She frowned. “Of course it is.”
“Then how can love, an actual emotion, truly come from an organ in the middle of our chests?” He settled more comfortably against the sofa, still holding her close.
“I don’t know.”
He chuckled. “That’s a statement I don’t hear from you very often. If love or emotion doesn’t come from the middle of our chests, why can’t it come from our brains? There’s a lot about the brain that we don’t understand, right?”
“That’s true,” she whispered.
“So maybe those big thoughts you have are love. The wayyoulove.”
She blinked. That made sense.
“Perhaps you use more of your brain than others, or maybe your brain is just more efficient. Either way, doesn’t that mean you’ll be able to love better than most people?” He wriggled his toes toward the roaring fire, no doubt warming them. “So give yourself a break and stop worrying about it. You will love this baby exactly as he or she needs to be loved, and you’re going to be a great mom. I promise.”
There was no actual way he could make that promise, yet somehow his statement did make her feel better. “You’re eminently likeable,” she murmured.
“Yeah?” He grasped her waist and lifted her, easily planting her on his lap.
His casual strength stopped her breath in her lungs. Her body was reacting naturally to an obvious overture from a strong and capable male, yet he affected her heart, too. That little organ that shouldn’t feel anything. She leaned in and kissed him, enjoying the way his fingers flexed on her hips. “I like your strength, as well.”
He took over the kiss, his lips firm and his tongue seeking. Smooth movements had her shirt and bra flying across the room, and she chuckled.
Palming her breasts, he nipped along her neck, biting her earlobe. “Are you sure this is okay?”
She ran both of her hands through his thick hair, pulling so she could give him a little bite. The man probably needed sleep, but he was questioning her well-being. “Please clarify your question.”
He leaned back, both hands on her breasts, his brown eyes liquid soft. “You and me. Right now with the baby and how you’re feeling.”
She caressed the sides of his neck, filling her palms with the strong cords. “I don’t understand. We’re already pregnant.”
“Yeah, but . . . You haven’t been feeling well. Are you up to this?”
“You mean sex?”
He nodded, slightly tweaking her nipples.
Liquid fire rushed down to her core, and she pressed against him. “I’m perfectly healthy, Huck. Surely you took anatomy or biology in junior high?” She wanted to laugh, but his expression remained so serious, she was afraid she might hurt his feelings.
“Yes, Agent Snow,” he said with some exasperation. “I even passed both the biology and anatomy classes. But this is the first baby I’ve ever been responsible for, you haven’t been feeling well, and she’s inside you, so I figure I should at least ask.”
Sometimes the grumpy captain was just too sweet to understand. “She?”
He shrugged. “Yeah. Why not?”
There was no way to know the sex of the child. “I promise that I am more than up to a bout of sex with you.” The idea that he was so concerned when he obviously knew there was no need sent her desire even higher. Everything was different with Huck. She’d never realized that emotions, the real kind, could cause arousal. The more familiar she became with him, the more she started to trust him, the more she wanted him. Whatever they had went beyond the physical, and that was new to her.
“What are you thinking?” He unbuttoned her pants.
She reached for the hem of his shirt and dragged the heavy material over his head. “Just that you’re sexy when you’re all protective.”
He leaned in and licked her nipple, causing her body to tremble. “That’s probably a good thing, because my nature, according to you, is protective.”
In a nutshell. She’d never required protection from a man, but this one wasn’t giving her a choice. It was an interesting conundrum considering their chosen professions.
He slid his hand inside her pants and found her, entering her with two fingers.
She gasped and leaned against him as need coursed through her.
