Baby Business(10)

"What did Emma say to you?" he asked as the band switched gears to play  an old Dean Martin song, "Return to Me." She suspected one of her  brothers had requested it, since it was her parents' wedding song.



"Something about your grandfather's will."



"What about it?"



"Just that it was a bit strange," she said. "Don't my mom and dad look sweet?"



"Your mom does."



"Dad's not that bad. I'm just glad he was able to make it today. They were having some problems with the workers' union    ."



"Your dad's a tough guy, and he doesn't look sweet at all. I'm glad he made it today, as well."



"With Mom, he always seems different."



"He loves her," Donovan said. "That's why he's different."



"Yes, he does. Even when Dad disappointed us, he would never disappoint Mom."



"That's not a bad thing, Cassidy. He probably did what he could to be a good father to you."



"I know. I'm not complaining. It's just that if he'd been the way he is with Mom with me and the boys … "



She didn't know that it would have made a difference. But she thought  about Adam and how he was sure he couldn't be a father and an executive,  and then she thought about how Donovan was going to be both.



Donovan was a man who never let anyone get the better of him. Not her,  not his cousin, not a business rival. What kind of father was he going  to be? Someday, were they going to be dancing together at their child's  wedding, or would they be divorced … two strangers standing across the  dance floor, remembering this moment when they were young?



"Cassidy?"



"Hmm?"



"Don't worry about anything. We're together now, and that's all that matters."



She wished she could believe him, but a part of her feared that just being together was never going to be enough for her.

Chapter Five

Cassidy had envisioned her wedding night many times when she'd been  younger. Now, looking at herself in the mirror of the bathroom dressed  in a maternity negligee, she felt … scared. She'd made love with Donovan  many times, but he hadn't seen her body since she'd been pregnant.



And she wasn't even sure that she could make love to him now. Her  stomach felt tight, and she couldn't stand still. Probably because of  worry over what Emma had said to her. What did she really know about why  Donovan had come back?



Only what he'd told her.



Did she trust him? Heck, she already knew that she did trust him, now  she just had to let go of the past and her fears and simply enjoy being  with him.



He knocked on the door. "Are you almost done in there?"



"Yes. Just washing my face," she said, turning on the water to give her lie credence.



She heard the door open behind her and leaned down to cup her hands  under the water, but then she froze. Donovan had removed his shirt and  had on only his dress trousers. They hung low on his hips.



He looked incredibly sexy and she wanted nothing more than to get closer  to him. To wrap her arms around his lean waist and rest her head  against his chest and pretend that all the things she was worried about  didn't exist.



"Why are you hiding out in here?"



"I'm not hiding. I just want … Okay, I am hiding. You haven't seen me all  pregnant before. And this is our wedding night, which is supposed to be  romantic, and I'm not sure I feel romantic at all."                       
       
           



       



"That's fine. Just come out and let me hold you," Donovan said.



He opened his arms and she stepped into them. The baby kicked as he drew  her close, and Donovan's hand moved to her stomach, resting on the spot  where the baby's foot had just been.



Donovan lifted her into his arms and carried her out of the bathroom and  across the luxurious hotel suite to the king-size bed. He set her  gently in the center of the bed.



He followed her down, lying next to her on his side. He propped his head  up on his hand and stared down at her with a look of concentration.



"You seem very serious."



"I'm lying here with my wife … ."



Her husband. She hadn't really let herself believe it, no matter how  many plans they made, because a part of her hadn't been sure they'd get  to the altar. Being married quietly with just family in attendance had  sounded good when she'd insisted upon it, but now it made their  relationship seem like a secret. That, and the fact that he hadn't  wanted to put an announcement in the newspaper about the marriage.



"You're thinking way too much," he said, leaning down to trace her brow with one fingertip.



"Donovan-"



His mouth on her neck made her stop. She didn't want to have a heavy conversation tonight. She wanted just to lie in his arms.



She put her hands on the back of his head, felt the silky strands of his  hair against her skin. His breath was warm against her, his mouth a hot  brand as he kissed her neck.



She shifted onto her side and into his body. With a hand on her hip he  pulled her closer and raised the fabric of her nightgown up over her  legs.



"Lift up."



She shifted her hips and he drew the nightgown over her head. And she  was lying there completely bare except for her panties. He traced a path  from her neck down over her breasts, which were bigger now than they  had ever been before. Her nipple beaded as he drew his finger around the  full globe of one breast.



He bent to capture the tip of her breast in his mouth. He sucked her in  deep, his teeth lightly scraping against her sensitive flesh. His other  hand played at her other breast, arousing her, making her arch against  him in need.



He lifted his head. The tips of her breasts were damp from his mouth, and very tight. He brushed his chest over them.



"Is this okay?"



"Yes," she said, feeling cherished by the gentle way he was touching her.



"I want you, Cassidy."



She slid her hand down his body and wrapped her fingers around his erection. "I know."



"You are so damned sexy. I've been thinking of this moment all day."



"Have you?"



"Mmm, hmm," he said, his mouth on her breast again. He kissed his way  lower, following the mound of her stomach. He paused, whispering  something soft that she couldn't hear.



He shifted on the bed, kneeling between her legs, and caressed her body  from her neck, down her sternum to the very center of her.



"Do you want me?"



"Yes," she said, shifting her legs on the bed.



He drew her flesh into his mouth, sucking carefully on her. His hands  held her thighs open, his fingers lightly caressing her legs as he  pushed her legs farther apart until he could reach her dewy core. He  pushed one finger into her body and drew out some of her moisture, then  lifted his head and looked up her body.



She watched as he lifted his fingers to his mouth. "I've missed your taste."



Donovan had always been an earthy lover, and she hadn't realized how much she'd missed their lovemaking until this moment.



He lowered his head again, hungry for more of her. He feasted on her  body, carefully tasting the flesh between her legs. He used his teeth,  tongue and fingers to bring her to the brink of climax but held her  there, wanting to draw out the moment of completion until she was  begging him for it.



Her hands left her body, grasped his head as she thrust her hips up  toward his face. But he pulled back so that she didn't get the contact  she craved.



"Donovan, please."



He scraped his teeth gently over her and she screamed as her orgasm  rocked through her body. He kept his mouth on her until her body stopped  shuddering and then slid up her.



He wrapped his body around hers. "That will have to do until after you  have my baby. But you know that I've claimed you as my wife."



"Claimed me?"



"Yes. I don't want there to be any doubts. You are mine, Cassidy Tolley, and I don't give up anything that is mine."





Donovan woke aroused. He wanted to make love to Cass, and as she shifted  against him he thought she was feeling the same way. He pulled her more  fully against him and she turned her head into his shoulder, moaning  softly.                       
       
           



       



He leaned down to find her lips. They parted under his and he kissed  her. He knew he couldn't pull her under his body as he would have in the  past. He skimmed his hands down her curves. Her hands tightened on his  shoulders and her eyes opened.



"Hey, baby."



"Hey, you," she said, shifting in his arms and kissing him lightly.



He leaned in to kiss her again when she drew back. And groaned this time. "Donovan?"