Part 11 or Who Are You?

Chapter 12

Lauren heard her grandmother clanging things around in the kitchen as she stepped through the front door.  A sure sign she was upset.  Well, she was just going to have to be mad, Lauren thought, because she wasn’t going to apologize for being out all night.  She was twenty-six for goodness sake!  Straightening her shoulders, she walked into the kitchen.

            “Good morning, Grandma,” she said as she leaned against the door frame with her arms crossed over her chest.

            Her grandmother turned around and glowered at her.  “And where have you been all night?”

            “I spent the night with someone I’ve been seeing,” Lauren lied.  She and Max hadn’t really been dating, just making love a couple of times, but her grandmother didn’t need to know that.

            “And he sent you in here doing the walk of shame in that dress without the courage to come in and introduce himself?”

            Lauren sighed.  “Actually, he wanted to come in but I told him not to.”     

Her grandmother’s eyes widened in surprise.  “Why did you do that?”

            “Because I didn’t think you’d be able to be nice to him this morning.  We’ll plan another time when you’ll have your company manners on and I’ll properly introduce you to him then.”

            Her grandmother looked like she wanted to say something else about the subject but she bit her tongue.  Probably literally.  Instead, she picked up a small white box from the counter next to the sink.  It was sealed with a knotted pink ribbon.  “I found this on the steps this morning when I went out to get the paper.  I’m assuming it’s for you so I didn’t open it.”

            Lauren looked at the box nervously.  Who would have left something outside for her instead of waiting until they saw her in person?  Like she didn’t already know the answer to that.  With trembling fingers, she untied the ribbon and opened the box.  Inside was a perfect rose the exact tea rose color of the dress she had on.  There was also a note.  It read, ‘Your dress was as beautiful as this rose, my love for you grows.  But I was disappointed not to see you wear it home.’  Lauren dropped the note back into the box and stared at it in disbelief.  No one had seen her dress before she put it on last night.  She hadn’t shown it to anybody, not even Audrey.  Whoever was sending these things was either at the gala last night or had been spying on her.  Both ideas were frightening.

            With a shaky voice, she asked her grandmother, “You didn’t see who left this?”

            Her grandmother’s brows knitted together.  “No, it was just sitting there when I opened the door.  Lolo, what’s the matter?”

            “Nothing.”  Lauren forced her lips upwards in a poor attempt at a smile as gathered up the box and the ribbon.  “It’s nothing.  I’m going to go shower and change.”  She turned and left the kitchen before her grandmother had the chance to say anything else.

            Once in her room, she pulled her phone out of her purse.  David picked up on the second ring.  “Lauren, I’ve been worried about you!” he started but she cut him off.

            “David, did you leave a box for me this morning?”

            “A box?  No.  Why?”

            “Because someone left me a box with a flower in it that matches my dress and a disturbing note,” she told him.

            “And you thought it was me?!  Thanks a lot.  Lauren, this is getting ridiculous.  You have to go to the police with this.  Please!” he pleaded. 

The concern in his voice helped lay to rest somewhat the nagging idea of him being behind the letters and flowers, since he was, after all, the best candidate.  But, that nagging idea persisted in reminding her how jealous he could get.  Did he have it in him to spy on her when she was with another man?  Maybe.

            “I’ll think about it,” she told him and rang off, cutting off whatever he tried to say. 

Lauren sat down on her bed letting the box and ribbon fall to the floor.  What should she do?  She still didn’t think the police could help her.  There just wasn’t enough evidence to figure out who was doing this.  It was probably just someone’s idea of a joke but what if it wasn’t?  What if she really did have a stalker?  And if she did, just how crazy is he?  How far could she let this escalate before she tried to do something about it?

            With a heavy sigh, she stood up and slipped out of her dress and into her light blue satin robe.  She hung the dress up in the closet and then picked out a pair of jeans and a blue turtle neck sweater that she knew matched her eyes perfectly.  After finding a pair of red matching bra and panties, she went into the bathroom and started the water.  She felt numb as she took her contacts out and put them in their little cups on the shelf above the sink.  Her brain was being overloaded with everything going on – Max, the baby, a possible stalker, and she couldn’t focus on any one thing long enough to make any decisions.  Hanging her robe on the back of the door, she stepped into the hot spray, letting the water flow over her tense muscles for several long minutes trying to let it calm her mind as well as her body.  It didn’t work.

            She gave up after fifteen minutes.  She washed her hair and stepped out of the shower, trying her best to avoid her stressed out reflection in the mirror.  She didn’t want to see the worry lines on her forehead or the fear building in her eyes.

She gave her hair a quick blow dry, knowing that it was going to be curlier than usual because she didn’t dry it all the way.  After putting her contacts back in, she applied a small amount of make up trying to cover the black circles under her eyes. 

She stood in front of her closet for several minutes deciding if she should bring clothes for work tomorrow.  Finally, she chose a navy blue suit and put it in a garment bag along with her small make up case and a pair of shoes.  She still wasn’t sure if she was going to spend the night at Max’s, but she opted to bring it just in case.  She suspected her lack of self-control around him wouldn’t be any better today than it had been yesterday.  At the last minute, she tossed the box with the flower and the note into the bag as well.  Maybe Max would have some ideas about it.  She didn’t really want to drag him into her problems, but he claimed to want to be a part of her life now.  At least, he did this morning.  If he runs for the hills when she brings it up, she’ll know he isn’t serious.

            “I’m leaving, Grandma!” she called out from the living room as she slipped into her jacket.

            Her grandmother came in from the kitchen drying her hands on a towel. “But you just came home!  Where are you going?”

