With a slight tilt of his head, his eyes instantly flashed with concern. “What’s on your mind that you’re not sleeping?”
Clutching her glass, Lily laughed. Where to start? “Everything at the moment.”
Remaining in the doorway with his shoulder propped against the jam, Nash crossed his arms over his deliciously bare chest. Would she ever tire of looking at him? Touching him?
The fire that continued to burn between them wasn’t all that had her wanting more with this intriguing man. He excited her in ways she’d never felt before, he made her feel as if she was actually meaningful to his life, as if he wasn’t only with her for her celebrity status. And he was honest. She needed honesty. Coming from a land where lies flew as quickly as the wind, she needed that stability. She needed him.
Earlier tonight when she’d seen him vulnerable, baring his soul to a family that didn’t know he existed had twisted something even deeper within her. There was so much more to Nash than she’d first uncovered and all she knew was she wanted to discover the rest.
“Talk to me,” he murmured, that low tone washing over her. “I’m a pretty good listener.”
He was good at everything...hence her hang-ups and torments.
“I’m just thinking.” Worrying. “With Damon knowing who you are now, what will happen next with your life.”
She took a drink, thankful for the prop in her hands and the comfort of her guilty pleasure. Having these thoughts occupy her mind was one thing, letting them out in the open was another. But here they were, surrounded by near darkness and silence where they would have no interruptions. Might as well lay out some of her concerns.
“That’s not all on your mind.”
Lily caught his stare from across the room. He knew her all too well. And here she’d worried they only knew each other intimately. For months everything had been so one-dimensional, which had worked perfectly for them until the shocking baby news. Even after that, though, they’d kept things physical, not delving too deep.
Everything about them had recently shifted. She knew his fears of opening up to Damon and the girls just as he knew her fears of the baby and her career. They were in this together, bonding, growing closer...and that scared her to death.
“I don’t want this child to ever worry about where she stands with us.” Lily slid her free hand over her stomach, silently vowing protection over her innocent baby. “I saw the torment in your eyes, Nash. I saw the vulnerability when you were talking to Damon. You’re a strong man, but family is something that I can see you take very seriously. I guess I’m worried where we’re headed, not just you and me, but this baby. I don’t want her life torn between ours.”
Nash moved farther into the kitchen. The closer he came, the bigger he seemed to get. Those tanned, bare, broad shoulders, wrapped over muscles from working hard on a farm, would make any woman’s knees weak and toes curl. She was no exception.
His hand slid over hers on her stomach. “This child will never question how much we love her. No matter where we are, this child takes top priority.”
Thrilled that his level of passion for protecting and loving this child was the same as hers, Lily smiled. But she didn’t miss the fact he avoided the topic of them as a couple.
One day at a time. She still had months to think things through. Ian was totally understanding in her taking a bit of time off since she’d just wrapped filming and was coming to terms with the pregnancy. She couldn’t be happier that she’d taken him on as her agent.
So while he was figuring out her next career move, Lily was trying to get a handle on her personal life and how she could keep her career, raise the baby and figure out her feelings for Nash. Whatever they had went beyond lust, beyond sexual, but she couldn’t identify it quite yet.
Without another word, Nash took the cold glass from her hand and took a drink. Milk settled into his mustache before his tongue darted out to swipe it away.
She’d never been attracted to a man with a scruffy beard and unkempt hair before, but something about Nash had been intriguing from the second she’d met him. Lily had actually found his ruggedness sexy and a nice change from all the pretty boys in Hollywood who worried too much about their looks.
“You’re right,” he told her. “This is good.”
Reclaiming her glass, Lily took another drink and made a mental note to go to the store for syrup first thing in the morning. A woman had needs, after all.
Speaking of needs, the way Nash’s heavy-lidded eyes raked over her silky chemise made her shiver with arousal. She’d worried about staying with Nash because she’d been afraid all they would do was act on all this sexual chemistry they had instead of figuring things out. But staying with him had forced them to evaluate what was going on between them and open up a little more each day.