Page 25 of Touch Me

“Shit.” I leap to my feet then hurry to the kitchento retrieve my phone. I power it on, and notifications start pinging likemachine gun fire. Apparently everyone I’ve ever met—including Matthew andCarson—saw the stupid photo and headline that has now gone completely viral.

I’m about to call Nikki when I hear, “Are you okay?” Thequestion’s from Trevor, and I turn around to face him, those dark eyes lookingat me with such sympathy, that I go to him for a hug.

“Is it true? Did you—”

“No. But I am pregnant.” I sigh, then flop down on theirsofa. “The whole fucking world knows that I’m pregnant, and my husband—the manwho loves me—goes off the rails and assumes I had an abortion without tellinghim. I mean, what the fuck is up with that?”

“He saw the photo. He reacted.”

I glare at him. “My side. After all these years, you’resupposed to be on my side.”

“Do you really want to have sides?” That’s from Trevor, whoI’ve come to love. But he has the infuriating tendency to be way too fuckingreasonable.

“Maybe,” I say. “I mean, I find out I’m pregnant. I don’tknow what to do with that. So I try to be responsible. I mean, I should atleast know how far along I am, right?”

“Sure,” Ollie says. “So how far?”

“About eight weeks. But that’s not the point. I go to getchecked out, and the entire world assumes I’m terminating. The world andRyan.”

“So you’re keeping the baby?” Ollie sits by me on the sofa.

“I don’t know. Maybe. I guess? I mean, how do I know? Thiswhole thing kinda slammed me upside the head, you know? But Ryan’s dying tohave a kid, so…” I trail off with a shrug, wondering when that glorious I’mgoing to be a mommy feeling will settle in.

“What about the movie?” Trevor asks, the question making mea little queasy.

“I don’t know,” I say, then frown. “That’s probably whyMatthew and Carson called. To fire me.”

“They can’t,” Ollie says. “They can’t fire you for beingpregnant. They’ll have to work around it. Use CGI. Whatever. But firing becauseyou’re pregnant? No can do.”

I nod, realizing I’d heard that somewhere before. “So,that’s something.”

“You should go home,” Trevor says gently. “You both had ashock today. Ryan wasn’t at his best, and you know it.”

I shrug. “He immediately thought the worst, and I’m not eventalking about terminating the pregnancy. He thought I’d made a decision aboutus on my own. He didn’t trust me to be his wife. His partner.” I meet Ollie’seyes. “He still looks at me like I used to be. Wild Jamie who’d go off and doanything.”

“I don’t think he does,” Ollie says, his voice as gentle asI’ve ever heard it. “I think he was blindsided. I think you were, too.” Hepauses, then takes my hand and squeezes. “And I think you should go home.”

I draw in a breath, nodding slowly. Then I turn and look atTrevor. “Can I crash in the guest room?”

I see the flicker of his eyes as he glances toward Ollie.Then he nods. “Yeah,” he says. “Of course you can.”

Chapter Nine

I dream of Ryan.

Holding me. Soothing me. Stroking my hair.

His lips brushing my cheek. The feel of his breath on my earas he whispers that he loves me. That he’s sorry.

Love you, too.

I’m not sure if I’ve said the words aloud, but I am sure ofthe touch of his hands on my skin. Then the pressure of his lips at my neck.“Jamie,” he murmurs as his fingers slide between my legs, then stroke me withsuch a feather-light touch, that I’m quite certain I’ll go completely mad frompleasure.

“I’m sorry,” he says again, and this time I know it’s not adream. I keep my eyes closed, though I do smile. Just a little. I want to seehow far this apology will go.

I’m wearing nothing but an extra-large FBI t-shirt thatOllie lent me, and he stops teasing my clit just long enough to pull it up,revealing my bra. His eyes meet mine—and I see the realization of why I’vestarted wearing a bra to bed dawn in his eyes.

Slowly, he unfastens the hooks, then lets it fall open,revealing my breasts. He meets my eyes one more time, and the desire—and love—Isee on his face just about melts me. Especially when he closes his mouth overmy breast and gently teases my nipple with his tongue.