She ran her fingers over the bandage on his temple, and his expression softened as he grabbed her hand.
“I came here feeling like the rug had just been pulled out from beneath me,” he said. “Knowing damn well I wasn’t in any shape to enter into any kind of a relationship. I didn’t expect you, Lizzy.” Letting go of her hand to cup the back of her head, he nuzzled at her throat.
Her eyes drifted shut as he slid his hands back beneath her clothing, making it all but impossible to breathe.
“I didn’t expect you, either—” She broke off on a shuddering gasp when his hands slid up her ribs, his thumbs barely grazing the underside of her breasts. “We—” She had to swallow. “We should go.”
“Rest a minute.”
“I’m fine—” Another pass of those thumbs and her knees wobbled.
Which reminded her that she was straddling him, holding him down as she pressed on the impressive erection he had going between her thighs. With a strength she didn’t know she had, she rose to her feet and held out a hand.
He took it and let her pull him up. “That’s some control you have, Lizzy. Given I’m the soldier, it should have come from me.”
“I have as much control as you.”
“You’re definitely the stronger of us, always have been.”
“Stop it.”
“I’m serious. Remember Carla Alvarez?”
Oh, yes, she remembered the beautiful Carla Alvarez. “You spent a month trying to convince her to go out with you?”
“Uh-huh. And you finally told me to stop trying so hard, to let someone else make the first move once in a while. Which worked, by the way. She was my homecoming date.”
Yeah. Lizzy remembered. It’d driven her crazy. She’d wanted to make the move on him, but hadn’t had the nerve. She watched him re-shoulder his backpack, thinking she had the nerve now. It’d come hard earned, but she had it. “Jase?”
“Yeah?”
She fisted her hands tight into his wet poncho.
“What—”
That was all he got out before she yanked him close and kissed him. Kissed him until they were both breathless, and then she shoved him away.
He staggered back a step and stared at her. “Not that I’m complaining, but what was that for?”
“I have no idea.” But she did. She knew exactly.
She was over holding back in order to protect herself from hurt. Over setting aside things she wanted, things like her education and becoming a doctor, or taking an extra shift instead of a vacation in order to make sure Cece had what she needed.
Cece didn’t need her anymore, and life was too short. She needed to live it. She was going to get what she’d always wanted, which right at that moment was him.
9
CECE GRABBED her stomach as another contraction took over, this one deeper and far more intense than the last, and when she opened her eyes again, breathing as if she’d just run a marathon, she realized she was on her knees, clutching her belly. Worse, her stranger had come right into her garage, crouched at her side, and was supporting her with an arm banded around her back.
“There you go,” he said in a low, gruff voice that went with the badass boots and leather jacket, which he wore over a plain tee and torn jeans, all matching the tough expression on his face. “Keep breathing.”
She’d planned on it, thank you very much, perfect stranger.
“How far apart are the contractions?” he asked.
She had no idea. “Oh, God,” she gasped as another hit.
“Not far,” he muttered, summing up the situation with one brief, unhappy glance.
She breathed through the worst of the pain, and then managed to look at him. She couldn’t see past the brim of his cowboy hat, which didn’t help. “Who are you?”
“Hunter. Hunter Bryant. I live next door. Who are you?”
She narrowed her eyes, still breathing like a lunatic. “No one lives next door.”
“I just moved in a few days ago.”
Well, if that was true, he was gone every night, which made him exactly the kind of man she did not need right now.
“Listen, is there someone I can call for you? Because I’m not any good at this.”
“I haven’t seen you,” she said stubbornly. “Oh, God. Goddammit.” The pain came hard and all-consuming, and nothing like menstrual pains, damn her damn doctor who’d said they would be. “Did I die?” she demanded, gripping the front of his jacket and fisting it tight. “Are you my frigging angel of death, Mr. Badass Biker Dude? Because first of all, the irony? Sucks. And second, I’m not ready to go. I have a baby coming and I’m all it has. Well, me and Lizzy, but she’s bailed me out of every mess I’ve ever gotten myself into, so it’s my turn to finally stand up and do this right. Do you hear me? I’m not going. I refuse.”