They'd only just walked into the house when Haley called Lucas' cell phone. Brooke watched his face light up as he talked to her. "Yes, she's still here. No. I won't let her drive back unless it's safe." He listened some more. "I do, as a matter of fact. Can you explain again?"

Brook figured out he was getting some cooking instructions. Dinnertime wasn't far away and, sure enough her stomach was reminding her of it. But Lucas didn't have to cook for her. Maybe he had some snacks that would take the edge off her hunger until she could drive back to Haley's.

She walked over and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Just a sec," he told his sister in law. "Brooke is trying to get my attention." He turned to her. "What's up?"

"You don't need to fix me dinner."

"Because you're going to fix me dinner instead?" There was a twinkle in his eyes.

"Well, I hadn't …."

"We both need to eat and I'm pretty sure I have all the ingredients for Haley's mac and cheese. Let me get the details and we can make it together."

This was sounding much cozier than she'd intended but she was suddenly starving. She might ask about snacks, after all, because the mac and cheese would take a while.

He began wrapping up his phone call. "Yes, Hales, three-fifty for 30mins. Thanks. And if the weather stays nasty, I'll bring Brooke home in my truck. We can always work out the logistics of retrieving her car. Right. Have a good night." He ended the call and turned to her. "Haley says if you haven't eaten since lunch, you're probably starving because pregnant ladies are hungry all the time. Are you starving?"

"I'm pretty hungry."

"Then we'll make some snacks before we start on the mac and cheese." He put his phone on the counter and opened the refrigerator. "Do you like cheddar cheese?"

"Adore it."

"Me, too." He took a package out of the refrigerator door and reached for the cutting board leaning against the backsplash. "There's a box of crackers in the cupboard by the stove. Oh, and I have a jar of black olives." He opened the refrigerator again and them out. "Want some?"

"You bet. Hand them over."

He gave her the jar. "If you want a bowl to put them in, dishes are in the top cupboard, far right."

"Got it." She put the olives in a bowl and carried it to the table along with the crackers. She held up the box. "Mind if I go ahead and open these?"

"By all mean." He finished slicing the cheese and put the cutting board next to her on the table. "Start eating. I'm going to open a beer, but I know you can't have that. I have some root beer, though."

"Sounds great."

He came back with two bottles and twisted the cap from hers before giving it to her. "Wind's whipping up pretty good out there."

"Guess it is." She'd been so intent on their snacks that she hadn't paid attention, but now she could hear it gusting through the trees surrounding the house.

"Could be a good sign. Sometimes a strong wind would blow the storm somewhere else." He sat across from her and when he stretched out his long legs, they bumped hers. "Sorry."

"No worries. It's a small table." She tried to keep from nudging his denim-covered legs but finally gave up the effort. After all, it wasn't as if they'd never been in close proximity. They'd spent hours with their legs tangled together.

She reached for more cheese and crackers. "Excellent snacks, by the way. Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'm glad Haley clued me in. Would you have said anything?"

"Probably. Being pregnant has made me more assertive about asking for what I want."

"That's good." He tossed an olive in the air and caught it in his mouth.

She'd forgotten that she'd seen him do something similar before. "I guess you don't limit yourself to pop-corn for that stunt."

"Nope. It fosters hand-eye coordination, and I need all the extra practice I can get these days." He winked at her. "It also impresses the ladies."

"Trust me, it wasn't the popcorn trick that reeled me in."

"Then what did?"

"I'm not telling." She built herself a double-decker mini sandwich of crackers and cheese and managed to eat it without making a huge mess.

"I guess that old saying about eating for two must be true."

"Now it is. For the first two and a half months I had no appetite and was so sick to my stomach."

His blue eyes filled with concern. "That sounds awful."

"If I'd figured out I was pregnant, it wouldn't have been so bad, morning sickness is common in the first few months. But I knew I couldn't be pregnant. I mean the doctors told me a had no chance, so I couldn't imagine that one night with you – using a condom, no less – would succeed when so many times before it hadn't."

"I'm still in awe of that. I'd love to claim that it's all because of my superior swimmers, but I think it could just as easily been the phases of the moon."

"Or the phase of my cycle. I went back and checked and that would have been my most fertile time."

"You keep track?" He took a swallow of his beer.

"Most girls do." She popped another olive in her mouth. She was tempted to try his trick but decided it was more important to get that thing into her than play games. The hunger pangs were gradually receding.

