Practice Makes Pregnant Read online

  “Sit.”

  Allison took a chair at the table while Zoe repeated the fast switch of coffeepot for mug, then plopped into the chair opposite.

  “Okay, you have coffee. Tell me everything.”

  Allison laughed. “I need to actually swallow the coffee and wake up first.”

  Zoe waved a hand dismissingly. “This is decaf. It won’t do a thing to jump-start your brain. So talk.”

  “I spent the night with Jorge after the fund-raiser.”

  Zoe’s eyes rounded with surprise. “You’re kidding!”

  “No, I’m not kidding.” Allison tucked her sleep-ruffled hair behind her ears and picked up her mug, sipping slowly. Even though she knew that the coffee held no caffeine, the morning ritual eased her a few inches toward being completely awake. “I’m pregnant.”

  “Geez.” Zoe gasped, her eyes widening once again.

  “Jorge and I decided to marry—for the sake of the baby.”

  “You’re kidding?” Zoe shook her head in amazement. “The men I know would all head for the nearest exit if I told them I was pregnant.”

  “I thought that’s exactly what Jorge would do. In fact, I hadn’t decided if I was ever going to tell him about the baby, but I accidentally let it slip.”

  “You accidentally told him you were pregnant?” Zoe tucked one leg beneath her on the chair seat and settled comfortably. “Start at the beginning and tell me everything. Don’t leave anything out.”

  “…and the wedding is set for next week,” Allison finished, several moments later. “Jorge knows a judge who will perform the ceremony in his chambers.”

  “Wow. I leave town for a week and look what happens.” Zoe stared at her, amazement written across her features. “Before I left, it was almost impossible to talk you into leaving this apartment to go grocery shopping, and when I return, you’re about to marry one of the most powerful attorneys in New York City.” She frowned. “Which reminds me, why didn’t you tell me the gorgeous guy you were with at the fund-raiser was Jorge Perez?”

  “Because I didn’t connect the name until later.” Though they’d shared last names, Allison hadn’t realized until much too late that her Jorge was the same Jorge Perez featured in media coverage of high-profile criminal cases. She should have connected his name with the district attorney’s office immediately, but she’d been too distracted by the man himself.

  “How could you possibly not have known?” Zoe’s expressive eyebrows winged upward in surprise. “You’re in law school, don’t you follow the current big cases?”

  “Not nearly as much as I should.” Allison waved her hand at the piles of law books that covered half the table. “I’m so buried with studying, on top of the hours I spend at Manhattan Multiples, that I sometimes don’t have time to do more than read headlines of the daily newspaper or catch more than a few minutes of the nightly news on television.”

  She stood and retrieved the coffeepot, returning to the table to refill both mugs. Zoe’s eyes narrowed speculatively, and Allison paused, instinctively covering her tummy with one hand.

  “What?”

  “Nothing. I’m just looking to see if you’re showing yet. But I don’t see a difference. Do you?”

  “Not yet.” She turned away to replace the pot of coffee, then slipped back into her chair. “Except that I had to buy new bras. All of mine were suddenly too small.”

  “Wow,” Zoe murmured, sipping her coffee. “You’re going to have big changes in your life, Allison. A baby on the way, a new husband. Probably a new home, since this apartment is too small for three people. Where are you going to live?”

  “Jorge has a two-bedroom apartment. I think he expects us to live there.”

  “You think? Don’t you know?”

  “We haven’t really had a chance to decide.”

  Zoe pursed her lips and eyed her. “Well you better decide fast, Allison. When you come home from the honeymoon, where are the two of you sleeping?”

  Trust Zoe to cut to the heart of the matter. Allison thrust her fingers through her hair and twisted a strand around her forefinger, chewing her lip.

  “You wouldn’t rather stay here, would you?” Zoe’s gaze made a swift survey of the tiny kitchen and the small living room beyond.

  Allison’s glance followed Zoe’s and she sighed. “No. I like my apartment but it’s barely big enough for one, let alone two more.” She frowned, staring unseeingly at her cup.

