One Night Forever (3 page)

into tears right there. She’d felt like a fool after their

first encounter. Turning into a weeping puddle on the

floor wasn’t
even
going to happen.

“Yes. Nothing a little rest won’t cure.” She smiled

a little at him. Actually, she felt damn miserable.

“Have you eaten lunch?”

“Well, no. I thought I’d grab a sandwich on the

way home.” She knew her smile was a bit strained, but

it was the best she could manage at the time. “I’m

sorry I bumped into you. Excuse me,” she said and

waddled to the next room. What a damned day.

***

she rounded the corner. She certainly looked different

than when he’d first seen her, but then he’d expected

it. She looked like she needed rest, but other than that,

she was beautiful. There was something about carrying

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One Night Forever

a child that gave women a warm glow that could not

be duplicated at any other time in their life.

He watched her from a distance, keeping

informed through her sister when he wasn’t in the

general vicinity. To say Ariel was under considerable

strain was an understatement. She’d gone through hell

to get her ex-boyfriend to give up his parental rights.

In the end, all it had taken was money. The bastard

sold his rights for a mere ten thousand dollars. It had

all been done quietly and without Ariel’s knowledge

through Damien’s lawyers. It had been Tom himself

who'd suggested the money. Because of that, Damien

had no guilt in his part in the action. He’d handed the

money over gladly, with the condition that Tom leave

Ariel and her child alone forever. Now, all Damien had

to do was convince Ariel he was the one she needed.

In all their discussions about Ariel, Gretta had

left out the part where Ariel looked tired and thin

despite her expanding middle. Gretta should have

been more attentive to Ariel’s needs. He and Gretta

might just have to have a come to Jesus meeting about

her little neglect. Ariel presented the picture of a

woman in desperate need of pampering, and Damien

knew he was the man to do it.

God, he needed her! From the first moment he’d

seen her, he needed her with a primal hunger that

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Marteeka Karland

frightened him beyond words. Never had he had such

an all-consuming reaction to a woman. He thought

about her every night. How he was going to make her

his. He hadn’t sought her out because she needed time

to break emotionally from her ex-boyfriend, and come

to terms with her pregnancy. Still, it had been hell for

him. Now, here she was. Very alone, and very

pregnant. And damn him to hell if the thought of her

body growing with child didn’t make him hard. The

only thing that would have made the image any better

would be to know it was his child.

“She could use a good man, you know,”

Damien’s long time friend Connor Jackson drawled.

The other doctor leaned against the counter, his arms

crossed over his chest. He and his brother owned the

clinic. They were also husbands to the manager, Lilly.

Though their lifestyle was unconventional at best,

Damien had never seen his friends so happy.

“Yes. She could.”

“You going to do something about that?”

“Of course. Just promise me no one will be mad

at her when she disappears in a few minutes. I intend

to take her home.” Damien sounded far more certain

than he felt. He absolutely would not force himself on

a woman, but dammit, Ariel looked too tired to be

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One Night Forever

anywhere but in his bed. He’d see to it she rested. And

any other activity would be his doing. Not hers.

Connor’s chuckle was deep and knowing. Once

he convinced Ariel to leave with him, there would be

no problems with her job. Connor would see to that.

He found Ariel with her head in her hands

sitting at a desk in one of the back rooms. He realized

she was crying silently. Well shit.

“Ariel?”

She stiffened and turned her head away, wiping

at her eyes. It was a moment before she composed

herself enough to face him, but he let her take her

time, knowing it wasn’t always wise to push a

hormonal woman. As she turned, the red eyes, nose

and cheeks tore at his heart.

“Dr. Carter. I’m sorry. Did you need this exam

room?” She started to rise.

“No. And don’t call me doctor. Are you okay?”

He placed a hand on her shoulder to keep her in her

seat.

She looked up at him, eyes sad and weary.

“Yeah. I’m fine.” She paused. Her composure lasted all

of two seconds. “No, not really.” Then she started

crying all over again. Her slim shoulders shook with

her sorrow.

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Marteeka Karland

Damien couldn’t help himself. He closed and

locked the door and drew Ariel into his arms.

Murmuring quiet words of comfort, he stroked her

hair and then her back as she sobbed brokenly,

relaying her fears to him between sniffs and bouts of

crying. Damien realized she wasn’t even aware she was

baring her soul to him. She was that distraught. She

was scared of going through the delivery alone, scared

she couldn’t be the mother her daughter needed. She

was just plain scared.

He tried to convince himself he needed to chase

the shadows from her eyes and halt her tears. But

when he caught her chin in his fingers, tipping her face

to him, he couldn’t lie to himself. He’d wanted to kiss

Ariel the first moment he’d met her on that sidewalk.

Slowly, carefully, he lowered his mouth to hers,

claiming her lips in a gentle kiss meant to test the

waters, to see how she felt about him. At first, he

wasn’t sure she would kiss him back. She froze, her

body stiffening as his lips slid over hers. Then she

relaxed into his kiss and whimpered a little as she

opened her mouth slightly to allow his tongue

entrance.

