Another Man's Baby by Dyanne Davis Read Free Book Online Page A

people to do the jobs and it’s causing stress.”
    “You made it sound like I was a nymph or something.”
         “I didn’t mean it like that,” Eric said softly, surprised and relieved that she was talking to him. That was more than she’d done the entire time they’d been at his parents.’ She’d directed all of her conversation to the two of them, ignoring him, refusing to even look at him. His parents had laughed at the both of them.
    “Are you really just tired?” Gabrielle asked.
    “Yes.”
    “And it has nothing to do with me?”
    “No, babe, nothing,” Eric lied.
    “Good. I was beginning to think I was funky or had bad breath or something.”
    He laughed, as she’d meant for him to do. The ice was broken. He moved his right hand from the steering wheel and slid it in her direction. When she took it he felt the relief rip through him. Yeah, I’m whipped .
    “Gabi, I want to make love to you, baby.” He squeezed her fingers. “But in order to do that I need to stop at the drugstore.”
    He waited.
    “I can’t take any chances on your getting pregnant right now. Can you go with me on that?”
    Her nerves were frayed, her body was in knots, her womb was empty and her husband hadn’t made love to her in a month. She needed him to hold her to let her know that he loved her, that she still turned him on. Short of begging him, at the moment she was willing to do nearly anything. Her eyes closed and she shook her head. She’d never thought this desperation to have her husband make love to her would be part of their life. She felt him squeezing her fingers.
    “Eric, I’m still taking the pills.”
    “I need more assurance that you’re not going to get pregnant right now. The pills are not one hundred percent.” He licked his lips and breathed deeply, glad that he was in the car and couldn’t see her face. It was bad enough that he could feel her pain like a living entity wrapping around him, suffocating him, making him want to forget the need to protect his wife. “Are you going to be okay with this, Gabi?”
    “Yes, she murmured. “I’m on board.”
     

 
    Chapter Four
     
    Gabrielle pursed her lips and narrowed her gaze, determined not to glare. “ Have faith .” She’d heard those words now for months and hadn’t known exactly what they meant, but it seemed she was learning fast.
    Eric had been home for months now and with the exception of the first month he seemed to be going out of his way to avoid her. But why? she wondered.
    She moved closer to Eric, reaching out to stroke his shoulder as he reached for the remote control. She was preparing to hear the worst, hoping to hear the best. She sighed softly as she observed her husband, wishing that for once when he turned on the cable channel there would be no news of Iraq . What a silly thing to wish for. Iraq was forever on the news and it was taking her husband slowly into a deeper depression. Something had to give.
    “Eric, honey, are you okay?”
    “Yeah, why?”
    “I’m not trying to pressure you but I miss you. I miss our making love. You asked me a couple of months ago to keep taking the pills.” She shrugged her shoulders. “There really hasn’t been much need for the pills. Are you ever planning on making love to me again the way you use to?” She held her breath. She needed to know the answer.
    “But I’ve been…”
    “That’s not making love.” And definitely not the way for me to have a baby , she thought.
    “Is there a reason we’re not making love more often and when you do, that you’re using a condom? Do you have a disease?” She wanted to try for lightness. “I’m not saying I haven’t enjoyed what you’ve been doing but that’s like an appetizer.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I’m still waiting for the main course.”
    “You didn’t complain last night.”
    Gabi rubbed her forefinger up and down against her chin. So it was going to be like that. Okay, she hadn’t complained last