“Jace, don’t leave me tonight.”
Stella held her breath as she waited for his reaction.
“Nothing could keep me away from you.”
The hungry look in his eyes told her what he wanted, but he didn’t push. He let her take control and Stella was so grateful. She needed to feel in charge of at least one thing in her life. Stella held out her hand and he took it, letting her lead them into his room and close the door.
“Stella, we don’t have to—” he started to say, but Stella kissed him instead. She kissed him with everything she had, everything she was feeling. The fear that there would be no tomorrow. The fear that someone would take all decisions from her. The fear that she and Jace wouldn’t have the time together to make their own happily ever after. Then she kissed him with the realization that when you know you’re in love, you know, and there’s no shame in telling the other person how you feel. She kissed him, not out of fear but with the hope that they had their whole life together to look forward to.
Jace paused only for a second before spearing his fingers into hair and angling her mouth for him to deepen the kiss. Stella felt the silent conversation their bodies had as they touched. The caring, the trust, the desire, and the future they hoped they’d have together.
“Stella,” Jace said, breaking the kiss. “You have to know how much you’ve come to mean to me.”
“I do.” No more fear. Life was too short for the fear of looking silly or embarrassing yourself. For all she knew, her tormentor could kill her tomorrow. And if that did happen, she wanted Jace to know she loved him. “Jace, I—”
“Stella,” Jace said at the same time.
“Sorry, go ahead,” Stella told him.
“I didn’t tell you the whole truth just now.” Stella froze in his arms and looked up at him.
“What do you mean?” Stella’s eyes searched his out for a clue, but they weren’t given.
“You mean more to me than just someone I care about. Stella, through all this, I’ve fallen in love with you. I’ve fallen in love with your kindness, with your strength, with what a good person, sister, aunt, and friend you are. I’ve fallen in love with the woman who worked by my side instead of having a romantic date. I’ve fallen in love with the woman who would do anything to save her dog. The woman who made it through my family dinner without crying or running out the door. And I’ve fallen for the woman who I can’t stop dreaming about every night. Stella, I love you.”
Stella’s whole body was alive with feeling. It was as if Jace’s words wrapped her in a warm cocoon of love, caring, and support. She’d never felt freer before in her entire life. “I love you too, Jace. I’ve known you were special to me from the first time I met you.”
“It felt different. I can’t describe it, I just knew it was different,” Jace said quietly as he cupped her face in his hands and began to place soft kisses on her lips.
“It felt right,” Stella said as she let her hands move down his chest, over the flat ridges of his abdomen. “And so does this.”
Jace dropped his hands from her face to allow her to strip his shirt off. Stella took in his muscled chest and allowed her eyes and fingers to run downward before she went to work on his belt.
They were quiet as they slowly undressed each other. Her body heated at the sight of his wide shoulders and muscular legs. Jace reverently laid her on the bed. His leg slid between hers and they locked eyes. He smiled, bent down, and kissed her.
Stella was lost to Jace’s exploration. She wanted to scream for him to hurry while at the same time beg him to never stop. She was breathing hard, and every sensation in her body seemed heightened. By the time they made love to each other, she felt connected to Jace in a way she never imagined possible.
19
Early the next morning, Jace slid from the bed and pulled on a pair of scrubs. There was no way he could stop the smile that spread across his face. He quietly shut the door to his apartment and locked it behind him. His mind was on the best night of his life as he trotted down the stairs and opened the back door of his clinic.
“You look happy,” Riley said with a knowing look as Matt escorted her into the clinic.
Jace turned on the hall light and the bathroom light. He handed Riley the specimen cup and smiled. “It’s an excellent day.”
“I made it another week, so I’ll agree with you on that,” Riley said, taking the cup and disappearing into the bathroom.
On the other hand, Matt didn’t look happy. He looked worried. “What’s really going on?” Jace whispered to his cousin-in-law.
“She’s suffering from bad indigestion. She says she feels okay, but she was a little dizzy on her walk over here.”
Jace’s smile fell from his face. He reached out and clasped Matt’s shoulder. “I’ll make sure she and the baby are safe, okay?”
Matt took a breath and blew it out as he nodded.
The toilet flushed and a minute later Riley walked out, drying her hands. “Go ahead and tell me how awesome I’m doing.”
“Matt, take her into the examining room. Today we’ll do an ultrasound as well as our regular checkup.”
Riley smiled and placed her hand on her bump. “You hear that? We get to see your sweet face again today.”
Matt tried to look up-beat, but it was clear he was worried as he escorted Riley to the exam room. Jace slid into his small lab and pulled out the test strip and cursed. Her proteins were way too high.
When Jace entered the room, his eyes met Matt’s. Matt’s jaw tightened and he swallowed hard. Today was not going to be the great day Jace had hoped for.
“Did I kick that test’s ass, or what?” Riley asked from where she sat on the table, now wearing an exam gown. He got a good look at her hands and feet. They were incredibly swollen.
“Let’s take your blood pressure real quick.” Jace pulled on the cuff and stuck the stethoscope in his ears. He had to stop himself from cursing. He pulled the stethoscope from his ears and looked up at Riley who was frowning at him.
“Tell me,” Riley demanded.
“I need to admit you to the hospital. I’m sorry, Riley.”
“What can I do? There has to be something I can do. I can’t just sit here waiting to see if my baby will live,” she pleaded.
Jace put his hands over hers. “Breathe, Riley. I’m going to give you a steroid shot. It will help the baby’s lungs develop.”
“How long does it need to work?” Riley asked with determination.
“As little as forty-eight hours for maximum benefit.”
Riley’s head nodded. “I can do that. I will do that.”
“I want you to lie on your left side. Matt, hold her hand for me. It’s a big shot. I’ll do the ultrasound after the shot.”
Jace stepped from the room as he measured out the injection. When he came back, Riley was on her side staring into Matt’s eyes. Jace didn’t show the needle to Riley as he made his way to stand behind her. He pulled up her gown and wiped the muscular area near her hip with an alcohol swab. He brought the needle up and Matt’s eyes went wide.
“That’s a huge needle,” Matt stammered.