Luke followed Sarah to the shower. His mind was whirling at the implications of someone else answering the message, but for the moment, his focus turned to the woman he loved. He was still in shock that he was going to be a father much, much sooner than anticipated, but as he helped Sarah out of her clothes and got a good first look at her expanding belly that contained their child, one that they created together, he discovered he wasn't upset by the news at all.
Sarah took his hand and pressed it flat against the side of her stomach. He felt little fluttering sensations under his palm. "That's your daughter greeting her daddy."
He caught her face in his hands and kissed her, this time needy and demanding. Like a starving man, he filled his senses with her. She pulled up his T-shirt and tossed it to the floor. Within seconds, they were standing under the hot water of the shower, their wet bodies pressed together as their mouths tasted and drank in the other.
Finally, he turned her away from him. He squeezed shampoo into his hand and lathered up her hair. She moaned in pleasure as his fingers caressed her scalp and gently worked the suds through her long tendrils. "You like that?"
She leaned back against him. "I love it."
"And I love you." He leaned forward and kissed the side of her neck. "That hasn't changed one little bit."
He tracked the soap down her shoulders and across her breasts until her nipples turned hard. When he got to her belly, he squatted down so he was at face level. "You're going to have a good life, my little one, with parents who love you and love each other."
His heart melted when he felt the same little flutters against his hands. "I think she can hear me."
"I do, too."
Luke stood and wrapped his arms around her. "I don't ever want to be apart from you again."
After they were rinsed and dried, Sarah led him to her bedroom. They collapsed together on the mattress, and Sarah laid with her back to him. He held her tight, and his hand caressed her belly.
"I'm sorry that you were stuck with this alone."
"We were both limited in our choices, Luke. We can either regret what happened, or we can look forward to what's coming."
His heart teetered between happy and scared. If someone was after his family, he now had both Sarah and the little one to protect. "What do you think your family is going to say?"
She chuckled softly. "I have no idea. I've made it so difficult for them by being secretive and evasive, I'm hoping they'll just think it's no big deal. I doubt it, but I can hope."
They talked long into the night as Sarah told him about her brothers and the adventures that they had been on finding their mates.
He kissed her shoulder. "I've never heard of these see'er's."
"We weren't experts on them either, but they seem to be the new big thing. When you meet Joey, she can see your dragon self."
"And it was her family who stole the idol?"
"Not her immediate family. I forget what family member it was, but he was distant."
"I think having the idol returned will make a big impact on the people of the Sacred Gardens when I take you home."
She shifted on the bed. "Take me home?"
"You want to visit the castle, right?"
"Well, yeah," she admitted as she settled back down, "but I don't want to leave my family."
"They'll be welcome to return also." He kissed her shoulder again. "We don't have to have all the details right now. Let's just enjoy each other again for a bit, shall we?"
Sleep came quicker than he expected. When he woke, it was daylight and Sarah was still in his arms. He shifted gently and kissed the back of her head.
"Good morning, my love."
He smiled as she spoke. "Good morning. Best morning I've had in a long time."
She slid away from him. "Agreed." She hopped off the bed and headed toward the bathroom. Luke rubbed his arms to try and get a little circulation going again.
While Sarah put a pot of coffee on, Luke wandered into the bakery side of her cabin. "You always said you liked to bake."
