The Billionaire's Captive Bride(21)

He remained by her side; in the ambulance, at the hospital, in the  labour ward. No one questioned his right to be there. The nurses seemed  to regard him with awe, quickly answering anything he wanted to know. Dr  Davis also treated him with considerable deference as he monitored  Erin's labour, assuring them both that everything was proceeding  normally.

It never once occurred to Erin to protest his presence. Although he  hadn't declared himself the father of her child to all and sundry, there  was no denying he was, and she wanted him with her at the birth.  However deep their differences, they had made this baby together and it  felt right for their child to be welcomed into the world by both  parents.

The contractions were coming fast. She barely had time to catch her  breath in between the waves of pain. Peter sat beside her, watching  anxiously, giving her his hand to grip, repeating what the doctor  said-head engaged, won't be long, bearing down soon- as though she  couldn't hear for herself, or he needed to assure himself that this  agony had a short time limit.

Erin didn't try to speak. She'd stipulated a natural childbirth,  thinking she might never have another child and wanting to remember  everything about having this one. Her entire concentration was focussed  on willing her baby to make a safe journey from her womb, imagining  every pain as a positive step forward. The urge to push came suddenly  and was almost uncontrollable.

"Not too hard, Erin," the doctor instructed. "Slow it down if you can, a  nice, gentle passage, no tearing. Yes, that's good … coming now … head in  my hands … "

She felt a rush of release, heard her baby cry, and tears welled into her eyes.

"It's over … over," Peter murmured huskily, gently wiping the trickle of moisture spilling down her cheeks.

"You have a healthy baby boy," the doctor declared. "And despite being a  month early, he's a good birth weight, Erin. Nothing for you to worry  about."

The assurance brought a further gush of tears. She'd worried so much  about so many things, but now her baby was safely born and she didn't  have to let Peter Ramsey know he was a father because he was right here,  and he couldn't be angry with her for giving him a son, could he? There  was no anger at all in the caring way he was mopping up her emotional  spillover, trying to calm her down with soothing words.         

     



 

"It's okay, Erin. You did it. And the baby's fine. I'll bring him to you."

He rose from his chair. She realised he must have been anxious about the  birth, too, worrying over having brought on premature labour by raging  over her decisions. He probably felt the same overwhelming relief she  did. It would be silly to read too much into his caring for her. She was  the mother of his child-reason enough to set other issues aside for a  more appropriate time.

"Cord clamped. All wrapped up ready to go," Dr Davis said cheerfully,  laying their newborn son in the crook of Peter's arm. "We'll just clean  up here, then leave the three of you together."

Three …

Linked for the rest of our lives, Erin thought, watching Peter's face as  he looked down at the baby who would be part of his future. How large a  part would Peter want? A whimsical little smile tugged at the corners  of his mouth as he murmured in a bemused tone, "He's so little."

You're so big.

"Won't be when he grows up," Dr Davis remarked knowingly. "He's a long baby. Going to be a tall boy."

Peter's smile widened into a grin. Just like me, was written all over  it. Would the likeness make his paternal possessiveness stronger? Fear  fluttered through Erin's heart. What if he fought her for more than his  fair share of their child? She held out her arms, wanting to hug her  baby to herself.

The grin remained, Peter's vivid blue eyes sparkling with warm delight  as he obliged her, carefully laying their son on her chest, snuggling  him between her breasts. It felt so good to hold him at last, not a bump  anymore, but a wonderful little person who was snuffling towards one  breast as though he could already smell his mother's milk.

A smile broke out on her own face as a surge of love rose above every  other emotion, momentarily blotting out the conflict that his life would  inevitably bring between her and Peter. Despite the problems of her  pregnancy, she'd given safe birth to this miraculous little being … her  baby, her very own child.

Peter sat down again, reached out and ran a featherlight finger over the  fuzz of fine hair, sounding immensely pleased as he commented, "He's  fair. Charlotte's son has very dark hair like Damien's."

