Natasha's Awakening (46 page)

Eric stopped what he was doing long enough to look at her. “I would have thought it was obvious baby. I’m trying to help you so you can get some rest. You heard what the doctor said.’’

Natasha snorted, “I don’t think putting groceries away is going to test my endurance too much.” She told him and Eric’s gaze heated as his eyes roamed over her.

“Oh baby, I’d love to test your endurance.” He smirked and Natasha frowned at him.

“I’m not having sex with you Eric. You might have decided you want to be a part of mine and the baby’s life but it’s going to take more than one doctor’s appointment and a shopping trip to convince me. I haven’t forgotten what your track record is like. You can’t stay with the same woman for more than a couple of months.” She held up her hand when he went to interrupt. “It’s the truth Eric. I saw it all the time at work. It was me who sent the ‘thanks for knowing you, but no thanks’ gifts to all the women as you dumped them. I would sooner raise this baby alone than have you passing in and out of our lives when it suits you. That is not some effort on my part to trap you either, so if that’s going through your brain, forget it.” And with that she went back to unpacking groceries.

Eric was silent for awhile. He just continued to help Natasha with the groceries before he finally spoke. “I would like you to do me two favours.” He waited to see her reaction but all he got was her folded arms and she raised an eyebrow at him. “Please come back to work, at least for a couple of months baby. I need you. I don’t want to go through the crap of finding someone new. I’ll give you a raise, anything,” He begged and she tilted her head to one side as she waited for his next request. “And two, I want to prove I’m not going to disappear in a few months, I want to start a normal relationship with you. We went straight to the sex when we stayed at the hotel and we never dated. I want you to let me start dating you and I’d like to start tonight. Will you come out to dinner with me, please baby?”

Natasha listened to everything Eric said and although her heart was lifting, inside her head was a different matter. She wasn’t going to make things too easy for him. He was going to have to work hard for her to learn to trust him and it was going to take months for her to start having faith in him. He hadn’t had a single relationship that made it beyond two months. She seriously didn’t think he’d be able to do it. She wasn’t living under the illusion that she would be the woman who could make an honest man of him.

Eric was starting to look tense at her continued silence and Natasha decided to let him stew a little longer. Her eyes moved over his face taking in every little detail of his features. She couldn’t help but wonder who her baby would take after and she hoped he or she would get Eric’s eyes at least. They were such an intense blue. They went a deeper blue when he was aroused and looked a more steely blue when he was angry. They were her weakness with him and she knew as she stared into them as they looked back at her, worry starting to show in their depths that she was going to put him out of his misery and give him the answer he wanted. “Ok.” Was all she said and she was surprised to see him almost sag with relief. She wasn’t sure what the hell was going on with Eric, but whoever took the other one away and left her with this new improved one, then she wanted to thank them. “That was only one ok Eric. That was ok for dinner. You’ll have to wait until tonight to get my answer about work.” She told  him. She was going to drive him crazy if it was the last thing she ever did.

“Ok, I’ll get going then baby. I’ll pick you up at six,” he said as he headed for the door. “Where are we going? What should I wear?” Natasha asked but Eric just told her to wear anything she wanted to wear and with a quick kiss on her cheek, he walked out the door, closing it behind him.

                                                                               Chapter 21.

Natasha stood in her walk in robe staring at the rows of clothes and cursed Eric for not giving her an idea where they were going so she knew what to wear. Since the evenings were still warm as it tended to take longer to cool down on the mainland than it did in Tasmania, she finally settled on a black dress that molded to her body, high at the neck, fastening with a choker styled chain which did up at her nape. From below the choker chain, the back of the dress was cut out to the waist. She wore matching high heels and had a small black bag to finish the ensemble. She made her face up with heavier eye make up than she normally wore to give her eyes a more sultry look. Natasha had no intention of sleeping with Eric, but there was nothing wrong with driving the man insane if she could do it. She brushed her hair over one shoulder and clipped it to keep it in place. When she looked at herself in the mirror, she was happy with the final effect.

