“Hi!” Andrea exclaimed, sounding cheerful. Jay hovered next to her, a look of anxiety masking his face.
“You look so calm and happy,” Bianca mentioned with shock, and strolled toward the bed.
Andrea laughed, “That’s because I had an epidural about fifteen minutes ago.” She laughed gleefully, “I can’t feel a thing.”
“Well that’s a relief. I was certain I’d be walking into screaming and pain.” Bianca said with a small laugh even though she wasn’t joking.
Andrea chuckled again, “Natural birth is for the birds,” she said, waving her hand dismissively.
Bianca finally joined in the laughter and a second glance at Jay indicated he was beginning to relax as well. This was all so new for her and while she wanted to experience it, the uncertainty was quite scary. She hung around for about an hour, talking and laughing with Andrea. Just as Jay was about to go get a snack the nurse entered and decided to check how dilated Andrea was.
“It’s go time everyone!” She reported excitedly.
Jay paled considerably and Andrea stopped talking, realization dawning on her for the first time that it was time to have a baby. Bianca took that as her cue to leave the room. She had made the decision earlier to stay in the waiting room for a few hours in case Jay or Andrea needed her but she didn’t want to intrude on their special moment together. She kissed each of them and squeezed Andrea’s hand before turning to leave. As she was about to close the door she caught a glimpse of Jay and Andrea in a loving pose, nose to nose, as they savored their last moments before their son came into the world. Tears welled in Bianca’s eyes. Oh to have a love like that. Before she broke down in the hallway, she rushed away to the waiting room.
****
Two hours and six cups of coffee later, Bianca peered at the clock for what felt like the fiftieth time. It was well after midnight and Andrea was still pushing, the fear of a c-section looming over her. Jay had updated her several minutes ago and Bianca was wringing her hands with anxiety at what her friend was enduring. Jay didn’t sound hopeful that the baby would come naturally and they feared for both his and Andrea’s safety. He told Bianca that he’d let her know if Andrea was taken into surgery. Restless and worried, Bianca stood, pacing the room. She was beginning to feel claustrophobic in the small space, only outfitted with a few chairs and benches and an old tube TV mounted to the ceiling. She snatched her coffee from the table and slung her purse over her shoulder, she was just going to walk for a bit to keep her mind off of everything. Alex suddenly flitted through her mind and she realized she hadn’t thought about him since she set foot in the hospital. Memory of their short conversation and his piercing blue eyes gave her a shiver of delight. Maybe he would call her tomorrow.
Bianca turned the corner and froze; Alex was walking briskly toward her from the other end of the hall. It took him a moment to see her, his mind appearing to be elsewhere. When he did spot her, his face lit up in a smile that made Bianca’s heart slam against her rib cage. He looked hotter than he had earlier that day; which seemed impossible since he had been in his Air Force uniform then. Dressed in faded jeans and a black t-shirt, tight enough that it hugged his biceps and she could see the ripples of a six-pack beneath it, he looked every bit the good old American boy. Butterflies rioted in Bianca’s stomach as he approached. He looked sexy as hell and she was rumpled and sleepy eyed. She was sure she had dark circles and mascara stains under her eyes. Swiping under her eyes with her fingers and smoothing her hair, Bianca tried to stand taller, height not being one of her best attributes.
“Hey,” She muttered, feeling a bit off her game, “What are you doing here?”
“Jay called me, he was worried about you being alone here in the waiting room and he asked me to come keep you company.” He beamed off another large smile.
“How did he know we met?” Bianca asked with bewilderment. This night just kept getting stranger.
“I told him. I forgot to mention when we spoke earlier that Jay and I are pretty good friends.” Alex smirked, revealing that he left that bit of information out on purpose.
They fell into step with one another in the hall, heading away from the waiting room. Silence enveloped them as they went, the whole hospital seemed asleep at this hour and it gave them the illusion of being alone. The silence was comfortable and Bianca was loath to break it, especially since she was tired and small talk was difficult at the moment. Suddenly a thought dawned on Bianca and she stopped, turning on Alex with anger in her eyes.
