CHAPTER TWENTY #3
I stared at him. "You went to all these different places."
"Just three stops. Had to find the right dragon, after all."
Something in my chest cracked open. "Nash. This is…" The emotion cinched my throat and I suddenly couldn’t talk. I hugged the dragon tight and drew a deep breath. “You’re so thoughtful. I can’t even express how sweet this is. How grateful I am.” A tear escaped and Nash pulled me into his arms.
“It’s no problem, I promise.”
But his soft words only made more tears come. “A man has never stepped up for her like this before.” Another wave of emotion crashed through me. “I didn’t realize it would make me cry like a baby."
His arms tightened around me, rooting me into his solidness, his heat, his powerful presence. “It’s okay.”
Suddenly I remembered that I was crying into his three-piece. I recoiled, searching his suit for evidence of my make up. “Oh my God, I forgot I have full makeup on. I hope I didn’t ruin your outfit for tonight.”
“I’m not going anywhere tonight, babe.” He guided my chin up, searching my gaze. "Archer's going to the event. He'll schmooze the commissioners. I grilled him on the key talking points and made him swear not to make any bad jokes.”
"You can still go if you want. I can handle things," I said, my voice watery as I dabbed at the bottoms of my eyelids with my finger. “I’m used to it.”
"You don’t have to handle things on your own.” He pressed his lips to mine in a kiss that stopped time. "Remember?”
Every day he said or did something to make me fall more in love with him. Tears arrived for an entirely different reason now. I wanted to tell him so badly that I’d fallen for him. How dangerous yet right this felt. I buried my face in his chest again.
“I’m so glad you’re here.” I could never explain what a relief it was to hand over some of the heaviness of daily life, to be with someone who could help me carry it.
“There’s literally nowhere else I’d rather be.” Nash fingered my curls, his gaze sweeping over my glam makeup and down to my very-regular soft pants and tank top. “I like this look.”
I laughed. “I only got halfway ready before the puking started.”
“It’s like glam casual.” Nash slid his big hand around the back of my neck, his eyes going hooded. “You’re so beautiful, Clara. Have I told you that yet today?”
I bit my bottom lip. He did make it a point to tell me that a lot. “I don’t think so. Not today.”
“Shame on me,” he muttered, then pressed his lips to mine. I smiled through the kiss, that special blend of euphoria and disbelief washing over me. That mixture of There’s never been anything so perfect and Could this possibly be real?
Kissing Nash was like both touching electricity and snuggling into the warmest, comfiest bed.
I clutched at his big hand cupping my neck as he kissed me deeply, our tongues meeting in the middle.
He tasted like spearmint, smelled like cedar and bergamot, and kissed me like he’d never thought of another woman a day in his life.
It felt too good to be true.
He guided me toward the couch, sitting down before pulling me on top of him. I giggled as I eased onto his lap, hooking my arms around his neck.
“You’re hard to resist when you look like this,” I told him, fingering the buttons on his vest.
“Just when I’m in a three-piece, huh?” he teased.
“Well, and when you wear your other suits too,” I clarified, my fingers skipping down the silver buttons. “And when you wear those sweatpants. And when you wear those nice T-shirts. And also when you wear nothing…”
His grin grew wider. “What if we wore nothing right now?”
Before I could answer, soft cries drifted through the air. Mia.
“I think that’s your answer,” I said, patting his chest. “While its daytime, clothes must stay on.” I extracted myself from his lap, heading to check on Mia. Her hair was mussed but she was sitting up. Nash followed me, and as soon as she saw him, she gasped.
“Naff!”
She scampered out of the bed and into his arms. As he rubbed her back, I could tell the smile on his face was genuine.
Now that it was the three of us again, what else was there to do but keep playing family?
The medicine I’d given her earlier must have taken effect, because her fever was down and she was slightly more active.
She wanted to play with her toys, but she tired easily.
We put on a princess movie, and she curled up on the couch to watch.
Nash took off his coat and vest, busying himself in whatever needed doing.
We went from plant tending to organizing my refrigerator to pulling up the aerial map of the Meridian Manufacturing neighborhood, where Nash pointed out the areas of decay and we brainstormed potential solutions.
Our evening together was both nothing special and everything special. Mia didn’t eat much soup for dinner, but she was able to keep some ginger ale down. When it was time for bed, Mia insisted Nash be the one to put her to tuck her in.
"You sure?" he asked her.
"She wants you,” I said, ruffling her hair. “Go ahead."
Nash scooped her up into his arms and carried her into the bedroom. I listened from the living room as Nash read her three stories, his deep voice soothing and steady. Then I heard him singing—actually singing—a lullaby I'd never heard before.
When he emerged from her room twenty minutes later, with his loosened tie and his mussed up hair, I could have spontaneously erupted into pregnancy.
"She asleep?" I asked.
"Yeah. But she made me promise that I'd be here when she wakes up." His expression was serious. "She asked if I was going to leave like her daddy did."
My heart shattered. "Oh God."
"So I promised her I'd be here in the morning." He loosened his tie further, sending a cautious look my way. “I hope that’s okay. I know you wanted to get back to normal.”
"It’s more than okay. I was hoping you’d stay.” I cast him a coy smile, but my heart was thumping.
“I would hope my wife wouldn’t be kicking me out already,” he said with an easy grin as he returned to his position at my side on the couch.
My smile faded quickly. “She’s getting attached to you.”
“I know.” He took my hand in his, running the pad of his thumb over my knuckles. “I’m getting attached to her too.”
“But what happens in December?” The words stuck to my throat, barely making it past my lips. I was terrified of what he’d say. But I needed to know.
“The same thing that’s happening now. I’m with you two.”
I blinked, searching his face. “That’s not what the contract says.”
“We signed the contract before…this.” He gestured to the minuscule amount of space between us. “Things are different now.”
Different was an understatement. Things were perfect. Blissful. Dreamlike.
And terrifying.
I rested my head on his shoulder, letting the present moment wash over me.
“So we’re married,” I said slowly, “but maybe we’re also dating?”
I could hear Nash’s deep laugh rumble through him. He brought my hand up to his lips, kissing the back of it.
“Yes. You’re my legally wedded girlfriend. How’s that sound?”
My cheeks hurt from how hard his words made me smile. “A little fucked up. But somehow right.”