Page 22 of Just a Little Promise

“No practicing, huh?” he teased before taking a drink of his wine.

She shook her head, and he didn’t miss the regret that passed over her features. “For one, I don’t want to waste perfectly good sperm on ‘practicing’, and, I’m not in a place where I can handle this arrangement getting emotional.”

She paused for a moment, her gaze meeting his, enabling him to see the vulnerability in her eyes. “I care about you, Tripp. I wouldn’t be doing this with you if I didn’t, but after Jack, well... I already told you that I’m not looking for anything serious and the only way to keep this situation from getting complicated is to limit intercourse to those ovulation times.”

Her request was frustrating for sure, but he saw her fears and knew they were real. Insisting on anything more between them would only cause her to retreat, or call off this whole deal completely, and that wasn’t an option for him when his end goal included a future with her, as well. He understood her reasons for protecting herself, even if he didn’t like it.

At some point, he had to get to the bottom of what happened with her ex, but tonight was not the night. Tonight, he was going to respect the fucking rules and boundaries because he refused to do anything to pressure her or break her trust.

She gave him a forced smile. “I think it’s best if we think of this situation as two good friends making a baby together.”

He almost grimaced, hating that particular label she put on them. He wouldn’t argue, but his mind was already thinking ahead and trying to figure out how to skirt her little rule and find ways to slowly, gradually, establish more than a “friends with baby making benefits” relationship between them.

“Okay,” he said, just to appease her for now.

She set her wine glass down on the table, then grabbed her cellphone and pulled up an app, her face now alight with excitement. “I’ve been tracking my ovulation cycle for the past six months, and according to my app, and having had my period this past week, my next window of opportunity is in about two weeks.” She switched to a calendar and gave him the dates for that weekend. “Do you think we can plan on spending those days together?”

He thought ahead to his own schedule and realized that it conflicted with a work commitment. “I’m on call that weekend for the practice, but I’ll get Brett or Hudson to cover for me.”

She bit her bottom lip. “What are you going to tell them for needing the weekend off?”

“The truth,” he said, and chuckled when her eyes widened in embarrassment. “They already know about me offering to get you pregnant, so it’s not going to be a surprise or an issue,” he assured her.

Her cheeks turned a warm shade of pink, and she pressed her palms to her face. “I can’t imagine what they think of me and what we’re doing.”

He stretched his arm across the back of the sofa. Skye was sitting close enough that he was able to lightly skim his fingertips along her shoulders, and he didn’t miss the way she shivered from his touch. “Well, Hudson already knows you’re amazing and stunningly gorgeous, and as for Brett, well, he doesn’t have an opinion since he hasn’t met you. But when he does, he’ll find you just as irresistible as I do.”

She rolled her eyes and laughed before turning more serious. “Can we agree that we won’t tell our families what we’re doing until I’m actually pregnant? The last thing I want to do is explain the situation to them beforehand and answer a barrage of questions, or have them ask how things are going every time I see them. Once I’m pregnant, it’s a done deal and no discussion will be needed other than telling them that we’ll be co-parenting.”

“That sounds fine to me,” he said, which saved him from having those awkward conversations, too.

“Thank you so much for doing this for me,” she said with an enthusiastic, smile.

She leaned closer and wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him a hug he knew was meant to express how happy she was. Instinctively, he returned the embrace, sliding his arms around her waist, but all he could think about was how her lush curves were now pressed against his body. His dick thickened as he inhaled the sweet, floral scent clinging to her skin, and he gritted his teeth against the flood of arousal that immediately coursed through his veins.

“I appreciate your help more than I can say,” she whispered into his ear.

He held back a groan. She appreciated hishelp? The last thing he wanted was her goddamn gratitude for essentially being her stud. Before he could stop himself or truly think through his actions, he released a low growl of frustration, gripped her hips, and pulled her onto his lap so that she was straddling his thighs, her knees braced against his hips to keep her legs spread open.

She gasped in shock and jerked her head back, her eyes reflecting a myriad of confusion—and instantaneous desire—as he skimmed his palm up her bare thigh. “Tripp... you agreed,” she said breathlessly, her skin already flushed. “No sex unless we’re making a baby.”

He was dying to touch her, and not out of fucking friendship. “I agreed to nointercourseunless we’re making a baby,” he corrected her, as his hand slowly dipped beneath the hem of her dress and traveled higher.

He was determined to make her lower those physical walls with him, which would hopefully lead to a more emotional connection. If she pulled back again, he’d let her go… and try again another time. One way or another, he’d make this stubborn woman his and vanquish her demons in the process.

“So, technically, I’m not breaking any of your rules by touching you with my fingers,” he continued. “I can at least make you feel good. Will you let me?”

Knowing he wasn’t playing fair, and not really caring at this point, he followed up that question with a firm, dragging caress of his thumb along the front panel of her silky panties, which were already damp.

She moaned softly and pressed her forehead to his, already falling under his seductive spell. “It’s not a good idea,” she said, though her tone lacked any real conviction.

It wasn’t a no, rather she was waffling and that was enough for him to keep going.

“Actually, it’s a great idea and let me tell you why,” he said, deciding to take a playful approach as he slipped his thumb beneath the elastic band of her panties and rubbed that finger against her clit, making Skye squirm on his lap and her pussy get wetter with each deliberate stroke.

“Orgasms reduce tension and stress, which are the last things you need when you’re trying to ovulate and conceive. A satisfying orgasm helps you relax so you can get a good night’s sleep, which is important for you and your body. Not to mention, they can help strengthen your pelvic floor muscles for pregnancy, and besides, orgasms feel damn good. So why not indulge and enjoy?”

She released a soft, little laugh tinged with amusement, her face still so close that her breath mingled with his. “So, is this your professional opinion on the matter, Dr. Daniels?”

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