Page 38 of Nigel

Then he would find away to live without her. His heart shuddered at that. Just thethought of it was making him weak with fear and longing. It was onhim. He had acted too much out of impulse. He had kept them up allnight, where he had gotten the stamina from was beyond him. Not evenwhen he was younger, was he able to do that.

But with her, he hadwanted to explore, had enjoyed titillating her, sipping from herskin, suckling at her nipples and going down on her. In the shower hehad done just that, sliding his tongue into her and sending her intoa screaming frenzy. A sigh shuddered out and he found himself leaningagainst the wall weakly.

He was going to haveto find a way to get through this.

*****

She could notconcentrate on work. On anything at all. The day stretched long andher irritation was coming more frequently.

Each time a call wastransferred to her, she expected it to be him. but she had crushedhim, hadn't she? And a man like that had his pride. He had told herplainly that she was the one who would have to call. But shecouldn't. She was frightened by what he made her feel.

Shoving the dejectionand despair from her, she concentrated on the job. She would take anearly evening and hit up Kyle to have a drink.

She was about to sendout for a sandwich and eat at her desk when her cell pinged.

"Dahlia."She smiled in genuine pleasure as she answered. "What's up?"

"I am at thedeli around the corner from your place. Lunch is on me. Get your asshere."

"You have notasked me if I am free," Ava pointed out.

"And I am notgoing to." She hung up and had Ava shaking her head. The womanwas as bossy as hell, but that could be just what she needed, lunchwith her friend.

*****

"I ordered foryou." Dahlia told her briskly. "And you took so damn longcoming that I almost started eating."

"You gave meshort notice and I happen to be a working woman."

"So am I bitch."Leaning over the table, she pecked Ava on the cheek. "I had ameeting with a client and decided to reschedule. I had to get out ofthere."

"Somethingwrong?" Ava pulled her box of curly fries towards her andselected one.

"I am pregnant."

Ava stared at her insurprise. "I thought you had decided that it would just beChloe."

"We had."Dahlia heaved out a breath and took up her glass of water to take agulp.

"We both havebusy lives and Chloe is more or less able to fend for herself now. Iwas supposed to go on the pill, I was - but I started having someallergic reactions and I stopped taking them. I did not tell Kyle,because, well I thought I was safe. And frankly, I did not give it asecond thought."

"What will youdo?"

"I have no idea.He is going to be pissed."

"It's not on youalone," Ava pointed out.

"I was the onewho went off the pill and did not say anything to him. God!" Shepicked up her sandwich and stared at it before taking a bite.

The small deli wasfilling up with people because of the lunch hour and the sound ofconversations and laughter could be heard all around. Ava wavedabsently to a few people she recognized as she waited for Dahlia tocontinue. "I don't know how to tell him."

"He might justlove the idea of having another child."

"I am frickingforty-three years old. Do you know the risks of having a child at myage?"

"I am the sameage."

"And you madethe decision not to have children."