The Tycoon's Unexpected Baby (The Abbot Sisters Book 3) Page 4

  “You feel it too, don’t you?” he asked, moving closer.

  Pepper wanted to deny it, but honesty was too strong in her makeup. “Yes,” she told him. “But it’s dangerous.”

  He didn’t laugh. Instead, he took her hand and led her up the stairs of her building. At the door to her apartment, she turned, her keys clutched in her hand. “Please don’t kiss me,” she begged.

  “I must,” he replied softly. “But how about if I kiss you here, with the door still locked? I won’t come inside. Not tonight.”

  Pepper considered for a long moment, then nodded. “Okay, but…”

  She didn’t have a chance to finish, her mind went blank as he pulled her to him and his lips covered hers. It was worse than she’d feared and better than anything she could have imagined! The intense desire that poured over her when his lips brushed against hers, sparked a fire that went from simmering to white hot in a fraction of a second. Her bag hit the floor with a thud that neither of them noticed as her hands moved higher, clutching his shoulders. His mouth devoured hers and she lifted up onto her toes, needing this kiss, needing so much more.

  He pressed her against him, so close that she could feel every part of him against the soft curves of her body. She ached to pull his clothes off and explore the expanse of hard chest and shoulders without anything in between her fingers and his skin.

  So, when he pulled back, Pepper couldn’t stop the whimper of protest. Licking her lips, she slowly lowered herself back to the floor. “Oh!” was all she could say.

  “Unlock the door and go inside, Pepper,” he ordered, his voice rough, almost gravelly.

  Pepper stared up at him, at his lips, and wondered if she could kiss him just one more time. Once more wouldn’t be so bad, she thought.

  He emitted a sound that was pretty close to a growl. “If you don’t stop looking at me like that, Pepper, I’m going to take your keys, unlock this door and drag you off to bed.”

  Pepper stared, wondering why that sounded so…wonderful!

  “Pepper! Go inside!”

  She jerked at the sound of his voice, then spun around, her keys falling to the ground. Bending, she picked them up, painfully aware of his warm body so close to her own. Her fingers were trembling so badly, he reached around to pluck the keys from her hands, unlocking the door for her.

  “Thank you,” she whispered when he returned them to her. “I’m not going to turn around. But I don’t want you to think that is rude of me.”

  “I understand,” he told her and she felt his hand hover over her back. Closing her eyes, she held her breath, savoring his touch and the heat and that electric zing that she craved more than she wanted her next breath.

  “Go inside, Pepper. I can’t touch you again. But promise to have dinner with me tomorrow night.”

  Pepper nodded, but at this point, she wasn’t exactly sure what she was agreeing to. Her body was so tight with tension that it was almost painful to step through the door.

  “Good night,” she whispered.

  “Close the door, Pepper.”

  She did, then leaned against it, feeling as if he were still there. Pepper knew the exact moment he walked away. It was as if the atoms in the air slowed down, settling into their regular rhythm. Even her breathing slowed and she closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the heavy door as her mind replayed that kiss one more time.

  Chapter 3

  Pepper smoothed her hand down over her stomach, then clenched her hands together in an effort to stop fidgeting. “It’s going to be fine,” she told herself. “I’ll just tell him and he’ll understand. We won’t touch and it will all be okay.”

  The abrupt knock on her door startled her. Still, she didn’t move, remaining across the room as she stared at the door as if it might explode. Which wasn’t such an odd reaction, thinking back to the kiss from the previous night. That kiss had…exploded. It had only been Dimitri’s iron control that had kept them from ending up in bed last night.

  “Just…answer the door and tell him,” she whispered. And yet, she remained still, not daring to move.

  Another, louder knock warned her that either she was too slow to answer the door, or he was impatient. Probably both, she thought as she moved towards the door and, with a tug, opened it.

  For a long moment, they just stared at each other. Those atoms immediately began vibrating, pinging against each other. The tension increased, her heart pounded in her chest as she stared up at him, hyper aware of every pulse of his body.

