directly at him.

“If you’re asking where you can sleep, then yeah, the guest room is all yours. If you’re asking me where I want you to sleep, then the answer is with me. In my bed. But if that’s not what you want, that’s okay. At least for now.”

Relief flashed in her eyes. “I’d like to sleep with you. I mean if that’s okay. I’d just feel safer.”

Her admission tugged at his heart and he stroked his thumbs over the softness of her skin.

“Maren, I’m not going to pretend that you and I haven’t slept together. I’m not going to pretend that we didn’t make a pretty damn powerful connection. I knew it then and I know it now. It’s why I told you I was coming back to you. What we had wasn’t finished. Not by a long shot. It’s merely been delayed. But that’s over now. You’re here with me where you belong. And I want to see where this takes us. We have a tie between us now. Our child. But that’s not the only connection between us, and I think you know that as much as I do. And I don’t want you to ever think that the only reason you’re with me is that you’re pregnant with my baby.”

She leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his neck and then she laid her head on his shoulder. “I’m scared, Steele.”

Her frank admission tore at his chest. He tightened his hold on her and angled his head to kiss the top of hers.

“I’m scared too,” he admitted.

She stiffened and then picked up her head to stare at him in surprise. “I can’t imagine anything ever scaring you.”

“Then you haven’t got a clue what I’ve been through these last weeks, not knowing where you were, if you were hurt, dead, suffering, afraid. The list goes on and on. I was gutted the day Sam told me you’d gone missing, and I haven’t been worth a damn since. Right here and now with you in my arms is the only moment of peace I’ve known since the day I left you and promised to come back. It was a promise I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to keep when I learned what had happened to you.

“And beyond that, the thought of you carrying my child scares the shit out of me. Not because it’s not something I want, but because I know all the things that can go wrong. I know that just because you’re away from Tristan Caldwell now doesn’t mean he won’t come after you. I’m scared I won’t be able to protect you. I’m afraid of what could happen to you and our child. So yeah, I’d say I’m pretty damn scared right now.”

She kissed him, long and deep, her mouth moving sweetly over his. He let her dictate the action, perfectly content to sit back and enjoy what she gave him.

“Never thought I’d feel this way over a woman,” he murmured when she pulled back, her eyes glazed with desire. “Never wanted to.”

“And now?” she asked softly.

“Now I don’t mind at all.”

CHAPTER 28

“YOU need to eat something,” Steele said to Maren as she sat on his lap, snuggled into his arms.

The two had stayed there for the last hour simply enjoying being together and talking about the baby. Nothing too serious. Just idle chitchat, whatever came to mind. It was the absolute best medicine for her.

She’d never felt more safe or content than she did in this moment.

“Do you think you could stomach some soup and maybe a cup of hot tea? I don’t have a variety of the teas you drink, but I could at least use the tea bags that I make iced tea with and make it hot for you.”

Her heart went soft at the concern in his voice and the determination to take care of her. It felt . . . nice. She’d always been self-sufficient. Her parents had taught her to take care of herself from a very young age and she’d always been grateful for that. She’d grown into a confident, capable adult and she had her parents to thank for that. But it didn’t mean that when the chips were down she wouldn’t absolutely accept a man like Steele protecting and caring for her.