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THE
MIDWIFE'S GLASS SLIPPER
Karen Rose Smith
Silhouette Special Edition, Book 2 in Karen's THE BABY EXPERTS SERIES
Babies are their business; love is their reward
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If Emily Diaz's boss knew her secret, he might fire
her! A former midwife, a professional tragedy and an unexpected divorce have
filled her with self doubt. She can't take the chance that her boss,
obstetrician Jared Madison, might learn she has fallen in love with him and his
twin daughters. He might lock her out of his life, not let her in. But she soon
discovers Jared has secrets of his own, rooted in his childhood. When fate
decrees she deliver a baby in a grocery store, Emily can't keep her past
hidden. In response, Jared reveals the reason trust is difficult for him.
Underneath his strong, confident exterior, Emily senses this physician's
vulnerability. Yet with twin daughters to protect, will he take the risk to
fall in love again?
REVIEWS
A well-structured plot,
a sharply defined conflict and characters, plus a high degree of sensuality make
this one a winner. Catherine Witmer, Romantic Times Book Reviews
Karen Rose Smith's books are always uplifting, even when conflicts arise. Her
characters are so likable, so honorable, they are a joy to know. In this case,
Emily's roommates and Jared's daughters, his mother, and his free-spirited
cousin add to the overall pleasure of THE MIDWIFE'S GLASS SLIPPER. They all take
on life as we get to know them. The plotting, background, and characterization
are excellent. Jane Bowers, Romance Reviews Today
CHAPTER ONE
Opening her eyes, Emily heard her name as if from a great distance.
"Emily, it's midnight."
The feel of Jared's hand on her shoulder sent tingles throughout her body that
brought her awake quickly.
Crouched down beside her, he wore scrubs and smelled as if he'd freshly
showered. In fact his hair was still damp. His muscled arm lay next to hers,
almost touching it. His thigh muscles were obvious against the blue cotton
fabric. Most of all, she noticed his eyes. They were so green, lighter at
first then more intense, more filled with —
Desire? She hadn't seen desire in a man's eyes for a very long time
As he leaned closer, her
anticipation was as rich as the hunger and need in his eyes. But then he stood
and ran his hand over his brow.
She sat up, but she didn't want to get her purse and say good night. She wanted
to know if she was right about the vibrations between them.
She patted the sofa next to her. "You look beat. Decompress a little. Tell me
about the birth."
When he gazed at her, his eyes were filled with something she didn't
understand. Questions. What would he be questioning?
"You really want to hear?"
"Sure! Babies are our business. What's most important to my pregnant moms is
what kind of delivery they'll have and if their baby will be healthy. I like to
hear what happens after they leave my care."
"I never thought of it that way. You don't usually see the finished result."
An ache enfolded her heart. She so missed seeing the finished result. "I go to
the hospital nursery and take a peek. Sometimes the moms bring babies back to
the office to visit after they're born. But for the most part, I don't know
what happens after they leave me."
"Tonight was a breeze for a first baby. Leanne's contractions were two and a
half minutes apart when I got there. Her husband was a great coach and she had
good focus. By eleven-thirty, she had a baby girl, and I was ready for a
shower."
"What do you feel when it happens?"
He looked startled for a moment and then gave her a long assessing look. "No
one has ever asked me that."
She could see that was true and she wondered why. After all, that feeling was
the reason she had delivered baby after baby as a midwife. That feeling was
what made it all worthwhile.
He glanced down at his hands as if he was trying to relive the birth. The
fatigue left his face. "It's an unexplainable moment. It's a moment when
something you believe can't possibly happen, does. It's a moment when life is
precious and men understand why they
live and fight and die for what they hold dear."
"It's a moment," she murmured, "when heaven meets earth."
He studied her and she realized she'd said too much. She should tell him she
knew first-hand all about that moment. Yet because of the lawsuit, he might not
want her practicing with him. If she told him her history, this closeness she
was feeling to him right now could simply vanish.
"You sound as if you know."
"I've attended births." She didn't add that she was the one who had caught the
baby in her hands.
His shoulder brushed hers as he admitted, "In that moment when a child is born,
I forget the long hours and the hassles and the schedule shuffling. I guess
most of life is that way. We work for the payoff, and if the payoff keeps us
satisfied, we keep doing it."
