The movie had officially wrapped up yesterday and Lily was free. Which meant he had some decisions to make. This wasn’t just about Nash and Lily anymore. An innocent baby would be coming into this world soon and would depend on his or her parents to provide a stable, loving home.
When he stepped back into the living room, Lily was reclining on the leather chaise in the corner, pointing the remote toward the flat screen hanging above the stone mantel. He may be using this home as a prop for his plan, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t decorate it according to his style and his needs, just on a smaller scale. His designer had done quick work before Nash moved in and everything was perfect for a single groom who splurged only on a few necessities. A large television was a necessity.
When Lily had mentioned how nice his home was, he’d indicated the place came already furnished. A small lie piled atop all the others he’d doled out since he’d put his plan into motion. At this point, what was a white lie about decor in the grand scheme of things?
Lily’s vibrant eyes shot to his, a smile spread across her face as he approached. “I know I should still be scared, or nervous, or whatever, but I’m just so happy the baby is healthy.”
Resting his hip next to her bare legs on the chaise, Nash settled his hand on her calf and rubbed from her ankle to her knee. “There’s no rule book that states you have to feel a certain way.”
Lily rested her head against the arm, her hair falling over her shoulder, framing her natural beauty. This was how he preferred her. Not made up for a shoot with perfectly sprayed hair, but fresh-faced, hair down and wearing a casual dress. He loved how she didn’t worry about her looks, didn’t fuss with herself just because she came from the land where appearances were more valuable than talent.
Small-town life suited her and Nash wasn’t immune to the fact he was starting to like how well she blended into his world...or the world he’d created for his charade.
How would she look in his real home? In his grand master suite that had a balcony overlooking the fields? The need to make love to her beneath the dark sky slammed into him. He wanted her on his estate, not in the rental home that was merely a prop for a life that wasn’t even his.
“I’m pretty calm right now.” She rested her hand on his thigh, her dainty pink polish striking against his dark denim. “The film is done, the baby is fine.”
Lily’s hand came up, her fingertip traveled over the area between his brows. “Why the worry lines?”
Where to start? Did he confess now that he’d lied about his identity all along? Did he tell her he had more money than she ever thought possible and that this house, even his name, was one giant cover to keep him trudging forward with his master plan?
Did he truly want to see all that hurt in her eyes when he came clean about his life, that nearly every single thing he’d ever told her had been false?
Damn it, he hated he’d become that man. Hated that he would inevitably crush her. He didn’t want her to look at him in disgust, but the moment would come and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it. All he could do was stall, earn her trust outside of the bedroom.
Whether he wanted to face the fact or not, his feelings for her were growing deeper and damn if that didn’t complicate things even further.
He’d thought getting her out of his system, then out of his life after the film was over, would be a piece of cake. His secrets could’ve remained just that from her and he could’ve revealed them once she was gone.
Yet here he was, tangled in his own web of lies, becoming more and more restricted with each passing day, each new lie, and finding himself sinking deeper into a woman he knew only intimately.
“Just worried about you.” And that was the absolute truth. “With your blood pressure on the high side, I just want to make sure you take it easy.”
Her hand slid over his stubbled cheek. “I’m taking it easy right now.”
Easing forward, craving more of her touch, Nash slid his hand up over her knee, beneath the soft cotton dress and over her thigh. “I intend for you to take it easy until your next appointment.”
Lily stilled, her hand falling into her lap. “Nash, I can’t stay that long. I have a life in LA, a job, my mother is in Arizona...I can’t just stay here and forget all of my obligations.”
“You can take a break,” he insisted. “You heard the doctor. A month off will be good for you and you don’t have another film to get to, right?”
Lily shrugged, her eyes darting to her lap where she toyed with the bunched material of her dress. “I can’t stay here with you, Nash. This baby is real. I can’t just play house.”