Waking Up Pregnant(31)

                He set the bags on the bed Darcy would be sleeping in. He’d never paid much attention before, but now, couldn’t help but notice it was king-size. Huge for a single woman sleeping alone.

                Which despite his mother’s apparent desire to marry her off to someone—Darcy would be.

                Mrs. Norton.

                Not going to happen. Slip of the tongue or Freudian slip... His mother had been completely off base with that.

                Darcy Norton.

                He didn’t know her middle name.

                He blinked. What the hell was he thinking? He didn’t need her middle name. Didn’t want to know it.

                Because even if there was some lingering bit of attraction between them, it wasn’t the stuff Mrs. Nortons were made of.

                Yeah, she was beautiful, and fun, and having his baby. But Darcy was one giant no trespassing sign. And not in some sexual sense—but, damn, he needed his head to stop going there, too.

                She was just so unavailable. Different than he’d believed that first night.

                “It’s bigger than my apartment.”

                He turned to where Darcy stood in the doorway, her arms wrapped across her belly signaling her stomach wasn’t doing well, but hadn’t reached critical levels yet.

                “And it comes furnished, too. You’ll have this room. The bathroom connects through there and you’ve got a sitting room with desk and computer on the other side.”

                “Okay, so it’s a lot bigger than my apartment.”

                “Think you’ll feel okay staying here?” It was such a strange question to ask, after he’d all but railroaded her into making the concession, swearing up and down she’d be comfortable.

                Only now that she was precisely where he’d wanted to get her—the idea of actually leaving her here unsettled him in a way he couldn’t reconcile.

                Darcy looked around. Crossed to the window and peered out over a view of the pool and tennis court. “Your mom is kind of a firecracker.”

                “Yeah, she is. Make you uncomfortable?”

                “No. It’s nice. She’s so...excited and welcoming. And it’s a relief, but still sort of a surprise.”

                “Not what you were expecting.” He knew, from those last moments in the car.

                Darcy turned to him, a tentative smile on her lips. He could see how overwhelmed she was. And tired. And then before he could stop to think about whether it was a good idea or not, he’d crossed the room and pulled her into his arms. It didn’t matter that they were strangers with this intimate past between them and uncertain future ahead. She was alone and he was there, and there wasn’t anyone else on hand to give her the hug she needed.

                For an instant she stiffened within his hold, and he thought she might pull away. But then she simply gave herself over to it. Bowing her head into his chest with her arms tucked up between them at either side, she let him hold her.

                “It’s going to be fine, Darcy. Give it a little time and all this is going to work out.”

                She nodded and took one deep breath after another, melting further into him with each pass of his hand over her back.