He leaned back in his chair. "Well however it happened I'm glad it did."

She glanced at him in surprise. "How can you say that? If this hadn't happened, you could have continued living your life the way you planned. In fact, I've been trying to convince you that's still possible."

"And I've been trying to convince you it's not." The table was small and when he leaned across it he was very close. "When you told me that you were pregnant with our daughter, I spent the rest of the night thinking. I asked myself if I regretted being with you in New York considering the outcome. Well, I don't. Not then and not back in high school." His gaze darkened. "You are incredible, Brooke Davis. You brought out the best in me. You are the most selfless, supportive person I know."

She couldn't break eye contact. That look, that simmering intensity, had been her kryptonite back then. Still was now. Her heart pounded as a different kind of hunger, one that had nothing to do with food, begged for satisfaction.

His soft voice wove a seductive spell as he gently stroked her arm. "I don't regret that we made a baby either. But I think you have regrets."

"No." Her vocal cords felt tight. "I want this child."

"I know you want her. But do you want me."

Crazy laughter threatened to bubble up. She'd never wanted any man more than she wanted Lucas at this very moment.

He covered her hand with his and held her gaze.

"Be forewarned. I'm not going anywhere. I'm the guy for you, Brooke Davis and the guy for our baby." Then he gave her hand a squeeze and pushed away from the table. "Time to make mac and cheese."

She took a steadying breath. She'd almost expected him to invite her into his bedroom. God help her, she would have gone, and that would have sent a terrible message. She couldn't agree to sex and then walk away with is daughter.

While he got out a pot for the pasta and a pan for the sauce, she closed up the box of crackers and carried the cutting board and the empty olive bowl over to the sink.

"Something almost just happened now." He filled the pot with water and set in on the burner.

"It did?"

"You know it did." He kept his gaze on the bowl as he shredded the cheese into it.

"I suppose so." She watched him shred the cheese. He had great hands and long, nimble fingers. Those hands could work magic with a pen and magic on her body.

"I won't push you to do anything you don't want to."

"I know."

"I was seconds away from making a move."

"Why didn't you?"

"A couple of reasons." He glanced over at her. "Does slicing onions bother you?"

"No."

He tilted his head toward the one sitting on the counter. "If you'd chop, I'd be much obliged. Knives are in the.."

"Knife block. I see it." She rinsed off the onion and the cutting board. "What reasons?"

"First off, would sex hurt the baby?"

A flush of desire made her lady parts tingle. "Not unless it's of the 'swinging from the chandeliers' variety." She started cutting up the onion.

He chucked softly. "We had that kind a time or two."

"I remember." She sniffed.

"Are you crying?"

"Nope. Just a slight reaction to the onion. I'm fine."

"Want me to take over?"

"Nah. I've got this."

"If you're sure. Your eyes are watering."

"Potent onion." She sniffed again and laughed. "Really. I'm not getting emotional" She finished chopping the onion.

He washed his hands and pulled a clean dishtowel from the cabinet. "Let me wipe your eyes. You have tears running down your cheeks."

"I know, but I promise you I'm not crying." She put down the knife and lifted her face.

"I believe you. I can tell the difference. Hold still."

He leaned in and carefully wiped away the tears. "So I have to ask. Did you research the subject of sex while pregnant?" He dabbed at her eyes with the towel. "Because if you did, I can't help but be curious as to why."

"Obviously because I'm planning to take a lover."

He sucked in a breath. "Please tell me that's a joke."

"It's a joke. Although you and I have no commitment to each other, so if I wanted to, then…"

"Let it be me." He took her by the shoulders. "Please, Brooke. I know I have no claim, but the thought of you with some other guy makes me crazy."

She looked up at him. "That's a really crazy statement, Lucas."

"Why?"

"Because you literally left me for my best friend."

"Brooke that was a lifetime ago. And you broke up with me first."

"You told her she was the one."

"I was wrong. I mistook easy and comfortable for something it wasn't. With you and I it was passion. Fireworks. You challenged me, supported me and I took that for granted."

His gaze held hers. Her pulse rate shot up. Once he kissed her, the game would be over. They'd never stop with a kiss.

"But I won't kiss you, much as I'd love to." He let go of her and backed away. "I didn't tell you the other reason we're not in the bedroom right now."

She swallowed. "Which is?"

"You might think I seduced you just so I could get what I want."

"Meaning sex?"

He shook his head. "The chance to be our baby's dad."