Alex watched as Laryssa's eyes tracked his every move. Her breathing quickened with each step he took. The best thing to do would be to walk out that door and never come back, but he was in it too deep. He challenged her already and couldn't back down now. Besides, for some reason he didn't want to walk away. She lifted her head and their eyes locked. Her brown eyes darkened with interest, only a narrow ring of her true color remained.
He closed the space in a matter of seconds and scooped her up in his arms. She pushed against his chest and tried to pull her legs free, wiggling her bum in the process.
"Put me down, I'll sit in the chair," she pleaded, pushing even harder against him.
He tightened his hold on her. "Watch it, or I might drop you," he warned. "Besides, you had your chance. Now just sit back and enjoy the ride. You might find you enjoy it more."
"Fat chance," she mumbled. He barely suppressed a grin that was fighting its way to the surface. The first time he picked her up, she was unconscious. This time, she was very much awake and every time she wiggled, his hand brushed the corner of her breast. The contact created a fire under his skin that shot straight to his loins. He re-adjusted his hold and turned towards the door of the hospital room.
"You can't be serious about carrying me the whole way." She studied his face, mouth open.
"There's one thing I'll let you know about me, I mean what I say." With that, he started walking down the hallway.
He felt the moment of her surrender. Her hands came up around his neck and linked together. She let her head rest against his chest. His heart started to pound and he wondered if she'd notice. If she did, she gave no indication. Instead, she snuggled even closer and sighed. Her breast pushed up against his chest and a fizz of energy shot through his body, stopping in a place where he thought all interest left long ago. His body jolted at the intensity of his desire. She tilted her head and look up at him.
"Am I getting to be too much for you, tough guy?" She unlinked her hands from around his neck to squeeze his biceps.
He was definitely getting himself in over his head, but it was too late to change his mind now. He could see his car outside the hospital doors. When he reached it, he opened the door and gently lowered her on to the seat. He grabbed the seatbelt and fastened her in.
"What do you think I'm going to do, Mr. Richards, run away?" she asked him when he climbed in the other side.
"The thought had crossed my mind." He turned the engine on and pulled away from the entrance of the hospital.
"In case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly capable of running at the moment." She rested both hands on her protruding belly.
He shrugged and said, "Better to be safe than sorry." With how stubborn she was, he could imagine her trying to get out of the car the minute he pulled to a stop at a red light.
They lapsed into silence, until he turned onto the highway. "Uh, you are taking me home right?" Laryssa sat further up in her seat.
"Why?" He placed his foot a little harder on the accelerator to keep up with the flow of traffic.
"It's my home. Do I really have to give you a reason?" She folded her arms across her chest while her foot tapped on the floor.
The pout on her face sent another shot of desire through him. Since when did he get turned on by a pouting, pregnant woman? There must be something wrong with him. Of course there is something wrong with you, you fool. You're getting turned on by a woman who's pregnant with another man's baby.
He fought an internal war for a few minutes and by the time he glanced back at her, she was sound asleep. If she was going to stay with him, she would need clothes. The only logical thing would be to take her home so she could pack. The car hit a slight bump on the road and he heard her stir. Her head came to rest on his shoulder for the rest of the drive.
When she exhaled, her warm breath tickled his bare arm, making his body ache for her. The sensation wasn't welcome. He didn't need, or want, a romantic entanglement in his life. He learned from the last time; and, if he wasn't careful, this could definitely get out of hand. He was, after all, only human.
He drove into her driveway and turned the engine off. Alex contemplated picking her up and carrying her into the house, but he didn't want to rehash the way his body betrayed him back at the hospital. Thankfully, a moment later, she stirred. He watched her cheeks blush when she realized that she had practically laid on top of him during the trip home.
"I'm so sorry. You should have woke me up," she said, scooting closer to the door before opening it. "Thanks for driving me home and for bailing me out of there." She climbed out and rushed, with a waddle, to the door of her house.
He caught up to her as she put the key in the lock. "You don't need to come in. I'll be fine." She opened the door, stepped inside and proceeded to close the door.
He placed his foot in the way. "Yes, I do! In case you don't remember, the doctor left you in my care," Alex said. She tried to move his foot, but he kept it firmly planted.
"Mr. Richards, I don't need a babysitter. I can take care of myself and I'd rather you not be here." She took her hands off the door to try and push him away. He used that opportunity to push open the door and stroll inside.
"I hate to remind you again, the doctor put you in my care."
"No. He put me in the care of my husband. Which, in case you haven't noticed, isn't you." She grabbed his arm and tried to pull him towards the door. He refused to budge, planting his feet firmly on the floor. She may be stubborn, but she would soon realize he was just as stubborn. He wanted answers to the mysteries that surrounded her and he was going to get them.
"Where are your blankets?" he asked. She stopped the tug-a-war with his arm and stared up at him.
"Huh?"
"Your blankets? You know, what you cover yourself up with when you go to sleep." He motioned the pulling up of covers. "I'll need some if I sleep on your couch tonight."
"No, you won't. Because you are not staying here." She shook her head. "My, uh, my place is too small."
He glanced around the living room; it was smaller than his own bedroom and he didn't think the rest of the house would be much bigger. Although, he had to admit she made good use of the space. Made it look livable with the strategic placing of her furniture. Spider plants hung from the ceiling in the corners of the room and assorted flowers rested on the coffee table in a pink vase. The black leather sofa was placed under the window and the entertainment centre on the opposite wall.
The size of the house would put him in close contact with her on a daily basis. The thought had a certain appeal to it, yet warning bells were going off in his head. Being surrounded by all things feminine, including her, in such a small space, wouldn't be good for him. He made a pact never to get closely involved with another woman. "Okay then, pack some clothes. You're staying with me."
"Mr. Richards, I can't stay with you and you can't stay here. I won't have some strange man sleeping in my house," she said with a firm voice.
"Hmm, I'm Alex Richards. I'm thirty-four years old. I was born..." He laughed and ducked out of the way when a multi-colored couch pillow flew in his direction.
"Argh, you're impossible." She threw her hands up in the air and stormed out of the room.
Yes, this was definitely going to be interesting. Alex looked around the room again and noticed it wasn't like normal family rooms, where pictures lined the wall. Nothing indicated why she reacted the way she did at the office the other day.
He heard the sound of water flowing and figured she must be running herself a bath. That meant he had more time to explore his new surroundings. There had to be something in the house that would help him figure her out. Something to stop the restlessness that had etched itself deep into his soul from the moment he'd met her.
Laryssa turned on the radio, switched it to the country station, and lowered herself into the bath. "Heaven," she sighed. Bubble baths were her favorite way to relax and after what she went through today, she definitely deserved it. She leaned her head back against the bath pillow and closed her eyes.
She tried to forget that there was a man downstairs; who, if she didn't know better, could pass as her husband. A man who forced himself into her house. If she had any sense, she'd be on the phone to the cops.
"Ha."
They'd probably send the men in white suits to come and get her instead. "That's right, guys. Mommy is insane." She ran her hand over her belly where a little foot protruded, or at least she thought it was a foot. She'd read how some people could tell what part of the baby was sticking out, but she still couldn't figure it out. Hopefully that didn't mean she lacked maternal instinct. "I'm definitely going to have an interesting story to tell you both when you're older."
She hoped, that if she stayed in the tub long enough, he would just let himself out; but, that thought was thwarted when there was a knock at the bathroom door. Laryssa didn't want to answer. She wanted time alone, time to think. The whole situation held an unrealistic quality to it, like a dream she couldn't wake up from. Maybe if she tapped her heels together three times, she'd wake up.
Another knock resounded. "Laryssa, you okay?" he called.