Page 95 of Falling for Brody

She wasn't sure that he heard the indecision in her voice, but he surprised her again.

"There's no rush, Rhea. I'm not expecting you to do anything you're not ready for."

Wiggling, she turned and lay on her back so she could look at him.

Seeing him with the morning light coming through the windows and painting him with its soft pink pallet, was an image she never wanted to forget.

"Well, we've already done so much more than I'd intended to do."

She felt the frown before she saw it.

"Do you regret making love with me?"

She smiled, happy to hear him say it that way. "No. I don't regret it at all, but I'm still not ready to make... this," she gestured between them, "something official. It's Chip that I'm concerned about. It's been me and him alone since we lost his dad."

He nodded, but he didn't let it go just yet.

"This isn't a fling for me."

She smiled at him and lifted her hand to his chest.

She stroked her fingers along his abs and sighed. "I know, Brody. It's not for me either. I'm just not sure about making a change so quickly after we just moved to Fallport."

Rhea watched as the words worked their way into Brody's head.

"I won't hurt him."

She swallowed hard knowing that Brody meant it.

"Oh, Brody, you can promise that kind of thing. Charles loved Chip with everything he was, but when we lost him, it hurt. Chip can be hurt by all kinds of things. I have to try and make sure that he's ready for a change like this. A change where he has another man in his life. A man that's going to be like a father to him."

Brody leaned in and kissed her. A gentle touch of his lips against hers.

"Someday," he murmured against her lips, "I want to be a father to him, Rhea. Not just something like."

There was something in his tone that made her ache for him in her heart. "I know, Brody. And when things are right, you will be. I'm just... I'm just not sure when that will be."

She didn't want to hurt Brody with her words, but as much as she cared, as much as Brody was already a part of her, Chip was her first concern.

He deserved her love and had it from the moment she knew that she was carrying him.

"Please," she put her hand over his heart, "be patient with me. I'm trying to do what's best for him, but I want you to know that you mean a lot to me, too."

She felt something twist inside of her when he sat up, the sheet pooling around his waist.

"Brody." She sat up beside him, holding the sheet to her breasts. "Please, don't think I don't want you."

He turned to look at her, hurt shining in his eyes. "But you don't need me."

He flicked back the sheet and got up from the bed, picking up his underwear from the floor.

"Brody?" Rhea put her legs over the edge of the bed and stopped when he reached the door, turning to look at her.

"I'm going to go and look up somewhere to get breakfast before we head back to Fallport. Take your time getting dressed."

He walked out into the other room and Rhea sat back down on the bed, feeling like she'd just made a horrible mistake, but what else could she do?

She wasn't ready to change things so completely for herself. And Chip.

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