  “Then what’s the problem? If Jorge has a bigger apartment, it seems obvious that you should move in with him.”

  “Yes, I suppose it does.” Allison’s insides clenched at the thought of moving in with Jorge. It was the logical choice, yet she was reluctant to give up her independence.

  Zoe reached across the table, her hand closing with warm comfort over Allison’s. “Hey, you told me that Jorge is a nice guy. He wants to do the right thing for you and the baby. You’re going to have to trust him.”

  A sudden rush of emotion brought tears to Allison’s eyes. “I know. It’s just…it’s hard, you know?”

  “I know.” Zoe knew only too well how guarded Allison was, how careful she was to protect her heart. She patted Allison’s hand. “But you have to, if this marriage is going to have a chance.” She waited until Allison nodded. “And if gorgeous Jorge disappoints us, I’ll call the twins.”

  Allison laughed, a watery sound halfway between a chuckle and a sob. The twins were two men that frequented the coffee bar where Zoe worked. Tall, blond, muscled hulks who worked as computer programmers during the day and moonlighted as wrestlers at night, they adored Zoe and extended their protection to her friends.

  Zoe left to get ready for work after sharing breakfast with Allison and deciding what she would wear to the wedding as maid of honor. Allison showered, dressed and was deeply immersed in studying when the doorbell rang once again.

  Thinking that Zoe must have forgotten something, Allison pulled open her door. Jorge stood in the hallway. The beautiful suits she’d always seen him in before were absent, replaced by worn Levi’s, black boots, and a black T-shirt under a deep brown leather bomber jacket. His black hair was ruffled and dark beard stubble shadowed his jaw. He looked faintly disreputable, rough and altogether too sexy for Allison’s peace of mind.

  “Hi.”

  “Hi.” She stared at him, bemused. “Did we have a date?”

  “No.” He looked past her and into her apartment, then glanced down the hall behind him. “Can I come in?”

  “Oh, yes. Of course.” Flustered, she stepped back, and he moved past her and into the living room. When she closed the door and turned to him, he was so close to her that the curve of her breasts brushed his jacket. He slipped an arm around her waist, nudged her back against the door and covered her mouth with his.

  Allison didn’t have time to think, only to feel. She went from calm to passionate in seconds, seduced by the urgency of his mouth and the hard length of his body pressing hers against the door at her back.

  Long before she was ready, he lifted his head and looked down at her. One hard thigh was wedged between hers, and her arms circled his neck, her fingers in his hair, her body pressed tightly against his.

  Jorge looked into Allison’s flushed face, her eyes dazed, her mouth faintly swollen from the pressure of his, and felt a surge of satisfaction.

  “What are you doing this afternoon?” He traced the curve of her cheekbone with soft, butterfly kisses, and she closed her eyes, catching her breath, until he stopped just below her ear.

  “Studying. Why?”

  “Play hooky for a while. I want to show you something.”

  Her eyes lost some of their passion-glazed look, but she didn’t push him away. “What is it?”

  “A surprise. Can’t tell you. You have to see it.” He easily read the indecision on her expressive features. “Come on,” he murmured. “I’ll help you study after I bring you home.”

  He bent, nuzzling the soft skin of her throat just below he
r ear. She sighed and tipped her head back against the door, allowing him access.

  “All right.” Her voice was faint. “But I can’t be gone for long, I really have to study today.”

  He lifted his head and smiled at her. Just as he’d hoped, she was distracted by the sensual heat that blazed between them, so caught up in passion that she’d forgotten to be wary. There wasn’t a shred of caution or fear in her amber eyes, and her body lay trustingly against his, her arms holding him close.

  “It’s a deal.” He pressed one last, lingering kiss against her mouth and reluctantly eased away from her. “Grab your coat, it’s cold outside.”

  Moments later they were in a taxi, weaving through Saturday afternoon traffic.

  “Now will you tell me where we’re going?”

