Another Read online

  The elevator dinged, and Carina pulled back, her hand covering her mouth like she couldn’t believe what we’d just done, and she needed to feel her swollen lips to prove it.

  She stepped back as the doors slid open and looked up at me with wide eyes. A guy I wanted to curse at for breaking the moment stepped out, his eyes glued to his phone as he left.

  “That was a mistake,” Carina breathed, shaking her head. “I’m sorry. It’s—it’s the hormones.”

  “Well, your hormones can take advantage of me any time.”

  My joke broke the tension, and she laughed. But the color was still high in her cheeks, and her lips were still swollen from mine. Even if she wanted to pretend it didn’t happen, the evidence was all there.

  “Goodnight, Ian.”

  I wanted to push her to talk about it, but even under the desire, I could see her exhaustion. Working all day and then dinner with my parents was a task for anyone, let alone a pregnant woman. So, I let it pass. For now.

  “Goodnight, Carina.” Before she could step away, I leaned down and placed both hands on her belly, pressing my mouth close. “Goodnight, baby.”

  Then I released her and stepped away, loving her wide eyes and heavy swallow. She stepped into the elevator and continued to stare as I backed away.

  “Oh, and Carina…that wasn’t a mistake.”

  The doors slid closed, giving me one last glimpse of a flushed and stunned Carina.

  12 Carina

  Figuring I had a few minutes before Ian arrived with lunch, I stepped out of my office to do a lap around the floor. My back ached, and I’d had Braxton Hicks all morning. The first time I’d had them, I’d panicked and thought I was going into labor at seven months. I ran to the ER all alone at midnight just to find out I was overreacting. So, now when they came, I just counted the time between them and walked it off.

  If they were random, it was just false contractions. If I noticed them regularly, then it could be labor. These had been happening all morning, but they were all over the place but hurt more than normal.

  But it wasn’t a fake contraction that stole my breath when I stepped out of my office.

  No, it was Ian smiling down at that slut Nina from accounting.

  Okay, maybe she wasn’t a slut, and I barely knew her. But I hated her and the way she was smiling up at Ian like he was the best thing since sliced bread. She must have been the funniest person ever because he threw his head back and laughed, and she took the moment to step closer. What pissed me off more, he didn’t back away.

  How many other women was he flirting with? Was he still dating? Maybe screwing all these other women in between bringing me lunch? Maybe he thought he could have a quickie and check the box of taking care of his baby-mama in one go.

  Fire burned up my throat and squeezed my chest.

  He rested his hand on the half-wall, almost like he was going to lean in and kiss her. Just like he’d kissed me last week. I’d avoided the subject, but I wouldn’t have if I’d known he was going around fucking all the women in the city. Next to his hand was my bag of lunch.

  Well, I wasn’t going to wait for him to get done doing her on the copy machine to eat.

  I stomped over and didn’t say anything when I reached between them and snatched the paper sack. I didn’t even look at him before turning and storming back to my office. I didn’t even get the satisfaction of slamming the door because he slapped it with his palm, pushing it open and closing it gently behind him.

  Everything felt close to boiling, and I wanted to go over and slam it anyway, just for the satisfaction of hearing the bang.

  “What the hell was that?” he asked, pointing at the door.

  “Nothing.” I sat down, and dug in for my food, shrugging and clearing all rage from my voice. “I’m just hungry and didn’t feel like waiting for you to finish eye-fucking Nina to eat.”

  “I wasn’t—” He halted and paced two steps before turning back. “Jesus. I asked her if you were in a meeting and got caught up for a minute when she asked me about a software program. Sorry it took so long.”

  His tone let me know he wasn’t really all that sorry. Or if he was, he was more irritated than anything.

  Annoyed at his annoyance and shitty apology, I slapped my burger down on the table. “God, you can’t even admit when you’re flirting on your way to bringing the mother of your child lunch.” I stood and faced him head-on, letting the emotion bursting from me come out. “I don’t know why I’m surprised. You probably have women in a line to be with the great Ian Bergamo.”

