Tropical Holiday Tails - Zoe Chant Page 0,43
down at him. “I wasn’t lying. I do like sex. But I don’t hunger for it, and I rarely come. Once we finally saw it as a pleasant thing we could do together and I stopped chasing the big O, the pressure was off and we could actually enjoy it together.”
Liam rose to a seated position beside her, and Caroline marveled all over again at how beautiful he was. She couldn’t resist reaching out and Liam caught her hand and held it. “You still could,” he said. “I mean, I would...there are...tools.” His whole face flushed scarlet. “I...ordered some.”
He was adorably flustered, and Caroline’s heart melted. “You bought me toys?”
“You said you liked sex!” he protested. “I was desperate. I watched things I can never un-watch.”
Caroline wriggled closer to him and slid her arms around his neck. “You dear man,” she said. “You’d do that for me?”
He captured her face in his hands. “I’d do anything for you,” he vowed. He leaned down and kissed her, the barest brush of his lips against hers, and it was everything that Caroline had ever wanted.
“This is enough,” she said, tangling herself against him and tipping him back onto the pillows. “This is all I need.” She laid her head on his chest and curled up against him blissfully.
They cuddled together for some time, making small talk about the night sounds and the mild weather.
“Are you out?” she asked shyly, after a while. “Do people here know? Your family?”
“Mostly,” Liam said, stroking her hair. “I was jilted at my wedding, you know, and women really go for that kind of thing. I kept having to turn them down, and it was easier just to be frank about the reason than hurt all those feelings. And my mother figured it out before I did, so I didn’t have a big coming out story there. You?”
She hesitated, then shook her head. “Nobody really knows. I didn’t have time or inclination to date after Jonathan died, and I never felt like I would be welcome in the ace community because I was so complicated. It seemed like you had to be wholly against sex in order to call yourself ace.”
“Some aces even crave sex but don’t feel attraction,” Liam pointed out. “You should call yourself whatever you feel comfortable calling yourself. Or nothing at all.”
“Yes, exactly,” Caroline said with delight. “The infinite variety of life.”
Suddenly, there was a buzz of her phone.
Caroline reluctantly untangled herself from Liam’s arms and reached for their abandoned clothing. “Hello?” she answered, not recognizing the number.
“I’m very, very, very sorry to bother you.” It was Breck’s voice and Caroline had a stab of concern. Had something happened to James?
“What is it? What’s wrong?” she demanded.
“Laura’s having contractions. Looks like her little one has decided not to wait until the New Year to make their big entrance. Also, Tex might be having a heart attack, we’re not sure.” There was excited chatter in the background, and a great deal of chaotic noise. It sounded like the gaming tournament was still going on, and the groans and chainsaw noises were an odd counterpoint.
Caroline cast her thoughts back to the paperwork she’d been sent; there were several babies due, the nearest one should be just a few weeks off. She had reviewed their medical files and been relieved to find no particular concerns, but she didn’t remember the particulars. “What is her due date?” she asked, slipping swiftly into her clothing. “How far apart are the contractions?”
Breck called the questions into the crowd and received an answer. Caroline did quick math in her head. “It’s only two weeks ahead of schedule and she’s still early in labor,” she said calmly. “Nothing to fret about at all. I will be there as soon as possible just to check things out. Do you want to bring her to the clinic? Or would she prefer to be in her own quarters? It’s a low risk pregnancy, our priority will be the mother’s comfort.”
Liam dressed as she did, pulling on pants and buttoning up his shirt. Caroline had a moment of regret; she had liked having Liam to herself for a little while. “Duty calls,” she said wryly. “Babies have the worst timing.”
They stopped by the clinic for Caroline to grab a medical bag from a neatly-marked box and the file of Laura’s records from her checkups on the mainland. When Liam showed Caroline to the rooms that Laura and Tex shared, they found the bartender holding a