  “To my place.” He grinned and smoothed his forefinger over the two tiny frown lines that appeared between her brows. “But I can’t tell you what the surprise is, you’ll have to wait until we get there.”

  The look she gave him was suspicious, the faint wariness he always sensed in her unless she was diverted by passion visible in her eyes.

  “Trust me. You’ll like it.”

  She clearly reserved judgment, but they passed the taxi ride in general conversation about their week, the traffic, the weather and a variety of other safe topics. Jorge could see Allison tense when they left the taxi and entered his building. She barely spoke as they entered the elevator, her uneasiness palpable as the lift carried them upward to the nineteenth floor.

  “After you.”

  She walked ahead of him out of the elevator, and he touched her arm to direct her to the left. “It’s this way.”

  They halted at the end of the hallway and Jorge slipped a key into the lock, pushed the door open and stood back to let her enter.

  “It’s not very homey,” he commented, his gaze following hers as she crossed the small entryway to look into the living area. He’d never given much thought to his apartment; it was just a place to sleep, eat, and work. He had a cleaning service that came in every week so it was scrubbed and neat, but as he walked behind Allison, he looked at it through her eyes and realized it was sterile. The cherry wood armoire that held the television, VCR/DVD player and state-of-the-art stereo had video tapes of court cases stacked six deep on top. The leather sofa and matching ottoman next to the club chair had case files piled neatly on their smooth, chocolate brown surfaces.

  There were no prints or photos on the stark-white walls. The best feature in the room was the large window that looked out on the landscape of the Upper West Side.

  Allison hadn’t said a word. She just stood in the center of the rug, her gaze sliding slowly over the room and its furnishings. Jorge wondered what she was thinking, but he couldn’t read her expression. She was absorbed in the apartment, unaware that he stared at the clean lines of her profile, the smooth line of her brow and the sweep of richly colored hair framing her face, the line of her small nose, the plush curve of lips and the small chin beneath, the vulnerable inward curve of throat and delicate collarbone. His heart lurched, settled back into a faster rhythm. He wanted to pick her up and carry her into the bedroom, the need to cherish her mixed with pounding lust. He wanted her in his bed again, naked, willing, needing him as badly as he needed her. He had to know that she desired him with the same fierce compulsion that made him crave her.

  She turned, her gaze pausing to meet his before moving on to slip over the walls of the entry behind him.

  “You can change anything you want,” he said, shrugging in apology. “I always planned to buy more furniture and hang a few pictures, but I never got around to it.”

  “It has much more room than my apartment,” she said diplomatically.

  “Well, that’s something, I guess.” He gave her a wry smile, and she smiled back tentatively. Encouraged, he closed the space between them and caught her hand in his to tug her down the short hall. “The rest of the rooms are decent sizes. This is the main bedroom.” He waved a hand at the first door that stood open, allowing a glimpse of plush, cream-colored carpet, king-size bed, one nightstand and a dresser. “There’s a bathroom off the bedroom, and another one here.” He paused for a moment to let her peer into a large, gleaming bathroom with white and dark-blue tiles. “And this is the room that I thought we could make into a nursery.”

  He pushed open the door and stepped inside, drawing Allison with him. He knew the instant she saw the rocking chair and the stuffed Gund teddy bear that nearly filled the glossy oak seat, for her eyes widened and she caught her breath. Her hand tightened around his, and the smile she turned on him was heartfelt, her eyes misty, the wariness that normally lurked there erased by her delighted surprise.

  “Oh, Jorge.”

  “Do you like it?”

  “I love it.” She moved quickly across the room, stroking a hand down the curved arm of the high-backed rocker. “Where did you find it?”

  “At an antique shop in the Village.”

  “And the teddy bear?” She picked the big bear out of the chair and cuddled him, the caramel-colored, stuffed plush legs dangling to her knees.

  “I found him in a toy store downtown.” He frowned, measuring the size of the big bear against Allison’s slim form. “He’s kind of big. Think the baby will like him? Maybe I should have gotten a smaller one.”

