The Midnight Hour - Brenda Jackson [107]
Tori raised a doubtful brow. "I didn't think there was one thing that could get you to leave the CIA. You live for the risks. It's part of who you are."
Drake's shoulders were ramrod straight, his jaw set and his eyes were dark with emotion. "There isn't one thing that could have pulled me away, but there are two. To keep you and my child from danger, I would have walked away in a heartbeat without looking back."
Tori was stunned. "Are you sure I would have been included in the mix? Even when you had no idea I was Sandy?"
He raised a brow as if surprised at her question. "Of course."
Tori sighed. She had hoped he would be a little bit more forthcoming than that, but she was satisfied. "But I didn't know that, Drake, and maybe you're right that I should have told you, but I didn't. I made a decision based on what I thought was best for our child under the circumstances."
"Your pregnancy was my fault. I didn't use a condom."
Tori shook her head. "It wasn't anyone's fault. We got carried away that night and lost our heads. I knew who you were although you didn't know who I was. More than anything I wanted to be with you that night. I didn't deliberately get pregnant, but when I discovered that I was, more than anything, I wanted our child."
He studied her for a long moment, glad to hear her say those words. Then he asked, "And how have you been feeling?"
She saw concern in his eyes. "I've been fine," she assured him. "So far this pregnancy has been a breeze. I haven't had any morning sickness and feel relatively fit."
He nodded. "How far along are you, actually?"
"Three months as of yesterday."
"You aren't showing," he said, his gaze focusing on her stomach. "Nettie was already showing at three months."
Tori smiled. "Nettie was carrying triplets. I'm having just one baby, Drake."
He lifted a brow. "Boy or girl?"
Tori shook her head and grinned. "I have no idea. It's too early to tell."
Drake shrugged. "Doesn't matter. Either one will be a future marine."
Tori nodded. She could agree on that.
Drake took a step closer to her, closed the distance separating them and, after opening her bathrobe, his hand moved in a shaky path across her flat stomach. "And you're sure there's a baby in here?"
Tori was so mesmerized by the tenderness she heard in Drake's voice that she almost couldn't talk over the lump that formed in her throat. Nor could she hold back the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. "Yes, I'm sure there's a baby in there. We communicate all the time and it knows you're its father. It has officially met you already."
Drake lifted a confused brow. "It has?"
"Yes. The first time we made love in the cabin," she said, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
Drake looked deeply into her eyes and then he pulled her into his arms, capturing her mouth before sweeping her into his arms and placing her on the bed. She reached up and wound her arms around his neck as he lowered his mouth to hers for another kiss. And as their tongues tangled and mated, Tori knew Drake intended to send her into heaven yet once again.
Slowly, coming back down to earth, Tori became aware of everything around her as she opened her eyes.
Amazing, she thought. Drake Warren was simply amazing. He had used his hands and mouth to drive her so insane that when he had finally entered her with one quick thrust, she had come immediately, screaming out so loud that she thought it was a good thing he didn't have neighbors for miles.
Then he had kissed her stomach over and over while whispering to their child promises that he intended to keep the both of them safe and that he couldn't wait to meet him or her.
Tori had witnessed aside of Drake she had never seen before. The powerfully-built man who possessed such a commanding presence and was known to be tough as nails, as temperamental as they came, had made love to her with such profound tenderness, she'd cried in his arms. And he had held her, kissing away