            “I have a date,” she said.

            “When will you be back?”

            “Probably not until tomorrow.”  She left her grandmother sputtering in the hall as she closed the front door behind her.

  

Chapter 13

Max opened the door for Lauren and was amazed again at how beautiful she could look in just a pair of jeans and a tight sweater.  “Welcome back,” he said with a smile as he kissed her lightly and then took the garment bag from her and laid it on the banister to bring upstairs later.

            “Actually, there’s something in there I’d like to show you,” Lauren said as she slipped off her jacket.

            “Something naughty, I hope,” Max said with a wicked grin hoping she meant the boots she wore on Halloween.

            Lauren’s lips formed a thin line before she said, “I wish it was.” 

That sounded ominous, Max thought, as she unzipped the bag and pulled a small white box from it.  “What’s that?”

            “I seem to have a secret admirer, or a stalker maybe,” she said uncomfortably as she carried the box into the living room and dropped it down on the coffee table as if she couldn’t stand to have it in her hands anymore.

            Max sat down on the couch next to her and opened the box.  Inside was a pink rose.  “Pretty,” he commented.

            “Does the color look familiar?” she asked nervously.

            Max looked more closely at the flower.  Damn, it was the same color as the dress she had on last night.  He remembered the color perfectly because the image of her in that dress was permanently etched in his mind.  “This come with it?” he asked as he unfolded the note and then his face contorted into a deep frown as he read it.  Looking up at her, he asked, “Is this the first thing like this you’ve received?”

            Lauren shook her head.  “No, I’ve been receiving flowers for a while with cards that all said, ‘It’s almost time for you to be mine.’ And I’ve received two letters at work that read, ‘It’s almost time for you to be mine, I count the days and the hours until we belong to each other.’”

            Dropping the note back in the box, Max asked, “What have the police said?”

            Lauren dropped her eyes from his.  “I haven’t called them.  I was hoping they’d stop coming,” she said quietly.

            “What?!” Max stood up so fast he banged into the coffee table almost knocking it over.  “What do you mean you haven’t called the police?  Are you nuts?  This is obviously some crazy person stalking you.  Did you really think you could just ignore it and it would stop?  That’s not how these things work.  Usually, someone ends up getting hurt or killed!”  It dawned on him that he might be overreacting, but dammit, she couldn’t let her naivety put her and the baby at risk.  There were too many crazies coming through the court system for him to believe this was anything other than a threat.

            She crossed her arms over her chest and went on the defensive.  “What could they do about it?  I’m sure the person isn’t stupid enough to leave fingerprints and no one at the florists ever saw who left the money and card, so just what do you think the police could do?  Or would do, considering how much they love us defense attorneys!”

            Max’s lips pressed together tightly in frustration.  She had a point.  But dammit, she was pregnant!  She shouldn’t have to deal with a stalker on top of that!  He pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed a number.

            “Who are you calling?” Lauren asked.

            Before he could answer, a deep baritone answered.  “Kerkowski.”

            “Hey, Tom, this is Max Canter.  Sorry to bother you but I have a personal issue I was hoping you might be able to help with.”

            “I’ll try,” the police captain said.  “Just tell me it’s not another bomb threat.”

            Max grimaced thinking back to six months ago when Jack had dealt with another type of stalker – a hit man who had an affinity for bombs.  “No, nothing like that, but my girlfriend has been receiving some concerning items and I was hoping you could have someone check on it.”  He noticed Lauren’s eyebrows rising when he said the word girlfriend.

            “You have a girlfriend?” Kerkowski asked in surprise.  “As in one woman who you’re seeing exclusively?”

            “Yes,” Max said between clenched teeth.  Damn, how bad was his reputation with women that it was hard to believe he had a girlfriend?  Granted, it had been a while since he had referred to anyone he was seeing as his girlfriend.

            “Well, I’ll be damned,” Kerkowski laughed.  “Miracles do exist.”

            “If you’re done, can I tell you why I called?” Max almost growled into the phone.

            “Alright, alright, what ya got for me?” Kerkowski asked still sounding amused.

            Max explained what Lauren did for a living and about the letters and flowers.  He finished up by telling him about the dress and the flower with this morning’s note.  When he was done, Kerkowski let out a low whistle.  “Sounds like whoever’s doing this is keeping close tabs on her.  I don’t like the sound of it.”  After a moment, he added, “First guess, I would say it’s probably one of the loony toons she defends.  But the more I think about it, the more personal it sounds.  Does she have an old boyfriend or anyone who might not be happy about you two being together?”

            Max’s mind jumped to David and he snorted.  “Yeah, you could say that.”

            “Alright, I’ll have someone come talk to her tomorrow.  Make sure she brings this guy up so he can be questioned,” Kerkowski said.  “Sometimes people are reluctant to think the worst of someone they used to care about and don’t give the names of all potential suspects.  There’s not a whole lot to go on here, but maybe we’ll get lucky and kick up some clues.”

            “Thanks, Tom, I appreciate it.”  After ringing off, he turned to Lauren.  “That was Captain Kerkowski with the police department.  He’s going to have someone talk to you tomorrow.”  Moving closer to her, he gently pushed a blonde curl from her cheek.  “I’m going to ask you something that I hope doesn’t make you mad.  Do you think David Spencer could be behind this?”

            Lauren closed her eyes for a moment and sighed.  Opening them again, she dropped her arms from their tight position against her chest and said, “I don’t think so.  I’ve asked him and he denies it.  He’s actually the one who has pushed the hardest for me to go to the police.”