Right on 6pm, she heard the knock on her door and went to answer it, almost taking a step back when she saw Eric. Damn, but he wasn’t playing fair either, he looked good enough to eat. He wore black jeans and a black shirt with the sleeves rolled back. His hair was still slightly damp and that one lock had tumbled forward and was hanging above his eye. With the dark colours, the blue of his eyes seemed even more intense than usual and Natasha felt her heart begin to flutter erratically behind her breast.

Eric’s eyes dropped to her lush, plump lips, painted in a glossy blood red lipstick. She didn’t wear the colour much, but she was focused on drawing his attention to her as much as possible and if the way his eyes were moving down her body was any indication, he was loving what he was seeing and as his eyes settled on her face again, her tongue came out to sweep across her bottom lip.

Natasha watched his eyes follow the movement and she saw a muscle tick in his jaw as he gritted his teeth in reaction, his hands fisting at his sides but he made no effort to touch her, just telling her in a husky voice that she looked beautiful.

After Natasha had locked up, he led her out to his car, his hand at the small of her back, his fingers spreading over her warm skin that was exposed by the near backless dress. She smiled to herself at his reaction to the expanse of bare skin when he’d discovered it. She knew the exact moment he did, when she heard his harshly drawn breath.

She raised her eyebrow at him when he stopped beside a scarlet red Porsche 911 and his expression darkened when he saw hers. “Don’t start baby. Don’t diss the car.” He warned and she laughed.

“Just how many cars do you have Eric? You just keep getting better and better at the cliché don’t you?” She smirked.

“Not that many.” He said sounding defensive. “Only 5 and that doesn’t include the limos either.” He helped Natasha into the car then walked around to the driver’s side to climb in alongside of her. As he settled in his seat, she could smell the delicious scent of his aftershave and she inhaled deeply, loving it.

Eric drove confidently through the traffic, heading out to Terrigal and once she realised he was going there, the more expensive, well to do area of the Central Coast, she was pleased that she’d chosen to wear something that would fit in with their location.

He pulled into a parking area at the seafood restaurant that perched on the side of the steep hill, with views over Terrigal and the ocean. “Do you want to sit inside or out on the deck baby?” Eric asked and Natasha told him she wanted to be outside. It was warm enough and still light enough to enjoy the views.

Once they were seated, she picked up the menu the waitress brought to their table and started reading through the lists of mouth watering meals on offer.

“Unless you have something you want in particular Eric, why don’t we get the seafood platter for two?” Natasha suggested. “It seems to be a popular choice.” She indicated other tables where people were having the platter.

“Ok baby, whatever you want.” Eric agreed and Natasha tried to hide the tiny smile from him. He was being so agreeable right now. She had to wonder how long he could keep it up for. When the waitress came to their table to take their order, Eric requested the oysters done three ways and the Seafood platter for two. “What do you want to drink?” He asked and Natasha chose just water for herself. “Are you sure?” He asked and she nodded.

“I’m pregnant Eric, I’m not having anything alcoholic.” She told him. He ordered a scotch on the rocks for himself and once the waitress had gone, he turned to Natasha, tension on his face.

“So have you decided whether you’ll come back to work or not?”

“Seriously Eric? You’re asking me that now? Well, I don’t know. I’m not interested in working right up until I’m due. I don’t need the money. I’ve got my own money from my Father’s life insurance and my inheritance. I’m good for a few years at least before I’d have to go back to work, so make me an offer I can’t refuse. Sounds like you need me more than I need you.” Natasha tilted her head to one side a small smile tilting up her lips. “How much do you want me?” She grinned, the innuendo behind her words not lost on Eric.

“Oh I think you know exactly how much I want you baby.” His voice was deep with the arousal that suddenly burned in his eyes.

“It’s going to cost you though.” She said coyly. She lowered her lashes peering up at him through them, “So how much are you willing to pay?”

Eric’s eyes closed as he fought to control the desire she was igniting in him. “I’ll double your wage.” He told her and Natasha’s eyes widened.

“Wow, you want me that much?” She asked and Eric clenched his teeth together.

