Page 44 of Soaring and Saucy

“That’s all I ask, princess.”

He stood up from the table and moved to her seat, holding out his hand to her. She put her hand in his, rising and was surprised to have him kiss her once more gently.

“This was wonderful – thank you.”

“This was nice. Thank you for suggesting it.”

“Maybe we can do this again in a month or two – unless we’re unpacking your place up for a move to Florida,” he taunted, wagging his eyebrows at her like the flirt he was – and she laughed.

“Point taken,” she chided as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, walking her out to the car.

13

STEPHANIE

Three hours later, they were pulling off the highway onto the lanes leading into the airport. Stephanie could not put this feeling in the pit of her stomach into words. She felt torn, slightly alarmed, sad, and confused because she never really expected to get along with Lance this weekend – and she truly was coming to adore the ostentatious man.

Sure, they were married – but barely. Of course, she was attracted to him; she had been since the very beginning. There was something more budding between them, and she was very aware of that difference, whether he knew it or not. He was treating her differently, and it was clear. The looks he tossed her way had an unspoken fondness to his eyes, combined with the fact that he seemed to be treasuring the fact that he was going to be the father of her child.

After all – he dubbed the little bubbly-squishy-looking blob on the sonogram ‘Peanut’ and nearly cried when she showed it to him an hour ago. He took several pictures of the sonogram with his cell phone, proudly texting it to his family along with a photo of the two of them. They actually took a photo – as a couple. It was her new lock screen on her phone.

“Do you wanna come in?” he asked quietly as she pulled up to the departures gate. The fact that he asked, surprised her, only to see him hesitate. “Actually, no. I would rather you remain in the car where you are safe. Let’s just park for a moment and say our goodbyes.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

Circling back around the airport, she pulled into the parking garage for departing flights and pulled into a spot. The moment she put the car into park, Lance reached over and unbuckled her, tugging her toward him across the seat bodily with a playful look on his face. A nervous laugh bubbled up within her as he rolled his eyes, tugging her directly into his lap.

“Get over here…”

“Lance!” she hissed, looking around and laughing. “People are gonna think the worst with me sitting on your lap like this.”

“Mannnn, I wish there was time for ‘the worst,’” he groaned openly, closing his eyes as he shivered, wrapping his arms around her tightly in a hug. “This visit was about us talking, getting to know each other, and working out a few things… and as much as I wish we could have spent the entire weekend in bed, I’m glad we didn’t,” he admitted and then chuckled. “I never thought I would say those words aloud.”

She laughed softly and cradled his head against her throat, softly stroking his hair as he sighed in contentment. Yeah, she had to agree with him that this weekend had been anything but what either had imagined. When he said, ‘I’ll be there in two hours,’ she assumed he was coming for a fight, to demand a divorce, ask for an abortion, or would try to make the moves on her.

Lance had done the exact opposite. He insisted they were married, fretted over her and the baby, and treated her like she mattered. He never once made the moves on her, even though he had the opportunity. Instead, he took that chance to make sure they would turn to each other as friends along this strange road they were on, offering to make a home and be the father of their child. He wanted to provide, to be involved, and it was wonderfully sweet.

He breathed against her throat, nuzzling it, and sighed again.

“I hope you know I’m going to spam your email with all sorts of apartments for us to talk about,” he whispered softly, dropping a kiss at the base of her throat.

“I have no doubt,” she murmured, kissing the top of his head. “I like hugging like this.”

“We’ve gotta hug more.”

“I agree.”

They both got quiet, listening to the sounds of cars driving past mixed with the occasional roar of an airplane. He pulled back slightly, looking up at her, his eyes searching and full of emotion, right before he arched up toward her. He hesitated, his lips so close to hers that she could feel his breath as he whispered her name with such longing that she immediately responded without a second thought.

Lance dragged his lower lip against hers, almost as if he was teasing her with a silent promise of more. Her breath caught in her chest as she immediately got flashbacks of their night together. He lived for taking his sweet time, excelled at coaxing a breathless moan out of her, and took the deepest pleasure in the way she responded to him.

This was no different.

“Oh princess,” he breathed, kissing her once more, almost as a tease as she responded. Her fingers combed through his hair, cradling his head, as if to silently beg him to focus and quit playing around, only to hear that confident, knowing chuckle from a man who knows how to make his woman crave more – and gave it to her.

He released her from his hold, sliding his hands up her back and hooking his fingers over her shoulders, keeping her close to him, pulling her into his web, and she was ready. If he was the spider, she was the fly just happily waiting to be devoured alive.

---