“Oh my God,” Lia hisses. “He knew what we were doing, didn’t he?” I ignore her question and push my finger back inside her pussy as if nothing had happened. “What’re you doing?” Panic fills her voice, but there is something else as well—that fine edge of need impossible to disguise. She wants to come like the lady she is, but her body is urging her in the opposite direction, where desire rules and inhibitions are tossed aside.

“Giving you what you’re too shy to ask for. Just sit back and enjoy the ride, my love.” I do take a quick look around me, just to make sure we don’t have a voyeuristic waiter watching us. I don’t mind people questioning that we might be up to something, but I could do without a pervert getting off on it—well, unless that’s me. I use my thumb to strum her clit while plunging another finger into her. Before I know it, I feel her contracting around me, and the little devil actually bites my neck. “Fuck. Ouch, baby, release the teeth,” I growl. The spurt of pain, along with her little whimpers, are almost enough to have me blowing my load in my pants. I’d really rather not walk out of my friend’s restaurant with a wet spot on my crotch.

Lia removes her teeth and soothes the sting with a swipe of her tongue. Yeah—so not helping my problem. “Sorry, but you kind of deserved it.” She giggles softly. Embarrassing myself is probably worth it if I can make her laugh after her earlier panic attack.

Suddenly a booming voice says, “Luc and his beautiful girlfriend. Welcome, my friends!” Lia and I both jerk upright and stare at the owner of the restaurant and my friend, Leo. He steps closer to the table and clamps one hand on my shoulder, before extending his other for me to shake. I hear Lia gasp next to me when I extend the hand that had just moments ago been inside her. “It’s so good to see you,” Leo says enthusiastically. “My hostess told me that she’d seated you earlier. I apologize it’s taken some time for me to get over here to greet you.” With a twinkle in his eyes, he adds, “I trust your visit is going well so far?”

I know the polite thing to do would be to get to my feet and return his greeting properly, but something tells me that he understands why I choose to stay seated. “Leo, it’s been too long. How have you been?” I point to a seat at our table, silently inviting him to join us.

He remains standing as he says, “I’ve been well, Luc. I’m sorry to say that I’m short-staffed tonight and don’t have time to sit and talk. I just wanted to say hello quickly.” We talk for another moment before he rushes back toward the kitchen.

“Could that have been any more embarrassing?” Lia hisses when we’re alone again. “He knew exactly what we were doing, didn’t he?”

“Of course.” I laugh as I take a sip of my tea. “Leo’s Italian, baby, so it’s not exactly something new for him. I’ve no doubt he could overlook just about anything we do in his restaurant in the name of love…and lust.”

“You’re horrible,” she mock-scolds before turning her attention back to her food. We are both completely relaxed by the time the meal is over.

Even though it’s just after six, Lia’s eyes are heavy as we walk back to the apartment. “Tired, baby?”

“No,” she answers before yawning loudly. “Okay, maybe a little bit. I guess this is going to be happening a lot now.”

“Why’s that?” I ask, not catching on until she points at her stomach.

“Oh…yeah, that’s probably true,” I answer warily. I don’t want to encourage this conversation if she’s going to be as upset as she was earlier.

“How do you really feel about this, Luc? I mean, as much as I’ve been freaking out, this must be so much harder for you. Oh crap, I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have said that. You don’t have to answer that. That was really insensitive of me.”

I stiffen involuntarily at her question and she must have felt my response. I’m not used to discussing the baby I lost so freely so this is unfamiliar ground to me. I guess I thought that after I’d revealed my past to Lia, I would once again bury it—this time for good. Now I was unsure as to how to handle it. I don’t want there to be areas of either of our lives that are off-limits to each other. We need to be able to communicate, even if sometimes the subject is painful. I have to try—now more than ever for her. Taking a breath, I pull her closer, giving and receiving comfort. “It’s fine. You know you can ask me anything. To answer your question, like you, I’m still processing all that this means to us. I was so young the last time and woefully unprepared for the ramifications of being a father. So much of my time then was spent trying to keep Cassie stable that I had little time to think of anything else. I wanted the baby and even though I was nervous, I was excited. In a lot of ways, this is a new experience for me as well.”

We don’t talk again until we reach the apartment. I’ve just dropped my keys on the table in the entryway when Lia takes my hands in hers. “I know I’ve been all over the place since we found out today…about the baby, but you know I’m going to be okay, don’t you? I mean, the last thing I want is for you to be worrying about me doing something crazy. I promise you that won’t happen, Luc.”

Puzzled, I ask, “What’re you talking about, babe?”

She shifts uncomfortably. “I know I got really upset earlier and probably sounded as if I was losing it. I’m not though,” she rushes to add before I can speak. “I was shocked, I still am, but I’d never do anything to put the baby at risk.”