Page 47 of Not the Bodyguard's Widow
Kimberly rolled onto her back.
“Sorry, I was trying to leave without waking you.”
Alex?Memories of last night returned. The phone call from her mother’s doctor. Alex holding her as she cried. Kimberly asking him to stay.
She reached for him and caught his hand. Something—there had to be something she could say to make the moment less awkward. He didn’t move, the faint light of dawn casting most of his face in shadow. How could she explain how badly she’d needed his comfort last night or how amazing it felt to be cared for?
Kimberly opened her mouth, willing her tongue to move. Instead, something, or rather someone else, did. “Oh.” She brought her free hand to her abdomen in time to feel another kick strong enough to be felt from the outside.
She removed her hand and guided Alex’s to the same place.
His eyes widened, as did his smile. “Does this happen often?”
Kimberly laid her hand over his to keep him from moving it. “This is the first time the kick has been strong enough to be felt outside.”
“You’ve felt something before?”
“Fluttering, like a butterfly with a case of hiccups.”
The baby pushed against Alex’s hand, and he lifted it. “I don’t think he likes me restricting his space.”
“I think I’m the one restrictingherspace.” Kimberly pulled Alex’s hand back, but the baby must have found a comfortable position. After a minute, she let Alex go. “I guess the show is over.”
“That was amazing. Thanks for sharing.” Alex moved to the edge of the bed.
“Thank you for staying last night.” Kimberly sat up.
Alex nodded. “I’d better go get dressed. Elle should be here in a few minutes.”
The awkwardness that had dissipated during the baby’s kicks returned full force as Alex walked out of the room.
18
Alex hunghis head and let the water run down his back. If only he could wash his emotions away as easily. Waking up next to Kimberly had easily been one of the most intimate moments of his life, and then to feel her baby move! If only he had a right to be there. If only she wanted him as her husband. Last night she’d been trying to get out of their marriage and not get either of them in legal trouble. If it became a real marriage, the insurance mess wouldn’t be an issue.
Three weeks. Three weeks of laughing over meals. Misspelling words in Scrabble. Having her doze off in front of the TV using his shoulder as a pillow. Until last night, he’d kept telling himself it was part of the job, being friends, part of the territory.
It was a lie.
He’d known it was a lie the moment Uncle Donovan had called him into the conference room when Kimberly fainted and he’d wanted to whisk her out of there to someplace safe. At the time, he’d told himself it was because of the baby. Maybe even that it had to do with being jealous of his twin’s marriage and pregnancy. But it was more.
Alex’s phone beeped. It wasn’t an urgent notification; nevertheless, Alex turned off the water and prepared to start the day pretending nothing had changed.
* * *
“Knock, knock.”
Kimberly turned to the door. She had to look twice. Black was such a normal hair color. “Candace! When did you get back?”
“Late last night. That extra week we added to our vacation was wonderful. I came over as soon as I heard about your mother.” Candace swooped in for a hug. “I thought you’d be getting ready to fly out there.”
Kimberly shook her head. “It’s a trap. My father-in-law will turn it into one if he hasn’t already.”
“But you have Alex and the FBI.”
“Alex is part of the problem. So far, we’ve kept our marriage a secret from the media. I’m afraid if my father-in-law sees us together, he’ll figure it out or someone will slip and call me Mrs. Hastings. The FBI uses that name, which I much prefer to Thompson, but then Alex would be in danger for the same reason I am, which I still don’t understand. Jeremy hardly spoke to me. He didn’t leave me any clues, and he didn’t leave me a key. He didn’t even leave me a will. Don’t all rich people have wills?”
“I don’t. Do you?” Candace pulled a chair up next to the one Kimberly sat on to paint.
