Matt loved early morning loving, believing that it did a body good, and in his case, waking up next to C.J. got him thinking about only one thing.

He kissed her on the mouth, gently just to coax her awake. She snuggled closer to him, her arms wrapped around his body. He'd recovered from the news that she'd dropped on him last night about the baby.

Their baby...

Matt knew that the word, baby freaked out many a man in his social group, because the reality was that children changed a relationship between a man and a woman forever. And in cases, when the pregnancies hadn't been planned, well sometimes the relationships wound up being brokered by lawyers on both sides. Until an agreement had been reached between the parties of who bore which level of financial responsibility. The women in the relationships often wound up raising the children on the fringe of upper society, close enough to it but never allowed back in, often raising their children in nice houses with big back yards and a landscaper.

For some couples, the arrangements had been neat and tidier than in other cases, but Matt never believed that they benefitted the children most. No, he viewed them as being easier on the parents than on the children.

That would never happen with his own child, he had decided. No, he'd be involved in his or her life from day one, in fact he'd start even before the baby was born. He felt C.J. move in his embrace and her eyes opened.

She looked at him as if she couldn't believe he was still there.

"Good morning beautiful…"

Oh now, she looked like she wanted to throw something at him…harder than a pillow.

"How are you feeling this morning?"

She tilted her head to get a better look at the man in bed. The one who she'd told she was pregnant and he not only took it very well, he'd given her a night of great sex. But what she needed now was some breakfast.

"I'm…fine…"

"You're not sick?"

She shook her head, her hair tousled and her she just cast him a strange look.

"Why would I be?"

His brow arched.

"Morning sickness…"

"Oh that…I'm hoping that if it's not mentioned that it won't rear its ugly head," she said, "Actually I'm starving."

"I'm not surprised after last night," he said, "I'll go cook up some eggs and bacon in the kitchen."

She nodded thinking that sounded great and knowing that Matt had always been able to prepare a tasty meal out of almost anything. He disentangled himself from her but not without kissing her on the mouth before he got out of bed, buck naked giving her quite a show.

Damn the man took great care of himself, always being athletic. He could do just about everything physical and often did and she loved touching him when they hit the sheets. Grabbing onto his hardened muscles and also some of his softer spots, she just hadn't been able to get enough once she'd really started putting her hands on him. She started to get out of bed too reaching for something to wear. He'd messed up her great view of him by putting on a robe and she found a long shirt of his to wear tossed over a chair.

Slipping her clothing on, she walked to the kitchen. He'd already gotten out some bowls, pans and plenty of utensils and a carton of eggs that rested precariously on the counter. She walked over to carefully nudge it so it wouldn't get knocked off making a mess. He had cracked several of them over a bowl and began to whisk it up into froth while she went to get the bacon and some bread.

They'd made breakfast together before even before they became lovers and they often had great conversations over some delicious food in the breakfast nook. But this was somehow different because for one thing, he watched her like a hawk.

"Matt is everything okay?"

"Yeah…yeah sure it is," he said, "are you feeling okay?"

"Sure…you like raspberry jam on your toast right?"

When they were done cooking, they took their plates to the nook and sat down together, enjoying the sun basking the room with plenty of light and more than a promise of the day's heat.

"Elizabeth's not going to get your company."

He just looked at her.

"Now don't worry about her," he said, "Focus on the baby."

She just rolled her eyes at him while she bit into her toast.

"Don't tell me not to think about it Matt," she said, "We built that company from the ground up."

He shrugged.

"We can build another," he said, "and Elizabeth won't know what to do with our company if she takes it anyway. It's just a threat."

"It's blackmail…she's doing it to get you to marry her."

Matt sighed as he worked on his eggs.

"It's not going to work," he said, "There's no way I'm marrying her and once she gets that through her head, she'll go away."

"Are you so sure about that," C.J. said, "I don't get her…she threatens you with blackmail after you break up but before the wedding, she came on to the stripper like a cat in heat."

He frowned.

"She did what?"

"Oh never mind…but we've got to come up with some strategy. Why should we lose the company, we did all the work!"

Matt couldn't deny that part of it and maybe C.J. didn't want to rebuild another company for the next few years from scratch. Especially now that she'd gotten pregnant and did he really want her to work that hard? Their baby was going to keep them both busy after all.

