Chapter 21

She felt light shine directly through her closed lids as the sun began to rise. Before even opening her eyes to remember where she was, she felt strong arms around her body and legs wrapped around her ankles. She slowly opened one eye to see the sleeping butler beside her. She couldn't help the feelings running through her body and they weren't the feelings that were running through her last night when Niles was licking her inner thigh. She slowly sat up and turned on her side before rested her head in her hand as she watched him sleep.

Her hand moved up to slowly caress his cheek before she felt him stir and she quickly pulled it back in surprise.

"Good morning," he smiled when his blue orbs finally appeared.

"Good morning," she smiled weakly. She watched him lean up before his lips came in contact with hers for a soft, yet powerful kiss. She felt her body melting at his touch and it pained her that she might not have that for the rest of her life. She was just too afraid to commit. Especially to a butler.

"Last night was amazing," he grinned before he took her hand in his and gave it a soft squeeze.

"It was," she agreed before she watched him lean down before kissing her growing stomach. It was an odd feeling if she was being honest. Here were all these emotions she wanted to express to him, but her pride was keeping her back, and Niles could do it with a simple look or a kiss.

"Don't you have an ultrasound appointment tomorrow?"

"Yeah. I have to be there for four."

Niles stared at her as he waited for the unspoken question.

What does he want now? Why is he looking at me like tha- Ohhhhh.

"Do you… want to come along?"

The bright smile on his face was all the response she needed and she couldn't keep the smile from forming on her own face.

"Should I come pick you up half an hour before hand so you can get your things?"

"What things?"

"Um. I don't know. I've never been pregnant before."

"Well neither have I," she scoffed.

"So, you don't need anything?"

She thought a moment before she slowly shook her head. "I don't believe so."

"Oh. Well, all right then. Then, I shall get you for a quarter to. Sound all right?"

She nodded her head in agreement before she sat up in bed completely, taking the covers with her to cover her chest."

"Why do you do that?"

She looked up at him with a puzzled face. "Do what?"

He reached over and tried to pull the covers down. "Cover your body when I already have seen all of you. Three times, might I add," he smirked.

"I just don't like to be exposed when I'm not in the moment." She used both her hands now to keep her body covered.

He pouted slightly before honoring her wishes. "All right. Well, you're beautiful either way."

He caught a small blush forming on her cheeks before she got a nervous expression on his face and she quickly got up and hurried for the bathroom, not wanting him to see her in such a vulnerable position.

He sighed softly as she shut the door behind herself.

It went on like that for the next three months. They would get emotionally close, CC would push him away, he'd get angry, they'd have an argument and then, they'd end up in bed together after C.C became horny; and with Niles being completely in love with her and needing some sort of affection in return, he could never seem to turn her down.

Though soon, Niles noticed that for the last couple weeks it had stopped. No flirting, no arguing turning into sex, or even her allowing him to touch her stomach. He hated the lack of closeness they grew accustomed to, even if it was only because she was horny. But there were moments that made him believe there was more than just sex between them.

"Sir, I need to run to the market for dinner tonight. Do you need anything?

"Not that I can think of, Niles. Go ahead, Old Man."

Niles watched as his employer's attention turn back to his work at hand before they traveled over to C.C.

Miss Babcock, is there something you'd possibly like? Maybe a craving you're having?"

C.C looked up from the settee, her free hand on her stomach, and looked toward the man fathering her child. He was quite sweet when he wanted to be. Even when she showed no sign of wanting to be close to him. "Actually now that mention it, I could go for some cookie dough ice cream…

He smiled softly as he nodded. "Of course. I'll be right back." He turned to leave when he heard her voice again.

"Oh, and maybe some Dr Pepper?"

He chuckled softly before nodding. "Sure."

"Oh and some salt and vinegar chips."

"Okay…"

"And some pea- Oh, you know what? Maybe I should just go with you."

She slowly got up before excusing herself and walking out of the office with a shocked Niles to follow.

"You want to come along?"

She shrugged looking as innocent as possible. "Why not? There's a lot I want and no one better to remember than myself, right?"

He watched her walk in front of him and he could have sworn the way her hips swayed with every step she took was to get his attention.

"Would you or your wife care for a sample?"

Niles and C.C were waiting for his sliced meats at the deli when a worker got their attention.

Niles didn't want an issue with C.C, and quickly started to correct her. "Oh, we're not mar-"

"Sure!" C.C answered with a bright smile, as if she wasn't aware of the term the woman used on her.

Or maybe she did?