  She inhaled a long, slow breath, fully aware of what this intensity was leading up to. “I have to warn you about something,” she announced, before she could lose her nerve.

  Dimitri stepped into her apartment, closing the door behind him, and leaned back against the heavy wood. “What’s that, little one?”

  She laughed, her hand fluttering self-consciously over her stomach. “I’m not little,” she countered self-consciously.

  His eyes sharpened, his gaze moving over her figure. She’d chosen a yellow sundress tonight, the straps over her shoulders barely an inch wide and covered with a white cardigan sweater. “Is that what you needed to tell me? The warning?”

  Pepper laughed again, self-consciously pulling her hand away from her soft stomach. “No. That’s not it. Not even close.”

  “You look beautiful,” he said, as he held her arms out so that he could properly admire her outfit. “You made this, ne?”

  His accent thickened and, for some reason, she attributed that to him being here with her.

  “Yes. I made this, but that’s…”

  He moved closer, towering over her and she felt it. That zing. But it wasn’t just a zing anymore. It was more, something significantly more intense than a mere zing. “I’m going to kiss you, Pepper,” he announced.

  She stepped back, but because his hands were still holding hers, she couldn’t move far enough. How had he captured her fingers, she wondered?

  “I need to warn you about something.”

  “What’s that?”

  He moved closer and she softened, feeling his warmth and the strength of his body.

  She shook her head, pulling her hand away and holding it up, trying to stop his forward momentum. “I can’t think when you’re touching me.”

  He chuckled softly, then kissed her cheek. “Fine,” and he dropped her hands, stepping back. “What do you need to warn me about?”

  Pepper looked up at him, startled by the authority. It was always there, but when he looked at her like this, that authority was more…intense.

  Turning away, she started pacing. “Okay, so here’s the thing. I’m the youngest of three daughters. But my sisters…we’re only half sisters,” she amended, then looked up at him, hoping that he understood. “My mother was a good woman, but she kept looking for love in all the wrong men. She was a hair stylist and the men loved coming to her, they loved the way she cut their hair, and also the way she touched them. My mother was really good at flirting.”

  “This is not a reflection on you,” he announced, his voice firm, his arms crossed arrogantly over his chest.

  Pepper blinked, not sure what he meant by that. “Of course not. Nor is it a reflection on my mother. She was a good person.” She shook her head. “But that’s not the point. We’re not debating my mother’s morality. I need to warn you about…” she stopped and turned away from him, wringing her hands. “Okay, so…here’s the thing. After last night’s kiss, I know that we’re going to end up in bed.” She faced him again, waiting warily, wanting him to acknowledge her point.

  The heat in his eyes intensified immediately. “Yes, I agree.”

  For some reason, his agreement was both exciting and terrifying.

  “Okay, well, then…” she stopped, trying to remember her point. Sex. Sex was…! “Right! Okay!” Pepper knew that she was stammering, but she couldn’t seem to help it. “Okay. Warning. Here it comes!” And still, she hesitated, feeling a bit foolish. “I’ve never done t
his before. I’ve had sex. That’s not the problem. But before I had sex, I’d warned the man that…well, it didn’t matter because we both used protection. I’d dated both men for a long time and we’d discussed having sex for weeks before we even started to…” she waved her hands awkwardly, “you know.”

  “Had sex?’ he prompted, his amusement evident in his eyes.

  “No!” She huffed, irritated with herself now. “Before we started doing anything physical. We talked. I was able to warn them about this and get on birth control myself.”

  That stopped him and he looked…well slightly less predatory. “Birth control? I will take care of the birth control, Pepper.” That’s when he noticed the blush. “There’s more?”

  With a rush of air, she exhaled. “You see, my grandmother got pregnant at eighteen with my mother. Thankfully, my grandfather stuck around.”

  His shoulders stiffened and he dropped his arms so that his hands fisted on his lean hips. “As he should. A child is a man’s responsibility to care for and provide for!”