  An incredulous laugh broke free. “Are you kidding me?” He shook his head before leveling narrowed, steel eyes at me. They were no longer confused. No, they were taunting and angry. “What? Is the ice-queen Carina Russo jealous?” he sneered.

  I stumbled back like his accusation was a physical force and scoffed. “No.”

  His lip curled, and he took a step closer. “Come on, Carina. Admit it.”

  Pulling my shoulders back, I channeled the same power I used in a boardroom. “Don’t turn this around on me. You’re the one screwing around.”

  “I’m not,” he said with a hard edge. “We’ve promised each other nothing, so we don’t owe each other anything.” He took a few more steps, the lines between his brows softening and a dark glint entering his eyes. He didn’t stop until he stood right in front of me almost brushing my stomach, forcing my head back to meet his eyes. I swallowed when his lips tipped up in a devious smirk. “Unless you want to.”

  “I want nothing from you.” I tried to hold on to my anger and infuse my voice, but when he stood so close, it was like he stole my oxygen, and it all came out breathy.

  He brushed my hair back, and a shiver ran down my back. “You sure about that? Didn’t seem so sure last week.”

  I licked my dry lips, struggling to hold it together. It was so hot in here, my head swam. “It was a mistake.”

  It was his turn to scoff as he ran his fingers across my cheek. I struggled not to sink into it. His hand slid around the back of my neck, and the shock ran down my back again, wrapping around to form an ache in my stomach. I was almost panting for him, and I was almost past caring.

  How did he do this to me?

  “Are you sure you don’t miss my kiss?” he asked just before his lips pressed to the corner of my mouth. “Tell me you don’t dream about our date, about being together. Tell me you don’t remember how good it felt.”

  “Ian.” Was that breathy moan from me? My body sizzled like a live wire, all of it moving to my lower belly, pulling tight like an aching need.

  He leaned down, pushing my hair aside so he could whisper in my ear. “Because I do. All the time. Sometimes…” Warm lips sucked on the lobe of my ear, coming off with a pop. “I wake up with my hand on my cock, stroking myself to the memory of your heat, your moans, until I come, your name falling from my lips.” He pulled back to meet my eyes again, his lids heavy over dark charcoal eyes. “Just say it, Carina.”

  My lips parted, and another wave of need hit me.

  Wait.

  No.

  My stomach pulled tight, my back ached, and I gripped his shoulder for support as the pain racked through me and liquid began trickling down my leg. My face flushed even more because all I could think was that it felt like I was peeing myself.

  “Are you okay?”

  Ian looked down with concern more than desire now.

  “My water just broke.”

  Any desire that had been there had vanished, and he stepped away, his hands pulled back like I just told him I had the plague. “What the fuck?”

  “My water just broke.”

  “What do you mean your water just broke?”

  I clenched my jaw as the feeling I’d thought was desire coiling through me hit again, only harder with no doubt that it was a contraction. A real one. “I mean, my water. Just. Fucking. Broke.”

  He stared on with wide eyes and swallowed. I realized he had no idea what to
do. We’d gone to all the appointments, but we never talked about when the baby came. I’d never talked about the birthing classes I’d taken and what to expect.

  “I need you to take me to the hospital.”

  His brows lowered, and he hesitated. “Will it ruin my seats?”

  If I could have lit him on fire with a look alone, he’d have been ash. “Are you fucking kidding me right now?” I almost shouted.

  It did the trick because, in the next instant, his hands dropped, and he blinked the shock away. “Right. Doesn’t matter. Okay,” he said, stepping back up to me to take my hand. “Just…just tell me what to do.”

  I took a deep breath because now that I didn’t have his dirty mouth distracting me, all I could think about was every feeling in my body. “I have a bag in my car. We need to grab that and head to University Hospital.”

  “K. On it.” He actually walked in a circle, looking around the office like he was lost, before coming back to me. It was almost enough to make me laugh. “Should I carry you?”

  I did laugh at that. “No. I can walk. I just need my phone to time my contractions.”