Niles watched C.C take the rolled up turkey piece before she slowly put half of it into her mouth.

"Mm this is good. What kind is this?"

"Honey roasted."

"Niles, you have to try this."

Before he could refuse, (as if he was going to, anyway) she put the piece up to his mouth and he slowly took it between his lips, letting them graze her fingers as he did so and his heart racing as this was the most intimacy they have had in weeks.

He tried to decode the look in her blue orbs. Was it lust? No. Love? Maybe. Hunger? Probably.

"That is good," he nodded before swallowing hard.

He noticed C.C was just as affected by the slight contact as she slowly licked her top lip before quickly looking away once caught.

He heard his number being yelled and he hesitantly walked away from her and up to get his cold cuts. Though he was surprised when she followed him instead of staying back and waiting and he soon felt her hand lightly placed on his back.

He turned to look at her and gave a soft smile before his hand took hers and for once, she didn't take it away.

"Niles, is there any more decaf?" C.C asked she walked into the kitchen with her empty cup in one hand and her other placed gently on her swollen stomach as she watched him wash the dishes from supper.

He quickly came out of his daydream with the love of his life and found himself in the room with the woman herself.

He watched her eyes travel to the empty coffee pot and the frown that soon followed. Though Niles knew his woman (even if she wasn't really his) and always reserved the last cup for her.

"Just the way you like it," he smiled as he handed over the coffee mug with milk and one teaspoon of sugar. Deciding to be brave, he leaned in and pecked her cheek.

She grinned at the sweet act, before she quickly hid it, taking the mug from him. "Thank you." Why is he still being so sweet to me? We haven't had sex in over two weeks. Does that mean he really does care about me for me and not my, well, skills?

"C.C? C.C.!"

"Huh?" She quickly came out of her thoughts to see Niles standing in front of her with his hands on her shoulders.

"I know you're nervous, but are you ready to find out what we're- uh, you're having?"

"Oh. Right. Tomorrow we find out the sex." He could tell she was nervous and he wasn't sure why. "Are you excited?"

He smiled softly before he couldn't control it and it turned into a large grin. "Of course I am. I can't wait to know if I need to get a baseball bat to teach my son how to play ball, or a baseball bat to scare my daughter's future boyfriends."

C.C laughed softly as she shook her head. "I should have known you were planning on being an overprotective father."

"Well, to our daughter. But if we have a son, I'm going to show him how to be a ladies man, like his old man," he grinned.

She raised her brows with a unconvincing smile. "'Ladies man', huh? And how many women have you slept with in your lifetime?"

"Doesn't matter," he shrugged, not wanting to admit he could count them all on one hand. "As long as I've found the right one, right?" The look of pure love in his eyes explained his words perfectly.

Her smile soon turned into a nervous one and Niles noticed immediately.

"Um, Babs, can I ask you something?" He reached for her hand, only to have her quickly pull away.

"What?"

He watched her cross her arms and put an invisible wall up between them once again.

"Why do you do… this?"

"Do what?"

"This!" He waved his arms at a startled C.C, as he tried to come up with the right words for his frustrations. "One day you're wanting to be around me, grocery shopping, letting me hold your hand, rub your stomach, and I don't know if you remember since it was so long ago, but we used to be intimate. Even if you'd just run away the next morning, for who knows what reason."

He stopped to catch his breath and took the time to study C.C. She looked scared, confused and worse; hurt.

He sighed deeply as he reached for her, but she quickly stepped away. "Please say something."

"What do you want me to say?" The childish tone was making him regret his outburst.

"I mean, I'm trying. I want you a part of this child's life and whether we're together or not won't change that. But- But I need to think about how this would change us, Niles."

"C.C, are you listening to yourself? We're having a baby together. Everything is going to change for us. So, why don't you just try with me and let me show you I can be your man for the rest of your life."

"How is what you've been doing any different from what you'll be doing?"

"Don't push me away. Don't knock me down. Let me be there when you need someone to talk to. When you're hormones are making you emotional and you need someone to vent to, or a shoulder to cry on. And, if you need someone when your sex hormones are getting to you, I can help with that, too." The suggestive wiggle of his brows caused her to break out in a small laugh.

She thought a moment before she decided she had nothing to lose. They would always be in each others lives, whether they worked as a couple or not but as she started to think about it, she couldn't stop imagining herself ending up with him even before finding out he was going to be the father of her child. She was just always too afraid to admit it. But this was C.C Babcock, and she wasn't known for being afraid.

"Deal."