“Lyra!”
It all came back, the roaring in her ears subsiding, and Lyra snapped back around to her sister. “It’s okay, Rach.”
Andros moved forward, so that he was in front of both women. “What is wrong with her?” he asked.
“She’s having a baby,” Lyra said, shivering from the sound of his voice, his body so close. How she wanted him.
“Right now?” Andros asked.
“Yep.”
“Good God,” he breathed. “What shall I do?”
She almost wanted to laugh at the horror in his voice, but her chest hurt too much to allow it. “Nothing, we’re fine.”
“But if the baby is coming…”
“It’s her first. It’s gonna take a while yet,” Lyra said. “Labor probably just started.” Words from the books came back to her and she turned to Rachel. “Did you get your bloody show yet?”
Rachel moaned. “Never, ever, say those words again.”
“But—”
“Shall I drive you to the hospital?” Andros interrupted. “Larsson is right there. Where is she giving birth?”
“I said we’re fine,” Lyra replied, the thought of being back on those leather seats again making her feel faint. How the hell was she supposed to keep a hold of all her emotions when the man that caused them was right fucking next to her? And there was Rachel to consider here. She could not afford to be distracted.
“But you need help,” Andros said. “Rossa, let me help.”
The use of his pet name for her, after all the months apart, snapped something in Lyra, and she had to swallow around a lump. “For fuck’s sake, Andros, take the hint already.”
“So you are still mad,” he said slowly. “You have not had enough time to think.”
“Think?”
“About us,” he said. “I planned to give you another couple of months at least before I came to get you. I have had much time to think whilst we were apart, Lyra. I can give more.”
“To get me?” Lyra whispered, unable to believe what she was hearing. “Give more?”
“Yes, Lyra. You surely did not think I would give up that easily.”
“I—”
“Oh my God, will you give it a rest? I’m totally in labor here.”
Rachel’s words penetrated her fogged brain and Lyra looked away from Andros’ intense stare, flushing. “Sorry, babe. Where’s your Blackberry?”
“You have it. Call Dominic again,” she moaned. “And where the hell is Ryan?”
“Dominic? Dominic Rimeria?” Andros demanded. “Why the fuck do you need to call him?”
Lyra sighed, remembering oh so clearly, the scene outside of Dominic’s building. Was Andros wondering if she had followed up on her threat to bed another man? Maybe she should let him think that, Lyra thought. Make him hurt just as she did. But then she met his eyes all over again, and realized that she could no more hurt him than she could Rachel. They were beyond that now. She loved him too fucking much.
“Because he’s her baby daddy,” Lyra said, holding his gaze and feeling her stomach flip when relief filled his eyes, “and her husband.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
From his position on the hard seat in the hospital waiting room Andros shifted. He eyed the coffee machine, wondering whether to bother with the foul instant brew, then shifted again. Where was Lyra? When was she likely to emerge? He checked his wristwatch and considered the possibilities. How long did labor even take? Would she spend the entire time in the room with her sister? Even though her husband was in there too?
More to the point, how the fuck had her sister ended up married to Rimeria? Perhaps if he’d been in the country he would have heard of it, maybe even have been invited, but Andros had spent the last several weeks holed up in the States. Desperately trying to get on with his work. Counting down the days until he came to get Lyra.
He had not lied to her when he’d said he planned to do just that. But he’d needed those weeks. Needed time to evaluate everything he thought he knew about himself. Everything he thought he knew about her.
The Point. He knew all about that too, knew about her charity work, and many things had clicked into place when he’d realized exactly what Lyra did spend her time doing. He’d read up on everything he could to understand her better. Her background. Where she lived. Everything. He suspected their arrangement had contributed in some way to the work she was now doing, and intended to ask her about that, but for the moment he could do nothing but wait, and it was fucking killing him.