Page 55 of The Virgin's Baby
“What’s going on here?” He made long strides into the room. “Get your hand off her.”
Franco laughed as he moved his hand away from my stomach and stepped over to the dresser to look at other color samples. “No need to be jealous, Daddy.”
I looked at Ransom with anger in my eyes. “I’ve asked you to feel the babies kick several times now. You haven’t been interested in doing that.”
His expression turned to that of accusation. “You askedhimto touch you?”
“No.” I couldn’t believe he was acting so mad and jealous.
He didn’t want me. Or wouldn’t allow himself to give in, anyway.
Getting up, I walked out of the room. I didn’t want to engage in anything with Ransom at that moment. Anger was bubbling inside of me, and I knew I would say things that might be hurtful.
But the foolish man came after me. Even grabbing me by my arm to stop me in the hallway. “Are all women like this, Aspen?”
“Like what?” I had no idea what he was talking about.
“Don’t play dumb with me,” he growled.
Exasperation took me over, and I jerked my arm out of his hand. “Let me go.” Quickly, I turned to go to my bedroom.
And for the first time ever, he stopped me from closing the door. With his hand on the door, he held it fast. “Answer me.”
“I have no idea what you’re asking, Ransom.” With a huff, I went to sit on the edge of the bed. My ankles and feet had swollen as I’d been standing up too long.
I scooted back on the bed to put them up. And he came to the side of the bed to help me. Fluffing the pillows, he growled once more, “Are all women out to seek the attention of any man who will give it to them?”
Franco came to the door that Ransom had left open. “FYI. I am gay, Ransom. You have nothing to worry about.”
Ransom didn’t even look back at Franco who’d taken off already. “That doesn’t matter to me. Please, Aspen. Answer my question. And please answer me honestly. Do all women want as many men as they can get?”
“I don’t know about all women, but not me.” Calmness enveloped me as I now understood what he was getting at. “Everyone is not your mother, Ransom. I don’t know why she did what you alone saw her do, but I can tell you that she didn’t do it to hurt you, and it doesn’t sound like she did it to hurt your father either.”
His shoulders slumped as he looked at the floor. “Then why did she do it, Aspen?”
As if I could even tell him.
Even if I had met the woman, how would I know why she did the things she’d done? “Ransom, you should talk to a therapist about this. I don’t have the answers you need.”
“I don’t like to think about this.” He turned to walk away but stopped. His back still to me, he asked, “Do you want me to rub your feet? I noticed that they’re swollen a little.”
Part of me wanted to remain aloof. But another part of me told me that would only make this rift between us wider. “It would be nice of you to do that for me. I can’t do it myself. My big tummy is in the way.”
Turning around, he came back to me, sitting on the edge of the bed, then taking my right foot. The way he carefully handled it made me want to moan. I tried so hard not to think about what his strong hands would feel like as they massaged my whole body.
“You stood up too long.” His hands moved up my calf. “You’re swollen all the way up to your knees.”
“I didn’t realize the swelling went that high.” I clenched my jaw as he moved his hands up and down my calf. I wanted to moan so badly. My insides were on fire. Only one thing would put out that fire. But he would still deny me that.
“You’ve got to sit down and get your feet up as soon as you feel the slightest bit of discomfort, Aspen.” He took the other leg and began massaging it. “Think about yourself more.”
Looking at him, I decided to do precisely what he’d said. “I will. And with that in mind, I want to tell you something that’s been bothering me.”
His eyes cut to mine. “Please, don’t ask me to say something to you that I can’t. I know how I left that hanging in the air between us, but you’ve got to understand that I know I will only hurt you. I need to be honest with you.”
“Then please be honest and tell me why you’re sure to hurt me, Ransom.” I felt a bit giddy that he was going to let me in a little bit more.
“I look at women as conquests.” He moved his hands a little higher than my knee, massaging my inner thigh just enough to make me wet.