"It's more than a payoff." She remembered the feel of that little wet body in
her hands...the eyes coming open...the first cry. How she missed it. How she
wished she had the courage to go back and be part of delivering babies all over
again.
Jared angled toward her. They were close enough to feel each other's breath.
"You really do understand."
"I take care of moms and teach them how to take care of themselves for a
reason."
His large hand was so gentle as he stroked her cheek and pushed her curls away
from her face. "I've never met anyone like you, Emily. Not everyone can
understand the joy of holding a baby. You make what you do and what I do sound
like more than a profession. You make it sound special and worthwhile."
"It is." She wanted to say more...she wanted to tell him that's why she'd gone
into women's homes to help them have their babies there. She yearned to say that
she'd believed in home births because light and love and friendship could
surround the newborn before, during and after the moment of birth. Yet she'd
come to doubt that ideal. She'd come to doubt her judgment and skill. With
those doubts lurking, she could never do it again. She'd be more prone to
making a mistake. Mistakes were unacceptable when you were bringing a child
into the world.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
She tried to blank her mind because he'd read it too well. "Nothing."
"You looked lost for a moment."
Not lost, she wanted to say. Not when I'm with you. But she couldn't. It was
too soon. The feelings were taboo. He was her boss.
Still, any thoughts of boss and employee, of too soon or not soon enough,
evaporated as he leaned still closer. "Emily, I don't know what it is about
you."
His lips were just a breath from brushing hers. "I don't know what it is about
you," she whispered back.
His arm went around her, strong and protective. She nestled into it as if she
belonged there...as if she belonged with him. When he tightened his embrace,
his eyes were serious. But his mouth was curved in a small smile as if he were
anticipating everything they were about to do.
She felt that same breath-hitching expectancy. The wait for his kiss was
life-changing. In that moment, she put her divorce behind her. She took the
present in her hands and hoped for a future that could include Jared. Her
thoughts surprised her, almost as much as the touch of his lips on hers.
So many sensations bombarded her at once. The pressure of his lips was firm.
The texture of his skin was taut and warm. The hunger behind his first touch
was restrained, yet pulsing to be let loose. She readied herself. Then she
realized, she couldn't be ready for it.
As his mouth opened over hers, as he demanded a response, as she got lost, she
couldn't think about what she was doing. All she could do was give back
whatever he asked. When his tongue stroked hers, she eagerly met each
exploration. When he angled his head a little differently, her hands rose to
his shoulders and then brushed into his hair. She held onto him so he could
take her wherever he wanted to go.
He couldn't seem to get enough. She could feel her skin getting hotter, her
cheeks flushing to match his level of arousal. They were both revved up and
ready for more. But when his hands moved to her waist and inched her blouse out
of her waistband, reality became a pressing concern. As soon as his hand
touched the skin of her midriff, she wanted nothing more than to let him finish
what they'd started. Yet she knew she couldn't. This was her boss. She needed
her job, secret or no secret, and she'd just put it in jeopardy. How could she
get out of this situation without looking like a foolish teenager who didn't
know what she was doing?
But just as Jared had seemed to read her before, his hand slid away from her,
his tongue ceased exploring, and his mouth — although his lips clung a little —
broke off their kiss. She heard his rough sigh.
Then she opened her eyes to gaze into his.
He turned from her
slightly, rubbed his hand over his chin, shifted away, then focused on her. "I
shouldn't have done that."
It seemed as if the words were hard for him to say, as if he didn't want to say
them but knew he had to.
"I shouldn't have let you."
"It will not happen again," he said as if reassuring himself of that. "This
isn't an excuse, but I've never met anyone who understood that moment of birth
like you do." He rubbed his hands on his thighs. "This won't affect our
working relationship. I mean, you don't have to worry about your job."
That was a relief but didn't address the attraction still simmering between
them. "We can't pretend it didn't happen."
From the book: THE MIDWIFE'S GLASS SLIPPER, Karen Rose Smith, Silhouette
Special Edition, Publication Date: May 2009
ISBN:978-0-373-65454-3 Copyright: 2009 By: Karen Rose Smith
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