Authors: Marteeka Karland
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