  “Got it.” He snatched it off my desk and handed it to me. “What about the food.”

  “No food.” He took my hand, and we were almost out the door when I stopped.

  “You okay?”

  “Maybe just the French fries.”

  He smiled, nodded, and grabbed me my fries, holding my hand the whole way to the parking lot.

  While I chomped down on the fries, getting more nervous as the miles passed, Ian looked like a Zen monk in the driver’s seat. I wanted to slap him as he helped me from the car with a comforting smile. I really wanted to smack him when he looked back at the passenger seat to check I hadn’t ruined it with my broken water. He’d breathed a sigh of relief when I’d told him I had a spare towel in my car just for this situation.

  “Hi,” I greeted the front desk attendant of the hospital. “My water broke, sooo yeah.” He looked up with one eyebrow raised and didn’t say anything for a minute, and in my nervousness, I rushed to fill the silence. “I’m probably overreacting and should just go home…”

  I faded off as a contraction hit me hard, stealing my breath. This one lasted longer than the others, and Ian’s hands held me up even when I kind of wanted to sit down on the ground.

  “We just need to check-in,” Ian stepped in.

  The attendant’s concerned gaze scanned me over and passed a clipboard to Ian. He filled out all the paperwork, and we had someone waiting with a wristband and a wheelchair to take me up to the delivery floor.

  “Hey, Mom and Dad,” the nurse greeted. “I’m Mary, and I’ll be your nurse for the next few hours. Dr. Abrahms is on call right now. Why don’t you get changed out of your clothes and I’ll be back with him to check you out.”

  “Okay, thank you.”

  Ian sat my bag on the bed and turned to face me. “I’ll just step out so you can get changed. Let me know when you’re ready.”

  “Ian, you don’t have to—” my words were cut off by a small contraction that barely lasted ten seconds. “You don’t have to stay.”

  He stood before me, looking more dominating than I could ever recall him being, like an immovable wall. “Do you have someone coming?”

  I looked away because, no, I didn’t have anyone coming. I didn’t really have anyone, and I figured, like any job, I could crush this on my own with the nurse’s help. I’d read as many books as I could get my hands on, preparing for this very moment. My aunts had offered, but I’d turned them down, not wanting to be overwhelmed by the four of them. Aunt Virginia had let me know that if I ever changed my mind, she’d be there for me, but I was confident I could do it on my own. I was Carina Russo, I prepared and conquered, not needing anyone’s help.

  I didn’t have to say anything for Ian to read my answer from my reaction. “I’m staying.”

  “Ian,” I breathed his name, my shoulders dropping. I didn’t want him doing something he really didn’t want to, but I was already too tired to fight him.

  “You don’t get to argue with me on this…I mean, you can, but I really want to be here for you. Please.”

  I looked him over. This solid man, standing before me like a wet dream in a suit, offering to hold my hand while I rode the struggle bus. Who was I to stop him?

  “Okay.”

  “Good.” He gave a victorious smile that almost had me taking it back, just to argue, but he was already on his way out the door before I could. “Holler when you’re ready.”

  Shaking my head, I smiled at his retreating back and quickly changed. When I called Ian back in, he brought the doctor with him.

  “Hello, Carina. I’m Dr. Abrahms,” he greeted me as he looked over my chart. “I’ll be with you for a few more hours, but then Dr. Sawyer will be in later.” He set the clipboard aside and gave me a quick smile. “So, how far apart are your contractions?”

  I leaned back with Ian by my head and got in position. “Umm…They’re pretty erratic, but always less than twenty minutes apart. Sometimes as little as seven minutes apart.”

  He hummed and checked me out quickly. Looking up to Ian, I almost laughed at the scowl he delivered to the doctor between my legs. “You’re almost to four centimeters. We’ll get you all hooked up and keep an eye on everything. For now, we just wait.” He checked some more boxes on the chart. “Are we getting an epidural.”

  “God, yes.” He laughed and checked another box. “I’d like to wait a while before I get one, but don’t want to miss my window to get it either.”

  “We can do our best to make that happen.”

