Free The Soldier's Baby Bargain by Beth Kery

His palm was warm against her bare skin.
    “Can you feel the baby moving yet?” he asked.
    She shook her head. In his leaned-over position, his face was very close to hers. She could smell his spicy, clean scent. They’d taken to talking in hushed tones, as if they were conversing at a sacred event. Which they were, Faith supposed.
    “The doctor says I should at around sixteen to twenty-two weeks. Maybe later, since it’s my first pregnancy.”
    “So this is your first pregnancy.”
    She blinked in surprise, but then caught what he’d meant. It was possible that she’d gotten pregnant before, and lost the baby. “Yes. I’ve never been pregnant until now. Jesse wasn’t interested in having children,” she said gently.
    He didn’t say anything, just glanced back down to his hand on her stomach. He moved it slightly, spiking tendrils of pleasure through her flesh.
    “Ryan?” she asked quietly. He looked up at her, his expression solemn.
    “Did you? Want a child? Someday, I mean?” she clarified.
    “Yes.”
    She gave a tremulous smile. The conviction in his voice had been absolute.
    “Well...even if the timing and circumstances weren’t what you might have wanted, I’m glad that your wish came true,” she whispered.
    “Thank you. For making it come true,” he said quietly.
    Her lips parted, but she couldn’t speak. She was caught in his stare. Neither of them spoke when he lifted his hand. Somehow she knew what he was about to do. She didn’t protest when he gently cupped her right breast. The heavy, pleasurable ache at her center amplified to a slow burn.
    “You’re changing here, too,” he said gruffly.
    She stifled a gasp when his fingers moved, ever so slightly, grazing a sensitive nipple. “Yes.”
    “Are you planning on breast-feeding?” he asked.
    When she didn’t immediately respond, his gaze flashed up to her face. She nodded, her throat too tight with emotion to speak. His nostrils flared. He seemed to come to himself. He dropped his hand and stood. Faith looked up at him helplessly. His face was rigid and difficult to read, but his tense muscles and hard body betrayed his arousal.
    He excused himself and walked out of the room, leaving her spinning in confusion and desire.
    * * *
    After taking a few minutes to compose himself, Ryan returned to the den. Regret hit him when he saw Faith glance up at him from where she still sat on the floor, her face looking pale, her eyes huge. She’d rebuttoned the flannel shirt, which amplified his guilt, but also gladdened him. All in all, he thought it was best for the time being that she cover herself from his greedy gaze. The last thing he wanted to do was to alienate her, but seeing the subtle transformation of her lovely body had moved him deeply.
    It had also been one of the most erotic experiences he could ever imagine—touching her. If that had been true on Christmas Eve, it was even more so now that his child grew inside of her.
    A child.
    Their baby.
    And people said miracles didn’t happen anymore. Couldn’t they see they occurred every day, right in front of their eyes?
    “What should I tackle first?” he asked, forcing his mind to the mundane and glancing around the room. He was glad to see the tension seep out of her face.
    “Oh, well I suppose you could start with the closet? Pretty much everything in there is stuff that I’ve already gone through and want to throw away.”
    “What about all this furniture?” he asked, inspecting the large cherry desk, bureau and full-size bed.
    “I was planning on hiring movers to do that. I’m going to donate the bed and bureau to the Salvation Army. They said they’d come and pick it up with their truck if I got the items out into the driveway. As for the desk, I’m moving that to the guest bedroom,” she said, standing.
    Ryan nodded, assessing the items. “I can do it today. I’ll run into town and rent a hand truck, then stop by the Salvation Army and ask them to pick up the bed and