final pinnacle. Her eyes drifted closed, as if to increase her concentration on the struggle, but Ryan was having none of that, not when they were so close to the end.
“Maggie, look at me,” he commanded. He needed to know that she was with him and no one else. He could feel her body starting to shudder, could feel his own tensing for one last thrust and an exquisite release. “Look at me!”
She opened her eyes just as the rush of his climax rocked through him. Her hips rose one last time, and then she, too, was catapulting over the brink,
The aftershocks seemed to go on forever. Ryan rolled on his back and pulled her on top of him, cradling her close, as his breathing finally slowed. Maggie was limp in his arms, her own breathing ragged.
Eventually she lifted her head and met his gaze. “That was…remarkable.”
Ryan grinned at the stunned note in her voice. “I told you I’d making coming upstairs worth your while.”
Her mouth gaped at the reminder, and then, to his shock, she began to laugh.
“What?” he asked, bemused by the reaction. He’d certainly found nothing to laugh about in the last hour or more.
“We came up for the condoms,” she reminded him.
A sense of dismay washed over him at the implication. “And forgot them,” he said slowly. “Oh, my God, Maggie, I’m sorry. It never crossed my mind.”
“Nor mine,” she reminded him.
“But I’m always responsible.” He raked a hand through his hair. What had he been thinking? Of course, that was precisely the problem, he hadn’t been thinking. Not with his brain, anyway. And the rest of his anatomy clearly wasn’t to be trusted. What the hell was he supposed to do if she got pregnant? He couldn’t—he wouldn’t—abandon her. But what kind of father could he possibly be? What kind of husband? All of the questions he’d spend a lifetime thinking he’d never have to deal with came crashing down around him, demanding answers.
Even as the questions set off panic, a tiny part of him marveled at the possibility that they had created a child together. The fear of committing to that—to Maggie—wasn’t nearly as horrendous as it would have been even days ago.
Maggie touched a finger to his brow. “Uh-oh. Worry lines. Stop it, Ryan. I’m not going to get pregnant.”
“You can’t possibly know that. People get pregnant all the time, even when they use protection.”
“Well, it won’t be your problem if I do,” she insisted, her jaw set stubbornly.
If that was meant to be reassuring, it failed miserably. Instead, it infuriated him. “And whose would it be? Is there someone in this bed I’m not aware of?”
“I just meant—”
“I know what you meant. You’re trying to let me off the hook…again,” he said, all but shouting. “And let’s get one thing very clear, if there’s a baby, I’m responsible. It is my problem, and we’ll deal with it together. Understood?”
“I won’t have you trapped into a marriage you don’t want, Ryan,” she said, her voice cool. “That’s something you need to understand. Any baby we conceived wouldn’t be a problem, not to me. It would be a blessing.” She regarded him wistfully. “Do we have to fight about this now?”
“Isn’t it better to be clear about things now, rather than put them off till we’ve a crisis?” he asked.
“No,” she said emphatically. “Because I’ve just had the best night of my life, and you’re ruining it with all this talk of doom and gloom.” She frowned at him. “Now let me be clear about something—I won’t have it.”
He grinned despite himself. “Okay then, no more doom and gloom. Would I be out of line if I suggested another kiss?”
“Perhaps.” Her expression turned thoughtful. “Try it and we’ll see.”
“I prefer not to take chances, especially with a woman who’s in such a dangerous mood.”
She laughed, and the dark mood was broken for good. “Come here and kiss me.”
He chuckled and rolled toward the nightstand. “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll grab the condoms first. With you, one kiss has a way of leading to another.”
Maggie had waited so long for this moment she thought her heart would burst from sheer joy. She was not going to allow Ryan’s momentary panic about the possibility of a baby ruin it. Truthfully, she could think of nothing more wonderful than having his child, but she could understand his fears.
To her those fears were just one more reason why he needed to act and do whatever it