“Are you close, baby? I can’t last much longer. Come with me, Karlie.” Almost as if her body was obeying his command, she came, sending him over the edge seconds later. “So fucking good, baby.” He shivered in her arms, causing her to laugh.
“Yeah”. She almost seemed to hesitate with what she wanted to say next, weighing her words. “Almost like we fit.”
He hugged her close, his heart beating so fast he thought it would burst from his chest. He wanted to tell her how much he needed her, wanted her, loved her. Would he scare her off, or was she ready to hear what he wanted?
“Karlie, I—” He wasn’t sure how to even start. “I-I think that I’m in love with you.” There, just rip off the Band-Aid—good plan.
She stilled in his arms. Oh God, he’d gone too far. He started to slip from the tub, and she stopped him, grabbing his hand, and pulling him down to kneel in front of her, in the water.
She framed his face with her hands. “I think I’m falling for you, too.”
“Thank fuck.” He blew out his breath. “I didn’t want to scare you off, but I just couldn’t keep how I was feeling in anymore.” She was rubbing his face in her hands, smiling at him, giving him so much hope. He could see the love shining in her eyes. How had he missed that before? He leaned down and gently kissed the side of her mouth.
“Let’s get out of this tub, and I’ll make you something to eat. You must be starving and exhausted after the day we’ve had.”
“I like it when you refer to us as a ‘we,'” she smiled, taking the towel he offered.
“We are a ‘we,' right?” He was so unsure how to proceed with this. He never wanted anything so bad in his life. He wanted everything with her—even forever. She nodded in agreement, and he found himself smiling like a damn kid at her. Pulling her into his arms, he carried her to their bed. “I am going to put you in our bed, and I want you to stay here, naked, while I rustle us up some food.”
“So demanding,” she teased, “but I guess I can obey since food is involved. I promise to stay right here as long as I can have my cell phone. I want to call my parents and check on my sister.” Of course, she did. Karlie was the most caring, loving person he had ever met. She had forgiven her sister for everything and was now only concerned about Jenna and the baby.
“Yeah, I guess that’s fair. I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.” He handed her cell phone to her and gave her a soft kiss.
∞
Karlie lay back in bed and stretched her aching body. Other parts of her started to hurt now, probably from Jake throwing her to the floor. She knew that she should have been more shaken up, but she had to admit she was pretty happy that Jenna was free of Jake. Well, as free as her sister could be since she was having Jake’s baby.
And then there was Drew—he’d told her he loved her. Well, that he was falling in love with her. How could she not tell himhow she was feeling? She had fallen so hard for him, in such a short time, that she would expect everyone to think she was completely crazy. But Karlie knew without a doubt that she loved Drew. She’d just have to figure out everything else, including her family.
She dialed her sister’s number, and her call went directly to voicemail. She tried her parents’ home phone instead of leaving a message on her sister’s cell. Her mom answered on the third ring.
“Karlie, we didn’t expect to hear from you until tomorrow,” her mother whispered.
“Hello, Mom. I’m fine, how are you?” Karlie sassed.
“Well, my daughter’s wedding is ruined, and she had to cry herself to sleep. The doctor said she needs to rest. The baby seems fine, heartbeat’s strong, but he doesn’t want to take any chances. He gave her something to help her sleep. It’s safe for the baby since she’s in her second trimester.” Karlie breathed a sigh of relief.
“You aren’t going to press charges against Jake, are you, Karlie?” Her mom sounded so stern.What the hell?
“Of course I am,” Karlie replied, unable to stem the hurt in her voice. “Why the hell would I let that scumbag beat the shit out of me, try to rape me, and then let him walk around scot-free?” She was all but yelling at her mother.
“He’s the father of Jenna’s baby. He just had a little too much to drink, and he didn’t use the best judgment. But he didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“Really, Mom? Because he did hurt me. Is it now okay for him to do that to me because he was drunk and not thinking clearly? Seriously, I called to see how Jenna was, not to hear how disappointed you are in yet another one of my choices. And just so you know, I am going to press any charges that the police will let me against Jake. He’s not worthy of being around Jenna’s baby. I am doing Jenna and my future niece or nephew a favor by helping to put Jake away.”
“Nephew,” her mom whispered.
Karlie covered her mouth to help from crying out. “A boy,” she cried. “That’s wonderful! And my nephew will never have to grow up around a man who would beat the shit out of a woman. Didn’t you hear Jenna say that she doesn’t want Jake now?”
“I did, but you know your sister, she will change her mind. I don’t want her to suffer being a single mother,” her mother continued to plead.
“She won’t change her mind. I saw it in her face. She knows what Jake is, and I have a feeling that it’s not from him beating me. Tell me, Mom, did you ever notice Jenna with unexplained bruises? I can tell you; I had plenty when I was with Jake. The asshole likes his scotch, and he likes to beat women. Jenna did me a favor by sleeping with him. I never realized how a man really should treat a woman until I met Drew. He’s nothing like Jake, and I am so lucky I didn’t end up like Jenna. I couldn’t imagine having that monster’s baby.” She looked up to see a furious Drew standing in the doorway. Karlie didn’t need to even wonder if he had heard what she told her mom; she could see it all over his face that he had.
“Karlie, darling, why didn’t you ever tell us? Why did you let your sister take up with him if you knew what he’s capable of?”Her mother sounded so confused.
“I didn’t let Jenna take up with Jake, Mother. That was a choice she made. What kind of person sleeps with her sister’s boyfriend? But now, I know that was just my childish response to a very bad situation. I have had to grow up a lot in the past eight months. I think that Jenna has, too.”
Karlie played with the covers on the bed, scared to look up to see if Drew still was standing there, though she knew that he was. She could feel his stare.
