Little Secrets:Unexpectedly Pregnant(19)

"So, I supposed we'd better talk about what happened last night."

Ugh. He really didn't want to. Tyce succumbed to his urge to touch and  hooked his hand around her neck, using his thumb to tip her face upward.  "I always prefer action to discussion."

Sage half smiled. "I know you do but I think that, three years ago, one  of our faults was that we spent too much time making love and not nearly  enough time talking."

Tyce mock frowned at her. "FYI, a man can never spend enough time in bed."

"Duly noted." Sage placed her hands on his chest and pushed away. "But, sorry for you, I do have something to say."

Dammit, Tyce thought, stepping back. Here it comes... I don't think this  is a good idea; we shouldn't complicate the situation; I've got a lot  on my plate. He was expecting at least one excuse for them not to  continue sleeping together, possibly all three.

"Are you interested in having more sex with me?"

Hot damn. Was that even a serious question? Judging by the traces of  insecurity he saw in her eyes and the tremor in her voice, it sure  sounded like one. Hell, yes, he wanted to sleep with her again. As many  times as was humanly possible. "Uh... Yes?"

"You don't sound too sure," Sage replied.

"Trust me, I'm damn sure," Tyce growled. "What's this about, Sage?"

Sage placed her hand over the rim of her cup and rolled the cup on the counter. "Well, we can do that, if you want."

Holy crap. "Is that something you want too, Sage?"

He knew it was but he suddenly needed the words. "Yes. But..."

Yes. It was a small-sounding word but it had huge consequences. He was  going to have her again, and soon. As soon as she gave him the green  light he'd kiss her and then he'd pull that thin cashmere jersey off her  slim frame and he'd flip open the button to her jeans. They'd be naked  and on the way to heaven.

"But it can't be more than sex, Tyce," Sage said, rushing her words.  "It's what we're good at. The rest of the stuff, we aren't good at  that." She crossed her arms and rocked on her heels. "I don't want to be  hurt again, Tyce. I don't want to hurt you."

"I hear you, Sage. I don't want to hurt you either. But we don't have to  label this, define this. We don't have to put on restrictions, shove  what we have into a box. No expectations, no pressure," Tyce told her.  "We're just two people who think the other is hot, who are having a baby  together and who are now sleeping together."

Tyce couldn't help but notice the relief in her eyes but sighed at the  worry one layer down. Sage was still so damn vulnerable, and he'd have  to be careful with her and for her. He'd have to be the one who kept an  eye on how far and fast this went because there was, no matter what he  said, always the possibility of this situation blowing up in their  faces. They had a baby to raise together and they couldn't do that  effectively if they ended up hating or resenting each other.

It was important that he looked at this situation clearly. He'd been  alone for so damn long, hell, he'd spent his life alone and he didn't  know how to make the emotional connections that people needed. Only now,  as an adult, did he realize how tired and drained he was when he was  younger from constantly living in a state of fight-or-flight. Yeah, he'd  take Sage's offer of sex-what man wouldn't?-but he'd put himself in a  situation of feeling out of control and desperate.         

     



 

But, for now, he'd enjoy her, take what she was so generously offering because making love with Sage was earth-shattering.

Tyce lifted his hand to touch her, to connect, but she shook her head  and stepped out of his reach. Damn, she wasn't done talking...

"I know that we are equally responsible for me being pregnant but I have  this crazy urge to apologize, to say sorry for messing up your life  with a baby."

God. That was what she was thinking? That her being pregnant was  something he regretted? Man, she couldn't be more wrong. He regretted  many things, particularly his inability to be the type of man she  needed, but he had no regrets about their still-baking baby.

Maybe that was because he was starting to see their child as a bridge  back to some sort of normality, a way to modify his ideas about families  and what they meant. He was being given a second chance, as an adult,  to create a unit that had all the people in all the right roles. He and  Sage wouldn't live together but his child would have a mother and a  father and they would be the adults and their child would have the  freedom to be a child.