"Let's not worry about it right now," he said, "Let's finish breakfast and decide what to do the rest of the day."

She looked at him and smiled.

"I was going to go to the beach," she said, "and enjoy the nice day."

"Alone?"

"You can come with me if you want," she said, "But Houston we're going to have to do something about Elizabeth."

They got up to rinse the dishes and tidy up the kitchen and then he picked her up in his arms before she knew it and began kissing her. That made her forget all about Elizabeth, the company and nearly everything else.

"Where are you taking me?"

His eyes looked roguish.

"Where do you think?"

Her insides tingled at the thought that he'd be carrying her to the bedroom and they'd be in his bed tangled up in each other in a moment. She could spend the whole day like that; forget about the beach especially when he tantalized her mouth with his tongue. The man had a great talent after all, one she had seen from afar but only discovered herself recently.

Suddenly the door bell rung interrupting their plans and he reluctantly set her down on her feet to go answer it.

Even looking through his peephole, he knew that it was Delilah, the woman who was to have been Elizabeth's matron of honor. He looked over at C.J. and told her who was standing there.

She just shrugged because she knew that Delilah would never leave unless she'd told him her piece whatever it happened to be this time. C.J. hoped it wasn't another sales pitch to ask them to help Elizabeth and Matt get back together.

Matt opened the door and Delilah dressed in a pantsuit just walked right in as if it were her house. Then she frowned at them.

"What's she doing here," she said, "and dressed up like that."

C.J. looked down at her outfit of one of Matt's shirts that reached just above her knees and with the top two buttons undone. Matt folded his arms.

"She's with me," he said, "What are you doing here?"

Delilah just stared at Matt and shook her head at him.

"Elizabeth really wants to have a talk with you."

Matt sighed.

"She already did at the restaurant and she threatened to buy my company."

If that news shocked Delilah, she didn't let on. She just looked at the both of them.

"You two are sleeping together?"

Both Matt and C.J. looked at each other and then back at her.

"We're seeing each other," Matt said, "and Elizabeth and I are history."

Delilah didn't seem to want to believe that and seemed shocked at his revelation.

"That is just disgusting…"

That pissed C.J. off and she narrowed her eyes at the woman.

"What we do is none of your business," she said, "and I don't want to hear anymore from you."

Matt nodded.

"You'd better leave now."

But Delilah didn't budge. She looked like she was still sizing the situation up.

"Were you sleeping with your associate during your engagement?"

Matt rubbed the back of his neck and just stared at Delilah, his eyes not blinking.

"No…absolutely not," he said, "If I were having a relationship with C.J. I would have never been engaged to her."

"But you are now…"

"Elizabeth and I ended our engagement," he said, "and we're not getting back together so you should really just accept that."

Delilah's mouth twisted and she looked agitated. Really why did she care so much whether or not Elizabeth married Matt? If Matt didn't love his ex-fiancée, then was it really best for her friend to hang onto false hopes?

"But you really haven't heard her out," Delilah insisted.

"I heard her loud and clear," Matt said, "She's after my company."

Delilah shook her head.

"She doesn't want it," she said, "She just wants to use it to get you to listen to her. Why can't you do that?"

Oh C.J. definitely smelled a rat here with what sounded like desperation in Delilah's voice. Was she really acting as the concerned and loyal friend to Elizabeth? She thought the woman must have an angle here but couldn't understand what it could be. Anyway, she was getting weary of this drama and she and Matt had been on their way to his bedroom to light up each other's fire.

"Like I said Delilah, you really need to leave."

The other woman folded her arms.

"It's not your house, it's Matt's."

He stepped towards her.

"I want you out and go tell Elizabeth, the answer's still no."

Delilah just shook her head and stared at C.J..

"You home wrecker," she said, "I know you were after him. I told Elizabeth to watch her back around you because you'd have your eye on Matt's."

C.J. pursed her lips.

"I'm not going to apologize for looking after my best friend," she said, "but that didn't include sleeping with him while he was engaged."

"Yeah right."

C.J.'s rubbed her arms.

"I'm not the one who tried to slow dance with the stripper."

