Free Spiral of Bliss 02 Allure by Nina Lane

onto the bed beside me, lowering his head for a lovely, minty kiss before flopping onto his back. I shift to one elbow and run my hand over his chest.
    “You know, I was thinking…” I begin.
    “Uh oh,” he mutters.
    I pinch his arm. “I was thinking about
us
. That we should do something really romantic to prove our commitment again. Like take a hot-air balloon ride or enroll in ballroom dancing lessons.”
    “Can’t we just rent a cabin for a week and screw like rabbits?”
    I roll my eyes, though the idea is not without appeal. “I mean, in addition to that.”
    “Oh.”
    “We could renew our vows, but I think that’s a little clichéd.”
    “Mmm.”
    “Maybe we could get matching tattoos,” I suggest.
    “Of what? A ball and chain?”
    “Dean!” I smack him with a pillow.
    He laughs and pushes the pillow aside, then grabs my ass and hauls me on top of him.
    “Give me a kiss, beauty.”
    “No way,” I huff, even though the sensation of his lean, muscular body beneath mine is getting me all tingly again. “You’re mocking a meaningful declaration of our love. Why should I kiss you?”
    “Because I make you hot.”
    Damn.
He slides his hands underneath my robe and rubs my ass in circles, the heat of his palms burning through my cotton panties. It takes a superhuman effort to give him a quick peck on the lips and move off the bed.
    “Hey.” He frowns at me.
    “Try a little harder next time, professor.” I head for the closet. “Besides, it’s almost time for work, and I need to change.”
    “You don’t need to change. You’re perfect just the way you are.”
    I toss him a smile over my shoulder, unsurprised to find him looking pleased with himself for that remark. Warm inside, I dress in a skirt and blouse, then rummage around for a pair of shoes. Dean’s cell phone rings. He groans, but reaches to pick it up.
    “Dean West.” After a pause, he pushes up to one elbow. “Paige?”
    The sudden tension radiating from him arcs into me. The only Paige I know of is his younger sister, but she still lives out in California and they rarely speak anymore.
    “Yeah… what?” Dean swings his legs to the floor and sits on the edge of the bed. “When?”
    I hurry to sit beside him, suddenly alarmed. I press my hand to his back.
    “Okay… hold on.” He grabs a pen from his nightstand and scribbles something on a piece of paper. “Thanks for calling. Be there as soon as I can.”
    He puts the phone down and curses, his shoulders rigid.
    “Dean?”
    “Shit, Liv.” He scrubs his hands over his face. “I have to go to California. My father had a heart attack.”
     

     
    “You’re staying here,” Dean orders.
    He’s spent the last hour making phone calls to his sister and mother while trying to book a flight to California. He paces the bedroom like a caged tiger.
    “You’re pregnant, for God’s sake,” he says.
    “I know that.” I fold a blue skirt and put it in my suitcase. “But Dr. Nolan said it’s perfectly safe to travel. And if you think I’m letting you go to California alone, you’re wrong.”
    “Dammit, Liv, I have to stay at my parents’ house, and you know what a—”
    “Dean, I can handle it.”
    “I don’t want you to!” He stops in the middle of the room to glare at me, his fists clenching at his sides. “Why do you think I’ve gone to California alone since we got married? So you won’t have to deal with my fucked-up family.”
    My chest constricts. It’s true that I haven’t protested before. He’s visited his family alone because he wanted to protect me, just like he does now, and I was happy to let him. For a long time, it felt good to let Dean shield me whenever he could and soothe me on the rare occasions when he couldn’t.
    Except now, our lives have changed so much. I’ve changed. So has he, even if he doesn’t quite know it yet. There’s still a long path ahead of us, and I need to start on it by not being afraid.
    “Dean, when things happen,