            “At least he and I agree on something.”  Then a thought occurred to him.  “Does he know you’re pregnant?”

            Lauren shook her head.  “I haven’t told anyone except you.”

            Oops, Max thought.  The cat was out of the bag because of him, but he knew Jack and Abby would keep it quiet.  He put his arms around her and pulled her close to him.  “We should probably keep it that way; at least until after we figure out who’s doing this.  Sometimes things like that can push a stalker to escalate, and I for one, want you to be safe.”

            “I really wasn’t ready to tell anyone anyway,” she said quietly against his shoulder.  “It doesn’t even feel real yet.”

            “I know what you mean.”  It seemed like things were flying at him at a million miles an hour and his mind needed time to process everything.  So, in an attempt to change the subject, he leaned back so he could see her face.  “What do you usually do on Sunday afternoons?”  Please don’t say antiquing, he thought.

            Lauren smiled.  “I usually end up watching the Lions lose.”

            Max raised his eyebrows and grinned.  “You like football?”

            “Almost as much as I like hockey,” she replied, her beautiful blue eyes twinkling.  How had he not guessed just from her eyes that she was his Bat Girl?

            “Oh, we’re going to get along just great,” he said as he grabbed the remote from the coffee table and turned on the game.  “The only thing that would make this better is if you were naked,” he added with a mischievous wink.

            “That could be arranged,” she purred as she ran her hand over his chest and then lower.

            “Yup, just great,” Max said right before he kissed her.  They missed the first half of the game.

Delay in responding to comments

I apologize for my responses being a little behind.  My daughter had surgery with some unexpected complications.  I hope to be back to making regular posts in a day or two!

Part 10 of Who Are You?

Chapter 11

Okay, he hadn’t expected the night to go this way but Max certainly wasn’t complaining.  Yeah, they still needed to talk but damn, what an ice breaker!  He crawled in next to her luscious body and kissed her as he pulled her close.  Her body was even sexier than he remembered and he had a great memory.  Her breasts seemed fuller, more round, and her skin had a brighter glow to it than before.

            “You are gorgeous,” he said as he nuzzled her neck.

            “I thought we were going to talk,” she purred as she wrapped her leg around his.

            “Talking is overrated.”

            “I agree.”  Lauren rolled him onto his back, putting herself on top of him.  Kissing her way down his body, she reminded him that she had many, many talents.  For the next glorious few hours, they relived Halloween in intimate detail.

            When they were both too exhausted to move, Max whispered in her ear as he pulled her close, “I would really appreciate it if you were still here in the morning.”

            She snuggled up closer to him laying her head on his chest.  “I’m not going anywhere this time,” she promised.

            True to her word, Max awoke to a beautiful head of strawberry blond hair on the other pillow.  He couldn’t help grinning when he remembered the night they had.  The woman looked like an angel but she definitely had the body for sin.  And she knew how to use it.  He had never been with a woman who made him feel that good.  Ever.  And all this time he had thought all she did in bed was read.  He wondered what else he had been wrong about.  One thing he knew for sure - he wanted to find out.

            She must have sensed him watching her because she opened one sleepy eye.  “Good morning.”

            “Yes, it is,” Max grinned.

            “Well, don’t you look like the cat that ate the canary,” she smiled as she stretched.

            “Oh, I did much more than that.  And I’m pretty sure the canary enjoyed it.”

            She laughed.  “You know, modesty is not one of your better qualities.”

            He shrugged.  “No, not really.”  He leaned over and kissed her.  “Thank you for staying this time.”  And then he kissed her deeper and the rest of his body was ready to show her how happy he was that she stayed.

            After a moment, Lauren pushed against his chest.  “Mmm,” she mumbled against his mouth breaking the kiss and pushing him away.  “I’m going to be sick,” she said as she threw the covers back and rushed to the bathroom with her hand over her mouth.

            What the hell?  Max got out of bed and knocked on the bathroom door.  “Lauren, are you okay?”

            “I will be,” she rasped followed by the sounds of gagging.

            Max grimaced and tried to keep his own bile from rising to his throat.  “Can I get you anything?”

            It took her a moment to respond.  “A toothbrush?”

            “There should be a new one on the top shelf of the medicine cabinet.  I just bought it and haven’t opened it yet,” he added not wanting her to think he kept a spare on hand in case a woman spent the night. 

            There was nothing for him to do but wait.  He pulled on a pair of boxers and sat on the edge of the bed with his arms on his knees.  After a few minutes, Lauren came out of the bathroom looking a little pale but other than that she seemed much better.

            “Are you sick?” he asked.

            She bit her lip and shook her head.  Even though he had kissed every part of her body the night before, she looked uncomfortable standing there naked. “Can I borrow one of your t-shirts?”

            “Sure.”  Max got up and opened his drawer of t-shirts and handed her a dark blue one.  Since she was almost as tall as he was, it didn’t hang down quite as far as she had probably hoped it would.  He didn’t mind at all.  Thinking that probably made him a pig, he offered her his robe, which she accepted.

            Lauren sat on the edge of the bed and stared at her hands that were fiddling with the edge of the robe.  Finally, she looked up at him with an expression he couldn’t read.  “I’m pregnant.”

            Max was sure he didn’t hear her correctly.  “What?”

            “I’m pregnant.”

            He needed to sit down.  He sat at the foot of the bed not facing her.  “How pregnant?”

            “About a month.”

            “And you’re telling me this because…”  He couldn’t finish the sentence.

            “Because I’ve only had sex with one person in the last year,” she said quietly.