Not like a Ramsey. But this son was. That was what he was thinking.

Erin took a deep breath, fighting the fear that frayed her nerves. "Baby  hair often falls out, Peter," she said as calmly as she could. "There's  no telling what colouring he'll have further down the track."

"Whatever … "

Not the slightest crack in his good humour.

Erin heaved a sigh of relief. Maybe she was fearful of too much and  Peter would not try to take the lion's share of their child. Right now  he was exuding pleasure. She should relax, enjoy the maternal rush of  holding her baby.

Dr Davis finished clearing up, assured Erin that the afterbirth  procedure had gone well-no problems at all-had a few words with Peter,  informing him that Erin and the baby would soon be moved to a private  room where their every comfort and need would be looked after. The  latter exchange reminded her that respect for the Ramsey name had  ensured every care had been taken and would be taken, and she should be  appreciative of the fact.

She looked at the wall clock as the doctor and nurse moved out, closing  the door behind them. It surprised her to see it was only just past one  o'clock-a relatively quick birth, though the labour had seemed to go on  for a long, long time. She looked directly at Peter who had resumed his  seat at her bedside.

"Thank you for all you've done."

There was a flash of irony in his eyes. "The least I could do in the circumstances."

For a moment she forgot the indomitable warrior who would fight for what  he wanted, and remembered the prince, riding in to the rescue-the  magnificent man he had been in her imagination. "I'm glad you were here  for me. For us," she said huskily.

"I would have been all along if you'd let me, Erin," he replied, restirring her guilt for not telling him about her pregnancy.

"I'm sorry."

He shook his head. "It's gone." The blue eyes pierced hers with  determined purpose. "We're here now. And we have our son to consider."

"Yes," she agreed, though her mind instantly shied away from discussing  the future. Her hand curled protectively around her baby's head as she  turned her gaze from Peter and looked at their son, not wanting him torn  between two worlds.

"Have you thought of any names for him?"

They were not fighting words. There was a smile in his voice. Erin's  inner tension eased a little. Peter wouldn't want their son hurt by a  conflict between his mother and father. Surely he'd do his utmost to  prevent it.         

     



 

"I like Jack," she answered.

"Jack … Jack Ramsey. Sounds good. I like it, too."

Erin's jaw tightened. She had to stop this take-over, stand up for her  rights. Her eyes flashed her own determination. "It will be Jack  Lavelle."

The soft indulgence instantly disappeared from his face, replaced by a  steely resolution that wasn't about to brook any opposition. "You said  the pregnancy was an accident, Erin," he reminded her. "Was that the  truth?"

"Yes," she replied unflinchingly.

"Were you speaking the truth when you told me you would only bring a  child into this world within the emotional security of a fully committed  marriage?"

"Yes. But this was unplanned, Peter. I'm only too aware that it's not  the ideal situation I talked about. I can't help that. I hope-"

"Yes, you can," he cut in, his eyes boring into hers. "You can help our  son to have all he should have from his mother and father."

"I'll do my best to come to a fair agreement with you."

"How good is your best?" he challenged. "Will you go so far as to pledge yourself to a fully committed marriage with me?"

The totally unexpected proposal stunned her into silence. She stared at  him, feeling the mental pressure he was applying, realising he already  had his mind set on what course should be taken and was ruthlessly  intent on making it happen.

Marriage … to Peter Ramsey!

Words he'd spoken to her earlier bounced around her dazed mind … You'll be  attached to the Ramsey zoo for a long time to come. Might as well start  getting used to it.

It was ridiculously old-fashioned to get married for the sake of a  child. People didn't do it these days. There was no need to,  particularly in this country. If unmarried mothers were in economic  difficulties, they could get child support from the government. Besides,  Peter knew she was independently wealthy. No financial problems. But he  wasn't talking financial support. He was targeting emotional security  for their son, having both parents form a tight family unit for him.