groin. It was then she felt the light flutter of her baby. Gasping, she bolted upright, nearly screaming in agony when her arm protested. But she didn’t care. Her baby had moved.
She sat up in the bed, both her hands splayed over her belly, as she willed her little one to move again. She nearly came undone when the reassuring pitter-patter tapped a rhythm against her palms.
“Oh, thank God,” she whispered.
Relief staggered her and made her weak. She sagged precariously, and strong arms caught her, easing her back down on the pillow. She stared up into Sam’s blue eyes, and she forgot to breathe.
She reached up to touch his cheek, needing proof that he was really here. “Sam. It’s you.”
She’d made it. She didn’t know how. She didn’t care. But she was here and safe with Sam. He’d protect her and their child. He had to.
He studied her intently. His expression was guarded, and his lips were in a firm line, neither smiling nor frowning.
“Yes, it’s me, Sophie. How are you feeling? Are you in a lot of pain?”
She was too shocked to register how she felt. She was so relieved that her baby was moving, but she was flabbergasted that she was lying in Sam’s bed, in his arms. How many nights had she lain alone, dreaming of being back in his arms?
Then fear rolled through her. The rush of memories, everything that had happened in the last few days, came at her, reminding her that her child’s life wasn’t worth a damn at the moment.
“How long have I been here?” she asked as she struggled to remove herself from Sam’s grip.
Pain shot up her arm and left her gasping for breath. He let her go but assisted her in sitting up. His gaze dropped to her belly, and she swallowed nervously. He wasn’t stupid. He’d put it together. He probably already had. But there was so much more he didn’t know.
“A few hours,” he said in a low voice. “I fished you out of the lake. You’ve drifted in and out of consciousness ever since. You freaked when I told my brother to call for an ambulance. You specifically didn’t want a hospital or the police. Care to tell me why?”
She glanced away, but he nudged her chin back with insistent fingers.
“Oh no, Sophie. You and I have a lot to talk about. Starting with what the hell happened to you. Where the hell you disappeared to five months ago. How you knew where to find me and who I was. Why you feel the need to warn me. And most importantly. The most important issue of all. Are you pregnant with my child?”
The blood rushed from her face. He certainly hadn’t pulled any punches. But then he deserved answers. He’d hate her, but he deserved to know the truth. About everything.
She swallowed nervously and stared at him with dread weighing down on her like two tons of bricks.
His eyes narrowed, and he brushed his thumb over her cheek. She should have found the gesture comforting, but it was more prompting than affectionate.
She licked her lips, then opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She stared at him in horror as hot tears rolled down her cheeks. Now that she was finally in front of him, was so close she could feel his warmth wrapping around her, she couldn’t say anything at all.
His expression softened and his fingers eased around her jaw. “Don’t be afraid of me, Sophie. I won’t ever hurt you. I’m in uncharted territory here, so bear with me, okay? I need to know if you’re carrying my child.”
As he spoke, his other hand dropped to her belly, and he cupped the rounded curve. The baby fluttered and bumped in response, and she caught her breath at the wonder of feeling her move after being still for so long.
“She’s yours,” Sophie said around a chest so tight she could barely breathe.
His pupils flared and his nostrils quivered. For a moment he stared at her in silence, as if digesting the declaration.
“She?” he finally said.
Sophie flushed. “I call it ‘her.’ I don’t know for sure. Just a feeling. I don’t like
She sat up in the bed, both her hands splayed over her belly, as she willed her little one to move again. She nearly came undone when the reassuring pitter-patter tapped a rhythm against her palms.
“Oh, thank God,” she whispered.
Relief staggered her and made her weak. She sagged precariously, and strong arms caught her, easing her back down on the pillow. She stared up into Sam’s blue eyes, and she forgot to breathe.
She reached up to touch his cheek, needing proof that he was really here. “Sam. It’s you.”
She’d made it. She didn’t know how. She didn’t care. But she was here and safe with Sam. He’d protect her and their child. He had to.
He studied her intently. His expression was guarded, and his lips were in a firm line, neither smiling nor frowning.
“Yes, it’s me, Sophie. How are you feeling? Are you in a lot of pain?”
She was too shocked to register how she felt. She was so relieved that her baby was moving, but she was flabbergasted that she was lying in Sam’s bed, in his arms. How many nights had she lain alone, dreaming of being back in his arms?
Then fear rolled through her. The rush of memories, everything that had happened in the last few days, came at her, reminding her that her child’s life wasn’t worth a damn at the moment.
“How long have I been here?” she asked as she struggled to remove herself from Sam’s grip.
Pain shot up her arm and left her gasping for breath. He let her go but assisted her in sitting up. His gaze dropped to her belly, and she swallowed nervously. He wasn’t stupid. He’d put it together. He probably already had. But there was so much more he didn’t know.
“A few hours,” he said in a low voice. “I fished you out of the lake. You’ve drifted in and out of consciousness ever since. You freaked when I told my brother to call for an ambulance. You specifically didn’t want a hospital or the police. Care to tell me why?”
She glanced away, but he nudged her chin back with insistent fingers.
“Oh no, Sophie. You and I have a lot to talk about. Starting with what the hell happened to you. Where the hell you disappeared to five months ago. How you knew where to find me and who I was. Why you feel the need to warn me. And most importantly. The most important issue of all. Are you pregnant with my child?”
The blood rushed from her face. He certainly hadn’t pulled any punches. But then he deserved answers. He’d hate her, but he deserved to know the truth. About everything.
She swallowed nervously and stared at him with dread weighing down on her like two tons of bricks.
His eyes narrowed, and he brushed his thumb over her cheek. She should have found the gesture comforting, but it was more prompting than affectionate.
She licked her lips, then opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She stared at him in horror as hot tears rolled down her cheeks. Now that she was finally in front of him, was so close she could feel his warmth wrapping around her, she couldn’t say anything at all.
His expression softened and his fingers eased around her jaw. “Don’t be afraid of me, Sophie. I won’t ever hurt you. I’m in uncharted territory here, so bear with me, okay? I need to know if you’re carrying my child.”
As he spoke, his other hand dropped to her belly, and he cupped the rounded curve. The baby fluttered and bumped in response, and she caught her breath at the wonder of feeling her move after being still for so long.
“She’s yours,” Sophie said around a chest so tight she could barely breathe.
His pupils flared and his nostrils quivered. For a moment he stared at her in silence, as if digesting the declaration.
“She?” he finally said.
Sophie flushed. “I call it ‘her.’ I don’t know for sure. Just a feeling. I don’t like
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