Read Online First Comes Baby...: The Loner's Guarded Heart by Michelle Douglas - Free Book Online Page A

place.’
    ‘It’s not a secret, Meg.’
    Tell her father and Elsie that.
    ‘And if this scheme of yours doesn’t work and they remain as sour and distant as ever?’
    ‘I’m not going to break my heart over it, if that’s what you’re worried about. But at least I’ll know I tried.’
    He shifted his weight and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans, making them ride even lower on his hips. The scent of leather slugged her in the stomach—which was odd, because Ben wasn’t wearing his leather jacket.
    ‘And what if it does work? Have you considered that?’
    She dragged her gaze from his hips and tried to focus. ‘That scenario could be the most challenging of all,’ she agreed. ‘The four of us...five,’ she amended, glancing down at her stomach, ‘all trying to become a family after all this time. It’ll be tricky.’
    She wanted to add, but not impossible , but her throat had closed over at the way he surveyed her stomach. Her chest tightened at the intensity of his focus. The light in his eyes made her thighs shake.
    She cleared her throat and dragged in a breath. ‘If it works I’ll get a warm and fuzzy feeling,’ she declared. Warm and fuzzy was preferable to hot and prickly. She rolled her shoulders. ‘And perhaps you will too.’
    Finally— finally —his gaze lifted to hers. ‘More fairytales, Meg?’
    Did he still hold that much resentment about their less than ideal childhood? ‘You still want to punish them?’
    ‘No.’ Very slowly he shook his head. ‘But I don’t think they deserve all your good efforts either. Especially when I’m far from convinced anything either one of us does will make a difference where they’re concerned.’
    ‘But what is it going to hurt to try?’
    ‘I’m afraid it’ll hurt you .’
    He’d always looked out for her. She couldn’t help but smile at him. ‘I have a baby on the way. I’m on top of the world.’
    He smiled suddenly too. A real smile—not one to trick or beguile. ‘All right, Meg, I’m in. I’ll do whatever I can to help.’
    She let out a breath she hadn’t even known she’d held.
    ‘On one condition.’
    She should’ve known. She folded her arms. ‘Which is...?’ She was not letting him sleep in her spare bedroom. He belonged next door. Besides... She swallowed. She needed her own space.
    ‘You’ll let me touch the baby.’

CHAPTER FIVE
    M EG COULDN ’ T HELP her sudden grin. Lots of people had touched her baby bump—happy for her and awed by the miracle growing inside her. Why should Ben be any different?
    Of course he’d be curious.
    Of course he’d be invested.
    He might never be Daddy but he’d always be Uncle Ben. Favourite Uncle Ben. Wanting to touch her baby bump was the most natural thing in the world.
    She didn’t try to temper her grin. ‘Of course you can, Ben.’
    She turned so she faced him front-on, offering her stomach to him, so to speak. His hands reached out, both of them strong and sure. They didn’t waver. His hands curved around her abdomen—and just like that it stopped being the most natural thing in the world.
    The pulse jammed in Meg’s throat and she had to fight the urge to jolt away from him. Ben’s hands suddenly didn’t look like the hands of her best friend. They looked sensual and sure and knowing. They didn’t feel like the hands of her best friend either.
    Her breath hitched and her pulse skipped and spun like a kite-surfer in gale force winds. With excruciating thoroughness he explored every inch of her stomach through the thin cotton of her shirt. His fingers were hot and strong and surprisingly gentle.
    And every part of her he touched he flooded with warmth and vigour.
    She clenched her eyes shut. Her best friend had never looked at her with that possessive light in his eyes before. Not that it was aimed at her per se. Still, the baby was inside her abdomen.
    He moved in closer and his heat swamped her. She opened her eyes and tried to focus on the quality of the