That hit its mark because Delilah had been there when Elizabeth had hit the tequila too much and had tried to seduce the guy hired as entertainment at her bachelorette party. Matt just looked at the both of them, hoping a fight wouldn't break out in his house.

C.J. could kick box Delilah's head any day of the week but she was pregnant and he wasn't sure that was included on her allowable list of activities from her doctor. But the way the women squared off now, they looked ready to rumble.

And if he didn't act quickly would all hell break loose?

C.J. had remembered all too well what had happened at Elizabeth's bachelorette party just before her wedding. Delilah had pushed her into helping her organize this last soiree even though she really had no interest in such rituals.

Delilah had been excited enough for the both of them and had recruited the stripper from a renowned company that had been a client of her boss's a while back and the guy had been a hunk for sure.

Elizabeth had certainly thought so from the moment he'd started strutting himself once the music had started playing. She'd grabbed hold of him the first opportunity that presented itself and wouldn't let go.

That had been even before the stripper had started to peel off his clothing. Now C.J. had enjoyed watching him after several tequila shots but her exuberance that night hadn't matched that of the bride to be. And the stripper actually had a girlfriend who worked as an elementary school teacher so he'd been a little taken aback when she jumped up and started matching his moves. Then again, tipsy overly touchy feely brides probably were an occupational hazard.

She'd never told Matt how his fiancée had acted at the bachelorette party though Elizabeth had mentioned that it had been C.J. who had acted it up with the stripper. Matt had raised a brow at that but hadn't said anything. He knew better than to interfere in her personal business only this time there wasn't any, because she hadn't reached out and touched the stripper at all.

After Delilah had made her dramatic exit from Matt's house, she thought about that night and realized it had been the beginning of the end of the engagement between Matt and Elizabeth. For Delilah to turn around and call her a home wrecker was just so out of line. She hadn't lured Matt to bed, not exactly. She hadn't had that drink with him in the suite to seduce him after all. One thing had just led to another and a drink between friends had turned out to be more than that.

Matt walked back into the bedroom where they'd returned after Delilah left because they loved spending time there wrapped up in each other. She wondered if he were really okay with the pregnancy but then figured if he weren't she'd hear about it.

After they fooled around a little bit more, they'd get ready to head down to the beach to do some more relaxing. Both of them had worked hard lately and had done a fair share of traveling and he didn't want her running around ragged now that she was expecting Matt, Jr.

She smiled at his protectiveness but she knew that if it extended too far into her life, she'd have to put her foot down.

"You are feeling okay?"

She rolled her eyes at him.

"I won't be if you don't come over here right now."

He smiled as he moved up closer to her and wrapped her up in his embrace. God, she loved the way his body felt next to hers or on top of her or wherever, both hard and soft in the right places.

He kissed her on the mouth and then she felt him nudging at her lips and of course she let him inside…oh yeah, she loved the way he slowly skimmed the inside of her mouth with that tongue. She pulled him closer to her.

But then she pulled away after a moment.

"You're okay aren't you?"

He nodded.

"I'm sorry about Elizabeth…"

She knit her brows.

"What do you have to be sorry about Houston," she said, "She's a grown woman, she makes her own decisions."

"She made the decision to come after my company."

"She won't succeed," C.J. said, "We both know that."

Matt sighed and then he brightened.

"Let's not talk about that, let's talk about the baby."

She smiled at him, reaching out with her fingers to stroke his damp chest.

"Okay where would you like to start?"

He sighed.

"I want you to move in with me."

Her brows arched quickly. Where in the hell had that come from all a sudden?

"Why would I do that?"

He looked at her intently.

"Because I want to take care of the two of you and I can't do that if we're living apart."

She thought that sounded reasonable but she couldn't see herself moving in with him. She had her own home, her own things in her own space. She needed some corner of the world for herself when she needed to retreat from her hectic lifestyle.

"No….I don't think so," she said, "At least not right now. I need my space."

"You're carrying my child," he said, "You shouldn't be alone."

Her fingers reached to touch the stubble on his face.

"I won't be alone," she said, "But it's clear that this baby's going to cause major changes in our lives and I'd feel a little less overwhelmed if we could just take it slowly."

He considered that.

"Okay I'll give you a month before you move in here."