“They sent you after me today, didn’t they?” She asked, the awareness that her meeting Alex at the airfield earlier was a set up.
Alex didn’t back down from her fury and Bianca was impressed for a minute, liking the idea of someone to match wits with.
“I’ll admit that when I asked Jay about the woman who was standing with his wife as we approached the families he told me about you. But make no mistake I wanted to be there with you, it wasn’t out of some obligation to my military brother. And I’ll be damned if you think I asked you out just because they told me to.” Alex spun on his heel and started back down the hallway the way they came, anger radiating from the stiff set of his strong back and shoulders.
Even angry he was sexy, and Bianca sighed. She knew she had to fix this or risk missing out on a relationship that could possibly be something real.
Chapter 2
Trying not to run, Bianca headed down the hallway after Alex at a fast clip. Her heart hoped he wasn’t leaving because she had a few things she wanted to say to him; one of them being an apology. She turned another corner and spotted him pulling open the doors for the waiting area. Bianca slowed, releasing a breath in a loud whoosh, he hadn’t left after all. The waiting area seemed so far away but she forced herself to walk at a steady pace so as not to appear desperate. She yanked the doors open and walked in. Alex was sitting with his back to her in a chair facing the old TV. Bianca was frozen in place. She didn’t know where to start.
“You could start with an apology,” Alex said as if reading her mind. He must have sensed her presence. Or saw her reflection in the TV, which was more likely.
“I’m sorry,” She muttered, apologizing never was easy for her. Being stubborn was something she had a hard time overcoming. Stubbornness was the reason she had almost let him walk away.
Alex stood and turned to her, a smirk on his face. Apparently he could tell that apologizing was difficult for her and he was enjoying her discomfort. Bianca shot him a look that would fell an elephant. Alex raised his hands as if to surrender.
“I accept your apology. I don’t even know why I was so angry with you, except that I had a hard time believing that you didn’t realize how much I like you. Maybe you had wounded my pride a bit.” Alex said with chagrin.
Bianca walked closer to where he stood, stopping close enough to reach out and touch him if she wanted to. Of course she wanted to, but making the first move was also not something that came naturally to her.
She tilted her head back so that she could look him in the eye, “It’s alright. I think I did have a hard time believing that you would like me that much and that my friends weren’t asking for a favor by watching out for me.”
Alex’s piercing blue eyes seemed to look inside of hers, making her want to look away. She could feel the heat from his body; she was so close to him. It was searing her skin through her thin sweater. Her hands itched to reach up and circle around his neck, pulling his head down for a kiss. But she didn’t do it and she didn’t have to. Without saying a word, Alex reached for her, hauling her against his chest while wrapping his arms around her waist. Bianca gave into the urge to wrap her arms around his neck. He brought his head down to meet her mouth and Bianca held back a whimper as his mouth closed over hers. Fire burned a trail from where their lips touched all the way down to where her sex was throbbing between her legs. She had never felt a connection with someone like this before. It scared her a little but she wasn’t ready to let him go.
Alex deepened the kiss, thrusting his tongue between her lips and Bianca let loose a moan as their tongues became entwined. His tongue stroked hers in such a way that she could imagine what he would do with it elsewhere. That thought elicited another moan from her and soon she was panting with need. Alex’s hands traveled downward, cupping her ass and pulling her against him. His hard length pressed against her belly and she was certain now that he wanted her on his own and not because his friend asked him to keep her company. Bianca pulled back enough to slip her hands under Alex’s t-shirt. The feel of his bare skin against her hands made her shudder with pleasure. The muscles of his abs bunched against her hands as he moved into her again and kissed her with fervor. He moaned in turn as she ran her hands over his torso and down toward his waistband and began to undo his belt. Alex shifted position to allow her to open his pants.