            Max’s mind went completely blank.  Almost as if it was refusing to process the information she was giving him.  After what seemed like a decade of silence, Lauren stood up.  “I should go.”

            That was enough to wake Max up out of his stupor.  He turned to look at her.  “What?  No.  You can’t drop a bombshell like that on me and then just leave.”

            “You’re right,” she said softly and she sat back down on the bed.  She looked as lost as Max felt.

            “How?” he asked.  “We used condoms.  Every time.”  Well, except last night, but that didn’t matter now.

            “Apparently, they’re not a hundred percent effective and we fell into the percentage who they didn’t work for,” she said nervously.

            Max’s mind still didn’t want to grasp the whole idea.  “You’re absolutely sure?”

            Lauren nodded.  “I took two tests.”

            “They could be wrong, couldn’t they?” he asked in vain.  She shook her head, refusing to meet his gaze.

            God, she looked so sad and lost sitting there.  This wasn’t any more her fault than it was his; but she was the one dealing with the physical reality of pregnancy as her trip to the bathroom just proved.  The last thing she needed was him being an ass about it all.  Getting off the bed, he knelt before her and took her hands in his.  “We’ll figure this out, okay?  We’ll make it work.”  Then a thought crossed his mind.  “You are going to have the baby, right?”

            Defensively, she said, “Yes, of course.”

            “Good,” he hurried to reassure her.  “That’s what I wanted you to say.”

            She studied his face for a moment.  “Really?”

            “Yes.”  He squeezed her hands for emphasis.  “I’m thrown as hell right now and I’ll probably end up saying or doing all the wrong things, but I want this baby to be born.  And I’m going to be there for you.”

            Tears were flooding her eyes.  “You don’t need to be there for me, just the baby.”

            “I want to be there for both of you.  I think we should get married.”  The words tumbled out of his mouth before he even had a chance to think about them.  But that’s what he was supposed to say, right?  Even if getting married had been the farthest thing from his mind ten minutes ago.  Hell, five minutes ago.

            Lauren’s eyes widened.  “No!” she said.

            Max was taken aback.  Okay, that wasn’t the answer he expected.  Granted, he hadn’t really thought the idea through, but her adamant refusal still felt like a slap to the face.  “Why not?  Wouldn’t it be best for the baby if its parents were married?”  Why couldn’t he shut up about it and be glad she didn’t accept his knee jerk proposal?  Apparently, his male pride had a mouth of its own.

            “Because we don’t even really know each other!  Up until recently, you hated me, despite what happened last night.  And after dropping this on you, you probably still do.  Anyway, you certainly don’t love me.  I’m not going to go into a marriage with a man who’s only doing it because of a baby!”  Tears started to flow down her cheek as she spoke.

            Max put his hands on either side of her face and used his thumbs to wipe her tears.  “You’re right,” he acknowledged finally getting control over his ego.  “We need to get to know each other better.  At least we know we’re compatible in bed,” he teased softly eliciting a small smile from her.

            “True,” she whispered between her tears.  “I’m sorry I keep crying.  I think it’s the hormones because I never cry this easily.”

            “It’s okay.”  Max pulled her into a tight hug but pulled back not wanting to put pressure on her stomach.  “Are you feeling okay?  Are you still sick?” he asked touching her stomach lightly.

            She shook her head.  “The morning sickness passed.  I feel fine.”

            “Breakfast, we haven’t eaten.  Are you hungry?” he asked as he stood up.  He felt like he had to do something to prove he meant what he said; even if the magnitude of the situation hadn’t really sunk into his brain yet.  “You should eat something.”

            “No, I want to let my stomach settle a bit more.”

            Max looked at her doubtfully.  “Are you sure you feel better?”

            “Physically, I’m fine,” she assured him.  “Emotionally I’m a mess, though.”

            Pulling her to her feet, he hugged her again.  “Me, too.  We’ll work on that together, okay?”  When she didn’t respond he pulled back so he could look at her face.  “You will let me be a part of this, right?”

            “I just don’t want to force you to be with me if you don’t want to,” she said sadly.  “You can be a part of the baby’s life as much as you want.  I don’t have to be part of the package.”  She shook her head and looked away.  “You were expecting Bat Girl and you wound up with me instead.  Pregnant me.  I’m sorry.”

            Max frowned as he cupped her chin and brought her eyes back to him.  “You do remember me asking you to dinner last night, right?  I thought it was pretty clear that I was already interested in getting to know you better and seeing where things led.  And from last night, I think I’ve let you know how attracted I am to you.  Whether you’re wearing a mask or not.  Why would you not believe that now?”  He kissed her lips gently and pushed a stray strand of hair off her cheek.  “You know, Jack Pierce claimed a while back that I had such a hard time working with you because I had the hots for you.  He was right.”

            Lauren looked like she wanted to believe him but she obviously wasn’t convinced.  “You certainly didn’t act like it.”

            Max chuckled.  “I guess I’m like the first grader who pulls the girl’s hair because he likes her.  Remember, I’m a jackass.”

            She gave him a real smile now.  “So you keep saying.”

            “Spend the day with me?” he asked.

            Lauren considered it for a moment and finally said, “Okay.  But I need to go home for a bit.  I don’t have anything to wear except that dress.”

            Max smiled wickedly.  “I’m okay with that.  Or you could skip clothes all together.”

            Lauren laughed as she wiped at her eyes.  “I think I’d like to have something to put on in case we decide to leave the bedroom.  Besides, I live with my grandmother and she’s probably worried sick.”