  That kernel of happiness expanded in her chest. “Yes, I agree, to a point. I think it is the mother and father’s responsibility. But that’s not the issue.”

  “Mothers provide love. Fathers provide everything else.”

  Pepper laughed, shocked by his sexism. “Well, just so you know, I’m fully capable of providing for my family. So that’s never going to be an issue!”

  Dimitri stepped back, leaning against the table with her words. There was a story there, something she wasn’t telling him. Yet.

  Last night, holding her in his arms and kissing her had only confirmed that this was his woman. He’d felt the trembling in her, the need that echoed his own. And last night, he hadn’t been able to get the feel of her out of his head. But nothing had worked. In fact, he’d thought about her all day, wondering what she was doing. It was infuriating, because he’d thought that seeing her, getting to know her would stop this obsession he’d felt for her.

  It hadn’t worked. He was still fascinated with her and he had a bad…or good…suspicion that he’d never get over this woman.

  “Tell me what’s bothering you, Pepper,” he ordered, seeing her eyes flare with irritation. Which was exactly why he’d said it like that. The fire in her was…powerfully erotic! He loved seeing her like this, bristling with passion. It might be anger right now, but he was positive that he could shift that passion to desire very easily.

  She took a deep breath, holding his gaze. “My grandmother got pregnant the first time she had sex. My mother had sex with three men over six years and got pregnant the first time she had sex with each man.” She clasped her hands together in front of her as she continued. “Both of my sisters got pregnant with their current husbands the first time they had sex. Growing up, my sister preached double protection when we have sex because…well, the women in my family have what my sister calls a ‘freakish fertility’ issue. We get pregnant very easily. I know that it sounds strange, but that’s our reality. And I’ve been with two other men in my life, and the sex wasn’t all that great, but before we had sex, I was on the pill and they used condoms. I’m not on birth control now and we both know that it takes about thirty days before birth control is truly effective, so we can’t have sex yet because we don’t have double protection.”

  He stared at her for a long moment, processing what she’d just blurted out. “You…are not having sex with another man?”

  Pepper huffed, shifting her feet. “Out of everything I just said, that’s what you got from my rambling speech?”

  Dimitri laughed, enchanted with her irritation. “No, I also heard that you’re not on birth control, that the women in your family have a very strong tendency to become pregnant, and that your sisters are both married.”

  “Freakish fertility, Dimitri,” she emphasized firmly. “We can’t have sex! We just can’t because I’m not on birth control.”

  He laughed, shaking his head as he moved closer. Before she could move away, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. “Relax, Pepper,” he soothed, kissing her neck and feeling her melt into him. All resistance left her when he touched her neck. He would have to remember that for future use.

  “I respect the fact that your family is extremely fertile, but I’ve been protecting women, as well as myself, from unplanned pregnancies for years. And so far, I’ve been very successful.” He looked into her eyes. “Do you honestly believe that we can hold off from consummating this desire between us for another thirty days?”

  She sighed, leaning her forehead against his chest in defeat. “No. Probably not.”

  He rubbed her back, feeling her shiver. “It will be okay,” he told her, feeling a rush of protectiveness. “I’ll protect you, Pepper.”

  She laughed, and he felt her arms tighten around his waist. Damn, she was soft and beautiful!

  “Right,” Pepper sighed. Something occurred to her and she pulled back slightly, looking up at him. Really looking at him now that she’d finally given him that dire warning. “Wait, why are you still in a suit?” she asked, blinking at his silk tie and white dress shirt before lifting those incredible blue eyes up to meet his astounded gaze.

  “I’m taking you out to dinner,” he replied. “What else would I be wearing?”

  She laughed and, for some reason, the melodic sound eased the tension that had once again been building between them. The tension didn’t dissipate, but it lightened. At least for a few moments.

  “How about a pair of jeans?” she suggested. “A casual sweater?”

  He lifted an eyebrow, shaking his head with amused disdain. “I don’t do jeans.”