And yes, maybe he was looking at this baby as the one soul with whom he  could reconnect emotionally; a safe place to try that. His kid would be  his kid, would be a big part of his life for the next eighteen years at  least, right?

Tyce placed his hands on either side of Sage's face, thinking that her  skin was so soft, that she smelled like a field of gently scented roses.  Her blue eyes locked on his and he took a step so that her breasts just  touched his chest. He needed to get closer, needed to feel her in his  arms, needed... God, he needed her. His head started to swim but he knew  he couldn't afford to be distracted; his answer was too important to  mess up. "We've made a muddle of a lot of things, Sage, but you having  my baby? That's not one of them."

"Are you sure? He, or she, is going to flip our world."

"That's not always a bad thing and I'm strapped in for the ride." He  kissed her nose before pulling her closer, hugging her tight. "The baby  is a gift that I haven't said thank you for so...thank you. I have many  regrets, Sage, but this baby will never be one of them."

Tyce felt a little of her tension seep out of her body so he lowered his  head and slowly, gently kissed the corner of her mouth, leaving his  lips there, inhaling her unique scent. This time he allowed his head to  swim, and placed a hand in the middle of her back and pulled her up  against his body, his erection pushing into her stomach, her breasts  against his chest. Sage sighed and once again he slowly, gently traced  the seam of her mouth, the edges of her lips. He wanted to plunge and  plunder, to allow their crazy passion to spiral but he knew that if he  let passion reign, he'd lose her.

This was a kiss of promise, of tenderness, something different than what  they'd ever shared before. This wasn't the time, he reminded his junk,  to do what came naturally. That time would come later and he could wait.  This moment was too important to mess up.

Tyce pulled back and then stepped away from her, running his hands  through his hair. He risked looking at Sage. She held her fingers to her  lips, her eyes wide and dreamy. Tyce started to move toward her, caught  himself and muttered a silent curse.

His sensible side surfaced. If he didn't corral his emotional side he  would create that which would be forever difficult to tame. Later, he  could love her when emotion wasn't running quite so high, when his heart  wasn't trying to punch its way out of his chest. Yeah, it was better if  they calmed down a little.

Or a lot.



Sage had run out of excuses to delay meeting Lachlyn. She'd deliberately  missed a dinner at The Den to introduce Lachlyn to the clan and she'd  postponed meeting her for coffee. Twice. Her excuses were so thin they  had holes in them. Giving in to verbal pressure from her brothers, and  subtle, silent pressure from Tyce, Sage finally asked Tyce's sister to  meet her at The Den. Linc and Tate and their kids were out of town so  she had her childhood home to herself and she thought it was the right  place for their first meeting.

Sage stepped into the hallway of the famous brownstone and started to  unwrap her scarf. "Maybe we should've met at a coffee shop."

Tyce, who'd offered to accompany her to The Den and stay to introduce  them before leaving them to talk, didn't reply. He just stood in the  double-volume hallway, his eyes darting around the magnificent space.  Tyce was another reason why she couldn't delay meeting Lachlyn any  longer. The newest member of the clan was his sister and she couldn't  keep avoiding her baby's aunt.         

     



 

Despite her excuses not to meet Lachlyn, Sage could admit to feeling a  tad braver, a little stronger about the changing circumstances. Also,  being around Tyce made her feel like she should step up a bit more. He  was consistently strong and she was not talking about that most very  excellent body she adored. He was mentally tough and if they were going  to co-parent together, be in each other's lives, she had to be, as well.

She wanted to be the best version of herself, for her baby, obviously, but also for Tyce.

"Are you okay, Sage?"

Sage darted a look at him and shrugged. Was she? This was a little  similar to an adopted child meeting her biological mother for the first  time. "I'm nervous, jittery, excited, nauseous."

Tyce's smile touched his sexy mouth. "She's feeling the same."

"You should be with her, Tyce. This is a big deal for her," Sage said, feeling guilty.