            “Can I meet her?” Max asked.  Damn, where had that come from?  He had never wanted to meet a woman’s family before.  But then again, he’d never gotten anyone pregnant before, either.  He wanted to meet the people who would be a part of this child’s life.  God, a baby.  He was going to be a father.  He felt like his life had leapt ahead a few chapters overnight.  Actually, it had.  There was nothing left to do now but make the best of it.

            Lauren shook her head adamantly.  “Not yet, please.  I’m going to need time to gather up the courage to tell her about all of this.  I just figured it out last night right before the gala.”

            “And then I come along and make you feel even worse.  Sorry about that,” he said sheepishly.  Then he added, “I can be there with you when you tell her.”  He didn’t want to be but he’d do it.  Lauren was going to have a lot to deal with both physically and emotionally, the least he could do was be a shoulder for her to lean on if she needed it.  He was amazed at how easy the idea of becoming a father and a family man was falling into place.  He could just be shell-shocked.  Or maybe it was the woman standing in front of him that made it easier to accept.  There was definitely something about her that elicited strong reactions from him.

            She shook her head again and made a face.  “No, I should do it alone.  She might try to kill you.”

            “One of the guys on the force would probably lend me their flak jacket,” he teased.

            “I appreciate the thought, but she’d probably try to kill you with her bare hands, so it wouldn’t do any good.  She’s a feisty old woman.”

            “Okay, I’ll let you handle this however you want, and I’ll give you a ride home so you can get some clothes.”  He pushed a strand of hair back from her face and kissed her lightly.  “Bring some clothes for tomorrow, too.  I’d like it if you spent the night again.”  Words kept tumbling out of his mouth like a dam that broke free.  He was usually eager for a woman to go home after he slept with her, but not this time.  Even without the pregnancy curve ball, he would have wanted Lauren to stay.  He hadn’t been able to get her out of his mind since he visited the Second Chance Ranch.  Finding out she was his Bat Girl had only compounded the feelings that had already taken root in the back of his mind.

Lauren nodded hesitantly.  He wasn’t sure if she had agreed or if she just didn’t want to argue about it right now.  Kissing her softly again, he finally let her go so they could both get dressed.

            Max dropped Lauren off at her grandmother’s house half an hour later.  He felt like an ass just dropping her off and skulking away so her grandmother didn’t see him.  But, he had agreed to let Lauren do this her way and he was going to stick to that.  After making sure she made it into the house, he backed out of the driveway.  Instead of turning left for home, he turned right.  Lauren was meeting him back at his house in an hour but there was a stop he needed to make first.

            As soon as Jack opened the door, Max blurted out, “She’s pregnant!”

            Looking genuinely confused, Jack asked, “Who?  Abby?”

            “No, Lauren.”  Max pushed past him and walked into the living room to flop down on the couch with his head back and his eyes closed.

            “Lauren Stevens?” Jack asked closing the door and following him into the living room.  He sat down in the recliner across from the couch and leaned forward with his arms on his knees.

            “Yes.”

            “And you’re here telling me this because…”  Jack let the question hang out there just like Max had earlier.

            Max opened one eye with a raised brow.  “Why do you think?”

            “You.  And Lauren Stevens.  The woman you so gentlemanly refer to as The Shrew.”

            “She’s not a shrew,” Max growled.

            Jack held his hands up in front of him.  “I never thought she was.  Those were your words, not mine.  When did all this happen?”

            Max sighed.  “Remember Bat Girl?”

            Jack laughed loudly.  “Lauren was your Bat Girl?  I’d only been kidding when I suggested that.  I never expected it to be true.”

            “Yeah, well, I should have listened to you anyways.”

            “How did she end up pregnant?” Jack asked.

            Max gave him a dirty look as he sat up.  “The usual way.”

            Jack shook his head in frustration.  “I mean, didn’t you use birth control that night?”

            “Yes, condoms.  Every time.  Apparently, one of them didn’t do its job,” Max grumbled.

            “How do things stand between the two of you?”

            “I asked her out before I figured out who she was so that’s a point in my favor, but she won’t marry me,” Max griped.

            “You asked her to marry you?” Jack asked in surprise.

            “Max, you’re getting married?!” Abby squealed in excitement as she entered the room before he had a chance to respond to Jack’s question.

            Max groaned.  He had been hoping to avoid Abby.  “No, she turned me down.”

            “Who? And why would she turn you down?” Abby asked as she sat down on the couch next to him and curled her legs underneath her as she faced him.

            “Lauren Stevens,” Jack told her.

            “The defense attorney?  I thought he hated her?”

            Jack shrugged.  “Apparently not.”

            “You actually asked her to marry you?” Abby asked Max in amazement.  “You mean you’ve been in love with her all this time and you didn’t tell us?  Were you just trying to throw us off the trail because Jane and I kept trying to butt into your dating life?”

            “I’m not in love with her,” Max had to admit.  “She’s pregnant.”

            Abby scowled at him and slapped his shoulder.  “Well, no wonder she said no, then.  Women don’t marry a guy any more just because they’re pregnant.  Pregnant women want their husbands to love them just as much as any other woman does.”

            Max sighed.  “So she said.” Standing up, he said, “I need to go.  She’s meeting me back at my house in about half an hour.  I just had to tell someone.  But can you both just keep this to yourselves right now?  She and I haven’t discussed who we’re going to tell yet.”

            Both Jack and Abby agreed and Jack walked Max to the door.  “Hey,” Jack said as Max stepped out onto the porch.  “I know you’re still in shock over this but congratulations anyway.”

            Max nodded in appreciation.  “Thanks, man.”  Then he walked to his car and drove home to wait for Lauren.

Part 9 of Who Are You?

