Page 57 of Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake

Rake wasn’t sure what the hell she was on about, but as she bent over to pick up a tube of lipstick that had fallen to the floor, her tight skirt riding up in a way that showed nothing but had him picturing everything, he didn’t really care. He had the urge to move to her, bunch the fabric in his fists and shove it up to her waist, see the full roundness of her ass, touch every sweet hidden freckle that covered her skin.

But he couldn’t do that.

For reasons he couldn’t quite remember but he knew existed, and there was some important reason to abide by them.

He was being ridiculous. The only reason he wanted her like this was because he’d made it forbidden, and therefore wanted her all the more. It was the only logical explanation for his near- constant state of arousal around her.

“What’s wrong with you?” she said, pulling him out of his fantasy as she stood back up. “You’re staring at me all weird.”

“Am I? Sorry. I was just thinking that you look very nice.”

Lizzie blinked in surprise, like she wasn’t used to compliments, but she recovered quickly, beaming at him.

“Thank you. I was going for a sort of cool-future-mom look that says I’m serious about parenting but also still pull a ton of dick, ya know?”

Rake nodded. “A bit cliché and traditional for an ultrasound, but I think you nailed it.”

Their eyes met and neither could control their giggles, breaking up some of the tension in Rake’s chest.

“Okay, let’s go. Our ride is downstairs,” Lizzie said, looking at her phone.

The drive to the doctor’s office was quiet, Lizzie’s jiggling legs making the whole car shake.

Rake was feeling fine.

Totally fine, save for this odd sensation that he was takingoff on a flight and leaving his stomach on the ground. He wasn’t sure what that was all about.

At the clinic, Lizzie filled out a few forms, and by the time she was done, they were escorted to an exam room, the nurse handing Lizzie a paper gown and a plastic cup for a urine test, letting them know the doctor would be in shortly.

Lizzie nodded with uncharacteristic quietness then headed into the bathroom.

“Everything all right?” Rake asked after a few minutes. For some reason the shut door and her silence were making him uneasy.

“Yeah,” Lizzie said with a tiny laugh, “I’m having stage fright and can’t get any pee to come out.”

She emerged a few minutes later, her tight red dress replaced with the boxy paper gown. Lizzie hopped up onto the exam table, her knees instantly bouncing again and making the whole thing shake while she bit her nails and looked around the room. Rake wanted to comfort her, gather up all her anxious energy and throw it out the door, but he was too frozen by his own nerves and knotted stomach to do much of anything.

With a knock that made them both jump, the door opened and the obstetrician walked in, giving Lizzie and Rake a warm smile.

“Hello, I’m Dr. Herrara. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said, first shaking Lizzie’s hand then Rake’s. “How are you feeling today?”

“Good,” Lizzie said, blowing out a breath. “Nervous, actually. Is it normal to be nervous? Why do you think I’m so nervous? Is it like an intuition thing and something is about to go really wrong?”

Dr. Herrara sat and rolled her chair closer to the exam table. “Nerves are perfectly normal. It’s a big day, but we’ll check everything out and get a clear picture on how the pregnancy isgoing. Do you mind if I ask you some questions on your medical history and the pregnancy thus far?”

Lizzie nodded, and Dr. Herrara launched into an endless list of questions.

After what felt like hours, Dr. Herrara finally asked Lizzie to lie back and put her feet in the stirrups. Rake moved toward the head of the exam table, hovering over Lizzie.

“All right, I’ll be inserting the probe now,” Dr. Herrara said gently, positioning herself between Lizzie’s spread legs.

Lizzie sucked in a breath as Dr. Herrara inserted the wand, and Rake looked down to see her eyes squeezed shut and brows pinched together.

“Okay?” he asked, watching as his hand, seemingly detached from his body, reached down and smoothed back Lizzie’s hair. Seeing her discomfort created a weird plucky feeling in his chest.

She squinted one eye open at his touch. “I’m fine, just kind of cold and weird down there,” she said, squirming on the table. “I’m sure you hear that a lot,” she added, shooting him a grin that morphed the uncomfortable feeling in his chest to something softer and sweeter. But equally confusing.

“I’m sorry. Try and relax your pelvic floor, the pressure should ease soon,” Dr. Herrara said from below the tent of Lizzie’s paper gown.