Lily had changed her flight to a day earlier. She hadn’t been able to wait to get back to Nash, to have him see how her belly and their baby had grown. She wanted his hands on her, wanted to share this moment, silly as that may sound.
Lily had rented a car at the airport, eager to surprise Nash since he thought he’d be picking her up the following morning. As she pulled up next to his old truck in the drive, she smiled and killed the engine.
The porch swing swayed in the breeze, as did the hanging ferns. This cozy home was perfect for their family. Images of her lavish condo in LA flashed through her mind and Lily knew that second that she didn’t want her child growing up in a town with so much chaos. This porch would be the perfect play area for a toddler, the wide drive would serve as the place where their child could ride a bike or make chalk drawings. The expansive backyard just begged for a swing set complete with slide and maybe a sandbox.
When Lily looked at this house, she didn’t see it as Nash’s home anymore, she saw it as their future. Even though he was just renting it, she had fallen in love with it and wanted to stay. Perhaps if she offered the owner a fair price he’d sell to them.
One goal at a time, she promised herself as she stepped from the car. A light drizzle had accompanied her drive in and now the rain started falling a bit harder, faster as she made her way to the front door. The luggage in the car could wait. Her need to see Nash couldn’t.
The front door was unlocked, such was life in the country, and another reason she wanted to raise her family there.
As soon as she stepped over the threshold, she smelled that familiar, masculine scent that could only be associated with the man she’d fallen in love with. She’d missed that smell, missed the feel of his body next to hers as she slept, missed the way he would hold her, look at her, bring her a random grilled cheese when she hadn’t even said she was hungry.
And her body ached to touch him again. She’d gone so long without sex before meeting Nash, but since that first time with him, she constantly craved more. Nash was it for her.
No longer did she fear the media and what they would say. They’d talk regardless and half the “news” was made up stories anyway. No, she knew Nash would be by her side; he wouldn’t let her go through any of this alone. She was that confident in their newfound relationship. They’d come so far from the frenzied affair in the loft. Even their passion had reached another level of intimacy.
“Nash,” she called as she stepped into the living room and clicked on a lamp. Dusk was settling outside and the promise of a storm was thick in the air. “I’m home.”
Footsteps from the back of the house had her turning toward the hall. The sight of him shocked her, leaving her frozen in her place and utterly speechless.
The sight of him wearing only a pair of worn jeans riding low on his hips and nothing else but excellent muscle tone was enough to have her go silent and just enjoy the view. But, it was the clean-shaven face and the new haircut that had her doing a double take.
Those piercing blue eyes surrounded by thick, dark lashes were even more prominent now. His hair was wet as if he’d just gotten out of the shower. He froze, resting his hands on his hips. Apparently he was just as surprised to see her as she was about his transformation.
“You’re early,” he stated, brows drawn in. “Is something wrong?”
“Everything’s fine.” Lily took a step forward, then another until she’d closed the gap between them. Reaching up to cup his face with both hands, she studied this new Nash. “Why the change?”
Not that he looked bad. The Nash with the beard and unkempt hair was rugged and mysterious. This Nash with the square jaw and chiseled cheeks, with more emphasis on those mesmerizing eyes was flat-out sexy and intriguing.
“I needed to,” he told her, taking her hands in his. He kissed her palms before placing her hands on his chest. “It’s the first step in getting where I need to be, where we need to be.”
Lily couldn’t stop taking in the sight of him. Who knew a dark beard and disheveled hair could change someone’s appearance so much?
Those worry lines between his brows had deepened and the haunted look in his eyes hadn’t been there when she’d left.
“Something’s wrong.” The feel of his quickened heartbeat beneath her hand confirmed her suspicions. “Talk to me.”
Releasing her hands, he slid his own around her waist and pulled her against him. When he froze and jerked his gaze down, Lily smiled.
“I grew a little,” she explained, lifting her oversize T-shirt to expose her slightly rounded belly. “One morning I just woke up and there it was.”