“Totally wrong for each other.” He kissed her jaw.
“I don’t care about labels, and you won’t wear anything without one.”
“To be fair, most clothes have labels.”
Hope’s breath hitched as he eased the cup of her bra down, and stroked her nipple.
“You know what I mean. You’re… well, you’re perfect, and I’m not. I don’t like perfect. In fact, all my life I’ve strived to not achieve it.”
His hand stilled as he looked at her.
“Not entirely true. You take perfect photos, and I have to say you’re damn near a straight-A student in bed.”
His face was inches from hers, lids lowered slightly, lashes spiky. Hope felt it then, the ache in her heart, and realized just how important this man was becoming to her. It was enough to have her moving away.
“Hope, wait.”
“No, Newman. This can’t happen again.”
“I need to tell you something. Something I realized this morning, at about 3:00 a.m., when I woke wanting you.”
“What?”
“I didn’t use a condom.”
Hope literally felt the color drain from her face. How had she not realized that?
“Are you on the pill?”
She shook her head. “I was… but now I’m not.”
He swore under his breath.
“I… I won’t be pregnant, Newman.”
“How do you know that?”
She didn’t know that. “I just think I’m not,” she finished lamely.
“If you are, then we will deal with what happens together.”
Her head was spinning, and she couldn’t believe he sounded so calm. Sounded like they’d been in a relationship for years, and this would have happened one day. When in fact they’d ravished each other once!
“I’ve never lost control and not protected a woman before, and I apologize for that, Hope.”
“H-how can you sound so calm?”
“It’s done. We can’t go back, only forward.”
“D-did you get that off a cereal box?” Her voice rose on the last word.
“Hope, just calm down, you may not be pregnant.”
He wasn’t panicking like her. How was that possible, when if she was pregnant, their lives would change beyond recognition?
“How can you be so calm?”
“It’s the only way to handle this. I’ll make sure everything is okay if you are pregnant, I promise you, Hope.”