Chapter 9

Max walked through the crowd back to Lauren.  For the last three weeks he had been trying to figure out why he kissed her.  Granted, she looked damn good that day.  Tonight she was an absolute knock out.  But there was something more.  He hated to admit it, but Jack was probably right.  Maybe deep down he had always had the hots for her.  That’s why he’d asked her to dinner, to test the waters.     

Lauren was standing with her friend David now but as soon as he saw Max, he walked away.  Good.  “Did I scare him off?” Max asked as he handed her a glass of punch.

            “No,” Lauren lied poorly.  “He’s off schmoozing the crowd.”

            “Great, then I have you all to myself.”

            “Hmm, are you sure you really want to spend time with The Shrew?” she asked with a wicked smile.

            Oh.  Shit.  With a guilty grimace, Max said, “You know about that, huh?”

            “I think everybody knows about that,” she laughed.  “You don’t exactly keep your favorite nickname for me to yourself.”

            There wasn’t a whole lot Max could say to that.  With a resigned sigh, he raised his glass to her.  “I apologize.  I’m a jackass.  Always have been, probably always will be.”  Then he added, “If I promise not to ever call you that again will you still have dinner with me?”

            “I don’t know, you did just tell me that you would always be a jackass,” she teased.

            “Then how about another dance so I can try to convince you I’m still likable even if I am a jackass.”  He took her punch glass and added it and his champagne flute to the tray of a passing waiter.  He grasped her hand in his before she could refuse and led her to the dance floor.  He wrapped his arm around her again and held her close enjoying the feeling of his hand on her bare back.  Damn, he enjoyed the feel of her breasts against his chest even more.  Unfortunately, so did other parts of him, so he was careful not to hold her too closely.

            “Did I happen to mention how much I like that dress you’re wearing?”

            She laughed throatily.  “I believe you may have mentioned it.”

            “You know, if you wore something like that to court, you’d win against me every time.  I’d be too dazed to speak.”

            Lauren rolled her eyes.  “I prefer to win on merit, not sex appeal.”

            “Is that why you dress the way you do at work?” he couldn’t help asking.

            “What do you mean?”

            Damn it, I just screwed myself, he thought.  Trying to backpedal, he said, “You dress very well, don’t get me wrong.  You just don’t really dress in a flattering way.”  Crap, that didn’t come out right either.

            “Thanks a lot.”   

Great, now he’d really pissed her off.  “Remember about two minutes ago when I said I was a jackass?  Well, now I’m a jackass with his foot in his mouth, so I’m just going to come out and say it.  It seems like when you’re dressed for work, you’re trying to go out of your way not to be attractive.”

            “Thanks again.”

            “Can we just forget that I said anything?” Max begged desperate to get off the subject.

            “I think that would be a good idea,” Lauren said tersely.

            They danced in silence for a couple of minutes.  How the hell was he going to dig his way out of this?  Putting on his best humble face, he bent his head to whisper in her ear, “I guess I blew any shot of getting a kiss during this dance, didn’t I?”

            Lauren stared at him for a minute before her features softened and her lips began to curl upwards.  “Maybe not,” she said softly.

            Max hadn’t expected her to acquiesce so quickly but he didn’t need any more encouragement than that.  He dipped his mouth to hers and kissed her as they continued to move to the music.  He groaned softly when she opened her mouth to him and allowed him in.  Their tongues met and played and she teased his in a way that drove him crazy.  God, the woman knew how to kiss!  He didn’t even care if they were making a spectacle of themselves as they made out on the dance floor.  There was no way he was going to pull away from a kiss as sexy as this one.  Her kisses were almost sinful.  In a way that only one other woman’s had been.  Holy shit!  Max tore his lips from hers and stopped in the middle of the dance floor.  No, she couldn’t be.  She hadn’t given him any clue that she was her.  But she kissed exactly like her.  How could that be a coincidence?  Grabbing her arm, he pulled her off the dance floor.

            “Max, what’s wrong?” she asked as she almost stumbled to keep up with him as he pulled her out of the ballroom.  He saw a somewhat secluded area behind some large potted plants about twenty feet from the entrance.  He didn’t stop until he reached it and then he leaned her against the wall with both hands on either side of her so she couldn’t escape this time. 

“Max, what’s going on?” she asked.

            “I have only been kissed like that by one other woman,” he growled.  “Maybe you didn’t realize that your kisses were so distinctive, but they are.  Just like they were on Halloween.”

            “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she stammered but the guilt on her face was all the proof he needed.

            “What was the plan?  Drive me crazy, make me lust after you like a puppy dog and then make a fool of me when you told everyone?”  He had never been this angry.  He wanted to throttle her.  And kiss her at the same time.  Which made him even angrier.

            “It – it wasn’t like that,” she said with tears threatening to brim over in her eyes.

            “Then what was it like?” he demanded harshly.  “Because the only thing I can think of is that it was some sort of revenge for the whole shrew thing.”

            His anger started to dissolve as the first tear began to make a path down her cheek.  “Dammit!” he said looking away from her for a moment trying to calm himself down.  Turning back to her, he asked, “Why?”

            Straightening her shoulders, she met his gaze with hers.  “Because I wanted to spend the night with you and it was the only way I could think of to do it.”  Obviously embarrassed by what she had said if the rush of color to cheeks meant anything, she didn’t back down.  He had to give her credit for that.

            “Then why didn’t you just ask me out?”

            “And you would have said yes?  I don’t think so.  You nicknamed me The Shrew!  And just five minutes ago you admitted that you think I’m unattractive when I’m dressed for work.”  

