Emma tried to keep her feelings motherly as Daniel gently rubbed her stomach, following the kicks and movements of the baby. But with him standing over her, reaching down, she was surrounded by his body. Everywhere she looked there was forearm, broad chest, that amazing smell of him.
And this was wildly inappropriate, she told herself. He was only touching her, because she was carrying his child. As far as she knew, he saw her as nothing more than an incubator right now. It had certainly been weeks, months, since they had even spoken about the fact that they had once been so intimate with one another. She had no reason to think that he wanted anything other than friendship from her. So she should just pull these pregnancy hormones of hers in line and stop fantasising about the other parts of her body that hand could be touching right now.
Emma looked towards the ceiling, still trying to find a safe place for her gaze to rest. But it collided with Da
She held back a gasp at the prickle of awareness concentrated in the pads of her fingertips, and pushed them a little harder into his chest. Schooling them not to grab him.Because that was what every hormone fuelled impulse in her body was screaming at her to do. To grab his hand, seize the heat simmering between them and bury the remnants of her doubts and worries in a kiss. Or, preferably, more.Bringing his face fractionally closer to hers. Just enough to fill her entire field of vision with the clean lines of his face and the coarse chaos of his hair. And her nose with his scent. And every single nerve ending with the memory of how he could make her body sing. She tipped her head and closed her eyes.His lips brushed against hers. Soft, but not hesitant. Deliciously assured and practised. Familiar but new, teasing her with all he had learnt about her since the moment they had met.As Daniel's hand found her wai
"A baby. Marvellous news," Jared had declared when they arrived. "Don’t you think so, Alexa? You’ll be an aunt, of course. Really wonderful news."Emma had eyed Jared carefully, trying to see the cruelty behind this affable exterior. And there it was. The slight lift of his eyebrow changed his smile to a smirk. It gave him a slight air of superiority, as if he had guessed exactly how planned this pregnancy was. She could practically see the guessing games playing across his brain.Emma had discussed it with Daniel. But he had urged her not to worry about it. Not that it was easy."I don't want a scene" Daniel had said. "Especially with my mother here...It would really hurt her to see us fighting. He has always been that way. I know it's hard but he is still my brother and that's just his way of looking out for me... He is like that a lot.. But I'm sure he will come around eventually...There's no need to engage him. Besides they will
He was angry. And although she knew how angry he was at his brother, she also knew he was mad at her. The fact that his eyes remained fixed through the windscreen, confirmed her worst fear.He couldn’t even look at her. Perhaps she had been rash confronting Jared like that. But was she meant to ignore it? Let Jared get away with hurting and provoking her and Daniel? Perhaps, It was what Daniel had wanted. He’d never asked her to jump to his defence. But when someone hurt him, it hurt her. It hurt their family, and she hadn’t been able to stand it.She sighed. "I’m sorry, Daniel" She reached out a hand and brushed it against Daniel's, hoping to soften the tension there. But he flinched away from her. She caught her breath, shocked by the pain his rejection had caused in her chest."I didn’t mean to cause a scene." she said."Well, you still did a good job of it." he replied harshly. "You shouldn't have done that. I k
His words struck her like arrows. The injustice biting at her. Each word’s sting sharper than the last."I—" Emma began but the words just wouldn't come out. Was he really saying those words."Jared was right the first time" he said.The words sounded so much worse, and Emma gasped. Before she could prevent herself, her hand connected with his cheek.Daniel made no attempt to deflect the blow and she watched him, with a feeling of disbelief. The clear marks of her fingers would definitely show on the left side of his face.She regretted it instantly. She didn’t do things like this. She didn't hit people. But it was too late to have second thoughts. It wasn’t the words that hurt the most; it was the expression on his face. The pain, fear and resignation that told her he meant every one of them. He was broken, afraid and angry—and he blamed her entirely.She inhaled deeply, remembering his sudde
"You don’t want me there." he said."You’re putting me on the spot," she countered, trying to keep up with his arguments."Seriously what exactly have you planned?" he asked."Karen will be there for me during the birth" she replied. He shook his head as if she’d disappointed him, and he’d expected it all along."And where do I fit into any of this? Or am I meant to just miss out on the first few weeks?" His voice broke, betrayed the fear and despair behind his anger. "I want to be at the birth." he said.For a few moments, all she could see, hear, smell was blood, guts and embarrassment. She swallowed down her automatic refusal."Head end only. If I change my mind on the day you respect my privacy. And I still want Karen too"He looked up in surprise. "Okay, I can live with that. But when we get home, you know it’s just going to be the three of us."She stare
Look, Emma... I'm sorry about Michelle" he said. "She just came to discuss some work stuff"Emma faced him, determined not to let how she felt show on her face. "I don't care" she said."Sounds like you do" he replied."Well I don't. Don't flatter yourself" she snapped. "I don't care what you do. Go ahead and do what ever the fuck you want. I don't care... I don't want to know why she was here. You don't owe me any explanation"."I know." he replied softly. "But I want to explain. Nothing is happening... I'm having a baby... With you I'm not going to do anything to ruin that"Emma stared at him and rolled her eyes. "Yeah that's right... You have said and done enough".Daniel stared at her. He wanted to grab her and shake her, pull her to him and kiss all that anger away. Talk some sense into that pretty head of hers. Maybe then she would understand that she wasn't the only one hurti
Of course he’d discovered one other way of finding the relaxed, happy, free Emma. And he knew he would prefer it.... A languorous morning of lovemaking. But he also knew she wouldn't want that. Hell, she wouldn't even look at him, not to talk of letting him touch her. Her reaction to his attempted kiss was enough proof she didn't want that.So he swallowed the very tempting suggestion and kept his thoughts to himself.He watched her stretch to put a glass cup on the top shelf. It obviously wasn't balanced, because as soon as she left it, it came back down and crashed on the floor in front of her.Daniel moved fast, scared of her hurting herself.Emma felt her body hit solid, warm muscle. The feel of his body was amazing. She hated that he could still make her feel this way. She let him pull her away from the broken glass turn her around."Are you okay?" he asked.He held her close.
She threw herself the final distance, into the very heart of the firestorm “I won't be living with you after the baby comes, Daniel.” Inside she writhed in agony. Only her voice revealed her pain, and only in its hollow emptiness. “I’m confident I can support myself. I don’t expect you to do anything for me. We’ll work out a custody arrangement before the baby is born.”Emma sighed. Her vision was fading in and out with anxiety.“Are you punishing me?” he charged in a voice filled with gravel. Because hearing her say this was torture.“That’s not what this is.” Emma replied. In fact, she was beseeching him for understanding. “We’re barely speaking, Daniel. You don't even come home for dinner sometimes.”“To eat alone?” His tone lashed sharp as a whip. "No, thank you".He touched