“Stop it Natasha. I know what you’re trying to do and if you don’t want me laying you out on the table and fucking your brains out right now, I’d stop if I was you. Don’t make the mistake of toying with me unless you’re prepared to follow through and I know you aren’t. I know exactly what this is all about. You’re trying to punish me.” He sat back in his seat to study her face.

“Fine Eric, no more games. I’ll come back to work for the next few months or until I’ve had enough but I will advertise for a replacement for me if that would make life easier for you and I can train them too. How’s that?” Natasha asked.

“I can live with that.’’ Eric said, a smile of satisfaction on his face. “Now let’s eat.” He nodded his head as the waitress arrived with their oysters. They had been done three ways, Kilpatrick, Mornay and Rockefeller. Since they were having the seafood platter, Eric had only ordered one tray for them to share for their entrée. The oysters were delicious and Natasha moaned through every mouthful, watching his reaction through her partially closed eyes. His eyes were filled with amusement as he watched her eat. He knew exactly what she was doing, it was evident in his gaze but it wasn’t enough to stop her toying with him all the same.

After they’d finished their oysters Eric started to ask Natasha about her childhood. She was reluctant to tell him at first as she was mindful of the life he’d had and that his had been vastly different to hers. He listened as she told him about her Father and his tragic death but he’d loved his family enough to make sure he’d had life insurance and that had given her and her Mother more than enough money to keep going, plus a generous portion had been given to her and that’s where some of it had gone, into buying her townhouse. “Dad worked so hard to provide for but he still found time to play games with me, he made me feel loved and cherished. He and Mum were very happily married too. When Dad died, for a long time I didn’t think Mum would ever recover enough to get on with her life. She would cry all the time, it was awful.” Natasha’s eyes shone with tears that threatened and Eric’s hand came out to cover hers.

They talked about general things after that which gave Natasha a chance to compose herself. Finding out that they enjoyed similar music and authors. It was interesting to her to learn things about Eric she didn’t know. When they’d been in the hotel there wasn’t much time for talking, it had just been all the mind blowing sex.

Their seafood platter arrived and she looked at it in awe. It was a three tiered work of art piled high with prawns, crab, Balmain bugs, calamari and pieces of deep fried fish. Some of the seafood was fresh and the rest was battered. Both Natasha and Eric tucked into the mouth watering food and neither said anymore while they enjoyed their meal.

Once they’d finally finished Natasha flopped back in her seat groaning as her stomach felt close to exploding. She rubbed her distended belly and Eric smiled at her as he watched her. “Over eaten baby?” he asked and she nodded.

“I think I’m going to burst.” She moaned. Now that she was full of delicious food she could feel the fatigue settling over her again and she wondered if it was always going to be like this for the entire pregnancy. She couldn’t help it and yawned noisily, covering her mouth to try and conceal it, but Eric noticed and laughed.

“I think it’s time to get you home and in bed.” He said.

“I’m not having sex with you Eric.” Natasha told him and Eric raised an eyebrow at her.

“I never said I wanted to have sex with you baby.” He replied. “You know for someone who is so determined that we not have sex, you seem to be the only one bringing it up an awful lot sweetheart.” He grinned at her. “Just who are you trying to convince? Me or you?”

Natasha chose to ignore his comment instead telling him she wanted to go home. “I’m sorry Eric, but if I stay here much longer I’m going to end up face first on my plate.” she said, yawning again.

“Ok baby, come on, I’ll get you home.” And they both got up from their seats. Eric paid for dinner and led Natasha out to his car, getting her settled in her seat before he climbed into the driver’s seat and started the drive back to her townhouse.

The purr of the engine and her full stomach were enough to make her feel very tired as he drove and she dropped her head against the passenger side window and closed her eyes, telling herself she’d just rest them for a moment.

It was the sound of Eric’s voice in her ear that made her stir when they got back to Natasha’s townhouse. “Come on baby, you’re home, wake up.” Eric urged her but it was too much effort for her and all she could do was mumble at him, trying to settle back in the Porsche’s seat.