She looked angry now.  Good.  He preferred angry to embarrassed and crying.  He could keep his anger fueled by hers.  Because he had no intention of letting her off the hook until she told him what her game plan had really been.  “Then why didn’t you tell me that night?  It was pretty obvious that I found you attractive then.”

            “And have you think of me as some desperate woman who could only get you into bed by tricking you?  So you could take pity on me and maybe take me out to dinner once or twice before dumping me?  No thank you.”

            “So instead you seduce me and then dump me,” he growled.  “That’s such a nicer plan.  Definitely makes you the better person in all of this.”

            “I didn’t think it would matter to you!” she spat.

            Max took a step back, dropping his hands back to his sides.  “And why is that?”

            “Because you sleep around all the time.  What was one more woman in your bed?  Especially one that didn’t put any demands on you to call her afterwards!”  Her tears were flowing now but Max was too stunned to pay attention.

            “If that’s what you think of me, then why did you agree to go to dinner with me?”

            “I don’t know.  I thought maybe…,” she whispered through her tears but she wasn’t able to finish her sentence.

            “Lauren, what’s going on?” an angry voice asked from behind Max.  David.  Great, just what this conversation needed – a jealous ex.  Max didn’t even bother to turn around.  He wasn’t done with this conversation yet.  David could go to hell for all he cared.

            Lauren wiped at her makeup with her fingers, trying to fix the what her tears had smeared.  “We’re just talking, David.  It’s alright.”

            “No, it’s not alright.  I saw him drag you out of the ballroom and now you’re crying.  What did this asshole do to you?” David demanded.

            Max turned towards the glowering man and was about to say something when Lauren cut him off.  “It’s not what he did to me; it’s what I did to him.”

            Both he and David turned back towards her with mouths agape.  David found his voice first.  “If you did something to him, then why are you crying?”

            “Because I’m embarrassed and ashamed and I would really like to get out of here.  I’m going to go wash my face and then take a cab home,” she said as she pushed away from the wall.

            Max put his hand out to stop her.  “You don’t need to take a cab.  I’ll give you a ride home.”

            He thought she was going to say no, considering how upset they both were, but after considering him for a moment, she nodded her head.  “Okay.”  Then, with her head down to hide her tears, she walked quickly to the ladies room.

            David’s face turned ugly when Lauren was out of sight.  “If you did something to hurt her, I’m going to kill you.”

            “I’ll let her explain if she cares to.  Right now, I’m going to send for my car.  Will you please ask her to meet me at the valet stand?”  Max left the man staring after him.  He needed a bit of fresh air to clear his head before he saw Lauren again.  Maybe offering her a ride home wasn’t the best idea considering his current mood. 

He just couldn’t buy her story of secret attraction.  If it was true, then she must be one hell of an actress to spend a night like that with him and then act as if nothing had happened.  It certainly couldn’t have been as great for her as it had been for him.  That cut him deeper than he wanted to admit.  He’d been going out of his mind since that night thinking he was never going to see his Bat Girl again.  And she’d been right under his nose the whole time.  God, he wanted to hit something.  And then throttle her.  Some of that must have shown on his face because the valets gave him a wide berth as he waited for his car.

            Five minutes later, she came through the glass doors of the hotel with a clean face but with puffy eyes from crying.  Which made him feel like an even bigger ass when the valets gave him dirty looks.  He wanted to tell them that it was all her fault that she was crying, but he couldn’t.  Had what she said been a lie?  He did have a reputation for sleeping around.  He had even been proud of it.  And what had Jack said?  Calling women the next day just to tell them he didn’t think they should see each other again didn’t make him any less of a jerk than if he hadn’t called at all.  Dealing with Lauren’s disappearing act tore him up enough.  If she had called him the day after Halloween and told him they shouldn’t see each other again, he would have been crushed.  As much as he didn’t want to admit it, Jack had been right.

            But why had she been so determined to spend the night with him?  And how the hell did she completely change her personality and become Bat Girl?  Or had he just completely misread her personality?  He had a hell of a lot more questions than he did answers.  But he was going to get them.  Tonight. 

            The valet pulled up in the car and Max opened the passenger door for Lauren, being careful of her long dress as he closed the door.  He gave the valet a larger tip than he would have normally and slid in behind the driver’s seat and put the car in drive.

            As he pulled away from the hotel, Lauren started to give him directions to her house but he cut her off.  “We’re going to my house.”  No way was he letting her out of his sight until they sorted all this out.

            “What?  Why?”

            “Because we still have a lot to talk about and it might as well be at the scene of the crime,” he said.  Lauren looked like she wanted to say something but she chewed on her bottom lip and nodded instead.  They drove the rest of the way to his house in an uncomfortable silence.

 Chapter 10

As much as Lauren didn’t want to have the conversation they were about to have, she was relieved not to be going home.  She didn’t want to explain to her grandmother why she came home so early.  Or why she’d been crying.  She definitely didn’t want to think about how to tell her she was pregnant.  Or how to tell Max.  There seemed to be a lot of looming conversations she didn’t want to have.  She needed to deal with them one at a time.  No sense in adding fuel to the fire quite yet.  Or she was just a coward.  Probably that.

            Max pulled into the driveway of the house she remembered all too well from the night she waited for him on his porch.  She had never been so nervous in her life and had almost left three times by the time he arrived.  And she had only been waiting for five minutes.  Looking over at his tense face, she was even more nervous this time.  At least before she had had the comfort of anonymity.  But even angry with her, he remained the most attractive man she had ever met.  Too bad she had screwed up any possibility of anything developing between them.