She rolled her eyes at him then.

"Houston…I like my house," she said, "Not that I don't like it here but if we're going to bring a new person into our lives, we might need more space."

He paused and then nodded.

"Okay you're right," he said, "We can go shop for a new place tomorrow…with plenty of room for the baby."

She put her hand up against his chest, trying to ignore how his muscles danced beneath her touch.

"I don't think we should rush into this," she said, "Maybe we should just take each day as it comes for a while."

He frowned.

"But you only have what…seven months?"

She smiled, realizing he'd kept count but she needed him to understand that he couldn't just rush off and make decisions for her. She had to do what was best for her and the life she carried inside of her and she knew that included having him play an active role but not dictating orders for her to follow.

That hadn't worked in their business and it wouldn't with this pregnancy either.

"Matt…I can handle this really," she said, "and you've got Elizabeth to deal with taking your business."

"She's not going to do that…"

"How do you…"

The doorbell rung then and they both looked at each other wondering who'd shown up now. They both got out of bed and grabbed their robes and got semi-dressed before he went to the door.

He opened it and in came his uncle Roy and his new girlfriend Wanda who looked like they'd just dropped by after brunch.

C.J. went to give Roy a kiss on the cheek, having always loved him like they were blood relatives.

"What's going on," Roy said, "Are we interrupting anything?"

Matt looked over at C.J..

"Actually we're about to get dressed and head to the beach."

Roy smiled.

"It's a great day for it," he said, "The weather's supposed to reach the high eighties."

Wanda smiled at them.

"It's so nice to see you two together," she said, "though I'm somewhat surprised to see you together…"

"Wanda…"

She turned to her boyfriend.

"Well, you have to admit it's a bit unexpected," she said, "I had no idea that they were even dating."

"It's their own business," Roy chided, "Matt, is it true what's going around about your company?"

Matt nodded.

"Yeah, Elizabeth and some silent partner are trying to do a buyout," he said, "but they won't be successful and even if they were, I could start another company."

Roy sighed.

"I never trusted her and frankly I was glad you decided to break it off with her," he said, "but what are we going to do about it?"

Matt frowned.

"We?"

"Why yes," Roy said, "You need all the help you can get to stop her plans from reaching fruition."

Matt sighed.

"We might have to do an all day planning session," Roy continued, "but that can wait until Monday."

C.J. looked over at Matt who seemed to be considering it.

"That'll be good Houston," she said, "You have to stop her before she gets her tender hooks into your company."

He paced a bit.

"What she wants I can't give her," he said, "I'm not going to marry her."

Roy's eyes widened a bit.

"Oh is that what she wants…that makes sense."

Matt looked at his uncle.

"How so…she didn't want to marry me."

Roy furrowed his brow.

"Obviously she changed her mind and now she's after you with both gun barrels."

"It doesn't matter," Matt said, "There's no way in hell I'll ever marry her."

Roy nodded.

"Okay then, we'll just have to find another way to get her to drop her plans for your company."

C.J. listened back and forth between the two men. She suddenly didn't want to talk about Elizabeth and what she wanted anymore.

"Hey I'm going to get something to drink," she said, "It's getting warm in here."

Matt looked at her.

"Everything okay…?"

She looked up at him and nodded.

"Yeah, keep talking," she said, "I'll be back in a few."

She walked away and headed to the kitchen to go pour herself some orange juice from the refrigerator.

"Those men can talk forever about business…"

She looked over to see Wanda join her. She liked her just fine even when she chose strange topics to talk about. Wanda went to get herself a glass to pour some juice.

"So you and Matt…that's really great."

C.J. smiled.

"Yeah I think so," she said, "He's a great guy and well, we've been going out for a couple of months."

"No one knew about it did they?"

C.J. felt the flush reach her face.

"Well we wanted some time to keep it to ourselves," she said, "before we told anyone else."

Wanda shrugged.

"Makes sense," she said, "You're a good couple but if you're not careful you're going to lose him to Elizabeth."

C.J. didn't think so, because Matt had made it clear that his ex was out of his life even as she tried to extort her way back into it.

But Wanda's warning still reached her anyway. After all, you could never know how far Elizabeth would go or what she'd do next.