They stood there kissing for long moments

before he felt Ariel’s urgency. She became a bit

bolder—sucked his tongue, nipped his bottom lip. Her

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One Night Forever

fingers wound in his hair and she clung to him, her

body pressing hungrily against his.

Damien grunted his approval and slid his hands

down her body to her waist, pulling her more fully to

him and pressing his growing erection against her

rounded belly. He thought she might stop then. Her

languid body grew tense again and she pulled back to

look at him. The need to feel like a desirable woman

was clear in her eyes. Damien would be less than a

man if he didn’t recognize that basic need.

Despite the driving instinct to take her now, to

make Ariel his, he absolutely would not do this here.

He would have her; there was no question of that. But

he would do it in a bed. With dancing candlelight,

satin sheets, and soft music. He’d take her home and

never let her go.

“Are you sure about this?” He didn’t think he

could handle it if she decided not to let him make love

to her.

She looked into his eyes, searching for

something. For a moment, Damien thought she might

change her mind, but she finally found what she was

looking for and smiled.

“It’s been a long time since I was this sure about

anything.” Her smile stopped his heart. She was so

beautiful!

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Marteeka Karland

“Come with me, then.” He took her hand and led

her out of the clinic. How in the world he would

manage to get her home, he didn’t know. But he was

determined to treat her with respect and give her the

pampering she deserved.

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Chapter Three

Ariel’s heart pounded. Now that the spontaneity

was gone and she’d had time to think on the short ride

to Damien’s house, she was having doubts. Not about

him. Gretta had talked nonstop about the handsome

doctor since the day Ariel met him, so she knew he

wasn’t a bad guy. Her sister might be a lot of things,

but stupid wasn’t one of them. And Gretta was very

protective of her. Ariel was having second thoughts

about the whole misadventure.

It wasn’t just the sex. Had it been that, she’d

gladly have given as much as she got and smiled at the

memory years down the road. There was no doubt that

sex with Damien Carter would be a soul-shattering

experience. Ariel was apprehensive about her

situation. Sex with Damien meant she bared her

swollen body to him. He’d see the evidence of her

indiscretion and bad judgment. She was exposing her

very essence to Damien and she wasn’t sure if she

could handle it if he found her lacking. Worse, what if

he changed his mind? By the time they pulled into his

driveway—a couple of blocks from Ariel’s sister’s

house—she was entertaining serious thoughts of

making a run for it.

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Marteeka Karland

“Don’t even think about it, Ariel.” Damien’s hard

voice was a whip of command that sent shivers down

her spine and raised the fine hair on her body. Not to

mention made her cream in anticipation. The man had

the sexiest voice she’d ever heard, and though he’d

always been gentle with her, she sensed he could be

hard and demanding. “You had your chance to back

out before we left the clinic. I’m not letting you run

from me now.”

“Damien, are
you
sure about this?” She couldn’t

look at him without her resolve melting so she settled

her gaze on his chest. “I’m not sure I could take it if

you changed your mind later.” The admission took a

lot. She wasn’t a weak woman. Normally, the opinion

of others mattered little, but this was different. If he

rejected her, he was not only rejecting her, but her

daughter as well. That was something Ariel couldn’t

handle gracefully. She absolutely did
not
want to

embarrass herself in front of this man again and

slapping his handsome face would definitely

embarrass her.

His fingers found her face and he tilted her head

back until she was forced to meet his gaze. “I think I’m

more sure about this than you are, but I’m not letting

you back out because you’re afraid I’ll reject you.

We’ve not exactly spent quality time together over the

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One Night Forever

last few months, but I’d have hoped your sister

would’ve mentioned I’m not a fickle man. I would

never have brought you here if I wasn’t certain what I

wanted.”

They stared at each other for a long moment.

Ariel searched his eyes for a hint of mockery or

deception and found none. What she did find was a

fierce possessiveness that thrilled her beyond belief,

and a raw hunger that stole her breath. Finally, she

nodded her head and managed a soft, “Okay.”

Damien flashed her a smile before getting out of

the car and hurrying to her side to open the door and

help her to her feet. He was so considerate, cradling

her hand in the crook of his arm and escorting her to

his home. It was almost a formal gesture, one Ariel

found she enjoyed. As Damien unlocked the door, the

familiar rumble of a car engine caught her attention.

Ariel glanced over her shoulder at the dark blue GTO

passing down the street, slowing down as it passed

Damien’s house. Tom.

“He can’t have you, Ariel.” Damien’s tone was

mild as ever. Ariel hadn’t realized she was staring at

the car until he spoke. Blinking rapidly as she turned

to face him, her heart thundered in her ears at his

expression. In that moment, Damien looked almost

dangerous. Predatory. A beast whose territory had

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Marteeka Karland

been invaded. It should have frightened her, or at least

given her pause. Instead, it thrilled her beyond

imagining. She stepped closer to him, seeking shelter

in his much larger body.

“I don’t want him,” she whispered. “I want you,

Damien.” She reached up to touch his shadowed jaw

with trembling fingers, caressing his skin until he

pulled her to him with a groan as he shoved the door