Master of Her Heart (Sons of Amber Book 2) by Bianca D'Arc

him.
    She worried as she entered her office, wondering how they would interact today after the marathon session last night. They never did get around to talking much about their relationship or how they’d deal with her plan to have Michael’s baby. She knew Michael assumed she’d continue working for him even after the baby was born, but she just didn’t know if she wanted to do that.
    On the one hand, she couldn’t stand the idea of leaving Michael. Especially now. She’d resigned herself to quitting when she’d made the decision to be impregnated with his sperm, but now that they’d changed the nature of their relationship and Michael knew about the baby, she didn’t think she could go through with that part of her original plan. No, now she was warming to the idea of having Michael know his child and be part of their lives for as long as he could.
    She knew she couldn’t keep him, but by the same token, she wanted to give him the chance to know his baby. She didn’t believe it was fair to ask him to father a baby he would never know. He had a right to be involved in her child’s life, if he wanted to. And if his duties allowed.
    Thoughts jumbled in her mind as she sat down at her desk and began her day. She was habitually the first person in the office. Michael usually came in right after her or sometimes they arrived together and worked companionably in their respective offices until the rest of the staff arrived.
    Other parts of the station had control during the main command staff’s off-shift and Leah’s subordinates officially took Command and Control back an hour after she started her workday. In this way, she got a head start on anything that might’ve happened during her sleep interval and was ready to deal with it.
    Luckily nothing of much import awaited her that morning. She didn’t know if she could have dealt with a crisis on top of the nerves churning in her stomach as she prepared to face Michael after their night of passion. She’d left awkwardly this morning, stealing out of his suite while he was in the shower, like a thief in the night. She knew he wouldn’t be happy about it, but she’d needed time to think—and clean up—before facing him again.
    She heard his deep voice ring through the outer office as he greeted one of her junior officers who sounded as if she was just arriving herself. The floorplan was set up so that her office was the buffer between Michael’s and the bustling Command and Control area, known as the C&C. Anyone wanting to get to the Commandant had to go through her first and she had enough rank and authority to deal with most matters without having to bother Michael for every little thing.
    She had an assistant who sat just outside her door and acted as a further level of screening, also keeping a constant eye on the goings on in C&C, ready to call her if needed. In addition, both Leah and Michael had heads up displays they could monitor to keep track of operations throughout the sector. C&C was the gathering point for information and both Leah and Michael had stations there when needed, but preferred to spend a good portion of their day—barring a crisis—in the quiet of their offices, away from the bustle of C&C.
    Leah gathered her wits, trying to be as nonchalant as possible when Michael strode in and shut her door behind him. She knew from long experience that once the door was sealed, the office was sound tight. No one would hear anything they said, which was both a blessing and a curse at the moment.
    Michael walked right up to her, not stopping until he’d taken her in his arms and kissed her to within an inch of her life. Her senses spun, her mind overloaded and all she could think of was the feel of his lips on hers, the flavor of him, the strength in his hands holding her tight against his powerful body.
    When he drew back, she was dazed.
    “Good morning, Leah.” His voice was a husky whisper.
    “Good morning, Michael.”
    “Now that’s the