  She laughed again and those blue eyes danced merrily. “Well, then I need to change into something more formal.”

  “Don’t change,” he countered, pulling off his jacket and tossing it over a chair. He loosened his tie and tossed that over the jacket, unbuttoning the top two buttons on his dress shirt and folding up his sleeves. “There. I’m casual as well. Let’s go.”

  He took her hand and led her out of the apartment, feeling her fingers tighten around his. Why that tightening felt so significant, he wasn’t sure, but it felt damn good!

  Chapter 4

  Pepper stared out the window of the limousine at the elegant sign over the door of the restaurant. “This…is the kind of thing that you like?” she asked, not particularly impressed.

  He stepped out of the limousine and held his hand out to her. “This is a good restaurant. Do you not like seafood?”

  She glanced back up at the embellished sign over the door, then at the doorman in the red jacket, gold buttons and black top hat.

  “I’m sure it’s a lovely restaurant,” she replied, tugging her white sweater closer around her, trying to hide the cheerful yellow sundress. A half hour ago, she’d pulled on the dress, thinking she looked fresh and pretty. But this restaurant catered to the ultra-rich. People were wearing designer cocktail dresses and Manolo Blahnik shoes. Definitely not in the same league as her refurbished dress, no matter how unique it might appear.

  He stepped in front of her, looking into her worried eyes. “Pepper, if you don’t want seafood, I’ll find another place to eat. But if you want seafood, then I guarantee that this restaurant is the best.”

  She bit her lip, peering around him once again. When she straightened, she looked up at him with concern. “Dimitri, this is fine. I just…I expected somewhere more casual. It’s fine.”

  He chuckled. “You’re going to feel uncomfortable in that place, aren’t you?”

  She shrugged, not denying the potential. “You took off your jacket and tie. Won’t you feel out of place?”

  He put a hand to the small of her back, leading her back to the limousine. “Pepper, I’ve reached the point in my life where I make my own rules and I don’t give a damn about anyone else’s. So no, I wouldn’t feel uncomfortable. But I want you to feel relaxed. So, let’s find another place.”

  She smile
d gratefully up at him as they both stepped back into the limousine. “I have an idea,” she offered, looking at him with hope.

  “Am I going to like this idea?” he asked, looking as wary as she’d been a moment ago.

  She grinned. “What happened to setting your own rules and being brave?”

  “I never said anything about bravery. But…whatever. What’s your idea?”

  She looked around, then spotted the small gourmet grocery store on the next block. “Let me out here,” she called out to the driver.

  “This isn’t a restaurant, Pepper,” he warned, stepping out onto the sidewalk as well.

  She waved to him dismissively. “I know that. Just…trust me, okay?”

  He didn’t reply, but simply lifted a dark eyebrow in response.

  She huffed a bit. “Okay, don’t trust me, but stay right here. I’ll be right back.”

  He shook his head. “No. I’m coming with you.” And with that, he put a hand to the small of her back and followed her into the store. Instead of the normal carts with rubber wheels, this exclusive place had wicker baskets. Pepper grabbed a basket and found a box of interesting crackers, then moved over to the cheese area. Feeling painfully aware of Dimitri behind her, she surveyed the options carefully, biting her lip for fear that she’d choose something gauche. Turning, she looked up at him and asked, “Do you have a favorite type of cheese?”

  He smiled, but shook his head, leaning against one of the cement columns that had been erected to make the building look more rustic and authentic. “Whatever you prefer,” he replied easily.

  With a sigh, she turned back to the deli counter, ignoring the assistant’s impatient attitude. “I’ll have some brie,” she told the woman.

  The woman rolled her eyes as she moved to the soft cheese area. “Do you have a particular brie in mind?”

  Pepper was irritated so she went with her old fallback. “I want something that is creamy and flavorful, but not too strong. Can you recommend a particular brie?”

  The woman perked up slightly, obviously eager to convey her superior knowledge. Pepper tried samples of three different brie and chose one that was creamy, with a bit of a tangy bite.