  Allison laughed and rubbed her cheek against the bear’s fuzzy head. “I think the baby will love him, but it might be a while before she can pick him up.”

  “Yeah.” He thrust his hand through his hair and then propped his hands on his hips, his gaze flicking assessingly over the desk, chair and bookcase that were the room’s only other furniture. “I’ll move this stuff out of here and you can decorate it however you want. I looked at cribs and other baby furniture but had no idea what you wanted, so I didn’t buy anything. We can go shopping whenever you have a Saturday free from studying.”

  “Okay.” Allison dropped into the chair, the teddy bear on her lap, and rocked gently, a small smile curving her lips, one hand tracing the gleaming grain of the wood on the chair arm.

  Jorge looked at her, his heart tightening. “You really do like it, don’t you?”

  “Yes.” Her smile warmed. “I like it a lot. What made you go shopping for a rocking chair?”

  “I wasn’t exactly shopping for a chair. I walked past the store, and the chair was in the window.” He shrugged dismissively, unwilling to tell her that he’d had an instant mental image of her sitting in the chair, their baby at her breast. He’d walked straight into the shop and paid an exorbitant amount for the chair without hesitation.

  “And the teddy bear?” Her amber eyes smiled at him, gently teasing.

  He grinned. “I admit I went looking for the bear. Not for such a big bear, but this guy grabbed my attention the minute I walked through the door of F.A.O. Schwarz.”

  “I can see why,” she said dryly. “I’m guessing that as big as he is, you could hardly see the normal-size bears.”

  “He did sort of dominate the stuffed animal section.” Jorge enjoyed the accord that lay between them, loath to disrupt the quiet pleasure in Allison’s expression. But they had little time before the wedding and far too many issues to resolve. “So, do you think you’ll like living here?” His voice was serious, stripped of the earlier teasing note as he tried to read the shift of emotions across her features. She looked away, her gaze moving around the room, touching on the furniture, the bare walls, the view out the window.

  “I know I’ll have to give up my apartment when we’re married, Jorge. After all, the reason we’re marrying is so that we can share our child, and I don’t want you to miss the months before she’s born,” she said finally. “But I’m neither ready nor willing to move in here with you before the ceremony.” She looked back at him, her amber eyes determined, a faint hint of appeal in her voice. “My life is in complete chaos right now and I haven’t begun to come to terms with all the changes.”

 
Jorge looked at her, silently weighing her words. The sunlight poured through the window beside her, highlighting the fragility of bones and the vulnerability of her expression.

  Was he pushing her too hard, too fast? Maybe he should back off, give her time to come to terms with their marriage and living together. He was reluctant to give her physical space because that was the one area in which he was reassured that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. Still, he thought, there were only five more days until the ceremony. And given the speed with which he’d made plans, surely five days wasn’t too much to ask.

  “All right.” He was rewarded with a swift smile of relief from Allison. “I’ll make arrangements to have the movers empty your apartment and transfer your belongings while we’re gone. That way you won’t have to worry about packing and unpacking because by the time we get home, everything will be set up here.”

  “Get home? From where?”

  Jorge nearly groaned aloud. “Damn. I’m sorry. I should have told you—Judge Maddock has a free hour on Thursday so the wedding is set for 1:00 p.m., and a friend has loaned me his cabin upstate for the weekend, or longer, if you can get away from work and classes.”

  “Thursday?” Panic flooded Allison. Thursday was only five days away. Five short days and she’d be married. You knew the ceremony would be next week, she reminded herself.

  “Is Thursday okay with you?” Jorge asked. “You don’t have anything scheduled that day that you can’t postpone, do you?”

  “No. No, Thursday is fine.” The panic subsided, helped by several purposely deep breaths. Then the rest of his comment registered and panic surged again. “We’re going away after the wedding?”

  “Yes. My boss has a cabin upstate. It’s on the edge of a small town with several good restaurants, and the cabin itself is in the woods, with a stream running outside the back door. Very quiet and relaxing.”

  “I hadn’t realized we were going away after the wedding,” she said faintly.