            “I’ll get the door,” Max said when she reached for the handle.  She felt silly sitting there while he walked around the car and opened it for her, but tonight would be about picking her battles carefully.  Stepping out of the car, she followed him up the wooden steps to the front door.  Her feet felt like lead as every step brought her closer to the inevitable.  Him telling her he never wanted to see her, or the baby, ever again. 

Max unlocked the door and gestured for her to go first.  “Would you like something to drink?” he asked as he threw his keys into a bowl on the small table in the hall.

            “No, thank you,” she said softly.

            “I’m going to grab a beer.”  He disappeared down the hall to the kitchen, leaving Lauren desperately wanting to walk back out the door and pretend this horrible evening had never happened.  Maybe she could convince herself it had all been a bad dream if she went home and crawled under her covers.  But she didn’t leave.  She had never run away from her troubles.  She had always faced them head on and this time would be no different.  Regardless of the result.

            Too nervous to sit down, Lauren studied Max’s CD collection against the far wall of the living room without reading a single title.  How was she going to explain her actions without sounding either sleazy or desperate?  Or both?

            “Would you like to put something in?” Max asked from behind her, startling her.  She turned around too quickly and tripped on her dress falling into him.  Why was she always so clumsy around him?  Max put his hands on her waist to steady her. 

            Lauren didn’t mean to do it.  But being so close to him without a roomful of people made her mind shut off and her hormones start doing her thinking.  She wrapped her arms around his neck and caught his mouth with hers.  He made a small noise of surprise but then his arms were pulling her closer and he was kissing her with the same passion he had on Halloween.

            As their hips met, Lauren could feel his arousal.  She rubbed against him suggestively and he groaned as he kissed her deeper.  His hand moved to her breast and it was her turn to moan.

            Frustrated with the material hindering him, Max found the knot at her neck that held the bodice of her dress up and untied it.  The top of her dress fell away as he kissed a trail from her lips to her breasts.  The feel of his tongue as it glided over her nipple made it pebble instantly.  She arched her back as his mouth wrapped around it and he tugged gently with his teeth.

            Feeling for the buttons of his tuxedo jacket, she unbuttoned it and pushed it to the floor.  His shirt followed soon after as he suckled her other breast.  God, the feel of his mouth on her body was heaven as she stroked the hard, smooth muscles of his chest and back.  Memories of the night they spent together flooded her mind and her body reacted even more fiercely, eliciting a satisfied growl from him.  He found the hidden zipper that held the bottom half of her dress in place and it fell to the floor.

            “My God, you’re beautiful,” Max murmured as he knelt before her.  He kissed and licked his way from her breasts to her thong panties.  Lauren’s fingers curled in his dark hair when his tongue touched her through her through the pink silk.  Hooking a finger around the panties, he slid them over her hips and to the floor.  When he brought his mouth back to her, her knees almost buckled.  Grasping her thighs to hold her up, he let his tongue taste her and tease her with long, sensuous strokes.  He brought her to the edge and kept her there stroke after stroke.  Oh god, she needed more.  She needed to find the release her body yearned for.  She let him know that with her hands and her body and he chuckled at her impatience.  But he didn’t keep her waiting any longer.  His strokes became faster and harder in just the right spot.  Within moments, the world shattered around her while his tongue milked every last spasm from her. 

            Then he stood up and backed her up against the wall as he kissed her.  She loved the taste of herself on his lips.  Her fingers worked furiously to get his pants undone and pushed out of the way.  She needed him inside her.  Finally free of his clothes, Max grasped her thighs and lifted her until he was able to slide smoothly inside of her, never taking his mouth from hers.  She wrapped her legs around his back and took as much of him as she could.  His thrusts were hard and deep and she matched his rhythm with her hips.  She couldn’t get enough of him, just as it had been on Halloween.  She savored every second of his body joined with hers, bringing her to highs she had never experienced before.  She felt the pressure building again.  She grasped his back tighter, kissed him harder.  She was lost in the feel of him moving in and out of her, stroking her.  He held her with one arm and his other hand found her breast again, stroking her nipple with his thumb.  It was enough to send her tumbling over the edge a second time.  She cried out against his mouth as she felt herself clench against him, again and again.  Riding the waves of pleasure, she felt him find his own release as he whispered ‘Oh God, Lauren’ against her lips.  They stayed united until every last spasm died down.  Only then did they break the kiss.

            Breathing heavily as he leaned his forehead against hers, he said between breaths, “I really had meant for us to talk.”

            “I know,” she said between her own shallow breaths.  Her heart still pounded in her chest as her body continued to feel tiny aftershocks of pleasure.

            Kissing her gently, Max lowered her so her feet could touch the floor.  “I have a nice warm bed upstairs where we could finish this conversation,” he murmured against her neck as he kissed his way to the spot he knew from their last time together that drove her crazy.

            Lauren smiled when he leaned back and looked at her with an inferno burning in his eyes.  Her body flushed with heat knowing he wanted her so badly.  “I’m not sure we’re going to get much talking done if we go upstairs.”

            “We’re not getting a lot of talking done down here, either.”

            He had a point and now that they weren’t frantically making love, she was starting to get cold.  At least that was the excuse she gave herself to follow him to his bed almost guilt-free.  “Okay.”

            Max adjusted his pants that had fallen around his ankles so he could walk.  He picked his tuxedo jacket up from the floor, wrapping it around her.  Then he entangled his fingers with hers and led her upstairs to his bedroom.  He pulled back the covers on the bed and she crawled in, dropping his jacket to the floor.  After ridding himself of his own clothes again, he joined her.