  With one last smile, he left, and I was alone with Ian.

  “So, what does one do when waiting for a baby to appear from their vagina?”

  “Oh, my god, Ian.” Despite my nerves, he made me laugh, and I realized maybe he was a better asset to have by my side than I originally thought.

  We made it a little over two hours before I broke down and asked for the epidural. In that time, we played card games with the deck Ian ran down to the gift store to buy. He’d rubbed my back through the harder contractions and winced like a baby when I squeezed his hand.

  “Damn, woman,” he said as the anesthesiologist left. “That needle was huge.”

  “Thanks, Ian,” I deadpanned.

  “But I wasn’t worried.” He winked and slid his hand over mine. “You’ve taken much bigger than that.”

  I snatched my hand away and smacked his arm, laughing hard. “You are disgusting.”

  He grabbed my hand back and sat in the chair he’d moved close to my bed. “Why don’t I turn out the lights and you get some rest. The nurse said you should get some sleep if you can, now that you’ve had the epidural.”

  “Okay,” I agreed readily. The pain was minimal now, and the beep of the baby’s heartbeat was soothing me to sleep. It may have also been the drugs but hearing Peanut’s heartbeat helped. “Why don’t you get something to eat.”

  “Nah. If you don’t get to eat, then neither do I. Solidarity and all that.”

  “Okay, but when this is all over, bring us both cheeseburgers.”

  “Deal.”

  He dimmed the lights, and I was soon passed out. I wasn’t sure for how long, but I woke up when a contraction wracked my body. It wasn’t as painful as before I got my epidural, but I was still very aware of it.

  “Good, you’re awake,” a new nurse said. “I’m Angie. I’ll be taking Mary’s place. And I might be the nurse to help deliver your baby. Your contractions are pretty close. I’m going to examine you and see how far along you are.”

  Scanning the room, I found Ian passed out on the tiny chair, his head falling forward over his arms, crossed on his chest. He looked ridiculously uncomfortable.

  But I would have given anything to be uncomfortable like that a few hours later when I was hunched over my bent legs, pushing for all I was worth.

  “You’re doing great,” Ian kept say
ing. He had one arm over my shoulders and a hand in mine, cringing when I squeezed. “You’re a goddess, Carina. Isn’t she a goddess?” he asked the doctors and nurses in the room.

  They all eagerly nodded, half mooning over the sexy Ian Bergamo. I didn’t blame them. I was a sweaty mess, my makeup all gone, and hair in a messy bun, while he looked devastating in his white button-up with the tie gone and the sleeves rolled up.

  I went to go push again, the nurse counting down for me. When she said one, I fell back on the bed, breathing hard.

  Ian took a cold washcloth and wiped my forehead. I’d only been pushing for a little while, but it’d been a long day, and I was so tired.

  “Come on, Carina. You can push harder than that,” he joked.

  “I will murder you,” I growled out through clenched teeth.

  “Totally kidding. That was sufficient pushing.” When I continued to glare, he rushed to correct again. “It was the best pushing I’ve ever seen. You’re the pushing queen.”

  The nurse told me it was time to push again, and the doctor announced the baby was crowning. Only a few more pushes. In the middle of a push, I saw Ian trying to look past my legs, and I released a hand to slap it over his eyes.

  “Don’t you dare look down there,” I almost shouted.

  His eyes shot to the ceiling, but a smile stretched his lips, distracting me from the pain. The epidural dulled the pain but didn’t make it magically disappear.

  After one more push—Ian’s head pressed to mine, both our eyes squeezed shut—the most beautiful sound in the world filled the room.

  Our baby’s first cry.

  “It’s a girl!” Dr. Sawyer proudly announced.

  A sob broke free, and I relaxed back against the pillows.

  “You did it. Damn, woman. You fucking did it.” Ian brushed my hair back and kissed my forehead.

  He stood tall when Angie stepped forward with our baby girl, laying her to rest on my chest. She screamed for all she was worth, and I shushed her and held her close, taking in her scrunched up tiny nose, and tiny mouth stretched wide.